The BattleTech Dynasty: Chapt 3, Solaris VII, 3040-3042 [Archive]

Abe Sargent

10-18-2009, 10:20 AM

Now, we are not your normal independent. I have financial backing from my unit, multiple mechs that are mine, and everything I need to succeed. However, I would enjoy the contacts that stables have. All stables have affiliations with a Great House. Here are the ones I think I have an inroad with:

Fitzhugh Stables, this Marik affiliated stable is run by a guy from the Duchy of Andurien, and he has strong pro-Andurien sentiments. The current #5 MechWarrior is from their stable. Their standard contract is to take 20% of winnings. He is an okay taskmaster. He doesn’t like it when people break their contract, and he likes to develop close ties with his fighters. They have a rivalry with Bromley Stables.

White Hand Stables - Currently they have the #3 MechWarrior. This is the best Davion affiliated stable out there, it takes 20% cut typically, and it is rated among he highest stables of all. Their contracts tend to be long term and unbreakable. They are known to pamper successful mechwarriors. They have no rivalries.

Starlight Stables - Another Davion stable, this one has the #4 MechWarrior on its roster, as well as the best rating too. 20% is their standard contract, plus the stable master is known as the fairest and most honest of them all. He has a rivalry with Blackstar Stables.

Now, I could try for the others. Perhaps a Pro-Liao stable, or a Pro-Kurita or even a Pro-Steiner one would be okay.

However, of the lot, I think Starlight is my best chance for success.

I request a meet with Tran Ky Bo, stable master of Starlight Stables.

Abe Sargent

10-18-2009, 10:38 AM

Aug 10, 3040 - Due to the unusual nature of my request, and with a 3-0 record, including two impressive kills under my belt, Tran agrees to see me. He has 19 mechwarriors and 21 mechs right now including #4, Bassem Dichari.

We discuss many things. There is no doubt that I am talented enough to be in his stable. I guarantee him that I am good enough to be in his 19. He accept the claim without question. Where the sticking ground remains is around the issue of mechs, support, salary and cut.

My arrangement is unusual. Usually, an independent is happy to surrender control of their mech to finally join a stable, since it is usually beaten down, half destroyed, and so forth. However, I have four of my own mechs plus my own techs and everything else. I don’t need as much from a stable. He recognizes this. However, he also has to consider his 19. To give me special treatment does not make sense, even though my circumstances are different.

Therefore, we agree to a temporary three month sponsorship. For three months, I am paid no salary and receive no benefits from Starlight, but they agree to get me into some bigger matches. We’ll see how the affiliation goes. And make decisions later.

Abe Sargent

10-18-2009, 11:26 AM

Aug 21, 3040 - Our first match in a major arena arrives. This is a medium mech match. We will be one of three tickets today in The Factory, an old factory with a lot of junk throughout. Our opponent today will be:

Veteran in a…Centurion, which I actually like for Solaris VII games. Alright, here we go.

Hunchback http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Hunchback%203025.jpg vs. Centurion http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/centurion.jpg

The first couple of turns, I move up into the actual factory building.

We finally see our foe. We are on the upper floor of the factory, and the Centurion is on the ground. He hits me for 5 damage with a glancing blow from the AC10.

Everybody misses,

They hit my CT for 10 with the AC10 and an LRM pings me for 6. Then my AC20 hits its CT and goes internal. It falls down.

It stands up and tries to hide, but I move to the edge and find it. My AC20 hits its RT, ignites its ammo and it explodes.

Dead Centurion.

Winnings: 250,000

I am now elite again.

Tellistto

10-18-2009, 07:26 PM

Woot, good showing!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-18-2009, 09:39 PM

Thanks!

Abe Sargent

10-19-2009, 04:35 PM

Sept 13, 3040 - We get a heavy mech match with another opponent, and this one will be in The Coliseum. Each time you play in this, they lift up the pillars in different patterns, so the arena changes its configuration. We will be using the modified Orion.

They are elite and in a Warhammer. The battle value favors them. The Coliseum is laid out in an X with some huge pillars blocked off certain routes.

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/orion.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Warhammer%203025.jpg

We run into each other immediately. I hit him with an AC20 in one of his legs. He hits me with both PPCs in the RT and CT.

My Ac20 hits his RT. A medium Laser and SRM6 both follow. He misses me.

I slip behind a wall and deheat.

I walk around the corner and almost run into him. I alpha strike him with everything but the LRM10. I hit his RT with my AC20 again, and it blows off, dropping his RA.

He moves first, and to somewhere I can’t see him. And I stand still in order to deheat.

I almost run into him again. I again alpha straike unload on him. A lot o fdamage is dealt. He hits me with a PPC, medium and small laser.

We lose each other for two turns over the wall before I come around a corner and find him. I hit his gyro twice and engine one, and he is now a dead mech, so he surrenders.

Victoire.

Winnings: 300,000

Abe Sargent

10-19-2009, 08:11 PM

Oct 17, 3039 - We have our final bout, a light mech match in the Coliseum again.

There are only five major arenas, one for each house. The Factory, The Jungle, The Coliseum, Ishiyama and the Davion Holographic Arena.

My foe is an elite Spider pilot.

Jenner http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/jenner.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/spider.jpg Spider

I manage to run my Jenner behind their Spider, but it jumped 7, so it will still be hard to hit. I go internal in the RT and hit two jump jets. I then kick it, go internal, and hit a hip actuator.

It jumps away and I can’t find it this turn.

After four turns of cat and mouse, I finally find it. I hit two more leg actuaords and it falls.

I Alpha strike it and destroys its right arm and two mor ejump jets.

I am massively overheat, so I just base it, ge hit byu both medium lasers, I trip it, but oit fails to fall. I destroys its LT, RA and it faills, and the pilot blacks out.

Victoire.

Winnings: 300,000

Abe Sargent

10-20-2009, 10:02 PM

Oct 21, 3040 - I am now 6-0, with three wins in the major arenas. People want to see the guy who runs a mercenary regiment here, fighting for fun. After a long conversation with Tran, we sign the following contract.

I get paid no salary
I do not use Starlight Stables techs or equipment
They protect me from other stables and the mob
They use their contacts in order to get me matches
They get 10% of my winnings

If I need to use one of their mehcs for a reason (for example, if I am in a arena where my mechs suck) then we default to a different contract with 30% of winnings theirs, instead of the normal 20.

Abe Sargent

10-20-2009, 10:17 PM

October 31, 3040 - The Hallows Eve Grand Melee is today. This is open to five mechwarriors from each stable, using any mech they want, in The Jungle. This is a dense jungle area. Starlight agrees to send me after I defeat two of their better MWs in simulations.

What happens is each stable’s five are entered into a random drawing. Then one random MechWarrior from each stable is pulled out for round one. Round one will see one random MechWarrior from each of the 12 major stables fight in a grand melee. Then Round two, three, four and five will put random pairings. At the end, the five winners will go into their own grand melee to determine an ultimate champion.

The prize is 5 million C-Bills.

The major Mechwarriors do not participate in this. If you are in the Top 20, or right behind it, you have nothing to gain by this, but a lot to lose.

Due to the denseness of the Jungle, I am considered about going with what people might expect, my Atlas. It’s LRM20 is useless here. But it has a lot of armor. It’s also slow. Still, other folks will be regularly taking the heavy stuff, and I‘m not going to be able to get away with my Jenner.

law90026

10-21-2009, 12:00 AM

Good luck with the Melee!

Abe Sargent

10-21-2009, 09:31 AM

Thanks! I actually started it last night and then suspended it until tonight because it was taking so long.

Abe Sargent

10-21-2009, 07:47 PM

Here we go:

We are drawn as the Starlight rep in Round 1.

This is going to be awesome, I hope.

I don’t even know if this will work on MegaMek or not. Guess I’m about to find out.

Looks like the most # of teams I can have is five. Suck.

Alright, let me think of a new way to configure this.

All 12 are here, but instead of a Grand Melee a few are randomly assigned partners.

Wait, maybe I can assign them all no team. Perhaps that will work, let’s find out.

Here are our foes:

White Hand, elite, Awesome
Blacklight, elite, edge: 1, BattleMaster
Bromley, elite, Banshee
Delon, veteran, Atlas
Fitzhugh, elite, edge: 1, Stalker
Lion City, elite, Warhammer 6L
Oonthrax, veteran, Crusader
Overlord, elite, Goliath
Silver Dragon, elite, Daboku
Tandrek, elite, melee specialist, Quickdraw 5A
Zelazni, elite, BattlemASter

I like the Tandrek pilot’s Qucikdraw in theory, because it has a ton of medium lasers and an SRM and fast movement for the map, but it has uh light armor. Still, I respect someone trying to play the arena instead of playing the opponent.

Abe Sargent

10-21-2009, 09:00 PM

We begin in the NW corner by the White Hand Awesome, both BattleMasters and the Quickdraw.

We will be going second to last in the turn order.

Here we go.

The other Atlas is out by itself, so they are not even distribution. We got the heavy end of the area. I actually like my Atlas where it is so I don’t move. I fire at the Awesome. Get this, my AC20 hit sthe Awesome in the head, but its just a glancing blow, but the critical hits is sensors.

Round two is here. We are moving third to last in this round - tactical genius here is brilliant. I use my stationary, hide behind trees again. Oh, by the way, this Jungle is not Double Blind, you know where everybody is at all times for the grand melee here. The Zelazni BattleMaster is getting savaged by the Blacklight Bm. Get this, I do 16 damage with my LRM 20 to the Awesome, and the final point of damage goes to the head, with just 2 points left in internal strucutre. That guys has survived twice due to luck. The Awesome pilot blocks out. Both the savaged Zelazni BM and the Awesome fall down.

I am moving 4th this turn, and I found the weakness of Tactical Genius. Then I roll a tie, we rell al of the tie,s and the game only allows me to reroll the tied reoll when that happens. I rolled a 4 and tied someone else, and then I rolled a 7. I can only reroll that 7, not my initial 4, but in real BattleTech I could do that. As such, I am going 4th. I hold my ground. Our rival, the Blacklight BM moves t wards me. The Quickdraw destroys the Zelazni’s Bms RL. I dice into the Blacklight BM and hit its PPC. The Awesome pilot wakes up, the Zelazni one stays sleeping.

I am in the middle of the pack this turn. The Awesome rises. The mor eI play on this map the more I like the Quickdraw choice. The Awesome and Blacklight BM keep bumping each other. More damage getting dealt. Zelazni pilot still asleep.

I am 3rd ot last this turn. The Zelazni BM loses its RT from the Awesome’s PPCs. The Awesome falls under the onslaught of the Blacklight BM. Zelazni pilot still out.

Middle of the pack this turn. I move into some woods. The Awesome rises I destroy the Blacklight’s RA. It destroys the Awesome’s CT. Their Goliaths hit’s the engine twice on the Zelazni BM who remains out.

3rd to last again. The Goliath destroys the Zelazni;s engine and gets that kill. My AC20 hits their BattleMaster in the CT.

Middle of the Pack. I take a bunch from their BM and I miss with my big weapons. Ammo is starting to become a concern. The Banshee falls.

4th to move this turn. I have to move up. I use another load of precious ammo and crack open the BM’s CT and hit its engine and gyro each once. It falls.

I get a move just after Blacklight. They either fail to stand or could not stand. I move to where I can kick it. I want to save my ammo and just use my med lasers and feet. The Goliath and Daboku are taking hsots at me this turn. Yuck. I kick it in the RT< it is destroyed, and then the damage goes to its CT and it is destroyed. I killed the Blacklight mech, our stable’s rival.

I move my Atlas back into trees. There is still, on thie field, an undamaged Atlas just firing LRMs at people. The Banshee hit’s the Stalkers engoine and gryo once each.

That Atlas fires its LRM20 on me after moving to get me in its sights. It misses. The Daboku hits the Crusader’s hip and the Crusader falls.

I move first this time - ugh. The following mechs are still pristine - Quickshot, Atlas, Daboku, Goliath. The Goliath and Daboku started in the same corner and have never attacked each other. Maybe they agreed to a temporary truce. Someone actually tacks the Qucikdraw this turn. The Warhammer and banshee hammer the Crusader and it falls again.

Their banshee is firing at me. It misses.

I start moving to a new location. The Banshee again fires at me. It hits me with a PPC.

I move into some woods. The Warhammer destroys the Crusade’s LL. The Daboku fires at me.

I move again, I am almost at my target. The Warhamer hit’s the Stalker in the head with its PPC but does not take it off.

I move and I am now, officially, in one of the few patches of heavy woods in my area. I am along side a stream. I think the Q Draw might jump and base me though, we’ll see. Their Banshee is still firing at me, and its pissing me off. Especially since the Daboku is firing at the Banshee with everything its got.

I move last this turn. I use one of my 5 loads of LRM 20 ammo on the Daboku. Someone;s got to take it down. I miss, rolling a 4. Grrr.

We move last. Let’s do an ammo check. 4 shots of AC20, 4 shots of LRM20, 7 of SRM6. I gotta hold onto it. How about others? The Daboku has 6 shots of LRM10 left, and is using them twice a turn. Three turns left. AC5 is out on the Banshee. Goliath has 2 rounds of LRM10 left, and those are both used this turn my guess is. Stalke rhas 5 loads left and two launchers too. That makes the opposing Atlas, Quickdraw and Warhammer the most dangerous mechs left. Stalker destroys the Banshee’s RA>

The opposing Atlas is now out of LRm20 ammo. The Banshee destroys the Crusader’s LL.

I try to set some forests on fire in front of me. Success.

Another round arrives. This is the 27th round. The Goliath and Atlas are still untouched. They are just standing there, and no one is challenging either one. Actually the Daboiku just used its awesome range to attack ther Atlas with its four AC2.

At round 30, the rule change to encourgae people to move it and attack, but for now, peopel are still playing cautious nancy.

The Goliath finally fired at the Daboku and hit it with a PPC.

Round 30 is here, at the end of this round, a slight rule change occurs. Another PPC hit by the Goliath.

Abe Sargent

10-22-2009, 09:00 PM

The Banshee and Crusader are deemed defeated. The remaining mechs are moves to a short range map to duke it out. Armor is stapled onto the mechs , ammo is still depleted.

The last 7 are now fighting in a smaller section of the jungle. It’s a little mor eopen too.

Here we go.

Remmebr, a lot of mechs are missing ammo, but everyone is rearmored. This favors mechs like the Warhammer, Atlas, and Quickdraw. The Goliath gets a through armor critical on the Daboku;s empty LRM10 ammo slot. The DeLon Atlas charged into the middle and took a lot of damahge. I diced some lasers into the Quickdraw. The pilot goes unconscious.

The RL of the Quikcdraw is destroyed by the DeLon Atlas. Pilot still out.

I go 2nd to last. I send a couple of Mls the Atlas’s way. The Atlas destroys the Quickdraw’s RA. Quickdraw pilot awakens.

I run into the Atlas’s rear arc while it concentrates on the Quickdraw. I use a precious AC20 shot. Their Atlas destroys the Qucikshot. My AC20 hits their RT and hits its AC20, knocking it out. That;s some irony.

I move into the woods, still behind their Atlas. The Daboku hit’s the Goliaths head with its Large Laser and shears it off. Dead Goliath.

I move into the rear arc again. I miss three 6s

I still manage to move into its rear arc. I hits its SRM6.

It backs up against the area barrier and I cannot back attack it this round. The only weapons it has left are two medium lasers to the front and two to the back. The Warhammers hits the Daboku;s engine twice.

They have to move their Atlas, and again I walk behind. The Warhammer punches the Daboku in the head and it dies.

Mechsleft: Me, Delon Atlas, Stalker, Warhammer

Back arc again. I hit a Medium laser and the LRM20. I kick it and it takes 20 to its leg.

I move behind it again, but farther away, because I want to start getting close to the Stalker. That is the next natural target. I destroy the Atlas’s LA.

This time I go in front and above their Alas, since they have just one forward facing laser. Eveyrbody exchanges fire. Then I kick and kick the Atlas’s head, dealing 20 to hit. Dead Atlas, and dead MechWarrior. That’s going to piss off DeLon.

And then there were three.

I am in the Stalker’s rear arc. It fires at me, and I use some of my precious ammo on it. AC20 and LRM20 both miss, Argh.

I run up to their Stalker. We need to finish this. It hit it hard with AC20, SRM6, and medium lasers. I take out an SRM6. I take some serious damage back though. I kick it, dealing 20 to its RL.

I run behind its back. I kick it in the leg and it takes another 20.

I get behind it again. I am just firing lasers at it, saving my ammo for the Warhammer. I kick and destroys its RL.

The Stalker manages to stand back up. It alpha strikes me and does a ton of dmagae to me. It fall sback down under damage from me and the Warhammer though. I kick it and destroy its LA and LT.

I ignite the Stalker’s ammo and it explode.s Just me and the Warhammer left.

I fire at it, even with my AC20. It hit’s the mech;s CT and cracks it open. One each engine and a gyro hit. It falls.

It stands and I move closer. I fire my last round of AC20 ammo. It hit’s and destroys the LT.

The Warhammers runs to me, but I sidestep to its left side. We smash each othe rwith a lot of damage and both manage to stay standing. I kick and miss.

It tries to run through woods, and I follow as best I can. A medium laser of mine darts out, hit sits CT, and destroys the section. The Warhammer is toast, and I have win the first round.

I also gained Edge: 4.

Abe Sargent

10-22-2009, 09:12 PM

The other winners are:

Overlord, elite, edge: 2, BattleMaster 1S
White Hand, elite, laser specialist, Warhammer 6D
Tandrek, elite, Atlas
Silver Dragon, elite, edge: 1, Awesome

All of our mechs have been repaired, rearmed and rearmored.

We are playing again on the smaller map.

Tellistto

10-22-2009, 09:33 PM

Nice job, now to kick the rest of their asses!

Tell

law90026

10-22-2009, 10:49 PM

Wow that was a long fight. Grats.

Abe Sargent

10-22-2009, 11:45 PM

My longest ever, and I just finished the finals.

Abe Sargent

10-22-2009, 11:46 PM

I begin in the same corner as before, the NW one. They start slugging each other but I am in thick woods where I started.

I begin to move out. I fire at their BattleMaster.

Their Atlas falls after taking a ton of damage.

I make a major move to get me in firing range, but also expose me. I need four 7s for AC20, SRM6 and two Mls and I miss every one. Their Awesome took the Warhammer ot the edge of the field, and then pushed it off. The Warhammer is out for going past the boundaries. Smart.

Their Atlas destroys the BM’s RA> Both myself and the BM open up on the Atlas. You’re going to love this. The Atlas punches the Battlemaster and hit’s its ammo, boom! Meanwhile, eh BM kicked the Atlas and hit two leg actuators, and it falls hard.

And then there were three.

I run over to the Atlas. It fails ot stand, falls and hits both its LRM20 and SRM6. AC20 destroys its LL.

It can’t stand, I destroys its LT. Then I kick it and destroys its CT.

Just me and the Awesome.

It hits me three times, and I miss with my LRM20. I need to close fast.

We miss each other.

We are behind ahill

Woods in the way.

I Alpha Strike it, even with m yLRM20, and destroys its RA after my AC20 softened it up and the LRM and Medium laser followed.

I hit a PPC in its left torso. That leaves it just one PPC and a small laser.

I tear into it again.

My AC20 hits its CT and it is destroyed. Dead Awesome/

Prize, 5,000,000 C Bills, 4,500,000 after cut is taken.

I gain a piloting skill. I am again at maximum. This is where I was at before the accident.

Abe Sargent

10-23-2009, 08:21 PM

November 20, 3040 - After much celebration, I have my next match, a heavy mech fight in the Factory. I take my Orion.

My opponent is elite from Lion City, and is piloting a Marauder MAD-5R-2W rare variant. It pulls off most of the weaponry for three large lasers, 24 heat sinks to disperse them all, two mediums. No AC5 ammo issues, unlike many other MADs. In fact, no ammo issues at all.

Orion http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/orion.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Marauder%203025.jpg Marauder

My opponent is quite elite, with two edge and gunnery laser. After my win, the good pilots are gunning for me.

I spend 6 turns hunting for my foe before I find her,

My AC20 hits her head, but it is relolled with edge and hits her LL instead. I get hit with all three large lasers.

My AC20 cracks open its RT and hit’s a large laser.

AC20 to its LA. It hits me with every laser it has. It falls, I do not.

I alpha strike it,It hits me with every laser again. Nether of us fall. I kickjit for another r15, and it is still standing.

She tries to run but she is smart and keeps her back to the factory wall. I close. My LA is pened up and almost gone. I miss. I kick her and destroy her LL. She tumbles.

She gets up. I Alpha stike her an destroys her LA, RA and RT. She falls again.

Without any weapons, she signals her surrender before I get a chance to kick her.

I get 450,000 after take.

Abe Sargent

10-23-2009, 10:03 PM

Nov 23, 3040 - I find out that the MechWarrior pilot in the Atlas whose head I decimated and killed was Jason Vinson. Why is that important? Because he was the son of Pada Vinson, CO of Vinson’s Vigilantes, a mercenary group we’ve had a few run ins with before. You might recall us kicking their ass once in Galaport, capital of Galatea. They also were one of the mercenary commands to take advantage of the Free Rasalhague Republic during its nascent stage, when we helped the Rasalhague people. Just recently, they complained because they were not given the prime salvage during the War of 3039 while operating of the allies in Drac territory, and they have sued the Federated Suns, Duke Sandoval, and a half dozen other people. Idiots. I don’t even know who would want to pay them anymore.

Anyway, Pada Vinson has just sent me a death threat. I laughed at it. If his ability to follow through on a threat is anything like his ability to command a mercenary unit…well, let‘s just say I have more to worry about from a diseased bum in the Solaris City streets than I do from Pada Vinson.

Abe Sargent

10-24-2009, 03:01 AM

Dec 4, 3040 - We get a match with medium mechs in The Coliseum.

This is with a DeLon elite pilot with a modified Trebuchet 5S with two SRM6s, three medium lasers, and 18 heat sinks to fire them all. He has edge: 1.

Hunchback http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/hunchback.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/trebuchet.jpgTrebuchet

Alright, here we go.

First two rounds, we don’t find each other.

We run into each other on the third after each of us goes around a giant column. I miss a 3 for the AC20, how dumb. I get hit with every weapon he has.

This time I hit and destroy his LA. I need a 3 to stay standing after taking a ton of damage, and I fail, falling down.

I get up and run around the column right in front of him. He destroys my RA and I destroys hits LT.

He hits my AC20 and I hit his hip actuator and he falls. I kick him and destroy his LL.

I order my AC20 ammo to be dumped and back up behind a pillar where I hope Mr Legless cannot follow.

I stand where I am as the ammo dumps.

The next turn I move to where he was, expecting to still see him there. I shoot him with the medium and small lasers that I have left and take the damage he deals back.

I hit his engine and gyro next turn. He hits my AC20 a few more times. He falls, and his CT is destroyed and the mech is down.

Victory, but expensive.

Wallet - 450,000 take home

Dec 18, 3040 - My people mourn the one year anniversary of the passing of the Duchy of Andurien.

Tellistto

10-24-2009, 10:13 AM

Climbing the ranks is getting you some much tougher opponents, so far so good though!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-24-2009, 04:43 PM

Yup!

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 11:34 AM

Dec 18, 3040 - My people mourn the one year anniversary of the passing of the Duchy of Andurien.

