Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars

[Decoy]

Sounds like fun.

As a point, until Comstar's reformation, the Demi Precentor rank was an unofficial one.  Demi Precentors were either Adepts with ten years or more of service under their belt or Precentors with less than five. Khalasa could've been a recently promoted precentor, for all we know. *shrugs*

[Wrangler]

I'll be taking a slight hiatus from the chronoblog while I move to Tajikistan.  I'll return once my Internet connection is set up (hopefully sometime next week).

Good luck and be careful, Mendrugo!

[Nerroth]

I'll be taking a slight hiatus from the chronoblog while I move to Tajikistan.  I'll return once my Internet connection is set up (hopefully sometime next week).

Are you going to check out any of the old Silk Road sites in the region once you are established there?

(You wouldn't be too far away from Old New Samarkand in that portion of Eurasia.)

[Mendrugo]

Made it to Heathrow.  Next stop, Istanbul (boarding in 10 minutes).  We'll have plenty of chances to sightsee.  The Embassy organizes a lot of excursions for staff and families.

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Day Later -----

Date: October 6, 3010

Location: Galatea

Title: Not the Way the Smart Money Bets

Author: Michael A. Stackpole

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Morgan and Veronica meet at the Arastavos Arena, which has been configured as an urban-jungle setting for the duel.  Morgan tells Veronica that he’s confident Patrick can win, but that in a real fight, there’s always the chance that a lucky hit could end in his brother’s death, even if the fight isn’t fixed.  The flirtation and banter continue between the two, with Veronica semi-seriously suggesting she hire on with the Hounds as a liaison officer.

Meanwhile, at Snowsquall Enterprises, Blizzard meets with his grandson-in-law, Tommy “Titan” Volmer, whom he only tolerates for the sake of his granddaughter Penelope.  He tells Tommy that he’s not sure he can win in a Vindicator, so he’ll be using an escape clause buried in the dueling contract to upgrade to an Orion.  Per the clause, Patrick could upgrade as well, but Blizzard doesn’t intend to let him know about the clause until the Orion walks onto the field, by which time it will be too late.

Over at the garrison HQ, General Volmer has his own plans afoot.  His men impounded the Blackjack on its way to the arena and arrested Cat Wilson, who was escorting it.  Volmer wants to tie Morgan to Wilson’s AWOL status, and tells his aide to use any means necessary to secure a confession.

Notes:  Everyone’s setting up schemes and counter-schemes, though Volmer’s and Blizzard’s independent efforts appear to be running the risk of having a gambit-pileup and letting Morgan win through his enemies’ incompetence.  With no Blackjack on hand, on a planet filled with mercenaries that hate Blizzard and Volmer, what are the odds that an appropriately hefty ‘Mech will appear as needed when the Blackjack fails to show?

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Day Later -----

Date: October 7, 3010

Location: Galatea

Title: Not the Way the Smart Money Bets

Author: Michael A. Stackpole

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Upon arriving at the arena, Patrick discovers that there’s no ‘Mech for him to pilot.  He calls Morgan, assuming/hoping that a plan for such a contingency is in place.  Up in the VIP box, Morgan is hobnobbing with Great House representatives while a light lance from Guinn’s Gunnes fights an exhibition match against some of Blizzard’s duelists.  As Patrick’s call comes in, Morgan expresses surprise, having anticipated Blizzard’s size upgrade, but not the theft of Patrick’s ‘Mech. 

As he excuses himself to attend to the matter, Volmer bursts into the box and orders Morgan’s arrest in connection with Cat Wilson’s desertion.  Morgan responds with a letter from the Archon showing that Cat Wilson was seconded to the Kell Hounds on October 4th, voiding the warrant.  When Volmer orders his aide, Major Choate, to arrest Morgan anyways, Morgan produces a second piece of paper, also from the Archon, ordering Volmer’s arrest on charges of grand theft and misappropriation of government property (letting Blizzard use LCAF ‘Mechs for arena fights), and appointing Morgan provisional garrison commander until a replacement arrives.  Choate turns on his commander and places Volmer under arrest.

As soon as that is taken care of, the arena controllers broadcast an announcement about the change in Titan’s ride, from Vindicator to Orion.  Morgan promises the Great House representatives that he’ll use this situation to show how the Kell Hounds deal with adversity.

In the ‘Mech bays, Morgan tells a panicked Patrick that he won’t have to worry about not having a ‘Mech to face off against the Orion.  As garrison commander, he’s able to let Patrick use Volmer’s personal JagerMech.  Patrick’s not totally convinced this will work – the JagerMech has even less armor than the Blackjack, and has most of its firepower concentrated in its vulnerable arms.  He can’t slug it out with the Orion, and goes into the battle hoping that Titan will panic and overheat his ride.

The battle begins, but Patrick finds himself inexplicably barely able to connect with Titan’s Orion.  The only saving grace is that Titan performs according to expectations and begins to run the Orion hot.  As the Orion rips into the JagerMech, a panel falls open in the cockpit, exposing an electronic module called a “targeting fairy,” designed to compensate for Volmer’s tendency to aim low, which has been throwing Patrick’s perfect aim off high.  Under Patrick’s suddenly dead-on aim, the Orion takes heavy damage and then is gutted by an ammunition explosion.  The crowd, which had been cheering for Titan at the match’s start, now calls for his death, but Patrick refuses.

In the VIP box, Morgan is relieved that Patrick is alive (just as Volmer feels the same about his son), and he makes a sales pitch to the assembled representatives.  Ambassador Heartsthorne of the Federated Suns expresses interest in seeing Morgan’s final roster, which he estimates will be ready in six weeks.  When Heartsthorne expresses surprise at such an aggressive timetable, Morgan says that other mercenaries and the Houses themselves have become complacent as the Succession Wars have dragged on, and that the Kell Hounds reputation will be built on acting decisively and outthinking their opponents, rather than just the weight of their ‘Mechs.

At Snowsquall Enterprises, Haskell Blizzard weeps over his fallen Orion, which had never before been defeated in two hundred years of fighting for the Federated Suns.  He reflects on his life, positing that as a young, idealistic AFFS MechWarrior, he’d have been first in line to join the Kell Hounds, rather than trying to destroy them.  A message pops up on his computer, updating his bank account balance as his losing bets on Titan pay off.  However, no money is coming in from his hedging bets – just a note from ComStar that for national security reasons, his messages were not transmitted.  Financially ruined, he swears revenge against the Kells.

Back at the arena, the victorious Patrick Kell descends and embraces Tisha.  He explains about the targeting fairy and invites her to go out dancing to celebrate.

Notes:  When this was finished, I went looking for part seven, but that’s the end of the story.  I’d assumed that Blizzard would do something for revenge that ended up killing Veronica and Tisha, since neither woman is seen with the Kell brothers afterwards.  Patrick hooks up with a woman named Takara (and unknowingly sires a son, Christian) on Murchison in 3014 and doesn’t seem to be emotionally involved with anyone in Warrior: En Garde, so it appears that Tisha left the picture at some point.  (Thus, my expectation of a scene where she dies as a result of Blizzard’s revenge attempt.)  Morgan, of course, ends up with Salome Ward (Phelan’s mother), but had an illegitimate daughter, Megan, who could have been Veronica’s.

