The BattleTech Dynasty: Chapt 2, 3039

[Abe Sargent]

Hello kind folks and welcome to my newest dynasty. This is a continuance of a dynasty I started over a year ago, and ended just a tad less than a year ago. You can find that dynasty here.

The Battletech Dynasty - Front Office Football Central


Okay, so here is what I will be doing. While playing MechCommander 2 for the Free Game dynasty, i got back in a BattleTech mood, so I am going to kill two birds with one stone. I am revisiting this old dynasty and continuing my game, and I am also playing it on a freeware game called MegaMek, which attempts to simulate BattleTech on the computer, so I can do a review for MegaMek for the free games dynasty. Two dynasties, one dynastic stone.

I will be continuing the storyline of the Kilts and Commandos mercenary unit throughout the universe of 3039. It's a big yera, and its going to take a while.

Don't know much about BattleTech universe but want to follow along? Great! In the first thread, I give the history of the universe, and talk about some BTech basics, and then in this on, I intend to give you some updates on the Inner Sphere ten years later, plus what's been going on with K&C, everyone's favorite mercenary command.

[Abe Sargent]

My Character Updated


Braham Essex, 35, is a MechWarrior that hailed from the Epsilon Eridani system. Braham was a recruit for the Northwind Highlanders, a house mercenary unit for the Capellan Confederation. During the Second Succession War, the Federated Suns captured the planet of Northwind, and House Liao used the atrocities committed by House Davion to cement the loyalty of the Highlanders, and pledged to them full independence should Liao recapture Northwind. Over the centuries, Capella failed again and again to capture Northwind, and the Highlanders continued to be among the elite units serving House Liao. Then, in 3028, Hanse Davion secretly contacted the Highlanders prior to launching the Fourth Succession War. He offered to give them Northwind in return to fealty to him. After discussing it for a long time, the Highlanders decided to leave their many years of service to Capella and pledged loyalty as a house unit of the Federated Suns (not even a mercenary unit any more). In return, Davion gave them an amount of freedom. A small minority of Highlanders chose to defect from the unit, believing that their contract with Capella should be honored. Among those defectors was Braham Essex. He defected and was assigned by the Capellan Confederation to fight with the veteran Blackwind Lancers.

The Fourth Succession War had begun. When Candace Liao falls in love with a Davion spy, she decides to use the war to declare the St. Ives Commonality is now independent of the Capellan Confederation. This succession brings many military units from the CCAF with her, including the Blackwind Lancers.

Once again faced with choosing to defect from his unit or defect from his state, Braham Essex chooses to leave the Lancers. By now, the Tikonov Free Republic has been created, with one of the highest and most trusted military leaders, Pavel Ridzik, choosing to also vacate the realm he had served all of his life in order to create a new state. The planet of Epsilon Eridani joined the Tikonov Free Republic. In the wake of these dissidents, and two elite units Braham was serving leaving to join others, he realized that the Confederation was falling apart. With his own homeworld no longer a part of the Confederation, he felt his loyalty waning. Braham also felt no love for the St. Ives Compact, Tikonov Free Republic, or Federated Suns. Choosing instead to form his own mercenary company, the Kilts and Commandos, he left for Outreach, making some contacts with other disaffected MechWarriors from the Northwind Highlanders and the Blackwind Lancers.

At the age of 16, Braham Essex was assigned to the Martial Training Academy on Tikonov. While there, he distinguished himself enough to warrant placement with the Highlanders. Essex has won the Liao Sunburst of Gallantry during battle with the Highlanders for the destruction of several enemy Battlemechs after his lance mates all fell, and completing the objective by himself. It is the most minor of Liao decorations and regularly given out.

After graduating from the Tikonov Academy, Essex served a full tour of duty with the Highlanders and had begun his second term with them when they left. He then served with the Lancers for most of his remaining term before they too defected.

In January of 3031, he took his first contract as the commander of the Kilts and Commandos, a new mercenary unit built from the disaffected from the old Capellan Confederation. Over time, he won various contracts, battles and campaigns, and built his unit to over 40 BattleMechs plus infantry and vehicles.

He began by piloting a medium fire support mech, a Dervish, but upgraded to a heavier Orion, which was lost in combat. Then he purchased a heavy and iconic Warhammer before moving to a Cataphract, a Liao design that had been used by the Governor of a planet that Braham killed while doing a contract for the St. Ives Compact.

After taking a contract in 3037 on the planet of Somerset, Braham’s Cataphract was destroyed in an ammo explosion. The ejection seat failed to function properly and Braham was flung from the wreckage. His body was broken, burned, bruised and bloody. After a long recovery, Braham lost his left leg and left arm, and they were replaced by myomer limbs. His skills degraded and he now has the skills of a regular pilot, although they can again increase through experience.

On Feb 3, 3038, Braham Essex emerged from almost a year’s convalescence and has been training and retraining with his troops on Epsilon Eridani.


Braham Essex
State Academy, State University, Two terms of service.
Piloting Skill - 3
Gunnery Skill - 4
Influence - 3
Member Modifiers - -2 family, +3 friends, +6 unit

Age: 35
Decorated: Liao Sunburst of Gallantry

Skills:

Edge: 2
Tactical Genius

Myomer Left Arm, Left Leg


I am considered to be veteran again in the mech (as opposed to green, regular or elite). The edge skill allows me to reroll any 1d6 roll I make once for each point I put into edge, and I put two points into it, allowing me to reroll a critical piloting skill roll or other game roll. The Tactical Genius ability allows me to reroll initiative at the beginning of each turn if I want.

[Abe Sargent]

Other characters:


Ted Izumo was an academy trainer at the Tikonov Training Academy who met and befriended a young James Essex, and was a founding member of the Kilts and Commandos. His skill in a mech is very good, but as Ted grew older, he agreed to step aside as XO of Kilts and Commandos and run the Essex Training Academy and supervise the operation of the company at Epsilon Eridani. After Essex was injured, Ted reactivated himself and ran the company in his absence, forcing everyone to come home and begin new training. Ted is 60 years old, and can still pilot with the best of them. He has retained his active role as XO of the Kilts and Commandos.


