Author Topic: [Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)  (Read 2656 times)

Eugee

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[Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)
« on: 25 August 2015, 13:27:20 »
AAR - First Alpha Strike Game (152 PV)
So I *finally* got to play my first game of Alpha Strike!  It was a very tiny game, both to test out our understanding of the rules/gameplay, as well as trying out Tabletop Simulator as a medium to play with remote friends.

Tabletop Simulator:  A "game" on Steam which provides a physics engine to play board/card games on.  It's pretty basic but you can import custom OBJ models and textures (PNG/JPG) to make your own mods.  As I've posted a couple screenshots in other threads--I've been making an Alpha Strike mod so I can play with my buddies I left back in Kansas City when I moved to Montana.

Maps:  I've made 23 of the maps from the Compilation Sets so far, the last one being Skyscraper (it looks awesome) but for this battle we just used 2 of the Battletech maps, with the elevation in the corners.  The scale of my maps is 2" from edge-to-edge on the hexes (about 2.3 point-to-point) which means the "look" of the elevation should match hexless play.


Optional Rules:  We were going to play just Basic Alpha Strike at first, but quickly noticed there's no rules for Heavy Woods, so we're using Advanced Terrain rules, as well as Forced Withdrawal (it seems a little stale without it), and obviously--hex conversion rules.  No SPAs or Formations though.

Forces:  My buddy really likes the Clans, and I hate them (okay hate is a strong word--but 3025 is the BT I grew up with), so we went with an early clan encounter.  I went with an IS battle lance (all primary variants of 3050U): Victor (3 skill), Zeus, Orion, Centurion


The clan force was 3 points:Mad Cat (3 skill), Thor (3 skill), Vulture (3 skill)

Both forces worked out to 152 PV (which is why the Victor is 3 skill).

Scenario: Stand-Up Fight
Didn't really see any need to get fancy just yet, this was supposed to be a battle lance cut off from their recon force (shredded by Clans) and suddenly engaged by foreign 'mechs.  We each picked a long edge and rolled for initiative!

Turn 1:
The IS forces took initiative to start, and we didn't really have a plan of attack, so we both just pushed up into woods and partial cover to feel things out.  I sent my Centurion on the far side to try and flank/spot for indirect fire, but it didn't really work out.

There wasn't a good shot with indirect fire at such range with movement so a couple direct fire shots were taken at spotters but nothing landed.


Turn 2:
The second turn clan took initiative, and both sides just creeped up to the next available cover, while the Centurion continues to flank.  The Orion scored hit on the Vulture, which returned the favor for twice the damage!  No other hits scored.


Turn 3:
Clan retains initiative, which is hurting since they already shoot better and move faster!  The Orion hugs the treeline it's been firing from, while the Zeus advances to the next cover (slowly) and the Victor jumps ahead into partial cover on the front face of the hills.  The Thor advances into the water, with the Mad Cat supporting his side, and the Vulture held the first treeline and keeps the Centurion in his firing arc.  The Mad Cat and Orion trade punches, and by trade punches I mean the Orion dinked the Mad Cat for 4, then took 6 damage (with OV1) up the poopshoot, destroyed!

Everyone else exchanges volleys, but no hits are scored--the Victor's jumping is ruining his ability to hit anything!


Turn 4:
So on top of losing a 'mech already, Clan retains initiative again!  I'm really struggling to maneuver here, and probably should have played it cautious, but the clans are not only higher skill, but faster movement brackets.  I decide to just get in and start doing some damage.  The Victor closes to short range with the Thor, while the Zeus backs him up at medium range.  The centurion closes in on the rear flank, out of most of the clan firing arcs.

My Victor misses an 8+ but the Zeus tags the Mad Cat for 4, stripping the rest of it's armor off.  The Centurion then makes a hail-mary long range shot, stripping away 2 internal from the Mad Cat, but fails to crit anything...

In retaliation, all three clanners focus fire the Victor and hit, putting a weapon crit on it before flat out destroying the lance leader.


