The BattleTech Dynasty - Chapter 8, Brother Against Sister - 3062-3067 - COMPLETE!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

November 2, 3062 – The Earthwerks factory on Procyon, captured by the Free Worlds League from the Chaos March, has just opened. They purchased and rebuilt an old Brigadier Corporation on the planet. Not taking Procyon is one of Essex’s early regrets about the March.


November 16, 3062 - The first flashpoint of the Civil War has begun as battle has started on the key world of Kathil. This vital industrial planet is at the heart of the Federated Commonwealth industrial-complex, and both sides put very loyal, very well-equipped, and very capable forces. They erupt into battle that will drown the world.


November 24, 3062 – The second flashpoint on Kentares IV flares up. In a few months, the Katrina side will suppress it so much they will have assassinated the Duke, trumped up charges and held a kangaroo court and executed thousands of citizens for treason. Actions which certainly won’t quell the rebellion in any way, shape, or form.


November 28, 3062 – The third flashpoint erupts right next door to us in Nanking.


On Nanking are the First F-C RCT and the local Nanking SMM, who had held local Sarna March Worlds lost to Operation Guerrero (In 3057). After years of intra-squad conflict by them (The SMM blames the First F-C RCT for retreating in Operation: G from units and giving up planets that many in the SMM called home) , war has erupted. The SMM attacked, bit the First was preparing for this battle for months, and surprised them by how ready they were. They had secretly brought infantry, intelligence personnel, and created battle plans.

In the next few weeks, the First will push the SMM hard, but then the SMM links up with a lot of local forces, and the people of the planet begin to turn against the First F-C. The First counters by calling in a unit fro, nearby Zurich to help out and they arrive in a month. The First and the new unit (Grenadiers) bottle up the SMM by the end of February and contain them, and begin squeezing.

More flashpoints flare up across the Lyran and Fed Suns space in the next few months.

[Abe Sargent]

December 6, 3062 – After agitating against the Draconis Combine for Duke James Sandoval’s people, and increasing in popularity considerably, Arthur Steiner-Davion is assassinated by a bomb while giving another speech. Katrina Steiner is suspected behind it in order to remove a popular problem before it gets better.

December 9, 3062 – Precentor Martial Victor Ian Steiner-Davion reveals that Katrina assassinated Arthur, and declares war against his sister. He takes a leave of absence from ComStar to fight against the oncoming battle. Many fellow folks in the ComGuards will follow him. ComStar becomes increasingly involved in this war.



After knocking back the invading Draconis Combine troops, Duke James Sandoval gets his people ready and rallies them around the Combine. He prepares a large counter attack into the Combine space. The Combine is currently under a border war with the Ghost Bears on the other side and have stripped some of their worlds of defenders.


December 12, 3062 – Duke Sandoval’s quad strike forces leaves Robinson for the Combine, attacking four worlds simultaneously – Marduk, Al Na’Ir, Prosperina, and An Ting. This thrust will be notably successful, rally his people around him (and ignore the ongoing Civil War) and gathers a lot of materiel from local factories, warehouses, and such. He caught the Dragon completely unaware.

[Abe Sargent]

December 14, 3062 –

James Essex’s call comes through to his mother, CEO Elizabeth Essex-Walters while she is at lunch.

“Seriously, you couldn’t guess who is on the line waiting for you if you spent a year.”

“I assume not your father then?”

“No. Get ready. The First Lord of the Star League, Theodore Kurita, has sent a message. It’s live, so he must be somewhere nearby right now.”

“Let me see what the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine wants with little old me.”

…..

“So, just to verify this. You want us to license your Chimera ‘mech design? We give you 5% commission, which is half of the normal commission on sales for licensed designs, and we help you to send a clear message to Katie to stay out of your military’s industrial complex? Then we can sell the design to anyone we want, intentionally, to undermine their sales?”

….

“Alright, I’m happy to comply. I suppose you also want us to import your Medium Range Missile rack on this thing, rather than just give us the blueprints for them? I figured.”


….

“While we are being so friendly, I’d like to give our engineers the go ahead to work on a design that incorporates your MRM technology. We might use different size racks. I’d be happy to buy them from your own country’s factories to give them the extra sales...”

….


“We have our deal.”


The Chimera is a BattleMech that was on the drawing board for years. It was designed to be a cross-national mech between the FedCom and Combine militaries, with both involved in its design and both building the mech in their own areas.

After the Lyran Alliance split off, Katherine forced her nation to be included on the project as well, and then after she took over the FC as well, her teams dominated the design and morphed it. Now 3/4s of the production in perpetuity is bound for her militaries and just 1/4 to the Combine. So the Coordinator has tried to find a neutral company to produce the BattleMech in order to get it on the open market and thumb the design at Kate.

The first productions of the Mech will be arrived in the Combine and Lyran/FedCom space in February. It’ll take Kressly about 6 months to create multiple Mech lines in their factory and begin to produce the new design. Since the blueprints, design documents, and actual items have all been field tested and done, all that is needed is building the lines.

The number of potential clients is reduced. Other than the Coalition, only Marik, Liao, the FRR, ComStar, pro-Davion stuff, maybe Word of Blake, and various mercenary groups are the likely market. Because of the potential for flooding the market, KWI will only make three mech lines and thus produce two normal Chimeras a month. They dropped the Alexander down to two lines after the OmniMech market dried up, and this will help to alleviate the reduced sales of units like the Bandersnatch, Alexander and Lineholder.

In fact, KWI has decided that these lines will replace the Bander lines altogether. Especially since Bander Mechs over on Terra Firma have invested and they are making 6/year now.


The Chimera is a 40 ton mech with 6/9/6 speed enabled with an XL Engine. It has 10/20 heat dissipating capacity, 7 tons of normal armor, and a machine gun, MRM 20, ER Large laser, and a ER Medium laser.

We also make a special version just for the DCMS that strips out the MG and ammo for a C3 slave computer unit. One of our lines is using this variant. So we will be selling 12 Chimeras back to the DCMS each year, and 24 standard versions for the general market. Ideally, Theodore would like us to sell them first to pro-Victor units. But if not, then we can sell them to anyone else.

We have already sold the first year of 24 mechs to three pro-Victor units in the Lyran Alliance.

Kressly designers begin to look for a potential design using MRM launchers.

[Abe Sargent]

December 20, 3062 – Now that the Civil War is beginning in earnest, one of our worlds is beginning to have some demonstrations. Most of the worlds in the Coalition are loving it. Ingress, Bryant, Epsilon Indi, Epsilon Eridani, Acamar. Others are fine with it – Hsien, Sheratan, Elgin, Terra Firma and Genoa. There are worlds that have gotten heavy investment from us, and Caph will join them. They have really embraced us, because we’ve done more for them than a lot of others.

But we have one planet that has been getting a little ornery. Capolla, one of the founding trio of worlds of the Celestial Coalition. Their elected representative on the Coalition’s ruling council ran against Essex in the last election, and had one other vote, from Terra Firma, and that’s it. Maybe getting some bad blood, Chief Foster suspects that she might have either fomented a bit of bad blood between the sides, or allowed it by inaction.

Right now, demonstrations are in a few places on Capolla. We have seven companies of K&C mechs on Capolla (Myth and Star Battalion of Alpha Regiment). The regiment of The Bouncers, a merc unit is here on Capolla as well, so we have enough troops to handle any messy business.

After meeting with a variety of folks, we think the best way to handle Capolla, in order to prevent bloodshed from the ongoing demonstrations is to be proactive.

December 29, 3062 – After arriving on world, Duke Essex hosts a huge press conference on enhanced investments that the Coalition will be making on the planet. We are bringing in some of those advanced Star League era scanning equipment to check for deeper mineral deposits on the world to use and open up new mining opportunities and opening new tourism facilities in the capital of Stockdale and in the nearby jungles.

After discussing the various upcoming investments that are being made to Capolla, Essex talks about how this is giving back to the planet that has given so much. Like his homeworld, Epsilon Eridani, Capolla and Terra Firma were bedrocks of economic stability that have enabled investment in Bryant, Caph, and Sheratan. It’s time that the great generosity of the Capollan people Is returned!

[Abe Sargent]

December 31, 3062 –

Essex Training Academy


We have 18 MW graduates from the Essex Training Academy, and 24 enrollees for next year. Of these 18, all but one either stay with us or head to Coalition worlds. We also have 5 graduates of vehicle crews, all regular. We hand them vehicles and move them to our garrison. 7 enroll for next year, and 8 infantry squads are now being trained as well. 6 infantry squads are completed, the Aerotech wing has its grads – 6 total. 5 more enroll for the 1st year.