Dec 31, 3040 - The next Grand Melee is held, an end of year celebration in the Davion Stadium. This Stadium has the old Star League vintage tech holographic capability and can make any map they desire. The most popular is called the Boreal Reach in freezing cold and a chasm quite deep, but that will not be used today. Instead, this open tournament will be in a small quarters with the intention of being harsh, fast, and vicious.

They are playing today‘s event in the Sand Dunes, a recreation of a desert, with a few hills, but no foliage to speak of.

Because we won the last Grand Melee, there is no question that Starlight will sponsor us as one of the five in this one. The purse is 5,500,00 for the winner.

I will again be taking my Atlas.

Just like last time, random selection from the five entries, yadda yadda yadda.

Here they are:

DeLon - Atlas, elite, edge: 2
Blackstar - Banshee, elite, melee specialist
Bromley - Charger, elite, melee specialist
Fitzhugh - Awesome, elite
Silver Dragon - Charger 1A9, elite, edge: 2, tactical genius
Oonthrax - Zeus, elite
Lion City - Atlas, elite
Overlord - BattleMaster 1S, elite, edge: 1
Tandrek - Victor, elite
Zelazni - Cyclops 10Z, elite, edge:2
White Hand - Atlas, elite, edge:3

We are not playing Double Blind, which means no one can hide anywhere.

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 03:01 PM

We are starting on the south edge. That Charger pilot looks good.

As you can see, there are four Atlas’s running around in a sea of 12 mechs. A popular choice for this.

There are 6 AC20s, so have of the crowd is rocking the biggest baddest gun on the planet.

Time to play.

Their Victor starts right beside me. Also nearby is the White Hand Atlas.

I make a risky move and charge into the middle of the area. The Lion City Atlas exposes its rear to me and I fire. My AC20 hits its LT and its LRM ammo ignites and I kill it on the first turn. The DeLon Atlas hit’s the Banshee in the head with an SRM6 missle, it is a through armor critical, and hit’s the cockpit, killing the MW inside. The Banshee falls to the ground. Two kills this turn. The Oonthrax Zeus gets knocked unconscious by a head hit and falls. The Cyclops punches the Bromley Charger in the head and destroys it. Dead MechWarrior. A lot of death this turn.

With a lot less mechs in the area all of the sudden, I feel more naked and back up. I fire my LRM 20 and the Cyclops. The Charger 1A9 hit’s the Zeus head with its Medium Laser, killing the mech and the pilot within.

I run to somewhere where I get partial cover. The White Hand Atlas destroys the Cyclops RA.

I don’t’ move, to give myself a chance of hitting the major threat still around, the untouched Awesome. I hit it with all 20 missles. The White Hand Atlas falls.

The White Hand Atlas destroys the Cyclops, and its engine overloads and goes. It rakes the Victor and Atlas for damage.

I decide to move in to the Awesome to take it out now. The DeLon Atlas hits me for some LRM damage. I hit the gyro and engine of the Awesome with my AC20. The Victor destroys the White Hand Atlas’s cockpit. Another dead mech and MechWarrior. This has been vicious. The White Hand Atlas returns the favor by blowing up the Victor’s AC20 ammo. Both mechs kill each other, boom. The Awesome falls.

Mechs left: DeLon Atlas, Charger 1A1, Awesome, Battlemaster, me.

I destroy the RT and a second engine hit on the Awesome. I take a few Lrms from the Charger. The battleMaster and DeLon Atlas unload into each other.

The Charger destroys the Awesoms CT which pisses me off because that should have been my kill. Just four left.

I move towards the Charger. We both unload into each other, hitting with every weapon. The Battlemaster falls.

The Charger retreats, and I begin to move around a sand dune to hit it. The Atlas destroys the BM’s LT, while the Charge manages to hit a pair of leg actuaotrs on the DeLon Atlas. The BattleMaster is destroyed by akick.

Leaving DeLon Atlas, Silver Dragon Charger, and me.

They fire at each other. The Charger moves to the Atlas’s upper level and kicked. He destroys the Atlas’s ammo and it goes up. The Atlas pucnhes and destroyed the Chargers LT, LL and LA.

So it’s just me vs. a massively wounded Charger.,

I miss with Lrms

I hit with Lrms

My Lrms destroys its engine and it dies.

I gain Melee Specialist.

We win this round.

Tellistto

10-25-2009, 04:21 PM

Holy damn that was one deadly fight!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 04:28 PM

Yeah, quite bloody. Probably the bloodiest I've seen.

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 04:29 PM

Here are the other four winners:

White Hand, elite, Banshee 3S, which is really good, edge:3
DeLon, elite, Victor, edge: 2, maneuvering ace
Lion City, elite, Awesome, gunnery: laser, edge: 2, maneuvering ace
Tandrek, elite, Atlas, gunnery: ballistc

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 07:57 PM

Here we go.

I manage to win the roll for delplyment and go last, whew. That’s good.

I go last. Three of us attack the Awesome.

I go last this time too. I get a shot at the Victor’s back and take it, but to no result.

The Awesome makes a move towards me so I reciprocate. My AC20 cracks open its LL and hits its hip actuator. The Tandrek Atlas hit’s the Awesome with an AC20 too. In its head. Dead Awesome and pilot. Several PPCs lance into me but I remain standing.

I get a chance at the Tandrek’s Atlas’s reaer with my LRM20. I miss with the 5 needed, and the 9s on the Mls and SRM6.

I get another rear shot as I win initiative. My AC20 hits its RTR but I miss a bunch of 5s neede for lasers and SRM.

After a turn where I lose iniatiave and hide, I come back the Tandrek Atlas. I miss three 6s and only manage and glacing blow with the AC20. ARGH. Would you hit please. Damn.

This time, it outflanks me when I lose initiative. I manage to hit it with everything, and noot only it, but the Banshee, also tack me. Their Atlas falls, I stand.

I run mine over to theirs. I hit a foot actuaor in its RL when my AC20 cracks it open. It hits my LL with its AC20, but I have 21 armor left there. I kick it and it takes 20 damage to its LL where it has tons of armor left. It punches me twice in the LT and opens up my armor there.

I destroy their Atlas’s RA.

It hits my LRM 20 and the Banshee hits its hip actuator while I hit it in the CT with my AC20 and it absorbs the damage. It falls and I kick it for 21 damage.

I order my LRM20 ammo to dump. I miss with my weapons but kick it for 21 damage.

My ammo dumps. He destroys my LT, and I hit his ammo and he ignites. Kill for me, but I am with an arm and torso.

The only weapons I have left are two shots of AC20 and a medium laser. I decid eto get near the wounded Victor, who has been hiding for a long time, the little wuss. The Banshee hits my engine and gyro but I remain standing.

I decide to eject.

Several rounds later, the Banshee moves into the Victor’s range. A few rou nds of exchnage later and the modified Banshee wins it.

For coming in third, I win 750,000, 675,000 after take home.

I spend a lot to fix my Atlas. I spend my winnings from the last several events (not the one with the 5 million check thought)

Abe Sargent

10-25-2009, 07:57 PM

It's rare that I...lose. Yuck. Ah well, silly Grand Melees.

Abe Sargent

10-26-2009, 08:14 PM

Jan 13, 3041 - We get a light mech mattle in Ishiyama. This is the Draconis Combine arena. It is a giant mountain, but the arena is below it in a bunch of tunnels. You have to hunt in this giant arena.

Our foe is a Lion City Javelin 10F, which is my favorite light mech. The pilot is elite.

Jenner http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Jenner%203025.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/javelin.jpg Javelin

We each exchange Medium Lasers on the first turn in the caves. I manage to hit the Jav’s head once.

We exchange fire

We exchange fire. I have lost initiative every time, so I cannot run away and get deheated. That’s the only way I’m winning this, I have to win the initiatve.

Finally won it. We each hit each other with all four medium lasers. I kick it in the LT and it is destroyed.

I won this time only with Tactical Genius. A medoum laser hits its head and the mech falls silently to the round, the Lion City pilot killed.

Purse - 450k take home

Abe Sargent

10-26-2009, 09:09 PM

Feb 6, 3041 - We get a heavy mech match in the Coliseum. I take the modified Orion. My foe.

Elite, edge: 1, our rival Blackstar, in the Davion arena - The Boreal Reach, this is the most popular of the maps available. He will be piloting a Thunderbolt.

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/orion.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Thunderbolt%203025.jpg Thunderbolt

Here we go.

We start near each other, and I open with an AC20 and LRM10. The AC20 hits, the LRM does not. I take a bunch of damage but manage to stay standing.

I charge near to him. I get another AC20 hit in its RL. I take a bunch again, neither of us falls.

I win initiative and run into his rear arc. AC20 to his LL, he does not fall. I punch his RA and it goes critical and gets a Limb Blown Off critical. Then I punch him in the head and take off all of the external armor.

Despite my abiliite,s I love init, and choose to stand still. He cannot get around me with his speed. He just spins so he can bear his weapons on me.

20 to his LT, a few SRMs. He hits me with every weapon he has left, which is almost everything. He kicks me and I stay standing. I punch him twice, and once of those hit’s a medium laser.

I lose initiatve and stay standing. He moves away so I cannot double punch again. So I go overheat and fire all non-LRM weapons. We destroys his LT. He hits two leg actuaotrs on my RL. I manage to stay standing.

I win, and move to his left side. L ead with everything and my AC20 hits hits LA, er, I mean LT, er I mean CT. Lasers follow and the mech dies.

Another kill.

Purse 540k take home

law90026

10-26-2009, 11:26 PM

Keep up the wins!

Abe Sargent

10-28-2009, 07:28 PM

March 18, 3041 - We get another heavy match at The Jungle. I take it. Here is our foe:

Zelazni, elite, edge: 2, melee specialist, Warhammer

Orionhttp://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/orion.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Warhammer%203025.jpg'Hammer

Okay, here we go.

By the way, the BV favors our opponent.

We each run at each other. I hit him for 8 with an LRM10, and I take a PPC.

I win init. I get in a good place, miss with my AC20 and hit with the SRM6.

I lost initially, but won after rerolling. I hit its LL for 20.

I win init. I miss a 5 for my AC20 but hit an SRM6. I get nailed and almost fall. I kick him and he takes 16.

I lose init. Hmm, what to do. I back up by some trees, but not in them, and he turns and follows. AC 20 on his RA and then I miss a 3 on the SRM6.

I lose again, and back up again. AC20 on its CT,and the SRM destroys its RA. It nails with with an alpha strike and I miss a 3 and fall.

I win init. I stand up and run into some trees. My AC20 hits his LL. He uses the turn to heat down.

I win init. I run up next to him. I alpha strike him with everything but my LRM10. He hits my hip actuators. I dole out some serious hurt. Bastards kicks and destroys my RL. I punch his RT and hit a ML. I fall.

I win init. I hop up. Time to end this. I alpha sstrike him with everything, and my last weapon, an SRM6, destroys his CT> I win. Missin ga leg, but I win.

Purse: 540,000

I get Maneuvering Ace.

Abe Sargent

10-28-2009, 09:21 PM

April 1, 3041 - We have an April Fool’s Day Grand Melee at The Coliseum, but I am held out, in preparation for a new match.

The winner comes from White Hand Stables.

Abe Sargent

10-28-2009, 10:26 PM

April 12, 3041, after having gone undefeated in duels, and winning one of two Grand Melees, I am now ranked just below the Top 20. After some maneuvering, I am able to nab a matchup with the #20 MW on the list.

My foe:

Glenn Edenhoffer, from Oonthrax in a modified Stalker.

Elite+ (that means 2/2, like me instead of 2/3 like others)
Edge: 3
Maneuvering Ace
Pain Resistance
Stalker 3H with a bunch of LRMs, heat sinks, and more.

Atlas http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/stalker.jpg Stalker

I can play any mech I want, but I am taking the Atlas. We are playing in The Factory.

Double Blind is on.

Purse is 2 million for the winner.

For four turns, we maneuver around the Factory, hunting for a head.

I pop out from around a bend and there the Stalker is. I am able to close into 13 hexes this turn, and fire my LRM20. I miss him, and he hits with both of his LRM20s.

I win init. I get to 9 spaces away. I manage to nail him with an AC20 to the RT, plus my Lrm20 huts him too. He hits me with two LRM20s, SRM6 and ML, and we both stay standing.

I lose Init but charge him. He runs right next to me. AC20 to hoits LT, plus some other weapons, but I dodge some of his fire. We both kick each other, no one falls.

I lose Init and run backwards 3. He moves away too in order to LRM20 me. I AC20 him and hit his LRM ammo and he goes up. BOOM!

We win.

We nab 1,800,000 C Bills.

Tellistto

10-29-2009, 11:01 AM

Was that MW able to eject or did he follow his Mech into death? Awesome fights you have going, that one wasn't looking great then bam, ammo up!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-29-2009, 01:02 PM

Was that MW able to eject or did he follow his Mech into death? Awesome fights you have going, that one wasn't looking great then bam, ammo up!

Tell

He ejected.

Thanks!

Abe Sargent

10-29-2009, 07:28 PM

May 1, 3041 - The new rankings come out, and we move to #20.

Because we are now ranked, I am getting a lot of press coverage and more. I am no longer going to be fighting random folks, and all of my matches are big.

Abe Sargent

10-29-2009, 07:34 PM

June 8, 3041 - We are matched against another up-and-comer who hasn’t been stopped by much either. This former Draconis Combine officer for Silver Dragon has a LosTech mech from the War of 3039 ad is ready to use it against us.

Meet elite+, edge:2, tactical genius
Hatamoto-Chi

We are fighting in The Stadium

I can take anything. I choose to grab my Atlas.

Atlas http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3050/Hatamoto-Chi%203050.gif Hatamoto-Chi

My unit slew Dragons two years ago, can I do so now?

Here we go. He chose to start on top of a 10 level column, which I cannot get up too, so no physical combat in this match. Smart, it eliminates part of the weight advantage and my melee specialist.

I hit him with 20 missles and he hits me for a PPC.

On the next turn, I eat two PPCs. He eats an AC20 and LRM 20.

I move in. My LRM20 hits one of his PPCs. My AC20 opened up the RA that the Lrm exploited.

I hit the ammo in his RT and the CASE shunts it away, the mech does not die.

I stand completely still in order to increase my aim. I open up his CT with my AC20 like a can opener, and the SRM6 missles flit and and hit his engine three times and his mech shuts down.

Victoire.

900,000 C Bills

Abe Sargent

10-29-2009, 10:49 PM

July 1, 3041 - The new ratings come out. We rose to #19 when the #19 lost to Glenn. Glenn moves back into #20.

There is another Grand melee this month, but we miss it.

Abe Sargent

10-30-2009, 12:20 AM

August 14, 3041 - We get a matchup against #17.

Victor Vandergriff
Oonthrax
Modified Goliath 1E
Elite+
Edge: 3
Tactical Genius
Pain Resistance

Purse: 2.25 million.

We will be fighting in Ishiyama.

This Goliath has an AC10, Large Laser, 2 SRM4s, and a ton of armor, plus 14 heat sinks.

Atlas http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Goliath%203025.jpg Goliath

I am in my Atlas. Here we go.

Here we go.

After a few truns, we run into each other at a T intersection. I hit him with my AC20, SRM6, and two medium lasers. He gets unlucky and misses 4s for both his AC10 and large laser. Bad luck, friend.

I lose init so I back up and he does not follow.

I win init and run into him again. Once gain, I hit with ever weapon I fire, while he hits with every one he fires. We both make our rolls.

He wins init. I run up to him, but he backs away. I have damaged severely his left leg rear, so he favors it, exposing his right and front sides. We each fire a ton of waeaponsa the other and hit. The smoke clears, still no major damage.

I win init. He runs, I chase him and run up to him. We each unload weapons again, and again, no major damage. I kick him in his Front Left leg and it is destroyed. He kicked me in my LL but I am still standin gwhile he is on the ground.

He wins init, I stay standing. He stands. My AC20 destroys his LT. My Medium Lasers destroys his Rear Left Leg he was protecting. Despite taking every weapon he has at close range, I stay standing but he is down permanently.

With two legs and a torso gone, he is down and out, and radios his surrender.

I win 2 million.

law90026

10-30-2009, 01:33 AM

Heh your Atlas is crushing pple!

Abe Sargent

10-30-2009, 08:10 AM

AC20s rock in this format, where close and crush is often the key to victory.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 01:05 AM

Sept 1, 3041- We move to #18, the #18 person moves to #17 and Victor fell to #19.

Sept 25, 3041 - We give another hotshot a chance at a big name like me.

Meet Zelazni Stables newest star:

Elite
Edge:7
Victor
They call him Lucky. You can see why.

We are fighting in The Factory.

Against the mobility of the Victor, I take my Orion.

I only give up 5 tons on the 80 ton Victor, and I am more mobile, which is important against a mech with jump jets, and I have the same big gun it has.

Orion http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/orion.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Victor%203025.jpg Victor

Purse is a cool million.

I am having difficulty finding him. I fear he jumped onto the factory roof and will hop down and get me.

Which just happened. Luckily, he is still far away from me. I hit him with an LRM10, everything else misses.

I lose init. I cannot charge him like I do others cause he can jump behind me, so I just walk 3 towards him. He reciprocates. My AC20 hits his RA and then my SRM follows up and this it several more times and destroys it. His AC20 hits my RT. He falls.

I win init. He stands back up. Please note, with his RA gone, he no longer has his AC20. I spend this turn mostly deheating. I laser him twice but that’s it. I punch him twice, and one punch gets his CT and hits his engine and gyro once each. He falls.

He manges to stand, and I run around behind him. I alpha strike hm, my AC20 crashes through his rear CT armor and hit’s the gyro twice. That’s a dead mech.

Victory. 900,000 C Bills are mine.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 01:11 AM

EVENT: Sept 30, 3041 - Our first born son, James Roderick Essex, is born.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 02:35 AM

Oct 1, 3041 - Unchanged on the ratings.

Oct 10, 3041 - We get a major match. This is virtually unprecedented. Our stable’s best MW is Bassem Dichari at #4. He was injured just before a huge matchup with our rival Blackstar‘s #3 Stacey Clayton. With that injury, he cannot play. Normally, the event would be cancelled, but thse are our rivals. This is a major match for a 10 million pot. For obvious reasons, neither stable wants to back out.

So, as the second best MW for Starlight, I am the obvious person to step in for Bassem. Normally, it takes long time and a lot of climbing before you can get a match with the #3 gal. However, I’ve become sort of the talk of the town since I have yet to lose a duel, and I’m a big bad mercenary regiment commander, etc. I’m the new thing, so I am hot, and our rival can’t stand it.

I will only be taking 80% if I win this one, since Starlight had already negotiated that with the arena for Bessem.

Here is my foe:

Stacey Clayton

Elite+
Edge: 4
Melee Specialist
Tactical Genius

Modified BattleMaster

This is a Blacklight special mech, that does not exist anywhere else.

The BLR-BL7

85 tons
3/5 movement
17 heat sinks
Maximum armor

ERPPC
AC10
3x SRM2 Streak
2x ML
Small Laser
Hatchet

This is actually a very powerful design. It is going to be tough to crack it, even with my Atlas. It’s no wonder she is #3, that is a great mech. Max armor? Hatchet + melee specialist? SRM2 streaks which help with overheating? AC10 which doesn’t make that much heat? ERPPC for sniping? Definitely a good mech.

Atlashttp://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpghttp://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Battlemaster%203025.jpgBattleMaster

We are fighting in the Davion Arena since we are both Davion stables.

It is set up The Coast. We are fighting alongside the coast of a ocean.

I honestly think the only place I have this is at range for a few rounds at the beginning. We both have one weapon each, but mine can do more damage, although spread out.

She runs at me and I am already insside her AC10 range, so now I have to keep coming. I hit with my LRM20 and she takes 12. I take an ERPPC to my LT.

I lose Init. Nothing I can do, gotta charge. Unlike other foes, I do not want to engage, I want to stay away from that hatchet. AC20 to her LT. She takes a ML and SRM6 too. I takes various damage. She misses with AC10 though.

I lose init. I back up three because I do not want to be in hatchet range. My AC20 misses, and I hit with Lrms and Mls. I take a ton of damage and stay standing.

I win init. I charge to get close. I miss a bunch of 7s and hit only with my SRM6. I take a PPC.

I run behind its back after winning init again. I take an ERPPC from a torso twist while I deliver an AC20, two medium lasers and five SRMs.

I lose init. Damn. I back up. She follows and gets just two away from me. AC20 glancing blow to its RT> It nails me with everything but the PPC which it does not fire. I manage to stay standing.

As of right now, I am internal No where. She is not internal anywhere but her rear armor.

I lost init and back up another three. She just turns and does not close. I destroys her LT with my AC20 and then LRm20. She misses 3s on her AC10 and ERPPC. Sorry.

I lose init. The only weapons she has left are ERPPC, Small laser and AC10. That’s a good amount still, but no more worries about the hatchet. I close and base her, but she runs. AC20 tears through her RT and hits her AC10 twice. She goes internal on my LA and hit’s a shoulder actuator.

I lose init. I base her, she again runs. I hit her gyro and engine each once.,

I win init. At this point, she is obviously trying for an ERPPC head hit or something to give her the win out of luck. I base her. I hit her engine a second time. I kick her leg, hit an actuator, and she falls.

She falls while trying to stand and hits her engine a third time, it shuts down. Game over.

I win 8 million C Bills.

That is my 40th victory since creating the Kilts and Commandos.

I gain another edge.

TonyR

10-31-2009, 07:48 AM

Tough battle, Sweet victory.

Tellistto

10-31-2009, 09:17 AM

Very sweet indeed!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 02:35 PM

Tough battle, Sweet victory.

Yeah, it was close until I hit well and she missed very unlucky numbers with her AC10 and ERPPC. That one turn changed it. Before then, who knows what would have happened.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 02:36 PM

Nov 1, 3041 - We jump up to #11 on the chart after defeating Stacey and she falls to #8.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 03:59 PM

Dec 15, 3041 - Our stable master gets a match offer from #13, in order to try and move up. We accept.

Ervin Rebelke
Lion City Stables
Modified Atlas AS7-S
Elite+
Melee Specialist
Pain Resistance
Edge: 3

The AS7-S has SRM2 Streak and the major thing he has is 15 double heat sinks. That will be a major advantage.

Atlas http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpghttp://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3050/Atlas%203050.gif Atlas

We are playing in The Coliseum.

Here we go.

I win init. After running I find my foe. We both hit with the big weapons, but he hits better, hitting my LT and I just hit his RA.

I lose init and flee. No chase.

I win init, run it, and push my heat by firing everything.

I lose init, back up, but he follows. My AC20 hits his SRM2 streak ammo and he explodes. His AC20 hits my Right arm and destroys it.

Victoire. I think I got a little lucky with that one. He had already destroyed my RA.

Purse: 4,500,000 to us

Tellistto

10-31-2009, 04:08 PM

Luck is all good, goes great with skill!

Tell

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 04:11 PM

Luck is all good, goes great with skill!

Tell

Yeah, I was expecting this epic Atlas v Atlas showdown and instead, boom.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 05:10 PM

Dec 18, 3041 - We mourn the second anniversary of the Fall of Andurien.

Jan 1, 3042 - We bump up to #10 while the #10 MW falls to #11 after they just barely beat an unranked foe, but I handled #13 really well.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 05:51 PM

January 10, 3042 - The Tournament of Champions begins. The winner of this event is declared the Champion of Solaris VII for the next year.

