Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars

[Scotty]

I believe that each Rifleman has four rounds total, not the 16 it would require to be able to fire all of them four times each.

[FedSunsBorn]

Do the Riflemans still have their medium lasers? Geez, that makes the creators of the original Enforcer look like ammo junkies by comparison to this Rifleman design....epic fail.

[Mendrugo]

Yes they still have their medium lasers, but as I wrote, kicking is their best option.

[Frabby]

The scenario iirc said each Rifleman has four "reloads", which I read to mean 8 shots.
Since the scenario is canon, the quad AC/5 Riflemen are canon, too, apparently as a non-standard field refit. They seem to be an illegal design. We've unsuccessfully tried to find out their configuration: An AC/5 is heavier than a large laser but no other change was mentioned, so we have to assume same armor protection and that they kept the medium lasers. Refit with lostech FF armor and endosteel wouldn't free up enough tonnage.

[Decoy]

Try dropping engine weight to 120. Guess 240s got expensive for some people. ><

[Mendrugo]

The scenario iirc said each Rifleman has four "reloads", which I read to mean 8 shots.

They're not even that lucky.  It says that each Rifleman has four shots, and clarifies that this means the attack pattern can range from each gun firing once to one gun firing four times. 

As for the weight, you've got a six ton deficit to overcome once you swap out the large lasers for AC/5s.  They probably save at least one ton due to the low ammo load, but you can't dump any heat sinks as it's already at the minimum ten.  If you stripped off five tons of armor, you'd have just a Rifleman chassis stomping around in an armored speedo.  I agree with Decoy - dropping the engine rating is the only way to free up the requisite weight.

Yeesh.  Might as well put a self-destruct device in while you're at it.  Snord might want to nab one of these babies and drag it back to Clinton for his museum's "Improbably Bad BattleMech Field Refits" wing.

Hey, Herb!  We've got another candidate for the next XTRO Boondoggles!

[SethsMatches]

Sounds like a prototype 'One Shot' AC system where all guns of the same type are somehow able to share their shots... somehow...

[Frabby]

The cleanest solution would probably be to retcon these ACs to be prototypes which are 1.5 tons apiece lighter than usual, but never reached mass production. (Quirky ammo feed problem?)

[Scotty]

Or just make them an "Illegal Design", since we actually have a quirk for that. O0

Who knows, exploding violently might just make it more effective!

[Mendrugo]

Sounds like a prototype 'One Shot' AC system where all guns of the same type are somehow able to share their shots... somehow...

The scenario description implies that the harried Marik forces are simply low on supplies and nearly out of ammo, rather than these being any sort of special AC/5 variant.  (Thus my snark about the Vedette's 100% compatible ammo bins being full...)

[Mendrugo]

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

Date: October 10, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: Princely Rescue

Author: Geoff Swift

Type: Track (Historical: Turning Points – Mallory’s World)

Synopsis:  Following a major Combine invasion of Mallory’s World in September with three ‘Mech regiments and ten conventional regiments, the 17th Avalon Hussars were quickly surrounded and besieged at their base in the city of Colterville.
 
In October, the 4th Davion Guards arrived to try to break the siege.  After a week of fighting, the 4th Guards under First Prince Ian Davion make an effort to crack the Combine siege lines with mostly vehicles (one lance of tanks per ‘Mech) but double the strength of the DCMS, which is half ‘Mech and half conventional (infantry and armor).

For bonus points, the Davion player can make it a 1 to 1 force ratio and/or give the Combine minefields, while the Kurita player can ramp up the challenge by letting the 17th Hussars contribute artillery.

Historically, the 4th Guards smashed the Sword of Light perimeter and pursued them into the desert, while the 17th Avalon Hussars raced to repair, rearm and join the pursuit.  However, the experienced commander of the 4th Guards, General Duncan, was killed during the fighting, leaving Ian in command.

Notes:  Both forces are Elite, so the gunnery skills will be pretty accurate.  The 4th Guards are a light/fast RCT, so having double the numbers doesn’t necessarily mean having double the firepower.  However, they get a lot of battlefield bonuses: +1 to base MP, +1 to PSR rolls, +1 to initiative.  The 2nd Sword of Light gets to cancel the Guards’ initiative bonuses if it becomes a fair fight (1:1 ratio), but that’s about it.  The Sworder regiment has one light battalion, two heavy battalions, and one assault battalion, so on average they’ll be significantly heavier than the 4th Guards.  With Elite pilots, that counts for a lot, since good gunnery significantly counterbalances movement modifiers.