Adele Thompson was an old childhood friend of Braham Essex from Epsilon Eridani, and the daughter of a modest nobleman. She has many connections on planet. She pilots a modified Firestarter and had led many scouting excursions for Braham. She is okay in a Mech, between regular and veteran in ability. 39 years old, Adele married long ago for love and class to another nobleman, but retained her last name. She had a child out of wedlock with Braham Essex.


Thoma Marie Essex was born on Aug 3, 3036. The child of Braham Essex and Adele Thompson, Thoma is now two and a half years old. Thoma is the female version of the name Thomas, and has been around for about 150 years or so, but became popular 50 years ago for a while, but died out a bit, and is now uncommon. Braham’s recuperation also gave him a good year and a half to spend with his daughter. Although Adele is her mother, and will visit her and care for her, Braham is the primary parent to Thoma.

[law90026]

Omg it's back! Will definitely be following

[Abe Sargent]

The Political Powers in 3039:


Lyran Commonwealth - Archon Katrina Steiner is ruling the Lyran Commonwealth but is at an immense age. The Lyran Commonwealth is the economic power of the five major houses. Melissa Steiner, Katrina’s heir, is married to Hanse Davion, of the Federated Suns, in a union that will hopefully unify their nations.

Federated Suns - Epsilon Eridani is currently located in the Federated Suns. Hanse Davion, an older gentleman, has launched wars and runs the strongest military in the Inner Sphere. He is married to Melissa Steiner.

Capellan Confederation - House Liao’s Confederation was cut in half by the Fourth Succession War, launched by Hanse Davion over ten years ago. The smaller nation then held off attacks by two adjacent powers, the Duchy of Andurien and the Magistracy of Canopus. It is now ruled by the crazy and evil Romano Liao, and the realm is only held together behind the scenes by the only person Romano trusts - her consort, Tsen Chang.

Free Worlds League - Run by Thomas Marik, the industrial ox of the Inner Sphere is a league of a variety of states, but after the succession of Andurien and the Marik crisis of 3035-6, Thomas Marik, the son of Anton Marik and rightful heir, has consolidated numerous powers under himself, the Captain-General of the Free Worlds League.

Draconis Combine - This Japanese flavored realm is run by Coordinator Takashi Kurita, although his son, Theodore Kurita has been named Genji no-kanrei, an honorific in charge of all military matters. Takashi is a old guard man with old ways of fighting, honor, and more. Theodore has been surreptitiously updating various units, and replacing the old guard with people of vision and skill instead of dedication to older doctrines and loyalties. The Draconis Combine underwent the Ronin Wars of 3036 after a large chuck of systems declared themselves independent as the Free Rasalhague Republic and Theodore moved to support them. One fifth of the DCMS was declared ronin as a result and was attacked and destroyed.

Free Rasalhague Republic - This nation was formed from some Lyran worlds and many Draconis worlds. The resultant state has a Scandinavian flavor and it is trying to build itself in its nascent days.

Duchy of Andurien - It declared independence from the Free Worlds League in 3030, and then attacked the Capellan Confederation in a bid to gain more systems and grow itself. That bid failed, and for the last four years, Marik forces have taken one system after another. Now, just two remain, and one has no Andurien troops on it and will be taken any day. The other, is Andurien itself.


St. Ives Compact - These 18 systems split off from the Capellan Confederation and became an independent state after the Fourth Succession War. Candace Allard-Liao is the sister to Romano Liao and would have inherited the entire Capellan Confederation if she had only waited a few years, but love for the Davion spy Justin Xiang Allard led her to lead the defection of 18 systems she had control over away from the Capellan
Confederation.

ComStar - The organization that guards HPG stations is also a player behind the scenes in Inner Sphere politics. No one knows to what extent.


The Periphery - There are several minor states outside the Inner Sphere generally referred to as the Periphery. The major ones are the Outwords Alliance, Taurian Concordat and Magistracy of Canopus, but there are others like the Oberon Confederation and Marian Hegemony.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by law90026

Omg it's back! Will definitely be following

Glad ta see you happy!

[Abe Sargent]

The Unit:

Kilts and Commandoes:

Flag - Black, crossed rifle and sword, on a tartan background.
Homeworld - Epsilon Eridani
Current Contracts - Defense of nearby Kressly Warworks, for ten years, started one year ago.

Epsilon Eridani is one jump from several important worlds, including: Terra, Carver V, Outreach, Fletcher in the Free Worlds League, Procyon, Fomalhaut, Caph, Northwind and 9 other inhabited systems. Northwind is the home of one of major mercenary units, Outreach the mercenary home, Terra includes Earth, Fletcher is in the Free Worlds League and planets like Caph and Carver V will become important later.

The Kilts and Commandos have one company awarded the Andurien Star for major action against the Free Worlds League in destroying and killing the CO of a regiment of Marik troops.

The Kilts and Commandos fought for the Free Rasalhague Republic during the Ronin Wars, and brought several planets in line. Due to their actions, K&C has a status of significance in the FRR’s eyes. While the FRR shies away from hiring mercenaries in general, the FRR will approach K&C for contracts on a regular basis.

Due to their similar views, K&C sent a letter to the fives houses saying that they would not accept a contract by a Great House against the St. Ives Compact, Duchy of Andurien, or Free Rasalhague Republic.

Kilts and Commandos have a base of operations around the Essex Training Academy. It includes mech bays, headquarters, barracks, training areas, supply depots, security stations and more.


The Essex Training Academy opened its doors in January 3039. It takes a trainee three years to graduate. The first class, which is just 5 students, are now freshmen. Upon graduation, qualified MechWarriors are accepted into the Kilts and Commandos mercenary command, if they wish. The Training Academy was built by Braham Essex and Ted Izumo during the 3030s.

Epsilon Eridani is the setting of the novel, Initiation to War.

[Abe Sargent]

Within the first week of 3039, our liaison on Outreach has received two contract offers of significance. The first comes from the Duchy of Andurien and our old friends there. They would like us to land our forces on Andurien in preparation for a major, major assault by the Free Worlds League. It’s a suicide mission, and there is no question that Marik will take back this world.

The other contract comes from the Federated Suns. They want us to join an offensive against the Draconis Combine of massive proportions. Hanse Davion has been chomping at the bit for a war with Kurita for a decade now, and he is about to get it. We would be on a retainer with the Federated Suns war effort for a year.


