1st Annual Amaris Invitational Warcrime Challenge

[mitchberthelson]

So, having read all of the "rolling warcrime," "walking warcrime" and "crawling warcrime" articles in the Fan Articles section, I have a challenge for the likes of Weirdo, chanman, et. al....

What's the most warcrime potential that you guys can get out of 40,000 BV worth of Amaris ground units circa the Amaris Coup? I'm going to be running a Liberation of Terra game soon and if the canon events work out right for me to slip this in, I'll need a thoroughly hateable opfor for a battle in downtown Seoul near the climax of the campaign (with 2NE1 and Bigbang in the background for twisted irony, of course). :)

[Scotty]

40,000 BV?  Mother of God.

This isn't just warcrimes.  This is going to be warfelonies.  And then some. ;D

[Weirdo]

40,000 BV?

How are we measuring this? My first idea is 38,000 BV worth of small children in little electric cars, each equipped with a little button with a piece of candy taped to it. Each button is wired to a field Arrow IV battery. None of the missiles will be conventional rounds. Those with lightly taped candy will be Davy Crockett nuclear warheads. Those with a bit more robust tape will have chemical warheads, coughing agents to make nuke survivors breathe in fallout, and blister agents to follow up the burns. The missiles with duct taped candy will be bioweapons, the slow virulent kind, to finish off any survivors and resque workers. Finally, about 2,000 BV wil be spent on an orbiting laser platform, to make sure the kids don't get away.

[mitchberthelson]

40,000 BV?  Mother of God.

This isn't just warcrimes.  This is going to be warfelonies.  And then some. ;D

40,000 last time I checked was the number I saw for decently experienced companies. I understand that vehicles and inf will be involved, so that will balloon. :)

For clarification, I will be running this using Battleforce or Quickstrike, so epic scale is OK.

Looking for ground combat units that can unleash horror on civilians and at the same time pose a non-ignorable threat to a PC company in Royal battlemechs. WMD are not an option, but anything else you can think of is cool.

[mitchberthelson]

40,000 BV?

How are we measuring this? My first idea is 38,000 BV worth of small children in little electric cars, each equipped with a little button with a piece of candy taped to it. Each button is wired to a field Arrow IV battery. None of the missiles will be conventional rounds. Those with lightly taped candy will be Davy Crockett nuclear warheads. Those with a bit more robust tape will have chemical warheads, coughing agents to make nuke survivors breathe in fallout, and blister agents to follow up the burns. The missiles with duct taped candy will be bioweapons, the slow virulent kind, to finish off any survivors and resque workers. Finally, about 2,000 BV wil be spent on an orbiting laser platform, to make sure the kids don't get away.

Sorry for lack of clarity Weirdo....from an earlier reply so that it pings on your notifications:

"For clarification, I will be running this using Battleforce or Quickstrike, so epic scale is OK.

Looking for ground combat units that can unleash horror on civilians and at the same time pose a non-ignorable threat to a PC company in Royal battlemechs. WMD are not an option, but anything else you can think of is cool."

I'm anticipating use of the Ignis, Whitworth, and maybe Rampage, but anything especially twisted you have up your sleeve would be desired.

Sorry again for the screwup on the parameters.

[Hersh67]

Weirdo, that reply sounded positively Falchion-like...   >:D

[Farsight]

Ground only means you can't break article 2 of the Ares Convention and articles 3 & 4 deal with out of battle stuff. Article 6 is on bio chemical warfare and I don't know of any weapons that can take advantage of that. That leaves you with articles 1 and 5.

Article 1 is on the use weapons of mass destruction. You said no WMD but the Ares Conventions consider even tear gas an WMD so load up on tear gas SRM's. Strangely enough it only counts as breaking the Ares Conventions if you shoot enemy troops with the gas.

Artice 5 is Urban Warfare Restrictions. That's an easy one to break. You just need to blow up as much of down town Seoul as you can. Take a bunch of Helepolis artillery battlemechs loaded with lots of cluster and incendiary rounds. Set everything on fire and then as civilans run from their homes cut them down with cluster munitions.

