the end of the tool?

[donkyhotay]

I'm beginning to think stanley is about to stop being a major factor in erfworld. Currently he appears to be planning to disregard all help/advice from hamster or wanda and given his previous track record this spells doom for gobwin knob. This leaves a few options for the way the story can go. Hamster has proven his abilities even if stanley doesn't see it, I mean he came up with an excellent idea and he got unlucky that jillian managed to find the wounded dwagons with enough move left to do some good (vinnie never found them with his bats). I suspect regardless of what happens next wanda and hamster will remain together but whether they stage a coup, make their own plans to defend the city outside of stanley's, plan an escape for when the city falls, or simply leave the city before ansom shows up remains to be seen.

[factotum]

While Stanley retains possession of the Arkenhammer he can't be anything BUT a major factor in Erfworld. Regardless of anything else he will still control the dwagons, and those are more than a minor inconvenience.

[archon_huskie]

Where exactly does the Tool keep the Hammer?

[Parable]

Where exactly does the Tool keep the Hammer?

I like where archon_huskie is going -- It's about time that the Arkenhammer chooses Hamster as its new owner.

Besides, Stanley is about as endearing as a stale fart. Out with him, already.

[sihnfahl]

While Stanley retains possession of the Arkenhammer he can't be anything BUT a major factor in Erfworld. Regardless of anything else he will still control the dwagons, and those are more than a minor inconvenience.

Only in the hands of a competent commander, though.

And Stanley isn't competent.

[Fineous Orlon]

Where exactly does the Tool keep the Hammer?

Hammerspace.

[factotum]

Only in the hands of a competent commander, though.

And Stanley isn't competent.

A force as powerful as the dwagons can still do a lot of damage, even in the hands of an incompetent commander. Also, while we have evidence that Stanley isn't very competent at dealing with PEOPLE, he seems just fine when handling dwagons-remember his demonstration of power to Parson?

[ReccaSquirrel]

So basically what people are saying is...

*ducks*

It's Hammertime?

[Emo Samurai]

If you're going to take the route that everything to do with the Arkentools happens for a reason, then we could say that without Stanley's holding the Arkenhammer, Parson would never have been summoned to Erfworld. No greatest war, no greatest warlord. Stanley's just the excuse; Parson's their objective. Ansom didn't bond the Arkenpliers because Parson would've been summoned with or without their being bonded to Ansom, but the hammer had to be bonded to Stanley so that Parson could be summoned.

So if Stanley's place in fate is over with, then there's a good chance that the hammer won't save him.

[sihnfahl]

A force as powerful as the dwagons can still do a lot of damage, even in the hands of an incompetent commander.

Yup, the dwagons under Stanley's control have caused so much damage that he hasn't won a single battle. Very impressive.

he seems just fine when handling dwagons-remember his demonstration of power to Parson?

Stanley's little display of power to Parson reminded me of all those pretty May Day marches that got televised while I was growing up.

They LOOKED impressive, but when they got tested in actual combat...

[Moechi_Vill]

The Arkentools are by their very nature important forces in Erfworld. The Arkenhammer doesn't need dragons to be what it is.

[factotum]

Yup, the dwagons under Stanley's control have caused so much damage that he hasn't won a single battle. Very impressive.

I'm sure the hundreds or possibly thousands of enemy combatants who have died in their jaws are really comforted by the thought that their side won the battle...

[donkyhotay]

Well the only thing reason stanley still is a major power in erfworld is because he rules gobwin knob and has the arkenhammer. If he were to lose gobwin knob (which is what appears to be happening) then he might still be a very powerful individual but will not have a nation or large army to command. I picture him like one of the kings of france or the czar of russia after the revolutions. They had alot power and prestige (mostly given to them by sympathetic nations) but were out of the picture in running countries. Stanley doesn't appear to have any allies, he's turned his back on his most useful minions (wanda and parson), which means if he loses gobwin knob he will be completely alone except for the arkenhammer. Sure the arkenhammer is a powerful artifact however with the entire alliance hunting him down he will either need to remain in hiding or face them with just the hammer. And lets face it, although the hammer is strong it's not omnipotent as he currently can't use it to save gobwin knob from a force that doesn't have full use of even 1 arkentool.

[Drakron]

Really?

Last time I checked the history books the Czar and his family were executed and so was Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette ... does not exactly bodes well for him.

[Parable]

I'm interested by the recent focus on Prince Ansom and Jillian.

<metagame>The writers have taken the time to develop these characters, and their time is extremely limited. Might Parson find his way into the Prince's command after the fallow Gobwin Knob?</metagame>

[SteveMB]

I'm interested by the recent focus on Prince Ansom and Jillian.

<metagame>The writers have taken the time to develop these characters, and their time is extremely limited. Might Parson find his way into the Prince's command after the fallow Gobwin Knob?</metagame>

Or, another speculation: If Stanley (who is Ansom's real target) escapes or gets himself croaked in an attempt to grab the Arkenpliers, might Parson be able to make a deal with Ansom that leaves him in charge? (That assumes either that the Plaid realm isn't Jillian's lost kingdom, or that she still doesn't want to claim it.)

