Last weekend two of my friends and I had lots to celebrate so we spent the weekend playing robots. Did a couple AS games and a huge classic game.
I remember seeing someone here talk about a battle they did at the actual launch of the clans, a rearguard effort to stop some clanners from breaking through. I wanted to do something similar. A quick Sarna search and I remembered/found Damian. So this is fluffed as the Ghost Bears returning in wave 2 to deal with the vile mercs. The deal was survive 3 minuites (18 turns) for the dropship to leave (or kill all the clanners and RTB and take that dropship out).
I brought all my plastic mechs and told my two friends to pick whatever mechs they wanted, and then showed them how to utilize the MUL and Sarna to pick out some variants. I told them 3 of each weight class for an even spread, and anything up to 3051. I think there were two units that were cutting it close (Wolfhound 2 was 3052 and Nighstar I dont think made a comeback by then, but eh close enough). Then they could upgrade one of each weight to 3/4 versus standard.
They picked...(~20k BV and almost all modern variants)
Wolfhound, Jenner*, Raven
Griffin*, Phoenix Hawk, Wolverine
Orion, Thunderbolt*, Warhammer
Nightstar*, Marauder II, Longbow
I took a regular elite (1/2) clan star
Executioner A
Timber Wolf A
Stormcrow Prime
Shadow Cat B
Adder B
Turns out I had about 4k BV more, but we already printed sheets. I should have let them bump another few mechs up to 3/4 in hindsight. I didnt want to take any more headcappers after I took the Timber Wolf A. So the other variants werent 100% killers, although at 1/2 they are still killers. 305 tons & 24k BV in 5 mechs versus 705 tons & 19.5-20k BV over 12 mechs.
We used 6 of the desert maps, the aero base set up. 2 wide by 3 long
Turn 1: Deployed onto the board, and then moved up. not much happened as no one was in range I deployed pretty heavy on my right, leaving the stormcrow alone on the left to solo 5 mechs :-X
Turn 2: I am pretty sure this is the turn 2 picture...moved up and took some long range shots on the Wolverine and Wolfhound, knocking the Wolfhound down. In the center the Griffin got hit. On the left I think the Stormcrow shot at the Jenner. I was able to avoid most return fire, and some of the shots that did hit were saved by partial cover.
Turn 3: More maneuvering, the Timber Wolf ends up further right. The Adder I think falls back. More damage into the Wolfhound and Wolverine. Limited damage to clans
Turn 4: Move up super agressive with the Mad Cat, relying on range and the slower speeds of the IS mechs to force runs and poor hit numbers. Headshot the Phoenix Hawk with the Timber Wolf. Switch focus to the Wolverine and knock it down by ripping off its leg. Adder is just annoying and takes some heavy return fire. Stormcrow is pretty well protected from fire by the level 2 rise, so he twists and works on the Jenner.
Turn 5: Wolfhound still survives because I cant put damage in the same place. Raven loses a side torso and is destroyed. Adder takes a head hit from the Griffins LRM cluster, and falls asleep (3+ :-[). Jenner dies to Stormcrow (I think ammo explosion), but combined fire put some serious damage on him. Wolverine punches out. Longbow finally gets into some action
Turn 6: Longbow dies to another Timber Wolf headshot. Adder wakes up at the end, luckily falling down saved him from a ton of follow up shots. Bits and pieces of damage on all of the clanner mechs.
I dont have very many notes/good memories of the next few turns, but I manage to roll up my right flank and force the Thunderbolt to punch out. The Timber Wolf gets behind the Nightstar to finish it off as well. Griffin is lost due to an ammo explosion. Stormcrow took a beating; two engine hits a couple missing heatsinks and 10 structure left between all 3 torsos, So he decides to pull out.
Turn 13...
Last turn its a beat up Warhammer with a sensor crit and a pretty good shape Marauder II versus beat up Timber Wolf, beat up Executioner and a 50% Shadow Cat. In a desperate attempt to salavage the situation the Marauder II calls out the Timber Wolf. The battle has gone on for a while so I say, 'anything but (double ones) and hell accept the challenge.' roll and its not double ones so he takes the challenge.
We switch up the firing order for some more drama. Warhammer, Executioner, Shadow Cat, then MAD II and Timber Wolf.
Warhammer shoots on silly numbers his one remaning PPC and hits the Executioner in the head, 9 to confirm and 3 to hit the cockpit. Executioner and Shadow Cat combine to rip both side torsos and one leg off the Warhammer, with a gyro crit to boot. Warhammer was combat ineffective now, and the Shadow Cat could easily finish the effectively immobile target next turn.
Marauder II fires and beats the Timber Wolf to hell and back. I think a Gauss, one PPC and a medium laser all hit. Timber Wolf ends up losing his left torso and the rest of his armor is at well less than 50% after that, but no kill. Although that does bring up 2 engine hits. In return he fires an AS of everything he had left, both PPCs, 2 MPL, the Streaks and the ER small of doom. Lots of damage onto the MAD II but not much serious. Until one of the streaks gets a TAC for a double gyro. MAD II falls down and is never getting back up. Clan mechs have enough firepower to finish the job on flailing mechs so we call it there.
The Warhammer and Marauder II pilots are taken as bondsmen.
130 seconds took ~8 hours to play out.
This was my friends second game of classic, third game overall (we had one AS game before this). Their first classic game was a 1v1 teaching game last year. All my BT experience is through MegaMek or in AS (aside from those same teaching games and a few more with my brother) so we all had a lot of fun learning.
In hindsight I had a big BV advantage could have probably added another 2-3 medium mechs and/or upgraded the IS skills another round. We also played it fast and loose with heat, although I dont think other than the last turns end phase it would have mattered much. I also forgot every fall you need to make a seatbelt pilot damage check.
This and the other AS games thoughout the weekend reaffirmed my friends choices to back the mercs KS
lots of fun and mechs.
Total IS casualties:
4 punchouts
2 ammo explosions
2 headshots
2 regular deaths
2 bondsmen taken
Clan Casualties:
1 headshot
1 side torso destroyed
2 crippled mechs
Shadow Cat ended up being fine