[Sir Chaos]

Article 6 is on bio chemical warfare and I don't know of any weapons that can take advantage of that.

Get creative. Dump heat sink coolant or something into the water supplies. IIRC fluff says that the lower-tech coolants used in cooling vests are poisonous if they get into a wound, so it stands to reason that coolants could also be poisonous if ingested. Maybe some type of vehicle flamer ammo might work as well.


That said, make sure your units pack flamers and machine guns, for easier massacring of unarmed civilians.

[mitchberthelson]

Ground only means you can't break article 2 of the Ares Convention and articles 3 & 4 deal with out of battle stuff. Article 6 is on bio chemical warfare and I don't know of any weapons that can take advantage of that. That leaves you with articles 1 and 5.

Article 1 is on the use weapons of mass destruction. You said no WMD but the Ares Conventions consider even tear gas an WMD so load up on tear gas SRM's. Strangely enough it only counts as breaking the Ares Conventions if you shoot enemy troops with the gas.

Artice 5 is Urban Warfare Restrictions. That's an easy one to break. You just need to blow up as much of down town Seoul as you can. Take a bunch of Helepolis artillery battlemechs loaded with lots of cluster and incendiary rounds. Set everything on fire and then as civilans run from their homes cut them down with cluster munitions.

Forgot about the Helepolis. That one could be fun. It would definitely be a good idea to pack in a mess of arty tubes a la the KPA. Might be good for deploying mines too and regular HE area effect is pretty good for "urban renewal."

[Weirdo]

Step 1: Paint all your gear in SLDF colors just before this fight. Step 2: Use artillery and/or LRM units to bombard a mix of explosive and chemical rounds on the outskirts of the city. Work your way slowly inward, driving the civilians into the center, concentrating them into a Mob. Surround the Mob on three sides, with the opening being toward the PC company. Two sides should consist of antipersonnel units like Firestarters, Ignii, even Stingers and Locusts will do. Their job is containment, to prevent the escape of civilians in those directions using fire and machine guns to sow fear, the occasional large energy weapon to really shock them, and Harpoon SRMs on anyone who seems to be thinking far too clearly. You third side is your main combat units, stuff like Rampages and various Hegemony stuff(I recommend anything with lots of heat sinks). When the Mob is concentrated and the PCs get near, drop a salvo of tear gas on the Mob to get them truly panicked, then send them over the edge with this: Light your own 'mechs on fire with infernos, and charge the crowd. The Mob will likely panic and frenzy at this point, running towards the PCs(who are in the same colors as your guys) and attacking them in rage and desperation to get away from the giant fire monsters. Follow the Mob in, and have fun. Bonus points for picking up civilians and throwing them at the faceplates of PC mechs.

[mitchberthelson]

Step 1: Paint all your gear in SLDF colors just before this fight. Step 2: Use artillery and/or LRM units to bombard a mix of explosive and chemical rounds on the outskirts of the city. Work your way slowly inward, driving the civilians into the center, concentrating them into a Mob. Surround the Mob on three sides, with the opening being toward the PC company. Two sides should consist of antipersonnel units like Firestarters, Ignii, even Stingers and Locusts will do. Their job is containment, to prevent the escape of civilians in those directions using fire and machine guns to sow fear, the occasional large energy weapon to really shock them, and Harpoon SRMs on anyone who seems to be thinking far too clearly. You third side is your main combat units, stuff like Rampages and various Hegemony stuff(I recommend anything with lots of heat sinks). When the Mob is concentrated and the PCs get near, drop a salvo of tear gas on the Mob to get them truly panicked, then send them over the edge with this: Light your own 'mechs on fire with infernos, and charge the crowd. The Mob will likely panic and frenzy at this point, running towards the PCs(who are in the same colors as your guys) and attacking them in rage and desperation to get away from the giant fire monsters. Follow the Mob in, and have fun. Bonus points for picking up civilians and throwing them at the faceplates of PC mechs.