Both contracts have value to me. However, I cannot in good conscious risk the entire unit on Andurien. Therefore, I make a decision.

I will personally lead one company of mechs to Andurien to assist the Duchess, while Ted Izumo will take the rest of the unit into the Davion contract and join their offensive.


My personal company was savaged in the action on Somerset that resulted in my injury. Of the 12 mechs and MechWarriors that entered, I lost my mech. We lost Nadia Romanov, an elite pilot, and her assault level Stalker. Jacob Ovango’s Wolverine had its head blown off and it was gone and he died. Veteran Roger Stephens had his Wolfhound legged and we had to leave both behind. Finally, Justine Dempsey, and her modified Phoenix Hawk with its medium pulse lasers was crippled and left behind as well.

That’s five out of 12 mechs lost and four MechWarriors either killed or left behind in the rush to evacuate.

During our time down, we spent 16 million CBills on building some buildings and upkeep of our units. I take an unused BattleMaster as my new mech. We had many unmanned mechs, and part of our time was spent recruiting on Outreach for some of our unused mechs.

We also went through several reorganizations as part of our new look, and to get new mechs, new pilots, and the infusion of the Kressly Warworks mechs and tanks in order to get a new team.


As you may know, we absorbed the Kressly Warworks units and agreed to be their defense for ten years last year. We gained four manned mechs and a full company of manned vehicles. We decided to keep those vehicles together, since they were used to working together. We put the four mechs and their pilots into various places as we saw need.

The four mechs we inherited, in case you care, were Awesome, Crusader, Wasp and Hunchback.

[Abe Sargent]

This next few posts are for the dorks among us who love this stuff so much they know every mech by name and heart. I will be listing our companies and their roster. If you are not an uber-BTech nerd, you can skip this part.

However, in order to assist those not familiar with the BTech universe, for each mission we do, I will post a picture and a quick blurb about a mech being used by our side, so that slowly you can be introduced with these machines of hot death.

[Abe Sargent]

Our new units:


Aleph Company:


Anvil Lance

Capt. Braham Essex, BattleMaster
David Bengurion, Striker
Kennedy Martin, Hunchback
Daniel Rayburn, Warhammer


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Rafael Gomez, Archer
Michael Adkins, Centurion
Su Yuan, Champion
Chao Diochan, Griffin


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Adele Thompson, Firestarter modified
Liu Chen, Spider
Elena Stoyovich, Mercury
Longfeather Bluehawk, Jenner


Steve Sanders, Anti-Mech Jump Infantry
Mvundi Atterson, SRM infantry

[Abe Sargent]

Phaeton Company (2):


Anvil Lance

Lt. Martin Fitzgerald, Awesome
Edgar Lopez, Warhammer
Earl Ray Williams, Thunderbolt
Bryant McKinnon, Panther


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Anakago Intade, Griffin
Aurelia Yevgina, Dervish
David Delgado, Rifleman
Eleanor Bates, Catapult


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Mary McDonnell, Falcon
Raquel Sanchez, Javelin
Aaron Cohen, Phoenix Hawk
Edgar Steinbocker, Hermes II


Marsha Smith, Foot Rifle Infantry
Natalia Shevchenko, Motorized Rifle Infantry

[Tellistto]

Nice to see you back finally! Love this dynasty, hope the bug keeps on bugging you!

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Trinity Company:


Anvil Lance

Lt. Elizabeth Smythe, Atlas
Bonita Endicia, Thunderbolt
Latasha Jenkins, Hatchetman
Barbara Morse, Zeus


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Jason Thomas, Ostsol
Thad Karamanlis, Trebuchet
Janice Flanders, Goliath
Maeve Vega, Rifleman


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Orpah Jones, Ostscout
Hassan Mohommad, Phoenix Hawk
Chiang Xe, Spider
Anna Cafincelli, Cicada

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

Nice to see you back finally! Love this dynasty, hope the bug keeps on bugging you!

Tell

Thanks! Welcome back.

[Abe Sargent]

Delta Company:


Anvil Lance

Lt. Miguel Juarez, Banshee
Melissa Darrow, Awesome
Clyde Naller, Warhammer
Adrick Lee, Atlas


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Estelle Galverson, Crusader
Cristina Fernandez, Trebuchet
Stacey Dutch, Catapult
Maggie Fratticelli, Black Knight


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Nei Vanda, Spider
Maria Santos, Javelin
Khalid Hussein, Hermes II
Samir Azif, Wasp



This is the first company I had to use garrison units to fill out, and it has a few mechs I do not like - the Wasp and Hermes II. The rest of the unit is fine though.

[Abe Sargent]

Cinq Company:


Anvil Lance

Lt. Mika Kotone, BattleMaster
Alan Roderick, Awesome
Dale Snyder, Hunchback
Martine Kobolev, Wolverine 6M


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Lynda Karatos, Zeus
John Abram, Griffin
Roger Von Harkness, Crusader
Roman Richards, Archer 2S


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Ian Hall, Vulcan 5T
Cassia Jenkins, Wasp
Esther Edelstein, Spider
Umbria Mutunde, Locust


This is the first of my brand new companies formed from the many mechs I had in mechbays. The Wasp and Locust are crappy. The rest of this is fine though, with 3 assault mechs plus an Archer and Crusader. That's a strong unit.

[Abe Sargent]

Hex Company:


Anvil Lance

Capt. Ted Izumo, Stalker
Tanya Meekins, Grand Dragon
Wendy Worthington, Vindicator
Raymond Diggs, Kintaro


Hammer Lance

Sgt. Sam Martez, Orion
Deborah Kreiner, Banshee
Marsha Fehr, Whitworth
Mara Fehr, Enforcer


Thunder Lance

Sgt. Natalie Bronson, Spider
Steve Ovango, Phoenix Hawk
Patricia Enchbayar, Thorn
Naila Nazirah, Commando


Marsha and Mara are twin sisters. This is my final one. The Thorn, Commando, Banshee, and Vindicator are not the sort of mechs that make me happy to see, and I feel like I stretched to get this company up and running, so we'll see how they perform.

