Erfworld 78, Page 72

[Elaro]

What a Tool! Blaming your underlings when a well-thoughtout plan goes belly up? Sign of a weak, weak leader, if you ask me.

The only redeeming thing he did was not killing them. But that hardly makes Stanley a good leader here. What he should have done is realized just how much Parson and Wanda's plans were working and say something like "Fix It."

But no, he decides to pull the "You Failed Me, Therefore You Are Worthless" card. It's pretty obvious to me that His Toolship has never read the "If I Were An Evil Overlord" list.

OR... Stanley has faith in the Arkentools. He just saw one deny him victory. Thus, he went "oh **** the gods are NOT on my side!". This is a crisis of faith for him. So, he wants to be left alone to think things through.

[Ragamuffin]

But break the link? What is that about?

Note that breaking the link frees up 3 more casters. If you're going to make a final stand on your own ground, you might as well give up your intel advantage to gain some extra casters.

Also, I wonder if this'll stop the eyebooks from working.

[SteveD]

Stanley shows a lot of character in this one.

He was effectively manipulated by Parson and Wanda (page 48). Stanley didn't trust Parsons ability...and ultimately he was right. Parson cocked that one up Spectacularly. He placed a whole load of faith into an exploitable mechanic that ultimately gained him very little...40% siege in exchange for all the highest-move Dwagons. He wasn't working on assumptions; he knew exactly what the enemy had and what could reach. He made a bad plan.

The bit with the 'break your link' at the end...I reckon Stanley did that for no bigger reason then the link was no longer needed. In a siege you don't need to communicate orders to remote units.

[fractal]

The question to me is, "Why not stay and fight for whatever miniscule chance there might be?" I guess the reason has to be that a headstart is important for Stanley.

Clearly he can't take the Gobwins with him, however. Therefore, I see two possibilities. One, he just doesn't even care about inflicting casualties upon Ansom, and the city will be delivered whole when Ansom arrives. Alternatively, since Stanley does still own the city, perhaps it will fight on autopilot, until Ansom and his remaining siege break through.

If the second possibility holds true, and if Stanley trusted Parson not to be a traitor, he would be better off leaving Parson in charge.

[Knight13]

This just proves that Stanley is an idiot.

Parson did not fail, he had a brilliant plan that very likely would have succeeded completely if Wanda's spell hadn't broken.

Wanda did not fail, her spell was working fine. It was just bad luck that Jillian found her way into a situation where she was forced to choice between her loyalty to Wanda and her love for Ansom.

Furthermore, how do we know that the battle is lost? Sure, they lost a bunch of dwagons and 3 warlords, but they have 2 more warlords and who knows how many other dwagons, not to mention the various other forces at Stanley's command.

So, Stanley blames his quite competent underlings for bad luck and the vagaries of fate, not exactly the act of a smart evil overlord.

Stanley didn't trust Parsons ability...and ultimately he was right. Parson cocked that one up Spectacularly. He placed a whole load of faith into an exploitable mechanic that ultimately gained him very little...40% siege in exchange for all the highest-move Dwagons. He wasn't working on assumptions; he knew exactly what the enemy had and what could reach. He made a bad plan.

Hardly, Parson's plan was working perfectly until Wanda's spell failed. If it hadn't, Parson would have wiped out the rest of the siege, leaving Ansom's force effectively incapable of taking Gobwin Knob and would most likely have gotten away with all 3 warlords and most of the dwagons intact.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Why is Stanley giving up? The fight's not over yet, and he still has assets.

The B-Dwagons can still sow havoc, and Parson still has a defensive position. Stanley puts too much weight on the value of his A-Dwagons. I still see him as a chess player who depends too much on his queen.

It ain't over just yet.

[SteveMB]

OR... Stanley has faith in the Arkentools. He just saw one deny him victory. Thus, he went "oh **** the gods are NOT on my side!".

Huh? "The Titans have made it clear to me. I'll have to walk this path alone." is most definitely NOT a realization that he isn't divinely favored after all. It is, rather, a rationalization for maintaining his belief in his divine favor combined with the ever-popular blaming of his problems on everybody else around him.