Nice. Exactly what I was looking for. These are the sorts of desperate, even sicker, "warcrimes turned up to 11" tactics I imagine Republicans using when the liberators come knocking at the end.

I imagine that once the PC's and the mob mix, then Swarms/Cluster and FASCAM would make the situation even more fun. I'll probably have the bombardment units switch to those munitions when things get rolling.

[ANS Kamas P81]

What, 40,000 BV of SRM carriers with inferno rounds isn't enough?  (May the candles on your cake burn like cities in your wake~)

[Sabelkatten]

What, 40,000 BV of SRM carriers with inferno rounds isn't enough?  (May the candles on your cake burn like cities in your wake~)

[stupid]
 ;D

[Weirdo]

What, 40,000 BV of SRM carriers with inferno rounds isn't enough?  (May the candles on your cake burn like cities in your wake~)

I find that confronting PCs with horror isn't as traumatizing as forcing them to be part of the horror. I planned things out to force the SLDF unit to defend themselves from the mob, and probably have to stomp more than a few civvies themselves during their fight with the Rim Worlders.

As for just using infernos, I figure there might be some folks who don't have a deathly fear of fire, and might try to organise the crowd and get them to safety. Confronting them with a variety of threats lets you cripple that many more psyches at once. If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas or evil clown-suited infantry, I'd throw those phobias in there too.

[Fallen_Raven]

Feel free to knock buildings over where the mob can see it. Make sure they don't get any crazy ideas about taking cover or hiding.

[Go For The Throat]

As for just using infernos, I figure there might be some folks who don't have a deathly fear of fire, and might try to organise the crowd and get them to safety. Confronting them with a variety of threats lets you cripple that many more psyches at once. If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas or evil clown-suited infantry, I'd throw those phobias in there too.

My apologies for deviation from topic, but may I please have your permission to use this as part of my signature?

[mitchberthelson]

As for just using infernos, I figure there might be some folks who don't have a deathly fear of fire, and might try to organise the crowd and get them to safety. Confronting them with a variety of threats lets you cripple that many more psyches at once. If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas or evil clown-suited infantry, I'd throw those phobias in there too.

Amen...this is basically a headhunter attack on their collective sanity. The Republicans know they're done for and prefer to live on in their enemies' nightmares rather than go quietly. If I've done my job, the PC's will be sobbing every time they hear bubble pop or smell bulgogi on the grill. :) 

[worktroll]

If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas

Bees loaded with sea-krait venom no longer appeal?

W.

[Falchion]

Did someone say Falchion? I'm pretty sure someone said Falchion. 8) The trouble here isn't "Can we make it a war crime," it's "Can we make war crime seem somewhat serious while devolving straight into comic book villainy out of the 90s." And the answer is yes.

For purposes of narration, Amaris forces/GM actions will be spoken of in the second person perspective.

You use a large (A quarter or more of the city's population) group of civilians as part of your infantry's advances, screening for snipers, with children to search for mines. Among the civilians are going to be your infantry, forcing the SLDF to fire into the civilians to get at the soldiers. Throw some armor in with more civilians somehow attached to the armor (Large gobs of cyanoacrylate? Dunno, I'm not the guy out to commit war crimes here.) itself. You'll want to line the streets with the bodies of traitors swinging from the lamp posts, and the blood of their children running in the gutters. Bonus points for arranging them into parodies of religious symbols in front of places of worship that you have burned down previously as part of your purges. Further bonus points if they're still alive. Use human shields in large buildings to draw attention away from your actual vital defensive points. Rig said large buildings to collapse while SLDF forces are clearing them out to avoid further civilian casualties being dropped on them for having slaughtered human shields earlier. War is a group activity, why limit yourself to just involving your troops? Be inventive, I know for a fact I'm skipping over more than a few ideas since I'm sure the mods wouldn't like it.

Do this right, and by the end of the campaign, the SLDF will be cranky and demoralized enough to start doing war crimes to you. See? You're the victim here, not them!

The trick here isn't to use lots of BV, it's to use what you have creatively. Manei Domini are not nearly as frightening for PCs as compared to have to wade through a well-described abbatoir-on-the-street.