[Abe Sargent]

A lance of mechs and vehicles each are left on the planet to garrison the factory Kressly Warworks and our compound.


We also have two companies of vehicles, which I will skip past right now.


I am going to run each contract independent of the other. In other words, I’ll run one contract from beginning to end, and then run the other contract from beginning to end.

[DataKing]

Glad to see this is back Abe. I played a ton of BattleTech back in the day, and reading this makes me nostalgic for those days. I'm also glad to see a couple of Thunderbolts on your TO&E. The TDR-5S was always one of my favorites...squat, ugly, and tough as nails.

I'll be reading.

[Warhammer]

Is that HERII a 2M or the standard variant? The Marik variant of the HER is a beast. Plus, gotta love the WVR-6M, another awesome, er... very good mech.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome back all, its like we almost never left.

The Hermes II is the normal sucky AC5 wieding mech. Sorry, not the good one. Thunderbolts rock, Warhammers are okay, and I'm in a mech I really like - the BattleMaster of love.

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s begin with Aleph Company and Andurien. We will start with the negotiations.

Note that Aleph Company is now rated B on Dragoon’s rating.


I’ll just give you the final contract terms:

Shared Salvage
House Command
Straight Support 50% of support cost plus 50% Battle Loss Compensation
Remuneration - 5% bonus
Full Transport
Length of Service - 1 year
Salary - 1.5 x 1.3 x 3.7
16% Bonus paid at beginning of contract

Since I get a bonus right now, let’s figure this out.

2,106,491 salary
337,038 bonus on top of that. We get that now.



My mech, the BattleMaster, is an 85 ton assault mech with long range, medium range, and short range weapons of all types. From its Particle Projection Cannon (PPC) that generates essentially manmade lightning to a Short Range Missile Rack with 6 missiles (SRM-6) to a ton of medium lasers, and even a pair of infantry deadly machine guns. The mech is well armored, and one of the true beasts of the era.

[Abe Sargent]

April 6, 3039 - Aleph Company arrives at Andurien. No other mercenary anywhere will take Andurien contracts now. I have faith in me and my men and my metal, but we could easily end this with a major loss of people and mechs, just like on Somerset. Our contract has begun.

April 17, 3039 - Thomas Marik arrives in the Andurien system. He contracts the Duchy of Andurien and begins negotiations to end this peacefully. Blockade of Andurien begins.

May 19, 3039 - After a month of fruitless negotiations, sabres begin rattling. ComStar issues orders that Andurien and the Free Worlds League had better not mess with the HyperPulse Generators or the hospitals in the capital city of Jojoken. Otherwise, the group who does will have the wrath of ComStar on them.

June 10, 3039 - Massive Marik flotillas arrive at both the Zenith and Nadir points in the Andurien system. They establish control over both jump points, and move en masse to Andurien.

June 25, 2039 - Meanwhile, several smaller JumpShips jump into various pirate points. All Andurien AeroSpace assets are scrambled to protest the major Free Worlds League flotilla, and the ones at the pirate points arrive uncontested on Andurien soil.

With all of the military units about to be involved in the struggle for Andurien, there would be more troops involved here than in any other engagement since the fall of the Star League until Tukayyid many years later.

The Andurien landings are protested by the Andurien Defenders. The Marik Guards capture several areas with two days, including the military spaceport of Hulan, and a variety of key transport and administrative hubs in the northern continent. Due to their established position, the main Marik flotilla is able to land their troops on Andurien virtually unprotested.

[Abe Sargent]

June 30, 3039 - The Free Worlds League continue to solidfy their position on the Northern Continent, and the Andurien forces are sending out patrols and scouts to test their defenses and see if they can find, and perhaps exploit weaknesses. We are sent out on one such mission.

The goal of this mission is to hit and fade.

We do not know the numbers or size of the Marik forces. We skirt their defensive line, and look for weaknesses while sending back information to the Andurien forces, because many Andurien satellites have been destroyed by Marik AeroSpace forces.


While stumbling around, we come across a company of Marik vehicles. Because they are not intending this to be a major fight, they are just looking to hit and fade, and will run at the first sign of trouble.

All of these Marik forces are vets.


The first round arrives and fire is exchanged while positions are set up in these scrub woods. Our Archer rapes their Ontos’s movement. That’s an Assault tank that just got hammered by the Archer’s missiles. I have to make a piloting skill roll after taking a bunch of damage, and I miss the 5, rolling a 4, and fall down.

The next round arrives. I get up and back up a few steps. The modified Firestarter piloted by Adele Thompson jumps behind a Saladin and tears into its rear armor with fie machine guns and Flamers. The Saladin blows up with an ammo explosion. Our Striker Assault mech destroys the left side of the Ontos, taking out the Assault tank. That is Bengurion’s 4th kill for us.

With two tanks dead, including an assault, the Marik forces flee.

We are able to recover the Ontos and take it back with us for repairs and perhaps later use.


This is a Striker Assault mech. It is usually reserved for garrison and second line duty, so you don’t see it much, but there are actually hundreds in the Inner Sphere right now. Our elite pilot, David Bengurion, pilots one.






End of Mission 1:

About 6 tons of armor needed to patch holes
Recovered Ontos with destroyed movement system and destroyed LS.

[law90026]

Oh cool, I hadn't seen the new Striker's pic. Old one looks nicer though :P

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by law90026

Oh cool, I hadn't seen the new Striker's pic. Old one looks nicer though :P

It's from the 3058 tech readout.

[Abe Sargent]

Bengurion gets Edge: 1.



Later that day, as we near base, we get word that an Andurien scout mech was lost out in some more scrub. We are ordered to send our scout lance to investigate.

We find the position the Andurien last was heard from. We get hot spots on our sensors and approach. We find an enemy scout lance, but it’s pretty heavy with three mediums and just one light - A Javelin, Cicadaa, Hermes II and Griffin. We also notice our Friend or Foe picking out an ally from behind a corpse of trees. We have found the lost scout mech. It is a Locust. It joins our side, so it’s 5 on four, but 5 light mechs on 3 mediums and one light and all veteran. The Andurien pilot is Elite, not that it matters. That mech sucks.

The first round is just maneuvering and a bit of movement.