We create a Academy Battalion for the senior class, which will have the final year students on patrol, doing garrison work, fighting, and more. Most major militaries do the same thing. Our Battalion consists mostly of mechs we acquired and donated from Coalition factories. So we have the Grasshopper and Quickdraw from Lantren Corporation on Bryant, or the Attila, Alexander, Lineholder, Bandersnatch, Bumblebee and Greyhound from Kressly (and Bander Mechs). This way local graduates get a feel for the units they pilot. As we develop or acquire more mechs, fighters or tanks, expect those to be incorporated into the Academy generally, and the Academy Battalion generally.

The Essex Training Academy is now being used as the major area for military study in the Celestial Coalition, as it is the only military academy running. So recent expansions are designed to help grow the class size and develop, as more and more students look to enrolling in their local academy at Epsilon Eridani, before moving back to their home-world or to somewhere else in the Coalition. We also expect to send graduates to some of the merc units rebuilding locally here as well, such as Lindon’s Battalion.



Year 4 - 19
Year 3 – 18
Year 2 - 20
Year 1 – 24

Armor – 7

Aerospace, Year 2 - 5
Aerospace, Year 1 - 5

Infantry, Year 2 - 7
Infantry, Year 1 - 8

We pay 17.5 million to the upkeep of the Academy and HQ. The Coalition has agreed to defray part of the cost of the Academy in order to supplement their forces. So our cost has just increased by 2.5 mission after the recent expansions.

[Abe Sargent]

Civil War Stuff


One of the major things going on with the Civil War is that most of these battles just sort of erupt across the Lyran Alliance and Federated Commonwealth. Numerous planet swill have small to massive battles erupt around sphere.

It’s not simply Davion vs Steiner.

It’s often portrayed that way, but it’s not. Two of the greatest generals in the area are Nondi Steiner and Jackson Davion, and both support Katrina because she is the rightful ruler. She is legally in charge.

It’s sort of Pro-Katrina, and Pro-Victor. Remember, these are siblings. Neither one is fully Steiner or Davion.

But it’s not even that easy. For example, Katrina’s rule has been very heavy handed in the Federated Commonwealth especially. Some folks are anti-Katrina, without being pro-Victor, simply because of how nasty Kate has been. Over in Lyran space, there are massive amounts of pro-Victor supporters in the military, clan front, and mercenaries.

Even some major political entities have come out against Katrina because she has been spending so much time in the Federated Commonwealth, and left Nondi on the throne.

Some folks are just pro-independence. Like the Isle of Skye. Some are neutral, like Duke Morgan and his Capella March. Some are Pro-Lyran but anti-Katrina. Some are Pro-Fed Suns, but anti-Victor. Some want a full-blooded Steiner on the throne of the Lyran Alliance to remove this taint.

In the Chaos March, if you’ll recall, local nobility used the strife to increase their own power. That is repeated on hundreds of worlds in the Civil War. Local folks will be using this, as people usually do in war, for personal gain.

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of the Zurich Campaign


For the next campaign in the dynasty, we will be using the Operation Flashpoint campaign scenario. It is set on the Lyran world of Kaumberg. However, it is intentionally designed to be flexible on a variety of similar worlds throughout the Civil War.

We will be using the full on campaign here on Zurich.

[Abe Sargent]

January 11, 3063 – The government of Zurich has contacted us to send a unit out to keep the peace in Zurich, and to keep stable a growing situation on the planet. They don’t want more than a battalion in troops. We decide to send over Shadow Battalion, currently not engaged in anything too important, and they’re just a jump away in Genoa.


February 1, 3063 – Shadow Battalion unloads and arrives in Zurich, and meets with the local government to get the lay of the land, via the real deal, rather than via briefings.


Our Contract:

Shared Salvage
60% support
50% Battle Loss
Full transport
Zurich Liaison
1 year contract


This campaign will be using a special set of rules based on public opinion. As actions shift, the K&C mercs choose how to react, which side to join, how to fight, and so forth, things will change. Certain levels of popularity or unpopularity will trigger certain reactions, and some tasks might be improved or weakened based on these factors.

[Abe Sargent]

On Zurich, like many planets around the Inner sphere, nobility rules. Two noble families in particular were a part of the founding of the planet, and have been here ever since. On the planet is a ruling council, led by one noble who is elected into the role. Like normal, politics are an important part of the equation. These two major noble houses tend to be the ones in the lead.


The first house is Hasseldorf, led by Baron Trent Hasseldorf. He just resigned his commission recently in protest of the Katrina disaster here in the Federated Suns, and recently begun making his way back to the planet, but he Is currently off-world. The Hasseldorfs have historically been big fans of the Davion house, after the planet was taken by the Federated Commonwealth in the 4th Succession Wars.

Meanwhile the LeSatte family is led by Baron Etienne LeSatte, who has chosen to be loyalists to the Katrina cause after she took over in the Federated Suns parts of Commonwealth. It’s interesting that neither of these two major families back the Capellan Confederation which was their home for a long time.

The two families have been rivals. Recently, after hearing of Trent’s resignation, Baron LeSatte has publicly declared Baron Trent Hasseldorf a traitor to the realm he serves, and has requested that the local council, the House of Lords, strip the Hasseldorfs of their land and title because of this. Trent has more of the local Zurich Planetary Defense Force than any other, and he fought well against the clans, and was a war hero there.

The Hasseldorfs have defended Baron with his clan record and the fact that a mere resignation does not imply treason. The civil war is picking up around the rest of the Capellan March, but the locals have seemed to be content with the status quo, thus far here on Zurich.

But then everything changed.


20 days ago, a small infantry strike force, wearing Hasseldorf colors, hit the capital of Zurich, and destroyed the capital building, caught on holovid. The elected leader of Zurich, and several members of the House of Lords were killed in the attack.

Etienne LeSatte began to declare the Hasseldorf family renegades. Trent’s brother, Heinrich, answered the charges were clearly a set-up., especially since the surviving members of the House of Lords were neutral, or supported the LeSatte family.

This rivalry between the two most powerful families on the planet has begun to divide the people considerably, and we have been contracted by the government and the House of Lords to help keep the peace between these two families.

[Abe Sargent]

Because Zurich was wooed by the Lyran Alliance’s Melissa Steiner and the Chaos March, the people have tended to be pro-Steiner more than pro-Davion despite their location on a map. Their transfer to the Capellan March to Duke Hasek has been contentious, and that can be seen, although there are some that are pro-Melissa but anti-Katrina (since she’s too Davion) and some that are pro-Steiner and pro-Victor (since he’s the “rightful” ruler of the area). In fact, Melissa is so popular here on Zurich, that Victor is seen by some as a lot more “Melissa” than Katrina, who is seen more like her father, “Hanse”.


Despite the pro-Steiner feel of the planet, Baron Hasseldorf has been popular. He’s been the most popular noble-person on Zurich for a decade or so, and all of the speeches and stumping that Etienne LeSatte does hasn’t pushed the pro-Lyran leaning folks into an anti-Hasseldorf one.

[Abe Sargent]

We begin Track 1, Scenario 1, Flashpoint

February 5, 3063

Daosho, capital city, of planet of Zurich


Another gathering of anti-Hasseldorf in the capital city has broken out today. These have been fairly strong since the attack on the local government. Why haven’t the House of Lords done something, other than hire us?

They are demanding answers and marching onto the ruins of the local capital. Meanwhile, the capital city of Daosho is one of the holdings of the Hasseldorf family. Because that’s where we are, this is the home of pro-Hasseldorf sensations, and there are a lot of powerful counter-demonstrations.

[Abe Sargent]

As usual, the local police force has grown into issues. They have called out a company of mechs from the Shadow Battalion, and we sent Sealion Company –

Mad Cat Prime
Masakari Prime
Grizzly
GHR-5J Grasshopper

Marauder Iic
ARC-2R Archer
CRD-4K Crusader
Galahad

Shadow Hawk Iic
Griffin Iic
Dragonfly B
LCT-1E Locust


Our Grizzly?



All elite, with one veteran in the Locust, and 1/1 hoss Conner Ward himself in the Mad Cat. Shadow Battalion is our nasty, high tech, super elite, version of the Black Widow Battalion.

The goal is to have a neutral force in place that can help to keep the peace, and that’s why we’re here.


The clashing of sides has been pushed by some shoving, and a few Molotov cocktails. A downright brawl broke out. Meanwhile, because of the endangerment to their area and their citizens, a group of Hasseldorf units have been dispatched. Obviously not one to leave a scene without help, LeSatte has arrived as well with some units.

Warnings from the local police have warned off both LeSatte and Hasseldorf, but neither are listening.

Soon, the forces find each other on the streets of Daosho, in the midst of a civilian brawl. Fire opens up, and the battle has begun between LeSatte and Hasseldorf right here in Daosho.


