Author Topic: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team  (Read 10605 times)

theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #60 on: 03 May 2017, 13:07:24 »
Nope.

"Standard" is
3 Mech Trinaries.
1 Elemental Trinary
1 ASF Trinary

45 Mechs
75 Elementals
30 ASF

Supernovas, Command Stars,  Lighter ASF are all deviations from the Standard of 5 Trinaries in a 3-1-1 layout.

Close, very close.

1st rule of Clan forces:  there are no standard Clusters.

2nd rule of Clan forces:  there are no...wait, wrong universe.

A 'standard' Cluster, & the sources use the term very little loosely, is
  • 2 'Mech Trinaries
  • 1 Elemental Binary
  • 1 ASF Binary
  • 1 mixed or Supernova Trinary
(Per Field Manual: Crusader Clans (p. 10) & Field Manual: Warden Clans (p.12)).

However, each Clan puts their own unique spin on them. Some add custom mm and Stars, some add an extra Binary/Trinary, the Horses replace the standard Superniva with an armor/conventional infantry Supernova, etc.

The real question is which Clan would actually end up facing an LCT in the first place.  Given the maps from 3085 & 3145, that pretty much leaves the Raven Alliance as your most likely candidates.  The Horses have to fight through either the Falcons or Bears, then fight through either the Combine or the RotS, before they even hit FedSun territory.  The Wolf Empire has it slightly better, in that their forces would "only" have to fight through the RotS...but given how much Clantech Republic forces have access to, they'd get mauled badly.  But the Ravens are right on the FedSun back door, & the AFFS happens to have a couple of LCTs stationed there:  the 2nd & 4th Periphery Guards.

Given their preference for Aerospace, the most likely Cluster composition would be the following:

  • 2 'Mech Trinaries
  • 1 Elemental Trinary
  • 1 ASF Trinary
  • 1 "Triad" (FM:Warden, p. 123): 1 'Mech Star, 1 Elemental Star, 1 ASF Star
  • Total:  35 'Mechs, 40 ASF, 100 BA troops

For the 3085 era, their primary units in the area are the 5th Raven Auxiliaries, & the 6th & 7th Raven Regulars.  The AFFS has the Bremmond & Bryceland DMM LCTs, plus the 2nd Crucis Lancers RCT. However, everyone is pretty beat up (45-60% strength for the Ravens, 65% for the Lancers), although the LCTs are near full strength (90 & 85% respectively).

3145 era offers a better matchup; although the AFFS militias are lower in strength, the 2nd & 4th LCTs are right there on the border, & the former is a Category B unit.  The Ravens now have 2 Striker Clusters (12th & 97th) & 2 Battle Clusters (100th & 121st) in the area; however, they're using a lot less Omnis in these front-line Clusters, so I would consider using 2 Clusters.

I'll see if I can work up a theoretical TO&E for this over the next few days...

Arkansas Warrior

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #61 on: 03 May 2017, 13:28:19 »
I believe the OP specified Ice Hellions vs LAAF.
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truetanker

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #62 on: 03 May 2017, 19:24:17 »
Also don't forget the 3rd Raven Auxiliaries... and those damnable Protos of theirs...

As of 3061 to 3067 the commanding officer was Star Colonel Joseph Chand. and By 3110 Gamma Galaxy had become the heaviest user of ProtoMechs in the Snow Raven touman, and was the first unit to receive deliveries of the new Hippogriff ProtoMech.

TT
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AlphaMirage

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #63 on: 03 May 2017, 19:35:03 »
As the OP I am interested to see which clan would have the best chances.  Raven Alliance is good to, I did like the Hell's Horses as the odds on favorites.  The Protos are also of interest considering I intended to use them anyhow

truetanker

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #64 on: 03 May 2017, 19:53:42 »
Would you use a hypo, if I put a 3085 era Clan Stone Lion with complete TO&E here for comparison?

TT
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Death by Lasers

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #65 on: 03 May 2017, 22:33:30 »
As the OP I am interested to see which clan would have the best chances.  Raven Alliance is good to, I did like the Hell's Horses as the odds on favorites.  The Protos are also of interest considering I intended to use them anyhow

  A Frontline Clan Cloud Cobra Fang Cluster not fighting under Zellbrigen would eat an LCT alive: 1 Corvette, 15 Omni-Mechs, 120 Omn-Fighters.  First you would have to equip an Omni-Fighter with a full satellite suite of detectors (about 10 tons IIRC) to find any mechs from orbit.  Then load up your fighters with bombs, isolate a small portion of the enemy mech/tank force (say a company), fly in with a Trinary of fighters filled to gills with bombs and destroy it in one run at the loss of a couple fighters.  If the enemy balls up really tightly hit them from orbit with the Corvette.  Keep doing this and after seven or so bomb runs no LCT.  Attrition would cost maybe 45-60 fighters.