The 4th Guards should maximize its maneuverability and numbers advantage, using terrain to screen fire from the majority of the enemy forces while racing in to swarm on any that straggle from the main body.  Don’t go for an “all of us against all of them” battle, but try for a “most of us against a few of them” ratio, whenever possible.  Once the Sworders begin bunching up for protection, the 17th Hussars’ artillery can go to town. 

The Sworders should attempt to maintain tight battlefield order, staying still and massing fire on any Davion unit that exposes itself.  With Elite gunnery, the hits will start to stack up, and the light/fast Davion troops will begin to fall long before your heavy/assault troops do.  Place minefields (if available) at key battlefield chokepoints to further offset the 4th Guards’ maneuverability.  If artillery locks onto your location, reposition, but maintain unit cohesion.  Don’t bunch up (otherwise the artillery splash damage becomes a problem) but avoid getting scattered, because that will lead to high-speed Fedrats swooping in to massacre stragglers.

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

[Scotty]

How big is each force?  I see ratios and compositions, but not absolute strength.

[Mendrugo]

How big is each force?  I see ratios and compositions, but not absolute strength.

That's the unique thing about Tracks, vs. Scenarios. 

You can make the battle as big or small as you want, scaling the force numbers up or down while maintaining the ratios.  If you wanted to use BattleForce 2, you could play it with the full Davion Guards RCT vs. reinforced Sword of Light regiment setup, or you could just use BattleTech rules to play a company-level battle.  I suppose now you could also play the Track using the Alpha Strike ruleset.

(Or, if you had the time and resources, you could stand up the full battle with BattleTech rules.)

[Mendrugo]

----- 8 Days Later -----

Date: October 18, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: Just Droppin’ In

Author: Geoff Swift

Type: Track (Historical: Turning Points – Mallory’s World)

Synopsis:  The repaired and enraged 17th Avalon Hussars come roaring out of their defensive positions determined to demonstrate their mettle to Prince Ian by executing a nighttime combat drop on the 24th Dieron Regulars at Reservoir 13, a desert oasis.  While the Hussars match the 24th Regulars ‘Mech for ‘Mech, the DCMS force is supported by a huge number of vehicles and infantry.  The 17th can drop in up to nine lances (one battalion) on turn 1, scattered in company sized units along the Combine column.

Each side’s goal is to take out more than 50% of the enemy force.  The Hussars have to hold out until turn nine, and then withdraw as many survivors as possible off their home edge.  The Regulars get points for how many of their units survive.

Historically, the 17th Avalon Hussars were shattered by the Combine’s superior numbers, and fled in disarray.  Having suffered 50% losses, they were rendered combat ineffective, exposing the 4th Davion Guards’ flank as they pursued the 2nd Sword of Light.

Notes:  The Avalon Hussars get +1 firing bonuses when all weapons are at close range and when dropping, while cancelling the 24th Dieron Regulars’ initiative bonus.  If more than one Dieron Regulars unit combines fire on a single target, all attackers get a +1 firing bonus. 

The Avalon Hussars should, upon landing, rally locally, then move at best speed to their exit.  Their goal should be to rally at their Home edge where they can take defensive positions until turn nine, when the remaining troops can withdraw en masse.  Until they reach the Home edge, they should try to move as quickly as possible and avoid Combine troop concentrations, because most exchanges of fire will be stacked severely against the AFFS forces (which are outnumbered nine to one).

The Dieron Regulars should do what they can to slow and delay the Hussars, trapping any without jump jets and pouring on combined fire.  If the Hussars manage to rally near their home edge, make attacks of opportunity, but only if your kills stand to exceed your losses.  If any remain away from the Home edge after turn nine, maneuver to block their egress. 

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

[Mendrugo]

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

Date: October 19, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: The Nobility of Defeat

Author: Geoff Swift

Type: Track (Historical: Turning Points – Mallory’s World)

Synopsis:  Out on the Bastard Flats of Mallory’s World, the Second Sword of Light seeks a rematch against Prince Ian’s 4th Davion Guards.  Both sides are Elite, but the 4th has four times as many units on the field as the 2nd (though 75% are vehicles).  The 2nd sets up along the 4th Guards’ Home edge, and tries to prevent at least half the Guards from exiting off that edge.  The Guards start on the opposite side of the playing field, and are trying to get more than half its forces off the target edge.

For increased difficulty and bonus points, each side’s player can allow their opponent to use artillery and/or bring in additional vehicles.

Historically, the 4th extracted in good order, but had to retreat into a canyon region known as the Desolate Pass as the 24th Dieron Regulars approached in a pincers movement.