He is "Lord Hamster", after all, and doesn't owe that title to Stanley, which means that Ansom might consider him an acceptable overlord. (Stanley's title was presumably self-styled, given that he was once common infantry. We don't know whether "Lady Firebaugh" got her title from Stanley, which would make it invalid as far as Ansom is concerned, and there's also the possible repercussions of her treatment of Jillian.)

[Mystyco]

end of the tool =/= end of the turn

still few turn left to total annilihation, more cool gadgets from income happy erfworld meal, more time for wanda to get back to normal.

in few turn, plot twists many time

[Nightgaunt]

Really?

Last time I checked the history books the Czar and his family were executed and so was Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette ... does not exactly bodes well for him.

If only they had the presence of mind to have dragons with them, maybe they could have been saved.

Stupid royalty.

[Kaerbek]

If Parson or Wanda dissapear from the comic because of this war, I'm going to oficially stop reading this comic.

[jindra34]

If Parson or Wanda dissapear from the comic because of this war, I'm going to oficially stop reading this comic.

i agree. simply put they are a good chunk of the heart of the comic.

[donkyhotay]

Really?

Last time I checked the history books the Czar and his family were executed and so was Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette ... does not exactly bodes well for him.

My point exactly, without a nation to back him up, stanley won't be a major player in the erfworld anymore. Now in the french revolution many other nations were considering assisting king louis but didn't do much until after he was killed which touched off the great french war. Had the other nations of europe intervened earlier and louis managed to escape and then re-invade, france would probably be a very different place today. But because help didn't come until afterwards the revolution was successful. The czar on the other hand was also killed but he was 'exiled' with his family for a short while within one of his palaces. He was a rallying point for forces desiring a return to the monarchy until he was killed. Deposed monarchs don't do well unless they have somewhere to go to build up a powerbase. Stanley doesn't have any allies to go to so even if he escapes he won't be able to do much except maybe create some trouble with the arkenhammer but the arkenhammer by itself isn't strong enough for him to survive against the combined might of the alliance.

[duckie]

Really?

Last time I checked the history books the Czar and his family were executed and so was Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette ... does not exactly bodes well for him.

Actually, that is incorrect. Only the Czar's direct family was executed: he had exiled heirs in Europe and the United States, who put forward symbolic claims for their rights.
The same happened in France: after Napoleon was defeated, the new king, Louis XVIII (don't ask what happened to Louis XVII), was a brother of Louis XVI. And the lucky guy didn't even face a decent rebellion.
Go figure!

[donkyhotay]

Your probably right, It's been awhile since my last history class.

[Orkimedes]

Personaly, I would miss the Tool. He's had a few endearing moments for me (that scene with the walnuts being my favorite) and I can't understand why he would be killed off so quickly after being introduced. The total cast of characters is quite small for this story, and I don't see anyone already mentioned on the cast page coming down with a case of corpse-itis anytime soon.
Plus, we need to take a look at how Stanly got to be in charge in the first place. Regicide takes planning, which means he has to have at least a little cunning in him. To then take over in the rest of his liege's army, and seize the Arkenhammer.
I see Stan disapearing for awhile, but I can't see him being thrown out of the game just yet.

[Casey]

Stanley rules because the Arkenhammer commands the dwagons.

Over half his dwagon force is gone.

I'd be getting the heck out of dodge myself, in a state like that.

-c.

[Capt'n Ironbrow]

My point exactly, without a nation to back him up, stanley won't be a major player in the erfworld anymore. Now in the french revolution many other nations were considering assisting king louis but didn't do much until after he was killed which touched off the great french war. Had the other nations of europe intervened earlier and louis managed to escape and then re-invade, france would probably be a very different place today. But because help didn't come until afterwards the revolution was successful. The czar on the other hand was also killed but he was 'exiled' with his family for a short while within one of his palaces. He was a rallying point for forces desiring a return to the monarchy until he was killed. Deposed monarchs don't do well unless they have somewhere to go to build up a powerbase. Stanley doesn't have any allies to go to so even if he escapes he won't be able to do much except maybe create some trouble with the arkenhammer but the arkenhammer by itself isn't strong enough for him to survive against the combined might of the alliance.

I think the last German Emperor (Wilhelm II?) is a better comparison then. At the end of world war I, his subjects kicked him out and agreed to the ceasefire. Poor ole' Wilhelm spend the rest of his life choppin' wood and polishing cuttlery at a Mansion in the Netherlands...
The all-or-nothing operation Stanley plans to do is also quite similar to Wilhelm's last stratagem for the war: an amphibious attack on Britain (who controlled the sea-lanes at the time so that would've been suicide). If Stanley could stage a succesfull coup as a (probably) disbandable army-unit (or part thereof), what's to say Parson can't?