I manage to get my Spider behind the Griffin’s back. I also charge in with my Jenner and walk my Mercury behind their Hermes II. Let’s see what happens. My Mercury criticals the Hermes II’s engine with its lasers. My Mercury takes 20+ damage and misses a kick, but is still standing, and their Griffin is still standing after a kick from my Spider.


In the third turn, I jump my overheated Jenner behind the back of the Hermes II because of the opportunity, even if I choose not to take it, it presents. I move my Mercury into the Hermes II rear arc again. Adele’s Firestarter walks around the Cicada’s back. Their Griffin lands by my Spider. I fire only the SRM4 from the Jenner because it can find criticals in the Hermes II’s empty rear CT armor. Adele’s Firestarter really gets into the Cicada’s armor. The Mercury hit’s the Hermes II’s engine twice more and it shuts down from too much engine damage. A kill for the Mercury. That is Elena Stoyovich;s 4th kill for us. Our ally Locust was opened up by their Javelin and had a Heat Sink opened.

However, with one mech gone, the enemy jumps away and leaves us.

We recover an engine x3 hit Hermes II with no other issues. It will take about 5 tons of armor to fix us.

Elena gets one better at Piloting skill - she is now a vet.

Here is Adele’s Firestarter, a light 35 ton mech that specializes in jetting the heat up on a mech she hits. She also has a ton of Mgs making her an ideal anti-infantry mech.







End of Mission 2.

[Abe Sargent]

We keep making small insect bites. A captured medium scout mech here, a couple of tanks there. But it was a good day for us.

Note that, because we are behind a blockade, we cannot get any items to repair our mechs unless they are in our supply, the Defenders supply, or on planet. Since the Andurien Defenders have been at war for 8 years now, their supplies are running a bit thin. If a mech loses an arm, leg, or whatnot, unless we have it in store, it will be gone until we can salvage a new one.


July 5, 3039 - We are asked back t o action in a probing scout mission along the Andurien line.

We find nothing.


July 7, 3039 - We are back in the rotation again. This time we find something.

We run into an entire mech company. Of the elite First Fusiliers of Oriente. This may be nasty.

Their company:

BattleMaster
Shadow Hawk
Hermes
Stalker
Stinger
Atlas
Locust - 1M
Locust
Javelin
Griffin
UrbanMech
Archer

This is a very mixed company. There are a lot of great heavy metal mechs there - Atlas, Archer, BattleMaster, Stalker. Then we have a ton of light dinky mechhs - two Locusts, Hermes, Stinger, Urbie, Javelin. Then we have two heavier mediums in Shadow Hawk and Griffin, but the S Hawk blows.

Because they are elite, we have a problem. They are actually a higher battle value than us, meaning the odds favor them. Like previous encounters, this one will be played to the first mech or two destroyed, and then the loser will flee.

Here is Kennedy Martin‘s Hunchback, a 50 ton medium mech built around the most devastating weapon in the age, the AutoCannon 20 (AC20), a close range weapon that sloughs off more than a ton of armor from the location it hits. It is very heavy, and the mech is built around it.

[Abe Sargent]

Let me see if I can get some smaller pics. That hunchy and Firestarter look like they are going to come out of this thread and kill me.

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, let’s begin our game.

We move around the map and take the central copse of trees. They expose their Stalker, so I send some fire its way. I also send some fire their Griffin’s way. Their Griffin’s PPC blows off the Right Arm of our Mercury. Our Centurion takes 20+ damage and yet stays standing.

I hop my Spider behind their Archer and retreat into hiding with my Centurion and Mercury. We concentrate our fire on their Stalker. Their UrbanMech blows the RA off my Spider - it’s a Limb Blow off critical instead of dealing damage and destroying it, so it is laying on the ground. My Spider almost falls.

I flee the field with my Spider and Mercury, just in case they get attacked. I really concentrate my fire on the Stalker again, every single mech attacks it. We open up its Right Arm and hit a Heat Sink. It manages to stay standing.

The next turn is here, and more maneuvering. Even more fire on their Stalker. I destroy its Right Arm with my BattleMaster. Everybody stays standing.

At this point, they decide to call it off and leave before their Stalker dies. It is open in the RT and missing its RA. We keep the field and are able to recover the Spider arm.


Results:

About 10 tons of armor needed to replace that gone
Techs are able to reattach arm to Spider
Mercury lost RA - We do NOT have a spare 20 ton RA in our bin. On planet we have two factories, but one makes vehicles and the other makes fighters, no Mech companies.


My techs manage to fix up the Hermes II, so I will be moving my pilot to that mech for now.


End of Mission 3

[Abe Sargent]

July 15, 3039 - After getting our mechs fixed back up, and the Hermes II in working order, we are sent out again for another probe mission. We find nothing.

July 17, 3039 - We are sent back out again, since we were undamaged from the 15th’s foray. We spot a few VTOLs who scamper away when they see us. Nothing else though.

July 20, 3039 - We are sent out again. We surprise a scout lance, but as we move ourselves into position to fight, a company each of mechs and vehicles moves towards us from the treeline. We retreat.

July 21, 3039 - We are sent out again and run into a company of vehicles. They are all veterans.


Elena Stoyovich’s Mercury, a very light 20 ton scout mech that was originally made hundreds of years ago, and has lost the LosTech it used to have and been replaced with simpler parts.





We are fighting in the ruins of an old rural industrial area with a few ruined and destroyed buildings. There is a road that cuts through here, and the spare woods meet the beginning of a swamp area, and there are a few places that are wooded and a few that are swampy.

I position my fastest mechs to grab the heavy woods in the right middle of the area we are fighting in. That way I can establish a presence in the best defensive spot on the map. My mechs take targets of opportunity instead of concentrating their fire. Our Archer destroys a Hetzer’s fuel tank and it explodes. That is Rafael Gomez’s 8th kill for us. They flee and since their tanks are all speedy, they get away quickly.


Rafael Gomez gains Edge.


End of Mission 4.

[Tellistto]

I chuckled at the pic comment. Thank you, that was funny to me.

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

I chuckled at the pic comment. Thank you, that was funny to me.

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

July 24, 3039 - The decision is made to abandon the beachhead that the Marik forces made and retreat to more defensible forces. We move father away, and allow the Free Worlds League to stretch their borders and expands their territory on Andurien.

