I have a game in a campaign next weekend and I think I have a good strategy but I am not sure how much fun it might be for my opponent.
Hmm. Well, one of my old opponents would smile and house rules-lawyer me to death, and I see the opportunity to do the same thing here. While I'm one of the "fair game" opponents, this is a terrible situation, feelings and relationships damaged any way you want to look at it. If you absolutely have to, I'd say warn him in advance, then suggest he not let his enthusiasm for 'Heavy Metal' dominate his style of play.
If you have to, I'd point out his limited movement means only the Hellstar is able to break 50 kph, and direct fire weapons mean this is a quick way to earn some assault mechs for your company. Frankly, I'd blame the GM, but I have a couple options, too;
1. use the standard indirect fire options and accept you will probably lay out one, MAYBE two, and hope for salvage before surrendering the field in good order. (I can't remember, but assume you can remain on the defensive and force him to assume the risk of attacking.)
2. use Paul's option and surround him with physicals. In canon fluff, it was tried with stingers and wasps by a CC commander, but failed. (Sorry, can't remember who or reference.) Not really an option for mercs who want to AVOID casualties, and I see that while you have better ground speed, you lack JJs for the majority of your force. If you choose mountain terrain, look for the one backed up to a steep cliff, and sacrifice one to make a push attack and make him risk falling off the cliff.
3. use terrain. So it's time to get rules-lawyer-ish. Use fire, smoke, water, and space rules. Use double-blind rules; opportunities to find him and remain hidden favor you. And if he's like lots of other direct-fire players, he went for gunnery over piloting. Force piloting rolls, get him to damage himself for you. Look into making craters; what happens when you attack the hex with 40 damage or better? If you make a crater, does it force a PSR, can it flood his hex with water (or make it 'Mud'), or collapse the cliff he's on?
Mountains are good to limit his mobility and path availability, but water might be better for your situation. First, choose river delta, and force piloting rolls (It's been so long since I played; can't remember if RD is depth 0 water, if you need -1 or deeper for Piloting, or if it causes +1 to movement.). Ask for the optional 'Mud' terrain option; it should help, from what I can remember. Second, check if you can lay mines underwater. (It sucks, but if you can, that's it. Flood him; game over.) Set fires to block LOS, then mine his path. Bait it with a LAM, if you must, and trust movement modifiers, terrain, and smoke to try to live through the round. Third, go for an underwater engagement with LR Torpedos in the tubes. (If you can't lay mines, this is the next best. Flood him while staying out of energy range; game over.)
If not, and I see Arbalasts don't have JJs, try space or lunar terrain. No hiding, trust your diffused firepower to cause blowouts (Can't remember the term, or the rules on blowouts very well, sorry. Not sure if this is a legitimate option, you'd have to check.) fast enough to save something.
Or, use the heavy jungle map - none of them can move fast through it, none of them can fire through it, and fire will turn most of those ER-PPCs into useless paperweights. Smoke will probably save you units by blocking LOS. If you can, smoke HIM to close, nothing says you can't have one unit in the center of the map lobbing smoke rounds. FASCAM the ground around him. The Gauss you will just have to hope misses often.
Truthfully, I never liked Arbalasts, and my campaign days are long ago, but I would prefer to have taken a vehicle/infantry force knowing his preferences and done my best to remind him they invented those less-effective MGs and missiles to prevent situations like this. Try to get the GM to agree to ending the game early to avoid hurt feelings, maybe take the opposing NPCs into the company. Choosing this kind of force repeatedly is the same as winking at your opponent every time you bluff while playing poker. Nothing good will come of this kind of mismatch.
