Outcome of the Xiticix war

[grandmaster z0b]

Do any of the books mention any details about the outcome of Lazlo's war with the Xiticix as outlined in WB23 Xiticix Invasion? It was supposed to happen at the same time as the Siege of Tolkeen.

[grandmaster z0b]

There is nothing about it.

Thanks, I was thinking that there may have been something in Aftermath, but I wanted to check first before I bought it.

Isn't it odd that one series of books proposes a war and tells you how it ends and another proposes it but leaves it open?

So as far as Rifts canon goes, did the war fail or just never happen?

[grandmaster z0b]

Their numbers were depleted enough to allow a CS general to run a whole mechanized division right past one of the largest hive clusters in Xiticix territory, and only take around 25% losses.

I'd say Lazlo is doing well.

Is that specifically mentioned?

Because from reading WB23, it says that they Xiticix will be in a highly agitated state and will be more likely to attack anything nearby if someone's trying to kill all their Queens. However let's try not to turn this into yet another debate about Holmes' stunt.

[Kagashi]

The war started, but its still going on. There is no mention, even in Xiticix Invasion, that it had ended. The combined forces of Lazlo, Splugorth, and the CS (yes, even DURING the SoT...which makes SoT even more unbelievable) has kept the bugs advance south at bay.

Or at least thats what makes sense to me.

[Incriptus]

When I read it I always felt that it was a given, Lazlo had or will succeed. Near the end they talk about it in a past tense. . . of course on a re-read they talk about that in the future people will talk about xiticix fighters.

[grandmaster z0b]

When I read it I always felt that it was a given, Lazlo had or will succeed. Near the end they talk about it in a past tense. . . of course on a re-read they talk about that in the future people will talk about xiticix fighters.

Yeah, that is how Xiticix Invasion reads, however if they had succeeded I then that would be it for the Xiticix. That's a fairly big change to the landscape, you'd think we would have some indication of that in either Aftermath or RUE.

[Dunia]

Well, after reading X.I. which was delivered yesterday - I would say that Lazlo failed or will fail.
Their strategy is laughable and their tactical analysis leavs anything to want.

They have entire parts of armies consisting of inexperienced troops and they do not spread out their resources enough, and they rely too hard on their "Queen Killers". When I attended officer's training I learned more strategy and tactics than what the entire Lazlan military seem to have.

And its strange that there will be only 1% Body Fixers/Healers, 2% Operators when they have 10% combined ammount of Rogue scholars/scientists and only 12% MIlitary personel.

That there are groups without magic/TW items is also pathetic. Its clear that the authours knew very little military strategy and tactics as well as military logistics, or they want Lazlo to fail..

[Dunia]

Also in Aftermath p. 70 it says that Lazlo is not looking for a military sollution, but instead of a more peaceful one like sending them to another dimension or to give them some form of birthcontrol. (Pills, condoms, whatever)

So I guess that a little boy came up to the Lazlan cyberknight leader and told him that the military plan sucked.

[grandmaster z0b]

Well, after reading X.I. which was delivered yesterday - I would say that Lazlo failed or will fail.
Their strategy is laughable and their tactical analysis leavs anything to want.

They have entire parts of armies consisting of inexperienced troops and they do not spread out their resources enough, and they rely too hard on their "Queen Killers". When I attended officer's training I learned more strategy and tactics than what the entire Lazlan military seem to have.

And its strange that there will be only 1% Body Fixers/Healers, 2% Operators when they have 10% combined ammount of Rogue scholars/scientists and only 12% MIlitary personel.

That there are groups without magic/TW items is also pathetic. Its clear that the authours knew very little military strategy and tactics as well as military logistics, or they want Lazlo to fail..

Well the numbers listed in the army breakdown are laughable, I also noticed that they have 10% rouge scientists/scholars and 12% military. However let's face it, the history of Rifts' attempts to describe anything military in a realistic manner are pretty bad.