Notes:  The Objectives are somewhat confusing.  The 2nd Sword of Light wants to prevent the 4th Guards from exiting half its force off the home map edge…but the 4th Guards get 250 points from ensuring that more than half the 2nd Sword of Light don’t make it off the Home map edge.  I’m not sure why the SoL would want to withdraw (in fact, it states that if the SoL moves off the Home map edge, they’re considered captured), so that’s probably an error.
 
This is a straight up slugfest in relatively open terrain.  As before, the lighter 4th will want to get full use out of its superior mobility and numbers by concentrating its forces against smaller clusters of Sword of Light troops and massing firepower.  The Sworders, by contrast, will want to cluster together and pour fire onto the speedy Davion troops, making sure that the DCMS force doesn’t get scattered, because any samurai that wanders away from the herd likely isn’t coming back.

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

[Mendrugo]

----- 2 Days Later -----

Date: October 21, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: The Defeat of Nobility

Author: Geoff Swift

Type: Track (Historical: Turning Points – Mallory’s World)

Synopsis:  First Prince Ian Davion holds the Desolate Pass alone in his Atlas, hoping to buy time for the remnants of the 4th Davion Guards to escape.  Pitted against him is an assault lance of the 2nd Sword of Light’s command company, followed by Chu-sa Yorinaga Kurita (last seen at a diplomatic reception on Galatea in 3010).

Ian’s goal is to survive until a distance tracker count (randomly incremented by 1d6/2 each turn) reaches 30, and then try to retreat himself.  That’ll take an average of 15 turns.  The map is supposed to be a winding, convoluted canyon that makes it hard for the Sworders to get at the Prince.  The setup recommends adapting the Scattered Woods map by making the woods hexes into elevation nine canyon walls, leaving a twisting 1-hex-wide path.  The Box Canyon map would also be pretty good, with a bit of modification to close up the wide open center area.  The two Deep Canyon maps might also work, if you raised the height of all the elevated hexes to make them unreachable.

Optional bonuses include widening the pass to two hexes, allowing the Sworders to gang up on the Prince instead of fighting him sequentially, and to offer the Prince a one-on-one honor duel, letting him go if he beats an identical (but undamaged) Atlas.

Historically, the Prince took out most of the Sword of Light assault lance, but was slain when Yorinaga Kurita put a PPC through his cockpit.  Yorinaga was promoted to Tai-sa and given overall command of the 2nd Sword of Light as a reward.

Notes:  Ian only has a gunnery of 3 and piloting of 3, but is given 10 points of Edge, Natural Grace, and Combat Intuition until the call comes about the Kell Hounds’ imminent arrival (when the counter hits 30).  As such, he can reduce his TNs for avoiding falls, lower physical attack damage received, reduced MP costs for moving through difficult terrain, rotate his torso 360 degrees, flip his arms, and run backwards, as well as automatically winning initiative (and being able to Force the Initiative at will) each round.

Yorinaga has gunnery 1, piloting 2, and has the Marksman ability, allowing him to make aimed shots against moving targets, as if he had a targeting computer.  At this point, he has not yet developed Phantom ‘Mech powers.  If the 4th Davion Guards special abilities apply, he gets an additional +1 MP to running and +1 to PSR’s to avoid falls.  Though canonically, the SoL force should default to including an AWS-8Q Awesome, an AS7-D Atlas and Yorinaga’s Warhammer, The Sword of Light’s special ability to re-roll on the RAT should be used to try to round out the other two unspecified lance members with VTR-9B Victors, since the AC/20 and ability to jump could prove decisive in trying to break through the Prince’s defensive position.

Ian should try to engage the Kurita forces around blind corners, where only the lead unit can actually hit him back, turning it into a series of one-on-one battles.  Between the AC/20, SRM-6 and 20-point kicks, he should be able to inflict some serious pain.  If it looks like the enemy is about to outflank him (say, by having a Victor jump over him into his rear arc), he should exercise his Combat Intuition ability and withdraw to a fallback position.  (The last thing he wants is to be the meat in a Victor sandwich.)  A lot of the units on the Assault table in the Combine RAT have PPCs and LRMs, so try to engage at point-blank range whenever possible to take advantage of the minimum range bonuses.  You might as well just dump your LRM-20 ammo at the outset, though, since you’re unlikely to be able to use it, and it just adds to the enemy chances of getting a critical hit and ammo explosion.

For the Combine, lead with your troops that have the best armor and the most short-range weaponry.  If you have troops with LRMs, hang back and use the point man as your spotter, raining death down on the Prince from afar.  Kick as often as you can with the point man, since the damage will add up, and a legless Prince isn’t going far.  Yorinaga doesn’t necessarily need to try for the canonical headshot, but he should certainly use the ability to pick at the most damaged spots once he’s up at bat.  If you can get a Victor up at the front of your column, try to jump over the Atlas and land behind it, trapping the Prince and sealing his fate.  (Though, be aware that he can uber-torso-twist and bring his own AC/20 to bear on units in his rear arc, so he’s not necessarily doomed at that point.)