The Hasseldorf:

Javelin
JagerMech
Crusader
Caesar
Dervish
Watchman
Locust
Cerberus


The LeSatte:

Fireball
Enforcer
Cobra
BattleMaster
Victor
Rifleman
Tarantula
Hunchback



The Police:

10 squads of normal infantry


Us –

Sealion Company


Hasseldorf – Wants to drive off the LeSatte Forces, minimize damage.
LeSatte – Drive off Hasseldorf. Not as interested in keeping things pristine and such
Us – Keep fighting controlled, force both sides to withdraw
Police – Survive


Forced withdrawal rules in effect for all three non-us forces. They are all regular forces. We are fight on a city map.

[Abe Sargent]

Due to our heavy use of clan tech and pilots, we have more BV than every else combined.

Here we go!

We are on the south. The police on the north, and the others on the east or west.


Turn 1 - We win init. We are really close to a lot of units. I hop to base some of the mechs on both sides. I also send a force down the middle, straight north of the Marauder IIc, Crusader and Galahad. Our Dragonfly hops next to a Fireball, Grizzly next to a Tarantula, Shadow Hawk IIc to a BattleMaster, Grasshopper next to a Javelin, and that should get up a leg up on early smashing. Combat smashing time! Our Dragonfly destroys the RA of their Fireball, and then the Galahad its CT. Dead mech Meanwhile our Grasshopper hits a hip on their Javelin, Their Watchman destroys the RA of our Locust. Meanwhile our Grizzly blasts the legs of their Tarantula and shears off its FLL. Their BattleMaster falls, destroys its LA. Other falls – Watchman, Tarantula. Our Grizzly kicks, destroys the LT of their Tarantula, and that’s a dead mech (XL engine, quad missing torso, are both kills) .Meanwhile Our Grasshopper kicks and destroys the LL of their Javelin and it falls hard.


Turn 2 – LeSatte wins init, we get second. We overheated the Dragonfly to take out the Fireball, so I leap it back to cool down. We flee with the Locust. I push forward in several places, confident in the quality of our mechs and pilots. I even charge a Victor guarding a Rifleman. After their Watchman rises, our Hopper bases it. The BattleMaster stays on the ground after two tries to rise fail. I hop the Shadow Hawk IIc beside an Enforcer. Conner Ward’s Mad Cat nails the head of their Cerberus and leaves just 1 internal structure left. Our Griffin IIc and their Cerberus and Victor fall. The Cerberus pilot blacks out. Our Grizzly kicks their Cobra to the ground.

Turn 3 – We win init. Their Victor rises. Our Griffin does to and runs in the center. Their BM rises as well this time. I hop the Shadow Hawk IIc to keep on it. I hop the Dragonfly over too. Why not? Grizz next to their Enforcer. Their Cobra stands and bases the Grizz. The first platoon of police was killed in the north. Our Masakari destroys the LA of their Victor. Another dead platoon. Our Shadow Hawk IIC blows the RA off their BM. Then we hit the MG ammo in it and boom! CASE though. LeSatte’s Victor destroys the H of the unconscious Hassledorf Cerberus. Their Caesar, BM , and Victor all tumble hard. Their Bm is knocked unconscious. Our Hopper legs their Watchman with a kick, and our Archer kicks an destroys the Victor’s LT and hits a gyro once in the CT.


All mechs of theirs that are able to fade away – Enforcer, Hunchback, Caesar stands, Dervish, Locust, JagerMech, Crusader, Rifleman, and Cobra all fade.

We took out 7 of their mechs, and the houses have left. No buildings were destroyed, we retreated one mech, and there were just two platoons killed.

These either eject, or are captured (or are destroyed)


Watchman missing LL
Cerberus missing H
Victor missing LA, LT, gyro
Javelin missing LL
BattleMster missing LA, LT, reattach RA
Tarantula missing FLL, LT

Fireball RT, LT, H, LL



Kills – Galahad, Grizzly


Our – Locust missing RA


This is rated as a Partial Victory for us.

We begin with a PR rating of 10, but lost 2 to fighting in a city as the defender to go 8.


END SCENARIO ONE

[Abe Sargent]

Over the next few days, LeSatte and many neutrals have successfully painted this battle on the shoulders of Hasseldorf. They have some responsibility since this is their home turf. They bear the brunt, because they didn’t trust the neutral folks to take care of it. Plus, the holovid shows their soldiers breaking into the capital and taking out the leaders.


This is no longer a political debate. It’s a civil war.

The House of Lords orders the Hasseldorfs to surrender their military assets and themselves pending a full investigation. Instead, Heinrich places his castle on full alert and begins to load up stuff.

Within a few days, the planet is largely convinced of the Hasseldorf’s guilt. Hasseldorf’s PR rating is -20, LeSatte at 0, and the House of Lords has ordered a strike against the Hasseldorf estate now, before things get too out of hand.

[Abe Sargent]

Scenario TWO – The Great Escape

Hasseldorf Castle, Zurich


February 15, 3063 - The Hasseldorfs begin to move out of their estate and into more mobile area, so the government speeds up the assault. They have sent in Shadow Company to assault the forces, and some of LeSatte’s forces will support their attack in other places on different fronts.


Our Hasseldorf foes have a number of flatbed trucks they are protecting that appear to have people and supplies on them. 6 trucks, and a company of mechs protecting them.

[Abe Sargent]

Shadow Company has arrived and radioed them to surrender and put down their arms. They refused. The combatants include a full company of foes, including a Catapult with Heinrich Hasseldorf in it and an Axman with Cynthia Hasseldorf, the younger sister of both and one of those suspected of leading the assault, outside of her BattleMech.

Shadow Company:

Orion IIc
HGN-732 Highlander
ST-8A Shootist
FLS-8K Flashman

Zeu-9S Zeus
GAL-1GLS Gallowglas
APL-1M Apollo
GRN-D-01 Grand Crusader

LNX-9Q Lynx
PXH-1b Phoenix Hawk
STY-2C Starslayer
TLN-5W Talon




Elementals
Elementals


Our Talon!




We’ll look to use our Elementals as a way to secure the trucks. We don’t have Beagle Active Probes on any of our units to scan the flatbeds and figure out what it what, and shoot or capture those without folks.

Shadow Company was formed right after the War of 3039 and features a ton of units we captured from the Kurita forces that included a lot of older, Star League era designs and their lost technology.

Our foes:

Catapult – Heinrich (veteran)
Axman – Cynthia (veteran)
Locust
Dervish
Caesar
Crusader
JagerMech
Penetrator – Vet too
Merlin
Commando
Zeus
Phoenix Hawk

This includes just the one assault mech (Zeus) and a large number of heavies (7).

We get ready to rumble!

[Abe Sargent]

Turn 1 –They can’t be here for too long. They need to get out quickly, and if they lose too many of their weakened battalion of mechs here, it’ll hurt them in the long run. Will they cut their losses and leave us the Trucks? Or is it worth the trucks? We lose init. I run our Apollo into some heavy woods. There’s a small lake in the center of the area on their property. Our Highlander devastates their Locust and destroys its LA, LL, LT, and hits the engine and gyro once each. It’s devastated, and can’t stand. Then we have a lot of misses before some fire on their Zeus begins to connect. It took 40+ damage but survive standing up, and that Locust is down.

Turns 2 – We lose init. Their Locust ejects. I push forward again. Their Penetrator jumps next to some of my Elementals. PXH leaps to the rear of their JagerMech (This is the good JagerMech too). I unload with SRMs and lasers from them, as well as fire from our Lynx and Apollo nearby. We hit the Penetrator’s gyro once with SRMs. Luckily, that AC20 shot to our Talon’s head form their Axman was just a glancing blow (whew!). But it hits the sensors. Our Starslayer nails the AC20 and engine once on Cynthia’s Axman. Then the Talon destroys its RT completely and it shouts down (XL engine). Their Penetrator tumbles.


Turn 3 – We win init this time. Our Highlander jumps into some heavy woods deep into their northern area. I push forward again. I hop our injured Elementals into the heavy woods with our Apollo. They are flanking that spot hard and fast. Their Penetrator fails to stand. I hop our Lynx above and next to their Caesar. Always have to try to punt that head baby! AC20 on our Shootist destroys the RA of their Phoenix Hawk. Their Crusader took 100+ damage and fell. No one else did. (Our Orion IIc took 40+, our Apollo 20+) DID IT BABY! Kicks the head with our Lynx, but did just 11 damage (55 ton mech). Two critically and hit the….sensors and sensors. Dead mech.

