The BattleTech Dynasty: Chapt 2, 3039

[Abe Sargent]

Awesome, they have a News helicopter

[Abe Sargent]

I also picked up TRO 3075, which inlcudes another lost memory core on New Dallas from teh Star League, and has even more schematics for mechs fromt hat era, and some are getting built again.

This is an opportunity to bring into the modern game the missing "mechs."

See, the game was originally sold as BattleDroids in the early 80s. It took various mech desgins from mecha anime in Japan, and then designed the game called BattleDroids. These droids did modestly well, and then the company rebranded it as BattleTech and it took off. The timelines were the same, and the universe was teh same, they simply released battleTech as the second edition and moved on.

Most of the droids made teh conversion to mechs in technical readouts (TROs). Stinger, Archer, Bombardier, Rifleman, Warhammer, Marauder, etc. However, a few of the original droids were lost, never to be seen again. Schematics existed for them from the original game, but they were never mentioned or seen in any release since.

These mechs were the Firebee, Cestus, Crossbow, Gladiator, Behemoth and Battleax. They were lost to time. Now, the in-universe explanation is that they actually were lost, and have been found and reintroduced, along with various other designs. Nice. Once again, you can play with the Firebee or the Crossbow. (Not the Behemoth though, it appears to be permanently retired, because they introduced a Behemoth mech in 3055 TRO and there is a Behemoth tank too).

Anyway, I am very happy.

[Abe Sargent]

Another thing the vehicle annex finally gets right is the inclusion of exoskeletons and industrial mechs. The universe has always had mechs that do things other than battle, plus exoskeletons for industrial work. they are mentioned in the novels going all the way back to some of the first ones, but there have never been any of them in a TRO until now. Finally we have schematics on LoggerMechs and HarvestMechs and LoaderMechs and my favorite, CattleMasters.

[Abe Sargent]

November 12, 3039 - We are sent back out on patrol. When we are sent out, we have the ability to choose what and where to do We can push, attack in force, withdraw, harass and whatever at my leisure.

Our scout units spy an opposing lance of heavier mechs supported by a company of tanks. Why not?

It is Dusk so the DUSK rule is in effect. Everybody is at +1 to hit.

More Always Faithful, and all Veteran


Banshee
Crusader
JagerMech
Victor

And then 12 tanks


The major foes are the double AC assault tank Demolisher, the triple LRM20 LRM Carrier, and the Crusader mech.

We actually hit them outside of the city by a river. The land is flat, with a few rocks, a few trees, a river, and a road and bridge crossing it. With little cover, we run towards each other. Our Spider takes an AC20 from their Victor in its RA. That RA no longer exists.

The next round arrives. Liu Chen stands up her Spider and runs away a maximum of ten spaces. Their Demolisher hits Adele’s RT and destroys it, leaving its RA on the ground. Our Archer destroys the Scorpion Light Tank’s RS. It is not recoverable so we take its weapons. Adele’s Firestarter falls.

Adele stands up her Firestarter and runs as far as she can. We exchange fire, and then my BattleMaster kicks and destroys the front end of a Harasser Missile Platform, which I can salvage.

I move my light forces away from the battle. This open terrain is not the map for them, so I flee with the damaged Spider, and set up Adele’s Firestarter for fleeing next turn. Their Crusader’s LRM15s pepper my Striker and destroy its head. Elite mega pilot David Bengurion has died. Our Centurion destroys both the front side and the right side of their Demolisher. We can recover the damage, but we cannot repair the drive system.

Well, I have to keep pushing now, if I want to get my own mech back. Failing to recover an assault mech after losing the elite pilot would suck even more. It sucks because the Striker was probably going to kill the other Harasser Missile Platform with its kick - only needed a 5. I am moving my support mechs out - Centurion, Champion, Griffin, to give more targets of opportunity. The Archer stays where it is because it is a bit overheated. Their Victor takes an AC20 hit from our Hunchback and exposes the RL and then it falls, hitting its foot actuator.

I send my Archer way overheat to attack their Behemoth Assault tank once more. We can’t play games, and it’s time to push hard. Our Griffin destroys the Behemoth’s front side, taking down their 100 ton assault tank. It is recoverable. We will be unable to repair the damaged sensors though. They hit our Centurion’s LRM10.

The 7th round arrives. I have severely injured their JagerMech. I cannot attack with my massively overheated Archer this turn. Here’s something you’ll almost never hear, I managed to outflank someone with our Hunchback, I order it behind their Victor. Our Hunchback blasts the Victor with its AC20 in its rear Center Torso, goes critical, and hit’s the engine once and gyro twice. Dead Victor, can’t move. It will take us about 5 weeks to fix that gyro, just one week for the engine, but we can do it. Even without its LRM10, our Centurion destroys the LS of one of their Scorpion Light Tanks. That is recoverable. Their Victor falls and blows off its LL (Limb Blow Off). Our Jenner goes severely overheat, then kicks their Harasser and stuns their crew for three turns.

With one mech down, another mech about to go down, and five tanks destroyed, another with stunned crew, and an LRM Carrier out of ammo, they decide to retreat. The Battlefield is ours.

Whew

Results:

We recover:


Demolisher w/o drive system
Behemoth Assault Tank w/o sensors
Victor with Gyro and Engine damage - will take five weeks to fix
Striker - Missing Head - This is our own mech
Scorpion Light Tank
Recovered Firestarter RA - Ours
Harasser Missile Platform x2
2 Medium Lasers
2 Machine Guns


Areas of Need:

Striker missing Head
Spider missing RA
Firestarter missing RT, RA
Centurion LRM10 - Fixed
45 tons of armor

[Abe Sargent]

The first thing we do is salvage the RT and RA of the Firestarter we received in a previous mission, and move it to Adele’s mech. This is easy, it just takes time. It will take 10 days. For 10 days, Adele’s mech will be sidelined.

I don’t have any assault mech heads, let alone an 80 ton one for the Striker. It will be benched. Actually, hold on, I have an old Goliath head. Let me see if that will work. We must have had this thing for years. Yes, that will work. Whew. It will take 6 days to fit the Goliath H on the Striker.

In 6 Days, our Assault Mech will be back and running, but not our dead MechWarriors. It sucks to lose two elite MechWarriors.

Right now, the Spider, Warhammer, Striker and Firestarter are down but the Firestarter and Striker are able to come online soon. We have an extra mech, the Hermes II. For now, I will return Elena Stoyovich to her Mercury, and move Adele Thompson to the Hermes II. Spider pilot Liu Chen will remain unmeched.

I move our headquarters to a DropShip we are paying for transit off Andurien. That way, if we have to move off hot, we won’t have to move all of our stuff too.


End of Mission 8

[Abe Sargent]

We have, in our spare parts, an Orion LA which we have attached to the salvaged Orion. It is now only missing a head.

November 14, 3039 - I’m not stupid, so I have now paid a deposit for a pair of DropShips that have been stuck here in Boroda behind the blockade. I pay them to be ready to lift us out at a moment’s notice, and I promise them we will get permission to take off.

November 15, 3039 - We are asked to send out eligible units to hit a scout lance that had made their way near the spaceport that we are using as a base.

We move out, and find, not only a scout lance, but some VTOLs too.


The Elite Mariks:

Phoenix Hawk
Wasp
Spider
Cicada
Two Warrior VTOLs
Two Cavalry VTOLs

Since they are scouting defenses, they will be retreating after round 4 no matter what.

We are fighting in a very dense metro area of Baroda, with tons of buildings.