Here is how it works.

The top 12 MWs are in the Tournament. The first four have first round byes.

Then the opponents are seeded. Tournament then proceeds like you would expect.

Everybody ready? Here we go:

January 10,3042 - #5 defeats #12 in Ishiyama

January 11, 3042 - #6 defeats #11 in The Jungle

January 12, 3042 - We face #7 in the Davion Arena.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 09:32 PM

The Arena is set up with the The Sinkhole.

Here is our foe, again:

Stacey Clayton

Elite+
Edge: 4
Melee Specialist
Tactical Genius

Modified BattleMaster

This is a Blacklight special mech, that does not exist anywhere else.

She rose back up to #7 from #8 after a victory over a foe.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5179/tourneyofchamps.jpg

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/2975/10thlogo.jpg

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpg Atlas

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg

http://66.45.170.59/spokane7_img/bits/new7logo.png

http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Battlemaster%203025.jpg BattleMaster

Here we go.

I miss a bunch of stuff after closing. She hits with everything.

There is not a maneuvering room here. I do not have an opportunity like I normally do to outflank my foe.

I win init, close to 6 spaces, and unload everything, while I am hit just by an AC10 and Medium Laser.

I lose init. She outflanks me, and I can’t attack with much this turn.

I win init. We run up to each other, but separated by several levels as she is in the Sinkhole and I am above it. We each just pummel the other.

I win init barely. Finally I run into the sinkhole directly behind Stacey’s BM, in order to end this. I unload, but miss the torsos. I kick for 21 damage and get hatcheted on my LA and it is open and exposed now.

I lose init. I walk backwards up the hill but don’t fall. She moves away in the sinkhole. I drop everything, even my LRM. It all hits. I take every weapon she fires too, SRM2 streaks, lasers, and AC10.

I win init with Tactical Genius. I move to one level above her and adjacent, so I can punt her upper body. We each unload on each other, but I expose her LT and hit two heat sinks and an SRM2 streak. I get a hand actuator hit on my LA. I kick and she takes 21 to her RT and it is destroyed, and her RA falls to the ground. I take a hatchet on my LL and it shears away the remaining armor.

I win init barely. I destroy her LT and she falls. With no weapons left, she concedes.

Victory over #7.

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 09:42 PM

Jan 13, 3042 - #9 upends #8.
That leaves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 on the board

1 vs. 10

4 vs. 5

3 vs. 6

2 vs. 9

We are all given one week to rearmor, rearm, repair and refit our mechs.

We are fighting the best MechWarrior of the day in one week, as our match opens up the second round

Abe Sargent

10-31-2009, 10:41 PM

Jan 20, 3042 -

Our foe:

Amanda Hamilton

Atlas heavily modified

20 heat sinks
3/5 movement

Gauss Rifle
ER PPC
4 Medium Pulse Lasers
SRM6
Small Laser

We are playing in The Factory.

Edge: 5
Tactical Genius
Maneuvering Ace
Melee Specialist
Gunnery: Laser
Elite +

We are not favored and the story in the press is how Amanda is going to be the first one to win a duel against me. We’ll see.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5179/tourneyofchamps.jpg

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/2975/10thlogo.jpg

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/atlas.jpg Atlas

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rW-OJ48AJBU/SKSM6oW_CbI/AAAAAAAAFvE/2H40qimcVLo/s320/versus21.jpg

http://financeone.curtin.edu.au/local/images/logo.jpg

http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3050/Atlas%203050.gif Atlas

For three turns, we do not find each other.

I win init, turn a corner, find her, and run towards her, but we are still decently far away, so all I can fire is my LRm20. I take a Gauss to my LT and miss with my LRM20.

I win init. I move as close as I can. I take an ERPPC, she takes an LRM20.

I lose init. I run towards her and she maneuvers to be three away. If I were her, I’d stand four away to give me medium range on my AC20 and Mls and medium range on her MPLs. AC20 to her RA. I take a Guass to my RA.

I win init and maneuver behind her. I tear into her CT rear and hit her gyro and she falls. I take her ER PPC

I lose Init and back up. She stands. She unloads and her Gauss hits my head, hah ha, rerolled with edge, I mean hits my RT> I unload on her too. We both remain standing.

I lose init. I back up. This time I go overheat and fire everything. I destroy her LT> Her Gauss snaps into my RT and goes internal, hitting my AC20.

I lose init again. I stay standing, since I am against the edge of the Factory. She closes. I hit with a lot, she hits me with a Gauss to my CT>

I lose init yet again and stay where I am. I fire and hit her gyro a second time. I take her to the ground and make her immobile, normally a win, but her Gauss seeks out and finds my AC20 ammo and my Atlas explodes. Since we both technically won, there tiebreaker rules are applied, and she wins, because her mech is still around.

We recover only the Atlas RA, H, and LL

Ouch. My first official loss, and it was just, barely, a loss. Good job Amanda Hamilton.

Tellistto

10-31-2009, 10:53 PM

You need a mech like she had, that was one serious sweet ride she had going there. Tough loss, but damn, was that mech nice!

Tell

RealDeal

10-31-2009, 11:04 PM

How do you get a mech as sweet as the ones some of your opponents have?

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 01:04 AM

You need a mech like she had, that was one serious sweet ride she had going there. Tough loss, but damn, was that mech nice!

Tell

Yeah, I know. It was a strong mech.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 01:08 AM

How do you get a mech as sweet as the ones some of your opponents have?

I do have a tricked out Orion. I have to acquire and find the parts and then build it myself modifiying my own. As you can see, the top MWs get a ton of money, and have a lot of connections. If your top MWs are from the Combine or the Confederation etc, it makes you look good, so there are reasons to make sure your stables get some good equipment for their best people

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 01:10 AM

Jan 21, #2 beats #9.

Jan 22, #5 defeats #4.

Jan 23, our stablemate, Bassem, defeats #6.

Jan 27, Amanda defeats #5.

Jan 28, Bassem loses to #2.

Jan 31, 3042 - Amanda defeats her foe to win the Championship once again.

Feb 1, 3042 - We are at #8 after the new rankings come out. Although we may have lost to Amanda Hamilton, it was very close.

We lost a mech, and it’s the one I’ve been using the most recently. I start to make contacts to try and find a replacement.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 11:44 AM

Feb 15, 3042 - Our contact on Outreach gets a contract offer, and this one interests me enough that I jump to Outreach to talk with the potential employer. However, in order to know what to do with this offer, I need to know where and what my other units have been doing. Thus….

MEANWHILE

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 12:56 PM

April 1, 3040 - We begin to get some contracts for my units. Here are my new units:

Defender Company:

This consists of all of the ex-Defenders that joined us, led my Lt. Matthew Humphries. They will remain on Epsilon Eridani until Oct 1, when they will begin taking contracts. All elite. For the record, here is the new organization:

Lt. Matthew Humphreys, Archer
Haisha Slater, Orion
Gia Alletelli, Hunchback
Bryson Abasi, Grasshopper

Maureen O’Brien, BattleMaster
Charles Wangai, Whitworth
Michael Henry, Stalker
Madison Tolteca, Warhammer
Marcus Jackson, Griffin

A.J. Hussein, Phoenix Hawk
Indervir Multani, Stinger
Jesus Hernandez, Javelin
Sun Chen, Locust
Orlof Magnusson, Firestarter
Jussi Johanssen, Hermes II

Phaeton Company:

It’s infantry have accompanied Braham Essex to Solaris VII and are removed permanently from it.

Without the green infantry, Phaeton Company is upgraded to elite overall, which increases its Dragoon Rating to B.

Trinity Company:

Lt. Jason Thomas, field promoted to Lt, retains his position and command but is transferred to the now fixed Atlas. A new recruit, Ikh Zanabazar, it assigned to the Ostsol. Thad Karamanlis, of the Trebuchet, is promoted to Sgt. Ikh is veteran.

Trinity is ranked as elite and B.

Delta Company:

We pull the Charger 1A1 for a Dragon.

Delta Company is listed as B with an Elite ranking too.

Cinq Company:

We are not touching anything with Cinq Company. They are veteran and rated C

Hex Company:

Deborah Kreiner is promoted to Sergeant. We assign a salvaged BattleMaster to the unit to replace Ted’s Stalker. The unit has an empty BattleMaster, empty Orion, and no Lieutenant.

New recruit, Angel Herrera is assigned to the Orion. She is veteran. Veteran Mwai Kibaki is assigned to the BattleMaster. Tanya Meekins, in the Grand Dragon is double promoted to Lieutenant, which doesn’t happen that often.

Vehicle Company:

The Demolisher replaces the destroyed tank.

Aleph Company:

Grant Hollis is promoted to Sergeant, and Rafael Gomez Lt to run the company in my absence. Veteran MW Rachel Dawson is running my Battlemaster in my absence.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 01:14 PM

We have the following mechs in storage or in the garrison at Epsilon Eridani:

Stalker - Ted’s mech
BattleMaster 2C
Marauder
Shadow Hawk
Awesome x2
Griffin
Wolverine
Locust x2
Javelin
Wasp x2
Hermes II
Grasshopper
Charger 1A1
Charger 1A9
Ostscout
2750 Lancelot x2
2750 Exterminator
Talon 5W
2750 Highlander
2750 Flashman
Excalibur B2
2750 Mongoose
2750 Hermes
Phoenix Hawk 1K x2
Lowtech Mongoose
Awesome 8T
Grand Dragon
Merlin
Warhammer
Ostroc
Phoenix Hawk
Striker
Jenner x2

That’s 39 mechs, and I haven’t even assigned the LosTech yet.

The first class of graduates will graduate in December, 3041. 5 MechWarriors. The second class is 6 in Dec 3042. It should get bigger as the school gets established and we should probably get some benefit from the BattleMaster 2C being here too.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 01:30 PM

Oh, the following books have been used for this dynasty, so far:

Brush Wars
War of 3039
Solaris VII boxed Set
Solaris VII BattleTech Mappack
Mercenary Handbook
Mercenaries Supplemental
Mercenaries Supplemental II
BattleTech Compendium
Technical Readout: 3025
TRO: 3026
TRO: 2750
TRO: 3050
TRO: 3058
TRO: 3075
Maximum Tech
House Davion Field Manual
House Steiner Field Manual
House Kurita Field Manual
House Liao Field Manual
House Marik Field Manual (These five books from the 80’s are now available for free as downloads)

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 04:18 PM

Our Vehicle Company takes a garrison contract on Terra Firma, a nearby planet controlled by the Fed Suns with several industrial concerns, and we are hired to guard one of those concerns.

Delta Company rejects some offers

Cinq Company does likewise.

Hex Company is offered an Extraction Raid by St. Ives vs. Capella. This one interests us.

We would be striking the planet of Minnacora. Our goal would be to capture one of the Raven prototypes that are using a bunch of the new LosTech electronics. Minnacora is not on the border, but two jumps in, so it is not guarded that much, and yet, for some reason really suspicious, there are supposedly high tech prototypes there. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would a world supposedly vacant of industrial concerns or major political or military concerns have a protoypes of a new mech on its face? No clue, but that contract smells, so instead of the company St. Ives is looking for, we offer a full mech battalion for the contract, with an appropriate upgrade in pay. They refuse, which strikes me as quite suspicious so I decline.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 04:40 PM

April 28, 3040 - Because of our proximity, Vehicle Company is there and has begun their contract.

May 1, 3040 - We solicit some new contracts.

Aleph Company is offered Pirate Hunting by Periphery and Security by Davion. No thanks.

Phaeton Company is offered Objective Raid. Interesting. What and where. Steiner. Where? Against Marik. Interesting.

We are charged with heading to the planet of Alkes. Alkes is one of the planets that was raped after the Succession Wars destroyed the infrastructure on many worlds. The machinery that allowed it to feed its people was destroyed, and yet many people stayed. Today, many people still live on Alkes, but the Free Worlds League has to direct a lot of food to Alkes. However they have invested some research and money into rebuilding the old machinery that can, again, allow the natives to become self sufficient from a food standpoint. Steiner wants this destroyed because then the FWL can continue to invest a lot of resources into keeping Alkes alive. So my charge is to destroy the central processing units that can feed a lot of people. And folks wonder why there are a large contingent of people who think of the Inner Sphere as corrupt.

This stuff is so stupid.

I say no thanks.

Delta Company - Riot Duty for the periphery. No thanks.

Cinq - Garrison for ComStar, Objective Raid for Caps

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 05:01 PM

Okay Caps, talk to me.

They want us to hit Fletcher, a world owned by the Federated Suns. This was a Capellan Confederation world lost in the 4th Succession War, and although it doesn’t have a lot of value from some vantage points, it was the burial place for a lot of former Chancellors of the Capellan Confederation. This contract is to arrive on world and remind the locals to have more respect for the tombs by hitting the local forces.

Many of the older tombs are near a military outpost for the Governor of Fletcher‘s troops. Recently, they have been using the outside of the tombs as target practice, defacing the monuments and such. They just recently went into a tomb and raided the stuff there. The Capellans want us to take it down. I argue to get this bumped up to battalion level, and they agree.

Now, we have been warned off hitting Davion worlds, but on this one, I have to agree with the Capellans. This is just disrespectful. There is a difference between battle and war on one side, and thuggery on the other.

After consideration, we decide to take:

Phaeton Company
Cinq Company
Hex Company

Fletcher is one jump away, so we can get there quickly.

In order to not pin this on us or the Capellan Confederation, I order all paint schemes to be camouflage, with the Capellan Confederation symbol painted on them. Since Fletcher is three jumps away from the closest Cappellan Confederation world, the idea that Caps would jump through three jumps just for pride into enemy territory is silly, and it will make it look like someone is trying to pin it on them. Only, someone will be trying to do it - us.

I also have my men jump into a Pirate point. I have never authorized this before, but I don’t want to it be obvious that at the same second a JumpShip leaves Epsilon Eridani, another appears in Fletcher. This way, we can disguise our arrival time.

Tellistto

11-01-2009, 05:27 PM

Time to kick some ass, battalion style!

Tell

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 07:07 PM

Our contract:

Salvage - Full
Command - Independent
Transport - 50%
Remuneration yes
Length of service: 3 months
Salary - x3.7, multiplier, x1.2 for Caps, 1.6 for Obj Raid
Support - 68% Straight Support

We get started.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 08:30 PM

The Fletcher Contract:

We arrive in the Fletcher system on May 15, 3040, and land uncontested on May 22, 3040. If you don’t mention that you are an army, you usually don’t get asked a lot of questions.

With that, we disembark our people. Fletcher is two jumps away from Quentin and Fomalhaut, just captured by the Dracs ,but that is it. Davion has yet to realign defense based on that, and perhaps Fletcher will never get front line units. Everything within a jump is in the Suns.

Fletcher has second line militia, plus a regular regiment of mechs.

The area that we want to hit is in the southern continent. There, just a battalion of the regiment on planet guard the entire continent that includes the burial areas of previous Chancellors of the Caps.

We landed in the only starport in the continent, a old mining town that has lost a lot of business since many of the mines went dry long ago. The rest of the area is agricultural, with many AgroMechs, harvesters, and more in the area.

We manage to find the area where the one tomb has been attacked regularly. A monument and tomb were erected in a suburb of this city long ago. As we arrive, we see that the monument to the Chancellor has been destroyed by gunfire.

Here is why this sickens me. Here is one of the reasons why I chose this mission despite Davion warnings to the contrary. The Chancellor is question is Aliesha Liao. She was the first to be buried here. She was the one who pushed for, and then wrote, the Ares Convention. Now a monument to a woman who wanted to make sure that war followed certain rules of behavior in order to keep citizens safe is being desecrated by Davion soldiers.

I’m totally okay with kicking their ass. I don’t care what Hanse has to say about it. The message will be sent if mysterious mechs wearing Confederation colors smacks the local mechs while they are using it for target practice.

We manage to sneak a lot of mechs into the local area at night, under the disguise of agricultural machines on beds of covered trucks. The mechs are placed in various buildings. I also make sure that there are numerous cameras video taping this. This is my ace in the hole. If Davion finds out it is us, and they protest too much, I can use this to show what we were doing.

Early in the morning, a scout lance comes by while scouting. They stop and look around. The only sensors that can detect mechs that are not warmed up are mag sensors, but those are generally useless in a city environment. They move towards the monument and before long, our cameras catch some machine guns lancing into the remains of the monument.

Imagine their surprise when they notice 24 heat signatures suddenly flare up as one on their monitors. Phaeton and Hex companies are here, and they are ready to attack. With a few rounds, the scouts have figured out what is happening, and are moving away. We get a couple of mechs warm up quickly enough to harass them with long range PPCs, but none hit.

I don’t want to fight here, so we move into a local park. Eventually, those scouts are going to bring friends.

And….they do. An hour later, we see a full battalion of mechs bearing down on our position. They begin to near us, and slow down. We have split our forces into two sides of the park, and they approach with caution. If they come at us in one group, they will be caught in the middle. Before they decide what to do, heat signatures warm up to their rear. Cinq Company warms up at the edge of the suburb they recently passed.

Understanding that they have been caught in our trap, they oblige us by splitting their forces into three companies and send one at each of us, just as we planned all along.

Our goal here is to make a lesson, not to destroy them as a fighting force. They do not know why we are here, or what we want, nor will we tell them.

Abe Sargent

11-01-2009, 10:36 PM

The first company approaches Phaeton.

They have:

Atlas
Griffin
Javelin
Enforcer
Longbow
Warhammer
Vulcan 5T
Rifleman
Commando
Stalker
Archer
Shadow Hawk

That is a powerful randomly rolled list of mechs. I still think we’ll take it out, but I respect it. These folks are regular.

Here is Bryant McKinnon;s Panther. It is a special 35 ton light mech of the Draconis Combine, as slow as a heavy mech, but it features a PPC and SRM4, giving it the ability to really contribute to your offense.

http://www.stridersstrikers.com/sitebuilder/images/FirePanther_-540x615.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 04:53 PM

We are on the outer area of a park, so a few trees, lots of greenery, no hills.

We are not in this to kill them, and we suspect they will flee after moderate resistance. Anyway, here we are.

Just target of opportunities, but we hit their Archer a few times with PPCs.

We concentrate a lot of fire at their Archer on the second turn. Our Panther hits its engine with the PPC.

We win init this turn. I manage to get our P Hawk behind their ‘Hammer. Our Rifleman hit’s a couple of leg actuators in their Warhammer. It falls to the ground.

I win init again. Our Awesome has had some serious armor stripped from his torsos. I again get our P Hawk behind the ‘Hammer. Our Awesome destroys the Archer’s CT. Their Warhammer and Vulcan fall. Our Griffin is punched in the head and the pilot is now blacked out.

I move a lot of my mechs by the Griffin in order to support it. I hop a Flacon next to it and run a Dervish next to it, now a Javelin next to it, they move over a Rifleman. I manage to get our Thunderbolt in their Atlas arc when it moves to get close to our Griffin. Their Vulcan stands. Our Thunderbolt’s LL hits their Atlas’s H, and decapitates them. Our Hermes II destroys the Warhammers LA. Our P Hawk hits its gyro. Our Griffin falls. Our Griffin just took all of the Weapons their Rifleman, Vulcan 5T (which is the good one, Atlas including the AC20, Javelin 10N and Stalker they could dish out, then it took two kicks from their Vulcan and Rifleman, and yet, no criticals, no missing limbs, nothing. When you are immobile, you can almost auto hit it, and we took everything + the damage from the fall, and yet, Griffin is still fine. There is a reason I play these Griffins in my companies. The only place it is internal is its CT R.

Our Griffin pilot wakes up.

With two mechs dead, they choose to retreat. We allow that.

Salvage:

Atlas missing H
Archer RA, LA, RT, LT, H, LL, RL

About 25 tons to repair.

End of Fletcher Mission 1.

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 05:37 PM

The second company of Davion mechs approached Cinq Company in their rear. Let’s do it!

Here they are:

Warhammer 6D
Blackjack
Assassin
Javelin 10F
Wasp
Griffin
Locust 1M the dumb variant
Stalker
Cyclops
Longbow
JagerMech JM6-S
Enforcer

Now this looks like a Davion company. Sucky mechs. The JagerMech and Blackjack both suck, but later versions of the BJ are good. This one is rocking two AC2s, which are the weapon with the longest range in the game, but they do the same damage as a small laser, machine gun, one SRM missile or flamer. They also weigh at lot. Now, they are good at VTOLs, perhaps at Aerospace Fighters I don’t know, and tanks that are easy to damage. However, every weapon is good against them. They suck. The JagerMech has two as well as two AC5s. The Locust 1M is sucky. This is a crappy company, even with my rolls of triple Assault mechs all in a row. The Wasp blows, the Stalker has design flaws, the Cyclops is underwhelming but okay, and the Longbow rocks. The only good mechs here are the Warhammer, Griffin, Javelin 10F and Longbow, with the Enforcer and Cyclops okay. The rest are missing weapons to make them threatening, or have design flaws.

Here is Sgt. Ian Hall’s Vulcan 5T. This 40 ton mech is a variant of a mech that sucks, but this one is pretty good. It rocks 6/9/6 movement, 12 heat sinks, 4 Medium lasers, MG, flamer, and 7 tons of armor, which is not bad for a 40 tons mech. If I were to perfect the design, I’d yank the MG and Flamer and ammo and add a ton of armor and a 5th M Laser for Alpha Strike purposes.

http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/diagrams/vulcan0.gif

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 06:34 PM

Alright, here we go.

We win init. Just exchange of targets of opportunity.

We win again. We focus a lot of weapons on their Stalker. I am moving a hexagon of mechs down the east flank, Hunchback, Crusader, Zeus, Awesome, BattleMaster and Wolverine. I am keeping my Griffin and Archer in a fire support role and hopping my Thunder Lance around to distract the west flank, where most of their mechs are, while my hexagon of power focuses on their west most mech, the Stalker. Our Zeus hits am SRM6 on their Stalker.

We win init yet again. I hop Ian’s Vulcan near and beside their Jagermech. I hop our Spide rbehind their Stalker, but mainly as a distraction, not in order to get a kill. Our BattleMaster hit’s the SRM ammo in the Stalker’s LT and it explodes. Our Zeus takes a lot of fire. Ian kicks the JagerMech but it, barely, manages to stay standing.

We lose init. I move my big guys forward into the trees. Our Griffin destroys the RL and RT of their Locust 1M. Otherwise, I need to move my guys out, because they are still in some serious woodage in the south central area of this park.

I win init again. Four outta five, that’s just unfair. Our Wolverine hit’s the Locusts CT and destroys it. Ian Hall’s Vulcan hits and ignites the JagerMech’s AC5 ammo and it explode.s

With three mechs down, they decide and retreat and again, we allow it.

Salvage:

Stalker LA, RA
Locust RA, LL, RL, LT, LA, H
JagerMech LA, RT, RA

About 20 tons of armor needed.

End of Fletcher Mission 2.

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 06:57 PM

Their final company is trying to hit Hex Company.

Here are our foes:

Wasp 1D
Enforcer
Rifleman
Marauder 3D
Stinger
Commando
Centurion
Firestarter
Shadow hawk
BattleMaster 1D
Griffin
Merlin

Just one Assault and three heavies.

Here is Hex Company’s Marsha Fehr and her 40 ton medium mech Whitworth. The Whitworth is, in my opinion, the lightest fire support mech that is good, and it has a pair of LRM10s, several lasers, 4/6/4 movement, and solid armor. It is a good mech, and one I am happy to have in my Regiment.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/thumb/3/34/3025_Whitworth1.jpg/191px-3025_Whitworth1.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 09:08 PM

Here we go!