As predicted, Volmer and Blizzard succumb to “gambit pileup” and the Kells skate to victory on the standard Stackpole protagonist mix of exceptional luck, unmatched skill and thinking ten steps ahead of their enemies (who are often left holding the idiot-ball).  Personally, I was astonished that both Volmer and Blizzard took Morgan’s connections to Archon Katrina so lightly.  Perhaps this was representative of not only how recently Katrina came to power (3007), but a general sense that she would still be consolidating her power base, and her control over the far flung reaches of the Commonwealth would be fairly weak.

The assessment of the JagerMech relative to the Blackjack is pretty dead on.  The two have identical firepower, but the JagerMech has much thinner armor and can’t jump (though it does enjoy an edge in internal structure points, for what that’s worth).  The Orion, even without the LRM-15, has an AC/10, SRM-4 and medium laser.  That gives both ‘Mechs about equal firepower, but the Orion has more than twice as much armor as the JagerMech.  With equal speed, Titan should have simply charged forward in the arena and closed to physical attack range (moving forward 50% faster than the JagerMech could have backed up), watching his heat and sucking up the damage with his thick armor plating.  Two 75-ton kicks would have taken a JagerMech leg clean off.

[Mendrugo]

I made it to Tajikistan, but won't have home e-mail access until sometime next week at the earliest. 

[Hammerpilot IIC]

I made it to Tajikistan, but won't have home e-mail access until sometime next week at the earliest. 

Glad you're safe. :)

[Mendrugo]

Aaaaaaand....we're back!

----- Meanwhile, in 3020 -----

Date: September 1, 3020 [See Notes]

Location: Solaris VII

Title: The Race is not to the Swift

Author: Bear Peters

Type: Short Story (Shrapnel)

Synopsis:  Captain Cyrus St. George commands the Swords of St. George, a mercenary company attached to the Marik task force invading Solaris VII in September 3002 June 3025.  However, the offensive is starting to fall apart.  A strong Steiner counterattack had bogged down the 33rd Marik Militia.  Colonel Drinkwater, the 33rd’s commander, dispatched a battalion to hit the suburbs of (presumably) Solaris City, with mercenaries Leonard’s Lions and Seguin’s Strikers in support to punch a salient through Lyran lines.  However, the Lyrans gain air superiority and use it to start to pick the Marik ground forces apart, and the salient gets increasingly squeezed.

A scout returns with information that a Lyran mercenary battalion is forming up on their front, and Cyrus confirms that they’re facing Hansen’s Roughriders.  He orders his troops to begin their withdrawal back to the 33rd’s lines.  He calls back to Seguin’s Strikers, which is supposed to be holding the salient’s anchor point.  Seguin tells him that the salient is gone, and that the Swords are the only intact force left in it.  The rest of the Marik probe has been in full retreat for some time.  Seguin tells Cyrus he’ll do what he can to hold the escape route open, but they have 13 kilometers to cross in a hurry.

As the mercenaries race back through a driving rainstorm, they hear a signal over the regimental command frequency ordering all troops to board DropShips.  Their rides are getting ready to leave without them.  Simultaneously, they run into a Lyran lance attempting to cut off their retreat.  However, Seguin’s troops arrive to hold back the Lyrans.  Seguin tells Cyrus he’s earned his respect for having held his unit together and even taken in stragglers from other units, like Leonard’s Lions.

The Swords of St. George race full speed for the spaceport, and see a full wing of Lyran fighters flash overhead towards where the Marik DropShips are parked.  They see one of the ships take off, clawing for orbit.  By the time they reach the port, all communication from regimental HQ has ceased.  Charging out onto the tarmac, their hearts drop as they see the flaming wreckage of their DropShip surrounded by elements of Hansen’s Roughriders.  The Lyran mercs congratulate the Swords on having run them a merry chase, and offer the Swords “alternate transportation.”

Notes: The story is undated, but reference is made to having attempted to insert using disguised DropShips to insert onto Solaris VII.  The House Marik sourcebook mentions that the League launched a major offensive on Solaris VII in September 3002 with DropShips disguised as trading vessels, so this appears to be the date and the place.  I’d initially assigned it a placeholder date of 3025, (explaining why I didn’t write it up a couple weeks ago in its proper place), but it wasn’t until I started digging into it that it became apparent it was set around the turn of the millennium.

Cyrus mentions fighting alongside the 33rd Marik Militia.  This is the only reference to such a unit, as the Marik Militia roster only lists units up to the 31st Marik Miliita through 3053.  However, FM:FWL adds a 34th Marik Militia, with a note expressing hope that this unit will be luckier than its predecessors, hinting at an unfortunate and premature end for the 32nd and 33rd.  The 30th and 31st were created in 2980.  The 32nd and 33rd don’t appear on the TO&E in Historical: Brush Wars for Anton’s Rebellion, so they may both have been created between 2980 and 3001, and then been destroyed in the failed assaults on Solaris VII and Loric.

This catastrophe was the event that caused Janos Marik to execute General Crawford – his younger brother Anton’s best friend from Princefield.  The death of his friend was one of the primary triggers of the rift between Anton and Janos, and set the stage for Anton’s rebellion.  (Author Bear Peters also wrote “Final Exam,” the other Shrapnel story showing Crawford’s final exam at Princefield, so Peters seems to have been following Crawford’s career.)

3002 was during the “neo-chivalric” era of the Succession Wars, when resource scarcity resulted in an elaborate honor code between military units.  It’s entirely possible that the Swords of St. George could have been either adopted into Hansen’s Roughriders or let go in exchange for a suitable ransom.  The note of respect in the Roughriders’ message would seem to indicate that they might be interested in having people of Cyrus’ caliber on their team.

Further research turned up a tiny blurb in TRO:3039's Rommel/Patton entry, noting that the Roughriders used their brand new Rommel/Patton tanks to repulse a raid by the 33rd Marik Militia on Solaris VII.  The Roughriders were given the prototype tanks in 3025, and after successful field tests in 3025 and 3026, the tank entered general production and distribution in 3027.  One of the first battlefield engagements featuring the tank was on Solaris VII, so that's probably in June or July of 3025, giving the Roughriders time to be on Suk II, their duty station from late 3025 to 3028, by the end of the year. This clears up the whole "origin of the Roughriders" debate - they left the AFFS in 2961 bound for Lyran space, but got a better offer from cousin Hansen in the FWL and joined up with the Atrean Dragoons instead, then became mercs in 3015 and signed on with House Steiner in 3018.  Bear Peters may have intended the story to be set in 3002, but TRO:3039 confirms Frabby's stance that the story took place after 3018 in a mostly unrecorded raid.

