What are Eurostar's strategy, logistics, operations, and tactics?

[Steve]

Eurostar in the modern era seems like it could work better as a more outward-looking villain group. Rather than attacking places in Europe, they go after those Fiacho perceives as harming Europe's united interests (Brexit supporters, China, the USA). This has the advantage of putting them at odds with foreign superteams.

 

I've run several Champions campaigns over the years, and Eurostar was not really a big part of any of them because they were far away in Europe and didn't come to bother America.

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, Opal said:

Not that I haven't already been told that the EU doesn't count, but I still feel like the cause of 'uniting' Europe is a bit out of date in the sense of already partially accomplished, not really all that sinister as a goal (until you get into the means), and well within the Oberlin window of thinkability - not the kind of thing heroes should be immediately up in arms to stop.    OTOH, White Supremacy, even if in genre, Nazis have kinda got it covered, is an obvious evil that broader western culture has been moving away from since the end of WWII (if not for much longer), has a proven historical record of extreme awfulness, is essentially unthinkable as a civilized goal, and immediately prompts heroes to suit up and go punch some Nazis .. er.. White Supremacists.

 

So, I agree, way more villainous than Esperanto-speaking-guy wanting to unite the Old World - the only downside is it risks loosing any uniqueness the theme of Eurostar might have by making them just another batch of comic book Nazis. 

 

I think the key would be to make them, not White supremacists, but European supremacists. I've met no few European snobs who tend to look down on America, Canada, Australia and the like as boorish Johnny-come-latelys without the "rich culture" and "mature civilization" of Europe. In fact I've often heard Europeans lamenting the detrimental effect that cultural "imperialism" by the United States through their mass-market media organizations has had on their native cultures. For such people, whether or not those countries are predominantly white isn't relevant, they're still provincial and parochial. Whiteness and Christianity may be elements of that perceived European superiority, but they're far from defining, and white people from outside the continent are not their brothers, they're barbarians. Take that attitude to an extreme, and you have a motivation for a group to reassert European global dominance.

 

[Normthebarman]

If it was me, I'd have Eurostar attacking interests outside Europe. Weaken the opposition. UK first if Brexit is a thing in your world, Russia next due to proximity, then the US, then the Far East. A terrorist group focusing on European supremacy would, in my mind, leave European cities alone. 

 

The only reason I can think of them attacking places in Europe would be to weaken foreign powers or to stoke resentment. 

 

Maybe there's a nuclear sub from the US taking part in a joint exercise that gets attacked, threatening a nuclear catastrophe. A standing order that any non-European supers entering Europe will be met with extreme, city leveling force, in the hope that European citizens start protesting their visits. 

 

To add a bit of nuance though, you could have them donating aid to the poor and downtrodden, or any European victims of foreign superpowers. Most terrorist groups try to show some positive propaganda nowadays so YouTube clips of smiling people greeting Eurostar wouldn't be out of place. 

 

I would definitely expect them to be extremely anti-American. In fact, anti-Americas since they were former colonies and the secessionists need to be taught a lesson. 

[Lord Liaden]

I agree with your overall sentiment, but remember that Russia is Europe, too. One veteran member of Eurostar is Russian. Absorbing Russia's assets into a united Europe would provide a huge boost to its threat level.

 

I'm sure that Eurostar claims all of Eastern Europe, given that one of their biggest past schemes was an attempt to conquer Poland.

[Normthebarman]

2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

I agree with your overall sentiment, but remember that Russia is Europe, too. One veteran member of Eurostar is Russian. Absorbing Russia's assets into a united Europe would provide a huge boost to its threat level.

 

I'm sure that Eurostar claims all of Eastern Europe, given that one of their biggest past schemes was an attempt to conquer Poland.

I picked Russia due to their threat to European unity. Their aggression towards Ukraine, a Euro friendly state, and their overall opposition to the EU and a united Europe would be reason enough, for me, for Eurostar to look east. You could also argue that Eurostar would look at Russia as some kind of unwanted mongrel state due to it spanning the whole of Eurasia. 