Here is Su Yuan’s Champion. It is a heavy mech at 60 tons with lighter armor than you’d expect, but solid weapons and speed. It is another mech, like the Mercury, that has been around a long time, since the Star League, but has been modified over the years by lower levels of technology as LosTech became lost.

[Abe Sargent]

I just got back from a Moby concert and may have a chance to finish up the next mission, perhaps not, we'll see how sleepy I feel.

[Abe Sargent]

We are trying to search out our foes in this city, but they may get lost and hide, then run away after turn 4. That would be quite valid. Their forces get close to us, but we need unbelievably high number sot hit. A VTOL is adjacent to my BattleMaster and I need 11s to hit with my weapons. Sheesh. I moved my mechs into the larger street in the middle of the area and several targets flew or ran into sight. Our Centurion opens up their Wasp’s CT with its AC10 and then hits its Jump Jet once, then the LRM10 from the Centurion hits its arm and destroys its Medium Laser. For some reason, Michael Adkins and his Centurion is a machine of death. My BattleMaster is pocked by a bunch of SRM hits from both Cavalry VTOLs.

I hop my Jenner and Griffin around t try to find hidden mechs. I leave my BattleMaster and several other mechs just standing still, in order to increase their chance of hitting. Our Hunchback hit’s a Warrior’s Fuel Tank with its AC20 and it explodes. Our Jenner destroys the LA of their Spider. We kick their Cicada three times with my Griffin, Jenner and Hermes II. Its LL is destroyed, it kicks our Hermes II and it falls too.

Round 3 arrives. Adele moves her Mercury next to their damaged Wasp. I hop our Jenner on top of a building to get to a place we can shoot their retreating VTOL from. it’s a risk, it could collapse. It holds, luckily. Our Griffin destroys their Cicada’s LA. The Hermes II follows by destroying its LT. Adele’s Mercury destroys the Wasps LA. The Cicada is kicked twice and is still alive absorbing another 19 damage. Their Wasp is kicked by our Mercury, but remains standing.

One more round. One of their VTOLs flees the board. Lots of stuff happened in movement. Our Hermes II skidded and fell. Their Spider skidded into a building their Wasp was standing on top of. Destroyed the building, and the Wasp fell down too. Their Spider destroyed its LT and the Wasp hit its engine twice and gyro once. It has just one armor point in its CT internal structure.

Their Phoenix Hawks takes the AC20 of our Hunchy in its RA and it is destroyed. Our Centurion hit’s the P Hawk’s hip actuator in its LL. Our Champion hits their Cicada and destroys its engine. Its engine undergoes catastrophic engine failure and it explodes. Our Hermes II is caught in the blast, and its ammo is ignited, and it explodes. Gone Hermes II. Our Griffin takes 32, the Champion takes 16, Mercury takes 8, Wasp takes 16 and its CT is destroyed. Dead Wasp. Another kill for Su Yuan. The Spider takes 16 damage, its CT is destroyed, another kill for Su Yuan. The Warrior Attack Helicopter takes 16, it’s right side is destroyed, and it goes despite having never been hit by any weapon. ANOTHER kill for Su Yuan. So, in one attack, Su Yuan destroyed the Cicada, our own Hermes II, their Wasp, their Spider, their Warrior VTOL, dealt 32 to our Griffin, 16 to our Mercury and itself. Wow. Oh, and a couple of buildings collapse. Their Phoenix Hawk falls to the ground.

Let me see what salvage we get from these dead mechs:

Cicada RL
Hermes II LA, RL, RT, RA
Wasp H
Warrior Attack VTOL is completely recoverable

Our BattleMaster kicks the P Hawk and destroys its LL.


And that’s time. Some of their infantry pour from neighboring buildings and we retreat, taking our salvage with us. Crazy.

We need 20 tons of armor

We lost another mech, although we did so spectacularly.

Su Yuan is now elite.


End of Mission 9

[Abe Sargent]

I still can;t believe that in one shot, a Mechwarrior fgot for kills plus one dead on our own team.

[Abe Sargent]

These last three missions have been savage.


November 16, 3039 - We are sent out to relieve a company of Defender mechs that are being attacked by a company of Marik mechs. By the time we arrive, the battle has ended, and the Marik mechs were forced away.

While on our way back, we spy Marik AeroSpace fighters flying overhead but they are too fast to attack.


November 17, 3039 - We are asked to do some scouting in Baroda. We find nothing.

Thomas Marik commits another Regiment of troops to the Baroda Campaign.

November 18, 3039 - The Striker is back and healthy. We assign Liu Chen to it until her Spider can be fixed. We are tasked with heading out and finding some enemies in Baroda, called free ranging. Our Free Ranging runs us into a company of light tanks, but they flee before us.

November 19 - Good news! The Sixth Defenders were caught out of position today and bulldogged the LCCC forces despite a bad position. They were forced out of Baroda completely, and defenses have been reestablished at the edge of the city. No more Marik incursions into Baroda for the moment.

November 20 - We are sent to defend the line, and Marik sends a probe to test us.

We are facing:

Awesome
Locust
Wasp
Javelin
Crusader
Locust 1M
Trebuchet
Shadow Hawk
Goliath
Rifleman
Orion
Hermes II

There are a bunch of crappier mechs, and then Orion, Crusader, Awesome and Trebuchet, so they have some serious long range power.

We are playing at the end of a city, with some trees, a small hill, and pavement in the area.


Here is Longfeather Bluehawk’s Jenner, a classic light mech from the Draconic Combine. This 35 ton mech has speed, jumping capacity, massively great weapons, but serious heat problems.

[Abe Sargent]

We set out our troops, and hold the line. Our foe swings towards us. Practically no fire exchanged.

Our Archer rains missiles on their Crusader and gets a through armor critical on its CT and hits its engine twice. Chen’s Striker’s AC10 opens up its leg and hit’s a foot actuator, but it does not fall.

They begin to withdraw, before they lose their Crusader, we let them go.

We weren‘t even hit once


End of Mission 10.

[Abe Sargent]

Nov 24, 3039 - After several days of defensive work, Adele’s Firestarter is repaired. Marik forces have surged several times, but have not punched through.

Nov 26, 3039 - We are on defensive duty when an entire battalion of Free Worlds Mechs comes charging in. We hear VTOLs and AeroSpace fighters buzzing ahead. It’s can’t be a full out assault with just 36 mechs or so, but the Andurien Defenders move out to support us.

With a moment, the Marik forces withdraw, and we get suspicious, and check scout units. Marik hover and VTOL units are striking the port from the sea. We are dispatched to handle it. By the time we reach it, however, a warehouse has been raided, several buildings have been destroyed, and the ultra fast units have scampered back across the sea.

That was a smart raid. Now we have to guard the shore too.

Nov 29, 3039 - After a few days of low grade probing, the LCCC begins to get ready for a major assault.

Dec 2, 3039 - The LCCC begins its final assault on Baroda. We get word that two regiments of mechs - that’s more than 200 mechs, are moving towards the main assault point of our defenses. Meanwhile, the other two regiments are moving to flank Baroda from each side. We are ordered to the east side, where the foe is the weakest unit the Marik forces have, the Always Faithful mercenary group. Although initially a regiment of mixed forces, most of their tank units have been destroyed, leaving only around a Battalion of mechs or so. That means we have 10 mechs and two infantry platoons against around 35 mechs. That’s good odds for death. I get the CO of the Third Andurien Defenders to agree to allow us to use some of the precious few resources left, and I dispatch my men to get them, and put them in position.