[Ironwulf]

What if Stanley buggs out, Parson surrenders to Ansom, Jillian takes her rightful place as ruler of Gobwin Knob, and Wanda, Parson and Sizemore start working for Jillian. What then?

[Fuzzy_Juan]

does kinda make you wonder why he bothered with the dwagon fort to begin with and ahy he didn't just have every single dwagon over the lake in the same hex. That way the healthy dwagons could still somewhat screen the wounded and the counterattack would still be strong enough to deter any rouge elements like the archons and flying warlords that were known elements when the orders went out...while it would have meant less movement to be able to get out over the lake, it would not have been much...maybe 5% less kills...a small price to pay for being able to 'ensure' some extra safety from reprisal.

I know he was trusting certian things about Jillian, and thought he could trap ansom's forces and then crush them...but looks like a calculated gamble just became a catastrophy....oops.

Not sure what is next for the forces of GK...only time will tell.

[Burrito]

Tool may also want to break the link to keep Ansom and company from finding out about that little advantage. The Linking of the 'Mancers was a big quantum leap as far as spellcraft went in Erfworld. If the enemy is going to overrun your position, you don't want him getting the important intel stuff. He wouldn't want Ansom to use that advantage against him.

As far as Wanda goes there are several options as to the "Shell Shock"

A) She just got dumped by Jillian

B) It could be some sort of after effect from the "mind control" spell being broken.

C) Her plan failed! Horribly! And it may simply be this personal defeat that she is feeling more than anything else.

[fendrin]

Wouldn't that be awesome to behold!?!?

For about 2 strips it would be.

This strip is about his superior strategy, not about him being the ultimate combatant.

[docstrange]

After breaking the Link, Stanley will be able to do separate actions with his casters - perhaps including veils and luckmancing. And with every unit called into the same hex, Gobwin Knob, the long-distance intelligence asset of the link is useless: he can see everything anyway.

"He burned his boats and smashed his cooking pots. The river was at the rear, the Chao army to the front. Han Hsin had to conquer or drown" - Sun Tzu

[SteveMB]

Tool may also want to break the link to keep Ansom and company from finding out about that little advantage. The Linking of the 'Mancers was a big quantum leap as far as spellcraft went in Erfworld. If the enemy is going to overrun your position, you don't want him getting the important intel stuff. He wouldn't want Ansom to use that advantage against him.

That makes sense; petulance and prudence actually pull in the same direction, once it's stipulated (as it apparently is in Stanley's mind) that Gobwin Knob is lost.

As far as Wanda goes there are several options as to the "Shell Shock"

A) She just got dumped by Jillian

B) It could be some sort of after effect from the "mind control" spell being broken.

C) Her plan failed! Horribly! And it may simply be this personal defeat that she is feeling more than anything else.

I would add D) She hasn't really been paying attention to anything after the Tool's order made it useless to plead any further for capturing Jillian, and believes that she has now been croaked.

[The Old Hack]

Excuse me, but threatening underlings with death if they bother you and dismissing them from service is taking it out on said underlings.

I suppose you are right. But there are degrees of this still. Maybe it would have been more correct to say that he at least controlled his anger sufficiently to not strike out with blind force (disbanding them.) Mind, he did not dismiss them from service, only from his presence -- he continues to pay their upkeep.

I should probably add that I do not feel Stanley shows good character in this. I merely note that there is more to him than his bluster about disbanding. As to whether he is being a fool, merely preparing one last mad gamble or running away... I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

I personally consider this one of the most emotionally intense pages in the story I have yet read. And in all honesty, I still hope to see Parson wipe Prince Handsome and Jillian Musclebrains all over the place, dim as the prospect seems right now.