Turn 4 – We win init again. They have a dead Axman, Locust, and Caesar, and a damaged Penetrator and Phoenix Hawk, plus badly scarred Crusader and Zeus. They keep it up though, for at least another turn. Our Shootist and a few others charge the Crusader in the rear. I hop our Pixie to the rear of our Apollo to protect against anyone looking to flank us too much there. I’ve also brought in the Lynx and Starslayer to help as well, while our heavier stuff is rocking in their face. I run our Flashman over to the general vicinity as well to break up some things from the middle west of the battlefield. Their Crusader rises. Lynx leaps to the rear of their JM. Gauss slug from our Highlander into their Commando’s CT and its dead. Meanwhile our Shootist cracks that ammo bin on their Crusader and it lights up (no CASE). Meanwhile our Grand Crusader nails the gyro once and engine twice on their Phoenix Hawk. Our Apollo, and their PXH tumble. We kick their Jagermech to the ground.

At this point, we let them leave to secure the trucks. We have captured all six trucks. Two had people. Meanwhile, we have captured the castle, Cynthia Hasseldorf, and destroyed or blasted 6 of their mechs. Their damaged Zeus, Catapult, JagerMech, Dervish, and Merlin get away. The rest can’t get up, or are too slow to keep up in fleeing.




Caesar, sensorsx2
Locust missing LA, LL, LT, gyro, engine
Axman, missing RT
PXH missing RA, 2x engine, gyro
Penetrator, gyro

Commando, RA, LA, LT, RT, H,LL, RL
Crusader LA, LL


Kills – Highlanderx2, Talon, Lynx, Shootist,

That was a good win. We get a complete victory, and our PR rises to 11.

We turn our captured folks and trucks over to the government.


END SCENARIO TWO

[Abe Sargent]

The government has decided to charge Cynthia With treason, murder, sabotage, and a few other things. The evidence that she was involved, specifically, in the bombing and attack on the government center is not that strong, but she certainly defied orders to turn herself in and end this rebellion.

Due to the hot and sensitive nature of her, they are keeping her in a military prison, and have charged us with securing her, against potential lynch-mobs or against the Hasseldorf machine. She is kept with the other military prisoners, as well as some of the captured salvage in the small base, and prison.

[Tellistto]

Nice to see you return to the main story, Abe. On board again!

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Scenario Three – Jailbreak!

South Military Prison, Zurich

March 2, 3063 – Heinrich has decided to try and free his sister from the potential capital punishment, as well as freeing other military prisoners and securing some materiel.

While on patrol, Shadow Company’s scout lance is securing the area. All of the sudden two explosions ring out from the two sides of the complex, and a lance of mechs are making a beeline for two different areas – one for the captured materiel and the other for the prison.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

Nice to see you return to the main story, Abe. On board again!

Tell

Welcome back!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Shadow Company’s Scout Lance:

LNX-9Q Lynx
PXH-1b Phoenix Hawk
STY-2C Starslayer
TLN-5W Talon

They chose to hit Shadow’s, because the other lances are heavy in the clan mech’age.

The First lance is:

Dervish
Valkyrie
Griffin
Wolfhound

It’s moving towards the prison complex


The Second:

Dart 4S
Nightsky
Spider
Cicada


It’s moving towards the depot, and there appear to be some folks on board – Battle armor?


We can make a couple of choices. First, we can split our unit, and send two mechs in each direction. Another option is to send our lance in one direction whole-cloth, and then stop that attack completely, and then allow the other one through.

We are going to do just that. We believe the military target of the depot and the salvaged mechs and equipment is the more important target to defend, and we allow the others to hit the prison.

This is the Dart modification with the triple medium lasers rather than the triple small pulse lasers. They are rocking a trio of power armor as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Turn 1 – We win init. One of their people tries to enter a building, and fails. Not sure who or where. Our Lynx based their Spider. We destroy the Spider’s RA

Turn 2 – We lose init. Their Nightsky emerges and it was the mech that took some damage inside the building looking around. Their Dart is chasing my Talon. I run some folks up to their Nightsky and try to do some more damage to it. Our Talon’s ER PPC Sheers off the LA of their Dart. Our Phoenix Hawk’s lar laser nails the RT of their Nightsky, goes internal, and then a follow up with a medium laser in the same place destroys it – dead mech.

They had just maneuvered their power armor to get inside the building and grab some stuff, but with two mechs missing arms, and their biggest mech down, they decide to pull out instead. Their three battle armor mount up on their three mechs and they move off.


Meanwhile we gather up, and then move back to the prison complex, to see if we can hit them before they…..nope, too late. Cynthia and a few other military prisoners escaped.




Spider missing RA
Dart missing LA
Nightsky missing RT

Kill – Phoenix Hawk

This is a minor defeat. Our PR rises to 12. (Pyrric Victory and minor defeat are both +1 in PR). Sort of a “hey, you gave it your best shot” concept I suppose.


END SCENARIO THREE

[Abe Sargent]

As the jailbreak becomes common knowledge, the guilt of the Hasseldorf’s mounts. Even if they didn’t order the attack on the capital, it might have been rogue elements in their group, or LeSatte, or someone else. But, they have escalated conflict in the capital city, refused a direct order from the government to turn themselves in and lay down their weapons, attacked representatives of that government, and then broke prisoners, awaiting trial.

And that’s not looking good for the home team.


Baron Etienne LeSatte’s forces have been mostly trying to turn up the Hasseldorf forces in the woods. They have spent a few weeks of playing hide and seek and hunt the snipe. Minor skirmishes resulted. We’ve been moved out as a reserve for the Zurich forces, protecting nearby towns and such from potential attacks.

[Abe Sargent]

Scenario Four – Desperate Call

Traussen, Zurich

March 22, 3063 – Realizing the problematic situation they are in, Heinrich orders an attack on a nearby town’s communication center . A small town named Traussen is the target, and of course, we are there garrisoning it.

It has a B-class HPG right beside the town. We have a company of Mechs here, guarding the station, the locals, and a supply cache or three. We have assembled our company, Bruiser Company, to push aside this latest attack.

The Hasseldorf’s are seeking to grab the HPG station for long enough to send some messages. They can also use this time to grab the air and tell their own side of things to the local people.

They need this as a way to balance the campaign, and they are coming in hot and heavy

[Abe Sargent]

Hasseldorf:


Dervish
Commando
Dart
Cicada
Zeus
Merlin
Berserker
JagerMech
Rifleman
Thunderbolt
Watchman
Bandersnatch – Vet

They have 16376 BV

This is their Bandersnatch:




And here is Bruiser Company:


AS7-K Atlas
Highlander Iic
Gladiator A
Warhammer Iic

Rifleman Iic
Vulture C
Marauder Iic
ARC-4M Archer

Dragonfly B
Shadow Hawk Iic
Dasher D
PXH-3K Phoenix Hawk


No doubt, Bruiser is my best company in the TOE. It rocks nine clan mechs, plus an Archer, Atlas, and Phoenix Hawk, which are all respectable mechs in their oeuvre. Every pilot is at least the equivalent of Inner Sphere elite. Some are clan elite, which is 1/2, rather than 2/3. 7 of the pilots are ex-clanners.

This is our nastiest, smashiest, most devastating company Kilts and Commandoes has. It has a battle value of almost 52000. You could have a battalion of regular Inner Sphere mechs that wouldn’t be that good .

I have a fun German map to play on.

[Abe Sargent]

Turn 1 – We win init. Our Archer takes some heavy woods. I push forward massively. No sense making this last long – the longer it lasts, the more likely they are to get a head hit or a through armor critical lucky shot off. If I play my cards right, we can make a ton of money here. The Berserker and Bandersnatch are extremely expensive XL mechs. I target the JagerMech early. It’s the JM7-D which is a good variant. Our Highlander IIc nails the H of their JM with a medium pulse laser and hits the life support and sensors. Then it destroys the LA of it, before hitting the H again with an SRM missile .Our Rifleman IIc tears into its LT and destroys it. Dead mech. Their Berserker and Bandersnatch fall. None of our mechs even took 20+ damage to force a roll. They set the heavy woods my Vulture ran into on fire. But the Vulture doesn’t need it – it just rocks a pair of gauss rifles – no heat issues there. I


Turn 2 – We lose init. I push forward again. Their Berserker rises. Their Dart falls when running and turning on pavement. I position a lot of my mechs to get good firing lanes on the Berserker or Bandersnatch. Our Warhammer IIc cracks open a Cicada that based it and hits the gyro twice and engine once. Rifleman IIc destroys the RT of their Bandernsatch and it shuts down. Dead mech. Meanwhile our Pixie nails the foot and hip on their Thunderbolt. Our Marauder IIc and Archer destroy a few more Bandersnatch things. Our Dragonfly nails the engine, and MASC on their Berserker. It took 120+ damage and falls hard. The Tbolt also tumbles. Four of their mechs are on the ground prior to physical attacks (Dart, Cicada, but that one is dead, Berserker and TBolt.) Our Rifleman IIc kicks, breaks the RA of their Dart and hits the engine once.