[ANS Kamas P81]

If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas or evil clown-suited infantry, I'd throw those phobias in there too.

HGRs firing containers of wasps...also, battle armor painted up like clowns.  I totally need to see this done.  Idly I wonder if it's possible to load up a fluid gun at a local butchery...

How about Catacopter VTOLs?

[Rim Worlder]

these aren't war crimes.


the biggest war crime would be if the Star League and SLDF forces got through it without having to kill at least one of their own civilians.  That would be a war crime.

The rest is just party entertainment, of which I heartily approve   >:D






p.s.  I might have a slight anti-Star League bias which surfaces from time to time.   }:)   O:-)

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The biggest warcrime I can think of?  Sending Justin Beber music videos over the HPG net. #P

[Diablo48]

Step 1: Paint all your gear in SLDF colors just before this fight. Step 2: Use artillery and/or LRM units to bombard a mix of explosive and chemical rounds on the outskirts of the city. Work your way slowly inward, driving the civilians into the center, concentrating them into a Mob. Surround the Mob on three sides, with the opening being toward the PC company. Two sides should consist of antipersonnel units like Firestarters, Ignii, even Stingers and Locusts will do. Their job is containment, to prevent the escape of civilians in those directions using fire and machine guns to sow fear, the occasional large energy weapon to really shock them, and Harpoon SRMs on anyone who seems to be thinking far too clearly. You third side is your main combat units, stuff like Rampages and various Hegemony stuff(I recommend anything with lots of heat sinks). When the Mob is concentrated and the PCs get near, drop a salvo of tear gas on the Mob to get them truly panicked, then send them over the edge with this: Light your own 'mechs on fire with infernos, and charge the crowd. The Mob will likely panic and frenzy at this point, running towards the PCs(who are in the same colors as your guys) and attacking them in rage and desperation to get away from the giant fire monsters. Follow the Mob in, and have fun. Bonus points for picking up civilians and throwing them at the faceplates of PC mechs.

For extra fun you can rig your 'Mechs up with SLDF IFFs so the players do not know if they are shooting at the enemies or each other.  Combine this with some creative use of double-blind rules and similar 'Mech selection and you will have a real party going on.

...You'll want to line the streets with the bodies of traitors swinging from the lamp posts, and the blood of their children running in the gutters....

Oh come on, it will be much more fun if you switch these two groups. >:D

Beyond that, the only real force selection factor I see is what has already been mentioned.  Bring lots of artillery, Flamers, Infernos, and make sure you ask yourself if random building demolition would be helpful before you shoot at actual combat units.

Edit: Also, it is very easy to attach live civilians to things.  Just bring lots of rope to tie them on and use the rules for mechanized BA to cover the performance of human shields with a modification of allowing weapons to fire because of how you tie them on.

[Kathil Uhlans]

As has been said before, it's not what you bring, it's how you use it.  There's plenty of lov-BV stuff with hideous possibilities.  Make sure to take plenty of weapons not normally seen on a battlefield.  Some suggestions:

Infernos (as has been stated above)

Swarm LRMs (Hot-Loaded too, they won't expect to see lances of Archers and Catapults attempting direct urban combat)

Go out of your way to kill pilots.  Use punches rather than kicks.

Unusual physical attacks.  Push their 'Mechs into burning buildings, minefields, quicksand,  Tactical Operations has a lot of options.

The Star League was the heyday of the IndustrialMech.  It shouldn't be too hard to inflate your force with low-BV SRM, AC, or RCL Mods.

Don't ignore the basics, like wrecking balls.  Fluid guns have essentially limitless options (I don't see why you couldn't fill one up at a local butchery.  Just use the paint ammo rules with a morale check attached.)

Following the above, the Heavy Industrial Equipment section is your best friend.  Fill Dumpers with infantry, bombs, rocks, or bodies.  Maybe have some 10-ton cargo containers made with weapon mounts for your LoaderMechs.  Use lift hoists to take hostage civilian vehicles.

