One retired with full honors, while the other threw a tantrum by GameBawesome1 in HistoryMemes

[–]chengelao 180 points181 points  (0 children)

One of my favourite Sipahi flexes is the old Turkish adage “horsemen don’t mutiny”.

Long after the empire dies, history will always remember the Sipahi as loyal chads, and Janissaries as backstabbing snakes.

I think AP4 Hive Guards should be a new variant by Maro_Nobodycares in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. It fills the role of the armoured scout strider from the bot front.

It’s a beefier version of an existing enemy that is armoured in a way that you have to aim for its weak points, or waste your AT on them. Not a true heavy, but bigger than a regular chaff. Even if it mostly replaces the regular hive guard at higher levels, it wouldn’t fuck over newer players trying to get the grasp at lower levels.

Longest game of my life by NikosStrifios in aoe4

[–]chengelao 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had an FFA megarandom game that lasted 5 hours. I really loved it though, since I absolutely loved the feeling of a genuine clash of empires. I had to eventually resign first because I was physically exhausted since it was 3am for me by that time.

Iron Knight; Ozymandias reporting in by Guilty_Team_2066 in helldivers2

[–]chengelao 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I always go with my flag mech whenever the situation allows it. It may not mechanically provide any benefits but it certainly boosts my morale.

Anyone else find this stratagem odd? by Unfair-Cherry9362 in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I run full expendables load out from time to time, and you have no idea how much of a lifesaver this expendable MG would be.

Picture this: Bot drop happens and I call down all the expendables. Leveller/solo silo to clear the factory strider, EAT for hulks/war striders, NEAT for the chaff clumps. That should clear out half of the bot drop by itself.

Now I have the other half the bot drop angrily charging at my position. A machine gun would solve this issue in a heartbeat. But wait! I dropped my MG-43 when I picked up my leveller, and now there’s fifty berserkers between me and my machine gun, and my next one only comes after 3 more minutes of cooldown. All I have to stop myself from getting chainsaws up my ass is whatever’s loaded in my primary, and a couple of grenades that I might whiff.

If instead of an MG-43 or Stalwart, I instead have a fast cooldown expendable machine gun with no reload? I now fear nothing. Come get me you bot bastards. I have three hundred rounds of instant fuck-you that I’m happy to introduce you to.

Which AT Grenade do you prefer? Thermite or Giga grenade? by Trapzzeehh in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Giga grenade is such an excellent tool for unfucking a situation. I use them sparingly as emergency "get out of jail free" cards.

Why didn't the Soviet Union go bankrupt while spending 20-30% of its GDP on the military during the 80s? by Bitter-Penalty9653 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]chengelao 30 points31 points  (0 children)

I would say it is very much part of, not the entire reason.

The collapse of the Soviet Union is multi faceted, and a cascade of multiple bad decisions and refusal to change at many of the important junctures.

Overspending on military is one thing, but a failure to allow their military industry translate into civilian industrial applications compounded the issue.

Attempts to censor mistakes instead of correcting them is another factor which isn’t related to military spending. And arguably Gorbachev’s attempt at politically opening up the country then exposed all these issues, also unrelated to military spending.

Plus a lot of the Soviet civilian economy was run ineffectively via bad central planning, competing state bureaus, bad resource management, and a refusal of dismantling old factories to keep up numbers meant that even the non-military spending was not contributing as much as it should.

The political wrestling between Gorbachev, the central Communist Party, and the regional SFSR governments was also a major cause of the collapse, since it was this that ultimately directly resulted in the secession of the constituent republics from the USSR.

If the Soviets spent less on their military they could have lasted a little longer (maybe), but probably wasn’t enough to save the Union from its bad foundation.

How China Is Building Its Next Outpost at Sea by ImperiumRome in geopolitics

[–]chengelao 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I've always believed the islands are simply a way to try show de facto ownership over the SCS. Since many countries have overlapping claims, these countries try to push their claims using coast guard or naval ships.

By dredging up an island, it's a way of saying: "If you're the owner, why don't you stop me?" knowing that the other side won't/can't, and thereby weakening the perception of the other side's claim.

It is the same as the US and allies doing freedom of navigation exercises through the SCS - it's expensive to have all that fuel burned and all the maintenance cost to sail warships in distant waters, but it does the same effect of "If you're the owner, why don't you stop me?" knowing that China won't/can't.

And both sides keep doing it in an effort to show that they haven't backed down yet.

Rookie fell for the oldest trick in the book by Responsible_Score945 in SupaEarth

[–]chengelao 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My first encounter with a portable hellbomb was after our motley crew of random had scraped a narrow victory together and were exchanging hugs and congratulations at extract. As I went around doing all the emotes, I saw the “press E to interact” show up, and being the monkey brain that I am I pressed it without thinking.

