Idlewind (3050): mercenaries vs. Smoke Jaguars

[gwaedin]

Following the mini-campaign set on Outreach (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,79822.0.html), which sees Wolf's Dragoons battling against Capellan invaders, here's another series of three linked scenarios.
It is basically a What if?, in which we follow a merc company which happened to be on Idlewind during the first wave of the Smoke Jaguar assault against the Draconis Combine. It is based on a Warchest Track originally posted by Mestre on the BattleTech Player Boards, as retrieved by ScrapYardArmory on Jan 2012.
As usual, small scenarios ready to be played for Classic Battletech or Alpha Strike (on hex maps).
You can download it below (EDIT: the original link had expired).
At present it includes only the first scenario; I will add the other two as we play them.

[Daryk]

Mercs in the Combine?  In 3050?? ???

[gwaedin]

Yeah, that's what I thought when I first read it.  ::)
I wanted to be true to the original idea posted by mestre, though.
What I thought is that this force could be a private security force in the pay of a local corporation.
As far as I understand, Idlewind in 3050 was far from being a strategically important world (consistently with its light defenses).
Assuming that a private corporation had valuable military assets there, it would make sense to have the Combine seize them and commit them to the defense against the Jaguars. But you're right, maybe I should specify that they're not mercenaries in service of DCMS. Thanks!

[Daryk]

That makes MUCH more sense than "a tiger? in Africa??"  :D

[gwaedin]

Well, as long there's not a merc company called the Spanish Inquisition I think we should be doing fine  ;D

[Daryk]

LOL! :toofunny:

[gwaedin]

The first scenario had a very tight ending: I managed to destroy Lorenzo's Warhammer with my Shadow Cat on the very last roll of the game, before he exited with all his units on T11. A marginal victory for the Jaguar, that is.
The second's one ready. The Jaguars must escape a deep canyon where a lance of light 'Mechs laid an ambush. I will try to do it with a single Royal Griffin  8)

[gwaedin]

Wow, this weekend we managed to play not one but to scenarios. In fact, scenario #2 went very quick: Lorenzo underestimated the mobility of my Royal Griffin, worrying too much about its firepower. He played it too safe with its lance of lights and I easily broke through.
Now we're in for the third and probably last scenario of this series, which is gonna be way larger. Two lances of his mercs are pushing through a star of my clanners, escorting a Combine Tai-sa and his bodyguard. There's also a couple of support fighters to help them. It's gonna be fun! We will try the new simplified aerospace rules provided by AS: Commander's edition, with no radar map. As usual enjoy!

[Daryk]

Good luck and have fun!  :)

[gwaedin]

I updated the file with the roster for the merc player and an AAR of our scenario.
Lorenzo tried hard to get past my units, and the need to comply with Zellbrigen limited my chances of thinning his ranks from the distance.
As I crippled a few units however (forcing them to retreat), and increased my firing options to deal with dishonorable mercenaries who were not behaving properly on the battlefield, I managed to eliminate several 'Mechs. I lost a point of Elementals and could not stop the two Kuritan units, but in the end it was a decisive victory for the Jaguars. The fight ended when my Shadow Cat B challenged the last remaining opponent, a MAD-3M, which politely (and wisely) declined. The key to victory was taking advantage of higher TMM, good terrain, range and the rain to survive a large number of almost impossible shots, while my units slowly but consistently damaged the less mobile IS 'Mechs. Which is probably what a savvy outnumbered Star Captain should do, anyway.

[Daryk]

Kiting is totally honorable if you have the ability to do that... ;)