We have laid tons of mines in the main approaches. We want to funnel them into the main streets to open up the lines of firing for our best mechs - Archer, BattleMaster, Centurion, Champion, Hunchback, Griffin, Striker. The remaining mechs - Firestarter, Jenner, Mercury - will try and dart in and out and take targets of opportunity.

The First Andurien Defenders have a few surprises left, and we are calling in a favor. In a few minutes, two of the last Andurien AeroSpace fighters left on the planet do a strafing run against the Always Faithful, who are totally surprised and because they are marching in single lines in the streets, take a lot of damage. The fighters have remained hidden in Baroda for months now, and the Mariks thought they were all destroyed. I radio my thanks before they north to head towards the main assault to assist the Defenders.

The Always Faithful now have some damaged mechs from the strafing run, and are about to run into my mines. We have squirreled away several lots of ammunition in this side of the city, and our mechs can slide to them, power down for 15 minutes, and reload, knowing where they are.

Our FOF radar begins to pick some a lot of bogeys. Looks like the strafing forces back several of them. 25, perhaps more, are still coming.

Here we go.


Here is Chao Diochan’s Griffin. It’s a rpetty common 55 ton Medium mech. It moves and jumps, but it only has two long range weapons - the LRM 10 and the PPC. If it fires both, even if standing still, it goes overheat. I generally jump them from firing spot to firing spot and snipe from a lot closer than my normal snipers, to compensate.

[law90026]

Nice buildup to what could possibly be the final battle of this campaign!

Good luck.

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

I'ma going to play it out now.




Let’s roll up some mechs to face us:

These are the Oriente Hussars, veteran mechwarriors.


Phoenix Hawk
Banshee 3M
Dervish
Whitworth
Stinger
Thunderbolt
Grasshopper
Marauder
Locust
Hermes II x2
Awesome
Javelin
Orion
Hunchback
Griffin
Goliath
Firestarter
Wolverine 6M
Valkyrie - They must have salvaged this from the Suns


That’s 20 mechs, almost two full companies, including some serious heavy hitters like Thunderbolt, Awesome, Orion, Hunchback, assault mech Goliath, and Marauder. The Banshee is a variant that is better but still not grand. It features two PPCs and 2 Medium Lasers, for a 95 ton mech, that’s not much, but its better than the AC5 and PPC version.

[Abe Sargent]

They have 20 mechs and a BattleValue of twice mine. Alright, here we go.

One of their first mechs, a Hermes II, runs into the minefield, takes damage to both legs, hits a hip actuator, and falls down. They move in a heavier Goliath and it survives despite taking mine damage. They get smart and keep some of their heavier units back to prevent them getting hit. Another Hermes II blows off its LL. A mech appears to have been destroyed, I see a MechWarrior ejecting and an arm from a mech on the ground. I wonder what happened there. They get smart and start jumping mechs on top of buildings, but that makes them targets for my team. We blew off the leg of a Firestarter who jumped on a Vibrabomb I placed. Vibrabombs are powerful mines, but they have to be set up to go off at a certain weight, and they will only go off for that weight, or near it. I set a few in places I thought they might jump to, and set them for 30 tons, so that any mech between 20-40 tons would set them off. Firestarter weighs 35 tons. There is a Marauder and Griffin in one of my lines of fire, besides downed mechs, so I send some fire their way.

The next turn arrives. Their Dervish jumps and lands on a mine and falls after taking some leg damage. Their Hermes II tries to stand, fails, drops down, blows its RL to bits, and its RT follows, and RA in the ground. They’ve already jumped about 5 or 6 mechs beyond the minefield. Their Grasshopper hops into an Inferno mine. This mines erupts with a napalm like jell that attaches to the mech and drives its heat up. Time for Adele to go to work on it next turn. Their Goliath falls and it tries to advance., My BattleMaster hits their Griffin in the head with my PPC and hits its life support. Our Archer opens up their Marauder’s head and hits its Life Support too. The pilot goes unconscious, and the mech falls into the minefield. Ouch.

At the end of the second turn, I roll for Always Faithful. Is the CO staying or going? Going. They begin to retreat, and we cannot cross the minefied to protest, so we let them go.

Salvage -

A very nice Marauder with only Life Support hit once. We can repair it in three days.
Hermes II with only LA, LT, CT and H left.
A few limbs: Javelin LL, Locust LA, RL


He mine field will stay here, and I doubt anyone will try to approach Baroda from this direction.

We get our salvage back to our DropShip as quickly as possible.

About ten tons of armor for me, and ten for my salvage to get it ready.


End of Mission 11.

[Abe Sargent]

Dec 2, 3039, Late Evening - We get news that Tomas Marik has gone against type. This entire campaign he has been tentative, conservative, and now, instead of committing his reserve to Baroda, he sent it all to Jojoken. Jojoken is the largest city and capital of Andurien. It is also where the only other Andurien regiment lies, the Fifth Andurien Defenders. Marik has sent all of his troops to hit Jojoken hard and take it, while we and the Sixth and First are tied down here in Baroda. We have been ordered to continue at our post on the east side of town and prevent any Marik forces from coming over the minefield and hitting us from the flank.

Dec 3, 3039 - Our defenses in Baroda fall, and the LCCC is again into the city. We are told to retreat back to the HQ for our defense, an athletic compound. The LCCC is securing the boundaries of the city to prevent us from leaving.

Dec 5, 3039 - The LCCC is finished securing the border. I suspect they will come for us soon.

Dec 6, 3039 - The televids are broadcasting the capture of the Humphreys Palace in Jojoken. The city has been overrun and the palace captured. However, Dame Humphreys has not been found. We fight on.

Dec 7, 3039 - Spurred on by news of the successful campaign in Jojoken, the Marik forces here push and assault our athletic complex HQ. I have reassigned Elena Stoyovich from the Mercury to the Marauder, a heavy mech that is solid except for a bad critical assignment for the AC5 ammo.

Because I have an unused mech, the Mercury, I am being temporarily assigned a dispossessed Defender MechWarrior named Grant Hollis. Grant is elite, and will be in the Mercury. They have also spent the time over the past week fixing the salvaged Shadow Hawk, and now it is up and running, and another MW is assigned to it and my company, Aurelia Jenson, also elite. Both are with my company until further notice. It’s all hands now. That brings me to a full company again.

[Abe Sargent]

Here they come.

We are guarding the southside of the complex when we hear the sound of fighters overhead. They have begun bombing our position. Within seconds, the roof is splitting. Several mechs turn and fire out the roof at the passing AeroSpace fighters. No one knows if it connected, but it does appear to sop the bombing.

We are trapped in here. We have to get out now. This could be a death trap. Fortunately, I’ve never been one to camp down in a place unless I have a second exit. The south side of the complex is retractable, for opening up to sunlight during some games. I order our troops to take position, and then have an Andurien tech start the procedure to split the wall like two curtains parting. Outside are…many mechs.

Our goal is to exit on the other side of the map. That’s it just move to one side, and exit. I can attack, fight, kick, punch, jumps charge, and do whatever else I want on my way. We will begin in the center of the map, with buildings and streets around us, and they can set up on any edge.




Here is Elena Stoyovich’s Marauder. The Heavy mech features two PPCs, an AC5, and a few close range weapons. The design flaw is AC5 ammo in one of the torsos with nothing else there. The result is that any critical in that torso will hit the ammo, and blow up the mech. It is one of the key iconic mechs of the era along with the Warhammer and Atlas.





These are also Oriente Hussars, veteran mechwarriors, identical to the last foes we faced.