However the actual strategy of killing queens isn't that bad (relatively); teleport into the queens chamber, hit her with massive firepower and get the hell out. It's the kind of combination magic/technology attack that Rifts armies would be using all the time. Of course it's still a strategy designed by a games designer who's thinking of what's more fun, not more effective.

Here's how I think it should be done: first form squads of "astral scouts", these are those with the ability to astrally project, preferably they will also be those that will open portals and teleport into the hive later. They will fly into the hive in astral form and scout out the queens chamber and nurseries and then get out. They will then open portals directly into both the queens chamber and the nurseries and drop off a combination of micro-nukes, conventional explosives and poison gas canisters then retreat back through the portal.

Then send in your scouts again to see how effective the attack was. If necessary, repeat.

Eventually the hive will be fairly well decimated and you can send in squads of dragons, elementals and other powerful beings to finish off whatever's left.

[Sureshot]

I don't think this had anything to do with their numbers. I think it had everything to do with General Holmes' keen awareness of how the Xiticix behave. He had kept up with all Coalition intel and made a calculated gamble by moving through Xiticix territory. He ordered all his men into armor and all his flying units to the ground. They moved in tight formations at a low speed away from the Duluth hive and never returned fire. The Tolkeenites scouts and spies watching them saw them engulfed by the Xiticix and assumed they would be destroyed so they abandoned them to their assumed fate. This had everything to do with a brilliant general knowing his enemy and nothing to do with the enemy themselves. The Duluth Xiticix could have obliterated his division at any point but they didn't because Holmes never made them appear a threat.

Nah he was protected by writers grace. No matter how careful Genral Holmes and his troops were they would have been destroyed by the Xiticix.

[Shark_Force]

I don't think this had anything to do with their numbers. I think it had everything to do with General Holmes' keen awareness of how the Xiticix behave. He had kept up with all Coalition intel and made a calculated gamble by moving through Xiticix territory. He ordered all his men into armor and all his flying units to the ground. They moved in tight formations at a low speed away from the Duluth hive and never returned fire. The Tolkeenites scouts and spies watching them saw them engulfed by the Xiticix and assumed they would be destroyed so they abandoned them to their assumed fate. This had everything to do with a brilliant general knowing his enemy and nothing to do with the enemy themselves. The Duluth Xiticix could have obliterated his division at any point but they didn't because Holmes never made them appear a threat.

Nah he was protected by writers grace. No matter how careful Genral Holmes and his troops were they would have been destroyed by the Xiticix.

it's not just that the xiticix did nothing. it's also the fact that Holmes marched for months through bug territory and couldn't stop because if they stopped, the bugs would have killed them because then they wouldn't have been doing their "slow-march-that-isn't-particularly-threatening-but-also-not-looking-like-prey" maneuver. months. months of not stopping to eat, drink, sleep, or take a dump. months of no recreation, barely any communication of any sort, just constant walking while knowing that a single wrong move can get you and everyone around you killed (if you're lucky) or carried away to be eaten alive (if you're not - granted, the average CS trooper may not have known that much about the xiticix, but i'm sure whatever they imagined the horrible monsters from the rifts might do wasn't particularly better).

[grandmaster z0b]

Also in Aftermath p. 70 it says that Lazlo is not looking for a military sollution, but instead of a more peaceful one like sending them to another dimension or to give them some form of birthcontrol. (Pills, condoms, whatever)

So I guess that a little boy came up to the Lazlan cyberknight leader and told him that the military plan sucked.

I never realy liked the whole tuchy-feely way Lazlo is fighting it's war against the Xit's. Its failer waiting to happen. The Xit's aren't an bunch of mindless squirles running around a forest, they are intelligent monsters from the rift's. They should end up biting Lazlo in the butt, literaly.

In WB23 X.I. Lazlo are quite militant, they're prepared to launch an all out assault on the Xiticix even though Tolkeen's in the middle of the war with the CS.

Then Kev changed his mind.

