If the first weeks of the Great War had raised concerns over the ability of Royal Armoured Corps of the Equestrian Army in comparison to their Changeling counterparts, the disastrous Battle of Talewood in early 1010ALB laid bare the inadequacy of their equipment beyond any doubt. An answer was needed and ideally, it would arrive three moons ago.
Now it falls to industrialists more used to tractors than tanks to come up with a new vehicle capable of standing up to the mechanised fury of the Changeling war machine, but with the Heer gaining ground every day, will anyone deliver a working model in time to turn the tide of the Great War?
This story has been announced as the second place winner of the Fifth Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest! The prompt was "Magic making way for technology."
This is a short story set in the world of the acclaimed Hearts of Iron 4 mod, Equestria at War. It is set in the Quenta Roccolië timeline.
Rated Everyone, but contains mild injuries (nothing worse than a Jerry Anderson series might show).
Thanks to ShiningBeacon for betaing.
Cover is a painting of a British Valentine tank circa 1942, presumably in Libya or Tunisia. I was unable to find the original source.
Good chapter!
I look forwards to see where it goes.
Hopefully they manage to archive something like this in time:
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This is an interesting piece! Rather enjoyed it.
11256888
Glad you're enjoying!
Alas, this is the wrong country for the T-34 and a few years too early tech-wise. Stalliongrad in 1010 are still mucking about with stuff like the BT-7 and aren't rushing to improve since they're not involved in the war (yet, for better or for worse).
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Well buckle up, because chapter two releases in half an hour and number three tomorrow around noon GMT!
This looks like a really cool story regardless, but what does that mean? It's my understanding there is a "canon" to EaW (i.e. roughly how things play out when you have historical turned on and don't mess with any of the settings), and is this just another way of saying that, or is this a different timeline?
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Honestly, Equestria would be much better-served with the Sherman.
11257767
The Quenta Roccolië is just the overarching name of the particular EaW timeline I developed in reference to the Quenta Apaidhrir, my LotR/Silmarillion expanded universe project. Translated into English it means 'Account of the Horse-folk'. The reasons it works are all deep lore stuff that I could ramble for hours about.
The timeline is based on possible in-game paths, but not all of them are the 'historical' ones (for example the Griffonian Empire has Gabriella as regent, not Eros).
11257770
As for this, that be a Hippogriff vehicle and again, a few years off. They're still using the M1 and M2 light tanks at this point and depending on how things go down in Zeberica, these might get shipped in small numbers to help out either in volunteer units or as lend lease. Equestria's current home-grown tanks are British-based, as in EaW canon. Stuff like the Mk6 light, Vickers 6 Ton (an amalgamation of which is the Breezie mentioned in this story), the Carden-Loyd Tankette and the Vickers A1E1 Independent (which was historically just a prototype, but Equestria uses a similar design as the Cerberus infantry tank) are the current fare, with some next-generation stuff covered in this story, warts and all.
Luna is leading from the front lines, but I don't think she has any intention of being slain.
And be careful whenever you think of just burning the enemy. These thoughts may lead you down a dark path...
...Good enough. Or at least better than nothing.
The reaction of the changelings tasked with spying on the trials:
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Hopefully it will be ready and deployed in time.
11257917
Luna is applying classical era generalship to the modern age. Saying nothing of her motives for doing so, regardless of the enormous tactical benefits it brings... An AT shell doesn't care who you are, anyling with access to them does, and if Luna or her bodyguards don't see the muzzle flash or react fast enough, said shell could easily put a rather abrupt and tragic end to a being who remembers when bronze was newfangled.
A kettle is actually a surprisingly useful thing to have in a tank, since it helps with crew morale and fatigue to be able to have a hot drink (usually tea, in this case) or soup during long patrols or combat alerts. But yeah...
Oh, this speed of development from interwar to early WW2 tech tanks is only possible because the Changelings did a dumb near the start of the war. Let's just say that logistics are important, and so is shooting anyone who suggests a plan relying on wunderwaffen.
That, she very well might do.
VOPS are almost certainly looking onto this, or trying to. Like most magic, countermeasures against shapeshifting do exist, both magical and mundane, so they are often forced to use the same methods as every other race (though it does still give them advantages). But if and when this filters up to her, Chryssy (and her propaganda ministry, if VOPS smuggle any footage out) will find this hilarious.
