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Red Hessian Operational Manual
This document has been compiled by the Red Hessian Army Spezialoperationabteilung to help all pilots flying under the flag of das Volksrevolution accustom themselves to guerilla warfare within Rheinland, as well as our other operations, contacts and agreements within and beyond the boundaries of our great Vaterland. It is advisable that all Red Hessian pilots accustom themselves with the information within, and always keep a copy on hand in case of unforeseen emergencies.
Take note however that this guide is in no way a completely exhaustive source of information, and while helpful as an introduction, it is without a doubt that most situations you will encounter will require your own personal wit, common sense and a good grasp on guerilla tactics in order for you and your comrades to survive and prevail against the overwhelming and well trained forces that our great movement does and will face.
Updates and addendums will be carried out on a semi-regular basis, depending on new developments on the front or new information becoming available.
Operational Overview
State of the movement
In the midst of all this is our beacon of hope. The shining flag of the Volksrevolution, which brings together all the oppressed people of Rheinland for the purpose of a common goal: to fulfill the Bundesrepublik's namesake and become a true People's Republic. To establish a government free from the corporate greed of Daumann and Republican, free from the hateful influence of the National Party. A government that will return Rheinland to its status of an economic giant, without the machinations of Imperial rule or the fascism of Maurer's RNP.
Today the Red Hessians are a movement of hope. Fighting a war against a foreign invader that will not give up until his forces are totally obliterated, we are the ones who are holding the Corsair advance away from Rheinland. Our allies are free to strike the invading Libertonians in the mean time, just as all of us are able to stand our ground against the enforcers of fascism in Rheinland itself, as they try in futility to break our will. Regardless of the circumstances, the movement is still growing, finding new allies within and outside of Rheinland. We are no longer bound with the Outcasts, as the truth about their motivation is revealed. Instead we find people in other Houses who think like us, have the same goals as us, and who are set to help us achieve all our goals. As the times change, so do our methods and alliances, but there is one thing that will never change: our motivation. The will to lead the Vaterland to a better path. A path of virtue and strength, of order and justice. The path to final victory.- - Brigadegeneral Kaspar Meisnerr
- Public address following the declaration of combined arms treaty with the Coalition forces in Sirius in 817 A.S.
Organisation of the movement
The Red Hessian movement is above all organised on principles of equality and a united front. We do not discriminate between available forces, we include all Red Hessians in our battles to the very possible extent. All Red Hessians are encouraged to form groups during patrols and engagements, so that they may cooperate against the enemy to the best possible extent.
That said, movement policy and rulings are decided by the Red Hessian Army faction, with cooperation from both mainline and raider forces. Units within raider forces are encouraged to band together to form factions, so that they may become part of the mainline forces and be further included in the matters of the Red Hessian movement.
The organisation of the Red Hessian movement can be presented by the following table:
| Mainline forces | Raider forces | |
|---|---|---|
 Red Hessian Army
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 Rot Front
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 Red Hessian independents
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| Roles | ||
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| Sub-groups | ||
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See Rot Front#Structure | --- |
Note that the above table is subject to change as the Hessian movement evolves and new Hessian groups are created or disbanded.
Diplomacy and agreements
Rheinland
| Faction | Relationship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Bundschuh |
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| LWB |
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| Unioners |
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| Junkers |
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| ALG Waste Disposal |
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| Kruger Minerals |
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| Republican Shipping |
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| Daumann Heavy Construction |
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| Rheinland Federal Police |
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| Rheinland Military |
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Revolutionaries within Rheinland have long since agreed that their goals are common, and close cooperation will serve well to achieve them in a timely fashion. The Bundschuh, LWB and Unioner forces fighting any foreign invaders, corporate cronies or militaristic fascists are to be assisted and helped. Make no mistake, it is a top priority for us all to stand as one, and destroy the morale of the enemy with our unity.
Junkers in Rheinland can be useful, but are politically insignificant. In general, they should be disregarded unless clearly needed for any purpose. They will help us in all sorts of menial activities if asked, such as the quiet movement of supplies or resupply of our forces in the field, but do not rely on them for combat support.
The Rheinland Military on the other hand, will shoot on sight. These zealots of the Kanzler's government, brainwashed by the machinations of the Nationalpartei, truly do believe that we are Rheinland's greatest enemy. While their fanaticism knows no bounds, so doesn't their treachery, and they will engage in banter and even lead you to believe that they are sympathetic to your plight, up until you face them. Always be prepared for ambush when dealing with these crack death squads of the Kanzler. They will shoot to kill.
The Rheinland Federal Police however are a different case. Distraught and underfunded, these enforcers of fascism are more conscious than their fat and spoiled Military leaders. They will listen and take to heart what you say, regardless of what they shout at you over the comms. You will try to sway them to our cause, and attack only if you are attacked.
Rheinland corporations are the most complicated of all these. We, the Red Hessians, fight for the people of Rheinland. The corporates control fascist Rheinland, and hence must be destroyed to restore order. To do that we must hit their bank accounts, which means putting their workers in peril by asking them to rid themselves of their cargo or a sum of credits. This is unfortunately unavoidable, and while painful, must be carried out regardless. Be polite, but be demanding. Many of these corporate bees sympathise with our cause, so we must further prove that we take their cargo to hurt the corporate swine that paid for it. Do not shoot unless absolutely necessary, but be as subversive as possible. If you can make just one of these people defect with their cargo and ships, then you hit the corporations on a scale unimaginable, though they will be quick to brush it off.
For further information on how to deal with corporate ships, see the section on gaining popular support.
