Changelings

A changeling infantry unit in Canterlot - 1002 ALB

Changelings are a sapient species of black pony-like insectoids. They have transparent insect wings on their back and thus are capable of flight. Their most recognizable feature is their magical ability to temporarily shift their form, voice and even size to a minor degree in near-instantaneous speed. They are also capable of magically draining the emotion of love felt by other species and to feed upon it. While they are able to survive without it, feeding on love allows them to feel and perform better and shapeshift for longer periods than they would otherwise. These abilities have gave them a rather sinister reputation among other species, particularly as many are willing to use aggressive means to obtain love. Contrary to popular belief, changelings do not just consume love but food as well, which is usually meat and sometimes plants.

Recent pony scholars have discovered that changelings are more insectoid than mammalian - hatching from eggs as larvae in collective hives. But beyond that - how their Hives work, the role of Queens in their society and breeding, how they acquire love, and how they think, are up to the imagination as any who travel to their territory will meet an almost certain demise.

Fortunately for their neighbours, their militarism and aggression mean that changelings spend far more time fighting each other than outsiders, allowing Olenia and Equestria to outmatch isolated incursions.

But all of that changed when Queen Chrysalis united the hives under one banner. Now the changelings have set their sights on neighbouring nations and their lovely inhabitants...

The two starting changeling nations are  Changeling Lands and  Greneclyf. They may also appear in some post-start nations, most notably  Manehattan Protectorate (established by decision after Changeling Lands conquer Equestria), and a certain secret nation that may appear when playing as  Empire of Kiria.

Racial Technology

The changeling research tree is a tree oriented on breakthrough, organization, population, and resources, providing two special units.

•  Jagers are light Changeling special forces that move quickly (6 km/hr) and have decent breakthrough. They excel at fighting in cities, forests and jungles but cost a lot of support equipment to produce. They can also be paradropped.
•  Infiltrator Companies are recon Changeling support units that provide small bonuses to the effectiveness of troops, especially in recon.

Changelings may also research two unique special projects, one unlocking special equipment for Jagers that boosts their abilities, while the other unlocks an ability for field marshals that temporarily improves the supply situation of your troops.

Infiltration

The infiltration tree starts with the technology that unlocks Infiltrator Companies. Support equipment must be researched first (when you play as Greneclyf).

Infiltrator Company

Enables Infiltrator Company

The Infiltrator Company is a small group of changelings trained specifically to infiltrate both enemy lines and behind enemy lines. This is both to provide intelligence on enemy movements, but to also disrupt their capabilities.

Then it splits into three paths, none of which are mutually exclusive.

The middle one only has one technology that boosts your paratroopers. The Breakthrough bonus appears to be exclusive to the generic paratroopers, while organization and anti-air defense should apply to anyone that can perform paradrops, including jagers or rangers.

Shock-Drop Cocoons

• Paratrooper Breakthrough: +10%
• Organization After Paradropping: +150%
• Paratrooper Anti Air Defense: +10%

Changeling paratroopers will receive specialised training in tactical airborne insertion via shock-drop cocoons, which were first trialed during the attack on Canterlot in 1002. Shock-drop troopers will rain down from planes in hardened and magically-protective cocoons that will smash into enemy positions, a brutal barrage of steel and chitin.

The left and right paths have slightly different effects depending on whether you have  La Résistance installed or not. The left one focuses on your nation's overall intel capabilities, while right one greatly boosts infiltrator companies.

Strategic Infiltration

• Recon Company Reconnaissance: +2
• Military Police Suppression Bonus: +30%

Favouring large scale infiltration, the strategic infiltration doctrine will allow infiltration companies to covertly suppress rebellious groups of individuals. It also details the proper way to scout the enemy.

Tactical Infiltration

• Infiltration Company Breakthrough: +100%
• Decryption: +5%

Favouring quick decisions and immediate effects, the strategic infiltration doctrine will empower the infiltration companies to perform more efficiently on the battlefield.

Local Manners Education

• Enemy Air Support: -10%
• Encryption: +10%

Learning local manners and behaviors will enable our troops to blend in better from a distance. As an added bonus as well we will be able to gain valuable knowledge on enemy air raids, thus protecting us from their strikes.

Targeted Insertion

• Infiltration Company Initiative: +25%

Infiltrator companies will need to hit their targets quickly and efficiently. They need to be adept at planning incursions into enemy territory and thus quicker with completing them, ready to be used.

Spy Networks

• Decryption: +25%
• Effect of Partisans on Us: -15%

Establishing spy networks in nations across the world will allow for better gathering of intelligence on the plans of local or opposing nations. A more local spy network would suppress any groups of partisans trying to organise themselves in territory we occupy.

Chaos, Confusion, Concealment

• Infiltrator Company Soft Attack: +60%
• Infiltrator Company Hard Attack: +60%
• Effect of our partisans: +15%

Changeling infiltrator companies must be trained into sowing chaos into the front lines and the battlefield. Additionally, we should look into ways to better resist would-be conquerors.