If you have more than one player, use ECM to disrupt them.  Maybe they have to have LOS not interrupted by ECM (or a really good Comms roll) to talk to each other.  Gets even better when you use SLDF schemes too, so they have a hard time even with visuals.

Pull out some big, bad, experimental Amaris goodie they haven't seen before.  He was into one-shot wonders, maybe pull out a prototype Kraken/Behemoth, or some giant custom flamer-spammer with double heat sinks.  Use at least one Firestarter.

Make sure to have the Amaris troops taunt them, gloat over kills, threaten hostages, etc.  Maybe even give them a chance to rescue a couple, like take an aimed shot with their Gauss Rifle against the motionless Atlas holding the school bus hostage...then, on a fall direction roll of 1, the bus gets crushed anyway. >:D

[Rim Worlder]

assuming that there is a underground railway system still in existance, block all entrances/exits except for one.  use the one to fill with a highly volitile gas to as high a presure as possible and then ignite at leasure.  leave all of the normal civilian entrances open, I know some gas will escape but hopefully civilians will head for the underground in the hopes of escaping bombs, etc and assume that they will be safe there as the mechs cann't follow them.  also the civilian entrances will make pretty flame displays when you do ignite the gas.

[Diablo48]

assuming that there is a underground railway system still in existance, block all entrances/exits except for one.  use the one to fill with a highly volitile gas to as high a presure as possible and then ignite at leasure.  leave all of the normal civilian entrances open, I know some gas will escape but hopefully civilians will head for the underground in the hopes of escaping bombs, etc and assume that they will be safe there as the mechs cann't follow them.  also the civilian entrances will make pretty flame displays when you do ignite the gas.

You are better off bottling it up completely and using it to blow a huge chunk of the city after you loose control of it.  You will get plenty of civilians when the surviving buildings come crashing down in the aftermath, and their deaths will also be more obvious as they fall screaming into the inferno or have their bodies hurled through the air.  It also gives you the possibility of doing real damage to the enemy ground forces with the blast which is always a plus.

[StCptMara]

If there were game rules for artillery-delivered tarantulas or evil clown-suited infantry, I'd throw those phobias in there too.

While not the Tarantulas....can't you give an infantry unit the Distracting unit Quirk?

[Kathil Uhlans]

While not the Tarantulas....can't you give an infantry unit the Distracting unit Quirk?

I don't think the quirk rules are technically meant for infantry, but I don't see why not.  Maybe have them be Encumbered though, by the clown suit.



If you filled a skyscraper with gas, instead of a subway, you could get a really nice fuel-air explosion.

Couple of other things I thought of:

Use fire trucks as flamers, ambulances as ramming vehicles/bombs.

If you've got a crippled Amaris 'Mech, have him close with the SLDF troops while disabling all his heat sinks.  Make sure you use the TacOps Ammunition Explosion and Engine Explosion rules.

Use the Disguised Weapon Mount, or something similar, to represent older or weaker 'Mechs (including Industrials) disguised as more powerful designs, even if only one or two weapons actually work.

If the players have NPC allies, maybe have one or two of them respond in kind to the Amaris tactics.  Or give the players an on-call artillery battery...but are they willing to use it?

[mitchberthelson]

Thanks a lot folks for the responses on this thread.

Despite the thread title and the black humor/horrific juxtaposition that will be there for effect, I intend to deliver the most visceral gaming experience that I can in order to truly bring home the horrors of the Liberation. I've got a reputation among my gaming groups for forcing hard moral choices and confronting them with the "realities" of the dystopian madhouse that is the BT universe and you guys are helping me "turn it up to 11."

The assistance is appreciated.

[SCC]

Forgot about the Helepolis. That one could be fun. It would definitely be a good idea to pack in a mess of arty tubes a la the KPA. Might be good for deploying mines too and regular HE area effect is pretty good for "urban renewal."

The stock standard LRM Carrier devotes 30 tons to guns a 4 tons to ammo, you can fit 2 thumpers with 4 tons (80 rounds, total) into one instead of the LRM's, does not work so well for A IV