They pull out and break off. We took down three mechs (Bandersnatch, JagerMech and Cicada) but the fire is growing, heavy smoke is pouring in, and they are able to get the Berserker, Dart and T Bolt away,


Bandersnatch missing RT, LL, LA
Jagermech missing LA, LT
Cicada 3G gyrox2, engine


Dart missing RA



Kills – Rifleman IIcx2, Warhammer IIc


We defended the HPG station successfully. Partial Victory. PR is now 14.


END SCENARIO FOUR

[Abe Sargent]

Without sending out a signal for reinforcements, the Hasseldorf faction is unable to bring in additional troops to help face off us, LeSatte and a few other noble folks, with smaller units, in Etienne’s coalition.

LeSatte uses this as the continuation of his campaign to show the Hasseldorfs as real villains, for attacking an HPG station. Although they were quickly rebuffed by us.

The Hasseldorfs quickly go into hiding and try to keep things quiet.

April 7, 3063 – A major JumpShip has arrived in the system, and a couple of military DropShips begin to move in to Zurich.

[Abe Sargent]

Scenario Five – On a Mission of Mercy

Samara Forest, Zurich

April 12, 3063 – Multiple DropShips are arriving and dropping reinforcements, and the Hasseldorf forces are heading out to meet them. We are told that one of these DropShips is Baron Trent Hasseldorf’s personal transport for his unit. Daddy is home.

A company of our troops, Sealion, is sent ahead to help secure the area, while the Trent’s forces begin to disembark.

Heinrich has led his forces to meet up as well, and a company of his forces have arrived to assist Trent. Meanwhile, Trent’s forces are unloading, and a company of his mechs are here too.

If the Hasseldorf’s had won that last battle, then they would have brought in more supplies, but this is just what Trent took with him, and what he is bringing back.

[Abe Sargent]

We will begin in the south of a larger map. There will be two companies to our east and west. They will each be run by a separate bot, but on the same team (so they won’t shoot each other). I’ve added the possibility of withdrawal to them as well.


On the East we have the on-planet force:


Berserker
Dervish
Commando
Watchman
Zeus
Rifleman
Thunderbolt
Merlin
Wolfhound
Griffin
Longbow
Dart

This is their 100 ton Berserker!



And then on the west are the first company of Trent’s forces, just unloaded from a Union DropShip.

JagerMech III
Falconer *
Wolverine 7D
Hatchetman
Scarabus
Wolf Trap *
Shadow Hawk 5M
Goliath *
Gunslinger *
Archer 5R variant *
Firestarter-O
Bushwacker

About half are veteran. Those with stars. The Firestarter-O is an inner sphere omnimech design.


We are playing monkey in the middle!

Our goal is to force them away and take the best area right here, and hold it, and then use this place to rally other of our forces. Alternatively, if we need to retreat, do as much damage as possible.

Here we go!

[Abe Sargent]

We are facing with some hills, trees, and a road down the south and east.

Turn 1 – We win init. I doubt we’ll control the area at the end, so this may end up being more of a hit and fade than anything else. We move a force in the middle of the southern front. Their Berserker charges my Shadow Hawk IIc, who leapt into some heavy woods. I focus some fire on the Rifleman. Our Grizzly hits and destroys its LT with a gauss slug and its engine is shut down and done. Conner Ward’s Mad Cat took 20+ and their Berserker took 60+ and are still upright. Luckily, their 100 ton Berserker misses the hatchet. Whew!



Turn 2 – We lose init. I’d like to stay close to the border, in case our mechs get savaged and we can retreat with them. But there are no forests near it, which sucks. I back some folks up on the west flank. I leap our Shadow Hawk IIc out of the heavy woods and walk the Mad Cat into them. Our Mad Cat tears into their Merlin and hits the gyro once and engine twice. Both the Merlin and their Berserker fall down. Our Masakari took 20+ and didn’t.


Turn 3 – Despite that roll of a 3, we win init. I run the Masakari into some light woods. Our Griffin IIc leaps above and next to their Griffin. Their Berserker stands. I like the Mad Cat where it is, so I keep it there. Dragonfly leaps adjacent to, and above, their Berserker. Their Merlin ejected. After our Galahad warms it up, our Grizzly’s gauss slug nails the RT of their Hatchetman and it shuts down (engine). Their Commando based our Mad Cat and Conner protested it with a full salvo of energy weapons and machine guns. He blew off its LL, RA and hit its engine once. Our Masakari hits and destroys the RA of their Wolf Trap. Our SHD IIc hits the Berserker’s foot, hip, shoulder, and hatchet. It falls. Their Commando and Wolf Trap do s well. None of our mechs even took 20+ damage.

Turn 4 – We lose init. I hop my overheated Dragonfly back out. We’re doing really well thus far (yay for clan mechs and elite pilots!). Their Commando ejects. Their Berserker doesn’t get up this time. They are charging on the west flank. I back up some of my mechs and such. We’re doing well at range. I leap our Grasshopper to the rear, and above, their Thunderbolt. Their Dervish bases it. I hop our Grizzly into a small copse of tees to try and stop them from coming too much too quickly on the west flank though. Their Dart runs around behind my SHD IIc. Their Wolf Trap rises. Our Mad Cat savages their Dart and destroys its LA, engine and gyro once each. Our MAD IIc nails the LB10X AC ammo on their Wolf Trap, which does have CASE< but that;’s a dead mech due to the XL engine. Their Bush’s LB10x AC destroys the LL of our Locust. That sucks. Their Falconer takes out the LA too. Falling down – Locust, Dart, Thunderbolt. Our Mad Cat, Archer and Masakari stay up, while their JagerMech III does as well.


Turn 5 – I was initially expecting us to lose the battlefield, but we’re doing really well thus far, so I eject the Locust. Their Dart ejects too. I leap our DFly next to their downed Berserker. We need to take this thang out. I push my forces back on the west flank. Our Grasshopper leaps to the rear of their Longbow. Their T Bolt rises. Our Griffin IIc hops next to it. Their Griffin gets the rear of our SHD iic. Not much more damage on their Berserker, but we did destroy their Falconer’s LT with the gauss from the Galahad and it’s down. Their Griffin get’s lucky. A through armor critical on our Mad Cat nails the gyro twice. SUCK! Meanwhile our Crusader nails the engine on their JMIII twice. Their Wolfhound destroys the LA of our Grasshopper, and their Longbow goes internal in a couple of places on our Grizz. Our MAD IIc destroys the RA of their JM III. Only the Mad Cat Falls. We kick and destroy the LL of their Berserker

I have to push harder now, with the Mad Cat down, in our to salvage it and fix it.


Turn 6 – We win init. They eject the Berserker. At this point, they can’t let us have the field, we’ll get too many good mechs. And we can’t let them get the Mad Cat and their stuff back. So we re both pushing more than you might expect now. We eject the Mad Cat. I back up mechs again. I move the Masakari into that space. Grizzly jumps and bases their Firestarter-O. Hopper jumps next to their T Bolt. Our G Hopper blows off the RA on their T Bolt while our SHD IIc destroys the LL and hits the engine once too. Our Marauder Iic is badly damaged by gausses from their Gunslinger and missiles. Their T Bolt falls and hurts its gyro once. The hex our Girzzly was in was set on fire by their Firestarter O.

Turn 7 – We lose init. I move the MAD IIc to the border of the south edge so I can retreat next turn. They are doing the same with their JMD III, getting it close so it can retreat. They eject the T Bolt. I hop the Griffin IIc over to help on the west flank, where we need it. Our D Fly runs next, and above, their Griffin. Their Wolfhound and Scarabus base our Grasshopper. I alpha strike the Griffin with our Dragonfly because we need it off the board, it keeps circling around and keeping my mechs from doing stuff. Our Masakari pours hot PCC heat into their Wolfhound and destroys tis CT. Our Dragonfly destroys the Lt of their Griffin and it shuts down. Before it is destroyed, it’s LRm20 hits the H of our Galahad twice and nails the life support. Our Grizzly nails and destroys the RT of the JMD III. Dead mech. Our Hopper kicks the Scarabus.

They lost three more mechs this turn. They are not going to continue to throw good mechs after bad into this meat grinder, and they retreat, we let them. We can’t lose the position or the field.



