User blog comment:Void Samukai/Tenelapis/@comment-24882568-20160316203434/@comment-11135771-20160831202741

The new Yevata outpost experiences some difficulty from tunneler attacks during its construction, but good progress is made nonetheless thanks to the considerable amount of firepower on hand.

The armed forces deployed around the outpost being established inflict considerable numbers of casualties against the tunneler swarms, but suffer a number of losses themselves. The heavier artillery from the ships initially proves very effective at wiping out groups of the creatures before they can get close to the infantry and armoured vehicles, but after about a day, the troops begin noticing a shift in the tunnelers' patterns of attack. Instead of trying to approach above-ground, almost all of their attacks begin below the earth, with the creatures popping up below the Yevata forces. In such close quarters, the ships' guns are unable to provide effective fire support without inflicting friendly fire, forcing the ground forces to fend for themselves. Fortunately for them, they are generally able to kill off the tunnelers as they emerge from the ground, preventing them from causing too much damage.

Nonetheless, there are still some casualties among the Yevata forces. The crawlers prove to be particularly vulnerable, as the tunnelers quickly learn that they can unburrow beneath the walking vehicles and strike at their undersides while protected from most enemy fire.