  You could base your cluster either in orbit or somewhere 10,000 or so km away.  If the enemy tries to hit your airbase with Dropship mobile mechs destroy the dropships.  If they foolishly try to walk their mechs to your airbase you will find them with your satellite imagers thousands of km away and can annihilate them with bombing runs as detailed above.

  Once you've made sure there is nothing left move in with your Trinary of mechs with full air-cover and your Corvette shadowing above waiting to intercept any survivors that try to take on your land forces.  Find some conventional infantry to hold the land you just conquered and weed out any hiding enemy infantry and you've got yourself a planet.
« Last Edit: 03 May 2017, 22:36:27 by Death by Lasers »
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theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #66 on: 04 May 2017, 13:03:35 »
I believe the OP specified Ice Hellions vs LAAF.

Wouldn't be a bad 'what if...?' scenario. But as far as being likely to happen in-universe, it suffers from 2 main issues:

  • The LAAF never used LCTs.  They were only used by the AFFS post-Jihad (~3079, based on Field Report: AFFS).
  • Clan Ice Hellion doesn't exist after 3074, having been absorbed by Clan Goliath Scorpion.  The only other remnants were stuck in the Deep Periphery.

theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #67 on: 04 May 2017, 13:22:59 »
Also don't forget the 3rd Raven Auxiliaries... and those damnable Protos of theirs...

As of 3061 to 3067 the commanding officer was Star Colonel Joseph Chand. and By 3110 Gamma Galaxy had become the heaviest user of ProtoMechs in the Snow Raven touman, and was the first unit to receive deliveries of the new Hippogriff ProtoMech.

TT

Ah, wasn't aware of that unit.  Not sure if it would work in the 3085 era (they're deployed on the Combine border), but definitely a thought for 3145.  That would be, what, 175 Protos in place of the 35 'Mechs?  That would be an interesting battle, & possibly the best way for a Cluster to face an LCT...

Archangel

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #68 on: 04 May 2017, 14:33:54 »
Wouldn't be a bad 'what if...?' scenario. But as far as being likely to happen in-universe, it suffers from 2 main issues:

  • The LAAF never used LCTs.  They were only used by the AFFS post-Jihad (~3079, based on Field Report: AFFS).

Per FM3085 (p107-109), the LAAF/LCAF did use LCTs for a number of years while they were rebuilding afteer the Jihad (1st & 2nd Bolan Guards LCT, 1st & 2nd Buena Guards LCT, 14th & 24th & 32nd Lyran Guards LCT, 20th & 23rd Arcturan Guards LCT, 4th & 7th & 8th & 11th Donegal Guards LCT).
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Arkansas Warrior

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #69 on: 04 May 2017, 16:24:25 »
Wouldn't be a bad 'what if...?' scenario. But as far as being likely to happen in-universe, it suffers from 2 main issues:

  • The LAAF never used LCTs.  They were only used by the AFFS post-Jihad (~3079, based on Field Report: AFFS).
  • Clan Ice Hellion doesn't exist after 3074, having been absorbed by Clan Goliath Scorpion.  The only other remnants were stuck in the Deep Periphery.
::)  Yes, I know (though I believe the LAAF did use LCTs for n the interim, until they could rebuild to full RCTs).  I never said the OP's scenario was canon.  Happily, he's since clarified that he's interested in others as well.
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theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #70 on: 04 May 2017, 16:57:39 »
Per FM3085 (p107-109), the LAAF/LCAF did use LCTs for a number of years while they were rebuilding afteer the Jihad (1st & 2nd Bolan Guards LCT, 1st & 2nd Buena Guards LCT, 14th & 24th & 32nd Lyran Guards LCT, 20th & 23rd Arcturan Guards LCT, 4th & 7th & 8th & 11th Donegal Guards LCT).

Ah, didn't catch that before.  So you could easily have LCAF LCTs facing off against Jade Falcon Clusters, or maybe even some Horse Clusters, but probably only through 3100 or so.

