(Battletech): The Merc Life - A campaign Dynasty

[SirFozzie]

So, with the final rule books out in the current edition of Battletech, I decided to use the rules for creating a force, and running a mercenary based unit.

First things, first: I decided to run a small company-sized (3 lances, 12 battlemechs, with some support), mercenary unit, set in the year 3025, prior to the technological renaissance and the Fourth Succession War. This gives us a chance to experience most of Battletech's recorded history, from the Fourth Succession War, to the Clan Invasion, and all the way to the Word Of Blake, possibly.


Mercenary/Late Succession War - Renaissance - Master Unit List

We have 60 million C-Bills to spend on unites. We're using the Merc/Late Succession Wars list at Battletech's Master Unit List to select mechs.

The composition will not be optimized by any means, I figure as a new Merc unit, we're pretty much restricted to what we take.


Here are the rules for acquiring units:

I select a unit type (For Battlemechs, they are based on weight class, 20-35 is light, 40-55 is medium, 60-75 is heavy, and 80-100 is assault class), and a hoped for experience level (in order from worst to best, Green, Regular, Veteran, Elite), then I have to make a roll on 2D6 to see if that unit is available. If I fail, I cannot attempt that combination of experience and mech unit again, although I can adjust the unit or the experience)

Light BattleMech or Aerospace Fighter, any Satellite TN: 4
Medium BattleMech or Aerospace Fighter TN: 5
Heavy BattleMech or Aerospace Fighter TN 6
Assault BattleMech, any Small Craft TN 8
Light Combat Vehicle TN: 3
Medium Combat Vehicle TN 4
Heavy Combat Vehicle TN: 5
Assault Combat Vehicle TN: 7
Conventional Fighter TN: 5
Conventional Infantry Platoon, Foot TN:2
Conventional Infantry Platoon, Motorized TN: 3
Conventional Infantry Platoon, Jump or Mechanized TN: 4

It then gets modified by the level of experience that we wish to have:
Green Experience -2
Regular Experience 0
Veteran Experience +2
Elite Experience +5

So, expect a lot of failures if we try to get an Assault Battlemech (8) with a Veteran pilot (+2), or 10 on 2d6.

Scout Lance
I start off with a Veteran (2) Spider (SDR-5V) (4) Target Number 6 (Roll 2D6 => 9)- ACQUIRED! (3,000,000 Cost). He'll be our lance leader.

Veteran (2) Commando (COM-2D) (4) Target Number 6 (Roll 2D6 => 4) NOT ACQUIRED. Darn it, if I had just gone with a regular, I would have got it. So the Commando is off my shopping list.

Regular (0) Wasp (WSP-1A) (4) Target Number 4 (Roll 2D6 => 9) ACQUIRED! (1,600,000 Cost).. so we have two members of our Scout Lance.

Veteran (2) Panther (PNT-9R) Target Number 6 (Roll 2D6 => 5). NOT ACQUIRED. Damnit. My greed cost me again. Bah! Bah I say. We can't try for another veteran so, let's try for a regular Panther.

Regular (0) Panther (PNT-9R) (4) Target Number 4 (Roll 2D6 => 7), ACQUIRED! (2.5 Million Cost)

Veteran (2) Valkyrie (VLK-QA) (4) Target Number 6 (Roll 2D6 => 6, ACQUIRED! (2.2 Million Cost). So, our scout lance is complete, we missed three times but we have a good mix of units

So, our Scout Lance is complete:

Veteran Spider (SDR-5V) (Best Role: Scout)*LANCE LEADER*
The Spider carries a very light armament of two Aberdovey Mk III Medium Lasers mounted in its center torso next to the fusion engine. While more expensive than the common Martell lasers mounted on other 'Mechs they are of superior quality and require very little maintenance. Waste heat generated by the lasers are handled by the standard number of ten heat sinks mounted in the fusion engine. Three and a half tons of armor provide some measure of protection, although most Spider pilots agree that speed is the best defense. The unique armor alignment on the front of the Spider is what gave the 'Mech its name. This spiderweb pattern is further emphasized by a bright red fiberglass sealant in the seams between armor plates. One problem the mech has is that it lacks a proper ejection system: the pilot must manually reach the lower hatch on their own in order to exit the 'Mech. Many Spider pilots therefore practice quickly exiting the 'Mech during their downtime

Spider - BattleTechWiki

Regular Wasp (WSP-1A), (Best Role: Scout)
The classic WSP-1A had a ground speed that could be considered lackluster when compared to most modern light 'Mechs, but this was offset by its jump capability. While carrying heavier weapons than 'Mechs like the Locust, the Wasp would generally only engage other light 'Mechs, using its jumping capabilities to avoid conflicts with larger foes. The Wasp was also used in the role of raider because of its ability to hit and fade in rough terrain

Wasp - BattleTechWiki

Regular Panther (PNT-9R) (Best Role: Brawler)
The Panther's primary weapon is a Lord's Light PPC mounted in the right arm and boasting one of the highest damage outputs of any weapon. Unfortunately the PPC is also one of the most heat intensive, though many officers see it as a good learning opportunity for raw recruits to spend their first years piloting the Panther and gain experience managing its heat curve with thirteen heat sinks. The PPC is backed up by a reliable Telos Four-Shot SRM-4 launcher mounted in the center torso supplied by a ton of ammunition in the left torso. This mix of long and short-range weapons allows the Panther to stay at range and inflict damage on its enemies and close in and use the SRM-4 to make the killing blow/

Panther - BattleTechWiki

Veteran Valkyrie (VLQ-1A) (Best Role: Missile Boat)
The Valkyrie has as its primary armament a Devastator Series-07 LRM-10 launcher with one ton of reloads mounted in the left torso. While an unusual weapon on a light 'Mech, and carrying only enough missiles for two minutes of continuous fire, it gives the Valkyrie a long reach and respectable damage, especially against other light 'Mech hunters. As a back-up weapon the Valkyrie carries a Sutel IX Medium Laser in its right arm. This mix of long and short-range weapons allows the Valkyrie to soften up other 'Mechs from long range then move in for a kill.