Foreign organisations
| Faction | Relationship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mollys |
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| SCRA |
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| IMG |
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| Liberty Rogues |
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| The Council |
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| Blood Dragons |
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| Revolutionary factions |
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| Zoners |
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| Bowex) |
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| [IND] |
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| Foreign corporations |
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| Foreign militaries |
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| Outcasts |
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| Bounty Hunters |
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| Corsairs |
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Although our revolutionary operations do not reach beyond Rheinland and the Omega systems, our support extends far beyond those borders. Rheinland itself is the revolutionary centre of Sirius, and thus gives us a certain responsibility to provide support to any foreign movements that are compatible with our goals and require our aid. Given the size of our operations, this ranges from funding and supplies to outright military aid against common enemies.
SCRA - Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army
Our biggest inter-house supporters by far are the Coalition revolutionaries in Sirius, also known as the SCRA. Their history brought them from standing side in side with the Corsairs against Rheinland domination, all the way to being exiled for their political views and systematically hunted down. Our common views and relative proximity to each other quickly brought a sense of comradery, further cemented by their exposure of the Outcast plans in regards to helping the Wilde take over the larger Omega systems. Nowadays the Red Hessian and SCRA forces stand side by side against both the Corsair barbarians and the Wilde usurpers.
The Independent Miners Guild
The miners of the IMG can seem distant to our movement, preferring a non-radical option for a situation that doesn't have one. Regardless of the "feeling", they are closer than most might think. We do not attack them, for they support us from their own will. They are our civilian brothers, and their organisation grew out of the Popular Revolution, out of those who were unable to fight for our cause against the Rheinland corporate giants. They are both Bretonian and Rheinlander, and are frequent targets for Daumann and BMM privateers, especially in the Omega-7 system. Thus, they are the people that we defend openly, and those that thank us for our actions. We land on their stations for supplies, and they land on ours albeit infrequently. They are not to be touched, and are to be helped against common enemies and small time pirates.
The Mollys
The miners of Dublin, many of which are known to us through our brethren in the IMG, have also rebelled against the oppression of their own government's flagship corporations, long before we ourselves did in fact. While we grew quickly they carried on as stable as always, keeping the BMM corporation on edge for their crimes against their own people. These days the Mollys are on the edge of a massed Corsair offensive into Dublin, and are well glad to secure help wherever they can get it. We, the Red Hessians, share a common ancestry with the Mollys and as such are obliged to help them in any way possible, especially against the Corsair menace.
| Friendly traders |
Sympathetic corporations and traders
Certain foreign corporations, organisations and independent traders maintain a neutral stance toward our movement, doing business with us in territories where the Rheinland government has no reach. Most of this business revolves around the Blood Diamond trade. Such cooperative people should be rewarded by courtesy. There is no need to take over their cargo or credits, as they are already helping the movement by supplying us with vital resources and a steady cash flow.
Territorial control and points of interest
The Red Hessian movement is extensive, as expected, due to its large size. We are the third largest non-house military force in Sirius, occupying a majority of the Omega border worlds and southern Rheinland. Owing to our many allies, we are able to spread across and strike at any targets within our fatherland without too many problems, while the Omega border worlds are thoroughly dotted with our bases and forces.
Our main systems are the ones with our most prominent bases: Dresden (Vogtland Base), Omega-11 (Freital Base), Omega-5 (Ronneburg Base) and Omega-47 (Viernheim Base). Systems such as Omega-3 and Omega-7 are declared as under the protection of the Volksrevolution, and are to be considered as our space, and under no circumstances as house or pirate space. Of special interest is both Omega-11 and Omega-47, both being important sources of our income. Omega-5 is under constant siege from the Corsairs, and as such all forces within should expect ambush at all times.
A revolutionary's guide to victory
As part of their chosen tenure for the Volksrevolution all Red Hessians are required to carry out a range of activities, all to further the cause within the Omega systems as well as Rheinland proper. The front line fighters and raider wings carry by far the most dangerous and taxing, but also rewarding burden. Dangerous, because of the range of both savage and calculated enemies that the movement faces. Taxing, due to the various environmental hazards and gauntlets that each individual member sees and is affected by each day. Rewarding, by allowing them to be on the very front line and take part in the most glorious victories of the Red Hessians, both moral and tactical.
It is absolutely paramount that all members are informed and drilled in the measures that are needed of them to survive, prevail and carry out their mission. This guide has been written exactly for that purpose.
Operational flexibility
The scope of operations of the Red Hessian paramilitary and raiding forces differs heavily based on the location they are assigned to, or one they find themselves in by circumstance or other means. While some situations may be simply resolved by a show of brutal firepower, others will inevitably need finesse and good negotiation.
Rheinland - Guerilla resistance
| Rheinland operations |
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Rheinland as our homeland is in need of the creative approach. The Military is strong, well equipped and well brainwashed by the cronies of the Nationalpartei. The people of Rheinland are left without choice, most unhappy and silently opposing the government's policies.
This is where we come in: everything we do in Rheinland we do for publicity. This includes the adjoining systems that the fascist empire is eyeing to include into itself, such as Omega-7. Our forces can hit the Military in their gaping holes in defence, hunting down easy targets for the purpose of showing the public how helpless the Military is against us. We take down known fascist supporters within the Military in acts of vigilantism. If the Military musters superior forces against us, we withdraw from the field of battle unless our forces can press the advantage. Hopeless death does not benefit our movement, and uninterrupted strings of victories diminish enemy morale.
Hit and run is our tactic in Rheinland, and all successful hits should be accompanied with a statement of reason, to explain to the people why their soldiers had - or needed - to lay their lives against the Volksrevolution.
