# Erfworld: Book 2 discussion (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528 "2010-06-09T12:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/41 "2010-10-11T16:21:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think that razing those level 2s counts as playing it safe. Or at least, compared to zipping back to Spacerock just because Charlie wants her to. A level 2 city with no dwagons or casters vs. a high-level royal warlord with all those megalogwiffs should be about as safe as anything ever is in this world. Duncan advised caution, not paralysis. Yeah, but I think they should continue on, and raze _more_ level 2s. They’re planning to go back to Faq after this Turn. Or at least Duncan is. Jillian may decide that razing the city instead of going back to Spacerock means she isn’t under suggestion, and so therefore should go back to Spacerock. (that would be typical Jillian thinking.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/42 "2010-10-11T19:02:29Z")
Probably the best course is to head for home right now, hitting targets of opportunity along the way, be far away from Spacerock when the boop hits the fan, and then decide further after that’s resolved. I think that with or without the targets of opportunity, though, they’re still several turns away from Faq. Which is one reason to head in a homeward direction: They don’t want to be caught with their pants down, either. If, say, Charlie were to sell the location of Faq to Gobwin Knob, dwagons could reach there in a single turn, so it’s a really bad idea for Jillian and her 'gwiffs to be more than a turn away themselves. EDIT: Wait, correction, GK already knows where Faq is, since Stanley attacked it once before. Which means that he could already attack there again at any moment, if he knows it’s undefended. Which in turn means that Jillian would need a _really_ good reason to be anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/43 "2010-10-11T20:46:46Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I wonder how Parson will do in armed combat - surely his status as a field unit will grant him some skill at arms that his total lack of experience does not? I suppose in a one-on-one situation he could always just fall on his opponent. 😉 Parson has been in personal combat – he hacked a wienerrammer at the Battle for Gobwin Knob. Course, that was with his +3 Sword of Ruthlessness. > [@Chronos](#): > > EDIT: Wait, correction, GK already knows where Faq is, since Stanley attacked it once before. Which means that he could already attack there again at any moment, if he knows it’s undefended. Which in turn means that Jillian would need a _really_ good reason to be anywhere else. We know from Jillian borrowing Tramennis’ maps, that Exposition Bridge is two Turns away from Faq (they were going to have to occupy the second city they sack). And I _think_ it’s two Turns to Faq from Gobwin Knob, from back when Stanley chickened out last book. So Jillian probably has some buffer against Stanley’s dwagons dropping in unexpectedly. May be less now, though, depending on how far GK has expanded in Faq’s direction. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/44 "2010-10-19T13:33:50Z")
[New Erf](http://www.erfworld.com/2010/10/book-2-%e2%80%93-page-44/) The (yellow dwagon) SH!T is about to hit the… tower. Apparently. And that seems to be Wanda’s skullstaff that Parson has. I’d’ve gone with the shield, personally. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/45 "2010-10-19T20:04:56Z")
Is he slotting a gold NES cartridge into Skeletor’s staff there? I guess he needed to add some ROM to his RAM. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/46 "2010-10-20T08:40:28Z")
Still wondering if they’re going to go for a dragon squash move - the dragons can’t bomb when it’s not their turn but they can drop to the boundary between air and garrison (which is the ground, or just above it) and woe betide anyone or anything betwixt dragon and ground. (It probably won’t be terribly good for the dragon either, to be sure.) ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/47 "2010-10-20T08:41:44Z")
How is Parson planning to get there in time to be involved in the fighting? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/48 "2010-10-20T14:03:12Z")
Parson is planning to go through the Magic Kingdom to get to Spacerock, showing up in their portal room. Which may be bad news for Ace and Cubbins. I suspect that the plan is for both the dwagons and warlords to bomb-drop onto the Jetstone forces, and then have Wanda rez them as uncroaked. Hence the “It’s Raining Men” title of this issue. That probably wipes out some units from the bombing, and now suddenly Jetstone has to deal with this uninjured, overwhelming force _unexpectedly in the same city zone_. Apparently, the thought is that the other items Parson is equipping are also shoutout props, like Skeletor’s staff. The sword is suspected to be one of the Lord of the Rings swords – Glamdring or Andúril, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/49 "2010-10-20T14:06:20Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Parson is planning to go through the Magic Kingdom to get to Spacerock, showing up in their portal room. Which may be bad news for Ace and Cubbins. > > I suspect that the plan is for both the dwagons and warlords to bomb-drop onto the Jetstone forces, and then have Wanda rez them as uncroaked. Hence the “It’s Raining Men” title of this issue. That probably wipes out some units from the bombing, and now suddenly Jetstone has to deal with this uninjured, overwhelming force _unexpectedly in the same city zone_. > > Apparently, the thought is that the other items Parson is equipping are also shoutout props, like Skeletor’s staff. The sword is suspected to be one of the Lord of the Rings swords – Glamdring or Andúril, maybe. Why does he think this will work though? The last time he entered the Magic Kingdom, he was neutralised immediately and sent back through the GK gate. Why does he believe this time will be different? Has he had contact with that Hippiemancer who seems a big fan of his that we don’t know about? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/50 "2010-10-20T14:24:35Z")