Shadow Hawk
Banshee 3M
Ostroc
Whitworth
Stinger
Hermes II
Stalker
Orion
Flea
Hunchback
Thunderbolt
Hermes
Grasshopper
Warhammer
Locust
Griffin
Cyclops
Firestarter
Wolverine 6M
Valkyrie - They must have salvaged this from the Suns
Clint


That’s 21 mechs, almost two full companies, including some serious heavy hitters like Thunderbolt, Stalker, Orion, Hunchback, 90 ton Cyclops with its AC20, and Warhammer.

Our infantry automatically flee through the buildings, and they will not be a part of this battle.

[Abe Sargent]

This is an interesting scenario, because there is no retreat. I either make it, or kill them all, or die as a unit.

This map will be 25x25.

The map is laid out so that there is a central area all of the roads lead to, which indicates our HQ where we start. I have my own BattleMaster there to see down six roads and see where the opposition might be. I can basically play this two ways. Try to win as a scenario, against 20 mechs, or try and run and escape from the same edge. I decide to go for the edge to our north. I set up a few mechs to run over in one turn - the Jenner, Mercury and Firestarter. Our Griffin and Shadow Hawk are set to jump into safety and from thence to the north. However, it will take a few turns to get my slower mechs over there. I set up my Archer, Striker, BattleMaster and Marauder to guar our flanks, and they start coming.

A PPC from their Banshee lances into our Hunchback’s left arm and gets a through armor critical, but does not hit anything. A few other mechs exchange fire.

The second round, I run with the Mercury, Jenner and Firestarter and run my other mechs to the north. We are at different lines of fire, and have different mechs firing at us this turn. My BattleMaster takes a ton of damage from various mechs, but I manage to stay standing.

On the third turn, I run with the Shadow Hawk of suckiness, Champion, and Centurion. I get most of the other mechs to the side of the board, and run my BattleMaster in, to prevent further damage. Exposed is our Striker, Hunchback and Marauder. We take some fire at the Striker, but a lot of the fire misses.

The next round, we evacuate everything but the Hunchy, Marauder and Striker, but I move them to the edge, and most are hidden. A fe wmechs arrives around the corner and their Griffin jumps on a roof next to our Hunchback, but falls down when the building collapses. We take some minor fire from lighter mechs.

The next round we run with all remaining mechs.


We need about 6 tons of armor or so.

End of Mission 12.

[Abe Sargent]

Dec 8, 3039 - We have found an abandoned warehouse here on the eastern edge of the town where the minefield helps to protect our flank. Depowered mechs have been repaired. Our infantry is back on the DropShips, and we will not have them for the rest of the campaign, I guess. I have to make a decision.

Jojoken has been captured, and with it the ducal palace. Does our contract still hold for us? There are two things keeping me here. The Duchess is still out there, and therefore there has been no official capitulation and thus our employer is still alive. Secondly, the blockade is still going on, and that certainly means we couldn’t evacuate even if I wanted to.

We get armor and ammo in our mechs and are ready to head back out into the unknown.

Dec 9, 3039 - We find nothing while out scouting, but the Marik forces have overrun the area we camped at yesterday, and I have to find a new place. We don’t know how many Andurien forces are still here, we don’t know if the LCCC troops are listening on our channels, or anything.

[Abe Sargent]

Then we run into a unit of Marik mechs, just a scout lance. They see us and bolt away. With a few minutes, their entire company comes over the rise. This is not patty-cake anymore, this is a slugfest, and its time to step up and take a few hits in order to deliver some of our own.

The elite Fusiliers:


Javelin
Awesome
Locust 1M
Grasshopper
Hermes II
Stalker
Cicada
Whitworth
Hermes
Wasp
Archer
Wolverine




We are fighting on the outskirts of the suburbs and the city has died out, and instead we have a few houses, and some roads, but also a gentle slope and trees plus a small park and stream to worry about. The threats are the Archer, Stalker, and Awesome. The Whitworth is a solid missile boat with three medium lasers for when someone closes. The rest of the mechs are no big deal to face. So my goal is to hammer the Archer, Stalker or Awesome if possible, and then take them down, leaving us a much easier time of it.

[Abe Sargent]

This is not going to be probes, or sorties, or anything of the sort, but instead is a slug fight. Time to trade some punches with an elite foe.

The Battle Value is in their favor slightly. Less see how it plays out.

We move out and start establishing a defensive perimeter. We concentrate fire on their Awesome, and they on my BattleMaster. We both stay standing.

They move a Hermes next to our Archer and Centurion, and I get ready to hammer it. I even order the Marauder next to it. More fire exchange and their Awesome falls to the ground. Our Archer kicks and destroys their Hermes RL.

They stand their Awesome back up. Our Centurion destroys the LA of their Hermes. Our Strike kicks and destroys the RT of their Hermes. Our Centurion kicks and destroys the CT of their Hermes. Another kill for Michael Adkins. We cannot salvage it, just its pieces.

Our Hunchback’s AC20 tears into the RL of their Cicada and destroys it, it tumbles to the ground. Their Wolverine fires an SRM6 at our Hunchy and gets a through armor critical and tacks the engine once. Adele’s Firestarter is open in its LA and a Flamer is hit. Our Griffin kicks and destroys the LT of their Cicada. Adele’s RL is opened after a kick by their Javelin.

They hit an Upper Leg actuator on our Centurion’s RL and it falls. Our Griffin destroys their LA on their Locust 1M. Su Yuan’s Champion hit’s the Awesome‘s head with its AC10 and nails the sensors. Our Jenner destroys the Cicada’s RT and hits is gyro and engine. Their Wasp is still standing after getting kicked by the FS and missing a kick.

I order our Shadow Hawk to close to their big mechs in order to throw them off while I retreat our injured Centurion and try to cover its tracks. I decide to follow with Su Yuan’s Champion, right up against their Awesome, but one level above, to give it a chance at a head punt. Both the Champion and Shadow hawk are untouched by damage yet. Our Striker destroys the Awesome’s RA. Our Griffin ignites the LRM5 ammo on their Locust and it explodes. Our Champion hits and destroys the RT of their Awesome, and hits its Engine once. The Awesome falls and…hits its head and it is destroyed. No one gets the kill, but a very recoverable Awesome.

That was a good round because our concentrated fire finally paid off. Now let’s move to other mechs. Our Shadow Hawk still hasn’t been hit and Su Yuan‘s Champion took just 4 damage from an SRM hit. Also our Striker is untouched, so I move them forward. Our Archer gets a through armor critical on their Grasshopper and hits an engine and gyro. It falls. Their Javelin goes unconscious when my Griffin hits its in the head with missiles from an LRM10.

I run my BattleMaster up beside their Stalker. Let’s take it down. Their Grasshopper arises and I order Su Yuan to run up to it. I order the Striker to get close to their Archer, so that next turn we can start punching and kicking its face. Our Griffin hit’s the gyro on their Javelins. My BattleMaster touches up the LRM ammo in the Stalker’s arms (stupid design decision) and it goes up. Boom! That is my 16th kill in the Kilts and Commandoes, and my skills will increase after this battle. Their Grasshopper takes more than 20 damage from Su Yuan’s Champion who goes overheat badly to unload into it. It falls, since its gyro was already hit. The Champion kicks it for 13 damage. Their Javelin pilot wakes up.