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

[Mendrugo]

----- Immediately Following -----

Date: October 21, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: The Desolation of Combat

Author: Geoff Swift

Type: Short Story (Historical: Turning Points – Mallory’s World)

Synopsis:  Prince Ian has just finished off a Sword of Light Awesome, the last of the Assault lance that was trying to force its way through the Desolate Pass.  Taking them down ran the course of half an hour.  He surprised himself with the fluidity and grace of his combat skill today.  Seeing additional Sword of Light forces moving up, he braces himself for the renewed onslaught and opens fire at the lead unit – a Warhammer, savaging it with his autocannon. 

His concentration is broken by a comm-signal from his adjutant, Captain Hillnas, who reports that the Kell Hounds have arrived to cover the withdrawal.  Thanking God for his reprieve (notable, because it’s earlier mentioned that he’d never really had time for religion in his life), he turns his attention back to the battlefield, only to see the Warhammer striding towards him.  Particle beams lance out to envelop his cockpit.  His last thought is that the blue-violet lightning is the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

Notes:  That’s pretty impressive that the Atlas held out for 30 minutes.  At six turns per minute, that’s 180 turns.  Plenty of time for the 4th Guards’ escape ticker to hit 30.  Per the rules in the preceding Track, he’d have (at most) had to hold out for five minutes before being allowed to withdraw himself.  I was also surprised that he still had autocannon ammunition remaining after taking down four Assault ‘Mechs, since he only had ten shots to begin with.

The AToW rules for Combat Intiution says that it requires focus, so talking on the comm unit must have denied the Prince that ability for that key round, allowing Yorinaga to get the drop on him.

Ian notes in the story that he’d had to force his command company to retreat without him, leaving him as the lone rear-guard.  There seems to be a reason why he was called “The Hound” rather than the “Fox” moniker applied to his younger brother, Hanse.  The speedy 4th probably had oodles of Valkyries and Dervishes.  Unless their ammo reserves were bone dry, why the heck wouldn’t they have been able to support him from behind with indirect LRM fire?  They certainly could have bugged out if/when he fell, and the Heavy/Assault elements of the Sword of Light would have had zero chance of closing with such a rear-guard force.

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

[Alex Keller]

Battletech, the game, is at its best as a role-playing game where players can focus on their specific character and mech. The story of First Prince Ian's climactic last stand illustrates this and I think Catalyst did a good job with this scenario.

That said, I don't think authors take AToW rules into account when writing their stories, although it is kinda neat to think of rules/scenarios that might explain why or how something happened (such as Ian's "distraction" before his death).

[FedSunsBorn]

Maybe Ian managed to kick and punch his way through several opponents and saved some of his ammo until facing the Warhammer. Definitely one of those battles that shaped a lot of things to come but no one really knew it at the time.

[Mendrugo]

Based on the rules of the preceding Track, my guess is that he held in the narrow part of the canyon for five minutes to give his men time to get away, then began withdrawing at top speed.  His ability to run 6MP in reverse would have helped him keep a distance from the pursuing Combine units, and thereby use his LRM-20, conserving the AC/20 ammo.  However, since the Warhammer and other faster (4/6) Sword of Light Assault 'Mechs could have also maintained that pace, it would have been harder for him to break contact (per the Track's rules), so he would have ended up dying, not in the middle of the Desolate Pass, but on the far side, where it opens up into a wide plain. 

Ian appears to have been a traditionalist Successor State leader - focusing on the small battles, not thinking outside the box, going for personal acts of heroism, etc.  Had he lived, the Succession Wars would likely have ground on unceasingly until the Clans arrived to take over in 3050.  He must have been doing something different, though, since Patrick Kell opines that House Davion is the most forward-thinking Successor State as of 3010, when Ian was still First Prince.

[Alex Keller]

Patrick Kell has been wrong before. :)

[Mendrugo]

----- Minutes Later -----

Date: October 21, 3013 [See Notes]

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: A Royal Tragedy

Author: Cory Glaberson, L. Ross Babcock III, Kevin Stein & Tara Gallagher

Type: Scenario (BattleForce)

Synopsis:  Immediately following Prince Ian’s death, the Kell Hounds’ two ‘Mech battalions arrive on the scene and slam into the Sword of Light forces. 

BattleForce stats are given for the Kell Hound battalions, though the full roster from the Kell Hounds sourcebook could also be used.  The Sword of Light forces consist of three battalions (implying that the ongoing fighting has, so far, only cost the Sword of Light one of its four battalions).