[grandmaster z0b]

I don't think this had anything to do with their numbers. I think it had everything to do with General Holmes' keen awareness of how the Xiticix behave. He had kept up with all Coalition intel and made a calculated gamble by moving through Xiticix territory. He ordered all his men into armor and all his flying units to the ground. They moved in tight formations at a low speed away from the Duluth hive and never returned fire. The Tolkeenites scouts and spies watching them saw them engulfed by the Xiticix and assumed they would be destroyed so they abandoned them to their assumed fate. This had everything to do with a brilliant general knowing his enemy and nothing to do with the enemy themselves. The Duluth Xiticix could have obliterated his division at any point but they didn't because Holmes never made them appear a threat.

Nah he was protected by writers grace. No matter how careful Genral Holmes and his troops were they would have been destroyed by the Xiticix.

it's not just that the xiticix did nothing. it's also the fact that Holmes marched for months through bug territory and couldn't stop because if they stopped, the bugs would have killed them because then they wouldn't have been doing their "slow-march-that-isn't-particularly-threatening-but-also-not-looking-like-prey" maneuver. months. months of not stopping to eat, drink, sleep, or take a dump. months of no recreation, barely any communication of any sort, just constant walking while knowing that a single wrong move can get you and everyone around you killed (if you're lucky) or carried away to be eaten alive (if you're not - granted, the average CS trooper may not have known that much about the xiticix, but i'm sure whatever they imagined the horrible monsters from the rifts might do wasn't particularly better).

Ok I was really hoping this not to turn into another "holmes stunt" argument thread,

However let's try not to turn this into yet another debate about Holmes' stunt.

The whole thing was stupid. KS compares it to Hannibal crossing the Alps on the backs of Elephants, which is exactly right because Hannibal lost most of his elephants crossing the Alps and certainly nobody was riding on their backs at the time.

The real problem is that the Xiticix have a whole book that explains their behaviour and how Lazlo are going to war with them and how they will be in a highly agitated state. Then that entire book is thrown out the window because of less than a page of writing on the last page of SoT 5.

[Sureshot]

The real problem is that the Xiticix have a whole book that explains their behaviour and how Lazlo are going to war with them and how they will be in a highly agitated state. Then that entire book is thrown out the window because of less than a page of writing on the last page of SoT 5.

This and because somehow instead of losing about 50-75% of his troops he still had a sizeable force including an airforce. At most the airforce should have been in ruins. His army should have been a shambles and nowhere as effective as portrayed in Sot. Kick over a hornet nest and see how it is before you are stung even if you are careful. I undersatnd what you are trying to say Shark-Force and would even agree to it if Kevin had not completely ignored How Xiticix are portrayed in their own book.

[Sureshot]

The Holmes tactic of nobody fight back and we'll be fine never sat well with me. All it would take is one scared nube to fire a blast off and they'd be done. Somehow in over two hundred thousand troops not one persome fired a shot when their buddy got dragged away by the Xit's is boyond suspention of disbelief.

Agreed and seconded. No matter how you dress it up it just comes across as too contrived and implausible imo.

[Shark_Force]

The real problem is that the Xiticix have a whole book that explains their behaviour and how Lazlo are going to war with them and how they will be in a highly agitated state. Then that entire book is thrown out the window because of less than a page of writing on the last page of SoT 5.

This and because somehow instead of losing about 50-75% of his troops he still had a sizeable force including an airforce. At most the airforce should have been in ruins. His army should have been a shambles and nowhere as effective as portrayed in Sot. Kick over a hornet nest and see how it is before you are stung even if you are careful. I undersatnd what you are trying to say Shark-Force and would even agree to it if Kevin had not completely ignored How Xiticix are portrayed in their own book.

allow me to clarify my position:

i don't particularly like the sudden retcon. but i could cope with it, if that's all there was to it. i mean, *technically* i'm not aware of any specific statements regarding what the bugs would do if you were to march slowly in a non-threatening direction. it's a little bit implausible, but it isn't alone beyond suspension of disbelief.