Their Javelin falls down while trying to stand, the pilot takes damage, and blacks out again. I hop Adele’s Firestarter next to it. Actually, no I don.t Right now that Javelin is perfect salvage with no parts missing and a blacked out pilot. Let’s push my luck and try elsewhere. My opponent has got to be close to retreating. They’ve lost an Awesome, Stalker, Locust, Cicada, blacked out Javelin, badly injured Grasshopper. If we push enough this turn, they may leave before that Javelin pilot wakes up. I run my BattleMaster next to their Grasshopper, our Shadow Hawk next to their Archer, Striker next to their Archer and keep the Champion next to the Grasshopper. The Grasshopper fails to stand. (its hard with a gyro hit), then stands on a second attempt. I press a lot of mechs into heavy heat in order to see what I can push this turn. My BattleMaster misses 5 7s that were needed to hit their Grasshopper. They get limb blown off critical for the Champions LA, so its on the ground. Our Jenner gets a shoulder actuaotr hit in its LA. Champion will be ready in five days, Jenner is fixable in a couple of hours. Su Yuan hit’s the Grasshopper’s engine and gyro again, that’s two gyro hits, a dead mech. Our Jenner hit’s a Wasp’s gyro twice and destroys its LA, so another mech down. We kick the Archer twice but it remains standing.

And they leave, with just their Archer, Hermes II, Whitworth, Wolverine leaving the field. We killed a Hermes, Cicada, Wasp, Grasshopper, Awesome, Locust, Stalker and blacked out the pilot for a Javelin.

Salvage:

Javelin, 1 engine hit - fixable in one day
Locust RA
Awesome missing H, RT, RA
Champion LA - Our own
Grasshopper with two gyro and one engine hit
Wasp missing LA with two gyro hit
Cicada LA, RA
Cicada missing RT, LT, RA, LA, LL


Fix Timetable:

Champion needs arm reattached, will take 5 days
Javelin up in one day
Grasshopper will take 8 days
Wasp arm reattached with Stinger arm in salvage in one day. Gyro cannot be repaired, must be replaced

Need about 60 tons of armor for these mechs and mine.


I lower my gunnery skill by one.


End of Mission 13

[Abe Sargent]

Alright, great salvage, but our Champion is out for now. I hide our salvage in a nearby building, and then get it to the DropShips over the cover of darkness. The Starport isn’t guarded much because only commercial DropShips are here under the blockade, the military DropsShips for Anduriens isn’t even here in Baroda. We get our materiel in the Ship, and get our techs working on splicing armor and reloading our weapons. We leave just before it gets light without Su Yuan or her mech.


Dec 10, 3039 - While out trying to find a temporary shelter, we get a communique from Matthew Humphreys, nephew of Dame Humphreys and leader of First Andurien Defenders’s Beta Battalion. He messages us with direct laser communication beamed from a building. He is the highest ranking officer in Baroda, and has taken charge of the defenses. He gives us some needed intel on the Marik forces and lets us know where several safe houses are for Anduriens that we can use. Matthew is surprised to still see us out and about, and thought we might be using this chaotic time to leave our contract. The remnants of the First and Sixth Andurien Defenders have been broken into company and lances groups and are acting in small numbers. The LCCC have yet to actually mount a united scourge of Boroda, and instead just send in mech patrols, AeroSpace fighters, and other units. The citizens of Baroda are holed up on the west side of town in shelters and homes, and neither side is going over there, in order to keep them safe.

We arrive in an Andurien safe “house” for the evening.

[Abe Sargent]

Dec 11, 3039 - We discover that fewer Marik troops are being sent into Baroda, and instead, the Marik forces are building a perimeter around the city to prevent anyone from coming out. Apparently, they are trying to wait us out.

Dec 12, 3039 - We capture a company of mechs in one of the suburbs near their line, but before I can move to attack, we get more bogeys hitting our IFF sensors. (Identify Friend or Foe). We turn and leave without a shot being fired.

Later that day we come across a battlefield where a few tanks are still smoldering, and bring the salvage back to the Anduriens.

Dec 13, 3039 - The Marik patrols have really shrunk in size, and now they are all around us. By evening, no one has eve nseen a patrol in over 6 hours.

Dec 14, 3039 - We get word that the Free Worlds League forces have encircled the city, and are beginning to march towards the center of the city. They will march slowly, inexorably, until they push us into a fight or a surrender.

Dec 15, 3039 - One of our safe houses, now abandoned, was found by the advancing mechs, vehicles, infantry and fighters.

Dec 17, 3039 - The noose is getting closer and closer. We are being pushed deeper and deeper into the city. There have so many forces, we can’t even ambush them or anything.

Dec 18, 3039 - The LCCC troops have stopped moving, and are standing still. What is happening?

[Abe Sargent]

On Dec 18, 3039, Dame Catherine Humphreys was captured by the Guards when she was being moved from one safe house in Jojoken to another. After being captured, in order to spare her people further, she voluntarily sent the following communication to all Andurien forces, people, and us.

She tells us to put down our weapons, and surrender. There are no specific instructions for us, and I pull up our contract. Yup, now that the government has officially ended, so does our contract with them. We’re not going to get paid as much as we should have. Ah well, we also don’t have to split our salvage either.

Here are the options Andurien loyalist forces are being given:

Surrender your mechs, fighters, tanks, and weapons to the Mariks, and then;

1). Join the LCCC as a solider and warrior
2). Leave fighting forever and rejoin the Free Worlds League as a citizen
3). Expulsion from the Free Worlds League, without your mech, fighter, vehicle, etc.


I make an executive decision and radio Matthew Humphries with a fourth option.

I don’t have just one DropShip waiting by, I have two. I anticipated the possibly of having a lot of salvage or downed mechs to deal with, so I got extra space.

We can take former members of the Defenders of Andurien with us. I make Matthew Humphries the following offer for his men:


1). Bring all of your war materiel and join us, instead of joining the Marik forces.
2). You will become an independent unit of the Kilts and Commandos operating under my jurisdiction, but will still be together.
3). You are not required to ever take a contract from the Free Worlds League,
4). Should another Duchy of Andurien movement start, you may leave the Kilts and Commandos, and take your mech, tank, fighter, etc with you, with our blessing.
5). Dec. 18 shall be a day of mourning and consideration for all members of the Kilts and Commandos in perpetuity.
6). Everyone who accepts our offer will get a 6 month layover on Epsilon Eridani to get used to our organization, do some like garrison and training duty, and take the time off.


I really feel for the Andurien Defenders at this point. Who will take us up on the offer?

Well, not everyone is from Andurien proper. Some are from other systems in the Duchy, and they might not be as willing to leave everything. Some are weary of war. They have done it for ten years, and they are tired ,won down, and ready to retire. Some are weary of the dying, the pain, and the emotional burden of fighting. Some are ready to switch allegiances, since Marik is again their true leader. However, there are some who want to leave. The dream is dead, and they want to get away, but they also want to stay true to themselves. We are warriors.

Where multiple people have to agree to defect to us, many choose not too. It’s hard to get most or all of the people of a 28 member infantry squad to agree to us. Even a tank crew might have problems. There are no AeroSpace fighters left in Adurien hands, so its just mechs that join us.



Say hello to:

Lt. Matthew Humphreys, Archer
Maureen O’Brien, BattleMaster
Michael Henry, Stalker
Indervir Multani, Stinger
Jesus Hernandez, Javelin
Gia Alletelli, Hunchback
Bryson Abasi, Grasshopper (ick)
Charles Wangai, Whitworth
Sun Chen, Locust
Madison Tolteca, Warhammer
A.J. Hussein, Phoenix Hawk
Orlof Magnusson, Firestarter
Haisha Slater, Orion
Marcus Jackson, Griffin
Jussi Johanssen, Hermes II



More than a company worth of elite MechWarriors.

However, many of their mechs are damaged and will require money to fix up.