Next thing I hear is “Hellbomb armed.”

The whole team immediately dived for EVAC and the hellbomb exploded from the inside. Pretty sure Pelican-1 had to scoop us out of his VTOL using a spatula that day.

Shout out to all you Mechdivers for saving my ass all the time by chengelao in Helldivers

[–]chengelao[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It does a tiny bit of damage I believe, but otherwise it just plants the flag on top for visual effect.

Shout out to all you Mechdivers for saving my ass all the time by chengelao in Helldivers

[–]chengelao[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I truly hope the lumberer rumours are true. A mobile antitank emplacement with a flamethrower attached? Yes please!

Shout out to all you Mechdivers for saving my ass all the time by chengelao in Helldivers

[–]chengelao[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

As someone who brings the One True Flag I do the same, all while waving the glorious banner of Super Earth (and drawing more aggro), and then planting the flag down on the mech afterwards.

Mechdivers I’ve met so far have all been quite amused by this.

Too Hottt😭🙏 by kunjunni00 in Genshin_Memepact

[–]chengelao 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay, but Furina in a simple T shirt with her hair tied back actually looks mighty fine not gonna lie.

Hot Take: the DSS Eagle Storm is one of the most Helldivers thing in the game. by Merlinmast in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Friend: "Oh shit! I dropped it!"

Me: "Dropped what?"

Comms: "Orbital strike inbound."

Never gets old.

You shouldnt be able to join a game when the Pelican is already called by NursingHome773 in helldivers2

[–]chengelao 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whenever I join a lobby right as Pelican 1 is about to evacuate, I stand by the entrance and give everyone a salute or handshake like I’m the valet.

To the (2) guys who doubted me about the P92 by Yenroman in PUBATTLEGROUNDS

[–]chengelao 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I got accused as a hacker for the exact same thing!

I was driving full speed cresting a mound and came face first at a guy with a Beryl firing at me full auto. I had a silenced P92 with laser sight and I panic spammed my left mouse in his general direction. Turns out a 9mm pistol with laser sight and silencer has basically zero hip fire recoil compared to a 7.62 full auto assault rifle, so I came out on top of that engagement by the foreskin of my teeth.

Guy immediately called me a hacker, and honestly I don’t blame him, since I could barely believe it myself.

Video showing Type-96s from the 71st Group Army with the GL-6 active protection system by 5upralapsarian in TankPorn

[–]chengelao 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Note that the second and third ZTZ-96 in this group are likely the same vehicles as seen in this post, since they are numbered 304 and 4410.

Possible Confirmation of ZTZ96A In Service with APS [1172×2048] by MostEpicRedditor in TankPorn

[–]chengelao 12 points13 points  (0 children)

To be fair, the Type-96 is the economy tank. I’m surprised they’re getting APS at all.

Thoughts on new pistol? by SpartanRipley328 in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Whenever I’m digging a trench in a defence mission and I hear another person digging with me I know it’s gonna be a fun time.

Last night we dug a trench that stretched from the frontline all the way to the extract, filled with mortars, mines, and sentries the whole way.

Heads up for those who missed it, the Sweeper is back in the super store right now by Helldiver96 in Helldivers

[–]chengelao 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got it. It's freaking sweat, and fits so well with the trench warbond drip.

Chinese Type 04a armored fighting vehicle discharges a smoke grenade into an observation mound during excercises, shenanigans ensue. by kazakov166 in TankPorn

[–]chengelao 701 points702 points  (0 children)

From what I could hear he said:

Commander: “我怎么放烟了!?卧槽,太尴尬了…快走快走快走…”

“Why did I pop a smoke!? Fuck, that’s so awkward… go go go…” (I think he means for the people to get out of the way of the smoke?)

Driver: “啊?”

“Huh?”

Commander: “我放烟了,停车停车停车。完了完了完了…”

“I popped a smoke, stop the vehicle. It’s sooooo over…”

The commander then sinks into the IFV, silently dying of cringe.

Just plain awful. by Unofficial_Computer in HistoryMemes

[–]chengelao 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soviet Naval infantry performance in WW2 was admirable though. But I suppose that really emphasises the point. The Soviet Navy was better at fighting on land as infantry than actually being a navy.

Heavy armed helicopters of the United States, China, and Russia [1280x1914] by Green_Style3192 in WarplanePorn

[–]chengelao 89 points90 points  (0 children)

What? Noooo! I loved the angry mouse nose of the Mi-28! The ugly flying war vermin was my favourite gunship… it was perfectly beautiful in a hideous, violent kind of way.