Eleven heat sinks allows the Valkyrie to fire its weapons and uses its five jump jets, two each in the legs and the fifth in the rear torso, to jump up to 150 meters at a time without worrying about heat buildup. It also carries six tons of armor to absorb a decent amount of punishment. While only boasting a cruising speed of 54 km/h, it is capable of outmaneuvering and, when working as a team, taking down heavier opponents.

Valkyrie - BattleTechWiki

Lance Cost: 9.3 Million (50.7 Million Left)


Fozzie's Notes: So, we have two good scout mechs, and two mechs that can discourage pursuit (a PPC hit from the Panther can ruin anyone's day, but it's not a weapon you can fire every turn unless you really like running on the jagged edge, heat wise) and the Valkyrie's Long Range Missles means it can discourage pursuit, although it is ammo-limited.

So, we've spent about 10 Million C-Bills, and have 8 mechs to go, plus any other toys we decided to acquire.

[SirFozzie]

Veteran Wolverine WVR-6R (5+2) Target Number 7 (Roll 2D6 => 5) NOT ACQUIRED.

Regular Hunchback HBK-4G (5+0) Target Number 5 (Roll 2D6 => 7 ACQUIRED! (Cost: 3.45 Million)

Regular Hunchback HBK-4G (5+0) Target Number 5 (Roll 2D6 => 8 ACQUIRED! (Cost: 3.45 Million)

Veteran Enforcer ENF-4R (5+2) Target Number 7 (Roll 2D6 => 10) ACQUIRED! Cost: 3,500,000)

Regular Phoenix Hawk (PXH-1) (5+0) Target Number: 5 (roll 2D6 => 7) ACQUIRED! Cost: 4,100,000)

So, we got fairly lucky with our rolls.

Hunchback-(HBK-4G) (Role: Juggernaut)

The Hunchback is a respected and feared Reunification War-era street fighter that has been in production since its introduction in 2572. (nearly 450 years ago at this point) Built for urban combat and close range brawling, this BattleMech has the heavy armor and weaponry to stand up against any foe in the dense cover of a city environment. Its heavy armament does come at a cost: in terms of maneuverability and heat dissipation the Hunchback is merely average, while the lack of long-range weapons means, in the open, the Hunchback is little more than a slow moving target. In an attack the slow speed of the Hunchback forces it to participate as part of the second wave, exploiting any weaknesses in the enemy's armor after they've been softened up.

Hunchback - BattleTechWiki

Enforcer (ENF-4R) Role: Skirmisher

The Enforcer fulfilled the roles of a mobile barrage vehicle, laying down an intense hail of fire as prelude to an offensive or to blunt an enemy's attack, and a trooper 'Mech, using its thick frontal armor and good jumping distance of one hundred and twenty meters to effectively brawl with the enemy despite lacking hand actuators. The sturdy and inexpensive design's mobility also made it an ideal city fighter, especially when sniping the enemy during hit-and-run attacks. One of the design's problems was that, with most of nine tons of armor concentrated forward, the amount of protection in its rear torso is less than in some light 'Mechs. The Enforcer's biggest flaw though was its limited ammunition stores, though when possible a truck-and-crane reloading system is used during less-mobile battles.

Enforcer - BattleTechWiki


Phoenix Hawk (PHX-1) (role: Skirmisher)

The Phoenix Hawk was armed in such a way that it can be used in several different combat roles including command, reconnaissance, and front line duty. The primary weapon on board is a Harmon Large Laser carried in the right arm which gives the 'Mech a weapon which can strike at an enemy at a respectable distance. This was backed up by two Harmon Medium Lasers for close range combat, one in either forearm. Finally, to deter infantry attacks, the 'Mech carried two M100 Heavy Machine Guns, also split between either arm, with one ton of ammunition stored in the center torso. The M100s fired .50 calibre rounds powerful enough to punch right through any personal body armor

Eight tons of armoring on the Phoenix Hawk gave it acceptable endurance for short combat actions, though not for any sustained brawling. Just ten heat sinks meant the 'Mech had a relatively low heat threshold; green pilots were known to lose their 'Mechs by overtaxing this system overusing their heat-intensive weapons and other equipment. However, a 270-rated fusion engine also gave the Phoneix Hawk a good cruising speed of 64.8km/h, while six jump jets split between right and left rear torsos provided a maximum jumping distance of 180 meters. These helped make the 'Mech just as fast and maneuverable as its smaller brethren, the Stinger and Wasp.