[Frabby]

You got two points wrong here:

1) The Swords of St. George are not a mercenary unit, they're a company in Keshii's 131st Battalion, 33rd Marik Militia. Only Seguin's Strikers are explicitly described as a mercenary lance. It is implied the other named units (except the Strikers) are also formations from the 33rd, and not mercenaries.

2) The story (Sarna.net BTW writeup here) cannot possibly be the attack from 3002 because Hansen's Roughriders didn't form as a merc unit until 3015/3016. I acknowledge that the author obviously meant this story to be set in the ill-fated 3002 assault on Solaris but he picked a unit on the defending side that didn't exist for another 14 years yet and for lack of a date given, this canonically means the story must be set after the Roughriders went merc.
Hansen's Roughriders were actually a Marik regiment, the 12th Atrean Dragoons (plus elements from other units, namely the 1st Atrean Dragoons). They went rogue and became mercs only after Anton's Rebellion in 3014, and resurfaced as mercs in Steiner hire in 3016.

Doing a FASA two step, the 33rd Marik Militia was obviously formed shortly after Anton's Rebellion, only to be wiped out in this undated failed assault on Solaris shortly afterwards.
This, or you manage to make Herb officially retcon the Roughriders in this story into another merc unit that already existed in 3002...

PS: Welcome back!

Edit: And one more thing: The story's final scene with the Roughrider Atlas and a Cicada drawing up next to it seems to be inspired by the cover art from the BattleForce box, although the clear blue sky on the picture doesn't quite resemble the nightly rainstorm (or burning DropShip) in the story.
Similarly, Cyrus St. George's command lance (his Shadow Hawk, a Crusader, a Wolverine and a Wasp) resembles Ral Partha's "Medium Lance" miniatures pack.
Talk about promotional fiction!  ;)

[Mendrugo]

Where are you getting the data on Hansen's Roughriders?  When researching the story, I checked their entry in the original version of Field Manual: Mercenaries, and that states they were formed around 2961:

"The Roughriders were a Federated Suns 'Mech regiment during the reign of Prince Peter Davion, until the prince so alienated himself from his MechWarriors that many units began to speak out against him.  The Roughriders never threatened the prince, but they did challenge certain of his decisions.  After a small group of dissident officers in the Draconis March assassinated Prince Peter in 2961, his son Andrew took steps to crush this rebellion, destroying five full regiments of troops whose loyalty he questioned.  Colonel Ludwig Hansen of the Roughriders, concerned that Prince Andrew might continue his purge, gathered his command and fled the Draconis March for Steiner Space."

Given that lead into their official Field Manual writeup, it seems like the 3002 chronology works fine.  Do we have dueling canon write-ups?  If so, we may want to take 'em to Herb for a deathmatch. :)

[Frabby]

Ah, mea culpa for the poor references in the Sarna article. Will have to rework that.

MercSupp1, p. 37: "Though officially formed from the remnants of the Twelfth and First Atrean Dragoons shortly after Anton’s Revolt in 3014, the roots of the Roughriders spring from an earlier time in the FedSuns. When Ludwig Hansen, a distant relative of house Hansen, fled House Davion with his unit in 2961 and merged his soldiers with the prominent Twelfth Atrean Dragoons, led by Major-General Gerhardt Hansen, the unit that would become the Roughriders essentially was born, though it would not become the unit we know today for another 50 years."

Jihad Secrets, p. 79 (Wolfgang Hansen bio): "General Hansen, commander of the Atrean Dragoons, found himself taking the core of several regiments and fleeing the Free Worlds League after a backing Anton Marik’s doomed bid for power."

The basic 2nd Ed. rulebook also describes the unit as having formed from a renegade regiment that was on the wrong side of the Marik civil war. The last battle at Ilion V is mentioned there.

The original Merc Handbook just says (p. 7) that, like the 21st Centauri Lancers, the Roughriders formed from a renegade House unit, without giving dates.

[Mendrugo]

But if Hansen fled the FedSuns "for Steiner space," how did they end up in Marik space?  I see that the Merc Sup I entry's author appears to have tried to reconcile the FM:Mercs entry with the rulebook's thumbnail profile, and ended up accidentally contradicting Bear Peters' intent in this story.  (Understandable that an undated story in an out-of-print publication didn't raise any red flags.)

Options are:
1) Karmala Sjardin of the MRBC and her research staff made a mistake based on there being two Hansens involved (Ludwig and Gerhardt).
1) Michi Noketsuna of Wolfnet and his research staff made a mistake in their historical research in FM: Mercs.

I see that the Steiner SB says that House Steiner didn't hire the Roughriders until 3018, so Michi's crew looks like they have to take the blame here.  (Probably somebody spotted the error in FM:Mercs and that's why the Roughriders' entry wasn't reprinted in the FM:Mercs revised book).  Curse you, Noketsuna!!  Wolfnet disinformation strikes again! :)

Further problems come from the fact that the only two times that Marik forces hit Solaris VII (per the Solaris 7 boxed set Players' book) were in 2928 and 3002.  So, I stand by the date of this story (especially given the reference to the disguised DropShips), but you are correct that Hansen's Roughriders as the OpFor is an anachronism.  (Either that, or there was a third member of House Hansen running a Lyran 'Merc unit named Hansen's Roughriders in 3002)

[Frabby]

Under close scrutiny, the FM:Mercs writeup doesn't contradict MercSupp1 or Jihad Secrets. "Fleeing for Steiner space" doesn't rule out that they joined a FWL regiment - the 12th Atread Dragoons - eventually.  Technically, it doesn't even say they ever arrived in Steiner space; they may have moved through Marik space and decided to remain there instead of moving on.

As for the Solaris player book, it mentions frequent depredations by House Marik in the 2nd Succession War and on p. 7 goes on to mention a particularly damaging raid in 2928 and soundly beating back Marik attackers "four years later" in 3002. On p. 9 it is mentioned that its political position kept Solaris VII safe and that the aforementioned Marik attacks in 2928 and 3002 drew widespread criticism. It does not positively establish that there were no other raids, though.

The unit brief in the 2nd Ed. rulebook is omniscient "novel fiction" while FM:Mercs on one hand as well as Jihad Secrets and MercSupp1 on the other are just "sourcebook fiction" which is trumped by novel fiction.
What does the unit brief say in the original english language text (I only have a German edition)?

[Mendrugo]

I don't have the 2nd edition boxed set rulebook...at least not as a PDF.  I might have a hardcopy in my Household Effects, but those won't arrive in Tajikistan until around November.

The data points we have are these: 

The Solaris VII players' book p. 9 says that "the planet's political position kept it safe from attack" implying that the 2928 and 3002 invasions were aberrations.  It specifically notes that Wolf's Dragoons left it alone during their 3019 "cattle raiding" period.  Furthermore, the story mentions that the FWL used disguised DropShips, which the Marik SB notes were a key part of the 3002 invasion plan.  I doubt Janos would use the same failed tactic for a new Solaris attack after the FWL civil war, especially since he had the general responsible for the plan executed for incompetence.