[Doshi]

I see two possibilities for what the Tool does next. He might be planning to take the Dwagons and Arkenhammer and run. That was a plan he was considering when he first talked to Wanda. Or he might have decided to personally attack Anson, using the Arkanhammer directly. Depending on how powerful the Arkenhammer really is, this plan might be workable or not.
If Stanley retreats, I expect Wanda and Parson will try for a diplomatic solution. If I'm correct, this story will end with Parson, Wanda and Sizemore going to work for the new Overlord of Gobwin Knob, Overlord Jillian.

[Ripsaw]

Has it occurred to anyone that Parson may literally be a Titan?

[Girl Wonder]

Tool may also want to break the link to keep Ansom and company from finding out about that little advantage. The Linking of the 'Mancers was a big quantum leap as far as spellcraft went in Erfworld. If the enemy is going to overrun your position, you don't want him getting the important intel stuff. He wouldn't want Ansom to use that advantage against him.

As far as Wanda goes there are several options as to the "Shell Shock"

A) She just got dumped by Jillian

B) It could be some sort of after effect from the "mind control" spell being broken.

C) Her plan failed! Horribly! And it may simply be this personal defeat that she is feeling more than anything else.

Wanda likes controlling people, loves being in control, thrives on it, feeds on it, and has likely been living that way for so long she doesn't know of any other way to live.

Now, with a very pointed failure in a sphere that was -supposed- to be the areas in which she is MOST adept... magic and manipulation, something as simple as good old-fashioned love has proven that no matter how hard she tries, how hard she tries to twist and squeeze and mold the situation and people toward whatever her ultimate plan is, she is very much NOT able to wield total control.

Right now the situation is VERY fluid, and proceeding down a path which Wanda frankly found to be inconceivable just a few short moments ago. She's lost control, she's lost her anchor to what she thought reality was, while -actual- reality continues forward in a very different way. Moreover, for better or worse, Stanley IS showing he is in control. Perhaps he's mad, or foolish, or just getting ready to pragmatically flee with the hammer, but this man who she thought SHE controlled is calling what shots there are to be called, and she controls nothing. Nothing save herself, and even that, only barely it seems.

Wanda seemed to be a very tightly-wound individual, and now, at least for the moment, she's snapped. I see two possible scenarios... a) She remains in denial and tries more and more extravagant ways to get back the control she lost, whatever that may mean to her (the 'Wanda goes crazy' scenario) or b) She comes to grips with what it means to NOT be in complete command of the situation, to HAVE to rely on others, and to respect them, too, not just use them. (the 'Wanda grows up' scenario).

For all that I've railed against 'dragon lady' Wanda in the past, I really AM hoping for option b).

[Dentarg]

A lot of things just tumbled down from Wanda's control:

- She lost all three uncroaked warlords.

- She lost Jillian.

- She realized that her influence over the Tool could not affect the battle when her plea to spare Jillian was denied.

- She lost influence with the Tool after the loss of the battle.

I don't see this being a deathblow to Team GK here, but I do see it as being a significant blow of damage to them.

Regardless, very good development in this picture by Stanley, and an interesting view for the next page when it comes out.

- Dentarg

[kpenguin]

One word: boop

[Surfing HalfOrc]

A lot of things just tumbled down from Wanda's control:

- She lost all three uncroaked warlords.

- She lost Jillian.

- She realized that her influence over the Tool could not affect the battle when her plea to spare Jillian was denied.

- She lost influence with the Tool after the loss of the battle.

I don't see this being a deathblow to Team GK here, but I do see it as being a significant blow of damage to them.

Regardless, very good development in this picture by Stanley, and an interesting view for the next page when it comes out.

- Dentarg

I'm not sure of Lady Phat Singh... Manpower and Leroy Jenkins perma-croaked on screen, but I'm (meta-)thinking Warlords don't croak off panel. I was expecting Parson to sound the retreat, I WASN'T expecting Tool to go all "The Donald" on us.

"You're Fired!"

No, not a Deathblow, but I'm still thinking that winning the battle on Gobwin Knob will require the actual use of gobwins, and not just dwagons.

[jindra34]

Well there is one good thing about this turn of events. Team Parson is now free to become mercenarial. And that could really boop up anyone on the other side.