It was the Phoenix Hawk's electronics, though, which truly helped it perform best as a command 'Mech for recon lances. Its Tru-Trak targeting computer was particularly accurate, while the heavily-shielded Battlecom system could overcome interfering radiation, whether artificial or man-made, which would've shut down other units. Unfortunately, after the fall of the Star League, the ability to reproduce these systems became lost and many units had to replace them with simpler systems, such as the Octagon Tartrac System C and Neil 6000 respectively
Phoenix Hawk - BattleTechWiki

Brawler Lance:
Regular PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk *LANCE LEADER*
Veteran HBK-4G Hunchback
Regular HBK-4G Hunchback
Veteran ENF-4R) Enforcer

Cost: 12.5 Million
Budget Remaining: 38.2 Million

Fozzie's Notes: This is a dangerous lance. But it's a two-edged sword. The Two Hunchbacks have 20-class Autocannons, quite possibly the most feared weapon as it can kill any opposing mech with one shot (headshots would be instantly lethal, as they can have at most 12 points of armor and internal structure), but they have a problem in that they only carry 10 rounds of ammo, so they have to be choosy about when to use it.. and oh yeah, if that ammo cooks off (either from heat, or enemy fire)? Yeah, goodbye Mech. They are best in cities where the range is close and they can quickly take down an opponent with one or two shots.

The Enforcer at least has a good distance weapon, (the large laser), but again, it's 10 class Autocannon is only good for 10 rounds, so it's ammo dependent for most of its fight, it also is not very fast.

The reason I made the Phoenix Hawk the lance leader, despite the fact we have two more experienced units, is because it can do EVERYTHING well. It has a good range of weaponry at different ranges (a large laser, 2 medium, and 2 Machine Guns). It's also faster and more mobile then its lancemates.

So, that's 2 lances, one more lance of Battlemechs and then vehicles/infantry to round it out.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm reading!

[SirFozzie]

For my Heavy Lance Unit (which will also be my Command Lance), I want a Rifleman 3-N. It's a distance fighter, a variety of weapons. At 60 tons, it qualifies as a Heavy BattleMech. The Target # for Heavy Mechs is 6, and I would love a veteran, so the Target Number is 8.

Sadly, my greed has cost me, as the Roll is 6, so Not acquired. Bah!

Ok, we need something impressive. Something large and in charge. The Warhammer (WHM-6R) fits the bill. Same Target Number (veteran). Unfortunately, I roll double 1's, that's right, a 2. The look I give my dice can charitably be described as "Unimpressed", and I mutter to myself how this pair of dice is very close to failing me for the last time.

The Archer is a classic Mech in the Battletech Universe, it is the personal mech of one of the most feared Mercenary Generals in Battletech Lore (Jamie Wolf, of Wolf's Dragoons). There's a very good reason he's that feared, but that's kinda a spoiler, so I won't go into that right now. I don't want to be derivative, but so far we're 0 for 2, and the Archer's long range missile fire as a commander would be very useful.

So, the dice are on final warning, but let's try one more time for a veteran pilot (+2) to go with the Heavy Mech (6).

The Roll, comes up 2... and 6!. FINALLY, we have our first mech, Let's mark that as ACQUIRED! (Cost: 6.2 Million C-Bills).

Now that we FINALLY have a commander, it's time to get a bit greedy. Did I say a bit greedy? How about quite greedy, as we're going after possibly the most feared mech in the game. The 100 ton Atlas (AS7-D). We're definitely not going with a veteran here, we'd need an (assault Mech base 8, Veteran +2) 10+ which is.. kinda sorta unlikely. I intend to go with a green pilot (the son of some rich noble, who squandered his inheritance to buy a huge mech and become a "REAL Mechwarrior", possibly), as that will lower the target number to 6. I can see our commander keeping him in his lance for two reasons, 1) He definitely wouldn't fit in either of the other lances, and also, so he can keep the kid from getting himself in trouble (and getting the rest of the unit in trouble)

The Roll comes up.. 11. This is my unimpressed face again, this time with my lack of faith in myself and my dice, once they've been suitably threatened. However, we can mark the mech as... ACQUIRED (9.4 Million Cost)

That was a very costly mech however, and I'd like to save some money, so we're going to fill out the roster with some cheaper mechs. We start with the Dragon (DRG-1N), a mech mostly linked with the Draconis Combine, where it's nearly a totemic mech for the star nation, but many units have entered mercenary units, either via sale or salvage.

The target # is 6 (Heavy Mech), and wary of dice blow back, I go with Regular again.. and Roll a 9. *sighs* He who dares, wins, apparently. However, that's our third mech for the Command Lance that we can mark as.. ACQUIRED! (4.9 Million cost)

Our final mech needs to be something fearsome, we have three mechs with a variety of roles, and I also want another "iconic mech", and I select a Marauder (MAD-3R). I'm now convinced the dice are on my side, so I'm going to go for a veteran pilot (6+2=target number 8).. The Roll.. is an 8! I was so expecting to fail that roll. Yeesh. But our final mech has been.. say it with me.. ACQUIRED! (6.6 million cost)





Command Lance
Veteran ARC-2R Archer (Role: Missile Boat) *COMPANY AND LANCE LEADER*

Introduced in 2474, the Archer was one of the best-known and most widely-used BattleMechs available. A contemporary of 'Mechs such as the Thunderbolt and the Banshee, the Archer's primary role was fire support, though early in its combat career it was considered an assault 'Mech capable of long-range brawling, and it was used in a variety of other roles. More than 100,000 Archers were produced between its introduction and the start of the First Succession War, with tens of thousands of its variant models produced over the centuries. Though many were destroyed or dismantled for spare parts, they remained a common sight in the Great House armies, with six different factories producing new Archers throughout the Succession Wars.