Turn 5:
So down two 'mechs now, it's looking pretty bad for me.  I win initiative, so I guess that's something.
I push the Centurion deep into the flank now to force them to face to sides or eat rear arc fire.  The Vulture is accommodating and faces off.  Because the Zeus moves last I'm able to get him completely out of the Thor's firing arc, facing only the heavily damaged Mad Cat, which is falling back now, but keeps the Zeus in front of it.

The Vulture and Centurion trade fire (Vulture OV2) but only the Vulture hits, driving the Centurion down to 1 internal left and a weapon crit!

Then the Mad Cat and Zeus square off.  Both hit, peeling 5 armor off the Zeus, and destroying the Mad Cat in return.  I'm on the board!


Turn 7:
There was some hope here, not of a win, but maybe less of a loss--but it was dashed this turn.  Clan won initiative again, and I drop the Centurion back more, almost off the board now.  The Vulture, only able to take one more shot with all the heat he's building up, sits still and takes a careful bead on the Zeus--so I suicide rush the Vulture to get into short range, which is still enough damage to finish it off at least.  The Thor breaks off from that engagement, stomping after the Centurion to finish it off.

The Zeus and Vulture trade what should be deathblows, but I get a 6 (needed 7+) and promptly receive a 12 on the return shot.  The Zeus is a burning hulk on the ground, and the Vulture towers surpreme.


The Centurion throws a weak shot at the pursuing Thor ineffectively before eating a full barrage and going down as well.  The Clans win the day, though not without some wounds.  (Okay so the Thor never got a scratch.)


Final Thoughts:
Holy crap that was fun!  I don't know if I should have held back on the turns I lost initiative or not; I feel like huddling in cover on the edge of the map works out better for 3 skill pilots than the 4s, who rarely had a shot early off.  That 5+ movement was huge though, I was struggling to get a good firing solution on those relatively fast heavy 'mechs.  The first time my buddy said the MadCat did 6 with overheating I called him a liar (jokingly)!  It really sucked losing initiative so often, but all in all I didn't feel screwed by the dice.  Jumping really makes hitting difficult, so I think I should have only used it for spotting, and not taken a shot.

One thing we noticed after finishing is that the hex-rules say you don't count the attacker or defender's occupied terrain for to-hit modifiers!?  We applied the defender's hex, but not the attackers.  I guess I need to check the erratta on that.

Anyway, we had a great time, and now we're going to try a company/binary battle.  After that, campaign time!
« Last Edit: 25 August 2015, 13:29:25 by Eugee »

nckestrel

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Re: [Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)
« Reply #1 on: 25 August 2015, 15:30:12 »
Impressive work!  I can't believe all the little details, beyond even just the map :).

Occupied terrain does not count for Line of Sight.  The terrain you are standing in won't keep them from seeing you.
But defenders occupying terrain does count for to-hit modifiers (the to-hit modifiers table specifies target has intervening or occupies woods).


Alpha Strike Introduction resources
Left of Center blog - Nashira Campaign for A Game of Armored Combat, TP 3039 Vega Supplemental Record Sheets

Eugee

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Re: [Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)
« Reply #2 on: 25 August 2015, 17:15:32 »
Oooh, just LOS, I see, yeah I didn't read that right the first time.  Makes perfect sense.

nckestrel

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Re: [Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)
« Reply #3 on: 25 August 2015, 18:52:24 »
Note that I expect the attacker part to change as soon as I sort through some missing errata.  If the attacker occupies woods, it will also affect the to-hit rolls same as target occupy or intervening.
Alpha Strike Introduction resources
Left of Center blog - Nashira Campaign for A Game of Armored Combat, TP 3039 Vega Supplemental Record Sheets

Eugee

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Re: [Alpha Strike] First Game Ever (152 PV)
« Reply #4 on: 25 August 2015, 22:14:14 »
Yeah the 2.1 errata states that terrain you are in is intervening, while the hex-LOS rules exclude them solely for blocking LOS.  I don't see those as exclusive, so while the light forest I'm in won't block LOS, it will increase my to-Hit by +1, and that's good for giving a reason to LEAVE the forest if you're fast, while the TMM1 can stand still to counter the to-Hit but still have +1 to be hit.  (Or +2 in heavy, while only suffering +1.)

I like it.

 

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