The Kell Hounds’ goal is to hold Hex 1510 (where Ian’s body lies) for 5 consecutive turns, then withdraw off the southern edge without taking more than 50% casualties.  The Sword of Light simply aims to prevent them from either collecting Ian’s body or from withdrawing with light casualties.

Notes:  The BattleForce scenario setup gives the date of the battle as October 28, 3013, but subsequent write-ups place it on November 21.  Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  Therefore, the associated Tracks also need to be moved back to October.

The setup clarifies the overall tactical situation – the 4th Davion Guards had run low on expendables and been herded into the Desolate Pass, which was only wide enough for one ‘Mech at a time to exit.  DCMS aerospace forces had total control of the skies, preventing jump-capable units from ascending to the canyon rim, and stopping friendly forces from air-dropping supplies.  This answers my earlier question as to why the Prince wasn’t backed by a force of Valkyries and/or Dervishes to provide mobile fire support – they were out of missiles.  However, it also begs the question - where are those Drac aerospace fighters now?

Interestingly, though the 2nd Sword of Light is described as being Elite and having one Light battalion, two Heavy battalions, and one Assault battalion, here we see 6 Light lances, 13 Medium lances, 5 Heavy lances, and 3 Assault lances.  Of the 27 lances, 1 is Green, 17 are Regular, 8 are Veteran, and only 1 is Elite.  I suppose it’s possible that the Sword of Light took a severe beating with great losses when the 4th Davion Guards first lifted the siege of Colterville, and that they appropriated replacements from another Combine unit (whatever the third regiment was that backed up the 24th Dieron Regulars and 2nd Sword of Light – not even Historical Turning Points: Mallory’s World lists it, mentioning only the two units specifically named in the House Kurita SB writeup), bringing in lower quality pilots and ending up with much lighter equipment, on average.

Though, canonically, Ian died in the narrow confines of the Desolate Pass, Hex 1510 on the BattleForce map is in wide open terrain.  Perhaps over the half hour of his fighting retreat, he’d withdrawn to the mouth of the canyon, with wide open terrain behind him.
 
I’m somewhat confused as to the geography of this battle.  If the Kell Hounds arrived on scene just in time to see Yorinaga Kurita headshot Prince Ian, then the 2nd Sword of Light should still be stacked up in a long column winding through the Desolate Pass.  This appears to take place in a wide open region on the far side of the Desolate Pass (the side Prince Ian was heading for) because Captain Carroll O’Cathain’s cockpit voice recorder notes that “the other units of the Fourth Davion Guards (which all made it through the pass) are right behind us.”  Did the Kell Hounds pour through the pass and engage the 2nd Sword of Light on the far side, or did the Kell Hounds wait while the Sworders emerged from the pass onto the plains?

[Mendrugo]

----- Simultaneously -----

Date: October 21, 2013

Location: Mallory’s World

Title: To Save a Prince

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

Type: Scenario (The Kell Hounds/BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  As the Kell Hounds battle the Sword of Light at the mouth of the Desolate Pass, this scenario focuses on the fight right around the Prince’s body, pitting 1st Company, 2nd Battalion of the Kell Hounds against “Zakahashi’s Zombies” of the 2nd Sword of Light (looking at the BattleForce roster, this appears to be 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion, assuming that “Fire Lance” and “Support Lance” are pretty much the same thing). 

The Sword of Light starts on the northern edge of two lengthwise mapsheets and tries to get 50% of its force off the southern edge by turn 15.  The Kell Hounds win by preventing this.  All ‘Mechs generate an extra two heat points per turn unless they stand still, due to the intense desert heat.  None of the Special Unit Abilities listed in Historical Turning Points: Mallory’s World apply, unless the Combine forces start declaring honor duels against the Kells.

Notes:  The Kell Hounds scenario pack originally dated the battle to October 21, 3013, but this was changed to November 21, 3013 when it was reprinted as a BattleCorps scenario, to bring it in line with the dates in Historical Turning Points: Mallory’s World.  However, this resulted in severe conflicts with the BattleCorps story "Irreplaceable."  Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World. 

It appears that this particular scenario takes place in the middle of the previous BattleForce scenario, focusing on some of the Kell Hounds trying to keep the Sword of Light away from BattleForce Hex 1510, where other Hounds are guarding Prince Ian’s body.
 