He’s taking Sizemore (and maybe Maggie) along as backup. And he’s only going from one portal to another in the Portal Park, so not far to travel. And certainly unexpected. So, they’re going to dash through the Portal Park, probably leaving the casters stirred up like a beehive behind them. It’s the sort of trick that’ll probably work once, before the Magic Kingdom puts countermeasures in place. But at this point, GK doesn’t have much to lose on that front – the Magic Kingdom basically isn’t doing business with GK (except for Sizemore). Sizemore apparently hasn’t told Parson about his talks with Janis. Unsurprising, since Sizemore is deeply ambivalent toward Parson. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/51 "2010-10-20T14:37:08Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > I suspect that the plan is for both the dwagons and warlords to bomb-drop onto the Jetstone forces, and then have Wanda rez them as uncroaked. Hence the “It’s Raining Men” title of this issue. That probably wipes out some units from the bombing, and now suddenly Jetstone has to deal with this uninjured, overwhelming force _unexpectedly in the same city zone_. Or you have a lot of men “hovering” (like the arrows stuck between hexes) above the ground, within hacking range of the ground troops yet not physically on the ground. Once the turn changes they’ll all “fall”, but falling distance doesn’t matter so some may go splat, some may be injured and some may actually survive. And as you note, the ones that go splat can be decrypted. This could be very interesting indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/52 "2010-10-20T14:45:05Z")
Given Erfworld’s rules, I _think_ that if you’re not in the same city Zone, you won’t be able to infantry-attack… even if you’re just stuck hovering in air a few inches off the ground. But we know that Parson’s plan relies on Wanda to succeed. So, yeah, decryption ahoy. I’m wondering how Stanley will feel about decrypted dwagons. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/53 "2010-10-20T18:22:41Z")
Won’t matter how he feels. They’ll be Wanda’s dwagons, not his. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/54 "2010-10-21T09:03:35Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Given Erfworld’s rules, I _think_ that if you’re not in the same city Zone, you won’t be able to infantry-attack… even if you’re just stuck hovering in air a few inches off the ground. Not even if you’re attacked by the team with the active turn? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/55 "2010-10-21T13:44:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Not even if you’re attacked by the team with the active turn? See this [Parson’s klog](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0129.html): for purposes of attack, Airspace borders Tower. If the troops haven’t fallen (i.e., still hovering in midair), then they’re still in Airspace, not Courtyard. No cross-attacks. However, it’s all probably moot. The information Parson gave about arrows stopping at boundaries, and about Units falling did not indicate that Units-falling-as-projectiles would behave any differently than Units falling. All that information is set-up for what is coming. Suddenly switching the rules of the game on the reader is not typical of this strip. So if they Unit-bomb the Spacerock courtyard, the units will fall, ending up in the courtyard zone, not suspended in midair. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/56 "2010-10-28T14:00:17Z")
[New text update](http://www.erfworld.com/2010/10/book-2-%e2%80%93-text-updates-033/). Slately and Trammenis head to the roof for parley and we get the names of some of Slately’s other sons complete with excessive punnage. On another note, in one of the Summer 2009 updates Maggie mentions to Parson that the Magic Kingdom is specifically guarding the GK portal against his return. I wonder what he’s planning if he’s going that way… ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/57 "2010-11-01T16:37:57Z")
[New Erf comic](http://www.erfworld.com/2010/11/book-2-%e2%80%93-page-45/) (wasn’t too long a wait since the text update, at least) Parson’s plan for getting through Portal Park. And, his opinion of parley, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/58 "2010-11-10T16:25:38Z")
[Rhyme time](http://www.erfworld.com/2010/11/book-2-%e2%80%93-text-updates-034/) I don’t much rate Rob’s rhyming skills but there are a few tidbits hidden within, not least that Don’s support of Jillian is not cheap and is starting to hurt Transylvito (not to mention support for the Don personally). Also, the first two lines remind me of a line from the film _Excalibur_: “The land and the king are one.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/59 "2010-11-15T13:42:04Z")
[New comic](http://www.erfworld.com/2010/11/book-2-%e2%80%93-page-46/) The last panel is another example of why I like Trammenis so much. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528/60 "2010-11-15T13:55:47Z")
I find myself hoping that Cubbins and Ace, at least, will survive what is to come. Parson, at least, would appreciate a rocket-backpack. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/erfworld-book-2-discussion-spoilers/542528.md?page=4)