July 30, 3039 - We are asked to send out our scout lance to destroy a listening post supposedly defended by a few tanks and infantry.

We arrive and find a trio of medium vehicles, a light vehicle, and three squads of infantry. There are no trees, just some rocks and hills, so my mechs are very exposed.

In the first round, we just dance around, and my Hermes II is the only person that hits in the first round.

We move some of our forces right next to each other, including Liu Chen’s Spider running right behind their Galleon Light Tank. Adele’s Firestarter knocked their Drillson;s movement system out of whack. The Drillson is immobile. Our Spider kicks the Galleon Light Tank and it is about to die in the back.

The third turn sees Adele and the Jenner rape their Drillson. Then Liu Chen kicks it and destroys its left side.

The tanks and infantry begin to leave, and concede the Listening Post to us. We destroy it and move back.

Needs just 2 tons of armor.

We can recover the Drillson, but we were unable to repair its drive system, and that needs to be replaced.


End of Mission 5.

[Abe Sargent]

August 2, 3039 - We are sent out in force to repel an attack against an Andurien position. However, it is a feint to draw us out, and the Marik forces sneak in, steal some supplies, sneak back out, and the forces charging us flee and we cannot pursue into their artillery.

August 4, 3039 - In order to encourage the troops, Dame Humphreys grants all unit’s the Andurien Star that do not already have it That includes my company. Additionally, I have been personally awarded the Andurien Epaulet, an award that recognize individual service to the Duchy.

August 7, 3039 - The Free Worlds League has split up its forces and sends a large force to capture the town of Callan where the Third Andurien Defenders are. The Andurien Campaign so far has been feints, probes, and minor missions. The campaign is about to turn into full out war.

August 9, 3039 - We get news that the Regular Hussars, a Marik unit, have surprised the Third Defenders and forced them into Callan.

August 10, 3039 - We are sent to distract a Marik force that has gotten to close to Andurien lines. We are meant to hold them until more forces arrive.


Here is Sgt. Rafael Gomez’s Archer. It is a Heavy mech weighing 70 tons. It is one of the best fire support mechs in 3039, as it has 2 Long-Range Missle systems each with 20 missiles (called an LRM-20). It can launch 40 missiles each turn, plus it has four medium lasers for close range defense and solid armor. It’s a great mech and lots of people like em.



Their mechs:

Stalker
Hunchback
BattleMaster
Stinger
Hermes II
Wasp x2
Vulcan
Grasshopper
Locust
Shadow Hawk
Wolverine


Half are elite, half are veteran. The major threats are the assault Stalker and BattleMaster, and the medium Hunchback. The other mecs are either pushovers (Vulcan, Grasshopper, Shadow Hawk) or weak (Stinger, Wasp, Wasp, Locust) or underpowered but adequate (Wolverine, Hermes II).

[Warhammer]

I love the comment on the 2S Shadow Hawk... I only have one question, is there such a thing as a good Shadow Hawk?

[Abe Sargent]

Not without LosTech there's not.

[Abe Sargent]

We are fighting by a small suberb with a variety of buildings and streets, but we have some trees too. No elevation changes here at all.

We can only see one mech of theirs at the beginning of the game. After some maneuvering, Adele tries to set some of their woods on fire with her Inferno rounds. Adele misses the 6 needed to hit the woods (at range to be fair) and all other people miss too.

We are moving around this central suburb. I move Adele’s Firestarter against their Wasp and Stinger, with the hope of blasting away some armor with her MGs. They move their Shadow Hawk in against Adele’s FS, so I move my BattleMaster in as well, to close with their Shadow Hawk. I order Adele’s FS to attack the Shadow Hawk instead, and try to burn it. Several of my mechs key off on their Shadow Hawk. Their Stinger is exposed on top of a level 3 building so several of my mechs tee off on it. I use up all of my Edge on the Shadow Hawk’s attack. Twice it rolled a Through Armor critical and then rolled criticals, and my edge rerolled those and prevented them, so I have no Edge left for my BattleMaster. My BattleMaster returns the favor by tearing int the Head of the Shadow Hawk with its PPC. It hit’s the sensors and cockpit, killing the pilot. Dead Shadow Hawk, killed at my hand. Our Warhammer and Archer tear into their Stinger, and go critical in various places, but it survives and is still standing. Adele is kicked but stays standing.

Well, that was a good round. Let’s see what else we can do. I keep moving up my infantry. Infantry in buildings is money. My Jump Laser Platoon is now in a level 3 building. It is hard to damage infantry in buildings, but if the building collapses, many dead infantry. Just an exchange of fire.

The 4th round arrives. I’m internal in Adele’s Firestarter LL. I move my BattleMaster, Centurion and Hunchback into the city and challenge their Hunchback sitting here. I also move my laser infantry into LOS. Their Hunchy hits my BM’s torso and gets a Through-Armor Critical (TAC) and hit’s a Medium Laser. Our Hunchback destroys the LT and throws the LA clear of their Stinger. Our Archer hit’s the Stingers gyro. Our Champion hit’s the Stingers RT, blowing off its RA (YAY), then destroys its CT.

Another good round. Their Hunchy has been damaged a bit, and none of my mechs are that badly hurt, except Adele’s FS which jumped away back into a hard area to hit it from. Liu Chen jumps her Spider behind their Vulcan’s back. I jump the Jenner behind their Hunchback. I was waiting my Jenner behind a level 3 building for forever waiting for someone to come nearby that I could jump out and behind, and their Hunchback exposed his rear. Liu Chen’s Spider hit’s the Vulcan’s rear torso, then gets a critical on the AC2 ammo and it explodes. Kill for the Spider. Our Laser Jump platoon nails the leg of one of their Wasps and goes critical, hitting two leg actuators. Our Jenner goes internal on their Hunchback and smacks its AC20 twice. Their Wasp falls but their Hunchy stays standing. Our Jenner kicks the downed Hunchback for more damage. It fails to fall.