The 15 turn time limit might seem daunting, but even the slowest Combine ‘Mech can move the distance (34 hexes) in about seven turns, so there’s no need for a pell-mell sprint south.  In fact, that would be ruinous.  The Kell Hounds trickle onto the board one lance at a time for the first three rounds.  Having the fast Sword of Light units race south won’t get them there before the last Kell Hound lance arrives, and odds are the two straggling Kell Hound lances will assuredly pop up perfectly positioned to intercept and destroy the lead Combine ‘Mechs, placing the slower ones at a severe disadvantage for the rest of the battle.

Rather, I’d recommend that the Combine forces advance south in close combat order, making use of the scattered copses of trees to keep the Kell Hounds from engaging them at long range.  Once the battle is joined, maneuver en masse around the trees to try to keep some of the Kell Hound supporting fire screened while you make your way south.  Once you’ve reached the southernmost copse of trees, make a break for it.

For the Kell Hounds, bring your units on where you need them to intercept any Combine scouts that are trying to get past your lines and bring them down with concentrated fire.  Then, split your force to block the fast routes through the trees – ideally turning the wide open area in the center into a killzone.  If the Dracs move into the trees, push your reserves in to engage them there.  Keep your fast lights and mediums as a mobile reserve to go after jumpers who try to break through your front lines.  (Eslyn Burns’ UrbanMech isn’t going to be too useful here, but the Vulcan, Clint, Dervish, Jenner, Valkyrie and Javelin will make an excellent fire-brigade.)  Speaking of fire, don’t hesitate to have the Vulcan use its flamer on the woods to make them harder for the Combine to use as they work their way south.

[Mendrugo]

----- 22 Days Later -----

Date: November 12, 3013

Location: Addicks

Title: Irreplaceable

Author: Jason Hansa

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Major Dana Stephenson is at Fort Lucien on Addicks for operations planning after a six-month tour of duty fighting pirates out near the Outworlds Alliance with the first battalion of the 34th Avalon Hussars.   While enjoying a real-gravity workout (instead of the gravdecks she’s been using), she doesn’t initially notice a red-headed man who enters to use the officers’ rec room.  She takes him for an enlisted man and admonishes him that only majors and above are allowed to use the facility.  He responds flirtatiously as she tries to figure out his rank and what unit he’s attached to.

Later, at the operations briefing, she gossips about the mysterious red-head with Major Elaine Masters, her roommate from the War College of Goshen, and now commanding the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry’s 2nd Battalion.  As the briefing commences, an aide announces the arrival of the Field Marshal of the AFFS, and in walks the mysterious red-head – Hanse Davion.

Notes:  Interestingly, Dana describes Hanse as being the Prince of the Federated Suns and her liege, as well as being “the Field Marshal,” the only one in the AFFS. 

This isn’t quite accurate, as I understand it.  The First Prince holds the rank of “Supreme Marshal of the AFFS,” while the Prince’s Champion has the role of Marshal of the Armies.  (The latter two roles were split in 3035.)  There are multiple Field Marshals reporting to the Marshal of the Armies.  Field Marshal Sandoval commands the Draconis March, while Michael Hasek-Davion is the Field Marshal in charge of the Capellan March (taking over from Hanse, who’d replaced the infirm…and corrupt…George Hasek in 3012).  Junior Field Marshals command individual Combat Theaters within each March.  To be accurate, she should have referred to him as “the Supreme Marshal.”

Elaine mouths at Dana “You’re an idiot,” during the briefing, and given her demonstrated lack of knowledge about the AFFS command structure, that would seem to be accurate.  (In her defense, Dana was sort of flustered at this point.)

Author Jason Hansa seems to have been writing this story from the perspective that Ian is already dead and Hanse is the First Prince, despite a datestamp on the story of November 12, 3013, while Ian’s death is dated November 21.  Jason’s not to blame, however, since other sourcebooks (BattleForce, Kell Hounds) variously have put Ian’s death at October 21 and October 28, both of which would have worked for the purposes of Jason’s date for this story.  To make the timeline work, Irreplaceable has to be shifted forwards as well, and the Addicks portion compressed, since the House Kurita SB has the Halstead Station campaign kicking off on January 4, 3014.  Moving it up to a week after Ian’s death leaves enough time for Hanse’s coronation and then express passage (via command circuit) to Addicks to take over the planning of the Halstead Station raid (now a revenge mission).

Herb Beas has confirmed that the official date of Ian Davion's death is October 21, 3013, rather than the November 21, 3013 date presented in HTP: Mallory's World.  This allows the original chronology of Irreplaceable to remain unchanged.

[Scotty]

If this story does take place before Ian's death by a matter of days (unless the mention is rather heavy in character, I haven't read it), would Hanse not still be considered the Field Marshal of the Capellan March?  That could be a spot to explain the mix-up, though with changing dates I'm not surprised either way.