 

Regarding Eastern Europe, most of the states are either already members of the EU or are striving to be so I wouldn't see them causing too much damage there unless there was some political opposition in one of them. 

 

Thinking about it more, if Brexit is involved in the game world, then absolutely I would expect attacks on the UK until they applied to rejoin. Since that would be seen as giving in to terrorist demands, I reckon you'd be looking at a long and sustained terrorist campaign against the UK and its assets around the world.

 

For cash, there's a whole wad of dodgy money in the Cayman Islands for them to steal. Maybe helping a corrupt Argentinian president in taking back the Falklands. Attacking members of the Commonwealth to pressure them to break away. 

 

Regarding them trying to control Europe, I'd have them financing militant, extremist pro EU parties and trying to leverage them in to power, while attacking foreign assets. The end goal being the EU ran by leaders under Eurostar's control, essentially making the EU the political arm of Eurostar. 

 

 

[steriaca]

The"big idea" of Eurostar.

 

To have a big villain inhabiting Europe for change of pace stories when the GM decides to temporary change locations. 

 

To have a visiting villain group who strikes.

 

If your having a hard time warping your head on how to use Eurostar, see the sentence above.

[Lord Liaden]

1 hour ago, Normthebarman said:

I picked Russia due to their threat to European unity. Their aggression towards Ukraine, a Euro friendly state, and their overall opposition to the EU and a united Europe would be reason enough, for me, for Eurostar to look east. You could also argue that Eurostar would look at Russia as some kind of unwanted mongrel state due to it spanning the whole of Eurasia. 

 

Regarding Eastern Europe, most of the states are either already members of the EU or are striving to be so I wouldn't see them causing too much damage there unless there was some political opposition in one of them. 

 

Thinking about it more, if Brexit is involved in the game world, then absolutely I would expect attacks on the UK until they applied to rejoin. Since that would be seen as giving in to terrorist demands, I reckon you'd be looking at a long and sustained terrorist campaign against the UK and its assets around the world.

 

For cash, there's a whole wad of dodgy money in the Cayman Islands for them to steal. Maybe helping a corrupt Argentinian president in taking back the Falklands. Attacking members of the Commonwealth to pressure them to break away. 

 

Regarding them trying to control Europe, I'd have them financing militant, extremist pro EU parties and trying to leverage them in to power, while attacking foreign assets. The end goal being the EU ran by leaders under Eurostar's control, essentially making the EU the political arm of Eurostar. 

 

 

 

Hmm... your idea of Eurostar gradually subverting the existing political structure while recruiting other nations into it, sounds like a reasonable plan for a group with the long-term goal of a larger, somewhat more radical European Union. Which is exactly what makes it sound very un-comic-book. Backroom maneuvering isn't the most rewarding framework for a genre built around good guys in colorful costumes punching or blasting equally colorful bad guys.   Comic-book villain plans may sometimes take time to grow and ripen, but when they finally come to fruition they're big, spectacular, and designed to gain their objectives at a single stroke. Requiring heroes to rally to directly oppose them. That's what we play this genre for.

[Normthebarman]

14 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

Hmm... your idea of Eurostar gradually, peacefully subverting the existing political structure while recruiting other nations into it, sounds like a reasonable plan for a group with the long-term goal of a larger, somewhat more radical European Union. Which is exactly what makes it sound very un-comic-book. Backroom maneuvering isn't the most rewarding framework for a genre built around good guys in colorful costumes punching or blasting equally colorful bad guys.   Comic-book villain plans may sometimes take time to grow and ripen, but when they finally come to fruition they're big, spectacular, and designed to gain their objectives at a single stroke. Requiring heroes to rally to directly oppose them. That's what we play this genre for.

The political stuff is just background story flavouring. Mainly to provide NPC hooks worth investigating, to reveal the planned Eurostar attacks on *insert target here*. 

 

The brightly coloured KAPOOOW!s and over the top Michael Bay finales that we all know and love in our games are still there. It just adds a little bit more depth. 

 

Plus, I've always liked a political villain somewhere, with the whole diplomatic immunity schtick.