I think turnamancers have two abilities. One is to help “turn” people from one side to another (affecting loyalty). The other ability affects turns in battle. She effectively ended Gobwin Knob’s turn before they could kill the king (current goal) or move into defensive positions. Their forces are split and in serious danger of being wiped off the field.
I’m not sure if it’s the change on the focus of the story or in the art style or even if it’s just because I read it as it is posted now , but I haven’t been enjoying Erfworld all that much lately.
The key to what just happened is that the Gobwin Knob forces now have no move. Their Turn ended, and they’re stuck where they are.
Meanwhile, the RCCII units (or whoever’s Turn just started) do have move.
Wanda’s sortie is surrounded by RCCII forces, has just sprung Jillian’s and Charlie’s trap, and can’t get away. She basically has to destroy every unit in Spacerock. And survive any other units that can move into Spacerock before GK’s next Turn (such as, Haggar’s units).
Ansom, meanwhile, is in a hex with a reserve force that has no move – just across Exposition Bridge from his brother, with a ginormous force that includes multiple Casters… all of which will get to Move into his hex before GK’s next Turn.
This is the disarray and turning point for GK that Janis’ predictamancy said was coming.
Were we supposed to recognize that turnamancer? because it seems like a big deal was made of her reveal.
Her robe was a White Mage outfit from Final Fantasy. Underneath that, she’s dressed like Vanna White.
Actually, me too. I think it’s just that the more recent strips don’t stand on their own very well. Seems to me they’re doing a little too much foreshadowing and surprise-reveals, without fleshing out what’s going on. It might work well read as a lump sum, but getting it in bits and pieces is kinda awkward, you know?
New strip is up. I don’t have much to say other than I love Jillian’s “Michigan” helmet for battle.
Well, she’s decided who she’s going after (and it’s pretty obvious, I think.) A shame he’s not going to react the way she thinks he will.
Ansom? i was hopping for Parson.
Jillian’s never even met Parson. As for Ansom’s reaction, that’s why she’s hoping Vanna can Turn him.
From the latest text update:
Apparently Ansom never told his brother he was hot for Jillian (or Trammenis would know what she’s up to).
It’s a text update, but it’s a meaty one
http://www.erfworld.com/2010/03/book-2-%e2%80%93-text-updates-018/
That’s a pretty clever trick on Charlie’s part-- He probably has that level of detail for every capital city on Erf. He doesn’t have the forces to maintain an ambush force within range of each of them, but do you want to take bets on whether yours is one of the ones he does? Do you feel lucky, punk?
Do not piss off Charlie.
As I think Sammy is an ass, I’m a-okay with this development.
Something tells me Jillian is going to insist on accompanying Haggar (so as to prevent Ansom coming to grief. Again). Will a need to keep Tramennis (and Charlie) in the dark about her motivations cause a problem with this?
It won’t deter her from doing it; she’s not the type to think that far ahead when it gets in the way of what she wants right now. Whether it causes problems with Charlie depends on whether he’s trying to (re)croak Ansom (to minimize complications with using Jillian as a pawn in future) or whether he’s genuinely trying to assist Jillian in attacking the column (taking Jillian’s latest bit of impulsiveness and finding a way to turn it to his advantage).
The fact that Jillian and Trammenis know that Charlie is behind this may help him (by showing that he’s on their side, and helping to bring an unreliable “ally” to heel) or may hurt him (if he’s willing to coerce one royal side into the meatgrinder, who’s next?)
Charlie knows (by now, at least) that Jillian places an extremely high priority on Ansom’s well-being. If he were going to re-croak Ansom, he’d have the sense to kill Jillian first in a surprise attack, because she’d declare all-out war on him anyway. And keeping one individual prisoner alive is a relatively small price to pay for Jillian’s help, anyway.
Charlie has known all about Jillian’s feelings toward Ansom from the beginning of their alliance – that is how he enticed her into their alliance. (by showing her decrypted Ansom alongside Wanda as GK’s chief warlord)