Mike's Manglers: The Hammer Falls - 11/13/21 @ 2:30pm in Lansing, Michigan

[IronSphinx]

Jihad Era
Mercenaries vs. Word of Blake

Firebase Delta-Tango-Five (just outside of Chekswa)
Donegal IV, Lyran Alliance
4 September 3072

Throughout the Word of Blake Jihad, the Manglers became a fast-reaction force by default. While under contract to support the Sixth Lyran Guard on Donegal IV, more often than not, they were ordered to plug holes in the line of battle as frontline units and militia forces were pushed beyond the breaking point. Capt. Brundage quickly found his merc unit trapped in a cycle of "move--get hammered--move again". And the unit suffered significant casualties as most of the original members were wounded and knocked out of combat. Mike's Manglers seemed destined to be ground down to nothing and become another footnote in the history of the mercenary trade. But rather than get absorbed into a larger unit, the Manglers maintained their independence by being proactive and absorbing much smaller units: a single 'Mech, a tank, a squad of infantry, most from shattered mercenary commands. The steady influx of men and material kept the Manglers on the active duty roster, financially solvent, and more importantly, in the line for spare parts, armor, and ammunition.

But as the Jihad raged on, nerves were worn and tempers flared. On multiple occasions, Captain Brundage found himself playing referee between the "old guard" and the "newcomers" as soldiers jockeyed for position within the unit or squabbled over which equipment should be repaired first. More than growing pains, it was a blow to company morale and one that the Captain couldn't abide. The tensions came to a head on the morning of September 4, 3072, when a small raiding party of Blakists caught the Manglers during breakfast. Realizing that this was the opportunity he was waiting for, the Captain quickly reordered the lance assignments and forced his people to work together against a common enemy. While the gamble did have the desired effect of showing his people how they had to work together if they were going to survive the Jihad, the cost of the battle in armor and repairs pushed the Company much closer to bankruptcy than Captain Brundage would have liked. But in the end, the Manglers were forged into a stronger, more cohesive force, one that would last through the end of the Jihad and well into the founding of the Republic.

======

Stooping Hawk (Prime)
BS-SH-0045

For years, analysts have been scratching their heads over the presence of Captain Brundage's Stooping Hawk OmniMech--a machine which hailed from a Homeworld Clan that never returned to the Inner Sphere. In this case though, Occam's Razor was applicable and the simplest answer was the correct one: he got it from the Diamond Sharks.

The ancient OmniMech designated "BS-SH-0045" had been won from the Blood Spirits during the mid-3010's to determine what level the Spirits were at with regards to OmniMech construction.

After determining it was a dead-end design when compared to newer OmniMechs, the Diamond Sharks shuffled it into a warehouse of second-line BattleMechs destined for a solhama unit (or recycling for components). The 'Mech languished for decades until BS-SH-0045 ended up on a shipment of ancient 'Mechs and material destined for sale on the open markets of the Inner Sphere as the Sharks were more than willing to trade old, outdated equipment to Spheroids in exchange for raw materials.

Cashing in on his victory over the Diamond Sharks many years earlier, Captain Brundage made the Sharks an offer they couldn't refuse: a near-complete collection of Star League service medals from the Reunification Wars--handed down from father to son over several generations of the Brundage family with each son locating new medals until the set was almost complete. Loathe as he was to part with such an important piece of family history, the Manglers had taken a beating during the FedCom Civil War and their resources were scant. And with his trusty Chameleon "Lucky #7" destroyed, the Captain found himself dispossessed and in need of a new ride.

Rechristened "Lucky #8", "BS-SH-0045" marched onto the Manglers' dropship leaving behind an elated Diamond Shark merchant (who knew exactly how much he was going to charge the Goliath Scorpions for the historical treasures from the old Star League).

======

Special Rules and Objectives:

These Optional rules from Tac Ops are in effect:
- Backward Movement (Expanded) [changing levels while walking/driving backwards] (p.22)
- Movement Dice [white=walk, red=run, jade=jump] (p.27)
- Floating Critical (p.77)
- Firing When Down [one-arm prop and fire] (p.85)
- Expanded Flip Arms [torso-twist AND flip arms at the same time] (p.87)
- Rapid Fire AC [light and std AC's can double fire] (p.100)
- Energy Weapons [dialing down lasers] (p.102)
- Rapid Fire Machine Guns [higher rate of fire] (p.102)
- Hot-Load Missiles [no minimum on LRM] (p.102)

Several 'Mechs on the board will have Special Pilot Abilities.

Location, Date & Time:

Summit Comics is located at 216 Washington Square B, Lansing, MI 48933.
Parking on the street is free on Saturdays.

Game will be on November 13, 2021
Setup will be at 2 p.m., game will start at 2:30 p.m.

C-19 Policies for my game:

• Summit Comics and Games' rules for their store and gaming area take precedence.
• If you're not feeling well, please stay home until you're feeling better.
• You can mask or not mask, as is your preference.
• Please keep your medical history to yourself and respect everyone else's privacy.
• I'll have hand sanitizer with me at the game. Use it if you wish, just please make sure your hands are dry before touching my minis and maps.

Lastly, if you've never attended one of my games, please take a moment to review the Code of Conduct, which is located at: http://playbattletech.blogspot.com/p/code-of-conduct.html

Hope to see you there,