Archangel

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #71 on: 04 May 2017, 22:27:51 »
Ah, didn't catch that before.  So you could easily have LCAF LCTs facing off against Jade Falcon Clusters, or maybe even some Horse Clusters, but probably only through 3100 or so.

Wolf Clusters as well and possibly even Ghost Bear Clusters.
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Iron Mongoose

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #72 on: 05 May 2017, 12:09:05 »
I suppose the counter question is, in what why would a Cluster from any other Clan behave differently than a Hellion Cluster?  The Horses have a very clear cut difference with their armor and infantry, but against an LCT (or LCT like formation by some other name, as the case might be) it ends up just pitting strength against strength, since the IS force will still be brining so many more tanks and infantry to the fight.  Falcons still favor mobility like the Hellions, but tend to be heavier on average, the Wolves similar but fewer jump jets than the Falcons.  The Bears tend to be big and slow, so again strength vs strength, the famous unstoppable force vs an immovable object.  The Ravens love their fighters and protos, so could be very divergent, depending on exactly which direction you go. 

I'm not convinced that another Clan cluster could outperform the Hellions, provided each had an equally intelligent commander, because I don't think that going force on force here is likely to produce victory.  Taking a Bear assault cluster with 50 Executioners and Kodiaks and anything else you like and throwing it into the teeth of two hundred Lyran mechs and tanks with greater BA support and artillery isn't a recipe for victory.  But taking that force and stringing them out and making them run and then falling on isolated elements and destroying them in detail is, and there the Hellions (and to a lesser extent the Falcons and Wolves) will tend to shine. 

With the Horses, the upside is that you get more units if you take a cluster with a high nova ratio.  Three mech/BA novas, a tank/infantry nova, and a fighter trinary is a very plausible Horse cluster, and gives you 45 mechs, 30 tanks, 45 BA points, 15 pbi points (25 mech each), and 30 fighters.  A really tank-y cluster might do two tank novas, for 30 mechs and 60 tanks, which matches the LCT's ratios more closely.  But, even with top of the line Horse tanks and tank crews, I don't know that the Horses can out fight the Lyrans three or four to one, unless the Lyran unit is a very green unit and/or equipped with lots of succession wars era tech. 

With Ravens (or Cobras or Clan Mongoose or something) you can bring in 90 or 120 fighters with a small ground force to secure an air strip.  Is that enough?  A hundred high end Clan fighters with bombs and their weapons could do massive damage to a dug in force.  They'd have to sweep a few dozen IS fighters aside, but that's easy for such a force, and neutralize any enemy artillery and anti air units (Partisans and Riflemen and so on) which could probably be accomplished with out too many losses.  The big problem I think would be that there aren't enough ground forces to deliver the killing blow.  Even if you did three trinaries of air and two ground super novas, you'd only have 30 mechs and 30 BA points to try and finish off what's left of several hundred tanks and BA and half a hundred mechs.  Even if your fighters could inflict 75% damage, it remains a tall order for two super novas.  And if the Lyrans can dig in under cover, then the fighters can't get at them and the two super novas are forced to go in, which would be a slaughter.

Honestly, if you can't string the LCT out and pick them apart, but rather you need to take them head on, you need either a huge super cluster (the Sharks come close, with some having four super novas and two fighter trinaries) or else two normal clusters.  A Bear assault cluster to draw the LCT out for a pitched battle, and a Raven Stoop cluster to shatter them with air attacks just in time for the Bears to hit them on the ground could probably prevail in a pitched battle (you could have as many as 80 mechs supported by 150 fighters, along with BA, which has enough power if you can get it delivered.) 
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Colt Ward

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #73 on: 05 May 2017, 12:46:56 »
I think its going to come down to what type of cluster you send up against.  LCT playing defense will not matter as much for equipment or skills . . . the Clan force will.  If the Wolf cluster has Dire Wolves and other slow stuff then they will not be able to do much . . .

But give me a cluster of drawn out of what I posted before . . . or even dropping the quality down due to its post Refusal state by mixing in armor and standard mechs.  A cluster with Gargoyles, Timberwolves, Lobos, Ares, SLDF hovertanks will do ok . . . but one of those mech trinaries is likely to have Tundra Wolves, Blood Reapers and Sun Cobras which is where the Wolves have given up their traditional cavalry feel.