The Archer's primary weapons were a pair of Doombud LRM-20 missile launchers with four tons of ammunition, enough for two minutes of continuous fire. The ammo was split between the side torsos. When the design was still relatively unknown, some Archer drivers were known to keep their missile bay doors closed in order to fool the enemy, but this trick has since lost its effect. For close combat situations, the Archer carries four Diverse Optics Type 18 Medium Lasers. Each arm is equipped with a laser, with the other two mounted on a centrally-located turret above the cockpit, giving them a clear field of fire to attack targets behind the 'Mech. Though not a particularly adept hand-to-hand combatant, the Archer's oversized battle fists serve it well in close combat and allow it to easily pilfer supplies when taking part in a raid

Archer - BattleTechWiki


Green Atlas (AS7-D) Role: Juggernaut

“A 'Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally.”

-Aleksandr Kerensky, general of the Star League Defense Force

The Atlas is probably the best-known BattleMech to ever set foot on the modern battlefield. Designed with specifications from Aleksandr Kerensky in 2755 in the midst of the Cameron Edicts (that limited Great House Military size), the Atlas was originally intended to ensure SLDF superiority over the Star League member states. Though the inexorable arming of the Great Houses continued, the Atlas proved itself to be everything General Kerensky requested. With the largest amount of armor of nearly any 'Mech, crippling firepower, and the foreboding skull-shaped "Death's Head" cockpit/head assembly, the Atlas lived up to its reputation. The mere sight of an Atlas had been known to make even a veteran MechWarrior break out in a cold sweat, and theoretically a single Atlas can take on and wipe out an entire battalion of Stingers in exchange for minor armor loss.

The Atlas is armed with a multitude of weapons for both long and short range combat, all designed specifically to be as visible as possible so as to strike fear in the hearts of its enemies. For long ranges, the 'Mech carries a FarFire Maxi-Rack LRM-20 in the left torso that allows it to both fire directly at an enemy target at long range, and to give indirect fire support when needed. Unable to fit a full twenty-tube system on the 'Mech, the FarFire instead launches the missiles in waves of five over the course of ten seconds and carries two tons of reloads for twelve such salvos. For close range combat the 'Mech is armed with a Defiance 'Mech Hunter Autocannon/20 in the right torso with two tons of ammo. Although lacking a cooling jacket and liable to overheat, the massive autocannon gives the Atlas the firepower to take on an entire 'Mech company.
For close-range combat the Atlas carries four Defiance B3M Medium Lasers, one in each arm and two mounted in the rear center torso, and a Thunderstroke SRM-6 launcher with one ton of missiles in the left torso (the aperture between the SRM and LRM launchers is not another weapon but an omnicoupling for power and coolant cable connection). Furthermore the Atlas is equipped with hand actuators which, combined with its sheer weight and power, makes it a potent hand-to-hand fighter. Accounts of Atlases actually picking up medium-weight 'Mechs and throwing them around like toys makes for suitable horror stories and further enhances the aura of the 'Mech.

Carrying nineteen tons of armor, almost the entire weight of some light 'Mechs, makes the Atlas one of the best-protected 'Mechs ever built; its armoring is particularly thick on the front chest and legs. Its use of twenty heat sinks also gives the 'Mech an efficient heat management system. If there is one disadvantage to the Atlas it is its speed, with a rather slow cruising speed of 32.4 km/h. This makes it easy for most enemy 'Mechs to outrun the Atlas and so escape its clutches, which as it so happens is also the best chance most enemy 'Mechs have of surviving an encounter with this beast.

Atlas (BattleMech - BattleTechWiki)

Regular DRG-1B Dragon (Role: Skirmisher)

The Dragon is a heavy BattleMech originally designed in a bid to replace the Shadow Hawk. A close assault 'Mech, its versatile design allows it to be used in both offensive and defensive operations. It boasts above-average firepower and plenty of ammunition for extended combat, while a Vlar 300 fusion engine gives it a faster-than-normal top speed. Armor coverage for the Dragon's ten tons is thick around the torso, and especially the rear, for when it is surrounded by opponents, while the squat design gives it a smaller profile and makes it harder to knock over. The lack of any especially heat-intensive devices makes the use of only ten heat sinks a non-issue. The Dragon's only major problem is it requires frequent maintenance and/or overhaul of its hip actuator.

Debuting in the twilight years of the Star League, the Dragon was turned down by the SLDF in favor of an upgraded Shadow Hawk, though it would be quietly picked up by the Draconis Combine. With the dissolution of the Star League and the onset of the Succession Wars, the Dragon became the Combine's standard 'Mech.[1] Multiple production lines on many well-defended worlds, including Luthien, meant the design was so prevalent every battalion and almost every company featured the Dragon, with some battalions composed of nothing but these 'Mechs. So many were produced that the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth employed salvaged Dragons in their own arsenals, while many mercenary commands used captured or purchased models.

The Dragon's primary weapons are an Imperator-A Autocannon/5 in the right arm and Telos DecaCluster LRM-10 launcher in the center torso, giving it respectable long-range damage capabilities as it charges forward. Additionally, the use of Long Range Missiles grants the Dragon indirect fire capabilities. Two tons of ammo for each weapon allows it to operate for extended periods away from supply lines. For close combat the Dragon carries two Victory 23R Medium Lasers, one rear-mounted in its torso and another in its left arm. The Dragon is also a proficient brawler, often finishing off an opponent with physical attacks, and its normally-delicate autocannon is wrapped in a thick protective sleeve for just such occasions.

The Draconis Combine is prototyping an improved model of this mech, called the Grand Dragon. If successful, this mech will probably be downgraded in the coming years and decades.