FM: Mercenaries (1st Edition) p. 59 states:  "The Roughriders were a Federated Suns 'Mech regiment during the reign of Prince Peter Davion, until the prince so alienated himself from his MechWarriors that many units began to speak out against him.  The Roughriders never threatened the prince, but they did challenge certain of his decisions.  After a small group of dissident officers in the Draconis March assassinated Prince Peter in 2961, his son Andrew took steps to crush this rebellion, destroying five full regiments of troops whose loyalty he questioned.  Colonel Ludwig Hansen of the Roughriders [so the name already existed], concerned that Prince Andrew might continue his purge with little regard for concrete evidence of wrongdoing, gathered his command and fled the Draconis March for Steiner space.  Though the colonel's concerns proved unjustified, bad relations existed for some time between the Federated Suns and the Roughriders.  Prince Hanse Davion made peace with the unit following the Fourth Succession War, offering them an easy post and good pay."

One possibility this raises is that Hansen's ex-AFFS troopies split, with two battalions going to relatives in the FWL and one battalion going to the Lyrans as mercenaries.  After the FWL civil war, the League Hansens may have joined up with the Lyran Hansens, bringing the unit up to full regimental strength and becoming "the unit we know today," per FM:Mercs Supplemental I.  The Lyran Hansens may have worked for the Steiners up to a point and then moved on at some time after 3002, not being rehired until 3018.  That may better explain why the League Hansens went merc after the civil war - they had a related mercenary unit to join up with already.

[Mendrugo]

----- Back up the timeline, in 3011… -----

Date: March 14, 3011

Location: Payvand

Title: Dragon’s Fire

Author: Craig A. Reed, Jr.

Type: Scenario (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  A long-standing grudge match is playing out on Payvand.  William Langston had been a FWL liaison officer to the mercenary Drake’s Dragons in 3000 when he uncovered evidence of their criminal activities.  The Dragons fled and turned pirate, raiding into the FWL until they were decisively defeated by another mercenary unit, Morrison’s Madmen.  After several years spent licking their wounds and raiding other territories, the Dragons have returned to the FWL, only to face Morrison’s Madmen (now renamed Langston’s Lancers under William Langston) on Payvand as they battle for possession of a gold shipment worth a million eagles.

In a huge battle (2 pirate companies – 1 ‘Mech, 1 armor – with infantry support vs. 2 FWL armor companies with infantry support and a reinforced ‘Mech company), the pirates smashed the militia and the town they were defending and made off with much of the gold being escorted by the Lancers.  The more numerous FWL forces trickle in, with reinforcements arriving on turns 10 and 15, while the pirates are present en-masse from the start.
 
Notes:  The pirates’ gunnery skills average 3.28, while the FWL forces’ gunnery averages 3.66 (assuming the militia’s light armor lance averages a 4 for gunnery, since those values were left blank).

This is a huge and complex scenario, and Craig has added a lot of elements that force the defender to balance competing objectives.  The militia, of course, could ensure numerical superiority by falling back to the western maps and using the trees for cover, hoping to hold out until the Lancers arrive on turn 10 and 15, and then mop up the pirates.  However, the pirates get most of their points from destroying the town’s buildings and stealing the gold trucks, so the militia can’t just pull out and leave the city to the pirates.

Regarding the gold trucks, one underhanded option might be to try to remove them from the equation while the pirates are still advancing on the city.  They have the stats of a Knox armored car, so five damage will completely destroy one.  The militia could spray them with machine gun fire at the outset, hoping to get motive criticals without destroying them.  The trucks will end up either destroyed or unable to move, so there’s no danger of the pirates getting any points for driving them off the eastern map edge.  The militia scores points for every gold truck that “remains on the board” at the end of the game, but I’m not sure whether crippled or destroyed units count as “remains on the board.”  (Technically, the flaming wreckage might still be ‘on the board,’ but…)

However, it all depends on your thoughts on destroying 500,000 C-Bills worth of vehicles to save 800,000 C-Bills worth of gold.  The trucks might be better used as the bait that they are.  Outnumbered and outgunned at the outset, the militia has to count on the pirates being severely distracted and splitting their firepower between the buildings and the militia defenders.  I’d advise splitting into two groups – concentrate your slow units (the Von Luckners, Hetzers, the LRM carriers, the infantry) around the hardened building and make it very costly for the pirates to hit it while simultaneously providing indirect fire support with LRM batteries, and then put your mobile forces (the Vedettes, Galleons, the ‘Mechs) together as a mobile flanker band and concentrate to crush any pirates that stray from the main body, initially focusing on the pirate hovercraft, since a lucky hit stands a good chance of blowing the hoverskirt and immobilizing the unit.

For the pirates, the tradeoff consideration is that of trying to maximize your 10-turn numbers advantage vs. the fact that a lot of your points come from building kills.  My recommendation would be to aggressively pursue the destruction of militia combat forces (for which you also get points) until such time as the reinforcements appear, and then to take opportunistic potshots at buildings as you withdraw.  You’ve got initiative penalties, but you can counter it by keeping your forces fairly tightly grouped.  Your tanks are turreted, so it doesn’t matter so much if the militia circles around behind you. 

Sending the hover APCs in unsupported would be suicide, and it’s a sure bet that the gold trucks will be well guarded.  Have the APCs skirt the edge of the battle and work out their frustrations on unguarded buildings while your heavier forces trash the town.  When you go in for the gold trucks, don’t go straight for the street.  Instead, if you have enough front armor left on the Maxims, ram the hardened building and disembark your infantry inside.  They can clear out the militia infantry and then fire at any militia vehicles in the street with impunity, forcing the militia to fire on its own hardened building and score points for you.

The rest of your force should start off attacking the town.  The buildings are easy to hit, so just trundle into long range and let fly, forcing the defenders to come out and play in the relatively open terrain on the eastern map if they want to stop you.  If they don’t, keep advancing to effective range and smash buildings for points.  If the enemy launches a sortie, leave the buildings alone and engage aggressively.  The only caveat I’d add to this is that you might want to try to send a headhunter force in (the Condors and/or the Vulcans) to take out the LRM carriers, which represent the biggest threat.  You’ve got a lot of units with flamers (Firestarter, Vulcan), so torch the light buildings as you pass and then just let them burn down, saving direct fire attacks for the medium and heavy buildings.  If the Lancers are getting close and the buildings aren’t down yet, you can still help your point balance by making sure that as many buildings as possible are at least 50% damaged, so that the Lancers won’t score points for them.  Bug out once the Lancers arrive, because you’ve got another big fight coming up and you have to preserve your strength.

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Day Later -----

Date: March 15, 3011
 
Location: Payvand

Title: Killing Dragons

Author: Craig A. Reed, Jr.