Additional, Matthew helps us out by having his defecting troops bring various materiel with us, instead of leaving it behind for Marik.


With two hours, everybody is on board our two DropShips at the Starport. I order everyone to wait for another hour. Then I head up to our DropShip captain, and tell them to contact the Marik forces in space. I show them my papers certifying that my unit is on board, that only my unit is board, and that my contract for Andurien is now over, and I would like to leave as soon as possible. I pretend to be pissed off at Andurien for such a sucky mission, talk about how I lost mechs like a Warhammer, Hermes II, Striker to lucky shots from the LCCC, and basically try to be a nuisance, like they would expect me to be. They bump me up to three different supervisors, before someone finally relents and gives me the okay. Our two DropShips lift off.

Within three days, we have reached the JumpShips, including one going our way. By now, the blockade has long since been lifted, and we are free to go, no one missing the 15 missing mechs and mechwarriors, because frankly no on had a count of just how many troops were running around Baroda except for Matthew, the only person in contact with all of them. Frankly, I’m even not sure Marik would care that much about the missing materiel or men.

Dec 22, 3039 - We jump out of Andurien.

March 15, 3040 - We arrive back at Epsilon Eridani

[Abe Sargent]

A financial accounting of this trip.


Costs:

1,039,624 paid to MWs and upkeep
2,180,000 - Armor
2,800,000 - Transport back, two DropShips
1,255,000 - Ammo



Reimbursements:

84,800 - 50% support costs for 8 months until the $$ stopped flowing
400,000 - Early payment of salary
105,325 - Remuneration

Total Costs: 7,274,624
Total Reimbursements: 590,125


Okay, so obviously we lost 6684499 on this contract, but we gathered a ton of materiel, so let’s unload some of it. What did we get from the Andurien Defender materiel gathered by our defectors?


Minor spare parts we don’t need worth 550,000 C-Bills.
Various limbs we don’t need for 1.430 million C-Bills
10 tons of LRM ammo - 300,000
6 Medium lasers
2 Small Lasers
1 Large laser
1 PPC
2 AC5
1 AC10
6 Machine Guns
2 Flamers
1 LRM 5
2 SRM4


Total value of all of this is: 3,576,250
I sell it for 2.9 million.


3784499 still needed.

[Abe Sargent]

I sell the Victor for 7 million. That leaves us about 3.2 million left in surplus. I use that to fix the missing parts for mechs and vehicles. I also sell the bruised body of a Firestarter we recovered to help get us some funds for these. The following are now fixed:

Our Warhammer
Our Spider
Our Champion

Salvaged -

Orion
Locust
Hermes II
Awesome
Grasshopper
Wasp
Javelin


Vehicles:

Warrior Attack VTOL
Behemoth Assault Tank
Scorpion Light Tank
2x Harasser Missile Platforms
Demolisher Assault Tank
Ontos Heavy Tank


I move the Locust, Hermes II, Grasshopper, Javelin and Wasp to our garrison. They can be used for training mechs for those at the Essex Training Academy and can also be piloted by them in an emergency, like an invasion. I also temporarily transfer the vehicles to our garrison.


The Orion and Awesome are good enough to send elsewhere.

I switch the Shadow Hawk in my outfit to the garrison I move my elite pilot, Aurelia Jenson, to our Striker, and Liu Chen is back into her Spider. I send back the Marauder to the garrison and move Grant Hollis to the Warhammer. Elena Stoyovich is back in her Mercury.

I leave the Orion and Awesome vacant for now, but with the intent to fill them with someone soon.


Event: Feb 4, 3040 - Dame Catherine Humphreys has died of natural causes. As a result, Thomas Marik decides to take it easy on the wayward Duchy and grants clemency to most. Andurien is back in the Marik fold. The war brought the Free Wolds League closer together than it has ever before. It turned the League into one entity, instead of many disparate ones working together.

[law90026]

Nice ending to the campaign. Grats on the additional company.

[Tellistto]

Very nice indeed! Looking forward to what's next with this!

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks all.

[Abe Sargent]

For the next chapter, I will be using, heavily, the War of 3039 sourcebook, which details every unit, every planet, and every aspect of the War.





Okay, let’s dial back the thread a year, to Jan, 3039, and let’s take the other contract with the rest of the unit, under the command of Ted Izumo.

Our contract with House Davion and the Federated Suns.


Shared Salvage
Full Transport
One Year - Retainer
No Remuneration
House Command
70% of support costs
Salary - 161,820 our monthly military costs. X12 for a year. X 2.4 for a combined C rating. X 1.4 for being the FedSuns. X 1.5 for Planetary Assault duty. Total salary for the contract: 9,786,874 C Bills.

They tell us to leave some vehicles behind. We are only taking one company of vehicles.

Event: March 15, 3039, Katrina Steiner abdicates the throne in favor of daughter Melissa Steiner. She has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

[Abe Sargent]

March 22, 3039 - We arrive at the launching point for the first wave. We are given the opportunity to purchase a new piece of technology - Listen-Kill missiles. These LK missiles use a new guidance system to increase their accuracy a bit. They cost 1.1 times the normal cost, and give +1 to hit, but are very subject to counter-measures.

We are in the system of Breed, ready to launch under the command of Field Marshal James Sandoval.

What is about to happen is the largest offensive in a long time. The combined Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns, plus a ton of mercenary units, are about to all assault the Draconis Combine in four thrusts, all occurring simultaneously. We are a part of the Benjamin thrust, under the command of Field Marshal James Sandoval.

Each thrust has a variety of targets they are attempting to take down, and there are numerous waves planned. We are going to be a part of the second attack of the first wave, on the planet Marduk.

Marduk is a planet just on the other side of the border between Combine and Suns. It is a valuable world for several reasons. First of all, its location is ideal for further staging into the Combine. Secondly, it is an agricultural and industrial world, that has a lot of economic worth. Thirdly, it was lost ten years ago to the Draconis Combine during the Fourth Succession War when Davion gobbled up a ton of Capellan worlds, but the Dragon took a few worlds from the less protected border. That means this world was Davion for a long time, and it still has a lot of pro-Davion sentiment among the populace. Finally, the world is home to several military contractors, and getting their materiel would be a big help to the offensive. That means that, of all of the targets in all Wave One actions, Marduk is one of the single most important.

Therefore, Field Marshal James Sandoval is leading the assault of the planet himself. Here are those going with us:

Kilts and Commandos, two battalions
First Robinson Rangers (veteran)
Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry (veteran)
93rd Mechanized Brigade (regular)

The first two, Rangers and the Tenth are Regimental Combat Teams. Abbreviated RCTs. What that means is one regiment of mechs, one regiment of vehicles, and at least one of infantry. That means the First Robinson and Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry are about 6 regiments total, plus and the 93rd. That’s a ton of units moving to Marduk, but it is one of the jewels of Wave One.

[Abe Sargent]

EVENT - April 15, 3039 - Hanse Davion uses persecution of former Davion worlds, such as Marduk, in the hands of the Dragon as a casus belli for declaring war. War has begun.



We launch a few days later.

[Abe Sargent]

May 17, 3039 - After an uncontested jump in system we fly in, but Combine fighters create a powerful screen. They destroy to DropShips (luckily none of ours) and several DropShips are forced to make an emergency landing. One of those contains our Vehicle Company, and they secure and garrison the area where the DropShip landed, until we can get them later. The assault force lands outside of Marduk‘s planetary capital of New Pontiac. We march immediately into the city to assault the defender’s position.
Here is who is on Marduk:

6th Benjamin Regulars (Green)
Marduk Militia (Several regiments of vehicles, infantry, one of bottlenecks - green)


There is one regiment of armor and infantry fortifying Fort Ea, just outside of New Pontiac. Take that, and we get the city. There are other units in the city. I (Ted Izumo) volunteers to take Fort Ea. Field Marshal Sandoval laughs off our request, and then Ted makes it again. “Let’s see what you boys got” comes over the radio, and we’ve been okayed.