Dragon - BattleTechWiki

Veteran Marauder (MAD-3R) Role: Sniper

The Marauder was first built by General Motors in 2612 for use as an attack and direct fire support BattleMech. The first 'Mech to diverge from the traditional humanoid shape of previous machines, the Marauder was one of the most well-known 'Mechs in existence and originally meant to usher in a new generation of 'Mechs. Unfortunately, with the fall of the Star League, this new generation never quite materialized. On its own merits though the Marauder was a devastatingly powerful 'Mech, outclassed only by larger machines like the Stalker and BattleMaster.

The Marauder carried a payload dedicated to long-range firepower in the form of two Magna Hellstar PPCs and a GM Whirlwind Autocannon/5. These three weapons all had similar range profiles that allowed the Marauder use them to their maximum effect at long ranges. The PPCs were carried in armored gauntlets, matching the same configuration as the Warhammer, but the arms' versatile ball-and-socket joints provided a faster traverse rate and superior field of fire. Compact enough to be carried in the arms the Hellstar PPCs were also durable enough to withstand heavy hand-to-hand combat, allowing the Marauder to bludgeon opponents into scrap. The autocannon was mounted atop the right torso and fed by one ton of ammunition in the left torso. Added as an afterthought, its connection to the main chassis was tenuous and a successful hit could easily disable the system, while the gun itself was often temperamental. If the enemy was able to close the range, the Marauder could rely on its two Magna Mk II Medium Lasers, also mounted in the gauntlets, which provided adequate defense against other 'Mechs.

The once-unique silhouette of the Marauder made it much harder to target than the more common humanoid models. It also originally carried eleven and a half tons of special Valiant Lamellor armor which was less massive and superior at distributing kinetic and thermal energy than other standard armor types. As the knowledge for its manufacture was lost though, many Marauders became a patchwork quilt as sections were damaged and had to be replaced. Sixteen heat sinks easily allowed a competent MechWarrior to keep their waste heat under control, while a powerful nineteen-ton fusion engine gave it a decent cruising speed of 43.2 km/h.

The Marauder was not without its flaws, potent though it was. In addition to the weak linkage between its autocannon and chassis, the rotation rings connecting the chassis with the leg assemblies was a similar weak point in the design. Many Marauder pilots took to mounting improvised armoring around these points in an attempt to protect these vulnerabilities. The powerful HiRez tracking system, located in the forward section of the 'Mech, was also known for impeding the pilot's field of view.

Marauder - BattleTechWiki

Total Cost: 27.1 Million C-Bills. Remaining: 11.1 Million

We need to keep around 6 million in hand, just in case we don't get a contract, so we're going to be very limited in what we can afford otherwise.

[SirFozzie]

So, we have about 5 million to spend. That's not much.

We acquire 3 Flatbed Trucks for 80,000 C-Bills, to help us with getting salvage off the battlefield.

We also acquire a Mobile HQ unit, for 500,000 C-Bills, for when we are operating away from our transport.

We need base security, so we acquire a platoon of foot infantry (28 men), for 1.2 Million, as well as two lances of Scorpion Light Tanks (8*325,000=2.6 million

Total Supplementary Unit Costs: 4.38 Million

Total Budget Remaining: 6.72 million, which will be our units nest egg.

Our Next step is to acquire a DropShip. Our home away from home. We look to acquire a Union, which fits a company of mechs (with the vehicles aboard, it will be a bit crowded, but still fit in and leave room for maintenance. Per the rules, we need a 10 to acquire it, thankfully, the dice gods are still with us, and we roll boxcars, a 12! So, that's really good. We'll still need a JumpShip to get us from system to system, but unfortunately none of our rolls succeed, so we'll be relying on our employers to give us transportation.

It's kinda amazing how many people we need to run a small company.

Each Vehicle and Mech requires its own Tech Team (a full fledged Technician, and 6 assistant technicians for each tech team). So that's 20 Techs, and 120 Assistant Techs. I'm regretting having brought on those Scorpions at this point. The infantry platoon also requires a tech team, so that's 21/126.

We also need non-combat personell (medics, crew members for the DropShip, intelligence etcetera), We have 147 techs, as well as 72 personell for our fighting units (and dropship crew), so that's 219, or 21 Administrators. yeesh.

We have six officers, the Command Leader (1), the Mech Lance Leaders (the other 2), the two vehicle lance leaders (2), and infantry leader (1)

[SirFozzie]

Salaries:

MechWarriors (monthly)

Scout Lance
Spider (Veteran, Officer) (1500*1.6*1.2) = 2,880
Wasp (Regular) 1,500
Panther (Regular) 1,500
Valkyrie (Veteran) (1500*1.6) 2,400

Brawler Lance
Phoenix Hawk (Regular, Officer) (1500*1.2) 1800
Hunchback (Veteran) (1500*1.6) 2400
Hunchback (Regular) 1500
Enforcer (Veteran) (1500*1.6) 2400

Command Lance
Archer (Veteran, Officer) 2,880
Atlas (Green) (1500 *0.6) 900
Dragon (Regular) 1,500
Marauder (Veteran) (1500*1.6) 2,400

Cost: 24,060

Vehicles (All regular)
2 Officers (900 * 1.2 each) 1080 (2160)
14 Crew Members (14*900) 12,600

Cost: 14,760

Infantry (All Regular)
1 Officer (750*1.2) 900
27 Infantry (750*27) 20,250
Cost 21,150