[Mendrugo]

If this story does take place before Ian's death by a matter of days (unless the mention is rather heavy in character, I haven't read it), would Hanse not still be considered the Field Marshal of the Capellan March?  That could be a spot to explain the mix-up, though with changing dates I'm not surprised either way.

Hanse's recent elevation to First Prince, his heartbreak after Ian's death, and his last minute assumption of command over the Halstead Station raid are all key plot points in Irreplaceable.  There's even a direct mention of Ian's death in a later scene dated November 20, which ends up being one day before he died under the revised chronology.  It's pretty clear that Jason used the Kell Hounds or BattleForce date-range when setting the chronology of his story.

The bit about "The Field Marshal" has additional dialogue that makes it clear that Dana believes there's only one Field Marshal in the AFFS, so it appears that there was some confusion between the term "Field Marshal" and "Supreme Marshal." 

----------

Speaking of dates...

Revisiting "The Race is Not to the Swift," further research leads me to agree with Frabby that the proper date is in 3020, not 3025.  The Steiner SB says that the prototypes "were assigned" to Hansen's Roughriders, so it's a past tense sort of issue.  It also notes that the prototypes were unveiled in 3020, and TRO:3025 posits "if the Roughriders continue to use" the Patton/Rommel, implying that they've already been using it.  Since Solaris VII and the 33rd Marik Militia were the "first use" of the tank, and it was unveiled in 3020, that would place Bear Peters' story then.

[Mendrugo]

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

Date: November 13, 3013

Location: Addicks

Title: Irreplaceable

Author: Jason Hansa

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Dana panics the next morning as she once again encounters Hanse in the officers’ rec room while working out.  He accepts her flustered apology and asks what she thinks of his plan.  She likes the smash and grab nature of the raid, but says that the Davion Heavy Guards aren’t as well suited as the Deneb Light Cavalry for the mission.  She also advocates for her 34th Avalon Hussars as a best-of-both worlds compromise between the Guards and the Cavalry.  She guesses that either Hanse wants the target DCMS force destroyed, or that he’s got something sneaky up his sleeve.
 
Impressed by the analysis, he invites her to dinner, shocking Dana to the point that she slips off the treadmill and ends up in a heap on the floor.  As Hanse helps her up, she accepts his invitation.

Dana accompanies Hanse to his favorite Korean-Thai fusion restaurant on Addicks.  They’re joined by Ardan Sortek, Hanse’s best friend.  Dana is all business at first, but Hanse insists that she call him by name.  She confesses her difficulty, since she’s only a baroness from a minor world.  The evening goes well, and the two end with plans for a follow-up dinner at an Italian place Ardan recommended.

Back at her quarters, she talks about the evening with Elaine and gets to work planning logistics for the upcoming heavy raid.

Notes:  It’s amusing to see that Ardan doesn’t like spicy food – appropriate since he’s from New Avalon, and “The Sword and the Dagger” mentions that New Avalon cuisine is fairly bland.

The sourcebooks don’t give any data on the 34th Avalon Hussars, except to note that the 42nd Avalon Hussars were formed from the wreckage of the 34th and 36th Avalon Hussars RCTs, so that bodes poorly for Dana’s future prospects.

Dana notes that she’s a baroness from a minor world.  House Stephenson is noted for having major landholds on both New Ivaarsen (their ducal seat) and Royal.  Dana is probably from a minor branch of the family on Royal, which has a population of 800 million.  In the Federated Suns, barons/baronesses usually control individual cities.  Perhaps she’s (appropriately) the titular ruler of the city of Baron’s Harbor on Royal.  She’s probably not from New Ivaarsen itself, since that’s described as “arguably the richest and most advanced world in the entire Draconis March,” and is hardly a “minor world” with a population of 6.6 billion.

[Mendrugo]

----- 1 Week Later -----

Date: November 20, 3013

Location: Addicks

Title: Irreplaceable

Author: Jason Hansa

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Hanse and Ardan joke as they participate in a simulator exercise pitting their Davion Heavy Guards against Dana Stephenson’s 34th Avalon Hussars and the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry, both attempting to capture Hanse.  Hanse recollects that, just after Ian’s death, the MIIO had determined that the combine had found a huge Star League warehouse on Halstead Station that could contain a treasure trove of LosTech.  Ian had already been planning to raid the world with the 34th Avalon Hussars and 10th Deneb Light Cavalry, but decided to add himself and the Davion Heavy Guards.  In an unexpected turn, the 34th Hussars switched roles with the 10th and attacked the Guards head on rather than just opening a hole for the 10th.  Breaking through, Dana and her roommate, Major Elise Morrison, ambush Hanse and Ardan and win the scenario.

