[Spoiler] Did Parson make a tactical error?

[Nightgaunt]

Not to break down the fourth wall, but doesn't it seem unlikely that Ansom would get caught this early in the game? Even if he does something bone-headed we can't really expect Ansom to get taken out this soon can we?

[factotum]

Not to break down the fourth wall, but doesn't it seem unlikely that Ansom would get caught this early in the game? Even if he does something bone-headed we can't really expect Ansom to get taken out this soon can we?

This soon? I think Rob and Jamie said that this section of the Erfworld story would run to about 80 or 90 strips--56 means we're two-thirds of the way through! (Note that "The Battle for Gobwin Knob" is probably not the last story we'll see set in Erfworld...there are at least three other Arkentools for Stanley to find, for a start).

[Radar]

There is an important correction to the "croak Ansom" plan:
Why don't use the same tactic, as with the siege units? Attack, croak selectively and withdraw. Parson ha obout 46 dwagons at his disposal, so this would give him 5 raids with full eights and 6 more dwagons for a final blow. The only problem here are the Arkenpliers and their anti-uncroaked powers - Parson cannot risk loosing his worlords.
If one considers the Arkepliers, croaking Ansom could be a bit too risky. It's better, to take down more siege units instead.

edit:
There is also a question, whether defenders can deal damage selectively as the attackers do (if there are worlords in stack of course)?

[xKiv]

Do we know where Ansom really is?
If he is with the column, how come he didn't know what was happening to it?
[ well, duh, Parson just went around him ... ]

So, I see those factors:
1) the mobile council is a really strong force in itself, with lots of powerful warlords
2) and it has flyers = powerful counterattacks

But, yes, why not take all the dwagons and make one surgical strike to "retrieve" Ansom?

[Radar]

Do we know where Ansom really is?
If he is with the column, how come he didn't know what was happening to it?
[ well, duh, Parson just went around him ... ]

So, I see those factors:
1) the mobile council is a really strong force in itself, with lots of powerful warlords
2) and it has flyers = powerful counterattacks

But, yes, why not take all the dwagons and make one surgical strike to "retrieve" Ansom?

Just croaking Ansom is not enough, but good for a starter. I don't think, that anyone can equip outside of one's turn, so croaking Ansom means, that Arkenpliers are out for at least one turn. To get the Arcenpliers, Parson has to wipe the whole group - one rather has to win a battle to get any loot. I only wanted to say, that there is probably a way to minimize looses by withdrawing wounded units and attack again with fresh ones.

[VariaVespasa]

A thought that occurs- Parson could well be planning to whack Ansom and his attack, and be set up to do so. With the idea that whacking Ansom may end the threat, and grabbing his pliers will fulfill the Tools goals. If only warlord units can handle artifacts or magic items (or else why were the items that Zamussels dropped left in the field?) then that would require an uncroaked warlord to handle the pliers. If the pliers are fatal to uncroaked units on contact and not just a 1-shot kill in combat (which is all we actually KNOW about the pliers vs uncroaked at the moment) then Parson could win the battle but lose the objective (and a warlord) by being unable to carry the pliers home. :P

[Kreistor]

Why don't use the same tactic, as with the siege units? Attack, croak selectively and withdraw.

Warhammer 40K, for instance, does not allow the targetting of named units until all other in that squad are dead. On page 12, when Jillian is captured, it appears as though the arlies have been wiped out. I suspect wrlords are similarly protected in this game.

[xKiv]

If only warlord units can handle artifacts or magic items (or else why were the items that Zamussels dropped left in the field?)

You would probably want something that
1) is dexterous enough (are dwagons' mouths capable of picking up something - and without destroying it?)
2) is intelligent enough to actually think of it - or has orders to do so

[SteveMB]

Warhammer 40K, for instance, does not allow the targetting of named units until all other in that squad are dead. On page 12, when Jillian is captured, it appears as though the arlies have been wiped out. I suspect wrlords are similarly protected in this game.

The red dwagon attacks Jillian (12/6) before croaking her gwiffon (12/7).

You would probably want something that
1) is dexterous enough (are dwagons' mouths capable of picking up something - and without destroying it?)
2) is intelligent enough to actually think of it - or has orders to do so

Another possibility is that the Eyemancers don't detect items separately as long as they're being carried. If so, and if Stanley wasn't supervising at the moment of the battle, the dwagons would just let the items drop (not knowing that they were supposed to do anything else), and Stanley would see them at the battle coordinates after the fact next time he checked the table.

Edit: It occurs to me that this fits the abstract block image of Jillian on her gwiffon. If the hat and sword were detected, there's no sign (e.g. some differently colored blocks at the top for the hat and at the side for the sword) of it.