Cull AARs

[Cull]

Thread for AARs of games I run for friends who mostly play Kill Team.

Scenario: Final Exam (modified)
Rules: Classic, Standard
Map: AGoAC Desert
Year: 3025
Restrictions: 80 tons/side

Nagelring Cadets
> Attrite OPFOR to 33%
> COM-2D Commando, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4
> SHD-2H Shadow Hawk, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4

OPFOR
> Do not allow cadets to attrite OPFOR to 33%
> UM-R60 UrbanMech, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4
> 2x Scorpion light tank, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4

Comments
I set this game up to start getting reps in with combined arms. Two of my friends played the cadets and ran one 'Mech each, while I played the OPFOR. Neither side knew what the other was bringing. I chose tonnage instead of BV for simplicity and because I wanted the OPFOR to be defeated easily without telegraphing that outcome. I picked up the hobby last year and have only had time for a handful of small, low-intensity games, so if anyone has suggestions or reads something in the summary below that indicates a bad rules adjudication, please comment.

Summary
OPFOR began the game in the northwest corner of the map where terrain was more level and provided some forested cover. The cadets decided to attack from the south (Commando) and east (Shadow Hawk). The Commando and UrbanMech were the first to trade fire, as the UrbanMech was the southmost unit. The Shadow Hawk initially attempted to engage the UrbanMech with LRMs from its long range band, but later chose to move in closer when this tactic proved ineffective. The Scorpions moved south to screen the Shadow Hawk's advance while supporting the UrbanMech with AC/5 fire. The Commando destroyed the UrbanMech's left torso as it closed, but it suffered a foot actuator crit from the UrbanMech's AC/10 followed by a gyro hit on a rear arc TAC from one of the Scorpions. Excess damage from the TAC resulted in a second crit on the gyro, rendering the Commando combat ineffective for the remainder of the game. The Shadow Hawk, now having closed to a more effective range, hit the UrbanMech with an alpha strike as the latter prepared to stomp on the fallen Commando, stripping what was left of its armor and coring it in a very cinematic sequence of events. The ensuing gunfight between the Shadow Hawk and the Scorpions left the Shadow Hawk mostly stripped of armor on its left side and both tanks struggling with motive damage. As we were preparing to cut it for the evening, the Shadow Hawk scored a crew killed crit on the same Scorpion that brought down the Commando, achieving the cadets' objective with no actual losses on their side.

[Cull]

Scenario: Trial by Fire (modified)
Rules: Classic, Standard
Map: Grasslands #1-3
Year: 3025
Restrictions: 130 tons/side

Mercenary Lance
> Escape hostile territory
> WVR-6R Wolverine, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4
> SHD-2H Shadow Hawk, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4
> LCT-1V Locust, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4

FWLM picket force
> Prevent escape of mercenary lance
> STG-3R Stinger, Gunnery 3, Piloting 4
> 2x Scorpion light tank, Gunnery 3, Driving 4
> LRM carrier, Gunnery 3, Driving 4

Comments
Like my previous game, this one used one of the AGoAC scenarios as a foundation and was intended to provide another rep with combined arms. In this case one of the two players participating was completely new to BattleTech, so he ran the Shadow Hawk for his first time out. Another player from my previous game also attended and ran the Wolverine and Locust. They had the option to include a Thunderbolt in their list, but went with numbers and mobility even though they had no advance knowledge of the scenario. I like the idea of tonnage as the key restriction in games, but I think I'm going to start using BV.

Summary
The FWLM tanks and LRM carrier began the game stationed along the road running through Grasslands #2, which was the center map piece. Off-map of Grasslands #3 was the downed Leopard that had been shuttling the mercenaries to the objective they were supposed to assault; off-map of Grasslands #1 was the safety of friendly lines. For this game, I decided it would be more cinematic if I held the Stinger back until all three mercenary 'Mechs crossed onto Grasslands #2. More on that later.

The mercenaries elected to divide their force with the Wolverine and Locust running up the north edge of the map and the Shadow Hawk doing the same on the south edge, inviting the Mariks to split fire between multiple lanes and targets. The Locust was the first to cross into the vehicles' effective range and was punished for it, losing one of its machine guns early and most of its armor over the course of the game, but avoiding a crit every time a shot went internal. One Scorpion driver beefed his PSR getting into position and skidded on the first turn, setting off a chain of events and motive hits that turned him into a fixed artillery piece and then a burned-out wreck once the Wolverine got in close. The Wolverine and Locust advanced more quickly than the Shadow Hawk, compelling the LRM carrier to turn and reverse south to keep them in its forward arc and at a safe distance. A timely immobilization of the LRM carrier allowed both northern BattleMechs to escape its forward arc after several turns, leaving only the late-arriving Stinger standing between them and safety on the far edge of Grasslands #1. The Stinger performed some very impressive anime mecha acrobatics to get into their rear and side arcs, but failed to score a single hit with its weapons during the three turns it was in range to shoot, demonstrating why that particular MechWarrior was assigned to picket duty instead of defending the mercenaries' original objective. Given the BV disparity I'm doubtful the Stinger could have done much to change the game had it been in play earlier.

We had to cut it early due to player time commitments, but we rolled 1d6 to determine the narrative outcome, with odds meaning all three mercenary BattleMechs escaped hostile territory, and evens meaning one of them did not make it. The result was 6. In terms of actual gameplay, the mercenaries suffered no losses and tallied two vehicle kills, the unlucky Scorpion and the LRM carrier that was plinked by the Wolverine not long after being immobilized.