Later, in bed… (as every scene featuring Hanse should probably begin  ^-^ ) Hanse and Dana discuss the scenario.  Hanse promises Dana he didn’t let her win the battle, jokingly noting “I like you, but not that much.”

Notes:  This scene confirms that Hanse arrived on Addicks via a command circuit from New Avalon, so the tight timing following his coronation works out okay (assuming the use of pirate points as well).

I’m not entirely sure who is participating in the exercise.  Dana earlier mentioned that her unit was mustering on Fallon II, while she came ahead to Addicks for the planning session.  So are just the battalion and regimental commanders running the simulation, issuing commands to AI troops?  Because the rank and file (of the Hussars, at least) haven’t been mentioned as being onworld.  Ran Felsner is in command of the Heavy Guards in the simulation. 

The capital of Addicks is named St. Randall.  A lot of the BattleTech writers and developers have had their names inserted into planetary designations (Randall’s Regret = Randall Bills; Herbania = Herbert Beas; Oyevania = Oyestein Tvedten; Stockpool = Michael Stackpole; Heart Fjord = Chris Hartford; Slewis = Sam Lewis; Jordan Weisman = Jordan Wais), but Randall Bills appears to have been inserted into the background details as well:  St. Randall on Addicks; Randall’s Rose on Argyle; and the inimitable Major General Randy Hasek-Bills of the 6th Syrtis Fusiliers and (later) 20th Avalon Hussars.  (Other writer/developers have also had in-universe avatars – Lyran historian Bertram Habeas, Professor-General Sam Lewis; Zhong-shao Jordan Weiss; Zhong-shao Peter Smith, and so on.)

[Kojak]

The capital of Addicks is named St. Randall.  A lot of the BattleTech writers and developers have had their names inserted into planetary designations (Randall’s Regret = Randall Bills; Herbania = Herbert Beas; Oyevania = Oyestein Tvedten; Stockpool = Michael Stackpole; Heart Fjord = Chris Hartford; Slewis = Sam Lewis; Jordan Weisman = Jordan Wais), but Randall Bills appears to have been inserted into the background details as well:  St. Randall on Addicks; Randall’s Rose on Argyle; and the inimitable Major General Randy Hasek-Bills of the 6th Syrtis Fusiliers and (later) 20th Avalon Hussars.  (Other writer/developers have also had in-universe avatars – Lyran historian Bertram Habeas, Professor-General Sam Lewis; Zhong-shao Jordan Weiss; Zhong-shao Peter Smith, and so on.)

Interesting trivia note: years ago I asked Randall Bills at an in-person preview for TRO 3055U at a gaming store in Everett about the origin of the name of the Fronc Reaches. He told me it was named after FASA's original secretary, whose first name he couldn't recall but who everyone called Ms. Fronc.

[Mendrugo]

----- 2 Weeks Later -----

Date: December 9, 3013

Location: Addicks

Title: Irreplaceable

Author: Jason Hansa

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Dana and Ardan chat in her office, and he lets her know that Hanse plans to “officially” court her following the Halstead operation.  He reassures Dana that there’s no issue of “class,” since she’s already a Baroness and stands to inherit her father’s title (whatever that is…Marquess, perhaps, since they’re ruling a “minor” world, and Marquess/Marquessa is the next step down from Duke/Duchess).  She’s stunned, but tells Ardan she’s madly in love with Hanse and would elope with him if he asked.  Ardan leaves her doodling “Dana Stephenson-Davion” in the margins of her data pad.

Notes:  Adran casually mentions that Hanse has ordered a media lockdown on Addicks during the planning for the raid, so word hasn’t yet gotten offworld about his romance with Dana.  That’s fine as far as it goes for the native Federated Suns news services, but what about other media?  (ComStar INN, Voice of the Dragon, Donegal Broadcasting Service, etc.)  Unless Hanse has a similar arrangement in place with the local ComStar Precentor to block messages going offworld, how would they stop reports going out from foreign media and/or foreign intelligence agents (ISF, LIC, Maskirovka, SAFE…well, maybe not SAFE given their poor rep in this era), who are certainly watching the newly anointed First Prince with great interest?

People keep referring to Ardan as being young, and he’s around 20 at this point, having been born in 2993.  He must have had accelerated schooling in order to graduate from the Albion Military Academy and get posted as a lance commander at this age.  Dana notes that Ardan is wearing a 17th Avalon Hussars patch, but has been seconded to the command of Hanse’s security detail.  Where’s the 17th while Ardan is playing bodyguard on Addicks?  Tune in tomorrow to find out, same ‘Mech time, same ‘Mech channel.