Like I said, I would not mind playing this out on MM, but I think you go full bore- artillery & aero.
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Archangel

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #74 on: 05 May 2017, 14:28:39 »
Terrain would also play a key factor.  Hellion Clusters would likely underperform in any terrain that limits their ability to take full advantage of their speed and maneuverability.
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theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #75 on: 09 May 2017, 20:11:38 »
Well, I'm still working up a potential list, but here's what I was thinking of for a potential AFFS LCT vs. Raven Alliance Cluster battle, c. 3085:

With the Davions' attention focused more towards the Draconis Combine, the Ravens think they might be able to make a push into the FedSun's Periphery March, particularly with the dearth of forces covering it.  With the Coreward Combat Theater (Woodbine Operational Area) only covered by 2 of the new LCTs, they decide to send Delta Galaxy in against the the Woodbine PMM LCT.  The Woodbine is at nearly full strength, but even so is just a little short of forces:
  • The Reinforced BattleMech Battalion is short one of the command lances (~95% strength), giving it 44 BattleMechs total; the unit is rated Regular/Questionable
  • The Armor Brigade is also slightly short (~95% strength):  in each Heavy/Assault Armor Battalion, 2 of the companies are at full strength but the 3rd (& heaviest) company is short 1 platoon (32 Combat Vehicles each, 64-96 total); same thing happens in the Cavalry Battalions (32 Combat Vehicles each, 64-96 total).  Overall, the Brigade is rated Regular/Questionable.
  • Given the time period & their status as a PMM (rather than a "line" unit), the Woodbine PMM is officially outfitted with a Battalion of battle armor. They are currently at ~90% strength, though; due to some reshuffling, each Company is currently comprised of 2 full-strength Platoons (16 troopers each) & 2 "short" platoons (3 Squads/12 Troopers each), giving each company 56 Troopers (224 total for the Battalion).  Overall, the Battalion is rated Green/Regular.
  • Field Manual: 3085 lists an "Aerospace Brigade" for the Woodbine PMM, & is rated as Green/Questionable.  Normally, given the disparity in experience/quality, & given that the Ravens are going to be bringing DropShips & a lot of ASF, I originally considered giving them a full Aero Regiment (60 ASF).  However, given that I'm seeing a lot of LB-X-equipped vehicles on their RAT, I'm debating whether to just leave it at a Wing (20 ASF).
  • A couple of things I'm not clear on, though, from the LCT descriptions in Field Manual: 3085 or Field Report: AFFS.  First, they mention that any other Infantry forces are primarily for "security" functions (i.e. base security?).  I would assume they probably don't come into play here.  Second, they talk about "dedicated VTOL support" for transporting the battle armor troops.  Should I assume these are separate from the "Cavalry" forces (only because the AFFS seems to have some VTOLs available), & are these going to be primarily VTOL transports with little to no armament, or are we talking hybrid gunship/transport types

Now, I picked Delta Galaxy for the Ravens for a number of reasons.  First, all 3 of their Clusters (5th Raven Auxiliaries, 6th Raven Guards, & 7th Raven Guards) are stationed on or nearthe border with the AFFS (Kinkaid II, Ramora, & Tellman IV respectively), all within a couple of Jumps of the border.  Second, being part of the same Galaxy, they should be used to working together in the field.  Third, while those 3 units are the primary ground units along that border, the Alliance isn't exactly leaving itself open should they venture across; the Bryceland & Bremond DMM are going to be too worried about the Ryuken-san, 7th Ghost, & 12th New Samarkand to cross the Raven Alliance Border, & even if they did the Ravens still have the 3rd Alliance Wing, 5th Alliance Wing, & Ice Storm Naval Star in teh region (plus the 1st Alliance Air Wing & 3rd Raven Auxiliaries a few Jumps away) to hold anyone off.  Fourth, Delta Galaxy is pretty beat up, but between the 3 of them they come together to form a reinforced Cluster-sized formation:
  • I'm using the proposed "Raven Alliance standard" as the base for each Cluster:  2 BattleMech Trinaries, 1 ASF Trinary, 1 Elemental Trinary, & a "Triad" (1 BattleMech Star, 1 ASF Star, 1 Elemental Star); 35 BattleMechs, 40 ASF, & 100 Elementals total
  • 5th Raven Auxiliaries is listed at ~45% strength.  Their ASF & Elemental Trinaries are reduced to Binaries, & their BattleMech forces are limited to a single Trinary.  In total, they have 15 BattleMechs, 20 ASF, & 50 Elementals.  The unit is currently rated Veteran/Regular
  • 6th Raven Regulars is slightly better off, but still only rated at ~55% strength.  Their ASF & Elemental forces are identical to the 5th Ravens (1 Binary each), but they were able to maintain 2 distinct BattleMech Binaries.  In total they have 20 BattleMechs, 20 ASF, & 50 Elementals.  The unit is currently rated Veteran/Fanatical.
  • 7th Raven Regulars is the strongest Cluster at ~60% strength.  In addition to the forces that 6th Raven is able to boast (2 'Mech Binaries, 1 ASF Binary, 1 Elemental Binary), they field a "Mini-Triad" Command Star (1 BattleMech Point, 2 ASF Points, & 2 Elemental Points).  In total they have 21 BattleMechs, 24 ASF, & 60 Elementals.  The unit is currently rated Veteran/Regular
  • Combined together, the Galaxy fields 56 BattleMechs, 64 ASF, & 160 Elementals, or about 60% more forces than a single full-strength Cluster.