Remember that our goal is not the total annihilation of the Military, no, it is to force them to abandon their posts and let the Volksrevolution depose Rheinland's unlawful government. Be sure to inform all about this, even the Military. They are all Rheinlanders after all.
Omega systems - Total war
| Omega operations |
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The Omega systems are a wholly different animal. Here we are faced with edge world barbarians of which the very mention of their name strikes fear into the hearts of ordinary people. The Corsairs spread their vile piracy and terror across a dozen systems, rampaging mostly unchecked, preying on innocent civilians and trade. The Military is told to ignore them unless they invade Rheinland proper, but it is obvious that any brief respite in their attacks is only to let them gather another force for the next invasion. Their greed is what drives them to conquer our rich fatherland, and it is something that cannot be allowed. The Omega systems belong to us, the people of Rheinland. Thus it is up to the Red Hessian movement to put a stop to Corsair expansion.
Our machine of war is fully unveiled here, spread equally among the systems of Omega-11, Omega-5, Omega-47, Omega-7 and Omega-3. Each of those systems belongs to us, no matter what anyone else says. The only allied bases in the area are those of the IMG, the only neutral ones those of the Zoners. The conflict in those systems is one of total destruction, for until the Corsairs are forcefully expelled out of them they will keep coming, trying to prey on all who are not with them.
No Corsair is to receive mercy, for they are like rabid dogs that need to be put down. We have many allies to support us in our operations against them: the Mollys, the SCRA, the other revolutionaries of Rheinland, even the IMG at times. Do not be afraid to call on them in the event of a large scale attack. Attack any and all assailable Corsair targets. These animals know nothing but terror, so terror is the only way to drive them out. Out here, only a decisive victory is acceptable. A decisive victory for the Red Hessians and for Rheinland.
Das Rheinvolk - Gaining popular support
| Popular support |
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One can find Rheinland civilians easily within the stretch of space that the Red Hessian movement operates in. Aside from the deepest Omega systems chances are wherever you are, whatever you are doing, a pair of civilian eyes is watching and making up their mind about the Volksrevolution. This is something that we can adopt to our advantage in line of Brigadegeneral Meisnerr's visionary "war of information".
This subject may be slightly hard to master as the Red Hessian cause openly opposes corporate Rheinland, however we do not wish harm on the people that are exploited by their corporate overlords. This means that we may need to ask trade ships to drop their cargo or wire raw credits to our ships. If the trader is cooperative, take your time to explain why it is necessary for him to comply with our demands, and what our goal is. Always start politely. Resort to threats only in the event of a complete lack of compliance. For more information on resource interdiction refer to the resource acquisition section.
Courtesy for foreigners in Rheinland is optional. For Libertonian lawfuls however there is no courtesy. Transports should be extorted with force, navy ships eliminated with extreme prejudice. Side with the Military during such conflicts. The defence of Rheinland is paramount compared to all other considerations. The same rule applies during Corsair invasions of our fatherland. These barbarians need to see that we will put all our differences aside in order to fight them, should they make the mistake of entering our space.
In case of a civilian (Rheinland or otherwise) observing a fight in which we clearly have the upper hand, one of the people within the group should take their time to explain to the civilian what is happening and why he should support us in our struggle. The more people in Rheinland (and in all of Sirius in fact) support the Volksrevolution, the closer we are to final victory.
Other circumstances
| Other circumstances |
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During your flights as a Red Hessian you might experience situations not covered in this manual. You may encounter enemies the likes of which you have never seen before: mercenaries with exotic equipment, self-proclaimed terrorist empires, operatives of various intelligence agencies and even remnants of the alien infested Military forces from Nomad War of two decades past.
The Spezialoperationabteilung continues its study of these groups and organisations, but it is impossible at this stage to fully describe the range of situations that you may be expected to resolve.
Improvisation and a clear vision of your principles is an absolute must. In case of doubt, refer to a higher officer. Under no circumstances should you let yourself be manipulated by such a force however. Many of these "formerly unseen" units will be enemies in disguise, seeking to sow discord in our ranks by means of manipulation, lies, subterfuge and sometimes even mind control. Vigilance and clarity of goals is paramount to resisting such attacks. Sometimes the enemy will simply try to confuse you while biding for time so that his reinforcements can come through. Your sense of danger is everything here, as the border worlds are unforgiving and deadly. One must attack first or risk being stabbed in the back.
Remember: In case of doubt, always refer to a higher officer.
Resource acquisition
The Red Hessian movement doesn't run on oxygen and water alone. Vast amounts of resources and funds are required to keep the machine moving onward. Much of that is supplied by the many outside supporters of the movement as well as a large supply ring spanning most of Rheinland, all of the Omega systems and a part of Bretonia and even Liberty. We have access to certain resources in abundance, but the Volksrevolution requires the pockets of the Rheinland corporations to be hit also. This means that we interdict cargo and funds from corporate trade for our own purposes, thus fulfilling two goals -- gathering supplies and hitting the corporations where it hurts -- at once.
Capture and redistribution of resources
Hessian raider squadrons are likely to be one of the most common sights around trade lanes in Rheinland and the adjacent Omega systems, always working to ensure corporations like Daumann and Kruger feel our presence squeezing tightly on their coffers. Take note that the model of operations for raiding is not exactly the same as piracy. This is not action for individual profit, it is action for the future of the movement and as part of our goals to bring justice to the corrupt individuals de facto in charge of the country.
It is required that all Hessians ask politely for donations to the cause. Trade ship captains are for the most part simple workers tasked with moving corporate goods. The money or goods that they carry is not theirs, thus they should have no problem parting with it. Make sure to assure them of that. Their insurance will cover everything, and the only one who will lose out on this are the corporate bosses. With the liberated resources the Red Hessian movement will be able to continue to fuel its operations against Corsair pirates and the oppressive Rheinland government, the elimination of both of which will serve to improve the safety of ordinary citizens in not just Rheinland, but across all of southern Sirius.
