Author Topic: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War  (Read 22705 times)

gwaedin

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Scenario 8: In the Claw of the Dragon
« Reply #90 on: 19 June 2024, 11:17:51 »
This time we have a big shot, no less than Duke Frederick Steiner himself, leading a suicide mission against Combine’s supplies on Dromini VI. The Commonwealth forces’ goal is to stop Kurita plans, aimed at invading a number of lightly defended Lyran worlds behind the front lines and bringing a fatal halt to LCAF offensive. Regardless of the outcome of Frederick’s action, the real objective of the Lyran attack are the six Combine JumpShips in the system. Their presence hidden to the Duke himself, Loki Agents take advantage of the ground battle to launch from one of the attacking LCAF ships and cross space in silvery life bubbles to reach the enemy Jumpships, armed with demolition packs. They sacrifice their life to sabotage the Kuritan vessels and stop cold the Combine offensive.
The scenario covers a small piece of the ground raid, with an assault lance led by Duke Frederick performing a combat drop amidst Kuritan defenders placed at the outskirts of the city of Kanashimi, where 5 ammunition bunkers are located.
In the previous Scenario 7, we felt that the victory conditions didn’t do justice to the importance of the objective. The reason lies in a difficulty of balancing: if you have forces ideally of equal strength, and you give access to extra points for one side with an easy-to-kill target, the scenario becomes imbalanced. On the other hand, if you take losses into account, what looks like the main objective of the mission becomes a secondary one. The perspective becomes that of a lost cause for the defender, who cannot really hope to avoid destruction of the “main” objective, but can still pull a win if the attacker’s losses are too high – that was the case for us.
This time I really wanted to play with conditions consistent with the importance of the target. In the original scenario, the Lyrans have a 9,500BV assault lance, with veteran ‘Mechwarriors; they face a heavy command lance and five other ‘Mechs from two different lances, for a total of 12,000 BV; close to a 75% BV ratio for the attacker. With the classic old victory conditions, assigned separately for the two sides, we have the attacker winning a Decisive Victory if all the bunkers are destroyed, and a marginal one if one or two survive. The defender instead must save those one or two bunkers and destroy all the attackers to obtain a Marginal Victory, which becomes a Decisive Victory if only two or fewer bunkers are destroyed. Not liking this sort of entangled conditions, we modified those so that the attacker scores half the usual points for each kill (therefore only the modified BV value, not twice), and loses points normally. Additionally, each destroyed bunker is worth to the attacker 50% of the initial total defender’s forces points (that would be 6,000 BV with the listed forces). The defender scores normally.
In this way the attacking side would still win a decisive victory by destroying all the bunkers (with 60 armor points each, or 6 CF in AS), provided it takes out three defending units before the assault lance is eliminated. If it does so with only two bunkers destroyed, it goes almost the opposite way.
Naturally, we adapted this to AS rules and my son Lorenzo also changed a little bit his lineup, replacing a Zeus with a Highlander. I shrinked my forces to account for our usual balancing. This is what the roster looks like:

Tenth Lyran Guards,  (LCAF)       

            
Regimental Command Lance   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod
Atlas AS7-D    Juggernaut   52   100   2   72
Highlander HGN-733P   Sniper   46   90   3   55
Awesome AWS-8Q    Sniper       39   80   3   47
STK-3F Stalker   Juggernaut   42   85   3   50

Legions of Vega, elements (DCMS)   
                
Command Lance (Reinforced)   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod

Grasshopper GHR-5H    Skirmisher   37   70   4   37
Dragon DRG-1N   Skirmisher   32   60   4   32
Panther PNT-9R   Brawler   19   35   4   19
STK-3F Stalker   Juggernaut   42   85   4   42
Awesome AWS-8Q    Sniper   39   80   4   39
« Last Edit: 04 July 2024, 16:36:12 by gwaedin »

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #91 on: 19 June 2024, 11:28:31 »
Hmmm... I think my money's on Frederick... :)

gwaedin

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #92 on: 19 June 2024, 12:32:56 »
Historically, that's how it went... although still finished with a bullet in the head for him.

gwaedin

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AAR (T1-T4)
« Reply #93 on: 21 July 2024, 16:56:59 »
The Lyran lance drops west in the woodlands. The Stalker and the Awesome (which suffers minor damage during landing) on the north ridge, close to an isolated bunker; the Atlas and the Highlander to the south. The defending Kuritan units are mostly positioned east, and they immediately start moving towards the enemy. The fire lanes set by the enemy limit their ability to take effective firing positions, with the DCMS Awesome too far away. The dracs suffer minor damage and can do very little to stop the enemy, with the Lyran Awesome blowing up one bunker and two more damaged. Things look grim for the defenders.