We lose init. Like before, I am creating a wedge of heavier units to move down the center of the field, and drive into their defenses. Just some long range sniping at their Marauder.

We lose init again. After some positioning, our Banshee hits their Marauder’s hip actuators and it falls.

We lose init. Their Marauder fails to stand. Their Rifleman hit’s the head of our Banshee with a through armor critical and hits the cockpit. Dead MechWarrior. So long Sgt. Deborah Kreiner. DO you know how hard a TAC is on a head? You have to roll a 2 on 2d6 to get a TAC, then you roll location, and you have to gets 12 on 2d6 to hit the head, so it’s 1 in 36 and 1 in 36. Amazingly rare. Then you have to roll an 8 or higher on 2d6 to get a critical. Then you have to roll 1d6 and hit the only slot with the cockpit. It is a ome in a million shot.

We win init. I run the Grand Dragon up to their downed Marauder. Our Enforcer destroys the LA of their Commando and our Spider its LL. Our Commando destroys its LT>

We win init again. Their Merlin gets two engines and a gyro hit on our Kintaro with a TAC. Our Spider destroys their Commando’s CT. Our Battle Master falls, as does their Rifleman and Merlin. Ou rP Hawk and Kintaro combine to kick off the LL, LT of their Stinge.r

We lose init. We stand up our BM and walk it backwards into some light woods. Their Marauder fails to stand. Despite sending several of my mechs overheat, we don’t manage to further damage any of their mechs except we knock their Rifleman back over. Our Grand Dragon hit’s the Marauder’s engine twice with a kick.

I win init. Their Rifleman stands back up and I get the Orion behind their Centurian’s back. Our Grand Dragon destroys their R Mans RA. Our Orion goes into in the previously untouched Centuion;s rear torso and hits its LRM ammo and it explode.s That’s our new MW Angel Herrara’s first action with us, and first kill with us too. Our P Hawk destroys their Stinger’s CT section. Our Thorn destroys the LT of their Rifleman. Then our BattleMaster hit’s the Rifleman’s ammo and it ‘splodes. This is the first mission for Mwai Kabaki and he also got a kill for us. Our Commando tears off the RT of their Rifleman. Our rgand Dragon kicks and destroys the RT of their Marauder.

With multiple mechs dead, they retreat, and we allow them to leave.

We need 35 tons of armor, this one was tougher. The quick kill of my Banshee, which I normally use as a shield, forced me to expose other mechs sooner than normal.

Salvage:

Commando H, RT, RA, RL
Stinger LA, H,RT, RA, RL
Centurion RA, LA
Rifleman LA
Marauder RA

End of Fletcher Mission 3.

With them leaving the park, we laser beam a copy of the video tape at just the beginning, where the Davion forces were destroying the monument, in order for them to get the point. We send it to every retreating mech.

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 10:08 PM

May 25, 3040 - We blast off from Fletcher, contract complete.

June 14, 3040 - We land back at Epsilon Eridani. We jumped through two systems in order to through off any would be intel folks.

End of contract:

Salvage - Full
Command - Independent
Transport - 50%
Remuneration yes
Length of service: 3 months
Salary - x3.7, multiplier, x1.2 for Caps, 1.6 for Obj Raid
Support - 68% Straight Support

We paid:

Transport - 150k + 100K pirate point use. 250k total
246,000 - Salary for several months
800k - 80 tons of armor
775k - ammo

Total paid: 2,071,000

Compensation:

125k transport
322,400, salary
32k remuneration
20k support

Total made: 499,400

Total Loss:

1.5 million approx

I take it out of our account. Here is the real goal of the mission.

Abe Sargent

11-02-2009, 10:13 PM

Total Salvage:

Archer RA, LA, RT, LT, H, LL, RL
Commando H, RT, RA, RL
Stinger LA, H,RT, RA, RL
Centurion RA, LA
Rifleman LA
Marauder RA
Stalker LA, RA
Locust RA, LL, RL, LT, LA, H
JagerMech LA, RT, RA

We only salvaged one mech, and a lot of parts. We can easily get our loss here plus some.

I also spend some money to get that Atlas up and running for the garrison. I give the spare parts to Hex Company, who did not have any extras.

We bring in a new pilot from Outreach, veteran, Jose Cortez, for the Banshee.

Abe Sargent

11-03-2009, 12:29 AM

New contract began to appear on June 1, and I want to see if any other companies left Epsilon Eridani.

Aleph - Planetary Assault by the Caps on a periphery world. No thanks. Cadre offer by ComStar. Hmm.

Cadre contracts involve training people. Aleph Company is being asked by ComStar to train some of its people and militia, which seems perfectly reasonable. It’s light duty, because sometimes it comes with a garrison contract, but this one does not. Just go, do some training, and return, with no fighting. Aleph Company is not doing anything else, just sitting around, and cadre contracts are usually much shorter than garrison ones.

Where?

Somewhere in the FWL. Okay, where. Get this, I’m rolling to fid out where, and every world is available. Where do I roll? No kidding, where do I roll?

Sadurni.

What is so special about that? It’s one of the worlds in the Duchy of Andurien.

So ComStar wants us to return to the Duchy to train ComStar. Who would be the likely aggressors against ComStar there? Probably the Free Worlds League. So, we are being asked to train in the Duchy to help ComStar against aggression from Marik? I’m in!

Contract:

Length of Service: 6 months
Salvage: Full
Transport: 50% = 600,000
Remuneration: Yes = 52,000
Support: Straight: 70% = 95,410
Command: House
Salary: x1.3 ComStar x0.75 cadre x3.7 Salary is: 1,040,900
25% bonus to salary: 260,000

Total Paid:

1,200,000 transport
778,875 salary and upkeep

1,978,875 total

Received:

Total: 2,048,310

We just broke even

We arrive there, do our contract, and leave, and arrive back on May 14, 3041. This contract gets us an A Dragoon Rating.

Abe Sargent

11-03-2009, 10:16 PM

Back to June 1, 3040, and look for more contracts.

Trinity and Delta companies are still on planet, plus Defender Company which is not taking contracts yet.

Trinity:

Cadre for Lyran Commonwealth
Garrison for Free Worlds League
Relief Duty for Fed Suns

I don’t want to garrison. I don’t want another Cadre, well, let’s see where it is before rejecting it. Some could be close. Nah, it’s way too far away. What about Relief Duty for the Suns? Where is it? Way out by the Periphery. No way.

Delta:

Security for Corporation in Lyran Space
Objective Raid for a Periphery Power

I’m not spending half a year or more to get to and from a contract that’s silly. Usually. Security is not too bad, where?

How about five jumps away at Algorab? Not bad.

The Governor here is having some problems with the locals and he suspects the local militia might be compromised so he wants to bring in some mercenaries quick to basically bodyguard him until more reliable forces from the Lyran Commonwealth arrive. Now that’s fair enough.

Contract details:

Salary: x3.7, x1.4 Lyran, x1.3 Security
Salvage: Shared
Command: House
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Support: Battle-Loss: 50%
Length: 3 mths
17% Bonus

Delta Company leaves Epsilon Eridani.

Abe Sargent

11-03-2009, 11:02 PM

August 6, 3040 - Delta Company arrives at Algorab. We take up our place in the Imperial Palace. No one gets access through the Governor except through us.

November 6, 3040 - The Emergency Powers Clause in our contract is invoked when our replacement forces from the Commonwealth are delayed for a month.

November 12, 3040 - A small uprising in the capital city has begun, and the Governor sends the militia out to handle it, while we continue to protect him.

November 15, 3040 - The uprising grows in strength, and several militia units have disappeared. We have been placed on full alert, and our mechs are ready to go anytime, anywhere.

November 19, 3040 - The uprising is beginning to be curbed by conventional forces when a few lances of militia mechs that had gone missing arrive and begin to attack the conventional forces. We are ordered by the Governor to warm up and ride in there and sweep the militia mechs away.

We arrive and find 11 mechs attacking conventional forces who have suffered a lot of damage and flee behind us. This should be easy money.

The Militia:

Valkyrie
Ostsol
Shadow Hawk
Ostscout
Wolfhound
Griffin
Zeus
Clint
Centurion
Marauder
Goliath

Remember, Delta Company is our heavy company with three assaults and five heavies. This should be a cakewalk. We have more than double their Battle Value.

Oh, and these guys are some regular, and some green, but the Zeus pilot is a vet.

From a rarer mech standpoint, I’d love to snatch an Ostsol or Ostscout, the Valkyrie is fine, the Wolfhound is great. I’d love to acquire one of the lighter mechs here. Remember that I am on a Shared salvage contract, so if I killed and acquired a Zeus and several lights, I could probably walk away with the lights.

This is their Clint. It is a pretty uncommon medium mech at 40 tons with very little armor, 6/9/6 movement, an AC5 and two medium lasers. It’s not good, but its uncommon status is nice.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/8/84/3025_Clint1.jpg

law90026

11-04-2009, 05:31 AM

Always liked the Wolfhound, good luck!

Abe Sargent

11-04-2009, 09:38 PM

We win init. I created three prongs down three streets, each behind an assault mech. Their Clint jumps on a building and it falls out from underneath him. Our Catapult destroys the LA of their Clint.

We lose init. I move our forces forward quickly. No sense dancing. Their Clint stands up, and we move some mechs near to it. Our BattleMaster destroys their Valkyrie’s RT and CT. Their Goliath kicks and destroys the LL of our Spider and it falls.

We win init. I get our BattleMaster behind their Marauder. I move our Catapult and Grand Dragon right up to their crappy Shadow Hawk. We leave our Spider on the ground rather than risk a 9 to stand up. Our Awesome destroys the LT and RA of their Clint. Our Cat hit’s a LL actuator on the Centurion. Our BattleMaster hits two leg actuaotrs on their Marauder and our Black Knight hit’s a PPC on it. It falls and destroys its RA. Our BattleMaster kicks and destroys the RT of their Marauder.

We win init. I risk landing our Javelin on a building gwhen their Griffin hops behind a level 1 building, so I can try and punt his head. This time, BattleMaster in the Zeus’s rear arc. I am surrounding them so they have to expose their rear arcs to me regularly. Their marauder fails to stand. Our ’Hammer kicks and destroys the LA of their Marauder. Their Centurion kicks and hits an actuator on my Cat’s LL. Our Grand Dragon kicks and destroys the building their Ostscout is on, it tumbles, and the Ostscout takes a bunch of damage from the fall.

We win init. Their Marauder fails to stand up, falls, and destrosy its LT and CT. Our banshee hit’s the engine of their Centurion twice. Our Banshee punches and destroys the Centurion’s CT> Their Zeus falls after being double kicked by the Battlemaster and Warhammer. Our Awesome destroys the Clint’s Head, after all of that.

And with that, they begin to leave, but I send out a general radio signal and move to block them. Nope. They can surrender, or keep fighting, but retreat will not be an option this day. They choose to surrender and we turn them back over to the Governor.

Salvage:

Valkyrie H, LT, RA, LL, RL
Marauder H, LL, RL
Centurion H, LL, RL, RT, LT, LA, RA
Clint, missing H, LA, RA, LT

Repair:

Spider LL
Catapult Actuator

Abe Sargent

11-04-2009, 09:39 PM

Always liked the Wolfhound, good luck!

Thanks! As you can see, we took them down.

Abe Sargent

11-04-2009, 11:46 PM

December 6, 3040 - Our contract ends quietly.

Here we go:

Salary: x3.7, x1.4 Lyran, x1.3 Security
Salvage: Shared
Command: House
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Support: Battle-Loss: 50%
Length: 3 mths
17% Bonus

What we paid:

424,250 - salary and equipment
500,000 - transport
Fix Spider - 375,000
Armor 20 tons - 200,000
Ammo - 279,000

Total: 1,778,250

Salvage Values:

Valkyrie H, LT, RA, LL, RL - 1.6 million
Marauder H, LL, RL 1.7 million
Centurion H, LL, RL, RT, LT, LA, RA 2.5 million
Clint, missing H, LA, RA, LT 1,950.000 currently : 1.45 to fix

Total value: 7,750,000

Salvaged Value: 3,875,000

Take the Clint, Marauder pieces and Valkyrie RA.

What we made:

3,875,000 - Shared Salvage
250,000 - transport
187,500 - 50% Battle Loss for Spider Leg
100,000 - 505 Battle Loss
647,275 - Salary
110,000 - Bonus
270,000 - Emergency Powers Clause Extension

Total - 5,439,775

Total Gain: 3,661,525

I fix up the Clint and send it to the garrison on Epsilon Eridani.

Abe Sargent

11-06-2009, 02:54 PM

February 10, 3041 - Delta Company arrives back at Epsilon Eridani.

Okay, let’s dial the clock back…

July 1, 3040 - The following units are on Epsilon Eridani - Defender Company, Trinity Company, and Phaeton, Hex ands Delta are back from the Fletcher contract.

Pretty soon, we can expect some of the new recruits from Solaris VII to arrive. What’s that?

The best place to find recruits is on Outreach. Here you can find MechWarriors, vehicle crews, aerospace pilots, infantry platoons, and many of them have their own mech, fighter, tank, etc. Outreach gets a ton of traffic.

But it’s not the only place. Galatea is the planet that used to be the home of mercenary recruiting until Outreach replaced it. There are still a lot of lesser know and smaller units that go there. It’s losing people every year in trade, but there are still a lot there.

The third biggest recruiting spot, and quickly growing to become #2 with the fall of Galatea, is Solaris VII. If you think about it, it does make a lot of sense. Here you have a planet where MechWarriors from all over the Inner Sphere arrive, usually without mechs, and trying to make a better name for themselves. This is often one of the last refuges of the dispossessed.

And as such, there are many opportunities for recruitment, not just to stables, but to units. A lot of employers will go there too, because it is a natural place to find weaponry, armor, mechs and supplies, so a lot of units will take shore leave there.

Here are the rules for recruiting at Solaris VII.

1). I can only recruit at one third my normal speed
2). My rolls always get -1
3). If trying to recruit a MechWarrior with a mech, subtract an additional -3
4). If trying to recruit a dispossessed non-MW, subtract an additional -2 to #2 above.
5). If trying to recruit crew, pilots, battle armor, etc with everything in place, subtract an additional -2 to #4 and 2 above.

Braham Essex has 3 prestige so he can usually make 3 rolls a month, now he can make just one, at -1, with the additional modifiers listed above.

Abe Sargent

11-06-2009, 08:20 PM

Okay, let’s roll for units in July.

You know, this doesn’t seem that realistic. It’s not like each unit should get separate rolls, even though that’s what the book says. Instead, I am going to roll a # of contracts each month, and I can choose who takes it and so forth. That makes a lot more sense.

July Contracts in our size:

Corporation - Security contract, in St Ives Compact, Daniels, 10 jumps away
St. Ives Compact - Garrison
Lyran Commonwealth - Objective Raid on Westerstede, in their own territory, 9 jumps away. don’t know what that’s about.
Corporation - Garrison
Corporation - Objective Raid, waaaaaay out there.

Lyran Commonwealth will be done by Trinity Company.

They want us to attack and destroy a company center in their own territory, because their intel says that the company has been selling Lyran corporate secrets and information to Free Worlds League interests. We are to land, fight off any resistance, destroy the center, and lift back off.

Contract:

Length: 1 month
Transport: 50%
Battle-Loss: 50%
Salvage: Shared
Remuneration: No
Salary: x3.7, x1.6 x 1.3
Command: Independent
18% Bonus

We will land at Westerstede on Oct 1, 3040.

Abe Sargent

11-06-2009, 08:39 PM

The Security Contract:

Provide security detail for a mining consortium that has discovered some rare ores on Daniels. Word is about to get out, and they want protection for a few months. I send Hex Company.

Hex Company’s Contract:

Support: Battle-Loss 50%
Salary: x3.4%, x1.3, x1.1
Salvage: Shared
Remuneration: Yes
Command: Liaison
Transport: 50%
Length: 5 months

Hex Company will arrive on Daniels on Oct 17, 3040.

Hex Company completes their contract, quietly, on Feb 17, 3041. They return back home and arrive on July 3, 3041.

Costs:

501,840 - Salaries and upkeep for one year for Hex Company
1,100,000 - Transport for Hex Company
1,601,040 - Total Paid

Payments:

550,000 - transport
565,000 - salary
28,250 - Remuneration

1,143,500 - Made

Total Lost: 457,790

I take it out of our bank account.

Abe Sargent

11-06-2009, 09:59 PM

Alright, now let’s do Trinity Company’s Contract.

October 2, 3040 - Trinity Company has disembarked near the target, and we are initially wearing the colors of Lyran Guards, but we will need to change that as we get close to our target, in order to not throw too much suspicion on the Commonwealth.

Oct 3, 3040 - We approach our target. Lyran intel says the defenders are a company of tanks and a lance of mechs. We are about to find out if they are right or not.

Nope, they were wrong by a LOT (in order to determine if intel was right or not, I roll 2d6. If I roll an 8 or higher, intel was off. An 8 itself would be a minor change, maybe in his case a few VTOLs or something. The higher the number rolled, the farther off their intel was. I rolled a 12.)

We approach the company. The center sends out a company of tanks and we see them on our screen, and move towards them. The mechs have yet to bee seen. Perhaps they are out on patrol, or yet to warm up. As we hit the extreme range on our weapons, a bunch of heat signatures flare up around us. Dozens of mech signals are warming up, all around us. There is no where to go.

It looks like an entire regiment of mechs. We break to our left in order to try and bust out, but a large number of warning shots put us in our place.

We get radioed from them, and Lt. Jason Thomas answers.

“So, it seems like our little trap worked.”

They give us a few pieces of information. Apparently, Skye Independence Movement folks fed the information to the Lyran Intelligence with the hope they would send units to attack one of their own companies. This is quite illegal. They expected either a small mercenary unit like us, or a small highly loyal Lyran unit. They got us.

They want the Steiners, not us. Their deal is simple. We walk out of here, with our mechs, if we simply reveal all of the information we have on this contract. Otherwise, they will confiscate our mechs and take us prisoner for attacking Lyran soil.

Abe Sargent

11-06-2009, 11:40 PM

Well, isn’t this great. Lt. Thomas radios our liaison, who is, conveniently not available.

Now, let’s understand these actions -

1). If we lose all of our mechs, Steiner will have to replace half due to our Battle-Loss Compensation, so we really only lose half.
2). If we choose to violate the contact by revealing its terms, who our contacts were, and so forth, then we fail the mission, we could get brought up on charges by the Lyran Commonwealth before the Mercenary Review Board.
3). If we choose to violate it, it will be an embarrassment for the Commonwealth.
4). If we don’t we get tossed in jail for who knows how long. It is possible the Lyrans will ignore us in jail, because we are an embarrassment.

Secrecy was the whole point. We stick to our guns. We lose our 12 mechs. Our MechWarriors are jailed.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 12:18 AM

Oct 10, 3040 - No one has come to release us. We have pled our case before Steiner, and as predicted, nothing.

Oct 16, 3040 - No word is still heard about our case, and our people are still incarcerated. We start rattling sabers, not with Steiner, but with Davion. As you’ll recall, Davion and Steiner are combining their realms into one right now, and we are Davion citizens. I doubt House Davion wants mercenaries that are loyal to contracts being forgotten by Steiner.

Oct 21, 3040 - Davion agrees to see what they can do.

Nov 12, 3040 - At this point in time, Davion says they can do nothing.

Ted Izumo makes an executive decision. He comes out of retirement and leads all K&C units currently not in contract to Westerstede. We are going in hot in order to invade, free our people, grab what materiel we can, and break out.

Okay, we need to back up and find out who is available at that time.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 12:21 AM

Vehicle Company is on a garrison.
Trinity Company has been captured.
Aleph Company is doing cadre work for Comstar
Hex Company is doing security work in St. Ives
Delta Company is on contract until Dec 6, but it just four jumps away from Westerstede, and can meet us there.
Defender Company would just be coming online, and be available.

Delta Company
Defender Company

Cinq? Phaeton? Let’s find out by backing up the clock.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 12:27 AM

August, 3040 Contracts:

Fed Suns, Objective Raid, on Fomalhaut. We are to hit one of the planets taken by the Dracs last year, smash them in the mouth, destroy a listening post into Davion space, and then leave. It’s jus two jumps away.
Fed Suns, Riot and Garrison Duty somewhere. No thanks.
Retainer by Free Worlds League. HA
Free Rasalhague Republic, Extraction, against Lyrans, against Kandersteg, way out there, about 14 jumps away. No thanks friends

The Raid looks good, and seems like the sort of contract I’d normally take.

Davion needs a listening post destroyed, and as soon as we are ready, another strike by an RCT on the world will hit more important targets, and while that goes on, we should be free to hit the Listening Post with little resistance.

The Davion unit on site has the authority to hire us for additional contracts on Fomalhaut, just in case they need the support.

We send Cinq Company

Contract:

Salary: x3.4, x1.4, x1.6
Remuneration: No
Salvage: Shared
Command: House
Transport: Full
Support: Battle-Loss: 25%
Length: 2 months
15% Bonus

Alright, let’s do it.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 12:44 AM

August 22, 3040 - Cinq Company arrives in the Fomalhaut system two days after the RCT gets here and is already making for planetside.

August 27, 3040 - We land uncontested with our small Union class dropship as most of the defense of Fomalhaut is concentrated on the RCT attacking a large number of high value targets. We expect token resistance at the listening post.

Aug 28, 3040 - In fact, they left no one but some infantry to guard the post, and we are able to sweep in easily and destroy it. We can blast off now, if we want.

Lt. Mika Motone radios their CO to see if they have anything more to offer us while we are here, before we blast off.

A few hours later we get an Extraction contract identical to the first to head out and hit a nearby mining complex, destroy any defenders, and capture as much ore and equipment as we can load on our Union, and then we can take off. Not only will this hurt industry on Fomalhaut and the Dragon’s efforts, but it will also give the Davions some money.

Aug 29, 3040 - We hit the mine in the early morning hours. As we approach, we see some vehicles appear on our screen.

Here is Cinq Company’s very own Wolverine, piloted by Martine Kobolev. It is a 55 ton mech with a lot of variants in different Successor States, but it is quite common on the battlefield. With 5/8/5 movement good armor and usually good weapons, it’s a fine mech for the era.

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/3025%20Wolverine1.JPG

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 12:44 PM

This should not even be close.

We even win init. They all charge at me, almost kamikaze like style. One of their Leviathan’s AC20s hit’s the leg of our Crusader and hits an actuator. Our Griffin destroys the Leviathan. It is recoverable. Our Crusader falls and hits an SRM6 in his leg. He also hits his head, and then blacks out.

We lose init. I begin toi move units over to protect the Crusader. Our BattleMaster destroys a Bulldog Medium Tank. Our Hunchback destroys another. Our Crusader RL is destroyed, then its ammo goes up, and its engine explodes too. The MW is ejected, takes damage, but survives. The engine explodes and tears off the LL of our Wasp. Wolverine kicks and destroys a Von Luckner. Zeus kicks and hit’s a Sturmfeur’s fuel tank and it explodes

With so many of their vehicles destroyed, they choose to run, and allow us access to the mining complex and raid it.

Salvage:

Leviathan 2.83 mill
Bulldog Medium Tankx2 1.125 each
Von Luckner 3.69 mill

To Repair:

Wasp LL

We need about 15 tons of armor for our mechs.