Redistribution of resources can be an arduous task. It involves taking to a trade lane, and waiting for a passing trade ship. The trade ship will need to be stopped, which will require a cruise disruptor and a sizeable hold of ammo for it. You will need to try to reason with the captain of the trade ship, and some will stand by and listen to what you have to say. Those should be rewarded with politeness and the reason for the redistribution. Others of course will try to run in panic. Those need to be persuaded that cooperation is crucial, sometimes by force. Regardless, try to be polite. We're not pirates, we're revolutionaries, and if the traders respect us they will cooperate.
Cargo interdiction
The act of capturing cargo is something that brings far more perks to the movement than simple gathering of funds. Intact cargo is usually worth more than a short link up to a corporate bank account. This is why all Red Hessians should attempt cargo interdiction whenever a friendly transport is available for hauling. The Pirate Transport is especially successful in this type of activity.
Of the types of cargo that are worth a lot, ores figure high up on the list. Copper ore, uncut diamonds, gold ore and the like are types of cargo that you will require a fence for. This works by simply selling the ore you've captured back to another trader, preferably a friendly one. Ore prices are generally high, so do not be afraid to ask in excess of 20 million credits for the cargo.
Other cargo, such as Military Vehicles and Engine Components is valuable for the war effort, and you will be rewarded for delivering it to our bases, such as Casablanca or Ronneburg. Should a passing ship carry Slaves, Hessian pilots or allied pilots, they should be demanded to hand them over to our authority and delivered to Freital for debriefing.
Of course there are also certain types of cargo that should be simply destroyed rather than captured, it's shippers held in contempt. Artifacts and Cardamine belong to this type of cargo. All smugglers carrying those should be forced to stop, forced to drop their cargo, and have their cargo destroyed on the spot.
Dealing with neutrals and individuals
There are a few civilian factions in our zone of operation that we treat as individuals rather than groups. The Zoners and Junkers are classified as such groups. They are wildcards, sometimes unbelievably helpful, other times extremely damaging. Each of them needs to be assessed on an individual basis for they are not, nor have they ever been centralised.
If you encounter their traders hauling materials to our base, allow them to carry on. If however you see them carrying unlawful cargo belonging to our enemies, treat them like you would an enemy smuggler. No courtesies, pay no attention to their pleas and threats. The cargo must be destroyed on the spot. The question of additional reparations payment is optional. Use your judgement.
To be completed
Resource trade and exchange with friendly organisations
Since the rapid growth of the movement began and elevated the Red Hessians to the position of one of the largest and most important unlawful groups in Sirius, trade with organisations friendly to our cause has flourished and grown. This trade usually involved machines of war or industrial materials, or even outright funding and supplies of our own stock weapons.
Today, in addition to material trade the Red Hessians also make a statement of economic warfare against Daumann by flooding the market with our own diamonds, known among Sirius as Blood Diamonds. The biggest buyers for these by far remain in Liberty, and our countless established contacts continue to import them in large amounts. Although a large portion of this trade is carried out by independent contractors, certain brigades within the Red Hessians frequently require additional funds and attain them by using their own transport fleets to trade Blood Diamonds and other materials to those who would buy them. They manage to slip through the Military blockades by using the extensive jump hole networks discovered over the years by smugglers and other Rheinland revolutionaries.
A number of routes most notably used by the Red Hessian Army to supply their allies is included below:
| H-Fuel Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vogtland Base, Dresden | Blood Diamonds | Kyoto Base, Chugoku | Medium |
| Kyoto Base, Chugoku | Nothing | Gas Miner Naha, Sigma-13 | None |
| Gas Miner Naha, Sigma-13 | H-Fuel | Vogtland Base, Dresden | Medium |
| Omega Gold Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronneburg Base, Omega-5 | H-Fuel | Arranmore Base, Dublin | High |
| Arranmore Base, Dublin | Gold | Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | Medium |
| Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | Light Arms | Ronneburg Base, Omega-5 | Low |
| Council Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Blood Diamonds | Macon Base, Burgundy | Medium |
| Macon Base, Burgundy | Refugees | Planet Toulouse, Roussillon | High |
| Planet Toulouse, Roussillon | Black Market Munitions | Belfast Production Facility, Newcastle | High |
| Belfast Production Facility, Newcastle | Ship Hull Panels | Wolfsburg Shipyard, Omega-54 | High |
| Wolfsburg Shipyard, Omega-54 | Nothing | Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | None |
| Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | Light Arms | Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Medium |
| Neon Diamond Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Blood Diamonds | Niverton Base, Pennsylvania | High |
| Niverton Base, Pennsylvania | Pharmaceuticals | Allentown Base, Pennsylvania | Low |
| Allentown Base, Pennsylvania | Neon | Freital Base, Omega-11 | High |
| Freital Base, Omega-11 | Light Arms | Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Low |
| GC Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | Light Arms | Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Low |
| Viernheim Base, Omega-47 | Blood Diamonds | Ainu Depot, Hokkaido | Medium |
| Ainu Depot, Hokkaido | H-Fuel | Arranmore Base, Dublin | High |
| Arranmore Base, Dublin | Gold | Kassel Outpost, Omega-54 | High |
| Dragon Gold Run | |||
| From | What | To | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronneburg Base, Omega-5 | H-Fuel | Arranmore Base, Dublin | High |
| Arranmore Base, Dublin | Gold | Kyoto Base, Chugoku | High |
| Kyoto Base, Chugoku | Nothing | Gas Miner Naha, Sigma-13 | None |
| Gas Miner Naha, Sigma-13 | H-Fuel | Vogtland Base, Dresden | Medium |
| Vogtland Base, Dresden | H-Fuel | Ronneburg Base, Omega-5 | Medium |
Take note that new potentially friendly organisations are formed across Sirius fairly constantly. It is a policy of the Red Hessian movement to supply fellow revolutionary groups both within and outside of Rheinland with weapons, materials, supplies and fuel in an effort to help bring about a Sirius wide revolutionary movement, especially in houses adjacent to Rheinland itself such as Liberty. Should a newly emerged movement like that seek assistance, immediately direct them to Red Hessian diplomatic channels for a negotiation process.