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #94 on: 21 July 2024, 17:00:16 »
Wow... that went very quickly in Frederick's favor!

gwaedin

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« Reply #95 on: 23 July 2024, 03:23:40 »
The Kuritans concentrate fire on the opposing Awesome, at the same time suffering sparse hits spread over different ‘Mechs. Nevertheless, the 80-ton machine succeeds in destroying a second ammunition bunker. The Grasshopper jumps behind the Atlas and Highlander, but the latter easily shrugs off the damage. The Steiner forces relentlessly attack their objectives, with the Duke’s Atlas destroying a third bunker and the Awesome again taking out another before taking cover in the woods. The Lyran Stalker becomes the most exposed target for the DCMS ‘Mechs which strip off most of its armor, but a vicious return shot damages the Kuritan Awesome’s fire control systems. The Panther remains behind near the water, never able to cross the open and close in without becoming an easy target for the Atlas and Highlander. It fires a few PPC shots here and there from the distance, completely ineffective. With internal structure now exposed on several ‘Mechs, both sides begin to suffer critical damage: targeting systems, weapons and even the engine (the attacking Stalker). The Grasshopper jumps away from the heat of the battle and barely escapes behind a ridge as the last remaining patches of armor are destroyed. Meanwhile, the Kuritan Stalker maneuvers to have a clear LOS to the enemy Awesome: a powerful Alpha Strike blows away its target, although it brings the ‘Mech very close to emergency shutdown. This gives a brief pause to its counterpart, which stops firing and tries to maneuver behind firing cover offered by its two remaining companions. The Kuritans gang on it though, and after cooling down the Stalker again fires most of its weapons at the other STK-3F, which eventually falls under the Dragon’s finishing blow.
The battle reaches a stalemate: the Highlander and Atlas are outnumbered five to two, but they are almost untouched by the vicious fight which had its toll on the Kuritans. The DCMS units move to protect the last standing bunker. The Duke and his remaining lancemate desist, satisfied with the destruction of 80% of the objectives. In fact, the (suicide) mission is accomplished with a (marginal) victory for House Steiner.
We all know things are not going to end up very well for Duke Frederick, but sure he fought valiantly his last battle.
The final score is 241-194 in Lorenzo’s favor, and he closes up in the campaign in which my forces are leading 783-739 after eight scenarios. The Fourth Succession War is almost over...

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #96 on: 23 July 2024, 03:45:55 »
Victory is victory! :)

gwaedin

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Scenario 9: At the Gates of Hell
« Reply #97 on: 02 August 2024, 19:57:45 »
Last but one scenario in this series. The setting is the Tartarus Caldera on Crossing, with the final showdown between the decimated Wolf’s Dragoons and the outnumbering Kurita forces, belonging to the Eight Galedon Regulars. The scenario is a very simple Standup Fight, and takes place on a single Battletech map. It is a standoff between (originally) a Hoplite and a Wolfhound piloted by Dragoons Mechwarriors, whose combined skill and fury make them truly heroic warriors; and a regular heavy DCMS lance. Victory conditions assign a decisive victory to the side which wipes out the opponent, with the Dragoons having a chance of a marginal victory if they eliminate three enemy units. Dragoons’ forces amount to about 85% of the Kurita total BV.
This reminds me of the first scenarios Lorenzo and I played when I introduced him to Alpha Strike, in which we typically used a couple of ‘Mechs each. Lorenzo this time kept the original Dragoons units; I multiplied the 85% BV ratio for our usual balancing, ending up with two heavy ‘Mechs (the signature Kuritan Dragon and a Catapult) against his two. The main difference is the skill level, heroic vs. regular, which gives my opponent an advantage of 87-64 in terms of starting PV. We are keeping the usual PV-based scoring, with each side gaining twice PV for enemy units eliminated, and losing the PV value for its own losses.

Delta Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)                   
 
Provisional Lance (Short)   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod
Hoplite HOP-4B   Sniper   30   55   1   48
Wolfhound WLF-1    Striker   24   35   1   39

Eight Galedon Regulars (DCMS)       
   
        
Command Lance (Short)   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod
Dragon DRG-1N   Skirmisher   32   60   4   32
Catapult CPLT-C1   Missile Boat   32   65   4   32
« Last Edit: 14 August 2024, 12:39:54 by gwaedin »

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #98 on: 02 August 2024, 20:25:07 »
Not an easy match up... at Classic scale, it would be the Dragoons maneuvering for maximum TMMs constantly.