Tellistto

11-07-2009, 03:42 PM

Wow, some serious bad luck on that Crusader hit and boom.

Still reading along and enjoying!

Tell

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 04:34 PM

Wow, some serious bad luck on that Crusader hit and boom.

Still reading along and enjoying!

Tell

Thanks! There always seems to be danger in the small stuff.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 04:34 PM

Aug 31, 3040 - We blast off after finalizing our contract:

Salvage value: 8,770,000

Shared Value: 4,385,000

We take both the Leviathan and a Bulldog.

We made:

4,385,000 - Salvage
1,400,000 - 25% of Crusader
80,000 - 25% of Wasp Leg
37,500 - 25% of Armor
172,350 - Salary
25,850 - Bonus

We spent:

150,000 - Armor
315,000 - Wasp Leg
75,000 - Ammo
134,000 - Salary and upkeep

Total Made: 5,427,200

We will add a Griffin to the company to replace the Crusader from our empty mechs on Epsilon Eridani. This means we now have two Griffins, a bit unusual, but it was the best we could do on short notice.

Martine Kobolev is now officially elite.

Sept 28, 3040 - We arrive back at Epsilon Eridani.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 05:15 PM

September Contracts for Phaeton Company.

Cappellan Confederation for an Objective Raid against Free Worlds League
Free Rasalhague Republic for Planetary Defense. Nah, too heavy
Corporation in Cappella wanting a Cadre/Garrison contract. No thanks.

Let ‘s look at the CC Raid. They want us to hit Varna, a planet five jumps away. Nice. They want us to destroy a small garrison of mercenary mechs on the planet, painted in Marik colors. Fine by me.

Now, obviously I would want Phaeton Company to join the assault on Lyran Space in a but, but I have to play like I don’t know what is happening there.

Contract:

Command: Independent
Remuneration: No
Salary: x3.7, x1.6, x1.2
Length of Service: 2 months
Transport: 50%
Support - Battle Loss: 40%
Salvage: Shared
20% bonus

Oct 30, 3040 - We arrive in the Varna system.

Nov 4, 3040 - We land near the mercenary garrison. These are a company called “Jensen’s Jokers.”

Nov 5, 3040 - We head up and move out to the garrison. Our goal is not to hit anything of value, but just to smash the Jokers, letting a few retreat so that they can tell everyone Marik did it supposedly.

Here is Phaeton Company’s very rare Falcon. It’s not a great light mech with odd weapons, such as rear facing machine guns. It has decent speed.

http://www.solaris7.com/images/TRO/BattleMechs/TRO3025/Falcon%203025.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 07:23 PM

Here are the mechs of Jensen’s Jokers

Stinger
Javelin
Commando
Victor
Goliath
Ostscout
Shadow Hawk
Scorpion
Phoenix Hawk
Marauder
Wolverine
Stalker

Their Victor is veteran and the rest are regular.

Alright, here we go.

We win init. One advantage they have is a nice copse of trees to hide behind so we have to charge it. Our Griffin tries to set some of their woods on fire with his PPC. It does not catch fire and nothing else major happens.

We win init again. We focus a lot of fire on their Stalker. Our Griffin hits its head with the PPC and it goes internal and the sensors and life support are both hit. Their Stalker falls, hits its head, and is destroyed. Wow. Our T Bolt took some damage but did not fall.

We lose init. We run up to their Scorpion and try and dice some weapons into it. I also bring forward my fire support because they are not coming forward from the woods, so I need to get closer for good shots. Our Thunderbolt missed their Scorpion with 6 weapons, and he needed a 7 on each one.

We win init. Out T Bolt destroys the LA of their Stinger. Our Dervish hit’s the SRM6 on their Scorpion. The T Bolt kicks and destroys the RL of their Stinge,r who falls and destroys his LT. Then the pilot blacks out.

We lose init. Their Marauder gets a through armor critical on our Dervish’s SRM ammo and it explodes. BOOM! Our Falcon hits their Stinger’s engine twice. Our Rifleman hit’s the AC5 on their Marauder and it will no longer function. Our Awesome kicks and destroys the LL on their Javelin. Our T Bolt kicks and destroys the CT of their Stinger. Their P Hawk was kicked by us and falls. They lit the hex my T Bolt was in on fire.

We barely win init. I back our damaged T Bolt out of the fire into a heavy woods hex. Their Jav fails to stand. Our T Bolt hits their Commando’s SRM ammo and it explode.s He is the first and only mech to ever fire at it this turn. Their P hawk hit’s a foot actuator on our Rifleman. The T Bolt kicks and destroys the Javelin on the ground. That’s three mech kills by the T Bolt in two turns. Our P Hawk kicks and hits two actuators on their Scorpion. Both their Marauder and Scorpion fall.

And with that, they begin to leave, they’ve had enough. We overrun and destroy their garrison. We lost a mech, but claimed an assault mech with just a H missing. Too bad we have that damn Shared salvage on this mission.

Salvage:

Stalker missing H - 6,500,000 - about 900k to fix
Stinger H, LL, RT, RA - 660,000
Commando RA - 200,000
Javelin H, RA, LA, RL - 750,000

Total Salvage: 8,110,000

We take the parts.

Earl Ray Williams, in the Thunderbolt, gains Edge: 1.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 08:01 PM

Contract:

We Paid:

500,000 - transport
212,112 - Salary and upkeep of unit
200,000 - armor
185,000 - ammo

Total Payment: 1,097,212

We receive:

1,995,600 - 40% of Dervish Value
80,000 - 40% of armor
250,000 - 50% of transport
4,055,000 - Shared Salvage
230,170 - Salary
46,035 - Bonus

Total made: 6,656,805

Total - 5,559,593

Nov 7, 3040 - We launch away from Varna.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 08:29 PM

Nov 20, 3040 - Phaeton Company gets the message about Ted’s attack on Westerstede, and will reroute to join them in system.

Here is who we have on the attack on Westerstede:

Phaeton Company minus the Dervish
Ted Izumo in his Stalker
Defender Company
Cinq Company
Delta Company

Braham Essex cannot join us from Solaris VII. This needs to be done on the qt, and having a high profile commander over on Solaris VII suddenly pull out may cause a lot of questions. However, he has sent something else.

The Dispossessed he has already hired arrived in Epsilon Eridani a while ago. We are bringing them:

Recruiting on Solaris VII through October:

Amber Revleron, elite
Scott Parnell, elite
Manuel Juarez, veteran
Mei Zhen, elite

They have been assigned to:

Awesome 8T
Phoenix Hawk 1K
Striker
Charger 1A9

They have been assigned to Ted Izumo’s personal lance, operating outside of the company system. That way, they have been working together on Epsilon Eridani and are now ready for action.

Ted is also bringing an extra mech that might just work in this occasion.

Before we leave, Ted makes one more call to our official on Outreach. We hope for an answer.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 08:46 PM

Nov 15, 3040 - The Kilts and Commandos blast off from Epsilon Eridani and leave behind the second vehicle company plus the students as emergency garrison.

Nov 23, 3040 - Ted’s call to Outreach has succeeded. What we he wanting? Aid.

You see, normally, when we do assaults like this, we have AeroSpace assets covering us and keeping opposing AeroSpace units off our backs, but we have no such units in our force, so now that we are doing an action by ourselves, we need some AeroSpace assets, so Ted flips the script.

This time, we are HIRING mercenaries.

Contract with Beta Company, Hell’s Black Aces.

Dragoon Rating A

One of the best AeroSpace units in the Inner Sphere, and they will be covering for us.

Length of Contract: 2 months
Salvage: Full
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: Yes
Command: House
Salary: x4, x1.6, x1
Battle Loss: 50%
40% Bonus

Dec 18, 3040 - A day of mourning for the one year anniversary of the fall of Andurien.

EVENT - Jan 1, 3041 - Due to the ease of jamming its signal, All Inner Sphere forces have been given the ECM jamming information for the Listen-Kill missiles and they will no longer work against IS foes.

January 19, 3041 - We arrive at Westerstede.

January 27, 3041 - The rest of the units have arrived, included the Black Aces Beta Company.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 09:05 PM

Here is Westerstede:

1 regiment, regular troops, mechwarriors, with a tendency to lean towards Skye, but are not actually, technically, affiliated with the Isle of Skye Secessionist movement.
A variety of militia
1 regiment of conventional forces, very loyal to the Archon.

There are two reasons our action might get us in trouble:

1). We are initiating an independent military action against a successor state. This is generally viewed as “very bad.”

2). We are one jump away from Tharkad, the capital of the Lyran Commonwealth. They can respond very quickly if they want.

Let’s recap what has happened:

Trinity Company was hired by the Lyrans to destroy a control center of a company on Westerstede that their intel said was selling corporate and Lyran secrets abroad. We were to do this incognito. Intel also said there would be a small garrison force, easily overcome.

In fact, the intel was fed by Skye dissidents who wanted to catch the Lyran Commonwealth government doing something illegal, in this case, purchasing military personnel to attack a domestic company. It is illegal for the government to attack its own citizens, even through mercenaries.

We refused to reveal that we were working for the Steiner government, as part of our deal. We walked into a huge trap, and surrendered. Our mechs were taken, and our people imprisoned.

We waited for Lyran aid, but it did not come. To get us free, the Steiner Government would have to admit that they sent us. We appealed to the Federated Suns for aid, since the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth are uniting to become one realm, and although they claim they tried to help us, it didn’t take long before they could do nothing. In fact, it was a suspiciously short amount of time before we were told it would not happen.

Therefore, we have decided to assault Westerstede, find our people, break them out of jail, and then leave.

This is not a contract. We are getting no money. As such in order to support our efforts, we may have to develop some sticky fingers, if you get my drift.

My hope is that the Lyrans will keep away, because if they send a bunch of units to Westerstede to stop us, then they know we will break the silence.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 09:34 PM

Here is our plan.

Land, secretly if possible.
Get intel, find out where they are, what the defenses are, etc.
Try subterfuge first
Invade if necessary
Use the Black Aces to keep away enemy fighters if they show up. Otherwise, call on them to bomb and strafe the enemy. He who has air support is he who will win.
Take as much salvage as we can carry, because it may be the only pay we get.
Leave

Secondary Objective:

Find our mechs, and bring them with us.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 09:47 PM

Our goal is to extract the Trinity Twelve, but if we can get our hands on the mechs, then so much the better. They’ve had the mechs for a while, my guess is they’ve already been given out and are gone.

We have two things on our side:

1). Surprise. Never underestimate it.
2). Righteousness. Never underestimate it.
3). Not one, but two aces in the sleeve. The Black Aces, and….something else. We’ll see if it is needed.

We also brought four infantry platoons, and that Boomerang Spy Plane we have.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 10:09 PM

The Westerstede Geography:

This world has one supercontinent taking up most of the northern hemisphere, which is used solely for agriculture, and then several large Australia sized islands in the southern hemisphere that have the small amounts of industry and the commercial areas.

We attacked on one of the islands, and it only makes sense to take us to a closer jail, so we suspect they are on the islands.

We land thusly:

Black Aces in a merchant DropShip in the smallest DropPort in the area, a small industrial city on the middle of the three islands.
Delta Company and Cinq, land in the same place

Phaeton Company lands in the largest DropPort in the area, a merchant center in the capital of the western island.

Defender Company lands in the capital of the eastern island, a moderately sized city that distributes the food from the planet to DropShips for sale abroad.

Ted’s fortified Lance of five mechs, plus the infantry and Boomerang lands in the western island, in a coastal city with a small DropPort. The area sees a lot of tourism.

The western island was the one Trinity Attacked, so it is where Ted Izumo will start looking. However, we ultimately believe the central, largest island, is the one they are being kept at, but we want to eliminate this island first, just in case.

The regiment of mechs is spread out in these islands, and the conventional unit is on the continent. There are militia units down here though, in the cities, commercial and industrial areas, and such.

The capital of the planet is actually on the northern continent, so a lot of the militia is up there. The militia does include some mech forces.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 11:10 PM

January 31, 3041 - All of our units have landed on Westerstede quietly among the bustle of various DropPorts.

Feb 2, 3041 - After getting the lay of the land, Ted, the infantry, and the Boomerang are the first to investigate. We have to find out where they are hiding our people. The new reports about the attack do not mention where our people were taken.

Feb 4, 3041 - Some of our infantry have overheard about a military prison on the western continent here. It is possible that our folks were dropped off here, but we have to find out.

February 7, 3041 - After some pictures were taken by infantry from long range, we have to find out if our folks are here or not. Time to unveil one of our aces.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 11:38 PM

Night falls. Ted Izumo has the extra mech brought out in a cargo truck to an area near the jail, but far enough away to make sure that when he warms it up, no one will see.

The truck pulls under a copse of trees, and the mech is stood upright. Ted pauses for a few moments to reflect on the awe and majesty of the mech he is about to pilot for the second time only (he took it out for a spin back on Eridani in order to become comfortable with it, just in case. - one of the perks of the job).

He smiles as he eases into the old cockpit, but still glistening from its last cleaning. He is about to take an artifact, a relic of a former time, into battle. No person, outside of Comstar, has piloted this mech in centuries, since they were all killed in the First Succession War.

The Exterminator warms up quickly. Ted turns on the Null Signature System. Now, his mech is much more inefficient at dealing with heat, since it shunts much of the heat into the ground. However, the mech is now impenetrable to electronic scanning or spying. The only way you see this is if you can get a visual scan. At night time, this is hoped to be very uncommon, with human eyes relying on Thermographic, Electromagnetic, or Seismic sensors.

Let’s roll. Ted is able to wait out some mechs moving around, then moves after they have passed. He arrives near the jail, and he drops several giant mesh bag. Out comes Steve Sanders’s jump platoon with lasers. They begin to split up in a pre-arranged pattern in order to see if our people are here.

After a few moments, they believe that they have found the building used as a jail. There are several mechs nearby and Ted cannot risk going into the bright lights of the surrounding area. The infantry sneak up as close as they can and….

They are able to discover that yes, this is where they are being kept.

The platoon certainly makes heat, but some extra bodys of heat won’t show up as anything usual on their thermo graphic sensors, just things vehicle or mech sized.

They retreat, climb back into positions on Ted’s mech and sneak back out. On the way back out…. Ted just barely misses another scouting unit. He drops into a prone stance. Then, as he thinks they have left, one turns around abruptly as if they saw something. Ted waits…

And the mech comes near him. It’s like a movie, where the guards look around a few times, scratch their head, and then leave. After they pass for sure, Ted resumes moving.

Whew!

Objective completed.

Abe Sargent

11-07-2009, 11:52 PM

Feb 11, 3041 - Slowly, over the next few days, we move our troops to the western island. Two companies plus the Black Aces are in the capital, while the other forces join Ted in the coastal port.

Time to put a plan in motion.

Here is the plan. Ted will use his Exterminator again, and this time, instead of placing infantry, he will place bombs in several key locations. He won’t be able to get near anything sensitive nor will he be able to place them in obvious places because the bombs are subject to the scanners that his mech is not.

The goal is to get in quickly, place some bombs, get out, detonate them, then, as they move in to find out what and who and where, we attack from the other side of the compound. Once we start that, Ted’s Exterminator, the mech with the inability to be seen on any scan other than the visual spectrum. He can launch long-range missiles, and perhaps attack. This will make it seem like there are forces on the side of the bombs and suggests that invasions are coming from both sides. Then, while people are distracted by both our mech attack and our bombs + Ted, our fighters begin to bomb and strafe. With the bombing and the strafing, the mech attack and the explosions we planted, there should be enough confusion to get our infantry in and get in, grab our people, and get back out.

Once the infantry are successful, Captains Ted Izumo and Matthew Humphries have decisions to make. Do we press, or run? We could press and defeat the garrison, and take what materiel we can manage, and then leave, quickly. Or we could run, but we might be fighting the entire way back to the DropShips.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 12:13 AM

Feb 12, 3041 - Just after midnight, Ted’s Exterminator approaches the edge of their patrols and scanners. He doesn’t see anyone and begins to approach.

He makes it easily past the first group of scouts he spies in tanks driving around outside the compound.

As he approaches the area, he finds the several areas he intends to mine. He can’t do a lot of detail work in his mech, he simply has three pre-armed and prepared bundles and drops one at each location. One is at the base of a scanner disc, and will knock out their scanners to the base’s west. Another is at a fuel storage system, and will make a satisfying boom and fire. The final one is beside a small shed with various tools in it. He begins to back away when he runs into a mech walking around. Is he seen?

….

Nope, not even close (I needed an 8 on 2d6 and rolled a 2).

Ted easily escapes. When everyone is in position a few minutes later, he detonates the first two bombs, and keeps the third for a rainy day. Operation: Liberation has begun.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 01:09 AM

As Captain Matthew Humphries sees the explosions far away, he orders the mechs to warm up. Within a few minutes, the various mech forces begin to march in unison towards the compounds. 54 mechs march in unison, slowly, inexorably.

As they reach range, the Steiner compound begins to ting massively. Knowing that the only group to come and spring out the prisoners would be us, we wear our flag symbol on our mechs with pride. The black crossed Gun and Sword on a red tartan background is on the right leg on every mech in the unit other than Ted’s Exterminator.

Their troops are marshalling towards the fire, but almost as one, they turn around and begin to move to us.

……

Since he did not go far, Ted is quickly able to get back near the fires, as he sees faster tanks and mechs almost reach it. Once he sees their main mech force turn around and face ours, he pauses for a few seconds, and then detonates the third bomb. A nearby tank catches on fire and stops. Then Ted launches Long Range missiles, not at some tanks or a Locust, but at the compound headquarters itself. Suddenly, a ghost unit, not appearing on their sensors is launching missiles at their command building, and another explosion goes up.

Predictably, they split up their forces and send many scout forces towards Ted, while their heavier forces push towards Matthew Humphries and his 54 mechs.

Ted begins to jump away, while still launching missiles at some of their scout units. A few glimpse something in the air.

……

Sergeant Steve Sanders begins to order the four infantry platoons under his command to approach the compound from their position from the northwest. They will pass under the area once viewed by the now destroyed sensor dish, but not close to it.

……

Ted spies the mechs of Matthew’s command split into company units in order to outflank and attack the Steiner mechs. Once combat has been joined, he orders the Black Aces to begin strafing the mechs chasing him, and bombing any remaining forces in the compound although to stay clear of the building with our people, or the two routes in and out we already planned for our infantry. Plus a few other buildings we believe have useful materiel in them, just in case we manage to win this.

……

Within two minutes, the elite AeroSpace fighters of Beta Company begin to strafe the lighter scout mechs chasing Ted, giving them more problems than they can handle. It’s dark, and only a few hit, but you don’t have to hit with much in order to really hurt a light mech or lighter medium mech.

They immediately begin to spread out to make themselves harder to hit - normal tactics against fighters strafing. Which means they are not heading back to the compound or chasing Ted.

More fighters begin to bomb several buildings and tanks in the compound. A few conventional fighters from the capital should be here in a few minutes, and the Beta Company’s job will be to shoot them and keep them off our back.

……

Seeing the heavier Steiner units charge his force, Matthew Humphries orders his units to separate into their own commands, and orders Ted’s supplement lance to back up, go off to the east when battle is ensued, and provide any support to the infantry if it is needed.

Cinq and Delta Companies are ordered to flank the foe on each side, while the 15 mech Defender company and Phaeton Company hold the middle and split.

How does the defending Steiner unit respond to this splitting of fronts? They decides to charge, as one, towards Cinq company’s flank. Matthew isn’t sure why, it’s not a smart move. Perhaps their leaders were held back or in the other unit, or perhaps they haven’t been able to go from being asleep to being attacked and assaulted and now counter striking.

The answer is simple. Cinq company begins to retreat, while Delta starts sending long range energy weaponry at their rear and Phaeton and Defender companies hit from their flank. Meanwhile, this is the perfect chance for Ted’s lance to split off.

After Phaeton, Defender and Delta begin to close, Cinq spins and turns to face their force. With them outflanked and units in the rear, their command structure begins to break up and they dissolve into lances, moving as units of four mechs before battle even begins.

When the AeroSpace units begin to hit their compound and the scouting mechs begin to be strafed by fighters, it is obvious that the mechs Matthew are about to hit deflate just a little, but it is too late now.

A random number of lances hits each company, as they have lost all coordination.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 01:53 AM

Number of mechs in the compound - 2 battalions - 72. # of scout mechs currently missing. 24. 48 mechs remaining, almost exclusively medium, heavy and assault, and all with fire support or close in hitting roles.

That means there are 12 lances out there, half fire support and half close range. How will they break down against us? Well, let’s roll and find out.

Phaeton: Fire Support x1, Close Range x3

Delta: Fire Support, x2

Cinq: Fire Support x3, Close Rangex1

Defender: Close Rangex2

Okay, so we have two companies with two lances each, and two companies with 4 lances each. Plus, our plus size company, Defender company, is only against two lances. Hmm.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 02:01 AM

Let’s begin with Defender Company.

Our Foes:

Hunchback
Awesome
BattleMaster
Orion
Wolverine
Valkyrie
Thunderbolt
Zeus

Three assaults, 2 heavies, 2 mediums and one light (the Valkyrie)

Here is Defender’s Grasshopper piloted by Bryson Abasi. It is a heavy mech that I am not a fan of, although I know some others might disagree with me. It is 70 tons with 4/6/4 movement, quite interesting for a heavy mech. To its credit, it is almost fully armored. It features 4 medium lasers, a large laser, a useless LRM5, and 22 heat sinks. It’s not the worse mech I’ve ever seen, but I’ve seen a lot better, and the LRM5 is superfluous when fighting against mechs of a similar weight.

http://www.solaris7.com/Images/TRO/BattleMechs/3025%20Grasshopper1.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 11:37 AM

Okay, here is Defender’s first action for us. Let’s go.

We win init. This should be over soon. Elite pilots at night fighting regular pilots at night, plus we have 15 mechs to their 8, even if their 8 are heavier, that’s good odds. They rush us. In darkness, it takes you three spaces for each hex you walk or run but not jump, not counting trees or whatnot. Our area is bereft of trees and just has minor slopes. All units are at +3 to hit, and as a result, elite pilots are much better. Adding 3 to your base of 2 is much easier to hit than adding it to a base of 4. I’ve got pilots that only need to hit 7s and 8s after all modifiers, and they have to hit 9s and 10s. Good math. Our Archer and Stalker hit their Zeus in the each once each, and the external armor is shed away and the sensors are hit.

We lose init. Our Grasshopper hit’s the Zeus’s head with a Medium Laser and it dies.

We win init. Our P Hawk jumps around the back of their Hunchy, an then fires a lot of weapons into its rear and it hits ammo and explodes.

We lose init again. I hop our Firestarter behind their Thunderbolt. Their Awesome falls after taking a lot of damage.

We lose again. I jump our P Hawk behind their BattleMaster. I get our Jav in the rear arc of their T Bolt three spaces back. Their Awesome stands. Our Jav goes internal and hit’s the T Bolt’s LRM15. Their Awesome falls again, heh.

We win init. I hope our FS behind their T Bolt again. Their Awesome does not try to stand. Their BattleMaster gets a through armor critical on our Orion and hits its MG ammo and it explodes. Lucky bastards. Our Warhammer hit’s a pair of leg actuaotrs on their BM. It tumbles. Our FS missed all but one shot (and needed 8s). Our BM kicks and hits an engine on their Awesome.