Basic fighter setup and loadout
Having recently joined the ranks of the Red Hessian Army, you will be looking to get started with a fighter. This guide will familiarise you with the options and setup generally recommended by the higher ranks for beginners. There are several choices of fighter, the Loki (light fighter), Odin (very heavy fighter), and the Sabre (very heavy fighter). Most pilots go for a very heavy fighter due to its superior power plant and ability to mount more/better guns.
All ships and equipment can be found on Northeim Base in Omega-54, with the following exceptions:
- Sabre VHF - found on Ronneburg Base in Omega-5
- Debilitator guns - found in the RHA armoury or on any Freeport (nearest is Freeport 5 in Omega-41)
The Loki LF (RH-GM17)
This ship has the following weapons hardpoints:
- 2x Class 8 Gun (Recommended gun: Adv. Debilitator Mk I - either two, or one plus one class 8 Natterturn for extra hull damage)
- 2x Class 9 Gun (Recommended gun: Natterturn Zwei)
- 1x Cruise Disruptor OR Fighter Torpedo (Train Cruise Disruptor OR Mini Razor OR other fighter torpedoes)
The choice between a Cruise Disruptor and Mini Razor can be a tough one. It is worth noting that without the Mini Razor, the Loki can not deal a lot of shield or hull damage in a short amount of time without relying heavily on mines. It is also possible to go with Class 8 Natterturn in place of the Adv. Debilitators (and of course Class 9 Imp. Debilitators MK I in place of the Natterturn Zwei). However, because the Natterturn also deals some shield damage, it is probably best to stick to the above configuration as hull damage is quite important.
Additionally, the following equipment is recommended:
- 1x Adv. Protector H. F. Shield (can be changed if needed to counter certain types of guns)
- 1x Enhanced Countermeasure
- 1x Enhanced Thruster
- 1x Ripper (or Screamer) Mine
- 1x Universal Armor Upgrade MK VIII
Note: It is generally not advised to mount a Nuclear mine on the light fighter, because if you accidentally run into your own mine with your shield down it will kill you as the light fighter's hull (with armor) cannot take a nuclear mine hit and survive.
The Odin VHF (RH-GM40)
This ship has the following weapons hardpoints:
- 2x Class 9 Gun (Recommended gun: Imp. Debilitator Mk I)
- 4x Class 10 Gun (Recommended gun: Natterturn Zwei)
- 1x Class 5 Turret (Recommended gun: Natterturn Turret - does not face forward, thus is of limited use)
- 1x Cruise Disruptor OR Fighter Torpedo (Train Cruise Disruptor OR Mini Razor OR other fighter torpedoes)
Note: The Imp. Debilitator MK I guns match up well with the Natterturn guns because they have the same projectile speed. The refire rate is different but this is not so important as it does not affect the aiming reticle.
The Sabre VHF (Series Z)
This ship has the following weapons hardpoints:
- 2x Class 9 Gun (Recommended gun: Imp. Debilitator Mk I)
- 4x Class 10 Gun (Recommended gun: Natterturn Zwei)
- 1x Class 5 Turret (Recommended gun: Natterturn Turret)
- 1x Cruise Disruptor OR Fighter Torpedo (Train Cruise Disruptor OR Mini Razor OR other fighter torpedoes)
Additionally recommended equipment for very heavy fighters:
- 1x Adv. Brigandine H. F. Shield (we will most often find our enemies use neutron Salamanca and tachyon Hornviper guns)
- 1x Enhanced Countermeasure
- 1x Enhanced Thruster
- 1x Nuclear Mine
- 1x Universal Armor Upgrade MK VIII
Cruise Disruptor or Fighter Torpedo
The choice between Cruise Disruptor and Mini Razor is a matter of preference. The Mini Razor can take down any fighter shield in one hit, and deal a good amount of hull damage if landed on an opponent when their shield is down. The Cruise Disruptor can be used to prevent opponents from cruising away, it can make it more difficult for ships to turn (since it disrupts engine-kill), and it can be used to counter mines and missiles by detonating them in close proximity to your opponent.
General combat operations
Fighter combat
The very backbone and core of any Red Hessian combat group are its fighter pilots. Fighters, especially in larger groups and in good hands, are the most versatile and feared force on any battlefield. Thanks to their speed, size, and numerous countering abilities, in groups of 5 they are able to take down a Battleship class very quickly. To be able to successfully survive and win a Duel/Dogfight/Fleet Engagement in your Fighter, as is the Hessian way, you will need to learn basic combat movement and countering techniques. With the techniques we mention in this section, you will be able to handle yourself in most Duels/Dogfights. However, to be a true Red Hessian Fighter Ace, extensive knowledge on aim/counters/traps/Freelancer reaction times, is needed. We will cover those areas at a later time, but for now, lets get down to the basics.