Type: Scenario (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  A follow-up to the “Dragon’s Fire” scenario, “Killing Dragons” pits Langston’s Lancers against elements of Drake’s Dragons “Cobras” battalion in the Colman Pass.  The Lancers managed to catch the pirates en route to their DropShips with the stolen gold, and are attacking in the narrow pass.  The Dragons have to try to punch through and extract to the east.

The Lancers field a hovertank company coming in from the west as the hammer, while a Heavy/Assault ‘Mech company serves as the anvil to the east.  If playing as a campaign, the Cobras have whatever units survived the first scenario with any damage they took not repaired.  The Lancers’ units are fully intact.

Historically, the Cobras were nearly annihilated, leaving Drake's Dragons understrength but hungering for vengeance against the Lancers.

Notes:  The setup has a discrepancy that can dramatically affect the gameplay.  The situation overview says that the hovertank compay enters from the west, pursuing the eastbound pirates, while the ‘Mechs drop in ahead of the pirates to block their escape.  However, the Setup section says that the pirates start in the middle of three maps, the hovertank company starts on the western edge of the western map, and the ‘Mech company begins dropping onto the western map.  I think that should read the ‘eastern’ map, because otherwise the Lancers’ ‘Mechs will be dropping behind the fleeing pirates, and the scenario will be over without a shot fired as the Lancers eat the Dragons’ dust.

For the pirates, the mandate is clear – full speed to the eastern map edge.  One ‘Mech lance lands per turn through turn three, so you’ve got to cross as much of the eastern map as possible before the Lancers seal it off.  Position all your forces on the eastern border of the center map and proceed east at top speed.  The Lancers’ ‘Mechs will be scattered, so keep your troops together in a pack and concentrate firepower on any that get in your way, but keep moving for the eastern edge.  With luck, your fastest units can get off the eastern edge before the Lancers can form a line of battle, and the rest will be not far behind.  Your slower units (the Manticores, Goblins, Awesome, Rifleman and Thunderbolt) probably won’t make it off the edge, but your faster ones have a good chance, as long as you don’t slow down to battle the enemies.  Your goal is simply escape.  One option is to send your fast units as a column to the south and your slow ones as a column to the north.  Any Lancers units sent to intercept one column won’t be able to engage the other.  (By contrast, a unified pirate drive up the center would allow the Lancers to concentrate on the lead elements and then unite to crush the second wave.)

For the Lancers, if the scenario is played as written, you can’t win.  Your Assault ‘Mechs will never get anywhere close to the retreating pirates, and your hovertanks will only get a turn or two of long range shots on their stragglers.  However, if you adjust the landing zone to the eastern map, you’ve got a chance.  Alpha strike with anything that has even a remote chance of hitting a hovertank as they race for the edge, because they’ll be gone in a flash, but even a weak hit has a good chance of blowing the hoverskirts.  The woods will funnel the tanks into one of three paths, so try to get at least one ‘Mech covering each with the first drop, and then strengthen as needed when you see where they’re focusing the breakthrough attempt.

With the second wave of slower ‘Mechs and tanks, maneuver to block and slow the enemy as much as possible, since you’ve got hovertanks coming up fast from the rear.  If you make them divert, double back, etc., that’ll be additional rounds for your comrades to catch up and drop the hammer on the pirate scum.  You have to be careful with the Maxims, though, since you get points for disabling them, but lose points for destroying them.  Hit them with smaller caliber weapons to try to get a motive system hit.  PPCs and AC/20s are right out.

[Mendrugo]

----- 3 Months Later -----

Date: June 7, 3011 [See Notes]

Location: Castor

Title: Lowering the Boom

Author: Jim Brunk, Dale L. Kemper & Michael Lee

Type: Scenario (The Kell Hounds/BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  In one of the Kell Hounds’ first missions, they support Cranston Snord’s Irregulars in a raid on Castor.  Snord is after a collection of Faberge eggs, while the Hounds are after a rumored cache of “illegal atomic weapons.”

Elements of the Kell Hounds’ first company under Salome Ward enter on the southern edge of two mapsheets, while battle-damaged elements of the 30th Marik Militia are scattered around the southern map.  The FWL player’s goal is to move as many ‘Mechs as possible off the northern edge of the northern map, while the Hounds want to take as many down as they can before they escape.

Notes: This scenario was dated June 15, 3012 when originally published in the Kell Hounds sourcebook, but the date was changed to June 7, 3011 when it was reprinted on BattleCorps.  I’m not sure why this was done, but the official ruling is that the most recent product is the correct one if there are discrepancies.  This also affects the follow-on scenario, “Delta Romeo.”

Hrmmm.  “Illegal” atomic weapons?  By whose laws?  The Lyrans and Free Worlders couldn’t even agree on prisoner exchange protocols between the 2nd and 3rd Succession Wars, so at what point did they enter into a legally binding treaty on the use of WMDs?  Sure, after the 1st and 2nd Succession Wars, the use of WMDs fell by the wayside, but they weren’t banned per se, just stigmatized.  The Ares Conventions certainly don’t apply – even when they were in effect, the mere presence of nukes in a bunker wasn’t illegal – just their use against civilian targets.  Or is Katrina asserting that, as the rightful First Lord of the Star League, she’s able to dictate how other states should comport themselves on the battlefield?

The Hounds are very speedy – minimum speed 5/8 with some 6/9 and one 7/11.  The Marik forces are also fairly speedy, but have some 4/6 stragglers.  For the FWL forces, running pell mell for the northern border would seem to be an invitation to get run down by a Hound pack and shot in the back one by one.  Their best bet would seem to be to turn to face the Hounds, bunch up, and execute a fighting retreat, walking backwards and keeping the Kells at bay with their superior firepower.  All the woods are considered Heavy, so if the Mariks fort up in a copse of trees, they can decrease the Kell accuracy and actually hope to slug it out with the Lyran mercenaries.

The Kells, of couse, hope that the Marik forces split up and run for the border, so they can run them down and leave a trail of mechanical corpses on the way to the atomic weapons depot.  If the Mariks turn and fight, the Kells should make slashing attacks, moving at top speed and concentrating on one target at a time – preferably focusing on the fastest, since they’re losing their mobility by standing and fighting, and have the thinnest armor.  If the Mariks fort up in Heavy woods, use your lasers to set the woods on fire and flush them out.

The 30th Marik Militia was created in 2980, but is listed as “inexperienced” circa 3059, with a note that it didn’t win its first victory until Operation DAGGER, during the 4th Succession War, on Phecda.  The 30th is listed twice in the House Marik sourcebook circa 3025 – once as a Green unit under the command of Colonel Azi Ochombo, and again as a Regular/Fanatical unit under Colonel Forest McCall.  It appears that the Azi Ochombo/Green reference is a mistake, since that data is associated with the 25th Marik Militia in the TO&E.

Jeremiah Youngblood’s LAM lance is specifically mentioned as having located the atomics depot and bombed it, tricking the Marik forces into thinking it was destroyed and diverting to a nearby city instead.  Since Morgan intended to form his entire Kell Hound regiment by mid-November 3010, that means that Jeremiah and his LAM lance must have been on Galatea at that point, with either a pregnant wife or an infant son – Jason – in tow.