Three times in this game, we have lost initiative only to get it on the reroll due to my Tactical Genius ability. They try to stand up their Wasp and it fails, falling down and destroying its damaged leg. It braces itself against the building it is adjacent to, and stands up this time successfully. I jump Liu Chen’s Spider behind their Wolverine. My BattleMaster hit’s the shoulder actuator on the Wolverine’s RA just before our Warhammer destroys its LA. Our Jenner ran around the back of their Hunch again, and blows it up after hitting the AC20 ammo. Boom! Their Wolverine falls. Our Spider missed a kick on the downed Wolverine and falls. Our Jenner shuts down from overheat.

I move some of my mechs to support the overheated Jenner. I stand up my Spider and run it behind some trees. Two of their mechs fall down while running to get to my Jenner - they skid and crash into buildings - the good Wasp and their Grasshopper. Our Warhammer opens up the torso of their Wolverine and hits its SRM6. My BattleMaster kicks their Wolverine, takes out the external armor on its LL and it falls down.

We hear some jet sounds above us and see contrails as Marik AeroSpace fights move to our position. We begin to move behind the buildings for cover. When we look back up, they have moved their mechs off. We cannot follow for a few minutes until Andurien fighters are scrambled to drive off the Marik ones, and we recover salvage.

Four kills for Liu Chen since founding our unit, just her 4th kill (she started Green). She will now be regular after a piloting skill bonus.

With the Stinger LA recovered, we can try to attach it to the Mercury. It works but it will take about 5 days for our techs to get ready.

About 15 tons of armor needed.


End of Mission 6.

[Abe Sargent]

August 14, 3039 - The Third Defenders in Callan have pushed back the Marik troops and have turned that battle to a stalemate. Clashes continue through the night.

August 15, 3039 - In the morning, more Free Worlds League troops are moved to the Callan Offensive. The Eleventh Atrean Guard arrives and allows the Regulan troops to withdraw with the Atreans keep hammering the Defenders. The Third Defenders make a last ditch effort to break off from the fresh troops, but are unable to do so when another regiment, the First Fusiliers of Oriente arrive to support their fellow troops, and after giving as good as they can, the Third Defenders are annihilated and eliminated as a unit.

Among the dead is Michael Humphreys, son of Dame Catherine Humphreys and her heir.

The Free Worlds League have captured Callan.

August 18, 3039 - The LCCC (League Combined something or other) are realigning their defenses and Andurien is using the pause in the fighting to make repairs and fix some things up.

August 22, 3039 - The Fourth Andurien Defenders capture a company of First Marik Militia mechs away from their regiment at Darnel Bridge and destroy all of their mechs. Camera shows four MechWarriors ejecting from their mechs, and various citizens surround the Marik MechWarriors and beat them to death, and then hang their bodies from the Darnel Bridge. Andurien troops do arrive and breakup the mob, but it is too late. Video cameras catch the Darnel Bridge Massacre and it enrages troops around the Free Worlds League. Although many atrocities had been done by FWL units against Andurien citizens throughout the war, and although this is the first one against Marik forces, it comes at the wrong time. It emboldens and strengthens the resolve of the various Marik factions. There’ll be no more pause now. They are coming for blood. They believe its not just Dame Humphreys anymore that is their enemy, and not just eh military, but the entire planet.

I request money for the first few months of action, and I get it. Just in case, you know.

[Abe Sargent]

August 24, 3039 - 35 klicks west of the Darnel Bridge, the First Marik Militia and the Fourth Andurien Defenders meet for battle. The First Marik Militia is out for blood, incensed by the deaths of their comrades. The Fourth Andurien Defenders wants to deprive Marik of their best unit. The two begin a slugging match and no-holds-barred match that lasts much shorter than you might normally think. Instead of the normal strategy, each side just goes for the jugular of the other. At the end of the epic battle, the Fourth Andurien Defenders are destroyed and the First Marik Militia is battered and bruised so badly they have to permanently withdraw from the Andurien campaign.

Allies wearing Andurien colors are quickly diminishing in number.


August 25, 3039 - We are sent to harass and perhaps destroy a few mechs of the Marik First Militia, but as we approach, their withdraw is covered by the entire Eleventh Atrean Guard. We retreat before getting too close.

August 26, 3039 - After the devastation of the Marik First Militia, Thomas Marik simply sits behind his defense and sends the First away to get fixed, healed, and replenished.

With such few Andurien units left, and less land to defend, sorties, probes and scouting sessions have been diminished significantly.

Sept 2, 3039 - We are sent on a quick scout mission, and see nothing.

[Abe Sargent]

Sept 3, 3039 - We get word that several Free Worlds League JumpShips have arrived in system.

Sept 8, 3039 - Numerous regiments land on Andurien to support Thomas Marik’s position. We are now facing the following regiments:

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers
Eleventh Atrean Guard
First Regulan Hussars
Second Fusiliers of Oriente
Stewart Dragoons Home Guard
Forth Marik Militia
Always Faithful, mercenary regiment



And we have:

First Andurien Defenders
Fifth Andurien Defenders
Sixth Andurien Defenders
Kilts and Commandoes Aleph Company


Although the Defenders were originally Regiment sized, long ago, most are now running at half strength. The Marik forces are not. That’s bad odds. Andurien will fall, but we can decide how.

We have reduced, even more, our scouting expeditions, raids, sorties, and such to nothing, due to the overwhelming numbers our opponents are able to commit to their own scouting.

[Abe Sargent]

Sept 12, 3039 - The city of Qinda, third largest on Andurien, is behind the Marik lines, but is held by Andurien forces. Remnants of the Third and Fourth Defenders have joined forces with a few minor militia mechs to keep the city in Andurien hands. Our intelligence puts Andurien forces there at about 45 mechs. Thomas Marik assigns three regiments - Hussars, Fusiliers and Grenadiers - to assault and take Qinda.


Sept 15, 3039 - After three days of trying to entice out the Andurien forces, the three Marik regiments have no choice but to begin to sweep Qinda street by street and block by block.

October 8, 3039 - After 23 days, Qinda falls. The Marik forces lost sixty mechs, but eventually force out the Andurien troops, destroy most of them, and capture Qinda. During this time, Thomas Marik refused to send out troops to harass us or attack us, content to sit behind his defensive lines while his forces removed any potential threat from Qinda.