Technicians:
21 Lead Technicians (21*800) = 16,800

126 Assistant Technicians (126*400) = 50,400
Cost 71,550

21 Administrators (500) 10,500

14 Dropship Crew Members: 14,000

Total Salaries: 156,020 a month

Normal Monthly Maintenance

Mechs: (10,000 CBills per ton, each mech uses 0.1 percent of its weight in spare parts when NOT in Combat)

Spider 30 tons (300 C-Bills per month)
Wasp 20 Tons (200)
Panther 35 Tons (350)
Valkyrie 30 Tons (300)

Wolverine 55 Tons (550)
Hunchback 50 Tons (500)
Hunchback 50 Tons (500)
Phoenix Hawk 45 Tons (450)

Archer 70 Tons (700)
Atlas 100 Tons (1,000)
Dragon 60 Tons (600)
Marauder 75 Tons (750)

Total cost: 6,200 C-Bills per month

(Vehicle Spare parts cost 8,000 per ton)

8 Scorpion Light Tanks 25 Tons (0.2 tons per month) 1600 C-Bills

Infantry: 1.12 Tons per month (11,200 CBills)

Total Maintenance cost: 19,000 C-Bills monthly.


Ammo: Peace Time Usage, 1/4th of mech capacity.

Spider: None
Wasp: 1 Ton SRM-2 Ammo (27,000 Per ton) (6,750)
Valkyrie 1 Ton LRM-10 Ammo (30,000 Per Ton) (7,500)
Panther 1 Ton SRM-4 Ammo (27,000 per Ton) (6.750)


Phoenix Hawk: 1 Ton MG-Ammo (1,000) (100)
Hunchback 2 Tons AC/20 Ammo (10K per ton) (5,000)
Hunchback 2 Tons AC/20 Ammo (10K per ton) (5,000)
Enforcer 1 Ton AC/10 Ammo (6,000) (1500)

Archer 4 Tons LRM-20 Ammo (30K per ton) (30K/Month)
Atlas 2 Tons AC/20 Ammo (10K per Ton), 2 Tons LRM-20 Ammo (30K each), 1 Ton SRM-6 Ammo (27K) (26,750)
Dragon 2 Tons LRM-10 Ammo (30K per ton), 2 Tons AC/5 Ammo (4.5K each ton) (17,250 in peace)
Marauder 1 Ton AC-5 Ammo (4.5K each ton) (2,250)

Total Cost Monthly: 108,850 + any spare ammo we bring

Dropship Fuel: 27.6 tons (@15K each) 414,000

[SirFozzie]

Total Cost: 700K (697,870) a month, and this is BEFORE Combat expenses. No one said being a merc was easy way to riches.

Reputation:

experience: Regular Personnel (10)

Leader's Skills: Leadership 6, Tactics 5, Strategy 2, Negotiations 5 (18 Points)

Total Reputation 28: (this will go up and down, depending on successful missions)

Modifer: 2

January 3025:

We start on Galatea, the Mercenary gathering point (another one will be opening up in several years). We need to roll 2d6 to see how many offers we get.

Modifiers: Offers +2 to roll, +1 Employers roll, +1 Missions Roll

The target number for the negotiations check is 8, but we get a couple bonuses, our Negotiations skill is 5, and our reputation modifier is +2, and because we're using a standard hiring hall, it offers another +2, so we're going to roll 2d6 and add 1 to the result.

Roll: 2D6 => (6 +1) = 7 (+1)= 8

That means we have 3 offers on the table!


First offer:

Employer: (Roll 11+1)=12, basically we can choose any thing on the employer list. Let's go with Major Power.
Mission: (Roll: 11) Cadre Duty. Basically, we'd be training up local militia, while the forces normally assigned to the world.. are elsewhere for whatever reason. It's good in that it's relatively stable and "safe" duty, bad news is without an attack on the planet we're guarding, we receive no salvage or bonuses. It's a safe offer. I'm going to say this is the Lyran Alliance offering us a 1 year cadre duty offer for one of their interior worlds, while the unit normally assigned to the planet is taking part in a large "training operation" with allied Federated Suns forces.


Major Power Modifier (lyrans are Generous Employers, adding a bonus): 1.4X Base
Cadre Duty Tempo 0.8x




Command Rights: (roll 6): House Command: Basically, our leader would be taking orders from a Lyran officer for the duration of the mission.

Salvage Rights: (Roll 6) 30%. We get either to keep 30% of all salvage generated during our mission, or receive goods from our employer of equivalent value for 30%.

Support Rights: (Roll 8+ 1 for Cadre Duty Modifier=9) Straight/Full or Battle Loss/20%. We're offered two options here. Straight/Full means that they will pay all our support costs while we are on planet. Battle Loss 20% means they are willing to reimburse of for 20% of our losses in battle. If we were expecting combat, this might be better for us, but Cadre Duty probably means little combat, so full support may be a better option.

Transport Costs: (Roll 5) 35%. This is not so good. They will reimburse us for 35% of our transport costs. It will cost us approximately 1,200,000 C-bills to travel there and back (plus fuel costs), and we're only getting 420K back.


Base Payment per month: 3.55 Million
Full Contract Worth: 42.6 Million +420K Travel Reimbursement= 43 Million C-Bills

Costs: Support 697K per month (Could be paid by contract if give up Battle Loss)
Transport 1.2 Million.

Salvage: 30%
Command Rights: House
Support: Full/Straight or Battle Loss/20%
Total Time: 13 months (1 month there, 12 month contract, then either back to Galatea or get another contract from there)

So, that's our first offer.