it's just the sheer magnitude of this feat is beyond comprehension. marching endlessly without stopping for anything for months on end would kill your troops right there, or at least by the time they arrived they'd all be stark raving mad. in the event that they somehow survived such a trek, their is no way that they would be able to launch of controlled, cohesive assault on their target. (oh, and did i mention that the only source of food for any psi-stalkers they may have had with them can't be eaten? i can't imagine that went over well either, telling them to just suck it up and starve to death on top of not getting any sleep, not being able to fight back while your buddy is getting killed and eaten, etc).

essentially, i'm not saying i *like* the fact that the xiticix didn't kill them... i'm simply pointing out limitations that exist even if we do in fact pretend that the xiticix didn't kill them. limitations that would have made this feat impossible even if every last one of the CS soldiers kept their nerve. even if the xiticix didn't perceive them as either prey or predator. it's just an added level of absurdity, and one which we can pretty much explicitly rule out the possible explanation of "it's magic", one that can't be handwaved away by explaining it was a behaviour of the xiticix that nobody else had considered.

[Incriptus]

I got a feeling that this may be blasphemy, but I really never considered the Holmes stunt too bad. Certainly it was an epic style feat that defies most conventional wisdom, but it's not the most horrible writer fiat of all time.

He noticed a previously unknown trait with the xiticix and exploited it. Now of course you can complain that its a retcon of book 23, which was a retcon of book X which was a retcon of book Y which was a retcon of book Z . . . It happens. Anyways The worse of the attack was stated to be within 72 hours. When he lost approximently 25% of his forces. That is when the new xiticix behavior kicked in. Since I have no reason to belive that anyone had previously let the bugs eat away at 25% of their forces before, I have no reason to belive that it was a direct contradiction.

Yes the logistics are a nightmare . . . you know what logistics aren't fun! Regardless it is not as bad as some would like to make it. How did they eat or **** if they couldn't stop. Well they did stop. If you decide to break that terrible terrible run-on sentence into pieces you could choose [like i do] to read it like this.

"Continued to hover buzzing over the troops"
"Randomly attacking few of these attacks were lethal"
"as long as the soldiers did not stop for a more than a few minutes and travel speed stayed under 10 miles per hour the Xiticix scourge was over"

So if they didn't stop for more than a few minutes and stayed under 10 mph the scourge was over. If they did not they would be randomly attacked with only a few causualties.

My reading says that if someone took more than his 7 minute bathroom break he would be attacked and maybe killed. If you took too long with lunch you might not make it back to your ride.

Also they were not marching on foot. They were in vehicals "all the infantry crammed into Vehicals/Robots" It was certainly unconfortable, but it wasn't the death march that some people would like to imagine. The troops didn't have to walk for ever. They did get to sleep, maybe in cramped quarters, litterally sleeping sitting up with a person on either side of you, but sleep none the less.

All in all I think the main point of contention is that I think that when they made it past the first 72 hours, it was alot more bareable than others do. I don't think that it was intended to read "If anyone stepped out of line everyone was dead, good thing nobody ever stepped out of line". I choose to read it as "After 72 hours of insectoid hell, only those who fell out of line would be herassed and possibly killed". Xiticix just aren't that big of a deal if you just let 100,000 people die


*** Note you might notice that several times I say "I choose to read". It is just my disclaimer. I'm not saying that you are crazy for reading it the other way, heck I may be crazy for reading it the way I do. . . But i'll tell you what, I think that my way is a hellofva lot more fun ***

[grandmaster z0b]

Lazlos war against the bugs reminds me of UN peace keeping. Since the UN has never been able to get the job done, I would say that the war with the bugs is going very bad for them. They've managed to keep their loses low but haven't been able to make a dent in the bug population. Lazlo is unwilling to step-up the intencity of the conflict, for that would mean using more burtal tactics that the good people of Lazlo would not approve of. Soon the Councile of Learning will be meating to debate weather or not to continue with their war with the bugs.

Well that's not at all the way they are described in WB23, they are the only power willing to make the tough call and actually erradicate the Xiticix.

If anything the CS' acknowledgement that the Xiticix are a huge threat but they're course of action to do nothing except observe and occasionally do something relatively useless like release the Xiticix killer is far more like the UN.