Griffin missing LT
Falconer, missing LT
Wolf Trap missing RA, RT
Hatchetman missing RT
Merlin gyro, enginex2
Rifleman 5M, missing LT

T Bolt, reattach RA, missing LL, engine, gyro
Commando missing LL, RA
Dart missing LA, engine, gyro
JagerMech III, enginex2, destroyed RA, RT
Berserker missing LL

Wolfhound H, LT, RT, LL, RL, LA, RA

Ejected – Merlin, Commando, Dart, Galahad, Berserker, T Bolt,



Us:

Locust missing LL, LA
Mad Cat, gyrox2
Grasshopper missing LA


Kills – Grizzlyx3, Marauder IIc, Masakari, Dragonfly


They lost HALF of their mechs. That’s a huge hit to their ongoing efforts



END OF SCENARIO FIVE

[Abe Sargent]

Our PR rises to 18

Trent Hasseldorf has always been one of the most popular people on Zurich. People could never believe he’d be behind the bombing, although maybe some others of his family could. His arrival has begun to change things up.

A couple of weeks pass by, and people begin to ask about a peace settlement, or re-opening the case on the attack, and so forth. Moderation is becoming a topic of the day. Trent has always been a reasonable person, and now that he has arrived, surely, things can end, and Zurich can get to the bottom of what is happening.


Right?


END OF FIRST TRACK (FROM UNREST TO REBELLION)

[Abe Sargent]

May 3, 3063 – The House of Lords has decided, in an emergency session, to order Baron Etienne LeSatte to retreat from the field, so they can order Hasseldorf to the table and cooler heads may prevail. There has not been a single shot fired since Trent returned to the planet after landing day.

LeSatte refused, telling the House of Lords that he would not stop until he was satisfied that the Hasseldorfs were contained.

The next day, Conner Ward meets with the government and inquires as to why his troops were not dispatched to face down the LeSatte. After all, they violated a direct order just like Hasseldorf did.


The House of Lords is not comfortable making the politically dangerous decision to attack LeSatte.

May 14, 3063 – Duke Essex has arrived at Zurich and meets with the local press:

“Hello Zurich! I know that this war has been rough on you. You’ve had a war on your planet for months now. We were hired here to help keep order, and to face, and bring down criminal units, on planet, who defied orders by the government.

The units of house Hasseldorf were involved in bringing battle to a large city, refusing to give up their arms, breaking prisoners out of jail, an attacking a small town with an HPG generator. All of these are criminal acts, and require our continued response.

Meanwhile, house LeSatte was also involved in that same battle, shot and killed police officers doing their job, and now has refused a direct order from the House of Lords and a planetary government. Therefore, we are calling for their laying down of arms, peacefully, the next time we engage. Any unit which does so, will not be branded a criminal. All others will be treated as criminals, since they are in direct violation of their government, just like Hasseldorf.

I’ve seen war tear people and places up way too much in my life. We need to end this now. Both sides, need to surrender, turn themselves in, and we can begin investigating the crimes, as proper members of civilized society. Zurich, you deserve better.”


(We’re going a bit outside the boundaries of the scenario pack. It envisions that, by now, you will have joined either the Hasseldorf or LeSatte side. We are not, and I will modify some of the next track, into to note these changes. )

Our PR increases to 20.

[Abe Sargent]

BEGIN TRACK TWO – HUNTERS/KILLERS

Duke Essex was able to convince the government to be more forthright in governing, and pushing out Baron Etienne LeSatte. As he says, we can easily send in more mercs from K&C if needed. Although Shadow Battalion is dominating so much it’s unlikely right now.

LeSatte lost their coalition, and they are down to around 30 mechs, all told.

His forces have been out chasing Hasseldorf’s. With their reinforcements from Trent, and with their battle losses against us, they are roughly in the same number of foes.

For a few weeks, things have progressed well out there. Ward ordered our force to head on out and into the campaign, to end things for both of them as quickly as possible.

[Abe Sargent]

Begin Scenario Six – Breaking the Circle

Samara Forest, Zurich


May 26, 3063 – The LeSatte forces are pushing Hasseldorf’s troops, herding them out of the woods and into more exposed territory. We have arrived and Conner sent Brusier Company out to play with the troops. We want to push both around, off the field of battle that they are about to have.

Having faced Bruiser once before, Hasseldorf wants nothing of it. They immediately flee the battlefield. Meanwhile, disappointed at not fighting the Hasseldorf army for weeks, and angry at us for declaring them criminals, the local company of LeSatte troops pushes on us and moves in for battle.

This enables the Hasseldorf troops to break free of the tightening noose and roam about again.


This is the LeSatte forces:


Enforcer
Cobra
BattleMaster
Rifleman
Hunchback
Barghest
Cataphract
Wasp
Garm
Stalker 5S
Stealth
Valkyrie

All regular pilots

[Abe Sargent]

Turn 1 – We lose init. I move the Gladiator, using its MASC, into some heavy woods. We charge up the middle and bring some heat. They don’t understand yet how nasty this company can be, and they come in slow in some places. Only the woods keeps me from concentrating our firepower more.

Our Atlas’s gauss rifle, the first shot of the day, crushes the H of their Stalker and it dies.
Their Barghest destroys the RA of our Dasher.
Our MAD IIC hits the leg actuators on their Valkyrie
Our Archer destroys the RT on their Valkyrie
Our Shadow Hawk IIc nails the shoulder on their Garm
Our Dasher hits the Garm a bunch more with ER Medium Lasers and cracks more locations
Their Valkyrie falls.


They may choke up the Stalker kill to luck, and not really see it as the harbinger that it truly is.

Turn 2 – We win init this turn. They move to retreat their Valkyrie and Garm. I escape the Dasher, since it was already on the edge. Our PXH jumps next to their Wasp. Their BattleMaster emerges and bases our Highlander IIc. Our Gladiator bases the BM right on back. I hop our Dragonfly next to some of their stuff.


Highlander IIc destroys the RA of their BM
Our Gladiator dices into it and smashes the destroys the RT – dead mech (XL engine)
Our PXH destroys the LA of their Wasp
We go internal on their Hunchback in a bunch of places
Shadow Hawk IIc hits two engines on the Hunchy before destroying its CT
Phoenix Hawk kicks and destroys the LL of their Wasp


Hunchback H, LL, RL, RA, LA, LT

BattleMaster missing RA, RT
Stalker 5S missing H

Valkyrie missing RT
Wasp missing LA, LL


Kill – Atlas, Gladiator, Shadow Hawk IIc


Us – Dasher missing RA


And just like that we have killed a Hunchback, two assault mechs, and savaged a Wasp, Valkyrie and Garm. They clear out.

We have taught a lesson to house LeSatte as well. Don’t go against your government. Not when we’re being paid to keep the peace.

We get the Wasp too, but the other 8 units flee.


END OF SCENARIO SIX

[Abe Sargent]

Our PR rises to 23.

As a result, we will now gain bonuses

The locals are beginning to like us a lot, and will give us extra intel about battles, enemies, and more,


After the Hasseldorf forces break free of their noose, the LeSatte ones begin the chase anew, and skirmishes, feints and counter-feints, and the dance begin.

LeSatte -27 mechs left
Hasseldorf – 31 mechs left


A wek-ish later, Scenario 7 is fought as Hasseldorf attacks a LeSatte outpost, but we aren’t anywhere nearby. That’s unfortunate. They took out a small airstrip and captured a small depot of supplies.

The problem is that war is pushing in and around the area, and the LeSatte’s are pushing the Hasseldorfs out of the woods yet again.

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of Scenario Eight – Desperate Calls, Redux

Ravenshire, Zurich


June 20, 3063 - Wanting to once again leave the area, and strike to take a local HPG to get the news out about their side as well as to gain reinforcements, the Hasseldorf forces attack a small town, just on the far side of the Samara Woods and go it to deliver their message.

The LeSatte forces are defending the area, expecting a possible attack, with two lances, and Hasseldorf is sending a full company, plus his brother to make sure they bust through.

We have Shadow Company nearby, and we head in ourselves.



Hasseldorf –

Catapult, Heimrich’s mech *
Dervish
Watchman
Zeus
Longbow 7V
Wolverine 7D
Scarabus
Shadow Hawk 5M
Goliath *
Gunslinger *
Archer 5R variant *
Firestarter-O
Bushwacker





LeSatte – Same Company as before, minus a lance of mechs we took out

Enforcer
Cobra
Rifleman 5M
Barghest
Cataphract
Garm
Stealth
Valkyrie




Here we go!

[Abe Sargent]

We are on the west flank of the area. Theyhave the north and south. There is a small lake and river area in the center north to the east. There are some woods, a bit of elevation, rubble from earlier destroyed battles, a broken road, and some concreted areas.


I place our Elementals near the woods.

T1 – We win init. Our Apollo moves towards heavy woods. I’m using a ridge of woods to push our troops south. I want to smash them quickly, then focus on the LeSatte forces to the north. If I push back LeSatte first, then Hassie might be able to take the HPG station. Most of the LeSatte forces are on the other side of the lake in the corner and they just have 8 mechs anyway. I focus a lot of fire on their Gunslinger. Taking that out would drop two gauss rifles from their force. I hit its H, go internal in a few places, and it took 100+ damage and fell. Our Orion IIc also fell from 80+ damage. Stupid mech!