All repairs and fixes have been done to mechs, vehicles, and such long ago, This lull in fighting is starting to get at some Anduriens, who have been fighting for a long time. In fact, we haven’t been in a fight since early August. We’ve been sent out a few times to scout, just to make sure an invasion isn’t coming, but Thomas Marik knows he has time and troops on his side, and he is happy to spend both for a certain victory.

October 18, 3039 - Thomas Marik has finished securing and consolidating Qinda, and moves the forces just in battle back to his defensive and reserve and moves out troops to attack Baroda, the second largest city on Andurien, currently garrisoned by the Sixth Defenders.

October 31, 3039 - Several sorties have been occurring at Baroda of significance. We are asked to stand by, although we are currently garrisoned at Jojoken, the capital city of Andurien.

November 6 - Two more regiments are added to put pressure on Baroda - Always Faithful and Fourth Milita join the Eleventh Guards.

November 9, 3039 - Several major battles have occurred at Baroda, but the Sixth Defenders have stood firm. Banking on Thomas Marik remaining conservative, the First Defenders and us are dispatch to Baroda along with all of our equipment, to move our headquarters there temporarily.

[Abe Sargent]

November 10, 3039 - We arrive in Baroda and move to support the Sixth Defenders. After establishing a base, we are asked to move out and stop a probe company from the Always Faithful mercenary regiment from getting deep into the city.


Always Faithful

UrbanMech
Awesome 8T
Locust
Shadow Hawk
Firestarter
Victor
Scorpion
Dervish
Orion
Banshee
Cicada
Quickdraw

They are veteran

The major foes here are the Orion and Awesome.

Here is Michael Adkins’s Centurion. It is a 50 ton Medium Mech that is better than you might think at first, with its Long-Range 10 Missile rack (LRM-10), 2 Medium lasers (but one races the rear) solid armor and an AutoCannon 10 (AC10) a strong weapon in this era.

[Tellistto]

Not looking good at all for the Anduriens. Hopefully you have some type of exit strategy if/when the worst happens.

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

I always have a strategy.

[Abe Sargent]

We are facing some heavy woods, pavement and roads in a state forest type area on the outskirts of Baroda. Just maneuvering and small attacks. The woods my Warhammer was in caught on fire, which sucks cause I wanted to keep him here sniping.

Turn two sees more closing and targets of opportunity abound. Nothing major happens.

We are just dancing around each other. I need to move my major mechs against them, out from hiding, and just slug it out for a round or two, and then I can concentrate fire and bring my big guns to bear. I move out my Striker, Hunchback, BattleMaster and Warhammer into the open to chase down their Orion. After several mechs hit the Orion, our Warhammer cracks open its center torso, exposing it to other mechs. Our Archer blows off the RA of their Locust. Then our Champions destroys its RL, then the Jenner hits its Engine. It tumbles to the ground. Their Orion joins it on the ground. You gotta know when to push in the open, and when to hide in cover. It was time to push, and it worked. This past time, instead of moving my heavier mechs first and then my maneuvering ones later, I did it in opposite order in order to charge out with as little warning as possible.

Smoke and fire are spreading behind us. I move towards the Orion and they move a few units over to help, but by now, I have position and heavy metal there. Our Centurion joins us in the tag game, while my other units try to snipe or jump behind the other enemy units to keep them occupied. I hop Adele’s Firestarter over by their Dervish. Their Orion manages to stand. Adele tries to heat up the Dervish. My BattleMaster hit’s the Orion’s engine x2. Our Hunch destroyed its RA. Our Warhammer hits their Quickdraw in the head with a PPC - two criticals -sensors and life support. The mech is still ticking, but the Mech is wounded. Their Victor’s AC20 hits our Warhammer’s head, but it’s a glacing blow, so just ten damage and no internal. Then their Firestarter shoots with its Flamers and deals two the Warhammers head, and it is destroyed, and our elite MechWarrior has died. Several kicks are exchanged, and no one falls. Their Dervish avoids shutdown because of heat.

They got lucky with the Warhammer head hit. Sucks. Our Hunchback gets the Overkill award of the day by hitting the savaged Orion in its head with the AC20. We moved a lot of fire to the Quickdraw but failed to end its life. Our Champion is hit in several places and is open in the RL.

I began moving my Archer in too last turn, and I continue that now. I move my BattleMaster next to their Firestarter. Our Jump Laser Platoon gets the Limb Blown Off critical against the Locust’s LL. It is now missing both legs. That makes it officially recoverable. Their Firestarter falls after missing a kick. Our Griffin destroys the LL of their Firestarter. Both of my guys miss kicks but remain standing.

I have several options o try and find dead mechs. Quickdraw and Firestarter are obvious targets, so I move to get em. I destroy the LA of the Firestarter with my BM, then our Hermes II destroys its LT. The pilot also blacks out from a Flamer to its head. Our Hunchbacks need a 12 to punch the Quickdraw, and gets it, and destroys its LA from the damage.


With three mechs down, and more damage, the Maris begin to move away., Instead of chasing, we gather salvage and head back, not knowing if another patrol will come through soon or not. We recovered:

Our own Warhammer sans Head
Locust missing two legs and RA
Locust LL
Firestarter w/o LT, LL, or LA
Orion, sans Head

Okay, we lost a MechWarrior, which totally sucks.

We will need about 25 tons of armor to fix my troops.

What can we fix with parts in our bay?

I do not have a 35 ton LT, so no go on the Firestarter. I have no head for a Warhammer. I reattach the Leg to the Locust. I don’t have the other parts for a Locust.

It will take two weeks to repair the Orion;s engine, but we can do it.

So we are down to 11 MechWarriors, but we have 12 mechs, because the Mercury is fixed and not being used right now.


End of Mission 7

[law90026]

The head hit on the Warhammer really sucks.

[Abe Sargent]

Yeah, but look what my Hunchy did back!

[law90026]

Heh I guess that's true to some extent :P But you lost a good pilot (apparently not good enough :P)

[Abe Sargent]

Today I got what looks to be a fun little TRO for BattleTech called the Vehicle Annex. It includes stats for police cars, ambulances, fire engines, transport vehicles, motorcycles, racing cars, riot suppression vehicles, boats, trains, public transportation, construction vehicles and so forth. It looks like a lot of fun, and perhaps I use this to make a few more interesting scenarios in the future.