Basic fighter combat techniques and terms
It is important to know all of the various combat and ship manoeuvring terms so that you could better understand your opponent, and even your combat instructor. In this section we will cover most of the basic manoeuvring terms. So let us begin.
- Engine Kill - Engine Kill is the most common maneuver technique known to any Fighter pilot. To do an "Engine Kill", means to basically kill off your ships engine while it is still moving by pressing the default Engine Kill key Z.
By pressing that key while your ship is moving, your engine will be "killed", it will stop providing thrust to your ship, and your ship will simply glide in the direction you are facing. Your ship will eventually stop moving while in Engine Kill, namely when it burns out the thrust you were given by your ships engines before activating the Engine Kill itself. When this happens, you quickly tap your Afterburner key (Tab ⇆ by default) to speed up your ship once more. Doing that will allow you to enter yet another glide, preferably in a different direction than your previous one. This method is very useful because it allows you to easily outmaneuver your opponent and dodge enemy fire, with the right knowledge.
We will cover the more advanced usages of Engine Kill in the "Advanced Combat techniques and terms" section. - Jousting - Jousting is often used in duels and is defined as two ships flying directly towards each other while each is trying to do damage to the other.
Jousting is not a very effective technique in dogfights or in duels because it exposes your ship to damage from all sides. Good fighter pilots will know how to punish "jousters" very easily. However, if you do joust a lot (which is not advised), it is good to combo it with the previous technique we described, namely Engine Kill.
When you joust a ship and go past him, you have to turn around again to face him, which is slow. You can speed this process up by using Engine Kill to turn your ship faster. After you pass the enemy ship in a joust, quickly press the engine key and start turning. Your ship will continue gliding in the joust direction, but it will turn so that you are facing your opponents back. After you turn, tap the Afterburner (Tab ⇆ by default) and your ship will quickly cancel the Engine Kill and start moving in the direction it is facing, namely your enemy. This is referred to as the "Anchor Turn", and it will allow you to joust faster.
Again, jousting all the time is not advised, especially for ships with lower armour, because it is very easy to counter, even if you use the Engine Kill technique. - Boxing - Boxing is very often used in duels to do a lot of damage while avoiding taking damage in the same time.
Boxing refers to moving your ship with the strafe buttons (left-up-right-down) in a so called "box" pattern, while standing still or moving backwards (by using the reverse thrust key, default X). The most common box pattern is a simple "box" form. You do it by strafing Right-Up-Left-Down (or alternately Left-Up-Right-Down). When your ship does this, it becomes very hard for the enemy to hit you because the strafing changes the position of the cross-hair on your own ship very quickly, so it becomes hard to aim at it.
This technique is very effective if used with the Anchor Turn and Early Turn. I will explain this more in depth in the "Advanced Combat techniques" section. Boxing isn't recommended on ships with lower armor values (such as the Eagle) because those ships are very vulnerable to the boxing counters. It also isn't recommended to box the whole time, because then your patterns become transparent and predictable. The secret to becoming an ace is to never be predictable.
You can never allow your opponent to read your movements, and that is why its best to mix up the patterns of your box. Don't just copy someone else, because the stuff that works for him may not work for you. - Gliding/Sliding - Sliding is another widely used technique, but not many fighter pilots can do it properly, and only very few can take advantage of the speed of a slide to its fullest.
Sliding involves using the Engine Kill technique to make quick, circular motions around your enemy ship. Doing that will allow you to dodge most of the enemy fire while dishing out damage in the meantime. If you are fast enough, you can easily outmaneuver your enemy with a slide and end up behind him. You achieve a slide by going into an Engine Kill from a high speed Afterburner movement. After you reach a higher speed with the Afterburner, press the Engine Kill key. When you feel that your speed is dropping, press the Afterburner key one more time, only this time, change the direction of your ship. Continue doing that around your enemies ship, and you will be able to slide around him while hitting him with your guns in the same time.
The key to being a good slider is timing. You cant slide in one direction for too long because that will expose you to enemy gunfire (you will be a Mini Razor magnet). You also need to judge the distance of your slides. The best distance to slide at from your enemy is around 300m.
There are a lot of tricks to sliding, and you can combo it with any other technique mentioned in this section, but be careful, because a slider becomes predictable very fast and it becomes very easy to counter him. We will cover sliding combos and counters in the next sections.
Advanced fighter combat techniques
In this section I will cover the more advanced combat techniques you can pull off in a Very Heavy Fighter. These techniques take practice and extensive experience to pull off properly, but when you understand them to the fullest, they will increase your chance of winning duels and dogfights (i.e. fighter brawls) greatly. Before trying these tactics, you should first get a good understanding of the techniques I covered and explained in the previous section.
- Boxing into an Anchor Turn - Since boxing alone, without using other techniques to avoid damage, will get you killed, here we will cover comboing an anchor turn with a simple box.
As I mentioned before, when you box, try not to stick with a single pattern. You will get way too predictable, and even though your cross-hair will still be off your ship, your opponent will figure out how to read your movement and he will just shoot in anticipation of your pattern. When, and if this happens, the anchor turn will help you surprise your opponent from the back and it will greatly reduce the timing between boxes. Start off your box when your opponent is at a greater distance than 300m. Fire of a few shots and try to get some good damage on him. If you see that he is getting too close to you (i.e. close enough to put a mine on your head) try using reverse thrust to get more distance. Your opponent will try to avoid your shots, and eventually he -will- get close to you. This is where you use the anchor turn to get some distance from him and surprise him from the back.
When you notice him getting close, stop the box and cancel the reverse thrust. Tap your afterburner (default Tab ⇆) and fly past him while in engine kill. When you see that you have passed him, quickly start turning your ship (all the time being in engine kill) so that the front of your ship is facing his back. At this point you will still be moving backwards, but you will be facing his backside. At this point, tap your afterburner once more and cancel the engine kill. This will give you enough room to start another box and do more damage to your opponent.