We use a variety of Sandoval’s fighters to establish air superiority over the Fort. With that, we are able to sneak our infantry platoons into position and they blows several holes, simultaneously, into the Fort. One company, each, of mechs pours into each of the holds, laid out in the middle of each wall. One company, the Hex Company, will be held in reserve in case they are needed.

Fort Ea is more like Palisade Ea. It has walls, and a few turrets easily taken out by AeroSpace fighters, and the wall encloses a headquarters. It’s easy to bust intoi.

[Abe Sargent]

Battle the First:

Charging in on the north side, by the main gates but left of them, is Phaeton Company, led by Lt. Martin Fitzgerald in his Awesome.

We spy a large number of tanks and infantry inside, but as intel suspected, there are no mechs or fighters to be seen here.

We have the following rule in place. Once, we can retreat with our mechs if we are getting savaged and replace them with Hex Company.

Each company will be getting approximately 2 companies of vehicles and a bunch of infantry to fight, but the numbers are not going to be equal to that.

The Assault on Fort Ea begins.


Here is Fitz’s Awesome, a great assault mech with nothing more or less than three PPCs and a huge amount of armor. With no ammo to explode and great armor, the Awesome can prove to be a major factor on the field.

[Abe Sargent]

There is nothing to hide behind on this side of Fort Ea, just charge and attack. I’m not going to even begin to tell you how many or list the defenders. Suffice it to same there are many. They also have two VTOLs on this side. Okay, here we go.

The major threats they have are an LRM Carrier with 3 LRM 20s, an SRM Carrier with a ton of Srms and you have to kill it before it closes, a few vehicles with AC20s and a Schrek PPC Carrier, which has all of the epower of an Awesome in tank form. Because we surprised them, they can deploy anywhere, instead of the edge of the map away from us, so they can place close range tanks closer to us. Sucks, I know.

The way to win this scenario is to figure how much force to apply to a vehcile in order to kill it, but not overkill it. If I send all of my weapons every turn at one tank, it will die, but after ten rounds, I’ll still be facing 14 tanks and 12 infantry, and by then, I may be severely savaged. I need to know how much force to apply.

We charge forward and begin the exchange of fire. I send five PPCs from our Warhammr and Awesome into the LRM Carrier, hoping to take it out this turn. I also send some fire the SRM Carrier’s way. With luck, both will be dead. Okay result s- LRM Carrier destroyed by Awesome. LS destroyed. Yes recoverable. Our Rifleman’s AC5 causes the SRM Carrier’s fuel tank to explode. Boom! Two tanks down.

The next two targets are the 100 ton Behemoth with two AC10s and a bunch of LRMs and SRMS, and the three PPC Shrek. Both are well armored. We see one of their tanks skids from the area and is gone. After a lot of damage was doled out to the Shrek, our Rifleman’s AC destroys its LS. It is recoverable.

Another round arrives. Their Falcon Hover Tank opens up the LA of our Rifleman and hit’s the shoulder and an AC5. We can repair both in three days. The crew for their Vedette Medium Tank is stunned for a turn after taking three PPCs from our Awesome.

Next round is here. The Awesome destroys the Right Side of a Vedette but it is not salvageable. The Thunderbolt destroys the right side of a Behemoth Assault Tank. It is salvageable. One of their tanks skidded and slid off the field.

Another turn. Our Dervish destroys a Falcon Hover Tanks Front side. It is not recoverable. Our Hermes II destroys a Peregrine Attack VTOL. It is recoverable.

The next turn sees our Awesome destroy the front end of a Goblin Medium Tank which is recoverable. Our Warhammer gets a heat sink hit when its LL is opened by fire. We can fix it in two days. Our Falcon destroys the rear armor of a Maxim Heavy Hovertank. It cannot be recovered. Our Hermes II kills an infantry platoon, but no kills for that. Finally, our Phoenix Hawk kills a Hunter Light Support Tank. It’s left side is destroyed and it is not recoverable. Our Warhammer kicks and destroys the left side of a Harasser Missile Platform. It is recoverable. That’s a lot of kills.

With just five tanks remaining, and 11 infantry platoons, the people on our side surrender and are turned over to the Davion forces later.


Result:

Salvaged:

Harasser Missile Platform
Goblin Medium Tank
Behemoth Assault Tank
Peregrine Attack VTOL
Shrek PPC Carrier
LRM Carrier
1 AC10
1 LRM20
3LRM5
2 Machine Guns
2 Medium Lasers
1 Flame


It will take two days to repair Warhammer, three for Rifleman.


Our Dervish pilot is now elite, and Lt. Martin Fitzgerald is getting Gunnery: Laser as a special skill. He can’t increase his piloting and gunnery anymore, so now its time to get skills.


End of Mission 1

[Abe Sargent]

Oh, btw, major question for those following this dynasty who know the BTech universe. When I talk about what is going on the universe, there are behind the scenes things occurring that are not revealed until much later.

Do you want me to reveal them now? Some of these might be spoilers for anyone following the BTech universe, reading the novels, etc. LMK.

[law90026]

I'm fine whether you reveal or not, pretty much since I read most of the sourcebooks/novels for this period in Battletech history.

[Abe Sargent]

So you don't mind if I tell you who Martial Focht is, or who Sun Tzu's father really was, what's going on in the Deep Periphery, what actually happened to the Minnesota Tribe and Wolverine and so forth.

[law90026]

No issues for me.

[Tellistto]

I'm not in any position to read any of this stuff outside of this thread anyways, so whatever direction you decide to take is fine with me. I find it all enjoyable and appreciate the peek into the universe your offering.

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Trinity Company pours in from the east into Fort Ea.

This is Lt. Elizabeth Smyth’s Atlas, a 100 ton monster that is called the best mech in existence. It has mega weapons for all ranges, including an AC20 and LRM20 and numerous other weapons, armor, and heat sinks. This is the big daddy of them all.

[Abe Sargent]

The tanks to watch out for here are the SRM Carrier, Demolisher, a few AC20 vehicles like the Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun, and Rommel, and the Ontos, Manticore and Partisan, heavier tanks with a lot of weapons.

Okay, first turn is here, and like before, we have no cover, only this area appears to be the scrapyard, so there are tons of rubble and scrap in here, slowing us down, but also creating lanes of fire because the tanks cannot all go into them. Our Goliath destroys a Scorpion Light Tank. We failed ot put down the Ontos and SRM Carrier despite weapons fire at each, so I have to take at lest one, and preferably both, now.

The next turn arrives. I hop a few mechs here and there. Our Hatchetman hit’s the Ontos’s LRM5 ammo and it explodes. Boom! We also savage their Manticore, but it and the SRM Carrier are still around.

Let’s see what we can do this round, I start to move my mechs forward. Our Rifleman destroys their SRM Carrier. The Fuel tank explodes. Our Ostscout destroys the left side of their minor AC2 Carrier. It is recoverable. This is was more of a target of opportunity than anything else. Our Cicada destroys the Right Side of their Manticore Heavy Tank, but it is not recoverable.

