[b]Greetings guardians! This evening we will be looking into the lore of the titan-exclusive exotic auto rifle, the Fabian Strategy![/b] The Fabian Strategy is a Häkke auto rifle frame with a burnt orange/reddish camouflage paint job and the addition of two shields on either side of the muzzle. [b]Here's the grimoire:[/b] [spoiler] Wait for enemy to make a mistake. Die. Stand by for Ghost Resurrection. Repeat as necessary. “Good evening, Banshee-44!” “Howdy.” “Doing well, thank you. ...Actually, I had a bit of difficulty today.” “Uh...” “The problem with a historical engram is, even if I can figure out when the engram was encoded, that still doesn't tell me when the contents were written. Or even when the events described by the writer take place.” “Uh huh.” “This particular engram is heavily degraded. Encoded Mid-Golden Age, allegedly written by someone named Plutarch, a historian who in turn is writing about someone named Fabius Maximus. But who were they? When did they live? In what kind of warfare was this 'Fabian Strategy' applied?” “The whatnow strategy?” “Fabian Strategy. It apparently involves attrition tactics and avoiding direct conflict until an enemy makes a mistake.” “...Huh.” “'Huh' indeed!” “...But with Ghost res—“ “Oh, this was long before Ghosts. I think... Banshee? Where are you going?”[/spoiler] It appears that Banshee got stuck in a discussion with the Cryptarch that he was less than excited to be a part of... let's focus on the historical references made by the Cryptarch. [b]Let's start with Plutarch.[/b] He was a Greek historian and biographer who later became a Roman citizen. One of his writings was entitled "Fabius" and was a biography of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator, a legendary Roman politician and general. Of note "Cunctator" at the end of his title means "delayer." [b]Now on to Fabius Maximus:[/b] [spoiler]During the Second Punic War (218-212 BC) the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy by crossing the Alps during winter and led a series of crushing victories over the Roman forces. In response to this threat, Fabius Maximus was appointed general of the Roman forces. Outnumbered and facing the clever Hannibal, Fabius developed a new strategy to specifically exploit Hannibal's two main weaknesses. First, Hannibal was fighting with a foreign army on Italian land. This made supply routes crucial, and particularly vulnerable. Hannibal relied on Rome's allies for supplies so Fabius aimed to keep the Italians loyal to Rome by controlling the narrative of the battle. With hit-and-run tactics and movements to avoid large scale confrontations, Fabius kept Hannibal from amassing great victories and kept the Italian allies loyal. This drained Hannibal's forces of supplies. Second, Hannibal's forces were primarily mercenaries from Gaul and Spain. This meant that their loyalty was an exploitable weakness and the aforementioned strategy of avoiding large scale battles prolonged the length of the war. As the war length and bodycount continued to rise, morale begin to fall on both sides but the mercenaries were the first to break. With the supply chain strangled and the war slowed to a lurching pace, the mercenaries abandoned Hannibal and Rome withstood another threat.[/spoiler] [b]To summarize:[/b] Fabius Maximus enabled Rome to outlast Hannibal until his troops deserted Carthage by avoiding large scale battles and demoralizing both sides through a war of attrition. [b]With regards to "guerrilla warfare:"[/b] [spoiler]The Fabian Strategy differs from guerrilla warfare in that it is a strategy used by large organized armies to gradually demoralize and chip away at the strength of an opposing army through attrition. Guerrilla warfare, on the other hand, is conducted by small bands of fighters and consists of high value hit-and-run strikes to effectively challenge a much larger force. Both involve harassment of the opposing force through unexpected strikes and then rapid retreat, but in the Fabian Strategy the army is biding time until the odds are in their favor for a full scale assault while in guerrilla warfare hit-and-run is the primary means of fighting.[/spoiler] [b]The Fabian Strategy in America[/b] [spoiler]Another notable use of the Fabian Strategy was by George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. After facing many long drawn out losses with traditional engagement tactics General Washington decided to adopt the tactics of "Indian Warfare" he had witnessed during his time as a colonial soldier. The strategy was effective in disrupting British forces and biding time, but it eroded the morale of both sides. In fact, in response to his disgust with Washington's use of the Fabian Strategy, John Adams is quoted as saying "I am sick of Fabian systems in all quarters!"[/spoiler] [b]The Fabian Strategy and Scorched Earth Tactics:[/b] [spoiler]In addition to destroying the morale of the opposing forces through an extended military engagement, the Fabian Strategy has often been combined with a scorched earth policy to further destabilize and demoralize the opposing force. "Scorched earth" tactics involve destroying all assets that might be used by the enemy with no regard for the civilian population.[/spoiler] [b]"Fabian Socialism"[/b] [spoiler]Intriguingly, the modern Labour Party in England owes it's origins to the Fabian Strategy as it was founded with the philosophy of "Fabian Socialism." This philosophy is one of gradualism, where through attrition and small, opportunistic victories the politics of England will slowly shift towards socialism.[/spoiler] That was a lot of text! Blink your eyes a few times so they don't dry out and then enjoy this [url=http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/tatwtjlet3cyyy12zr42.jpg]beautiful scenery[/url]. [b]Back to Destiny:[/b] Now that we have a good grip on the history that is living in this weapon, just how does it all tie-in to our fight against the Darkness? [b]With regards to the weapon description:[/b] The quote captures the idea of attrition quite well, gradually wearing down the enemy forces waiting for them to make a mistake before you attack. The destiny twist on this concept is the inconsequential nature of death for a guardian. A guardian can continue to charge on and wear down the enemy all the while able to revive every time they fall on the battlefield. [b]With regards to the weapon itself:[/b] First, the shields on the side of the weapon may symbolize the stalwart [b]Titan Defenders.[/b] Titans built the walls around the city and the Defenders are "the wall against which the Darkness breaks." Next, the "Frontline" perk may be referring to the [b]Titan Strikers[/b] as they are the subclass charged with leading the frontline of the assault when guardians go into battle. Now this is a huge stretch, but the close association with scorched earth tactics and the burnt orange color of the weapon may refer to the [b]Titan Sunbreakers[/b] as they are generally the most chaotic and destructive of the subclasses. Plus they have a "scorched earth" perk that leaves a wake of fire consuming the battlefield. The perk "Crowd Control" may be referring to the strategic control of the narrative of battle by Fabian to ensure the Roman allies would remain loyal. It is more likely just a perk that in theory goes well with the guns' overall concept of becoming a beast when surrounded by enemies. Finally, "Fabian Socialism" appears very similar to the strategy that the different factions within the tower are using to gradually exert their influence over the city through shady dealings and crucible battles. If you are interested in reading "Fabius" by Plutarch: [url=http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/fabius.html]Here you go![/url] [i]See you starside Guardians! -MrMach[/i] [b]Interested in more weapon lore?[/b] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/163992136/0/0]Jade Rabbit[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/164248139/0/0]Ace of Spades[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/168720150/0/0]Tlaloc and Susanoo[/url] [b]Interested in an epic lore clan?[/b] Check out The Ashen Conflux!