I'm leaning towards mixing up the weight classes as well, with the Woodbine LCT being a "Heavy" unit, but with a Medium Company, Heavy Company, & Assault Company, & letting each Raven Alliance Cluster have a corresponding weight (leaning towards the 5th Ravens being the Assault Cluster, the 6th Ravens be a Heavy Cluster, & the 7th Ravens the Medium Cluster). 

Iron Mongoose

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #76 on: 09 May 2017, 22:49:47 »
I guess there's two questions here. 

1) The initial question posits a cluster, not a galaxy.  Granted, its a pretty damn skimpy galaxy (though broadly on par with a lot of Hellion galaxies, since they tend to be pretty skimpy too) but its still, as you yourself point out, 60% more than a "standard" cluster (if there is such a thing; there are single clusters in some clans with more strength, and galaxies with less).  Is it really a match up that's a reflection of the Challenge? Would putting up a damaged RCT be a better fight?

2) Given how problematically skimpy the Raven Galaxy chosen is (not that its a bad choice from a deployment standpoint) it still seems an uphill battle in terms of pure numbers.  Now, granted, with green skill levels I would tend to bet on the Ravens, to be sure, even if they simply seek a confrontation with their ground units (not that the Ravens would ever do such a thing).  But, just in terms of numbers again, it looks like the Ravens will rely heavily on overwhelming air power to shatter their enemy.  Given their sixteen fighter stars, they can hardly lose unless the battle takes place in underground warrens, but its not the overwhelming sort of victory one expects when a Clan Galaxy attacks any target.  Does this tell us something about the Clan's weekness in supporting forces?  Or the IS's strength?  Or just that a galaxy in sorry strights was selected (not unreasonably) for this?
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theagent

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #77 on: 16 May 2017, 05:03:34 »
I guess there's two questions here. 

1) The initial question posits a cluster, not a galaxy.  Granted, its a pretty damn skimpy galaxy (though broadly on par with a lot of Hellion galaxies, since they tend to be pretty skimpy too) but its still, as you yourself point out, 60% more than a "standard" cluster (if there is such a thing; there are single clusters in some clans with more strength, and galaxies with less).  Is it really a match up that's a reflection of the Challenge? Would putting up a damaged RCT be a better fight?

Good question.  I originally was hoping for something more along the lines of LCT vs. Cluster, but I also like to look at "in-game realistic" scenarios...& since I didn't realize the LCAF used LCTs temporarily, I was looking at a Raven Alliance/AFFS confrontation as the most likely.  And, given the deployment of their forces in the map sections, I figured these would make a good potential scenario.

I considered using a "damaged" RCT, but the closest I could find on the Raven/AFFS border was the 2nd Crucis Lancers RCT, stationed on Tancredi IV.  While it would let me pick some of the front-line Raven units (or especially those Proto-heavy 3rd Ravens), I thought there might be an issue due to the 2nd Crucis's experience (Veteran/Fanatical for the 'Mech & Armor forces, Veteran/Regular for the Infantry, & Regular/Regular for the ASF pilots), as well as their relative "damage" (they're roughly short 1 'Mech Battalion/65% strength, short 1 ASF wing/55% strength, short at least 1 Infantry Regiment/70% strength (probably would treat it as 3 standard Infantry Regiment & 1 Battle Armor Battalion), & down to a reinforced Company of Artillery & a Reinforced Regiment of Armor/45% strength)...but they're also an 'A' rated RCT, which means their TO&E is going to favor units from TRO:3075 & TRO:3085.  Not normally a problem for Clan forces, but...