T2 – I win initiative again. I move the elementals into heavy woods. Our Orion rises and runs back, then turns to keep folks from a rear angle of attack. Then I begin to push forward with other forces. Our Shootist, Highlander, Zeus, Flashman, Gallowglas charge on up. Our Talon runs 10 and bases Heinrich’s Catapult. Their Gunslinger tried and failed ot stand twice. Our Flashman destroys the LA on their Catapult (C1b) while our Zeus get’s a limb blown off on its LL. Our Grand Crusader’s LRMs hit an engine on the Gunslinger, and then the Gallowglas nails the LRM ammo on the Catapult, and CASE keeps the mech from blowing up. Our Highlander hits the LRM 15 ammo in the other torso, another boom. The Pilot has died, due to too many explosions, and feedback. Heinrich is dead. That’s going to be a thing. Both out Highlander and Orion IIc took 40+ but are still standing.


T3 – We lose init. Their Gunslinger stands. I run our Orion IIc next to the side, in case we need to escape with it after another round of firing. While using MASC, their Wolverine’s legs froze up, and two leg actuators were hit and it fell down. They only needed that 3 as well. Ouch! Their Bushwacker bases my Zeus . Their Bushwacker hits the LT of our Orion IIc and destroys it after igniting an ammunition explosion. Our Apollo nails the Gauss Rifle on their Gunslinger’s RA and it is destroyed. The pilot ejects from the mech. Our Talon hits the engine and LB ammo on the Bushwacker, Boom! Dead mech (XL). The LeSatte Rifleman falls form Hasseldorf damage, and the Hassie Longbow took 60+ damage from us and dropped. Our Orion drops too, and our pilot blacks out. Uh oh.


T4 – We win init. Their Rifleman stands. I emerge some of my lighter, faster units to help cover the Orion. I jump the Highlander next to, and above, their Goliath. Just trying to be disruptive. Their Wolverine tried to stand, failed, and their pilot blacks out too. Our Flashman runs up to it too. Our Talon runs above, next to their Dervish. Their Dervish destroys the LL of our Orion IIc. Goliath nails the gyro once and destroys the RT of it. Their Goliath falls. Our Flashman kicks the Goliath’s H and destroys it. Meanwhile, our Talon makes it two for two and punts off the head of their Dervish. Whew – our Orion awakens.


Turn 5 – We lose init. With a lot of mechs destroyed, and their leader dead and dead, our Hasseldorf foes retreat. Their Wolverine is still blacked out and left behind. We eject the Orion IIc. Of the LeSattte forces there, their Rifleman and Garm are a bit damaged and scarred. Our Talon’s ER PPC nails the RT of their damaged Rifleman and destroys it – dead mech (XL).


Turn 6 – We win init. Our Highlander hits the lower leg in their Stealth. Then our Apollo destroys its RT and that’s a dead mech (XL). Meanwhile, we damage their Garm, and Barghest, and Valkyrie a bit too, as some weapons can’t penetrate the woods well as long range and I’m forced to take attacks of opportunity rather than those of strategy. Their Cataphract and Barghest fall.


Turn 7 – We lose init. They rise the Cataphract. And the Barghest too. I move my forces in as fast as I can. I want to finish them off now. Our Lynx nails the Garm’s RL and destroys it while the Hghlander destroys its RT. Our Pixie gets the Barghest when it hits the LB20X amoo, explosion, boom! RLL and LT gone. Our Flashman sheers off the H of their Enforcer.


They are done. The Cobra, Cataphract and Valkyrie are moving out. We took out both enemies!

Sattie:

Enforcer missing H.
Rifleman 5M, missing RT
Stealth missing RT
Garm missing RL, RT
Barghest, missing RLL, RT


Hassie:

Fleeing – Longbow, Shadow Hawk, Firestarter-O, Watchman, Zeus, Archer, Scarabus. We took out six mechs.


Ejected - Gunslinger

Gunslinger, engine, missing LA

Goliath missing H
Catapult C1b missing LA, LT, RT, reattach LL
Bushwacker missing RT
Dervish missing H

Wolverine, blacked out.


Kills: Highlander, Apollox2, Talonx3, Flashmanx2, Phoenix Hawk,


Us – Orion Iic missing LT, LL, gyro, RT




LaSatte – 22 Mechs
Hasseldorf – 25 mechs


Our PR is now 26.


(There is no part of the track that involves what happens if we’ve killed Heimrich in battle. He’s not a major character anymore though)


END OF SCENARIO EIGHT

[Abe Sargent]

After some more maneuvering, Hasseldorf is invited by a tourist town along a lake called Ruhe to set up a base of operations there. LeSatte is there, and able to bring out a unit to face them, but is pushed aside in the Ruhe Valley and Hasseldorf makes in there in scenario nine.


Meanwhile, LeSatte retreats to a nearby town, Hautte, where they can launch attacks on Ruhe, maybe bottle them up there.

We begin to move in some forces to enter the ongoing fight.


Hasseldorf has a few more weeks to repair and such, and more, a lance of mechs joins his cause as a Leopard disembarks and four, fresh, right-off-the-best-line mechs unroll.


This turn of events has really pissed off Baron LeSatte.


LaSatte – 21 Mechs
Hasseldorf – 29 mechs

END OF TRACK 2 – HUNTERS/KILLERS

[Abe Sargent]

July 14, 3063 – Baron LeSatte announces that he has been given emergency powers as the new, interim, House Lord, and he is declaring martial law for the planet. He sends forces out into Daosho to bring it to heel. Since it was Hasseldorf territory, it’s a major place of rebellion now.


No one from the House of Lords was on the platform with LeSatte. Conner Ward uses our newly discovered contacts to uncover what is happening.

[Abe Sargent]

BEGINNING OF TRACK 3 – DOWN TO THE WIRE


After a few days of investigation, it appears that Baron LeSatte has arrested the entire House of Lords. Something major happened.

July 17, 3063 – We contact Baron Trent Hasseldorf about a temporary alliance against LeSatte now that he has gone off the deep end. He refuses to consider it, because we killed his brother in battle. (In the story-line, the two of us would be uniting and heading out for this track.)

All communications and power are cut from nearby villages.


We move out and place our three companies in and around Ruhe and Hautte, so we can call on them as needed.

PR:

LeSatte: -5
Hasseldorf : -29
Us: +26

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of Scenario Ten – Hold the Line

Ruhe, Zurich

July 21, 3063 – LeSatte has every intention of ousting Hasseldorf from Ruhe, because the longer they wait, the more secure the Hasseldorf unit will become. The problems are two-fold:

1). There is just one way to Ruhe, since it’s on a lake, easily defended
2). They expect us to hit them as they arrive


That’s bad news for LaSatte, but they have a plan. Unknown to us, they are sending a company of their remaining scouts and faster units to appear like a normal mech company, and then bait us into flanking them, outrunning us, and then joining their battle already in progress.


The plan works initially. They have attacked along the vector of Shadow company, (the weakest one, supposedly) who follows. And then they manage to slip away, rejoin their main army who has reached Ruhe.

But they forgot something important. Conner Ward is a clever little bastard.

He dropped Brusier Company into the lake, and slowly, under the cover of distance, battle, and more, moved along the lake bed, until the entire company unloaded on the far end, about a half-mile down from Ruhe and the beginning of the battle. One of our mechs, the Marauder Iic is breached and could not arrive, it had to return. The rest of the company is here and ready to rock.

[Abe Sargent]

We hit one side of the ongoing battle –



LeSatte:

Valkyrie
Cobra
Cataphract
Warhammer 7S
Salamander
Quickdraw 5M
Locust
Stiletto
Templar
Clint
Rakshasa
Trebuchet 7M






Hasseldorf

Longbow
Shadow Hawk
Firestarter-O
Watchman
Zeus
Archer *
Scarabus
Whitworth
Javelin
Pillager *
Nightsky
Marauder
Cicada 3F


Here we go!

[Abe Sargent]

We are on the east, and they on the north and south . There are a strong copse of trees in the south, and a good amount for us in the northeast. Not much else. Our Archer begins in heavy woods. I intend to take the terrain in the south.


Turn 1 – We get the middle roll. Our Dasher gets a MASC hit on the first turn and its legs lock up. The Gladiator’s MASC works though, so, um…yay?

Our Atlas’s ER Large Laser shears off all of the head armor on their Archer
Our Highlander IIc punishes its LA, which is blown off then the RT is destroyed.
Our Warhammer IIc destroys the LL of it too an tacks the engine
Their Salamander and Archer fall from our fire, and their Longbow falls from their own.