Repeat this as necessary, but note that in time your opponent will read your moves. When he anticipates them, change your style and anchor turn to the side to dish out more damage. Note that assessing the perfect distance is the key to successful boxing and anchor turning. - Early Turning - Early turning is used to get an edge on your opponents turn (i.e. finish your turn before he finishes his). This is technique is very valuable against jousters.
When your opponent is flying towards you into a joust, at approximately 300m distance, go into an engine kill slide and start turning your ship in the direction where your opponent will end up after his joust. If you start your early turn at the perfect distance, you should already be facing your opponents back after he flies past you. At this point, he may or may not notice that you are already facing his backside. Use this to your advantage and once again cancel your slide with a tap on the afterburner. Your ship will start moving towards your opponent, and when he starts turning around you will already have taken down his shields, at worst.
Most people engine kill after a joust, so if you see him going into a long engine kill, try landing a Mini Razor shot on him (if you have one equipped). This will do massive damage if his shields are down. Another thing to note is, if you feel that you are early turning too slow, try cancelling the turn with a tap on the reverse thrust key (default X). Again, timing and distance assessing is everything, so if you pull it off right, you will be out-turning your opponent on every turn.
Again, note that this takes practice to perfect. Timing and "feeling" are the key thing in fighter combat. - Mine Traps - Another good techniques to use in a duel are mine traps. If you feel that your aim is not good enough with the Mini Razor, use mine traps to do some damage on your opponent.
Its best to use Nuclear Mines and a Mosquito Cruise Disruptor for this technique, however you can also use a Train Cruise Disruptor. You can lay mine traps either by sliding around your opponent or early turning. When your opponent is jousting you, execute an early turn as before, but this time in the middle of your early turn lay down a mine. When your opponent passes you, and you feel that he is close to the mine, fire off a disruptor at him. The area effect of the disruptor will trigger the mine and damage your opponent. Some people focus only on doing damage in duels, so they tunnel vision you and just try to hit you with a Mini Razor shot or do damage otherwise. For them, it can sometimes be hard to notice the traps you lay down. If you feel that your opponent is chasing you in your slides, trying to hit you with a mini razor, lay down a mine and go into a visible longer slide. He will focus on his aim and he will try to hit you hard. Often, he will just follow you blindly. This is where you surprise him and fire off another disruptor to trigger the mine you put down earlier.
When you feel that you got the basics of the traps, try placing two mines in close proximity to each other and delay the disruptor shot. When you feel that your opponent is near enough, and his shields are down, you can instantly kill him with the two mines.
Again, as with the previous techniques and tactics, timing and feeling are everything. - Tips and general advice - Duelling and fighter combat is not easy. It takes time, will, patience and a lot of practice to get good/better. The techniques described here should serve you as a guideline and inspiration for making your own combos and your own strategies. Simply following written text and executing it blindly in practice will serve you nothing.
You have to understand what to use and when to use it. You have to have a feeling for your enemy. Observe his movement, don't rush blindly into a trap, don't let the opponent lead you into his play style. Keep your composure and nerves in a duel. Be the one that dictates the outcome. If you feel your style was read and that your opponent is countering it easily, don't be a blind fool and don't panic. Change up your style and surprise him, trick him.
The key difference between an average fighter pilot and an ace aren't the various text book tactics he knows, but the knowledge, experience and feeling on when and how to use them, and how to counter them.
Fleet engagements
Behind any victorious Red Hessian strike group stands a commander who knows how to outsmart the enemy, but more importantly - how to relay information to his troops. One of the bigger issues of a chain of command is information logistics, or how to most effectively organise and transmit orders to the strike group. It is important that both commanders and subordinates understand how the system works, and for that purpose this subsection of the operational manual will define a number of guidelines on how to operate to assure maximum command efficiency in the field.
Pre-battle organisation
It is important to know that the battle with your enemies starts before the first shots are even fired. Your group (henceforth referred to as strike force) must anticipate an incoming attack and be prepared for it, ideally before it actually enters the current system. Listed below is a list of guidelines that Hessian groups should follow when preparing for a raid or anticipating an enemy assault:
- Group up - As banal as this may sound, this is a required step before the beginning of a battle. A group should be formed consisting of all currently available Hessian forces, including official factions, unofficial factions and independents. Everyone can contribute, especially if the incoming enemy force is large.
- Establish chain of command - Before the battle starts, the strike force commanders need to be clearly defined. Command typically defaults to a high ranking member of one of the Hessian factions, though it is not uncommon that other people are called to lead the group. In general the most experienced pilot should be encouraged to lead.
Strike force commanders leading the group should consist of:- Fighter commander - The one in command of all the fighters of any class within the strike force. He is responsible for keeping track of enemy fighters, and most importantly, calling targets for all the fighters in the group. The fighter commander should fly a fighter himself so that he is closest to the fighter engagement.
- Capital ship commander - If the group consists of both fighters and capital ships, a distinct commander for the capital ships should be chosen. This person should himself be in command of a capital ship during the engagement. His responsibilities are analogue to those of the Fighter commander, except he leads the capital ships during the fight.
- Secondary commander - A secondary commander should be chosen before the battle starts, so that in case the primary commander dies or is targeted, the secondary can take over his duties, and the chain of command can continue. This is important, especially for larger group fights. If there are two commanders within the group, each of them should have his own secondary commander.
