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.