gwaedin

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #99 on: 03 August 2024, 08:41:47 »
Yep, in AS Lorenzo doesn't even need to do that, since the TMM is automatic. That, and the vastly superior marksmanship of his 'Mechs... I have a bad feeling about this. Never mess with the Dragoons... how long does it take for the Kuritans to learn that?  :rolleyes:

gwaedin

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« Reply #100 on: 21 August 2024, 16:58:17 »
The Wolf’s Dragoons take position in the lake at the center, with the two DCMS ‘Mechs attacking from opposite sides. They manage to inflict some serious damage to the Hoplite, initially avoiding much of the imprecise return fire. Then the Dragoons Mechwarriors begin to find their target regularly and force the Catapult to take cover. Yet, the pilot of the Dragon surprises the Wolfhound as the Kuritan ‘Mech dives in water and reemerges behind the enemy, wiping out most of its armor. However, the Hoplite nearby is ready to react and eliminates the threat with a clean PPC head shot. The Dragoons don’t have time to rejoice, however, since the Hoplite suffers the same fate following a shower of LRMs fired from the Catapult. It is now a duel between the Cat and the Wolfhound. The latter dives in water and the Catapult takes the opportunity to close the distance, patiently waiting in the woods next to the shore. When the Wolfhound makes its move, its pilot fully exploits her greater skill in the inevitable shootout, damaging the fire control system of the opponent. The Wolfhound suddenly becomes almost impossible to hit and the Catapult jumps into a recess in the hills, hoping for the Wolfhound to get close. When the Dragoon pilot realizes that the enemy will not face her in the open, it runs to the final assault. Even at close range the Kuritan Mechwarrior has only a slim chance of hitting: some weapons find their target, eating up small bit of internal structure but unable to stop the enemy. The Wolfhound first cripples and then finishes off the Catapult, as its last volleys of LRMs eventually hit the targeting system of the Dragoon machine… too late.
This has been a quick and interesting scenario. With a bit of luck initially I managed to soften up the Hoplite. Then my Dragon ended up in a very difficult position, but still managed to seriously damage the Wolfhound. Suddenly, a couple of lucky headshots halved our forces within one turn. I tried to keep the Wolfhound in check, but after a hit to the FC system Lorenzo did a good job, forcing the Catapult in a corner and grabbing a deserved (marginal) victory. One more scenario to go and we’re as close as ever, with Lorenzo leading 819-815 after nine battles.

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #101 on: 21 August 2024, 18:52:08 »
Close indeed!

gwaedin

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Scenario 10: Sic Semper Tyrannis
« Reply #102 on: 23 August 2024, 05:15:44 »
The final scenario replays the well-known battle outside Maximilian Liao’s palace, when a DropShip seized by Morgan Hasek-Davion and his First Kathil Uhlans raids the heart of the Capellan Confederation to rescue Justin Xiang Allard and Alexi Mallory. They face elite House Imarra troops, whose ‘Mechs have been freshly refitted with the experimental Triple Strength Myomer fibers stolen from a secret NAIS facility in scenario 5. Soon after the DropShip fires missiles releasing a thick cloud of green smoke, things start to get horrible for the Liao defenders.
The original BattlePack scenario was set on a face-down (i.e. blank) BattleTech map, which I find quite sad to play on. I believe the original intent was to have a mostly open battlefield, representing Sian Royal Spaceport, and the designers had to do with the two BattleTech maps and the Woodland one included in the BattlePack. I decided to replace the empty mapsheet with a City Ruins map, which already nicely played the role of Coventry’s spaceport at the beginning of a previous campaign.
The forces included a veteran Davion medium pursuit lance fighting against a Capellan regular lance, with a double pair of Cataphract and Blackjack. Interestingly, the Blackjack model is listed as the BJ-3 with double heat sinks. Later on, canon set the introduction date for the BJ-3 variant as 3042, with earlier prototypes from the St. Ives compact identified as the less advanced BJ-3X version. For balancing purposes, I still considered the BJ-3 present in the initial setup, which sees the attacking First Kathil Uhlans lance at 4,700BV and the opposing House Imarra lance at 5,600BV, with a 15% advantage for the defenders.
Lorenzo opted for a change in his roster, replacing an Enforcer and two Hatchetman with a Wolverine, a Mongoose and a Locust and keeping only the original Firestarter, for 115 PV total:

First Kathil Uhlans (AFFS)                   
Pursuit Lance   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod

Wolverine WVR-6R   Skirmisher   30   55   3   36
Mongoose MON-67   Striker   27   25   3   32
Locust LCT-3V   Scout   19   20   3   23
Firestarter FS9-H   Scout   20   35   3   24