- Recognise enemy force composition and movements - Knowing which way the enemy will come from allows you to prepare for an attack from that particular vector. This can include waiting on the other side of a jump hole or simply positioning capital ships away from the battle so that they may join when they are needed. Keeping in contact with allies and passing trade regarding enemy movements can be invaluable for this purpose. Hiring spies is also an option.
- Adjust your force layout to counter the enemy - Once the enemy force composition is known, it is possible to call Red Hessian forces specifically equipped to counter the enemy. For example: if the enemy force is recognised to contain battleships, it would be prudent to change a fighter oriented force to a bomber and cruiser oriented one. Take careful note not to switch the entire force to a particular counter, as enemy reinforcements might arrive during the battle, loaded to counter our counter.
Note: Any strike group commander would do good to use preset messages to ensure legible orders can be issued quickly and efficiently. More information on how to do this is available here. Listed below is an optimal preset message configuration:
/setmsg 1 All forces, target and engage the enemy! /setmsg 2 All fighters, target: #t /setmsg 3 All capitals and bombers, target: #t /setmsg 4 My location is #c /setmsg 5 I am the enemy's target. /setmsg 6 I need bots, NOW.
Tactical command
Once a battle begins, it is down to the previously established commanders to select the best targets for the group to attack. In addition to that, commanders are encouraged to move the battle around so that they can use terrain to their advantage, keep an eye on approaching enemy reinforcements, and perhaps most importantly keep track of the state of their own force.
In larger group battles, it all begins to boil down to how good the commander is. Pilot skill still plays a big role, but it's a role the importance of which diminishes in favour of efficient and smart command, as well as the force composition of both groups (or rather how well your force can counter the enemy ships), the larger the forces involved are.
Below is a short list of things the commander is expected to do during a battle:
- Select targets for the group - This is perhaps the most important function of a commander, and the one most easily recognisable in a group fight. A well called target can mean the difference between victory and defeat. A commander should always know which target to pick next, and he can know that by keeping track of the enemy force.
A good, easy target can be:- Flying in straight lines or uncomplicated paths, a newbie pilot
- Flying a ship that is hard to dodge in, e.g. a bomber or a super heavy fighter
- Low on regens (nanobots and shield batteries, scan to ascertain the number)
- Low amounts of lag (use the /pingtarget command)
- A fighter mounting 2 or more Debilitators
- A fighter mounting fast weapons (any weapon with projectile speed equal to or greater than 700m/s, e.g. Hornvipers)
- A fighter that prefers to chain fire his codename weapons (pilots who do this tend to box in one position as they do so [even in group fights], so they are frequently unprepared for a sudden strike)
- Cover the enemy aces - It is important to play aggressively as well as defensively during a fight. A defensive style of command covers all the enemy aces from the start of the battle with at least 2-3 fighters, so as to force them to dodge continuously and make them unable to use their aim to their fullest. This is important even when the objective is to eliminate as many enemies as possible in the shortest amount of time.
A commander must make sure to know which enemy targets deal the most damage, he can do that by following the person who is currently targeted by the enemy and estimating who within the enemy group is able to score the most hits. That person should then be covered by enough fighters to force him to dodge until the easier enemy targets (potential sources of nanobots for the more skilled pilots who can dodge better) are destroyed, and attention can be turned to the more difficult enemies. - Monitor arriving enemy reinforcements - It is not uncommon that the enemy is reinforced by additional units during a battle, especially if said enemy is clearly on the losing end or needs the extra push to gain the advantage. Any commander should always pay attention to his scanner and track new incoming enemies so that he can prepare for their arrival. Further enemies typically is the only justification needed to call in further Red Hessian reinforcements as well, so make sure you always have access to either additional Hessian forces standing by, or the emergency channel.
- Keep track of the state of your own force - Just as the enemy forces need to be scanned extensively to know how many regens they have left, so do your own. A good commander always knows how many regens the currently targeted ship in the group has, especially if it is dodging several fighters at the same time. The idea is that the commander is able to muster additional nanobots to the dodging fighter from the other people in the group, so that the dodging fighter can carry on buying time for his own team to deal more damage to the enemy. It is usually better to preserve the size of your initial group so as to maximise the damage output.
Finally, a good commander must know when to withdraw from the field. Take and hold operations are currently non-viable, so all offensive operations boil down to raids. During said raids there is only one objective: deal as much damage to the enemy as is possible. Re-supply of ammo and regens during a battle is typically a very rare thing, therefore it is helpful to know when exactly your force is about to be overwhelmed and when it is prudent to call a retreat. Sometimes a fighting retreat can even deal a great amount of damage to the enemy, as it forces him to take the role of the attacker and stretch his own supply lines, returning the advantage to us.
Most importantly, remember that the above text is meant to serve as a guideline. In the end, commanders win battles through ingenuity, cunning and flexibility. Do not be afraid to try new, unconventional strategies and tactics as long as they are relevant to the situation at hand.
Post-battle activities
Commanders are expected to ensure that a report is written and posted on the faction message dump that describes the progress of the battle, along with the relevant photos of the battle itself. This is important as it gives the Revolutionary Council a good idea of our wartime progress, and gives us materials to base our propaganda on. Do not neglect this step, as it is vital to the continued progress of the movement in general.
Congratulate the pilots under your command, but maintain a critical eye as well. If our pilots committed any mistakes, they should be informed about them and explained on how to fix those mistakes for the future. The primary duty of a commander after a battle has finished is to ensure that fleet performance increases as a result of it.
The ultimate goal of course is to ensure our machine of war is the most powerful one, suffering the fewest losses for the greatest amount of kills. Once that is accomplished, we win the war. Good luck out there.
And remember: in case of doubt, always refer to a higher officer.