[SirFozzie]

Offer 2: Employer: (roll 6): Minor Power. This is one of the major periphery states, which aren't as rich as the five great houses, but, eh, maybe the mission will make up for it.

Mission: (roll 6): Objective Raid. This is going to some other planet owned by someone else, and stealing or disabling equipment, or destroying a key factory. Basically, it's getting in, blowing stuff up, taking what you can, and getting out. This is much more short term than the cadre duty (3 months), but we might be getting more out of it. The periphery state: The Taurian Concordat has a mission to raid some territory belonging to House Davion (The Federated Suns). They want us to raid and bring out as much goods from the supply line as possible. Time IS a factor, you don't want to be caught on planet when neighboring forces come in to chastise you for the raid..

Command Rights: (6-1 for Objective Raid=5 House command.) The Taruians want to be able to direct our forces for maximum impact.

Salvage Rights: (8=50%) We can keep 50% of the salvage (except for the supplies that are the target of the raid).

Support Rights: 8+1 for Objective Raid=9) Battle/20% or Full Support. Again, we can either accept them paying our monthly overhead, or compensating us for 1/5th of our losses. (remember, our cheapest mech is 2 million C-Bills. We lose more then 1 of them in battle, that's more than 1 month of support right there). We do get 50% salvage though, so if we take good salvage, straight up may be better then our losses. We do get a better base payment however for the objective raid.

Transport Rights: 8+2 for Objective Raid=10) Full! They will pay for all transport rights involved! That's a pretty good win for us. We will be using ships belonging to our employer.

Base Payment: 2.65 Million (53 Million *.05) + 520,000 (697K*.75)=3.17 Million per month *1.6 (Tempo Modifier)

Monthly Payment: 5,072,000 C-Bills
3 Month Contract 15,216,000

Salvage: 50%
Command Rights: Employer
Support: Full/Straight or Battle Loss/20%
(Total Time: 7 months, 2 months there, 2 months back, no HPG on planet to negotiate next deal

Costs:
Support (697K/Month). May be covered with Support rights for the 3 months not in transit, but we give up battle loss support rights if we take it)\

[SirFozzie]

Offer 3: Employer (9+1=10) - Major Power

Mission: (7+1)= 8. Extraction Raid. Basically, we're going in there to get something out, a prisoner or someone who can't get off planet, or secret notes about a new weapon upgrade. Hmm. Ok, the Capellan Confederation has heard rumors that House Davion is working on a new type of Battletech Myomer (the muscles of a BattleMech) that are more powerful. They want us to recover samples or files regarding it.

Command Rights 10: Liason Basically, rather then having someone issue us orders, we're expected to work with a liason who does not have the ability to command us, but represents the employer's interest. (or in other words, while they can't order us around like tin soldiers, they WILL be reporting back to their boss what we did).

Salvage Rights: 9: 60% Best so far.

Support Rights: 8: Straight/Full or 10% battle loss. Grrr.. either we accept the sunk costs, or 10 freaking percent of what we lose. Greaaat.

Transport: 11 Full costs again! nice!




Base Payment: 2.65 Million (53 Million *.05) + 520,000 (697K*.75)=3.17 Million per month *1.6 (Tempo Modifier)

Monthly Payment: 5,072,000 C-Bills
3 Month Contract 15,216,000

Salvage: 60%
Command Rights: Liason
Support: Full/Straight or Battle Loss/10%
(Total Time: 9 months, 3 months there, 3 months back, not a good idea to hang around onplanet to negotiate next deal!)

Costs:

Support (697K/Month). May be covered with support costs during 3 month contract

[SirFozzie]

So, we have three offers on the table.

Our first one is pretty safe, it's cadre duty for a year. We can even negotiate our next contract while we're there. It's the lowest paying, but our support costs are paid, so it's the clearest profit.. IF. If there's no combat. It offers the lowest level salvage of the group.

The second one is.. a bit more up and down. Normally objective raids have less defending force then extraction raids (so we'd have time to raid the supplies and savage), and they're paying the most. It's a short term contract, however, and we lose time getting there and back. It's riskier.

The last one is.. not as good in some ways. Because we take so long to get there and back, despite the looser terms, we're not making money for 2/3'ds of our contract. If we get lucky with salvage, we're golden, but, do we want to risk it, especially since we can't get more then 10% of battle loss?

[SirFozzie]

So, what offer should our intrepid forces take?

[law90026]

Cadre obviously. Coz I'm a wuss.

Love the dynasty's start btw!

[DavidCorperial]

I'd say Cadre as well, especially if it can help you level up your green guy.

[chesapeake]

You own a mech to shoot stuff, not sit around doing garrison duty. I vote for #2.

[SirFozzie]

THese are the books with the rules, I'm using:

DriveThruRPG.com - Catalyst Game Labs - Battletech - The Largest RPG Download Store!

The main books are Total Warfare (Not shown in this list), Tactical and Stategic Operations, and Campaign Operation (just released, which had the rules for building a unit, contracts and the like)

I'll leave it open for another 24 hours.

[SirFozzie]

Also. for those of you who want to do your own campaigns, but find running through all these books a wee bit intimidating, someone has made MegaMek, a freeware BattleTech client (that features online play versus another play, or against a bot):

MegaMek | an unofficial, online version of the Battletech board game

and MekHQ (to handle the ins and out of running a unit)

MekHQ | MegaMek

[SirFozzie]

Cadre Duty it is, more on that in the next couple of days, I have a battle to play out!