We win init. I jump our Whitworth behind their fallen BM who failed to stand. Jav behind their T Bolt. Stinger behind their Orion. Our BattleMaster hits their Awesome’s cockpit and their pilot dies. Our Whitworth and Grasshopper each kick off the leg of their BM.

With four of their original mechs destroyed including all three assaults, they begin to retreat, and Matthew immediately moves to block them. Their Valkyrie and Wolverine get away, they was too far back and too fast with jump jets. Their other two mechs are encircled and we easily are faster with many jump capable units. They surrender their machines to us.

Salvage:

Zeus missing H
Awesome with cockpit hit, PPC hits twice, heat sink hit.
BattleMaster missing RL, LL, hit SRM6 x2, Medium Laser, PPC
Hunchback LA, RT

Thunderbolt
Orion

Captured

Valkyrie and Wolverine got away.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 12:04 PM

Defender Company is the first to finish since they were the firs to engage. Seeing their comrades fall, the other groups will fight much harder before quitting, instead of just going about halfsies.

It will take about 20 tons for my mechs, because we didn’t get much damage at all to any of our mechs. It was really hard for them to hit us, and although we missed a lot, we hit enough.

I hand our MW the unabused Orion to replace the destroyed one. We get the security codes from the MW we captured, but will turn loose soon.

Next up, Phaeton Company, who was near Defender company.

Phaeton’s Foes:

Valkyrie
Griffin
Rifleman
Thunderbolt
Stalker
Atlas
Warhammer
Centurion
Victor
Shadow Hawk
Panther
Cyclops
Ostsol
Enforcer
Crusader
Merlin

4 assaults, 2 lights, 6 heavies, 4 mediums

Remember that Phaeton Company is down a mech. So that’s 11 vs. 16. Of those 11, 6 are jump jet equipped.

This is our foe’s Victor. It is an 80 assault mech designed to close with its foe, with 4/6/4 movement and featuring a powerful AC20 with medium lasers to back it up. However, it has lighter armor than you’d expect, and it is often the victim of its own tactics.

http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/diagrams/victor0.gif

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 04:14 PM

They have a much higher BV than us even at regular. We just have to hope that we will be able to turn the darkness into enough of an advantage that we manage to be victorious. This place is almost completely flat and out in the open, so no one can hide behind anything.

We win init. Just an exchange of long range weapons and very sloooow positioning.

We win init. Just more exchange of fire barely.

We win init yet again. This is going slowly. It’s tough, I want to talk about the battles, but there is not much happening, so nothing to talk about. I do hop our Jav 10F behind their Crusader. We miss all of the Mls and the kick on the Crusader.

We still win init. I jump our P Hawk behind their Crusader. Our Catapult loses an LRM15 buts hits an engine and gyro on their S Hawk. Both our Cat and their S Hawk fall.

We still win init. They stand their S Hawk back up. We stand up our Catapult. We jump our Jav behind their Crusader. More attacks.

We win init yet again. Still very little. P Hawk behind the Crusader, etc. Our Awesome destroys their S Hawk’s head with a PPC and its RL and LT with another in the same barrage. Their Rifleman falls. Our P Hawk kicks their Crusader and it tumbles.

They roll a 10 for init but we manage a 12 and win yet again. Silly. Rifleman stands. Jav behind their Crusader who stood back up. Our Awesome blows the RA of their Ostsol. Their Centurion destroys the LL of our Warhammer. Their Crusaders destroys its LT. Our Warhammer and their Rifleman fall. Our Hammer pilot blacks out so I can’t eject this next turn….

We win init yet again 9 to 7. P Hawk behind the Crusader. Their Rifleman fails to stand. Theur Crusader hit’s the engine x2 on my Warhammer 6L. Their Ostsol destroys the CT. Dead Warhammer. Our Griffin destroys the Rifleman’s RA. Their Atlas’s AC20 hits our Riflemans AC5 and Large laser on its RA. Their Crusader falls again after being kicked by the P Hawk. We roll high enough to recover the CT section (I rolled a10). Let’s try the engine and gyro. Nope, both need to be replaced

We win init 8 to 6. Their Crusader rises again. Jav behind the Crusader. Our Rifelman hit’s a LL on their Ostsol. Our Hermes II destroys its LL. It falls and destroys its RT.

We win init 11 to 10. Their Ostsol rises. P Hawk behind the Crusader. Our Awesome hit’s the AC10 on their Centurion. Our T Bolt destroys the RL of their R Man. Our Panther destroys its LT. Our Rifleman destroys the RL of their Ostsol. Our Catapult hit’s a foot actuator on their Centurion. Our P Hawk hits the gyro on their Crusader. Their Crusader, Centurion and Ostsol all tumble.

On round 11 we finally lose init 9 to 11. Their Crusader and Centurion stand again. We can’t jump behind their Crusader because they finally decided to guard its back with their Cyclops. Our Rifleman destroys the CT of their Ostsol.

We lose init 5 to 6. We have some damaged mehcs and so do they, we need to start offing their Rifleman, Centurion and Crusader. P Hawk behind their Cyclops. I fire at the Crusader though. Our Panther’s PPC is hit. Our P Hawk destroys the LA of their Crusader. Our Awesome hit’s the LRM10 on their Centurion. Out Catapult destroys the RA and RT of their Centurion. It falls and hits its engine once.

We win init 11 to 5. Their Centurion stays on the ground. Jav behind the Cyclops. Again, it will fire at the Crusader. Our Catapult destroys their Rifleman after hitting its AC5 ammo. Our Javelin hit’s the Crusader’s SRM ammo and it goes up too. Who builds a mech with ammo in its CT? Stupid Crusader. Their Thunderbolt and Atlas fall under damage. Our T Bolt and Griffin have been soloing their T Bolt for awhile and now we are getting results.

We lose init 6 to 10. Atlas and T Bolt of theirs stand. P Hawk in their Cyclops’ rear. Our T Bolt hit’s the Large Laser on their T Bolt.

We lose init 2 to 10. I hop both our Falcon and Jav behind their Cyclops. Our Hermes II hit’s the Hip Actuator on one of their Cyclops’s legs. It falls hard. Our Falcon misses a kick and falls. Our Jav kicks their Atlas and it falls.

We win 7 to 5. Their Cyclops stands. I get our P Hawk behind their now standing Atlas. Our Falcon scrambles up. Our Griffin destroys the CT of their Rifleman. Both their Thunderbolt and Atlas fall under weapons.

We lose 4 to 7. Jav jumps behind their Atlas. Their mechs rise. A lot of my mechs are starting to run out of ammo. Our T Bolt hit’s the engine, LRm15 and empty LRM15 slot on their Thunderbolt. Our Panther’s SRM4 hit’s a couple of leg actuators on their T Bolt. Our Hermes II hit’s a leg actuator on their Cyclops. Their T Bolt falls and destroys its RA and RT, hits its gyro twice and, it is out officially.

We win init 8 to 5. Quick status. Untouched - Javelin. Barely damaged - Hermes II, Griffin, T Bolt, Awesome, P Hawk. Damaged significantly - Catapult, Panther, Falcon, Rifleman. They are still pushing, no question. P Hawk behind the Atlas. Our Hermes II took some fire this turn.

I win 5 to 4. Their Cyclops falls while running. Our T Bolt destroys the CT of their Atlas. Our Hermes II hits another foot actuator on their Cyclops.

And with that, they begin to retreat with us having killed their Atlas, Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, Rifleman, Crusader, Ostsol, and Centurion. That’s a lot of kills.

We surround them like before, and like before, many get away. We are unable to stop their Valkyrie, Panther, Merlin, Enforcer and Victor from fleeing the field. The other three mechs surrender to us.

Salvage:

Shadow Hawk missing LT, H, RL
Ostsol H, LL
Crusader LT, LA, RL
Centurion H, LA, LL, RL
Atlas H, LL, RL, RA, LA, LT, RT
T Bolt gyro x2, leg actuators, engine x2, RA and RT destroyed.

Captured:

Warhammer
Cyclops with many actuators hit
Stalker

Repair:

Warhammer - LT, LL, gyro and engine need to be replaced.
Need to fix LRM15 on Catapult, AC5 and Large Laser on Rifleman, PPC on Panther.

This took hours to do, it was so slooow. Boring.

Oh, and it will take about 60 tons of armor for our scoured team.

Anakago Intade, in the Griffin, got his 8th kill and now has Edge: 1. We take the Warhammer 6R to replace the Warhammer 6L that got hammered until it gets fixed.

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 06:41 PM

The next attack that hits is the thrust against Delta hitting them from their rear. They have two lances against our heavy company. Easy killings.

Here are our foes:

Archer 2S
Trebuchet
Griffin
Stalker
Marauder
JagerMech 6A (the one with two LRM15s and 2 AC2s)
Striker
Blackjack

Here is Samir Azif’s Wasp from Delta company, a very common 20 ton mech with a medium laser and a SRM2. It has 6/9/6 movement and relies on speed and not armor to keep it alive. According to some accounts, the Wasp is the second most common mech in the Inner Sphere after the Locust.

http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/diagrams/wasp0.gif

Abe Sargent

11-08-2009, 09:01 PM

We win init, 6 to 5. Their Griffin hops next to my Crusader and I have to wonder why. Griffin’s weapons are a PPC and LRM10, both of which have minimum ranges. No other weapons, so it’s like it can’t even hit my Crusader, so the Crusader just stands still in order to nail their Griffin. Javelin behind their Marauder, Spider behind their Stalker. Then we just exchange fire.

We lose init 5 to 11. Jumped our Wasp behind their Blackjack. Spider behind their JagerMech. Jav behind their Striker. Their Griffin falls after taking some damage.

We win 10 to 7. Their Griffin arises. I manage our Dragon behind their Archer. The Jav too. Our BattleMaster runs up to their Marauder. Spider behind their Stalker. Our Black Knight hit’s the gyro and engine each once of their Trebuchet. Our Hermes II hits the Trebuchet’s ammo and BOOM. Our Awesome, their Griffin and their Marauder all fall. Our Javelin punches twice and goes internal both times on their Archer buts hits no critical components.

We won 9 to 3. Our Awesome arises. Griffin stands again. Spider behind the Striker. Wasp behind the JagerMech. Jav behind Archer again. The Griffin blew off its LA when it fell, before it stood again. Their Marauder stands up for more BattleMaster beatings. Sometimes you should just stay down kid. Our Crusader hit’s the engine on their Striker after it turns and exposes it to us after trying to escape from our Spider. Our Black Knight decapitates their Marauder. I told you to stay seated. Their Striker falls.

We win 11 to 2. They are down to 6 mechs and falling. Jav behind JagerMech. Wasp behind Blackjack. Spider behind Stalker. Their Striker stays on the ground. Our ‘Hammer destroys the Griffin’s RA. Their Stalker falls.

We win 5 to 4. This turn their Striker stands along with their Stalker. Jag behind JagerMech. We concentrate a lot of fire on their Stalker and it tumbles. Our Black Knight took some hits too. Our Banshee punches their Archer in its LT and destroys it. Our BM kicks their downed Stalker and hits an engine.

We win 9 to 8. They hop their Griffin away despite severe damage. I position my Catapult and Wasp to punt heads on their Griffin and/or Blackjack who are standing beside each other. Our Black Knight destroys the LL of their Stalker and hits its gyro twice. That counts as the kill. Our Hermes II then destroys its CT and that does not count as the kill. Not recoverable. Our Banshee punches the engine of their Archer. Our Spider kicks their Jagermech and gets a leg blown off critical on its LL. Our Jav punches and destroys its RA.

With just a few mechs left, they try to leave, but a legged JagerMech, savaged Archer, Striker are not getting away, but the savaged Griffin with virtually nothing left anywhere manages to elude as does the Blackjack.

Maggie Fraticelli, our Black Knight pilot, notched 8 kills and gains Edge: 1

Salvage:

Trebuchet LA
Marauder missing H and LA
Archer LA
Stalker RL, H, RT, LT, RA, LA
JagerMech LL

Captured:

Jagermech missing LL and RA
Archer 2s - engine hit, missing LT and LA
Striker no major damage, just a lot of armor gone.

It will take about 25 tons of armor for us.

Abe Sargent

11-09-2009, 11:53 PM

Once the remaining forces see how quickly and effectively Delta, Phaeton and Defender company, they stop charging Cinq company, who is now ready for them, and regroup with the remaining units that managed to flee us and begin to move off into the night. We have more important things, so they go.

……

As Steve Sanders moves his men into the complex, he hides as some tanks come flying by, trying to elude the bombing from above. Ted’s lance of mechs is moving towards the facility and chasing some vehicles that fled before them.

Our infantry break into the building where we suspect they are hiding our people easily enough, but the building in big. We thought it was just office. It was not. There are several light tanks in here hiding from the bombing, and since we told them not to bomb this building, they are safe.

Steve Sanders and our infantry will have to defeat these tanks.

Our units:

Jump Laser Platoon
Foot SRM Platoon
Foot Rifle Platoon
Motorized Rifle

Their Tanks:

Scorpion Light Tank (ick)
J. Edgar Light Hover Tank

The Scorpion has a machine gun, which is an infantry killer.

Abe Sargent

11-10-2009, 01:40 AM

Alright, here we go.

We lost init 7 to 11. We concentrate our fire on the J Edgar who is near us and our Jump Laser platoon damages its movement system and it is now immobile.

We lose 9 to 10. They choose to back up with their Scorpion and attack with its AC5 from outside our range. Our Foot Platoon Rifle destroys the J. Edgar’s right sid.e They are now promoted to Regular with their 4th kill. The Scorpion kills 6 men in the Jump laser platoon.

We lose 3 to 10. We advance towards their Scorpion in its corner and it tried to run but we get a turn to fire at it. Our Jump platoon hits its movement and it is destroyed and now immobile.

Their Scorpion crew surrender as our infantry begin to surround the tank.

Salvage:

Scorpion Light Tank with destroyed movement system
J Edgar with the same

Steve Sanders orders most of his men to rescue Trinity company. He begins to interrogate the captured vehicle crews. Where are Trinity Company mechs? That sort of thing. We are informed by several crew members independently that they were given away and distributed, as I feared.

Abe Sargent

11-10-2009, 09:48 PM

With our objective reached, and our foes destroyed, we have a short period of time to get what we can before forces from the capital city reach us.

Hell’s Black Aces have a few conventional fighters and many vehicles they took as salvage. We order all of our DropShips to lift off and head here as one.

The remaining vehicles and mechs have dispersed.

We kept a few areas clean of bombs and our infantry cracks them open. There is some materiel here for us to procure. Not too much though. It’s not like we hit lucky and got LosTech refit kits or extra mechs or anything. Just some weapons, ammo and armor.

After taking what we can load onto the DropShips, both salvage and procurement, we lift off, with the Black Aces providing us a fighter screen as we head into space and to our JumpShips.

February 16, 3041 - Braham Essex finishes a long conversation with the very pleased Steiner delegation on Solaris VII. They know it was us that attacked their base, took tons of their mechs and materiel, made off with our people, and caused a lot of damage. Yet they are very, very happy, because we hammered and embarrassed a unit with significant Skye leanings. I wouldn’t be surprised if they played us they entire time, and actually knew the information was fake that they used to send us on a mission, and then did psych profiles that suggested we wouldn’t take it, and then would go in there, clean up the Steiner mess, and then give them a service they could not do themselves.

They happily send us a full company of mechs of the exact models of Trinity Company, so that we did not lose any materiel, and we can keep what we took, which means we took our materiel from Skye Secession and not from loyalists. Best of both worlds for Steiner.

Sometimes, the byzantine workings of the Great Houses really just piss me off.

Abe Sargent

11-10-2009, 10:52 PM

February 17, 3041 - Our taskforce leaves the Westerstede system.

May 4, 3041 - We arrive back in Epsilon Eridani. We finish paying the Black Aces and they head back to Outreach.

Okay, let’s take a look at some stuff: What we took, what we have, what we spent, and so forth.

Transit to Westerstede and Back Again: 9 jumps away, 450k each way. 900k per DropShip, and we took 6 DropShips, so we spent 5.4 mill on transit.

Armor: Total used: 105 tons

Ammo: We used a lot of our initial ammo

5.4 mill - Transport
1,050,000 - Armor
962,500 - Ammo
4.2 million - to repair Warhammer 6L damaged in the fighting
600,000 - We give each member of Trinity Company a 50k C Bill bonus for their time incarcerated.
2,072,034 - Salary and upkeep for all units
1,950,000 - Total Paid to Hell’s Black Aces

Total Spent: 16,234,534

Abe Sargent

11-10-2009, 11:37 PM

What did we get from the base rooms? Let’s roll some dice.

5 AC2s
3 MG
6 Flamer
6 LRM10
4 Medium Laser
2 SRM6
4 SRM4
1 SRM2
9 Heat Sinks
30 tons of armor
6 tons of AC20 ammo
5 tons of AC2 ammo
2 tons of MG ammo
10 tons of LRM10 ammo
4 tons of LRM5 ammo
7 tons of SRM6 ammo
6 tons of SRM4 ammo
3 tons of SRM2 ammo

Total: 2,786,000

This can mostly cut into the previous price, since much of it is ammo and armor that would just get used instead of spending. There are some weapons and heat sinks in here though, so we’ll have to sell some of them for a reduced price in order to get some cash.

Total After Selling: 2,400,000

Abe Sargent

11-10-2009, 11:54 PM

What else did we salvage:

Scorpion Light Tank with destroyed movement system
J Edgar with the same
Trebuchet LA
Marauder missing H and LA
Stalker RL, H, RT, LT, RA, LA
Jagermech missing RA
Archer 2S - engine hit, missing LT
Shadow Hawk missing LT, H, RL
Ostsol H, LL
Crusader LT, LA, RL
Centurion H, LA, LL, RL
Atlas H, LL, RL, RA, LA, LT, RT
T Bolt gyro x2, leg actuators, engine x2, RA and RT destroyed.
Zeus missing H
Awesome with cockpit hit, PPC hits twice, heat sink hit.
BattleMaster missing RL, LL, hit SRM6 x2, Medium Laser, PPC
Hunchback LA, RT
Cyclops
Stalker
Thunderbolt
Striker
Warhammer

And this is where we will make money. Let’s start selling pieces:

Sold Ostsol, Crusader, Centurion, Hunchback, Trebuchet: 4,375,000 C Bills made from these sales.

Spend about 1,150,000 to get Awesome, Cyclops, Stalker, Thunderbolt, Striker and Warhammer back to perfect order.

I have to replace the severely damaged T Bolt engine after failing to fix it. Ick. That’s 1.125 mill Cbills right there. It will cost another 1.25 mill for parts, armor, and ammo.

We fix the damage to the BattleMaster. We use the salvaged Stalker leg to replace one of the missing legs for the BM. It will cost 650k for the other leg. Then add 330k for armor and ammo.

The Zeus Head only costs about 750k to fix.

Scorpion Light Tank and J Edgar are functional with about 250k total spent.

We just sell the Shadow Hawk for 3.75 mill instead of fixing it.

Archer needs about 1,050k in ammo, armor, and torso piece.

JagerMech needs just 500k for the arm, but the AC in the arm is another 100k, plus armor and ammo is 950k total.

Marauder needs 1.5 mill for parts, weapons (PPCs are expensive), armor, ammo

We are keeping these parts, sent to Delta Company:

Stalker H, RT, LT, RA, LA
Atlas H, LL, RL, RA, LA, LT, RT

Total: -830,000

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 12:21 AM

These are immediately added to our garrison. They need only minor work.

Cyclops
Stalker
Thunderboltx2
Striker
Warhammer
Awesome
Marauder
JagerMech
Archer 2S
Zeus
BattleMaster

Scorpion Light Tank
J. Edgar Hovertank

Total Lost: 14,664,534

We take it out of our bank, but look what we gained. I could sell that for a ton of money, but why bother? These 12 mechs represent a full company, and it would be a powerful company too, look at how heavy they are. Awesome, Thunderbolts, Warhammer Archer, Zeus, BattleMaster - these are good machines. Even the next level of Marauder, that JagerMech variant, Striker, Stalker and Cyclops are pretty good too.

Remember we also captured an Orion but used it to replace a destroyed Orion in Defender Company.

Once we arrive back at Epsilon Eridani, we notice that the recruit from Braham Essex on S7 have been gathering and acting as a garrison force along with the vehicle force we have there and the students.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 12:43 AM

Let’s go back a second:

Jan 1, 3041 - The next class has enrolled in the Essex Training Academy - 8 people.

5 students will graduates from the inaugural class from Jan 1, 3039 at the end of this year. The second class of 6 will graduates in the next year. Then we have 8 more. That gives us an emergency defense force of 19 MechWarriors, probably Green, to help defend us in times of need.

Okay, back from that little backwards turn.

Here are the MechWarriors Braham sent us:

Claire Sawicky, elite
Marissa Sharpe, elite
Isabella Sanchez, elite
Roderick Hampton, elite
Bao Yu, elite
Abdullah Badawi, elite

Six MechWarriors more for the machine.

They join with “Ted’s Lance”

Amber Revleron, elite, Awesome 8T
Scott Parnell, elite, Phoenix Hawk 1K
Manuel Juarez, veteran, Striker
Mei Zhen, elite, Charger 1A9

Ted grabs a few recruits on Outreach when taking back Hell’s Black Aces:

Brady O’Malley, veteran
Adam Nyambui, elite

This gives us our newest company.

Meet the new Typhon Company (I am resurrecting the name)

Anvil Lance

Lt. Amber Revleron, elite, Awesome 8T
Manuel Juarez, veteran, Striker
Adam Nyambui, elite, Merlin
Marissa Sharpe, elite, Wolverine

Hammer Lance

Sgt. Mei Zhen, elite, Charger 1A9
Brady O’Malley, veteran, JagerMech JM6-A
Roderick Hampton, elite, Griffin
Abdullah Badawi, elite, Marauder

Thunder Lance

Sgt. Scott Parnell, elite, Phoenix Hawk 1K
Bao Yu, elite, Javelin
Isabella Sanchez, elite, Jenner
Clare Sawicky, elite, Ostscout

We send, to Phaeton Company with a missing mech, the Zeus, now assigned to Aurelia Yevgina.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 01:12 AM

That means we have, unoccupied and unassigned, on Epsilon Eridani, the following mechs.

Marauder
Shadow Hawk
Awesome x3
Locust x2
Wasp x2
Hermes II
Grasshopper
Charger 1A1
2750 Lancelot x2
2750 Exterminator
Talon 5W
2750 Highlander
2750 Flashman
Excalibur B2
2750 Mongoose
2750 Hermes
Phoenix Hawk 1K
Lowtech Mongoose
Grand Dragon
Warhammer x2
Ostroc
Phoenix Hawk
Jenner
Cyclops
Stalker
Thunderboltx2
Striker
Archer 2S
BattleMaster

It’s hard to find good scout mechs in the older technology. There are too many sucky scout mechs like Locust, Wasp, Stinger, Hermes II, Flea, and so forth. That means there are only a few scouts I want: Spider, Javelin, Phoenix Hawk, Jenner. Therefore, my least diverse aspect of my units is the scouting units.

That will change eventually though, as new mechs are built that don‘t suck so much.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 01:27 AM

May 14, 3041 - Aleph Company arrives back from its contract for ComStar in the former Duchy of Andurien.

Trinity Company is ordered to spent some time in R&R and light garrison work on Epsilon Eridani until future notice.

Hex Company is due back on July 17, 3041.