Our Atlas destroys the Demolisher’s Front side. The double AC20 assault tank is not recoverable, but takin git out really decrease their ability to hurt us. Our Thunderbolt destroys the Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun’s right side, and similarly, it is not recoverable, but taking out another AC20 vehicle was great. Their Condor Heavy Hover Tank lances a Medium Laser at the head of Lt. Elizabeth Smythe’s Atlas, a head that has already been hit once, and it is destroyed, and the Lt. is killed, and the Atlas taken down. Damn! This turn, her kill had gotten her 8 kills, and I was giving her Edge next, and she could have used it to reroll a head shot, surviving this hit in the future. Damn! That sucks. Finally, our Goliath destroys the Falcon Hover Tanks left side. It is recoverable.

The next turn arrives. Our Trebuchet hit’s the fuel tank on their Goblin and is explodes. Our Zeus kicks and destroys the fuel tank of a Striker Light Tank and it goes up.

And with that, there are only a handful of operational vehicles left. Their Vedette and Pegasus Scout Tank are both immobile, and we capture them as the rest surrender and are turned over to the Davion forces.


Salvage:

Scorpion Light Tank
AC2 Carrier
Falcon Hover Tank
Vedette
Pegasus Scout Tank
PPC
3 AC20
SRM6
LRM10
Medium Laser


Our own Atlas sans head

We have several pilots get advances.

Zeus pilot Barbara Morse gains as edge
Latasha Jenkins, in the Hatchetman, gains Melee Specialist
Maeve Vega, in the Rifleman, has gotten one better at piloting and is now veteran
Janice Flanders, Goliath pilot, is now elite after one better in piloting.


End of Mission 2

[Abe Sargent]

Time for Delta Company to rock it from the south. This area has some roads and a few buildings, but nothing major, its still very open. The Fort Ea defenders are sending three companies of vehicles to Delta company - that’s an entire battalion.

12 mechs vs. 36 tanks. If any company will need the Hex Company pulled in as a reserve, it will be this one. All right, here we go.


Here is Sgt. Nei Vanda’s Spider. I have several of them, because they are one of my favorite light mechs from the era. At 30 tons, they have massive speed and jumping capability and two medium lasers to dice into things. Their speed and maneuvering ability is ideal in flanking foes and makes them very hard to hit.

[law90026]

Head kills are becoming a real issue!

[Abe Sargent]

I knows.

[Abe Sargent]

There are several threats, but at this point, there’s not much sense in going over them. Everything is a threat. We have to take out numerous vehicles every turn.

Well, here comes turn one. Our Catapult destroys the Shrek PPC Carrier’s front side. Cannot recover. I was hoping for more kills, but I took out something major, so let’s continue.

The next turn arrives, and I move some of my vehicles around. Our Warhammer destroys their Hetzer Assault Gun’s left side, and its salvageable. Our Awesome’s RA is destroyed. Our Atlas lights the MG ammo up on their Bulldog Medium Tank and it goes up, Boom! Our Crusader destroys the rear armor of their LRM Carrier and its ammo at the same time. Another Boom! Our Awesome falls. It also got vehicle flamered and is really over heat.

We killed 4 vehicles, but we are losing one of our best mechs, so this may not be a good trade. After consideration, we choose to ejct from the Awesome. The RT is almost gone, the mech badly overheat, It will stand up, and then get attacked by ten or fifteen tanks, and then be destroyed, no question. Our Atlas takes a lot of damage and falls. We don’t manage to kill anything this round, and that’s a bad sign.

The 4th round is here, our Atlas pilot is unconscious from the fall, and our Awesome has been ejected. That leaves us ten mechs to deal damage with, and the two biggest damage dealers are down. We have to have a big body count this round, or else we may have to call it off soon and have Hex Company step in and finish them off. Since I know everyone will be targeting the Atlas this turn, I can expose my mechs in order to get the best shots. Let’s see what damage we can do. The order is given to push mechs heat where applicable in order to finish off tanks.

Our Javelin destroys the Von Luckner’s front side. It is not recoverable. Our Atlas’s LA is blown off. Our Spider destroys a Peregrine Attack VTOL. It is not recoverable. The Atlas’s ammo is hit and it goes up, and the MechWarrior is automatically ejected even while unconscious. The pilot survives but is damaged, and the Atlas is a complete write-off. The only thing we recover in its RA. They go internal on our Crusader in two places, hitting afoot actuator and a medium lasre and LRM15. Our Warhammer destroys the LS of their Galleon Light Tank. Our Crusader destroys their Partisan’s front side. The Crusader’s RA is destroyed in later attacks. Our Trebuchet destroys the Hunter Light Support Tanks RS. It is not recoverable. Our Catapult falls under some damage. Our Trebuchet then kicks and destroys a Pegasus Scout Hover Tank.

Well, we destroyed 6 vehicles that turn. We went crazy. However, we permanently lost that Atlas, no recovery, it’s gone. We also have a really injured Crusader now. Why can’t I lose a mech I don’t care about, like the Wasp or Hermes II instead of an Atlas? Crazy. I stand up our Catapult. I eject the Crusader pilot. She had 2 armor left, and a bunch of tanks had swarmed her. It was the right call. They hit the ammo on the Trebuchet and it blows up too. Damn it. Our Catapult destroys a Goblin Medium Tank. Our Spider kills a Striker Light Tank. One of the LRMs on our Catapult is hit. Our Banchee kicks and destroys Scorpion Light Tank.

How many vehicles do they have left? I’m quickly running out of mechs. I do a quick count. Looks like 17 left, and four of those are immobile, leaving just 13 fully operational tanks. If I can push for another turn or two, I can probably get them to concede. I eject the Catapult. I have to at this point. I still have an untouched Warhammer and Black Knight I can try and rally behind. Normally, the mechs that die, lose limbs, or get ejected are light mechs, but not this time, its all heavy metal. I’m literally down to 7 after destructions and ejections. Our Black Knight destroys a J Edgar hover Tank. Our Jav destroys a Saracen Medium Hover Tank. A hand actuator on our Wasp is hit. We can repair it in a day. Our Warhammer kicks and destroys a Galleon Light Tank.

That leaves them with 14 tanks out of 36, and 9 are functional with the others being immobile or stunned. They radio their concession. This was an expensive battle. We still have one more to go.




Salvage:


Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun
Galleon Light Tank
Partisan Heavy Tank
Pegasus Scout Hover Tank
Goblin Medium Tank
Striker Light Tank
Scorpion Light Tank
Saracen Medium Hover Tank
J. Edgar
Scimitar
3 PPC
1 LRM 20
1 LRM 10
2 SRM6
3 SRM4
2 SRM2
1 ML
1 AC 20
4 MG


Atlas RA - was ours
Trebuchet LA, RT, RA



End of Mission 3.

[Tellistto]

Rough battle there with the loss of the heavies. Hopefully the next one won't be quite so costly.

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Yeah, but 1:3 odds even against tanks is going to probably have some losses.

[Abe Sargent]

Cinq company is up, coming through the last blast on the western side of the fort, and they have two companies of tanks to deal with. This is Cinq Company’s first action for us, so here’s hoping.


Here is Sgt. Lynda Karatos’s Zeus. This 80 ton Lyran Commonwealth special is an adequate assault mech with a PPC, Large Laser and AC5, but not much else. It’s adequate, but not great or anything.





Oh, the Archer we have is the S variant with just LRM15s instead of 20s, and SRM4s, but no extra heat sinks, which would have been nice.

This is the weakest of the five companies so far, because the mechs aren’t collectively the best group, and the MechWarriors are mostly regular and veteran, with a few green and a few elite. Well, let’s get them some kills.