[SirFozzie]

Notes from Commander Henry Dolman (Commander: Dolman's Defenders mercenary unit)

February 21st, 2025

We've made planetfall on Edasich, our home for the next year. We'll be working with the Edasich Militia, as well as corporate forces from Edasich Motors, the planet's main employer. We've already set up some test runs to give the Militia a chance to try to work on defending the planet against raiders. We'll be playing the part of the OpFor (opposing Force). They seem nice enough, but they seem to be over their heads.. worse yet, they know they are, as they were only instituted a few months ago. Right now, they're looking at us like a puppy looks at their new owner. Afraid of getting yelled at, capable of making an unholy mess, but still wanting to please.

March 20th, 3025.

Well, that went pretty much as we feared. They tried to come at us in a bunch in an open attack. That is the worst possible tactic for vehicle units against Mechs, and it became a basic turkey shoot.

According to the judges, we would have successfully routed them with minimal damage, except for Stenson's Atlas. He got too excited with chasing down "fleeing units" and over extended himself. He got himself surrounded by units who realized that they could take him down with massed fire, He claims he didn't hear the admonition to get back into coverage, and while that didn't stop me from ripping him a new one up one side and down the other, I think that it's pretty likely that he just got "buck fever". He sheepishly admitted this was his first skirmish in the field, all the other time being simulator battles. Hopefully the lesson sticks.

May 15th, 3025
Nearly had an incident in the city today, Brawler Lance was on liberty, and nearly got into it with members of the militia in a bar when the Militia members got a bit rowdy about us being "cash warriors" and Kinnison (one of the Hunchback pilots), said "Well, it's obvious why we're getting paid, because right now you couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag". That went over just the way you thought it would. Thankfully, this didn't get much beyond the "Yeah? YEAH!" stage before the bar owner called the cops who broke it up. Unfortunately, I had to hear about it from Herr Thompson. That's what I hate about this job, having some stuffed shirt tell us that we need to win the hearts and minds of the populace to train them properly. Battle is what trains people properly. But, he's the paymaster's choice to command, and it could be a hell of a lot worse.

June 12th, 3025:

Sounds like things are getting a mite bit testy between the Davies and the Cappies. Scuttlebutt says that the Capellans tried some trick on the Davions that was discovered and countered. Bunch of Capellan bigwigs were declared persona non grata and kicked off planet. Things have been quiet for a while, wonder if we'll see some things hot up soon.

((OOC Note: This event in Battletech History was known as Operation DOPPELGANGER. The Capellan Confederation's Chancellor, Maximillian Liao created a double of House Davion's First Prince, Hanse Davion, and attempted to replace the real thing with their doppelganger. They used brainwashing and other tactics to make their version (they had to BELIEVE they were Hanse Davion), so they basically took a person, used tactics to completely erase his personality, and made him into "Hanse Davion". The double was discovered near the end of the plot, and the real Hanse Davion was able to prove his identity by doing something only the real him would know, and that is his Mech's Check Code (a security program to prevent Mech Hijacking, a person would have to know the check code to activate weapons, etcetera. This is covered in the first Battletech novel, "The Sword and the Dagger". This is the starting point for what is to come, timeline wise.

[SirFozzie]

July 14th, 3025:

We've just been informed by Herr Thompson, our Steiner commander that an unknown DropShip, likely Fortress class, has been spotted on approach to the planet. It's refused to answer hails. We're trying to get more info on the unit, but it looks like we're going to be busy in a bit. The Fortress can carry a company each of Mechs and Vehicles, as well as infantry. If it's fully loaded, then we're going to have some issues. Likely not, however, if it's a raid, then they're going to want to have room for the stuff they're taking. We'll see.

July 18th, 3025:

So the Raiders attempted to hit Edasich Motors , but the militia drove them off. We were held in reserve here in Edasich City, just in case we were needed. However, the pirates, or whatever they are, did a good amount of damage, so the militia isn't pursuing. We got the word that we're loading up the Union with 2 lances and some of the Militia and dropping between them and their DropShip. We want to intercept them some ways out.. don't want to get close to that damn Fortress.. if the artillery is loaded, we'd be fools to get close.

[SirFozzie]

Game notes: We'll be facing roughly 2 lances of vehicles and a lance of BattleMechs, who are the remaining forces from the pirates Expeditionary force. They are somewhat damaged, and their morale is shaky.. they didn't get the booty that they came for, and they want nothing more then to get to their DropShip and get off the planet. Our job is to grind them down even further. We're not taking the full company, just in case this is a feigned flight, so Brawler and Command Lance will be going, but we will be joined by a couple lances of vehicles.

[SirFozzie]

Just a little something aside on Battletech: If you have backed the PC Game from Harebrained Schemes Studios, check your email, there's a link to a youtube video (that I can't share yet, unfortunately, it's private for backers only) of Pre-Alpha Gameplay. As soon as it's ok, I'll post it (or if someone PM's me I can share with them)

and if you haven't backed it yet, they're going to be opening late backing options :

https://battletech.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Edit: I can share a couple gameplay photos from Harebrained Schemes: (They brought an Atlas and a Marauder to the mission. This is my GLEE face )

[SirFozzie]

Since folks are leaking it elsewhere. Here ya go:

BATTLETECH "Super-Pre-Alpha" First Look for Backers - YouTube

[SirFozzie]

The battle will be up Monday or tuesday. Just dealing with some health issues