Structures
Machine Gun Nest
The basic staple of defensive warfare since the advent of the machine gun has been the pillbox. The strategic placement of these sturdy infantry-killers has been the decider of a great many battles over the years. Atelian machine gun emplacements are generally just a ring of sandbags with a gunner in the middle, although more permanent positions are generally set in concrete and equipped with larger machine guns or autocannons.
Antitank Turret
Armored Engines are the bane of anti-infantry defenses everywhere, but with antitank weaponry, lines can be shored up to withstand even armored attack. The standard Atelian solution to the Engine problem is to take a captured or home-built armored engine and partially bury it in a strategic position. Because Engines are difficult to come by, there is little standardization and defenses are usually built with whatever is around. More important positions are generally equipped with more heavily armed and armored turrets.
Poison Bomb
One of the more nasty tricks the Atelian resistance has been using in tighter quarters is poison traps. These small camouflaged traps are essentially landmines that release toxic clouds of gas. When enemy forces are tightly clustered together, this gas can do serious harm to large numbers of them in a short time; moreso than a simple explosive mine.
Fuel Bomb
A simple but effective tool the Atelians have been using against Confederate forces are discreetly placed canisters of explosive fuel. While rather pointless on their own, these canisters will explode violently if shot or hit by an explosion. They’re excellent for adding to the firepower of a single prepared soldier, and also useful for magnifying the firepower of any trip mines they’re placed near.
Trip Mines
One of the more sneaky methods of attack the Atelians have at their disposal is the Trip Mine. Set up by putting a wire over an area that enemies then trip over to activate a devastating explosion, this is an efficient method of crowd-control, and procured for a relatively low price. The more devious Atelians might try using Trip Mines around corners of paths frequently taken by invading Confederates to head them off before they can even come near the Stronghold…
Supply Station
No warrior can fight without supplies, and the availability of spare ammunition and a little medical attention can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Smart Atelian resistance fighters put these supply stations down anywhere they can.
Stronghold
The Stronghold is the most critical part of the Atelian Resistance’s movement, not so much for what it does for the Resistance, but for its symbolism. While the stronghold is obviously an important logistical element and the basis of local planning and command, it’s more important as a beacon of revolt against the Confederate aggression. This symbolism is what makes the strongholds central to Warlord Sahrab’s strategy – their presence emboldens his warriors and draws the Confederates into the cities where their advanced weapons and vehicles are no longer a decisive factor. Without them, the spirit of resistance would soon collapse, but if they can be protected, it will force the Confederates to engage in genocidal attacks with heavy artillery.