[SteveMB]

I'm not sure of Lady Phat Singh... Manpower and Leroy Jenkins perma-croaked on screen, but I'm (meta-)thinking Warlords don't croak off panel.

The tone of Parson's opening comments, combined with Stanley's bitter outburst, makes me think they just watched the last of their units blink out into oblivion on the Big Board. I also don't see all that much point in spending page space showing Phat-Singh's (re)demise.

I was expecting Parson to sound the retreat, I WASN'T expecting Tool to go all "The Donald" on us.

It sounds like Parson was coming up with some plan to mitigate the fiasco when Stanley told him to shut up. As for Stanley's behavior, it is pretty much how I expected him to react after having what looked like a last hope for victory suddenly snatched away in front of him -- a combination of anger and fatalism.

[Greyhame]

I feel for Wanda. Oh well,she'll get over it. No tactical discussions about this one. I wonder why Stanley is breaking the link.

Would you want to look at the battle map, knowing what was coming? *L*

[nooblade]

I'd be really suspicious if I were Stanley: Wanda said to let Jillian loose for this "trap" that didn't work and he's still paying the price for it. It isn't just one failure on their part, this is more like the second or third huge loss of a significant advantage for nothing, even if the odds seemed to favor Parson sometimes.

There's hardly any kind of experience out there where you have to trust someone else to figure out a life-or-death situation for you. I like these developments--Stanley isn't going to get any smarter by just watching all of his underlings do the work for him. I'm curious how well he fares without them.

Plus the action is finally settling. It is so annoying when you're left in the middle of combat, someone jumps off their mount or something and then they're back on it in the next comic. XD

[Eva]

I, too, agree that this is the last [key] battle for Gobwin Knob and it's unwinnable after this, so Stanley unlinked the casters so as to veil an escape.

Maybe he's hoping to come across more arkentools or something, so as to help him regain control later, but now is definitely the time to leave.

In less typical musing, I've been wondering for a while if Parson will ever join the other side. If they do capture Gobwin Knob, I don't know, I could see him getting along with Vinnie and Jillian (somehow can't see that with Ansom).

I hope Wanda will be alright.

[Greyhame]

Wouldn't that be awesome to behold!?!?

It would certainly be more satisfying than watching our hero get his boop handed to him at every turn by all parties involved in this stupid battle--enemies and idiot allies alike.

Kind of downing to watch him go down in flames like this. And in slow motion even (slow updating of comic).

[Aerysil]

Wanda did not take it well.

Again, I'm surprised things seem to be falling apart so quickly for team bad. Perhaps this wasn't part of Wanda's scheme after all...

[ag30476]

Is it just me or is this a real downer. From a story point of view I buy it but now what?

Ansom and Jillian are reconciled (we assume). The coalition is saved. And the overwhelming attack on Gobwin Knob continues except now GK is much weaker (dragon and warlord losses, no tabletop, Wanda in shock, Stanley in despair, and Parson with a backup plan but without a clue how to handle the situation with Stanley).

If this is not the end of the story, then what is there left to say?

If a new story arc starts, how does it begin? I mean sure the siege continues and Ansom and Jillian will have a lot of fighting (maybe even with each other). And there will be tension within GK but the links between GK and the coalition seem broken to me. No more Jillian vs Wanda? No more Ansom vs Parson?

And how does the story get back to Parson?

[Atheist_Cleric]

Very interesting turn of events. Does "walking this path alone" mean Stanley will flee? Or that he will now only give orders himself? Or that he intends to try and defeat the enemy by himself, perhaps in a duel against Ansom, arkentool agaisnt arkentool, winner take all?

I feel a little bad for Wanda. She's not a good person, but she's either in shock because she thinks that quite possibly the only person she might care about is dead....or she's in shock because that person rejected her, despite all her magic and manipulation.

[ReccaSquirrel]

I think he's planning on abandoning Goblin Knob. It'll be up to Parson to decide what to do from here on out, considering how badly messed up Wanda is right now.

Agreed completely and totally, especially when you consider the following line:
"Your upkeep'll be paid as long as the city stands."