June 1, 3041 - We begin to take contracts again. As a reminder, here are our Companies on Epsilon Eridani:

Aleph Company
Phaeton Company
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company
Cinq Company
Hex Company - Due back Jul 17
Defender Company
Typhon Company
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 01:45 AM

Let’s see what contracts are available this month in the Inner Sphere that interest me.

Objective Raid by Marian Hegemony way out in the Periphery.
Lyran Commonwealth asking us for another Objective Raid, this time on Draconis Combine
Lyran Commonwealth asking for Defense Contract

Where are the Lyran Contracts?

The Raid is on Shirotori, which is usually a non-descript planet with not much going on. It’s about 8 jumps away. Steiner forces raided the world as part of the War of 3039, but after they got trounced by the Dragon, they hid a large amount of supplies in two caves before blasting off. They suspect that those have never been found, so the contract is to hit Shirotori, grab the stuff from those caves, and blast off.

Simple enough. We assign our newly minted Typhon Company to head out there and get their first contract.

The details:

Length: 1 month
Salvage: Full
Transport: 50%
Command: Liaison
Support: Battle Loss 40%
Remuneration: Yes
Salary: x3.5, x1.3,x1.6

Typhon Company will arrive at Shirotori on Sept 15, 3041.

Let’s go ahead and do it.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 04:51 PM

Sept 15, 3041 - Typhon Company arrives on planet at the relatively quiet planet of Shirotori. There are only a few DropPorts in this quiet agrarian planet. Most of the planet are islands and archipelagos, and there is a strong fishing, seaweed, kelp and other sea foods industry here. There are some very common seaweeds here on Shirotori that are hard to grow elsewhere, so the planet does have some value.

There are some mountains in a few of the islands that suggest where tectonic plates merge. One of those supposedly has the lost Steiner cache of supplies. We land nearby in a large seaport that also has some DropPort facilities.

That evening, after landing, we leave the mechs in the DropShip and move to secure transport on the ground for a few days.

Sept 16, 3041 - We begin to move out, scouting in a few vehicles. After several hours, we move into the hills, and after a few more, we get to the rocky mountainous area supposed to have our cache. As we near it, we find no sign of any sort of recent activity. We camp out for the evening.

Sept 17, 3041 - After having been here for 12 hours, we notice no patrols, no surveillance, no contact with humanity of any kind. So we move out, find the cave that Steiner told us about, and discover that both caves still have, deep inside, the materiel stored here by Steiner forces two years ago.

We retreat and order our DropShip to come nearby, where we will load up in our mechs, and wait to see if anybody comes to protest our presence for a few hours while the goods are loading onto the Ship.

A few hours later, the DropShip is here, we are all in mechs around it, and goods are being loaded as fast as we can. We notice no enemies at all for the entire time, and our DropShip lifts off with no problems at all

A combat-free first mission for Typhon.

They arrive back on January 2, 3042.

Contract:

Basically, we paid 400k transportation, and a few hundred for salary, and they gave us a salary. It was easy to account for since no salvage, no battle loss compensation, no armor, no ammo, no fixing things up, etc.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 05:14 PM

Back to June 1, 3041 - The Defense contract the LC was offering was for work out in th ePeropheyr, and I don’t want to go that far.

July 1, 3041 - More contracts?

Corporation wants Cadre/Garrison work for four months. Seems like a nice soft contract for Cinq Company after some heavy work in Westerstede.
Fed Suns for Obj Raid on Periphery. No thanks.
Fed Suns for Pirate Hunting along Drac Combine border. Where is this? Around Breed, actually.
Fed Suns for Retainer, long term
Draconis Combine for Planetary Assault against who? Galtor III. Wow, that’s going to be a major contract.

Aleph Company
Phaeton Company
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company
Cinq Company
Hex Company - Due back Jul 17
Defender Company
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Cinq is heading to Exedor in the Capellan Confederation for four months t do some training and garrison work for a company there. 8 jumps away.

Contract:

Salary: x.3.4, x1.1, x1.3 for both Cadre and Garrison work
Length: 4 months
Support: 50% Battle Loss
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Command: House
Salvage: Shared
15% Bonus

We launch and will arrive on Sept 30, 3041.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 06:02 PM

Sept 30, 3041 - We arrive on Exedor.

Nov 1, 3041 - Cinq Company begins training corporate personnel in combat.

Dec 10, 3041 - The mining consortium on Exedor is actually attacked, and we are called in as garrison troops.

We arrive at the landing point for the raiders, and, not expecting their foes to have mechs but just vehicles, we catch them by surprise. With a few minutes, the lance of mechs has surrendered and are turned over to our employer. Their two AeroSpace fighters and their Drop Ship flee.

March 1, 3042 - Our contract expires.

Contract:

Spent:

464k spent salary and upkeep
800k transport

Received:

400k transport
577k - salary + bonus
4,450,000 shared salvage

We took a Spider and Locust as our cut of the scout lance’s salvage.

4,163,000 made

We arrive back on June 27, 3042

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 06:16 PM

One of the things I like to do when I roll a contract is try and see what is going on right now. Currently, the Draconis Combine is under a “Death to Mercenaries” proclamation, although a few barons, dukes, and Theodore Kurita himself will sometimes do so when it is needed.

When I rolled the Planetary Assault for the Dracs, I knew there would only be one assault going on right now they would want help with - Galtor III, so I put that up as possibility.

Galtor III was lost by the Fed Suns to the Combine in the Fourth Succession War when they were busy attacking Capella. Over the next few years, Davion poured a lot of money in Galtor III in terms of guerilla and propaganda. When the War of 3039 broke out, Davion sent several mercenary units to Galtor III to liberate the populace while the machine moves forward with gobbling up planets.

This worked marvelously, and the planet quickly moved to Davion’s flag.

Galtor III was missing by the Draconis counterattack. While Combine units ran quickly and decisively to the captured and disputed worlds, they missed Galtor III. On planet was the mercenary unit Clifton’s Rangers. The Rangers and the populace had been scouring the world of any sign of the Draconis Combine.

Galtor III was still under the control of the mercenaries and Davion forces when the Exeter Accords were signed in early 3040, ending all hostilities. The Draconis Combine did not know that Galtor III had switched, nor did the Federated Commonwealth armies.

The withdraw order had been received by the Rangers, but it read withdraw if you are facing Drac opposition, which had never materialized on Galtor III. The economic, political and social structures erected by the Draconis Combine over the past ten years were being eliminated peacefully by a populace fully believing themselves to be Davion again and welcoming it.

It was not until late 3040 that the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS) realized that they were still being sent status reports from Galtor III. By then, the borders had been fortified on both sides, making any incursions into Drac space to support Galtor III a difficult proposal at best. The AFFS began to covertly move merchant ships into the Galtor III system in order to evacuate refugees, and bring in supplies. Four Fed Suns Jumps Ships were cycling in, one a week, in order to help out ht people of Galtor III. They purchased Galtorian supplies for trade and helped their economy while also bringing in volunteers.

This trade lasted for months into 3041 until the Draconis Combine realized that Galtor III had fallen off the map. In May 3041, the Combine sent in bureaucratic scouts to find out what happened.

Well, now they know. They are planning an invasion in October of Galtor III to dislodge the mercenaries. Meanwhile, the mercs have been recalled to the FedSuns and they refused, instead accepting a new contract from Galtor III itself in order to defend it.

I am choosing to steer clear of this conflict. We all know that Galtor III is going to fall to the Dracs. It is their planet and by treaty with the Fed Suns and Lyran Commonwealth ,the planet is still theirs. Still, I feel for Galtor III and the Rangers, and I’d love to send some help, but we’d lose, and they don’t have the $$ to pay us. I’m not going to send forces to actually join the Drac Assault on Galtor III.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 06:34 PM

I appreciate that Davion still wants us for a Retainer contract, but I know he understands that I intend to keep turning him down for now. I don’t want to do the Periphery contract either, which leaves us the Pirate Hunting one near Breed.

However, before we can take it, another unit has accepted it and negotiated for it. Suck.

Another contract is scrounged up to replace it, for a Corporation. They want a company of mercs to garrison for three years. No thanks.

August 1, 3041:

Alright, let’s see what contracts we can pull this month

Draconis Combine - Defense Contract
Capellan Confederation - Retainer
St. Ives Compact - Objective Raid against Capellan world of Randar
Fed Suns - Obj Raid against Drac world of Fomalhaut

That last one definitely interests me. Let’s take a look:

Fomalhaut - 1 jump from Epsilon Eridani, we hit it last year if you’ll recall, for the Suns already once. We are to go back and hit the areas we already hit once before. A company should be sufficient for this task.

Aleph Company
Phaeton Company
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company
Defender Company
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

After seeing who is available, decide to send Defender Company.

Contract:

Salary: x3.7, x1.6, x1.4
Command: Independent
Salvage: Full
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Support: Battle Loss: 50%
Length: 2 months
10% Bonus

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 06:55 PM

August 23, 3041 - Defender Company lands on Fomalhaut. It is a world we know well.

After our assault and raids last year, the Dragon has increased their presence. They have created a new listening post, much like the one we destroyed last year, only this time, they have put it on a truck and move it around in order to avoid being destroyed. We begin to scout out.

August 25, 3041 - AFFS intel has discovered the location of the mobile listening post. We have a chance to take it out right now. We move out.

We discover a mixed company of vehicles and a lance of mechs as support. Our goal is to destroy the truck with the Listening Post before it can run away. However, killing these mechs and vehicles would be great too, because they will help us get out of here.

Our foes:

Quickdraw 4G - veteran
Whitworth - veteran
Charger 1A9 - elite
Centurion - veteran

Goblin Medium Tankx2
Von Luckner x2
Ontos
Partisan
Hunter Light Support Tank x2
Drillson x2
Hetzer x2

This is not a normal company as a garrison or scout, it is an convoy, and it has a lot of slower heavier units designed to harm those who have to come close to hit its target.

As we approach, four VTOLs can be seen that we did not see before. They must have been nearby and picked us up on their sensors:

Peregrine x2
Warrior x2

The mobile post is represented by a 20 ton truck.

All vehicles are veteran.

Battle value wise, this is a close matchup, but I don’t think it will be anything of the sort. I think we are going to crush them.

Here is Defender’s Hermes II. These scout mechs were built once the LosTech needed to make Hermes was so rare that they had to increase the weight. This particular Hermes II weighs 40 tons, has 7/11 movement and features several medium lasers, 2 machine guns and a flamer with good armor at 7.5 tons for a 40 ton mech, which is almost maximum you can put on its frame. Other variants are slower and carry an AC5, bit that is not as good, but it is more common.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/6/64/3025_Hermes1.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 08:26 PM

We lose init. Exchange of fire.

I win init. Our Archer destroys their Peregrine Attack VTOL. Our Whitworth destroys their Hetzer. They really took some armor off our BattleMaster.

We lose 10 to 9. We concentrate a lot of fire on their Centurion. Their von Luckner’s AC20 hit’s the Orion and hit’s an actuator in its foot. Their Ontos hits three actuators in our Stalker’s leg. Our Locust hits he ammo in their Peregrine and it explodes. Our Stalker hit’s the ammo in their Centurion and it explodes. Our Warhammer destroys the other Hetzer. Their Drillson jots the SRM6 and Large Laser on our Stalker. The Stalker falls.

We lose init again. We stand up the Stalker. Our Grasshopper jumps over and lances its lasers into the portable listening post and destroys it. Contract completed. Their Charger hits more leg actuators in our Stalker. Our BattleMaster hit’s the AC20 ammo on one of their Von Luckners and it explodes. Boom! Their Von Luckner hit’s the engine once on our Battlemaster. Their Ontos destroys the RA of our Stalker. Our Stalker falls and destroys its RT and hits its engine twice. That engine escalates the Stalker’s heat significantly, and its ammo explodes from the heat. Boom! Dead mech.

We win 8 to 4. We hop our G Hopper behind their Charger. Their Charge hit’s the Life Support on our P Hawk. We stun the Von Luckner crew.

We win 5 to 2. Captain Matthew Humphries’ Archer destroys the other Von Luckner. Our Orion’s LRM15 is hit by a Goblin Medium Tank. Their Drillson hit’s the head of our Orion and shears it off. Haisha Slater has died. Our G Hopper kicks their Quickdraw’s hip, it falls and hits two more actuators on its RL.

We lose init 6 to 9. Their Quickdraw hits our BattleMaster’s head and that mech is destroyed and Maureen O’Brien dies. With her last barrage, she destroys the RA and RL of their Quickdraw back. Our Hunchy destroys a Goblin Medium Tank. Our Warhammer destroys a Drillson by destroying its fuel tank.

We win 11 to 7. Normally, they would have quit by now, but after taking down three of our mechs, they are going to keep going. Their Partisan destroys the RA and RT of our Locust, an done of their Hunter’s destroys its CT. Our G Hopper hits their Q Draw’s ammo and BOOM! Our Griffin destroys the Ontos Heavy Tank.

We win 9 to 5 and they keep pushing. They took out a fourth mech just now, so I get it. They have destroyed a third of our starting BV. Our Firestarter hit’s the MG ammo on their Partisan and it goes up.

With the loss of their remaining assault tank, they begin to move off, and we totally let them.

We lost two Mws, one mech completely, and I don’t think we’re going to make out financially.

We’ll need about 40 tons of armor.

Salvage:

Hetzer x2
Goblin
Von Luckner
Ontos
Truck
Centurion LA, RA, RL
Stalker LA, H, RL
Quickdraw LT, LL

To Repair:

Orion, missing head.
Battlemaster, missing head
Locust missing RT and RA and CT

Dispossessed Michael Henry is reassigned to the Battlemaster, Locust pilot Sun Chen to the Orion.

Madison Tolteca, in the Warhammer, is promoted to Sergeant.

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 08:31 PM

Contract:

Losses:

2.4 mill - To fix Orion, BM and Locust, which is then transferred to the Garrison.
400k armor
285k ammo
100k transport
240k salary and upkeep

Gains:

350k salary
35k bonus
50k transport
4.9 million as our battle loss

Total We Got: 1,910,000

We will be back on Sept 29, 3041 (Defender Company arrives back on EE)

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 08:50 PM

Sept 1, 3041 - More contracts:

Caps want a Recon Raid
Free Rasalhague Republic wants an Objective Raid
Lyran wants Extraction
St Ives wants Garrison
Periphery for Garrison
Periphery for Defensive Contract

Let’s look at One, Two and Three. What are the targets:

1). Quemoy is the target, 6 jumps away. I’m listening
2). Accrington, a Lyran World. 8 jumps away. I’m listening.
3). Bordon, a Marik world just 3 jumps away.

All are close. Awesome. Let’s do it.

1). We are to recon a group of units on the Fed world of Quemoy. Not anything wrong with recon, Davion probably won’t get pissed with that.
2). The FRR wants us to retake some supplies on Accrington that the Rasalhague movement squirreled away there long ago before they became a nation.
3). Bordon is just a Marik world near the border, but Lyrans sent a merc unit there a few months ago and never heard back, so we are being contracted to go in after them

Aleph Company
Phaeton Company
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company
Defender Company - Sept 29, 3041
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Assignments:

Phaeton Company to Quemoy and the Recon Raid - Arrival Dec 5, 3041
Delta Company to Accrington and the Obj Raid - Arrival Jan 2, 3042
Hex and Aleph are both sent to Bordon for the Extraction - Arrival September 29, 3041

Defender Company is back by the end of the month. Trinity is here but not taking contracts.

law90026

11-11-2009, 08:56 PM

That's a ton of salvage!

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 09:12 PM

Sept 24, 3041 - A group of enemies has appeared on our screen and is moving quickly to Kressly Warworks. We have a few vehicles there to slow things down, and meanwhile, Trinity Company is scrambled to hit them hard. Ted Izumo is loading up his Stalker and joining them. In the meantime, our VTOLs are dispatched to join the fray and slow them down without getting in the way of fire.

While moving there, the raiders break out and surround Trinity Company, so TC will be starting in the middle of the map, the raiders can be anywhere around us.

Here is our foe:

Victor
Banshee
Quickdraw 5A
Catapult
Grasshopper
Vulcan
Vindicator
Hermes II
Locust 3V
UrbanMech
Firestarter
Scorpion

Here is our foe’s UrbanMech. Sometimes called a walking trash can, this 30 ton light mech only moves 2/3/2, and features an AC10 and small laser. It is way too slow, and even good armor for its weight is not that good coverage. For a better slow light mech with one big weapon, see the Panther with its PPC and SRM4, 4/6/4 movement and good armor. Anyway, there is the Urbie.

http://www.jolie.ca/btech/images/urbanmech.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-11-2009, 09:13 PM

That's a ton of salvage!

Oh but yes!

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 03:40 PM

They are a mix of veteran and regular. The Victor pilot is elite.

If they are smart, then they will surround us instead of coming in on one side, that way they can reliably get in our rear arcs.

They do set up around us. We win init 9 to 5. We try to move around so that not every mech is exposed, but they started many of their mechs behind hills, and I do not know where they all are (smart on their part). We run our Cicada behind their Banshee. We savage their Quickdraw, its falls and blows off its own Right Leg.

We win init 9 to 4. I move our Zeus to a place where it can punt thee Firestarter’s Head. Cicada behind the Grasshopper. Our Hatchetman destroys the RT of their Urbie, which destroys its only real weapon. Our T Bolt hit’s the ammo on their Quckdraw and it explodes. Our Ostsol hit’s the AC20 ammo on their Victor and it explodes. Their Catapult kicks and destroys the LL of our Hatchetman. Their Vindicator falls after missing a kick.

Since they are just raiders, with two of their mechs destroyed, another savaged so badly it has nothing but a small laser left, and damaged Vindicator and Banshee, they retreat. As they do, Ted Izumo in his Stalker and numerous academy students in our garrison mechs arrive to contest them. Instead of surrendering, they choose to flee, and we destroy a few more mechs in eviscerating and quick combat before the rest make it away.

Were they mechs? Pirates? House units? Enemy corporation? ComStar? We don’t even know.

Salvage:

Quickdraw RL, RA, LA
UrbanMech RA
Victor RA, RL, LA

To Repair:

Hatchetman LL

Bonita Endicia gets her 8th kill for us in her Thunderbolt. She gains Edge: 1

We trade the more valuable Quickdraw leg for a less valuable Hatchetman one in order to get our guy fixed.

Armor and ammo losses are about 200k

Tellistto

11-12-2009, 05:08 PM

Would think that after awhile they'd stop going after that corp with you making it known that it's off limits. Going to take more than a company to take anything major there.

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Would think that after awhile they'd stop going after that corp with you making it known that it's off limits. Going to take more than a company to take anything major there.

Luckily, right now it's not too valuable, since all it does is make a few parts here and there, and a couple of tanks. It has some value, but that much. Not yet....

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 06:31 PM

Let do contracts for Hex and Aleph companies that are going to Bordon.

Length: 3 months
Salary: x3.7, x1.3, x1.6
Remuneration: No
Salvage: Full
Support: Battle-Loss: 50%
Transport: 50%
Command: Independent
15% Bonus

Sept 29, 3041 - We arrive at Bordon. A mercenary company, Death Denied, was hired by the Lyrans to destroy a command lance of mechs in Bordon. The unit arrived on planet several months ago, and then was unheard of since then. We are tasked with finding out what happened to the unit, and if they failed to complete their task, we are to do so if able. If we can find them, and the task is complete, then we are to aid their extraction.

We land in Cerulean City and try to follow the same steps and the same places that Death Denied took.

Sept 31, 3041 - We still have found no sign of Death Denied. We try a different tactic. Was the command lance destroyed?

Oct 2, 3041 - It does appear that several mechs were ambushed and destroyed a few months ago by an unknown force. Were they the right mechs? We don‘t know yet.

Oct 3, 3041 - It looks like the command lance is confirmed as destroyed by several people talking in a bar near one of the Marik bases. This happened several months ago. So what happened to Death Denied?

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 07:54 PM

Oct 5, 3041 - Well, we found Death Denied. This is not going to be pretty. It appears that Death Denied was contracted by Marik first, and then did a false contract the Lyran Commonwealth as a double agent. They did not destroy the command lance, but simply set out a few rumors that they did. They waited to see if Lyran would send anyone, and lo, they did - they sent us.

Now the Death Denied are going to try and destroy us before we can report back and they are charging our DropShip at Cerulean City. What they did not know, is that we have, not one, but two companies. This is going to be easy.

Well, actually, as they get closer, a few tanks and vehicles from the DropPort militia join Death Denied. We split off one company for Death Denied and another for the vehicles.

Aleph Company will be taking on Death Denied.

Atlas
Marauder
Zeus 6T (the one with a PPC instead of AC5)
Scorpion
Locust 1E (The best variant, with two MLs and two SL)
Spider
Stalker
Warhammer
Rifleman
Banshee
Cicada
Shadow Hawk

Atlas is elite, several vets and several regulars.

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 09:03 PM

We are fighting in a DropPort area with a lot of pavement and roads plus a few service buildings. There are also a few fuel tanks in the area.

We lose init 7 to 8. I move some of our jumping units through a small set of houses in order to flank their forces. Their Locust skidded and fell. You have a chance of skidding whenever you run and turn on pavement, not walk and turn, or just run in a straight line. You make a Piloting Skill Roll to see if you skid or not, and the Locust did. However, when someone skids, it is +2 to hit them that turn, so that’s not happening. Our BattleMaster hit’s the Zeus just once with a Medium laser before our Hunchback fires its AC20 at it. The AC20 hit his RT, destroys all of the external armor, gets a critical, hit’s the LRM ammo, and the Zeus explode without being touched by our Hunchy.

We lose init 7 to 9. Firestarter behind their Rifleman, We focus fire on their Marauder. Their Rifleman falls.

We win init 9 to 6. Their Rifleman stands. Our Jenner alpha strikes their Locust. Our ‘Hammer destroys the RT of their Marauder. A medium laser from our Hunchback seeks out the left torso of their Marauder and hit’s the AC5 ammo - BOOM! Their Stalker ignites Michael Adkin’s LRM ammo on his Centurion and it explodes too and we are down a mech. Our Striker hit’s the AC ammo on their Rifleman, and it explodes. Our Jenner destroys the RA of their Locust. Our Mercury its LA.

With three of their mechs dying in one turn, and another mech already dead, they decide to turn and leave, with a savaged Locust and everything else untouched. We allow them to leave since we may have to see if our fellows need any help.

Salvage:

Zeus RA
Marauder RA, LA
Centurion LA, RA
Rifleman LA, RA

About 10 tons of armor needed

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 10:05 PM

Hex Company against the militia vehicles here in the DropPort.

Striker Light Tank
Bulldog Tank
SRM Carrier
Goblin Medium Tank
Galleon Light Tank
Harasser Missile Platform
AC2 Carrier
Patton Tank
Maxim
Saracen
Devastator
LRM Carrier

That 5 heavies, 1 assault, a few mediums and lights, but a very powerful group as a whole, even with some weaker members like the AC2 Carrier.

They are all regular.

Abe Sargent

11-12-2009, 11:53 PM

We lose init 4 to 10. We start wih some of our legit her mechs a distance in front and our heavier mechs in the back, and then the light ones walk backward while the heavy ones run through. Our Enforcer kicks and destroys the RS of their Harasser.

We win init 8 to 4. Just an exchange of fire.