Turn 2 – We lose init. Ejecting from, Archer. Their Longbow can’t stand. But the Salamander does. Our Pixie jumps next to it. Our Gladiator bases that Salamander as well. I focus a lot of fire on the Zeus and Templar.

Our Gladiator gets a limb blown off – RL on the Salamander
Our Warhammer IIc hits the Zeus’s LRM ammo – boom! CASE keeps it up (No XL engine either)
Our Rifleman IIc destroys the Zeus’s CT
Their Salamander falls. The Templar took 60 and did so as well. No one else did.
Our Gladiator kicks and destroys the LT of the Salamander – dead mech

Turn 3 – We win init. Longbow fails to stand. Again. We have forced away the units from the top woods now and have it to ourselves. The Templar rises. Our Pixie runs to the rear of their Cataphract and next to the Templar.

The Gladiator destroys the Templar’s RT’s gauss, which destroys the section, dead mech
Our Shadow Hawk tears through rear armor of the Cataphract to hits the engine twice.
A Hasseldorf Pillager is raping the LeSatte Clint
Who falls? Cataphract, Clint, Pillage (one of our main targets)
Phoenix Hawk kicks the Cat, hits the LT’s ammo bin, Boom!., dead mech (CASE, Xl)



Turn 4 Baby! We win initiative again. Their Pillager rises and runs a bit. Longbow finally stands. LeSatte is beginning to turtle in the corner after we took down their Templar, Cat, and Salamander. SHD IIc bases their Cobra. Dragonfly leaps next to the Cobra as well. Clint tries ot stand, fails, falls, breaks his RA arm. Tries again, fails, breaks his LA, and then just ejects.

LeSatte’s Cobra destroys the La of Has’s Javelin
LeSatte’s Warhammer destroys the Jav’s RT and LL
Our Gladiator nails the engine of the Cobra
Then our PXH hits its LRM15 ammo. BOOM! No CASE Deadmech.
Our Warhammer IIc nails the enginex2 on their Pillager and destroys its RA.
Then our Highlander Iic attacks it. Destroys the RT and it’s a dead mech rising
A Longbow nails the Locust and it falls, as does their Longbow after we put 60+ into it


Both sides choose to withdraw into the main battle, and we choose not to push and follow.

Cobra LA, H

Javelin missing LA, RT, LL

Clint missing RA, LA
Cataphract, missing LT
Templar missing RT
Archer, missing RT, LL, reattached LA, engine
Pillager missing RA, RT,


Salamander reattach RL, missing LT

Zeus RA, LA, LT, LL, H, RL,




Ejecting – Archer, Clint

Kill, Rifleman Iic, Gladiatorx2, Phoenix Hawkx2, Highlander IIC


So, in summation:


LeSatte lost their Cobra, Cataphract, Salamander, Templar, Clint

The other 7 mechs left (Valkyrie, Warhammer 7S, Quickdraw 5M, Locust, Stiletto, Rakshasa, Trebuchet 7M)



Hassledorf lost their Zeus, Pillager, Archer, and Javelin

The other 8 withdrew (Longbow, Shadow Hawk, Firestarter-O, Watchman, Scarabus, Whitworth, Nightsky, Marauder, Cicada 3F)


PR of us? 29

Trent won in Ruhe against the LeSatte attack.

LeSatte: -9
Hasseldorf : -28
Us: +29


Mech Count:

LeSatte – 14 Mechs
Hasseldorf – 24 mechs


END OF SCENARIO TEN

[Abe Sargent]

I will be skipping scenario 11. Basically, what happens is that LeSatte thinks Hasseldorf is reeling from the battle and then strikes again, in order to finish them off, only to find that Hasseldorf is not as badly off as they thought.

Instead, we will be skipping to #12.


After realizing that they need to get the word out to the people about what is going on, House Hasseldorf decides to make one final attack on a nearby communications state in Kalemberg.

Kalemberg is on the way back to Daosho, the capital of the city, and the Hasseldorfs can chase the LeSatte forces fleeing there, and then grab the communications station, explain what has been happening, and then begin to retake Daosho.


July 27, 3063 – Claiming the Hasseldorfs are traitors to Zurich, Etienne LeSatte has his soldiers destroy Castle Hasseldorf.


All of his 14 mechs have retreated to Daosho.

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of Scenario 12 – Breaking News

Kalemberg, Zurich


July 30, 3063 – They blow out of Ruhe with all of their forces, and they are heading out. They are ready for the final campaigns of the civil war.

The only people near the Baron Hasseldorf’s line of attack on Kalemberg is us. And Sealion Company, is really close.


The Baron wants to split his force into two companies, use one to play with Sealion, and then the other to hit the communications station.


Our foes:


Longbow
Shadow Hawk
Firestarter-O
Watchman
Scarabus
Whitworth
Nightsky
Marauder
Cicada 3F
Phoenix Hawk
Dart
Grasshopper
Wolfhound



He added a lance to the company we just fought against. He’s keeping his best mechs away from us for now, and saving them for a final assault on Daosho.


Meanwhile, we have sent ahead Shadow Company to the city and Bruiser Company to harass the other Hasseldorf company along the way.


Our only goal is to smash hard and fast, this is a diversionary raid. Anything we capture won’t make it to Daosho.

[Abe Sargent]

We have a small lake in the middle, modest light trees, and a lovely road. Not much els.e


Turn 1 – We win initiative. I charge down the northern flank. Our Mad Cat destroys the RT of their Nightsky and it shuts down. We destroy a couple of other pieces too this turn.


Turn 2 – We win init. I continue to blaze forward. Their Scarabus bases our Archer, so our Locust does the same. I want that Longbow out of the picture. I focus some fire on it. We miss some attacks, and then the Mad Cat destroys the Longbow’s LRM20. Finally, the Griffin IIc destroys the RA on it. It took 200+ damage and falls, They did some damage to our Locust too.


Turn 3 – We lose init. Our MAD IIc bases their downed Longbow. We are charging down the east flank behind their position. It is forcing them to re-align their position. Their Longbow rises and I base it with the Mad Cat. Our Dragonfly destroys the Longbow’s LT ammo, CASE, shut down (XL). Their Whitworth hits our Locusts’ gyro once. Our Galahad’s gauss slug nails the Cicada’s LA and its done while ou archer destroys its RA. Our Masakari’s ER PCC lances out and sheers off their Shadow Hawk’s LL. Finally, our Shadow Hawk IIc takes down the LL and LT of their Cicada,shut down mech city. Our Grizz destroys the Shadow Hawk’s RT after hitting he LRM ammo (CASE< XL). Our Locust didn’t even fall. And just like that we took down three mechs in one turn baby!

They leave and their mission was complete.


Cicada missing LA, RA, LL, LT
Shadow Hawk missing LL, RT

Nightsky, missing RT, RL, LA
Longbow missing RA, LT

Kill – Mad Cat, Dragonfly, Shadow Hawk iic, Grizzly

This is a minor defeat, and we rise to:

LeSatte: -12
Hasseldorf : -20
Us: +30

Mechs?

Hasseldorf: 20
LeSatte: 14


END OF SCENARIO 12

[Abe Sargent]

Hasseldorf used their time at the station to tell their side, talked about LeSatte arresting the House and Lords, and more. It worked, and their PR improved a bit, plus, LeSatte’s dropped, as you can see above.

That helps to reduce the major problems Hasseldorf might encounter heading into Daosho.


It’s time


After a long campaign, LeSatte is holed up in the city, where they are going to make the Hasseldorfs (or us) pay for their attack with every block.

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of Scenario 13 – One Last Duel

Daosho, Zurich

August 2, 3063 – The strike force has arrived. 20 mechs of Hasseldorfs, as well as out units have penetrated the city’s borders.


Trent Hasseldorf has personally led the assault in his fancy Zeus. We have a rare sighting of Etienne LeSatte in his Caesar.

As they enter the city, with Shadow Battalion already here (and their Elementals), we encounter something unusual….


The two leaders spy each other, and immediately make for each other without any thought at all to anything else. They were just maneuvering and readying, but the other forces part, and their mechs collide.

After a few turns, the elite Zeus has the upper hand over the veteran Caesar. Another two rounds and the Caesar’s left torso is destroyed and the mech shuts down from the engine hits.


As that happens, the battle opens up. LeSatte’s forces are upset, and Hasseldorf’s are cross and wanting to free their own city.

We back up a bit, and let them fight it out, and just keep the fighting contained to this section of the city. We don’t want things to break out elsewhere.

And then, it ends.

Hasseldorf has won the day, all remaining LeSatte forces surrender.


END OF SCENARIO THIRTEEN