[FedSunsBorn]

I don't really know much about atomic weapons but aren't there dirtier versions compared to the standard kinds? Cobalt laced or something?

Or perhaps these Atomic weapons are of a certain size that is beyond the unofficial limit. Ones much larger than what are commonly used?

[Mendrugo]

I don't really know much about atomic weapons but aren't there dirtier versions compared to the standard kinds? Cobalt laced or something?

Or perhaps these Atomic weapons are of a certain size that is beyond the unofficial limit. Ones much larger than what are commonly used?

This came from one of the earlier sourcebooks - The Kell Hounds scenario pack - so a reference to nukes being 'illegal' was probably an attempt to justify why the various star empires were using BattleMechs instead of nukes at this point. 

Looking at the Ares Conventions write-up in the Age of War Digest, Article I covers nukes, and bans "the use" of nuclear weapons on a planetary surface or against commercial ships.  Attacks against military targets are fine, as long as they're more than 75,000 km from any inhabited world.  Article VI, however, bans any use of biological or chemical weapons as well as their development.

Had the scenario said they were looking for illegal biological weapons, then they at least would have the justification of Article VI of the Ares Conventions for making such a statement, but nukes are only illegal based on how they're used. 

Hmmmm...  It's interesting, based on how Article I is worded, that it was the SLDF that developed the Davy Crockett infantry-fired nuclear warhead, which by design can really only be used on the ground, in violation of the Ares Conventions.  The Alamo was intended for use by fighters against larger ships, while the Santa Ana was for Warship-to-Warship use, both of which are allowed, but the Peacemaker was for ground-based missiles against orbital targets (also probably a violation of the 75,000 km rule). 

So, it's possible that there's a pile of Davy Crocketts or Peacemakers in the bunker.  We know that Crocketts are available in the League, since it's what the Regulans give the guerillas on Gibson in Ideal War.  The Hounds are probably justified in calling the weapons "illegal," although it must be pointed out that all states abandoned the Ares Conventions at the outset of the Succession Wars and, at this point, the Lyrans themselves are the Successor State that most recently used nuclear weapons on the surface of an inhabited planet.  (Skye in 2895)

[Decoy]

How about this is the battletech Universe and "Legal" depends on how many units you're using to back up this assertion. Obviously, these weapons are Illegal because of their potential use against LyrCom targets and worlds. I imagine the nuclear weapons hidden in key bunkers on the Liao border are perfectly legal as far as Katrina Steiner was concerned.

Also, a strange note: Until 3085 came out, no LAMs could bomb anything.

[Mendrugo]

----- Later that same day -----

Date: June 7, 3011 [See Notes]

Location: Castor

Title: Delta Romeo

Author: Jim Brunk, Dale L. Kemper & Michael Lee

Type: Scenario (The Kell Hounds)

Synopsis:  Delta Romeo stands for Dismounted Recon.  Once the Kell Hounds arrive at the Marik WMD bunker, the Kell Hound MechWarriors are ordered to dismount and go in on foot to find and secure the nuclear weapons inside.  They will have to contend both with a platoon of 15th Marik Militia (the Polyphemus Division) infantry and a malfunctioning security system that attacks both friend and foe indiscriminately with sonic “stun pods” and roving security robots with machine guns.  The Marik forces will break and flee on a 2D6 result of 8+ when they encounter the mercenaries, unless otherwise noted.  The Kell Hounds need only to find the atomic weapons to win.

Notes:  This scenario is dated June 15, 3012 in the Kell Hounds sourcebook, but it’s a follow-on to “Dropping the Boom,” which was re-dated as June 7, 3011 when it was reprinted as a BattleCorps scenario, so this date should be changed as well to match.

It’s an old fashioned dungeon crawl, MechWarrior 1st Edition-style.  Four Kell Hound troopies enter to explore the half-ruined complex filled with panicked Marik troops.  It’s more of an RPG adventure than a fully fledged scenario.  The Marik player (the GM, generally) has very specific instructions about how most of the Marik forces will initially react to encountering the Kell MechWarriors (runs to room XX, makes a final stand, etc.)  Once those initial reaction instructions are executed, the Marik player presumably has greater leeway to have the Marik troops react dynamically to the Kell tactics and positions.
 
Once the Kells realize the Marik reaction rules, the obvious strategy would be to set up an ambush at one point, send in a stealthy point-man, jump up and yell “booga booga,” see how many FWL troopers freak out and flee, and then fall back at top speed to the ambush point whereupon the rest of the group can massacre any Marik troopers that elect to pursue them.  In the lower levels, the best way to deal with the robots would seem to be to lure them into the rooms filled with AC/5 ammunition, then set it off.

Amusingly, the rules say that the security robots fight like a light ‘Mech, and give them punch/kick damage scores.  This, despite the fact that in the accompanying illustration [see below], the security robot is tracked and has Warhammer-style gun arms, lacking both legs and arm/hand actuators...not to mention that it's too slow to catch anything faster than a stunned snail, so anyone that lets it get close enough for a kick damn well deserves it. 

The MechWarrior 1E book gives the following stats for an SLDF-designed Security Robot for facility protection: 6 tons, 12/18 movement, hover, 1 ton of armor, 2 small lasers in each turret, so this clearly isn't a former Star League facility.  By contrast, the Free Worlds League's security bot has 90 points of armor (5.625 tons?), a machine gun in each arm, and a ton of ammo, with a movement of just 2 meters per 10-second turn (a whopping 0.45 mph).  Add in some control equipment and internal structure (but not much of an engine, apparently), and you've got a roughly 10-ton security bot that makes an UrbanMech (which can run 90 meters per 10-second turn) look spry.  Though, granted, the security bot has roughly the same armor factor as an UrbanMech.  Alas for the LosTech 1.5 rated fusion engine... :) 

Methinks there were some shenanigans back at FWLM R&D when these things were on the drawing board.  Honestly, you could push a pair of crew served heavy machine guns around faster than that, and they wouldn't wipe out their own side when the server rebooted.  (In MechWarrior terms, with 5-meter hexes, that means the bots move 2 hexes every five turns, with guns that have a range of 90 meters/18 hexes.)  In this particular situation, they do pose a threat, but they'd be laughed off the battlefield anywhere outside their basement.

The MW1E ruleset generally treats combat along BattleTech lines, with body armor getting degraded by incoming weapons fire, and the meat/bones underneath being treated as the internal structure.  Critical hits apply, with results like “spleen perforated,” “foot torn off,” “internal bleeding,” etc.  Back in the day, it was a rare MW1E character that didn’t need substantial prosthetics after surviving a few firefights.

Of note, FM:FWL lists the 15th Marik Militia’s infantry auxiliaries as the 29th Regulan Mechanized Infantry.  Who better to know about the proper care and handling of nukes than Regulans?