2) Given how problematically skimpy the Raven Galaxy chosen is (not that its a bad choice from a deployment standpoint) it still seems an uphill battle in terms of pure numbers.  Now, granted, with green skill levels I would tend to bet on the Ravens, to be sure, even if they simply seek a confrontation with their ground units (not that the Ravens would ever do such a thing).  But, just in terms of numbers again, it looks like the Ravens will rely heavily on overwhelming air power to shatter their enemy.  Given their sixteen fighter stars, they can hardly lose unless the battle takes place in underground warrens, but its not the overwhelming sort of victory one expects when a Clan Galaxy attacks any target.  Does this tell us something about the Clan's weekness in supporting forces?  Or the IS's strength?  Or just that a galaxy in sorry strights was selected (not unreasonably) for this?

Yes, they will most likely need that heavy airpower for support.  Although I'm wondering if I shouldn't make a substitution in the original "Mini-Trinary" Triad formation, & have the Ravens replace the extra Elemental Star with a ProtoMech Star, & adjusting the understrength Clusters so that they all have at least 1 Star's worth of ProtoMechs.  The main reason being that, despite being considered front-line units, the 3 Clusters I picked are somewhat lower in the number of Omnis they have (5th Ravens have the lowest, 64%; 6th Ravens have the highest, 72%)...& the RATs in TRO:3085 show the Ravens having held on to more of their OmniFighters than their OmniMechs (~ 1/3 of their Lights & Mediums, ~1/6 of their Heavies, & 1/2 their Assaults are Clan 2nd-line designs, or in some cases "Star League" designs like the MON-66b & BMB-12D).  At least by making sure each Cluster still has 25 ProtoMechs (for a total of 75), they help counteract the LCT's cavalry forces.

Also, if it makes you feel any better, the Woodbine PMM LCT is a 'D' rated unit, so while they're technically heavily upgraded with Star League tech, they don't have as much of the newer tech as other units.  I almost considered using the Kilbourne PMM LCT; although they're a 'C' rated unit, their original description from Field Manual: Federated Suns says they suffer a -1 Initiative penalty whenever they have more than 2 Companies involved in combat; I'd have to check on how that integrates into the Abstract Combat System, but if there's no analogue I'd consider giving them a penalty to their Tactics score (which, combined with their mixed Green/Regular experience is going to put them at a disadvantage).

Kidd

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #78 on: 19 July 2018, 00:41:10 »
Not even a maxed-out "super Cluster" seems viable enough; say 3 Supernova Trinaries, a Vehicle Supernova Trinary and a Fighter Trinary would still work out as follows:-

Alpha Supernova Trinary15 Mechs75 Elementals
Beta Supernova Trinary15 Mechs75 Elementals
Gamma Supernova Trinary15 Mechs75 Elementals
Delta Vehicle Supernova Trinary30 Tanks/IFVs75 Elementals
Epsilon Aero Trinary30 ASFs
Totals45 Mechs, 30 Tanks/IFVs, 30 ASFs300 Elementals

vs an LCT's 36-40 Mechs, 144 tanks, 768 BA + VTOLs/APCs, artillery, and say 12-20 ASFs. Doable perhaps under the right circumstances, but still not good. It's the horde of like 100 tanks that would do them in.... unless we add say a couple of "off the books" Solahma Trinaries

45 Mechs, 30 Tanks/IFVs, 30 ASFs, 300 Elementals + 2 Solahma Supernovas: 60 Tanks/IFVs and 750 Infantry
vs
40 Mechs, 144 Tanks, 768 BA + VTOLs/APCs, 12 artillery, 12-20 ASFs.

Reasonable?

Precentor Scorpio

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Re: Clan Cluster vs Light Combat Team
« Reply #79 on: 19 July 2018, 19:32:27 »
I'm thinking a campaign.  Each side had an airfield that must be defended and if you bring artillery, some vehicle and infantry must provide security, etc.
So I think two clusters, the second cluster could be four or five stars  and only to provide security for the air field etc. 
The LCT mechs would be bait or a rapid response unit. 
Also, my battles are usually one of two  companies or their equivalent and last around eight turns
This would be a fair fight.
If you determined to fight one cluster vs one LCT,  if you allow the clans to use mines, Arrow IV pods etc, the clans might win in a mass engagement.  (Arrow IV on aerospace fighters?? Clans have a 50/50 chance if the cluster has 18 stars)  Also thinking of equipment up to the jihad.