We win 11 to 6. Our Grand Dragon destroys their LRM Carrier. It’s fuel tank blows up. Our Banshee hits and blows up a fuel tank near their people. A bunch of buildings collapse and our Enforcer and Spider each took ten damage. A bunch of their vehicle stake damage, like 30 to their Striker, 20 to their SRM Carrier, etc. He destroys the Galleon Light Tank’s RS from the explosion. It cannot be recovered. It then causes an adjacent fuel tank to explode. Their Striker’s Front side is destroyed. Not recoverable. SRM Carrier, Goblin Medium Tank, Saracen Hover Tank and AC2 Carrier are also destroyed. That’s officially 6 kills in one turn. Our Thorn destroys the crew in their Devastator. Our Enforcer falls. We destroyed 7 of 12 tanks in one turn overall. No question they leave now.

Their Patton is immobile. We get it too.

Jose Cortez gains skill in gunnery.

Salvage:

Harasser Missile Platform
SRM Carrier
Goblin Medium Tank
AC2 Carrier
Devastator
Patton

Galleon Light Tank weaps
Striker Tank’s weapos too
Saracen weaps

We need about 10 tons of armor

From our garrison, we are assigning a Grasshopper to Michael Adkins who previously had a Centurion.

We are blasting off from Bordon now.

We arrive back at Epsilon Eridani on Nov 11, 3041

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 12:01 AM

What we spent:

337,881 - Salary and upkeep
600k - Transport
200k - armor
370k - ammo

What we received:

614,660 - Salary inc bonus
300k - transport
100k - battle loss ammo
1.5 mill - Battle loss Centurion

Total: 1,006,779 made

The $$ money and mech parts we recovered are going to Hex Company.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 12:59 AM

Okay, let’s do the next contract from September.

Phaeton Company to Quemoy and the Recon Raid - Arrival Dec 5, 3041

Before Phaeton company pulls out, I swap the Falcon, a rare but not that great mech for a Jenner, which is a lot better. I just didn’t like the Thunder Lance here, and think this is better, although it has a not that great Hermes II, at least it doesn’t have two sucky mechs.

Contract:

Length: 2 months
Salvage: Full
Remuneration: No
Support: 50% Battle Loss
Transport: 50%
Command: Independent
Salary: x3.7, x1.2, x1.6
15% Bonus

Here is the Boomerang Spotter Plane. It has no weapons, weighs just 5 tons, can be collapsed rather quickly, has light armor, and has over 1000 pounds of specialized cameras, sensors and communcaiton gear. This one is controlled remotely.

http://www.camospecs.com/images/schemes/19_ArrastiaHamptensHessensBoom.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 02:00 AM

Dec 5, 3041 - We brought a Boomerang and two platoons of infantry to help us. Our goal on the Davion
world of Quemoy is to test its defenses. I am to avoid combat, and instead just focus on getting some information for Liao.

Our infantry get off first, and begin to settle into the seedier area of the main trade city on Quemoy. After a few hours, we confirm that Liao intel is correct, and the areas on the world they think are guarded actually are.

Dec 7, 3041 - We finish building the Boomerang Spotter Plane, and then take it with us to the northern continent’s farming areas. For the next few days we will be sending it out at various times of day to see if there are any forces that are gathered in the area, and if so, when, where and how big.

Dec 16, 3041 - We have finished scouting the vast farming areas for the northern continent ,and have seen nothing.

Dec 17, 3041 - We begin the same for the coastal regions for the Northern Continent. We are avoiding the highly populated areas that we already know about, as well as Castle Martin, an old Star League-era fortress that serves as the HQ for the Quemoy militia and planetary Baron Martin.

Dec 18, 3041 - We pause and remember the 2nd anniversary of the Fall of Andurien.

Dec 24, 3041 - We finish scouting the coastal areas.

Dec 26, 3041 - We arrive on the southern continent and begin scouting the farming areas here.

Jan 10, 3042 - Nothing here either

Jan 17, 3042 - We finished the hills on the southern continent and found a few areas under patrol regularly by their milita, but not much.

Jan 23, 3042 - We finish the coasts here.

Feb 4, 3042 - We have finished scouting the islands and are ready to disembark. Nobody finds us. We forward the info on to the Caps.

We will arrive back on Epsilon Eridani in May 1, 3042

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 03:06 AM

Contract Results:

426k salary and upkeep
600k transit

300k 50%
286k salary +bonus

Result - Lost 440k

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 02:42 PM

Phaeton Company - Due back May 7, 3042
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company - Due Back Nov 11, 3041
Defender Company
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Okay, let’s do the other September 3041 contract:

Delta Company to Accrington and the Obj Raid - Arrival Jan 2, 3042

This is for our friends the Free Rasalhague Republic, which does not normally contract out to mercs, but we are an exception because we helped them get started in the Ronin Wars back in the mid 30s.

Part of me would like to be the McCarron’s Armored Cavalry of the Free Rasalhague Republic, but that is not, ultimately, what I want, but I have had offers for Retainers from them before.

Also known as The Big Mac or simply abbreviated MAC, McCarron's Armored Cavalry is one of the largest and most successful mercenary units in existence with an excellent, near legendary reputation. They have been in service to the Cappellan Confederation for decades and are one of their best units since 2996 when they started their contract for the Confederation. We could have tried to have been the same for the FRR, but destiny has another path before me.

And yet, I am happy to assist my friends in the Republic when I can. Let’s get a contract done.

Length: 1 month
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Salary: x3.7, x1.6, x1.2
Support: 50% Battle Loss
Command: Liaison
Salvage: Shared
22.5% Bonus

Okay, let’s do it.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 03:01 PM

Jan 2, 3042 - We arrive on Accrington, and begin to move out. They world has a ton of militia but no major BattleMech units garrisoning it. The world is sparsely populated, so although it has traditional infantry and vehicles, it doesn’t have a need for mechs.

Jan 3, 3042 - We have left the small DropPort behind in our mechs. No one has bothered to stop us.

Jan 5, 3042 - We arrive in the forested area that was used by the Free Rasalhague movement 10 years ago when they had agents on this planet.

Jan 17, 3042 - We finally discover the cache after our initial intel was off by Rasalhague. We call our DropShip and it arrive. We use our weapons to clear out an area for the DropShip and loading.

Surprisingly, no one has come by to protest our presence, or our loading of the supplies. Probably because they either didn’t see us (unlikely) or didn’t care (possible) or decided we weren;t worth the effort (possible) or have a trap yet to spring (possible) or called for reinforcements and are waiting for them (doubtful).

We jet off in the evening and leave Accrington behind. Weird that. I wasn;t expecting it at all.

Contract:

400k paid on transport after 50% taken out
I do the salaries and make the changes on my financial page.

We will arrive back on EE on May 27, 3042.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 03:04 PM

Let’s roll back to October. Here are our units:

Oct 1, 3041 - There are no contracts for our units of quality this month.

Aleph Company - Due back Nov 11, 3041
Phaeton Company - Due back May 7, 3042
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company - Due back May 27, 3042
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company - Due Back Nov 11, 3041
Defender Company
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Nov 1, 3041 - Luckily, we roll a milk run for Defender Company to disembark on. Pirate Hunting for the Taurian Concordat. Normally I would not want to send someone so far away, but it might be just the thing for Defender Company.

It will take a while to jump all the way out there, but let’s do a contract:

Salvage: Full
Salary: x3.7, x1.1, x1
Remuneration: Nope
Command: Indy
Transport: 50%
Battle-Loss: 50%
Length: 4 months

Defender Company will arrive in April 21, 3042 in the right system. Then the Taurians will fill us in as to what is happening. Let’s go ahead and rock it now:

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 04:25 PM

April 21, 3042 - Defender company arrives in the Taurian system of New Vandenburg. They’ve been having problems with pirates in the area between the Magistracy of Canopus and the Concordat. They circle six systems on our map that they have narrowed the pirates too. All of them are uncharted and should be unsettled.

We will jump into each, and then scour the system for pirates, before jumping to the next, and so on.

April 23, 3042 - We jump to the first system.

After a quick scan, we find a lot of traffic on the communication network, suggesting someone is here. There is a habitable planet in system so our DropShip disembarks from the JumpShip and we move in.

April 26, 3042 - As we near the planet, our scans show that there is an area that looks industrial with buildings, mines, and more.

April 28, 3042 - After setting down, just as we begin to disembark, we are hit by a large unknown number of pirates. Found them on the first try.

Here they are:

Mechs
Veteran
15 of them

We begin to get some of them on our HUD. Wait a second. What the…?

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 05:24 PM

Let’s roll them up

Wasp
Panther
Firefly
Flea
Assassin
Griffin
Whitworth
Lynx
Archer
Catapult
Thunderbolt
Orion
Rampage
Stalker
BattleMaster

They definitely have some rarer mechs there. Rampage? Firefly? Lynx? These are not normal mechs. They look battle-worn just like any other. Did they raid them from a Brain Cache from the Star League? If so, they have been used for a while. Veteran pirates? What is this?

This is the Rampage. It is an 85 ton assault mech, 3/5 movement, 23 heat sinks, 14 tons of armor, LRM10, AC10, large laser, 2x medium laser, flamer, MG. This pilot is elite and she has tactical genius. Ouch.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/f/f4/Rampage.jpg

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 07:52 PM

We start in the middle and them on the edge. I want the Lynx, Flea, Firefly and Rampage. Those are all in various degrees of rare.

This is not what we thought we were getting ourselves into when we took the pirate hunting contracts. They have virtually the same BV as us.

We actually win init with our 9. I start to move out some of my mechs to grab positions. Our BM hits an engine on their Orion, but they hit an LRM10 on our Whitworth. Our Hunchy destroys the RT of their Flea. Their T Bolt falls. Our P Hawk kicks their Flea and gets a limb blown off critical for the LL.

We win init again with our 11. The forest my Jav hopped too was accidentally set on fire last turn, so I hop back out before I get too hot. They stand their T Bolt back up. Ou rP Hawk hit’s the AC10 on their Orion. It falls.

We lose init. BattleMaster behind their Rampage. Out Stinger destroys the RT of their Orion. Our Ghopper destroy the RA of their T Bolt. Their Wasp gest a Limb Blown off critical on our Archer’s RA. Their panther hits an LRM20 on our Archer. Our Hermes II hit’s the cockpit of the Orion and the pilot dies. With a machine gun. Their Rampage falls and its pilot blacks out. Nice. Our Archer kicks and destroys the LL of their Wasp.

We lose init. I push our Jav waaaay overheat to take some SRm6 shots at the exposed CT of their T Bolt. Our BattleMaster uses its Machine gun and decapitates the Rampage. Their Griffin destroys the LA of our G Hopper. Our Jav hits the T Bolt engine once. Our ‘Hopper falls.

We lose init. Our Archer hits their T Bolts gyro. Theur Stalker blows off the RL of our G Hopper and their Lynx its RA. Our G Hopper hit sthe head of their Lynx, goes internal and hits its sensors and life support. Our ‘Hammer destroys the T Bolts LA. Our Griffin destroys its CT - dead mech. Npot recoverable. Our Hermies II hits he Lynx’s head with medium lase,r and after the damage the ‘Hopper did, it dies. 2nd heat shot kill by our Hermes II but this is the variant that is better, so it’s understandable. Their Stalker kicks and destroys the LL of our Firestarter.

We lose init 4 to 7. Our Grasshopper has been absolutely savaged, so there is no question that I am ejecting with it this turn. I eject the Firestarter too. Our jav has barely been hurt, but one of those places is its CT where it has just one internal point of damage left, so I jump away with it for now. Their Whitworth manage sto hit the CT of our Javelin from behind and destroy it. Suck. It is recoverable (I rolled an 11). Our Hunchy destroys the LL of their Firefly. Their BattleMaster hit’s the hop and destroys the LA of our Stinger.

We lose init 9 to 10. Our Stinger hops behind a hill where it can’t be seen right now. Their Firefly fails to stand, falls, and the pilot blacks out. Our Battlemaster hit’s the LRM20 and ammo on their Archer, but it was out of ammo. Their battle master gets lucky and teras into our Phoenix hawk and then destroying my Archer’s RT and hitting its gyro. Our Hermes II hits their Battlemaster’s gyro twice, and that’s a third kill for him. Their Archer falls.

We lose init 7 to 10. I back up the Archer behind some woods. I have three main units left - Warhammer, Orion and BattelMaster and all have taken some damage. Behind them I intend to drive my foes into submission. Their Archer stands, Their Catapult hits an engine and gyro on my ‘Hammer. Their Stalker takes some damage in the head from an LRM10 shot by our Griffin and the pilot blacks out and the mech falls.

We win init 8 to 3. I want to get someone next to their Stalker while the pilot is out. Our Orion took some serious damage last turn so I back it up while keeping my Battlemaster out so it can be the target this turn. Griffin behind their Assassin. Our BattleMaster hits the LRM20 on the Archer and this time its there and the mech explode.s Our Hunchy destroys the RL of their Panther. Our Griffin punches and destroys the LA on their Assassin. Our BattleMaster kicks and destroys the LT of their Whitworth.

We lose init 4 to 7. I don’t; know why they continue to push, because after last turn, with them losing pieces and mechs everywhere, and their Stalker is still blacked out, I would have conceded, but not these pirates, they know death has come for them. They are desperate. I back our Orion up into some smoke. I hop our P Hawk next to their Stalker in the hope we can slice off its head. Griffin in the rear arc of their Assassin again. I run our BM up to their Catapult. This is a Cat with a bunch more LRM ammo but no Mls, so close against it is quite good. Their Panther fails to stand. I send my P Hawk massively overheat to end the Stalker’s life. Our Warhammer hit’s the Catapult’s ammo and it blows up - boom! We missed on the Stalker.

With the death of the Catapult, they concede. We found our their Wasp fell and had a breach easlier in the game, we just didn’t see it. We salaved their Wasp, Flea, Lynx, Orion, Rampage, BattleMaster, Stalker, Firefly. The mechs we didn’t kill, the Panther, Whitworth, Assassin, and Griffin, are turned over o the Taurian Concordat.

Salvage:

Flea missing RT
Orion RA
Archer RA, RA, LT, LL
Orion missing RA and RT with cockpit hit
Rampage missing H
T Bolt H, LL, RL, LT, RT
Lynx missing H
BattleMaster with 2 engine, 2 gyro hits,
Whitworth LA
Catapult RA, LA, LL
Stalker
Wasp missing LL
Firefly missing LL, RT

Repair:

Grasshopper LA, RL, RA
Archer RT, gyrox1
Firestarter missing LL
Javelin missing gyro, fixed the engine
Stinger hip and LA
Warhammer gyro and engine once each

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 08:02 PM

Contract Stuff:

We have to pay the following to fix our folks:

4,460,000 this includes armor, parts, fixing, and replacement gyro
320,000 - Ammo
1.5 million - transport
804,276 - upkeep and salary

What we made:

2,230,000 - Battle Loss Compensation
750,000 - transport
412,355 - salary w/ bonus

Our Total Losses: 3,691,920

That is without selling any salvage.

To fix the mechs we salvaged: 5.4 million

We spend it. Total Loss: 9,091,920

We may have lost money, but we salvaged 8 mechs including some very rare ones. That was totally worth it.

Defender Company will arrive back on Epsilon Eridani on October 28th, 3042.

Tellistto

11-13-2009, 08:06 PM

Ouch, tough fight that. Some good salvage at the end, though!

Tell

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 08:09 PM

Ouch, tough fight that. Some good salvage at the end, though!

Tell

Yeah, overall good, but it was tough.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 08:14 PM

Okay let’s roll it back to December 3041.

Here is where our people are:

Aleph Company -
Phaeton Company - Due back May 7, 3042
Trinity Company - Not Currently Taking Contracts
Delta Company - Due back May 27, 3042
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company -
Defender Company - Due back Oct 28, 3042
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Dec 1, 3041 - We have our 9th BattleMech company created this month. We are now officially a BattleMech regiment today.

We have five graduates from Essex Training Academy plus 6 recruits from Solaris VII plus we are transferring Sgt Grant Hollis from Aleph Company to our 9th company, and promoting him to lieutenant. He won’t be taking his Warhammer with him, however. Aurelia Jenson is promoted to Sergeant.

Our newest company, the 9th company of mechs in Kilts and Commandos:

This company is named Heliades Company

Typhon, Phaeton and now Heliades are names that come from characters associated with the Eridanus River in Greek mythology. That river is where our home planet, Epsilon Eridani, gets its name. The Heliades are the daughters of Helios whose tears fell into the Eridanus after Phaeton was slain by Zeus’s thunderbolt while driving his father’s Sun chariot and fell into the mighty river Eridanus.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 10:06 PM

Heliades Company

Anvil Lance:

Lieutenant Grant Hollis, elite, Awesome
Mabel Ellis, elite, Stalker
William Mkapa, green, Hunchback *
Isabelle Mendez, elite, Grand Dragon

Hammer Lance:

Sgt. Beulah Hashimi, elite, Archer 2S
Galen Knox, regular, Marauder
Eliezer Cohen, regular, Whitworth *
Raymond Kinder, elite, Ostroc

Thunder Lance:

Sgt. Dianne Holstein, elite, Phoenix Hawk 1K
Thuong Nguyen, green, Wasp
Marquita Giannopoulos, regular, Wolfhound *
Seymour Martin, veteran, Valkyrie *

All veterans and elites other than Grant Hollis were recruits from S7 while all green and regular troops are from the Essex Academy.

Mechs with an * indicate a mech I purchased, rather than pulled out of storage, because I wanted a well rounded company with good mechs, as well as versatility.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 10:26 PM

Okay, now that I have some rocking units, let’s see where we are right now:

Aleph Company -
Phaeton Company - Due back May 7, 3042
Trinity Company -
Delta Company - Due back May 27, 3042
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company -
Defender Company - Due back Oct 28, 3042
Typhon Company - Due Back Jan 2, 3042
Heliades Company -

Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Any good December Contracts?

Free Rasalhague Republic wants us for garrison
Capellan Confederation wants us for Obj Raid on Davion world.
FRR also wants us for retainer. I know, I love you too.
A Duke in the Draconis Combine wants us for Obj Raid. Target? Davion world
Corporation wants security contract in Free Rasalhague Republic.

Okay, 1, 2, and 4 are out because I don’t want a garrison contract and I can’t attack Davion for obvious reasons.

The Corporation?

On Susquehanna. Where is that? If you look at your map it is in the FRR in the top of the area. It would take us quite some time to jump there and back.

Remember that Trinity Company can now take contracts again.

Dec 18, 3041 - We honor the 2nd anniversary of the Fall of Andurien.

After some consideration, I decide to break down and begin negotiations with the Free Rasalhague Republic for a retainer contract.

Retainer Contract for Trinity, Hex and Heliades, as a battalion. Jason Thomas, CO of Trinity Company, is promoted to Captain.

Support: Battle Loss 50% AND Straight Support 50%
Length: 4 years
Remuneration: No
Command: House
Salvage: Shared
Transport: Full
Salary: x3.7, x1.1, x1.3
13.5 % bonus

We will be stationed on Kempten, a system in the middle of the FRR, but on the Drac border. We are very close to Radstadt which is the capital of this march.

We will arrive on Kempten in 4 and a half months, on April 30, 3042. Then our contract begins and runs through May 1, 3046.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 10:27 PM

EVENT, Jan 1, 3042 - The Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth, in a continued union of their two realms, have reached the point that the major news agencies and diplomatic folks are now just calling them the Federated Commonwealth. As a continued combination of their military, they now run under the AFFC - Armed Forces of the Fed Com banner, so we only have one potential employer from them now. A liaison also tells us that our “Stay Away” clause also affects the old Lyran half of the Commonwealth, so we are discouraged from taking contracts against the Fed Com as long as Epsilon Eridani is our home.

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 11:10 PM

Jan 2, 3042 - A new class of just 7 enrolls in the Essex Training Academy. Typhon Company arrives back from their first contract.

Okay, let’s take a look at our peops:

Aleph Company -
Phaeton Company - Due back May 7, 3042
Trinity Company - Contract Begins April 30, 3042, ends May 1, 3046
Delta Company - Due back May 27, 3042
Cinq Company - Due Back June 27, 3042
Hex Company - Contract Begins April 30, 3042, ends May 1, 3046
Defender Company - Due back Oct 28, 3042
Typhon Company
Heliades Company - Contract Begins April 30, 3042, ends May 1, 3046

Garrison Units - Infantry, tanks, and Ted and his Stalker.

Vehicle Company - Currently garrison contract, will return on May 16, 3042.

Here is our new rolling chart for the mid 3040s.

2, 3 - Fed Com
4 - St. Ives Compact
5 - ComStar
6 - Cappellan Confederation
7 - Federated Commonwealth
8 - Free Worlds League
9 - Free Rasalhague Republic
10 - Draconis Combine
11, 12 - FedCom

Contracts:

Drac wants us for Obj Raid on Fed Com.
FRR wants Cadre work
ComStar wants Defense Contract
CC wants garrison
FWL wants Obj Raid on Fed Com
Drac Baron wants Pirate Hunting in Periphery

Abe Sargent

11-13-2009, 11:11 PM

Here’s the problem with the 3040s for us.

During this time, there are minor flare ups, but there are not a lot of major conflicts. The 3030s, which came right on the heels of the Fourth Succession War still had the Duchy of Andurien and Magistracy of Canopus invading the Cappellan Confederation, and then after that was done, the Free Worlds League hammered the Duchy. You also had the independence of the Free Rasalhague Republic, and then the subsequent Ronin Wars. Finally, you had a major conflict in the War of 3039.

Although there are some raids and such in the 40s, there are no major conflicts. The Great Houses use this as a time for several things. First of all, all of them save the Cappellan Confederation need to continue to consolidate holdings. The Free Worlds League was missing the Duchy of Andurien for the entire decade, and they need to settle things down, reinvest money in its infrastructure, and get its house in order. The Draconis Combine took three systems in the War of 3039 and Quentin came with a major mech manufactory that they need to solidfy. Plus, many of their planets suffered a lot from the War of 3039. Take Marduk, for example. After he left the planet, Sandoval took everything that he could and destroyed much of the rest. It will take a while to rebuild Marduk and the other planets attacked by the FedCom forces. Davion and Steiner need to consolidate their new nine systems from that war, as well as continue to invest money and time into the large number of planets taken from the Cappellan Confederation back in the Fourth Succession War. Even Cappella needs time to continue to rebuild its forces and morale from that conflict.

Also, militaries are taking this time to begin to distribute LosTech to the highest profile units. Packages called “Refit Kits” will become available for mechs, allowing techs to refit existing mechs with LosTech. This means that the first wave of LosTech mechs will not be new designs that try and take advantage of endo steel or better armor or extra light engines, but will replace AC10s with LB10X, and AC5 with Ultra AC5 and large lasers or PPCs with ER versions of those. For example, a field refit kit will be made to strip off two of the medium lasers from a Whitworth and add two Artemis IV FCS to the mech to help it hit with more missiles. You will see these refits all over the place soon enough.

However, there are going to be low-tech mechs for a really long time, perhaps forever. They are cheaper, and they are not going to be dismantled or anything. There is nothing wrong with the better low-tech designs at all. There are disadvantages to many LosTech weapons and equipment, and there are many reasons not to use a new weapon over the old.

That’s one of the reasons I did the retainer contract for the FRR. They will probably see some battle at some point, and there simply may not be enough to go around for my mercs, so they get a retainer contract. That still leaves me 6 merc companies to find contracts for regularly. And by 6, I mean five, and you are about to find out why.

End Solaris VII campaign