Massive Impersonation

• Subversive Activities Cost: -33%
• Foreign Subversive Activities Efficiency: -33%
• Encryption: +10%
• Decryption: +10%

The mass impersonation of individuals in nations will allow us to perform subversive activities at a reduced cost. With more disguised changelings around to carry out plans, the easier it becomes to organise plots of subterfuge in other countries.

Social Engineering Training

• Infiltrator Company Reconnaissance: +2.0
• Encryption: +10%
• Decryption: +10%

To truly live up to their names, changeling infiltrator squads must also know how to act like a pony during reconnaissance excursions. This training will aid them in the circumstance of being forced to disguise to properly gauge the enemy before a fight, and assist them with future decisions.

Light Infantry

To research this branch, you must first unlock support equipment (when playing as Greneclyf). The first technology is dated to the year 1007 (meaning it can be researched without penalties from the start), with each step after that coming one year after the previous one.

Jager Division I

• Enables Jagers
• Unlocks a free Division Template

Jagers are light infantry that are trained to fight in close quarters combat behind enemy lines.

Jager Division II

• Jager Soft Attack: +5%
• Jager Organisation: +5

Jagers will be given specialised equipment for guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, and trained in guerrilla warfare to increase their organisation on the field.

Jager Division III

• Jager Hard Attack: +5%
• Jager Organisation: +5
• Unlocks Special Project: Camouflage Cloak

Standardising Jager equipment will reduce the chances of confusion on the field and make equipment easier to maintain.

Jager Division IV

• Jager Breakthrough: +5%
• Jager Organisation: +5

Jager units are given stricter leaders, who are trained exclusively for Jager squads. They will know how to handle command these squads in the field of battle.

Jager Division V

• Jager Organisation: +5
• Jager Marsh Movement: +5%
• Jager Marsh Attack: +5%

Jagers go through situational and hypothetical scenario training. Each scenario is devised from experience on the field from other jagers, and from intelligence gathered from other nations.

Jager Division VI

• Jager Organisation: +5
• Jager Forest Movement: +5%
• Jager Forest Attack: +5%

Jagers go through very rigorous training to ensure that they act as a cohesive and functional unit on the battlefield or behind enemy lines.

Industry

Specialised Factory Drones

• Factory Output: +10%
• Dockyard Output: +10%

Our drones need to be trained for specialised tasks, we should look into how to improve our workers. Training a caste drones of workers specifically to work in factories, with the appropriate physical build and techniques to use in the workplace.

Specialised Miner Drones

• Resource Gain Efficiency: +15%

Our drones need to be trained for specialised tasks, we should further train our workers. We should train a caste of miner drones with the aims of increasing the output of raw resources in the mines. The trained workers will have tougher carapaces from a special diet, and increased stamina for longer shifts underground.

Specialised Engineer Drones

• Land Fort Construction Speed: +10%
• Coastal Fort Construction Speed: +10%
• Entrenchment Speed: +7%
• Unlocks Special Project: Temporary Chitinous Structures

Our drones need to be trained for specialised tasks, we should begin training our troops for specialised engineering tasks. We need dedicated combat engineers to construct temporary fortifications for the soldiers on the front lines. A tougher and stricter training regimen should give these engineers the strength they need to put up defences quicker than usual.

Love Production

Love Extraction

• Non-Core Ponypower: +0.1%
• Weekly Ponypower: +500

Extracting love from another living creature, normally a pony, is a natural process for a changeling. To meet the increased demands of a growing nation, the natural magic involved in the process can be improved through research.

Love Refining

• Logistics Company Supply Usage: -5%
• Helicopter Transports Supply Usage: -6%
• Field Hospital Exp Loss: -5%
• Supply Grace: +12hr

War does not breed much love among the races of the world. To survive and fight in prolonged wars, we must find a way to get the most out of all the love we can harvest.

Advanced Breeding Techniques

• Monthly Population: +25%

A surplus of love means more changelings. We can look into methods of making more changelings; these methods can then be taught to the general populace. But first, our hypotheses must be 'tested' on some willing members of our science division.

Magical Combat

Warswarms

All Magical Battalions (including Infiltrators)

• Breakthrough: +10%
• Soft Attack: +6%
• Hard Attack: +4%

A Warswarm is a group of changelings who have formed a unit to punch a hole in the enemies' front line. They are a versatile unit of changelings with the capacity to wreak havoc on the battlefield.

Magical Fuel Additives

• All airplanes Agility: +5%

All mechanical battalions

• Max Speed: +5%

Improvements to fuel technology and magical innovations have lead to the development of magically enhanced fuel to our vehicles. Our ground vehicles have seen an overall increase to their speed, whilst our aviation department has seen improved turning rates and increased acceleration from their planes.

Magical Munitions

• All artillery soft attack: +7%
• Ground Support: +7.5%

Magically enhanced munitions are the natural next step for us to take. More explosive power can be packet into artillery shells, making our shelling operations more efficient. Magical munitions also improve upon the lethally and penetration potential of the guns the air force use in their.