[Wrangler]

Yikes, i forgot about that scenario.  My GM back in the 90s ran this one using MW3 rules, but still same results.   In fact, we were having a devil of a time trying stop the security bots.  We ended up using one the AC/2 or AC/5 rounds and rolling that sucker like bowling ball into the security bot.   If my flawed memory serves me correctly, it was AC/5 round lite off by long-range shot from one of the pilots. No, actually i remember it was one the security bots who shot the round we rolled towards it.

I'll tell you that a single round is enough to cause collateral damage among anyone too close to when it explodes. Even if you were far away from the boom.

[FedSunsBorn]

Security Bots....wow, thats...interesting. :D

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Year Later -----

Date: 3012

Location: Shiloh

Title: Operation ROAD RUNNER

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  During a 10th Skye Rangers assault on Shiloh in 3012, Snord’s Irregulars takes a detour to collect a deposit of rare stone crystals called shuksam and mirst that had been mined on the arid Fald Plains during the Star League era.  Snord’s command lance runs into a FWL patrol and must fight their way past them to collect the crystals.  Both lances start with some pre-existing damage. 

Historically, Snord’s lance offered the Black Marauders a chance to surrender, then took them down when they refused and collected the crystals for the museum on Clinton.

Notes:  The OpFor is listed as the 110th Black Marauder Fire Lance, a “Marik Lance.”  However, the deployment tables circa 3014 (Historical: Brush Wars) show that the world’s garrison was Smithson’s Chinese Bandits.  So, either the 110th Black Marauder Fire Lance is a component of the Bandits, or there was another mercenary force on Shiloh in 3012 named the 110th Black Marauders, which had a Fire Lance.  Alternatively, it’s possible that the Silver Hawk Irregulars may have had a contingent stationed here, with the 110th Black Marauder force representing Shiloh’s contribution, or that the 110th Black Marauder fire lance is part of the planetary Static Defense Unit, though I’d be surprised to see ‘Mechs as part of an SDU in 3012 on such a poorly resourced planet.

The Irregulars have to break through the Black Marauders’ lines, get one ‘Mech to stay on a target hex further north for four turns, then that ‘Mech and at least one other Irregulars’ ‘Mech have to make it back off the southern edge to win.  Both lances have mostly 4/6 heavies, with one faster 5/8 medium.
 
For the Irregulars, the logical unit to make the breakthrough and crystal grab is the Wolverine.  Since the Black Marauders’ Griffin begins the battle shut down and trying to restart, the optimal move for the Irregulars would be to hammer it at the outset to take advantage of the -4 TN bonus for targeting an immobile unit.  If you can cripple it, your Wolverine will have no trouble outdistancing the slower Black Marauder units.  Then, your other three ‘Mechs can fully engage the remaining three Black Marauder units while the Wolverine makes the pickup.  If your combat loss grouping starts to get serious, have your last slow survivor back off the southern edge (keep all three slow units near the southern edge to make a quick exit) and then have the Wolverine make a speedy exit past the hopefully trashed Black Marauder troops when it has the crystals.  If possible, close to short range and do as many kicks as possible to inflict leg damage.  If you can immobilize the Black Marauder ‘Mechs, your Wolverine can just saunter past, thumbing its nose on the way out.

For the Black Marauders, I would recommend starting as far north as possible, and spend every round walking backwards towards the target zone.  Take your shots at the Irregulars, but keep moving north without giving them your backs.  Seize control of the target hex and keep the Irregulars from getting the necessary four turns there.  If the Griffin survives the initial onslaught, use its superior mobility to get to the target zone first and deny it to the Wolverine.  That way, the Irregulars will have to follow you north to get the crystals, and you’ll have more time to wear them down and take out either the ‘Mech with the crystals or the other three and deny the Irregulars their victory condition.  Concentrate your fire on one ‘Mech at a time, since you need full takedowns, not just degrading armor across the board.

Shiloh gets a lot of attention from the Lyrans and League, for some reason.  Despite having minimal water and poor soil, supporting a population of only one million, and that mostly comprised of anti-technological Exituri whose primary export is woodcarvings, it’s been raided dozens of times and traded hands frequently throughout the Succession Wars.  Lyrans took it in 2838, then lost it to the League’s new “Liberation Units” around 2910.  It joined the Silver Hawk coalition in 2966.  The crystal mines were pretty much cleaned out in the First Succession War, so what kept bringing the armies back in the 2nd and 3rd Succession Wars?  Why would the Silver Hawks have wanted them as part of their coalition?  It’s not like they could contribute much to that provincial alliance.  (The House Marik sourcebook write-up for the Silver Hawk Irregulars describes the Exituri levies as “battered rustbuckets from the armies of Shiloh.”  Though given the anti-tech leanings of the Exituri, I’m surprised that Shiloh even has “battered rustbuckets” to contribute, since they reject anything more complex than a horse and plow.)

[Mendrugo]

Note - regarding the origins of Hansen's Roughriders, further research shows that Frabby is quite correct that the unit did not exist in 3002.  While Bear Peters certainly appears to have intended to set "The Race Goes Not to the Swift" on Solaris VII in 3002, TRO:3039 notes that Hansen's Roughriders used Rommel/Patton tanks to drive off a raid on Solaris VII by the 33rd Marik Militia.  So there you go.

TRO:3025 says that DefHes and the LCAF had given Hansen's Roughriders the brand new Rommel/Patton tanks to field test.  TRO:3039 says that they field tested them for two years before tank went into full production and general distribution, and that the first battlefield use was on Solaris VII.  As of December 31, 3025 (the date given in the Steiner SB for Nashsan Diversified's fiscal report), the Roughriders are on Suk II, waaaay up on the Combine border and very far from Solaris VII.  Thus, it makes the most sense for the Solaris VII battle (and "The Race Goes Not to the Swift") to take place between June 5, 3025 and December 31, 3025.  Since it was the first use, and since redeployment takes time, I'd put it no later than July 1, 3025.

I've amended the write-up accordingly.

[Frabby]

Cool stuff. Thanks for doing all the research for me, now I'll go and update the Sarna references on the Roughriders article and put a note in the story article - you've actually nailed down a pretty narrow time window on when it must have taken place.  O0

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Year Later -----

Date: February 2, 3013

Location: Landsmark

Title: Unleash the Horde

Author: Jason Schmetzer

Type: Scenario (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Mathias Grange of the Landsmark Heavy Horse attempts to ambush Hawke’s Horde, a mercenary band operating in Taurian space since 3012, as it returns from a raid on the city of Campbelltown, a frontier town 148 km from the larger city of Edoras.  The Horde has three ‘Mechs and eight light/medium tanks, while the Landsmark Heavy Horse dispatches Dog Company (12 tanks with three platoons of infantry support).  The Horde scores some points for taking out militia units, but more for getting their forces through Dog Company’s lines and off the map, while the Taurians get points for destroying Horde tanks, and double points for destroying Horde ‘Mechs.