There are a couple of special rules which really represent the twist for this scenario: Green Smoke and TSM.
Starting with TSM, it is assumed that the defending ‘Mechs are equipped with TSM. At the time the BattlePack was published, there were no rules covering Prototype TSM and therefore the Capellan units use those for regular TSM (which require overheat to work but also provide MP bonus in addition to extra physical damage). We decided to use those for Prototype TSM instead (TSMX), which in AS gives no point advantage. However, I recalculated the defender’s BV assuming it had TSM, and that would bring the total to 6,600BV for a 30% advantage. With our 8:5 balancing applied, this translates into a 98 PV force for my troops, which I obtained dropping one of the two BJ-3X:

House Imarra (CCAF)                   
Command Lance   Role   PV   Tons   Skill   PVmod

Cataphract CTF-2X   Brawler   35   70   4   35
Cataphract CTF-2X   Brawler   35   70   4   35
Blackjack BJ-3X   Brawler   28   55   4   28

The second special rule is related to the thick smoke curtain which engulfs the whole spaceport, causing a +2 modifier to all weapon attacks. More importantly, the green chemical compound is the same adopted by Anti-TSM warheads, with the effect of causing continuous damage to TSMx equipped units with exposed internal structure (or no armor in AS).

The original scenario was meant to last for 10 Turns, after which the attacking forces are supposed to have completed the extraction of their agent and leave. The usual complicated Victory conditions are based on the number of surviving units for the attacker (3 would give a Decisive Victory, 1 or 2 a Marginal Victory); for the defender, it is the number of units eliminated (4 for a Decisive Victory and 3 for a Marginal Victory). I modified them in what seems to me a more rational approach, considering the typical Extraction scenario: the defender scores point normally, while the attacker scores only half (i.e. the unmodified value) PV for enemy units which are destroyed, but also scores the PV for own units which successfully escape after the end of Turn 10 (they cannot leave the battlefield before).

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #103 on: 23 August 2024, 16:06:57 »
Sounds like it's going to be an interesting fight! :)

gwaedin

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The series finale
« Reply #104 on: 04 November 2024, 04:03:24 »
The Uhlans take position on the southern paved area, except for the Wolverine standing alone on the northern landing pad. Their confidence makes them vulnerable to the initial assault by the defenders, which catch them by surprise and engage the enemy lights at very close range. The prototype TSM does its job and one of the two Cataphracts crushes the Davion Mongoose, immediately restoring numerical balance. The other severely damages the Firestarter which however manages to escape, although the energy blasts coming from the Blackjack compromise its fire control system; the Capellan medium ‘Mech suffers only light damage in return.
The initial aggression loses momentum, and the swift reaction of the Uhlans forces House Imarra units to push back a little. The high maneuverability of the attackers, combined with the very poor visibility caused by the thick clouds of green smoke, negates the firepower advantage of the defenders. Their fire is ineffective at longer range, and while their shots miss the Wolverine repeatedly strike the Blackjack, disabling one of its PPC. Confused news about the vulnerability of exposed myomers to the green smoke begin to come from the radio; the pilot of the Blackjack, with very little armor left, wisely decides to try to put as much distance as possible between his machine and the enemy. While the Firestarter dances between the sparse trees to avoid a barrage of autocannon and laser shots, the Locust remains aggressive. It sneaks behind one of the two Cataphracts, discharging all its weapons on its back. When the Blackjack manages to flee, the Locust even goes head-to-head against the CTF-2X, dodging its salvos and stinging with its single medium laser. Everything changes moments before the rescue of the Fed agent is confirmed, when a Cataphract finally places the killing shot which disables the Firestarter. No reason for the Wolverine and Locust to stay there, but as they pull off the two remaining Imarra units fire everything they have at the 20-ton ‘Mech, heedless of the resulting heat surge. The Locust resists a first blast eating on its internal structure, but its fortune ceases to smile when a second, powerful shot stops its escape. Mission accomplished, but the Wolverine is the only ‘Mech returning home: a dear price to be payed, with no casualties inflicted on the Capellans defending this part of the Sian spaceport.
The scenario ends with a decisive victory for House Imarra, which also marks the closing of this wonderful 10-parts campaign. Its outcome has been incredibly uncertain so far, but my “bad guys” finally grab a win with a final score of 973-776. Going through the whole 4th Succession War was a lot of fun, a way to relive the events of the Warrior trilogy. Not sure what we’ll do next, but I’ll let you know!

Daryk

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Re: Battlepack - Fourth Succession War
« Reply #105 on: 04 November 2024, 04:29:58 »
Thanks for posting the whole campaign!  Glad you and your son had fun! :)