[gaaahhhh]

The CS is doing something. It is paying mercenaries a bounty for dead Xiticix. It's not much, really, but I think they are hoping the bugs will wipe out Lazlo, and then they will be weakened enough to be easier to take out.

[grandmaster z0b]

The CS is doing something. It is paying mercenaries a bounty for dead Xiticix. It's not much, really, but I think they are hoping the bugs will wipe out Lazlo, and then they will be weakened enough to be easier to take out.

Yeah it's not really very much. The point of my post was to compare what the CS are doing to what Lazlo is doing (as someone compared Lazlo to the UN) and Lazlo are doing a hell of a lot more than the CS according to WB23.

I also think that the CS (courtesy CWC) is supposed to be in the design and maybe building stage of insect-like robot legions in numbers comparable to the skelebots with the intent of sending them after the Xiticix. So, they apparently recognize the overall danger and are doing something.

Again I'm going off the more recent book WB23 Xiticix Invasion, and there is no mention of these robots. According the that book Lazlo are the only ones who are willing to do anything about the issue and the CS acknowledges that.

[Mack]

Per Aftermath, p70, the CS expects to launch an all-out war within the next 8-12 months, as of 109PA. And it will be led by our favorite General, of course.

[dark brandon]

I think Lazlo and CS will be successful. The Bugs are fairly predictable, and when their greatest weakness is exposed, they will be pretty much easy pickings.

[Shark_Force]

I think Lazlo and CS will be successful. The Bugs are fairly predictable, and when their greatest weakness is exposed, they will be pretty much easy pickings.

I like the bugs as bad guys, if the are writen out I might just have to keep them around in my game.

easily enough done.

the bugs have been hanging around on a dimensional nexus for how long now? what do you think the odds are that none of them have made it to other dimensions... other dimensions which are possibly linked to earth on a semi-regular basis.

so basically... they could very well now be on any number of (infrequently) connected dimensions. any time you want a new batch of xiticix to show up, it should be easily justified.

[grandmaster z0b]

Yeah I think even after the bugs are destroyed they could still pop up now and then like any other creature from a Rift. However instead of being a species which dominates a portion of the continent, they would be a creature that you occasionally bump into.

So let me get this straight, from what it says in Aftermath it sounds like you can just throw away half of WB23 because it just never happened and now the CS are going to declare war?

[TechnoGothic]

I got a feeling that this may be blasphemy, but I really never considered the Holmes stunt too bad. Certainly it was an epic style feat that defies most conventional wisdom, but it's not the most horrible writer fiat of all time.

He noticed a previously unknown trait with the xiticix and exploited it. Now of course you can complain that its a retcon of book 23, which was a retcon of book X which was a retcon of book Y which was a retcon of book Z . . . It happens. Anyways The worse of the attack was stated to be within 72 hours. When he lost approximently 25% of his forces. That is when the new xiticix behavior kicked in. Since I have no reason to belive that anyone had previously let the bugs eat away at 25% of their forces before, I have no reason to belive that it was a direct contradiction.

Yes the logistics are a nightmare . . . you know what logistics aren't fun! Regardless it is not as bad as some would like to make it. How did they eat or **** if they couldn't stop. Well they did stop. If you decide to break that terrible terrible run-on sentence into pieces you could choose [like i do] to read it like this.

"Continued to hover buzzing over the troops"
"Randomly attacking few of these attacks were lethal"
"as long as the soldiers did not stop for a more than a few minutes and travel speed stayed under 10 miles per hour the Xiticix scourge was over"

So if they didn't stop for more than a few minutes and stayed under 10 mph the scourge was over. If they did not they would be randomly attacked with only a few causualties.

My reading says that if someone took more than his 7 minute bathroom break he would be attacked and maybe killed. If you took too long with lunch you might not make it back to your ride.

Also they were not marching on foot. They were in vehicals "all the infantry crammed into Vehicals/Robots" It was certainly unconfortable, but it wasn't the death march that some people would like to imagine. The troops didn't have to walk for ever. They did get to sleep, maybe in cramped quarters, litterally sleeping sitting up with a person on either side of you, but sleep none the less.

