Okay, so game 1 is Shad vs Griffin. The map is randomly generated 2x2 sheets, mild elevations. We have a broad map with some light forest and low hills and minor dips with a river running through the central valley. Princess deploys in the North.
Princess sets up on L2 terrain, I set up behind a ravine opposing her.
Turn 1 Princess moves South and turns West to head to a narrow point in the crossing, ending in a pocket between L1 and L2 hills. I move North West towards a forested section of the valley and a thinner part of the river I can jump across.
Trun 2 sees Princess move further South West as I enter the dense woodland and move down the slope towards the river. Yet again, no firing.
Turn 3 sees me advance through the forest as Princess mounts the hills on the far side of the valley. No firing this turn but next turn we will be in range.
On Turn 4 I choose to hold my position, hidden in the woods as Princess closes and climbs atop the cliffs on the far side of the river. Next turn we will be in short range. My LRM's will suffer but im hoping to ride her down at point blank range.
Turn 5 sees Princess make a fateful blunder and jump the river. I instantly dash out in ambush, ensuring to stay within a forested hex. In the ensuing close in knifefight all of our shots miss, save my SRM-2 which impacts on her RT and LA. Princess tries for a savage kick, but misses whilst I throw my Shads left arm into a wild swing which connects with her Left Arm again, tearing off armour. Princess ends the turn 2 heat up.
Turn 6 sees Princess show a clear lack of close-in tactics or knowledge of her better Mech. She tries to flank me, but without the initiative ends up too close to be effective and the maelstrom of fire sees her Griffin ravaged by a Medium Laser hit on her RL and a SRM to her CT. This time the physical blows are reversed, but neither her punch nor my kick connect.
OH SHIDD. Turn 6 sees things goes south. Assuming Princess will continue her close in fetish I, losing the initiative, move to flank her. Instead she jumps away across the river and lands a lucky hit on my head, blowing through the armour! Im alive but barely.
And then on Turn 7 she.... Moves right back? I smash her with a volley of weapons fire, but only the SRM 2 hits, sending missiles into her LT and RT. Her motives soon become clear as she tries to punch me, but misses, whilst my own kick nearly strips her RL.
Turn 8 sees me lose the initiative and try to jump clear but Princess jumps in behind me. All I can bring to bare is my Medium Laser.... It misses but Princess does not fire!
Turn 9 and in desperation I charge Princess, but miss. Nothing happens this turn except a pair of fools flailing at one another and a PPC blast removing a passing pidgeon.
And on Turn 10 she jumps clear again, leaving me in the dust trying to catch up. My own shots miss, bar the ML that hits her LT.
Losing the Initiative on Turn 11 makes me worried so I jump back only for Princess to hold her ground... And bombard me with PPC and Missile fire, to no effect. My return fire lobs a cannon shell into her RA.
Turn 12 and Princess retakes to the woods, seeking cover. I close the range on foot and the two of us blaze away to no more than some light ecological damage.
And Princess runs in close... Turn 13 is odd. I hold my ground and fire, missing with all but my Laser which hits her RA whilst she vaporises a 200 year old oak with her PPC. We both kick, she misses but I smash my metal boot into her LL, damaging it.
On Turn 14 she stays still as I try to flank her. Her PPC again proves deadly to the local wildlife but my own fire is not too good either, throwing a laser burst into her LA and a missile each into her RA and LT.
Turn 15 and Princess tries to flee, but I pursue. Sadly my own fire does nothing but rile up the local wildlife and Princess likewise roasts a dear.
Turn 16 and I try to close, but Princess jumps behind me, thankfully missing with her PPC.
Turn 17 and we take positions either side of an inlet, gunslingers at 2 hexes. Gunslingers with all the accuracy of Imperial Stormtroopers....
And I lose the Initiative on Turn 18, jumping away... Princess is faster and jumps onto my flank. Only my ML hits, damaging her CT. Our fist-fu is weak though and no hits are scored.
Turn 19's fighting sees me on the run again, with Princess... Easily keeping close? In her Medium-Long range machine? Anyway, I miss all my shots.
Turn 20 and Princess kindly steps infront of me.... And apparently my pilots head is still spinning because she misses shots on TN5. Or perhaps I was just saving all my RNG powers for the melee phase because HOLY SHIDD SHE GOT EBINNED! From my small gully I easily evade her kick and throw a punch that hits like the fist of the north star! Princess's LL is damaged, and it is just enough to throw her off balance. She stumbles, she falls and her RL is torn off!
Turn 21 and it is now just a curbstom. I stand there and pour fire into her downed chassis, smashing the other leg and destroying its lower acuator and landing an SRM on her CT and punching her LA open.
Aaannndddd then Princess ejects! The battle is over and the Shadowhawk is the clear winner! Well, not quite.
Princess really failed to use the terrain or her machine well and on several occasions repeatedly closed the range with my machine, letting me use my superior in-close capabilities and really hammer her. Still, in the one instance she showed any real sense she nearly headcapped me.... In all honesty if she had stayed on the far side and harassed me as I moved for the crossing point things would have gone a lot worse for me as I would have been badly ravaged by the time I finally closed in, headshots or not. I feel another player would have devastated my old machine before I could get in close and rip them asunder, but Princess failed to use her machine well. But, anyway, the Shad won. Imma go sleep now so the Wolverine fight will be had tomorrow.