ATB Starting SMall?

[Caplin]

Hi ALl,

I'm really curious to get into an Against the Bot campaign now that some of the MegaMek blind accessibility is looking up. I'd appreciate some thoughts on how small I can take things and still be viable.

I'm a newbie to the universe so find managing a company a bit overwhelming. Is it possible to just start with a lance of mechs and gradually build outward?

One of the things I'd love to try and do is inject a little bit of role-playing style flavor into the unit I run, and I feel like with a company initially it's a little harder to get invested in any of the commanders because they're all basically a name I don't know much about.

I'm curious how other folks have addressed this issue. I was told on the BT Discord server that ATB scales its enemy deployments to  the player's forces, and would love to know more about this.

Thanks for any insight you can offer :)

[Ragnaphael]

I always start small. Just start with 3 or 4 mechs, some techs, a doctor and 2 admins. Take some supplies, a contract and you're off. I always custom build my mech warriors for the same reason you want to, being more invested.

[Kovax]

Current campaign started with 5M C-bills and a literal handful of GM-added people (mostly Regulars), plus one Veteran (MW/Admin) to lead it, then bought everything else from there.  First contract was taken with just a slightly used FS-9H and a couple of cheap light vehicles.

Started a previous campaign with a Locust and three light hovercraft.  That took a few reloads to get past the first combat mission.

In an earlier version of MekHQ, it allowed "Ultra-Light" lances under around 80 tons.  I did one start with a lance of light vehicles totaling under 1M.  I can't pull that off now in the newer versions.

[Ogra_Chief]

My campaign is very story driven, and usually add as many blurbs/fluff wherever possible. I try to keep them short and concise but convey what is going on in the story currently. So, my contract inputs look like this; situational awareness and after-action-report (AAR):

Planetary Invasion:
The 13R seeking a respite from the constant action that had defined the unit; Maj. Pain accepted a garrison contract in FWL territory. The world of Oriente was expected to be a welcome respite, until House Liao (CapCon) showed up with different ideas.

An unknown Liao (CapCon) formation, Ido's Legionnaires (CCAF), leads a number of smaller units onto Oriente: 57th Armor (CCAF), 101st Mechanized (CCAF), Zazu’s Armored Horde (Merc), and Jun’s Horde (Merc).

AAR:
Ended: Wed., Aug. 1, 3032
The final engagement between the 13R and CapCon forces ends in the defeat of the Ido Legionnaires who begin their withdraw from FWLM frontlines. A few days later, terms are offered by the defending Marik commander, and Capellan forces board their dropships thereafter; departing Oriente.

The attached FWLM liaison officer thereafter informs the 13R their services will no longer be needed. When Major Pain counters that the original terms of the (Garrison) contract were not set to end for two more years, he is informed new terms will be negotiated, as the FWLM has need of the unit’s services elsewhere if he so chooses. However, the unit is welcome to use Oriente’s extensive manufactorum base to rest and refit due to their excellent service while the unit decides. Meanwhile the Fourth Succession War begins to wind down.

After every battle I make sure to fill out my AAR’s, which allows me to go back and piece together what was happening, such as:

AAR:
Skirmish 1, S/1S, is vectored to intercept a mixed CapCon (Ido Legionnaires) battlegroup (augmented company) of mechs and armor attempting to break-thru the Marik frontline using New Pantene’s motorways, resulting in a tight city engagement. Although the CapCon force pushes thru, the force is severely damaged, resulting in their eventual retreat from responding FWLM forces. This marks the final engagement for the 13R against the retreating CapCon forces. A few days later, terms are offered by the defending Marik commander, and Capellan forces board their dropships thereafter; departing Oriente.

My goal is to compile a unit dossier/source book when all is said and done. So, I keep a running Word document broken out by campaign and era. Portions of these blurbs make it into my characters biographies as well. I love to go back and reading my unit’s exploits. I’m such a homer.

[Caplin]

Thanks for the confirmation that this is a viable approach. :) I'm running into a problem of scale, it's very difficult to keep track of ~30 units if I can't see the map, but I'm at least hopeful that I'll be able to do this eventually.

[NickAragua]

Currently, to use AtB, you need a minimum of three mechs, and you're unlikely to see too many heavies or assaults in the opposing forces, but otherwise it should work fine.

[Kovax]

You only need a minimum of three "combat units", not necessarily 'Mechs, so two squads of infantry and a standard wheeled APC will work with the program, whether it's "legal" by AtB rules or not.  Just don't expect that kind of force to survive for long.

Opposition for a "Light" lance (130 tons or less) tends to range from a pathetic lance of light vehicles up to a Medium lance of 'Mechs (two heavies and two mediums counts as "medium" for the OPFOR, but would be a Heavy for the player), backed by a light lance, with a lance of vehicles coming in as reinforcements.  The first is almost embarrassingly easy, the latter is either an all-but-guaranteed loss or a reload.

The real challenge, to me, is starting out with a mere handful of people and some starting capital, and using the market to buy/hire whatever/whoever you can get, rather than having whatever 'Mechs and/or vehicles you want from the start.  That teaches you to work with what you've got, not just do the same thing all over again because it's familiar.

Incidentally, one FS9-H and a couple of light vehicles quickly became a GHR, PXH, FS, and LCT by the end of the first two contracts, with a Scimitar and/or Manticore occasionally taking the places of one or two of the 'Mechs.  I've got enough scrapped and repairable hulks to field at least another lance, if I can survive 'til the rest of the current contract without any source of replacement parts outside of salvage, and with a lot of unrepaired damage as a result.

[Schugger]

If you don't want to use the randomness provided by the AtB rules and Approach your campaign more from a storytelling aspect, you can absolutly do so. For instance you could create a Young, noble commander in charge of a Lance of seasoned and Veteran MechWarriors and a crack rated mechanic who by some wizadry always seem to mange to Keep your subpar BattleMechs combat ready.
As you develope your commander and his comander skills you can expand your mercenary Lance further by adding ASF, infantry and tanks.
It's your campaign!