All in all I think the main point of contention is that I think that when they made it past the first 72 hours, it was alot more bareable than others do. I don't think that it was intended to read "If anyone stepped out of line everyone was dead, good thing nobody ever stepped out of line". I choose to read it as "After 72 hours of insectoid hell, only those who fell out of line would be herassed and possibly killed". Xiticix just aren't that big of a deal if you just let 100,000 people die


*** Note you might notice that several times I say "I choose to read". It is just my disclaimer. I'm not saying that you are crazy for reading it the other way, heck I may be crazy for reading it the way I do. . . But i'll tell you what, I think that my way is a hellofva lot more fun ***

Thats how I read it too.

[TechnoGothic]

As stated in Aftermath and the Sot books.

Lazlo help back their War vs the Buggs due to the CS War vs Tolkeen and Free Quebec. Travel to the Hivelands became too dangerous in itself. FQ might attack them. CS might attack them. Tolkeen might attack them or try to convert them. Then they would have to deal with travel in the Hivelands itself. Not fun or safe for a magic user. The Xiticix can sense High PPE and need it to feed their babies.

So War did not happen as Advertised.

[grandmaster z0b]

As stated in Aftermath and the Sot books.

Lazlo help back their War vs the Buggs due to the CS War vs Tolkeen and Free Quebec. Travel to the Hivelands became too dangerous in itself. FQ might attack them. CS might attack them. Tolkeen might attack them or try to convert them. Then they would have to deal with travel in the Hivelands itself. Not fun or safe for a magic user. The Xiticix can sense High PPE and need it to feed their babies.

So War did not happen as Advertised.

Really? That's exactly the info I was looking for if correct.

Could you point me towards the specific page numbers where this info is contained?

[TechnoGothic]

As stated in Aftermath and the Sot books.

Lazlo help back their War vs the Buggs due to the CS War vs Tolkeen and Free Quebec. Travel to the Hivelands became too dangerous in itself. FQ might attack them. CS might attack them. Tolkeen might attack them or try to convert them. Then they would have to deal with travel in the Hivelands itself. Not fun or safe for a magic user. The Xiticix can sense High PPE and need it to feed their babies.

So War did not happen as Advertised.

Really? That's exactly the info I was looking for if correct.

Could you point me towards the specific page numbers where this info is contained?

I believe it was in the FQ book as a simple throw away bit.
Dont have my books on hand.

[Kagashi]

As stated in Aftermath and the Sot books.

Lazlo help back their War vs the Buggs due to the CS War vs Tolkeen and Free Quebec. Travel to the Hivelands became too dangerous in itself. FQ might attack them. CS might attack them. Tolkeen might attack them or try to convert them. Then they would have to deal with travel in the Hivelands itself. Not fun or safe for a magic user. The Xiticix can sense High PPE and need it to feed their babies.

So War did not happen as Advertised.

Really? That's exactly the info I was looking for if correct.

Could you point me towards the specific page numbers where this info is contained?

I believe it was in the FQ book as a simple throw away bit.
Dont have my books on hand.

And how exactly is the Xicitix War supposed to end? How was it advertised? It never states it ended, only that it started. I see no contradiction from 105 PA to 109 PA.

[grandmaster z0b]

As stated in Aftermath and the Sot books.

Lazlo help back their War vs the Buggs due to the CS War vs Tolkeen and Free Quebec. Travel to the Hivelands became too dangerous in itself. FQ might attack them. CS might attack them. Tolkeen might attack them or try to convert them. Then they would have to deal with travel in the Hivelands itself. Not fun or safe for a magic user. The Xiticix can sense High PPE and need it to feed their babies.

So War did not happen as Advertised.

Really? That's exactly the info I was looking for if correct.

Could you point me towards the specific page numbers where this info is contained?

I believe it was in the FQ book as a simple throw away bit.
Dont have my books on hand.

And how exactly is the Xicitix War supposed to end? How was it advertised? It never states it ended, only that it started. I see no contradiction from 105 PA to 109 PA.