Historically, the Horde raced through the Heavy Horse’s lines and only lost two tanks, knocking out nine of the militia’s and nearly two platoons of infantry, killing Mathias Grange in the process.  However, The Heavy Horse found and hit the Horde’s base on Laconis in 3014, and the surviving pirates were executed in 3015.

Notes:  The Horde starts on the western edge of three maps, while the Heavy Horse starts in the middle map.  For the Heavy Horse, the river bisecting half of the western map is key.  The Horde’s ‘Mechs will be able to cross it without effort, but the Horde’s tanks can’t.  Stack your tanks two to a hex along the northwestern hexes bordering the western map and make haste to form a wall of metal along the treeline that rises from the end of the river.  The Horde’s tanks will have to come through that six-hex wide window, so you can concentrate your forces and your firepower.  With this tactic, the Horde will have a pretty good chance of getting the Harassers and ‘Mechs away, but the six light tanks won’t have a chance. 

Granted, that’s a score of 12 to 10, granting the Heavy Horse a Marginal Victory, so to boost the odds, dispatch some firepower down to the small gap in the trees on the eastern edge of the western map, which is the only place the Harassers can cross.  With that plugged, you’ll likely have two more tanks in the bag, moving it to a score of 16 to 6 – Total Victory even if you lose three tanks in the firefight.  If any do get past, dispatch the Saracens, Scimitars and Maxims to try to bring them down, while the infantry, Hetzers, Bulldogs and Manticores hold the main line.

If the Heavy Horse does try the above-outlined strategy, the Horde has a problem.  The tanks can’t pass the river and the hovers can’t pass the woods, making the western map a major chokepoint.  Even burning down the trees won’t work, since hovers can’t pass the resultant Rough hexes either.  The obvious avenue for the Harassers is the southern approach, scooting down the river and then out.  If that lane gets blocked, the Harassers will just have to hope for lucky critical hit rolls with their SRMs until the way is cleared.  The tracked and wheeled vehicles are limited to the upper six hexes.  If the enemy forms a steel wall there, you need to identify a weak point, form up there, and charge, focusing all your firepower on the units in just one hex.  If you time it right, you might punch a hole in their lines allowing you to move your tanks through.  Once through, most of your tanks are faster than the Heavy Horse’s, so you can evade and escape. 

Since it’s been shown to be a mathematically losing proposition just to get the ‘Mechs off, the ‘Mechs should support the breakthrough attempt, up to and including moving onto the enemy vehicles and stomping them into the dust.  Unfortunately, the Griffin and Dragon are better suited for stand-off fire support, but they can help make a hole, one way or another.

Per the accompanying Unit Digest, Hawk’s Horde should get a +2 initiative bonus when facing Taurian militia that doesn’t have BattleMech support.  Unfortunately for the Horde, while this might help once you’ve broken through, for the key stages of the battle, you’ll be facing a static line of heavy armor in highly restrictive terrain, so getting to move second doesn’t confer much advantage.

[Mendrugo]

----- Later That Same Year -----

Date: 3013

Location: Nestor

Title: Snord Rides Again

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  The 4074th Platoon of the Green Guard (part of the Nestor Static Defense Unit) is escorting several crates of vintage Star League-era Terran brandy between the cities of Jillor and Millor, destined for Janos Marik’s personal cellar as House Marik prepares to evacuate its troops and assets from Nestor in the face of a major Steiner offensive.  However, Snord’s Irregulars’ scout lance (operating as support troops for the Lyran Guards), never ones to pass up antiques, abandoned their posts during the battle of Tursimis and hit the convoy en route to Millor, on the Rafsh plains.

Notes:  The convoy consists of two “wheeled scouts”  (not specified whether they’re Skulkers or Swift Winds, but they appear to be unarmed, so Swift Winds (or the FWL equivalent) is most likely - a vehicle titled "Wheeled Scout" is illustrated in the color plates of the 1st Edition of the MechWarrior RPG, but not given stats), two trucks (troop transports with 1 point of armor on each facing – sounds like the FWL equivalent of the Bull Dog or Pit Bull Medium Truck from TRO: Vehicle Annex) with infantry, 1 Vedette (with the brandy), an Ostscout, three Rifleman ‘Mechs with the large lasers swapped out for AC/5s, but each with only four shots (so one shot for each gun), two platoons of SRM Foot Infantry, and two platoons of Laser Jump Infantry.  The Irregulars attack with two Wasps, a Locust, and Snord’s Archer.

To win, the Marik forces have to take out three of Snord’s four ‘Mechs.  (There’s no option in the setup for managing to get the Vedette off the map edge to safety, so victory means fighting).  The Mariks are, of course, holding the idiot-ball in this scenario, since they only gave each Rifleman four shots of AC/5 ammo, while the frickin’ Vedette is driving along with 20 rounds for its AC/5.  Some creative juggling prior to departure could have given each Rifleman 10 rounds of AC/5 ammo, leaving 2 for the Vedette. 

The Green Guard should take cover but remain in position to cover each other.  The three Riflemen should advance at top speed towards Snord’s Archer.  If they get a good firing solution on one of the bug ‘Mechs, they should alpha strike it, but otherwise, should make haste towards Snord.  If they can get into physical attack range with him, they’ll not only outnumber him three to one.  Snord’s LRMs will have minimum range penalties and three 60-ton kicks outclass 1 70-ton kick.  Send the trucks and the scouts along, too.  They can ram and distract, if nothing else.  The Vedette should be positioned in such a way that the enemy has to get fairly close to get a bead on it, and the infantry and Ostscout should be ready to pounce on any Wasp or Locust that tries. 

For the Irregulars, the Archer should try to close to weapons range with the Vedette, and then have one of the Wasps act as a spotter to call in indirect fire.  Once the Vedette is immobilized, the Archer should provide fire support to clear out the defenders from around the Vedette.  If the lights can get behind the Riflemen, they can take them down with rear shots through the paper-thin armor.  Just don’t count on an ammo explosion.  Keep moving at all times to make enemy hits as difficult as possible, since you lose the scenario if more than two of your ‘Mechs go down.

Despite the note in the setup that House Marik had decided to abandon the world to the Lyrans in 3013 and was executing a full withdrawal, several regiments of FWL forces were on the world in 3014 at the start of Anton’s revolt, so either Janos reconsidered and threw in some reinforcements (perhaps the world’s near loss convinced other provinces to cut loose some of their local troops) or this may have been a variant of Alessandro Steiner’s “concentrated weakness” ploy – letting the Steiners come in and take over, then then throwing several regiments at them to catch and crush their garrison.  As of April 3014, the world is guarded by the 3rd Oriente Hussars and 5th Orloff Grenadiers.

[Wrangler]

Each AC/5 has Four ROUNDS?!?!?!? Why heck are they armed like that, sounds like their setup for to fail right away.  Sheesh.

Glad this version of the Rifleman didn't get light of day as far as canon production variants.  RS 3039 Unabridged (corrected one) doesn't list quad AC/5 variant.