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You don't build a nation without being a tough old bird, that's for sure.
Hopefully the Timberwolf will buy them that time, or rather give the poor bucking infantry the cover they need to do the job. Book two of the main trilogy will give the answer to that.
This has been an experience. And it's been very interesting, though I wish this was longer. A good read, it has been.
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Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed.
Due to competition rules I had a 10k word limit here, but I do have a story that's well over 200k fairly close to completion which ties into this centred around the Royal Guard... Though the second book is the timeframe in which this story happens, so it'll be a while until anything here becomes relevant. Prologue and Dour are more in line with setting up the events of the first book.
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So THAT'S what commented to me about, okay I see. Although a word of advice; Don't post all of it in one sitting, You won't gain any traction that way. You post a story that's done all at once, no one's gonna notice it, instead, post the story in chapters. Start with prologue(if at all) and the first 2 or 3 chapters. Then maybe once a week or so, post a chapter or two.
Sorry if I got the wrong idea from you, but this is what it made me think about.
11264060
Oh yeah, I'm planning on one or two chapters being released per week for the book. This one was rushed out faster because I was up against the competition deadline (which then got moved a week later because half the contestants didn't finish in time, but hey ho). There's no 'prologue' chapter so to speak (though there is a story called prologue that's already out set a few months before the start of the book), since the thing's already long-winded enough without delaying getting into the meat of the story.
Here's a link to the competition folder, if you're interested in more EaW stuff:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212917/folder/77286/2022-contest-folder
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All I needed to know, thanks
Good fic. Would read again. Coming from someone who couldn't care less about tanks if they'd driven over my kids, that's saying something.
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Glad you enjoyed!
You know, The Great Scribbly One, if you ever planning to go Solar Empire path. In my opnion Empress-Protector is the one that makes more sense.
When coming to the Solar Empire, I like to based upon what era the game currently is to choose. God-Empress from before the war since this one is not directly impacted by the war but by Celestia's worse vices winning in the end, Mother-Empress for post-war since the war have a severe impact on her mental health and ponies asking for turbulent changes snap something on her that they don't know the best and must be protect from themselves less other tragedy begins, while Empress-Protector during the war that reach the conclusion there's no sacrifice too small she will not make to protect her subjects from they foes and vanquish them forever.
Granted there is no need since, I always found that while Changelings upon the early stage of always steam roll Equestria but if you play smart you can make the advance stall and push them back, it actually happens sooner if the Commonwealth send troops along with Stalliongrad and the Crystal Empire still continuing in the fight.
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Interesting thoughts, though I would consider Mother-Empress to be equally plausible for a mid-war mental break, depending on precisely how one interprets Celestia's view of her people and just how much the mother wolf is enraged.
Of course, that depends on her snapping in the first place. As I've implied throughout this story, I have plans for Celestia, but if hers will be a tale of heroic resolve, the shining beacon leading her country through its darkest hour into the uncertain future which awaits, or a dive into ruinous madness and despair is yet to be seen.
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I still likes the Empress-Protector over all the others but this may be more of a bias opinion from mine since this path is the less monstrous of the three and she genuine believes that vanquish the foes of her subjects is for the best, while Mother-Empress would transform Equestria in a Orwellian state that would fit in a post-war or during the civil war.
Although I much prefer she keep her sanity in check, like I said she just need to hold until the tide is turn, frankly if Celestia must turn in Daybreaker the best time would be during the siege of Canterlot since all is lost if the city falls, what she has to lose?
There still Stalliongrad to request help because like it or not they have a army and Celestia, under severe opposition of her advisers, request them help, while Vasiliy still dealing in being the new General Secretary must make a decision for neutrality or war while the party is divided in the subject. It would make a good story if you think about it.
Vasiliy is a moral character and genuine believer in the party goals and he either must help Equestria but condemn his soldiers to die defending they former overlords or be neutral. What's the point of proclaiming they are the defenders of the workers if they are unwilling to defend Equestrian workers?
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Stalliongrad is under Vasily in this timeline, but as you said it's far from certain they'll get involved. Nova Griffonia is if anything a more pressing issue for them around the start of 1010.
That was a good story.
My Little Reviews & Feedback I did this review.
would-be
11761170
Corrected, thanks!