Well that's the problem isn't it? World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion states the war is about to start at 105PA and that after it's over those who are involved will be renowned as great heroes and the Lazlo army and surrounding countryside will take heavy losses. Then apparently in the SoT series there's some mention of the war not happening yet and as of Aftermath they state that Lazlo will not be going to war and that the CS are ready to strike.



At one stage I thought that KS was so frustrated with the name Xiticix that he was going to wipe them from the face of the earth, now he seems to be gradually moving towards to the term "bugmen" (which I personally dislike, I actually think Xiticix is a cool name) maybe he's decided to give them a reprieve.

[Shadow Wyrm]

There are many reaasons why we have not seen a result to the bug war.

Though everything is speculation at best. The Crisis of Trechery happened around the time that a book covering the bug war should of come out, and Kevin admits that he move on to other newer projects. So if a book covering the bug war ever comes out, it will be fine with me.

[Kagashi]

And how exactly is the Xicitix War supposed to end? How was it advertised? It never states it ended, only that it started. I see no contradiction from 105 PA to 109 PA.

Well that's the problem isn't it? World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion states the war is about to start at 105PA and that after it's over those who are involved will be renowned as great heroes and the Lazlo army and surrounding countryside will take heavy losses. Then apparently in the SoT series there's some mention of the war not happening yet and as of Aftermath they state that Lazlo will not be going to war and that the CS are ready to strike.



At one stage I thought that KS was so frustrated with the name Xiticix that he was going to wipe them from the face of the earth, now he seems to be gradually moving towards to the term "bugmen" (which I personally dislike, I actually think Xiticix is a cool name) maybe he's decided to give them a reprieve.

Actually, I revise my earlier statement. WB 23 doesnt state the war ever started. Lemme give ya an overview:

-Book starts out with source info, on the Xiticix themselves, weapons, and hivelands. The tense is present tense, as if that is the way it IS (in 105 PA).
-Then on to a section called Prelude to War. In there it talks about the CS plan on how to deal with the bugs. Followed by the plan for Lazlo. Aside the Xiticix Killer (source material) the tense is exclusively future tense, indicating that it may happen, or at least is planned.
-Some more source material about psi stalkers.
-and finally the Adventure Section.
-- First is Lazlo, all in future tense. There is some HLS adventure ideas available to play should the group option to play the Xiticix War. HLS however are not canon.
-- Next is the famed Xiticix Fighter section, again future tense.
-- A larger HLS adventure follows. Again, not canon.
-- Then on to the CS plan. Here, prior to the printing of SoT, it mentions scouting operations up north were intended to primarily target Tolkeen, bugs second. This section has some present tense source information, but no mention of any active attacks against the Xiticix.

There is no mention of any initiation of either the CS or Lazlo plan in WB 23. While it is obvious the book was written for the players to play the HLS adventures in there, its not canon. The only thing we have to go by is both Lazlo and the CS had come up with plans on how to deal with the bugs in 105 PA. All the talk of the plans is filled with "going to". Not "did".

By Aftermath (109 PA), its obvious that neither of these plans had ever kicked off. The SoT and the CS Civil War obviously distracted the CS somewhat, however they did launch merc attacks on the hivelands as well as covert military ops in place of. Psi Stalkers did conduct a fairly large battle against the bugs, most likely in 108 PA. And Lazlo feared the Chi-Town army going to battle Free Quebec would stay true to the 105 PA Campaign of Unity mentality, thus protected their homeland from potential CS attack (which never happened).

Now, I admit, I understand your frustration. Any reader of WB 23 would come to the conclusion that it SHOULD have happened, but canon sources say otherwise. WB 23 is nothing more than a play book.

[Mack]

Looking at a map I'm at a loss to figure out how Lazlo would attack the bugs without crossing CS territory.

[Shark_Force]

Looking at a map I'm at a loss to figure out how Lazlo would attack the bugs without crossing CS territory.

magic! (no, really, i'm not *just* joking)