Mech suggestions needed!

[-Ice]

I'm planning to run some "tutorial" missions to get new players introduced to Alpha Strike.  I want to do some "training" scenarios like the old Intro Rules missions so I'm looking for recommendations for 1v1, 2v2, and 4v4 fights.  So for 1v1, I'm looking for 2 mechs that can be pit against each other for a fair fight, for 2v2, I'm looking for 4 mechs, and for 4v4, 8 mechs.  I have two Intro Box Sets so I basically have 2 of each of the intro mechs.

Thanks!

[Son of Kerenski]

You could make the same 2 mechs on each side in a 2 v 2 seeing you have 2 boxed sets. That way its even stevens.

[-Ice]

I could just run mirror matches, yeah.

[glitterboy2098]

i would say 1v1, use a pair of Grasshopper GHR-5H. fairly durable, and with decent firepower. they also can jump, so you can cover that aspect of movement. a good way to introduce the basics for play.

2v2 i'd say one catapult CPLT-C1 and one Jenner JN7-D on each side. Jenner's are lights and thus bring into play the issues of them being harder to hit, while Catapult's have the LRM special and Indirect fire, letting you explain some of the options with your attacks. Jenner's are also decent choices to spot for indirect fire, being both fast and durable.

4v4 i'd say both sides should have a Grasshopper GHR-5H, Catapult CPLT-C1, Jenner JN7-D. the 4th mech should be different.. one side gets a Panther PNT-9R, the other a COM-2D commando. with appropriate skill mods to the each side to balance out the points. this game is mainly about using what you learned in the earlier ones and applying it to a larger force.. and about learning how to handle an enemy that has different capabilities than your force.

[MattK]

I think Alpha Strike is much more than just Mech on Mech combat - be it 2v2, 4v4, ect. That is what regular Battletech is for.

You may not be adequately showing them the game until they see the synergy of Lances working together in a company - in my opinion. 

Now, admittedly I have not played AS long (25years in BT), but I play a LOT of miniature wargames  - 40k (sucks), Flames of War (was great in hey-day), and now great pickup games that rely on unit synergies a great deal like SAGA, WarMachine, Team Yankee - and numerous others on the historical side. 

Alpha Strike's Lance role rules are pretty unigue.  I really like them and there is another thread that summarized why, but that is what will make new players click! into liking Alpha strike.

This is what I would recommend - I have done this myself several times and will be doing this at Millennium Con19 down here in Texas in November.

Get 2 companies and 2-4 new players.  Give each a lance - Fire or Battle/ Striker and allow them to share a Recon lance since that Lance type is best screened out.  This will allow them to start using LRMs off each others recon mechs and they can start using the roles.  If just 2 players and they each get a company that will work out great.  There is plenty in the 2 box set of yours to make a couple 400pt companies, but try to do it with just 2-3 mech types per lance. 

I run two companies that look like the below - they use mechs that are flavorful of the two Houses below and will give any new player a feel for using all mech classes, indirect fire rules, can be used with BI rules, ect.

You can finagle skills and models to get them min/maxed up to 400pts, or make them like the 2nd/5th SoL at 450pts

Kurita (Sword of Light from CM:K) -

Battle Lance
2x Panther
2x Hunchbacks

Recon
2x Dragon
2x Jenner

Fire Lance
2x Catapults
1x Whitworth
1x Cyclops (Company CO) (or use a Grasshopper cause it is much more Sword of Light'ish)

Then I make a Company Using mostly Davion Mechs - I call it Deneb Light Cav., but Crucis Lancers, Robinson Rangers, whatever will work...

Battle:
2x JagerMech
2x Enforcer

Recon:
2x Spider
2x Trebuchets

Fire Lance
2x Dervish
1x Cyclops
1x Battlemaster (Company CO)

This is actually not the companies as they sit today, cause I have about 400+ mostly plastic Mechs from all the boxes and the RoboTech Tactics unseen.  But I have training companies like this for every house and some Mercs, too.

[-Ice]

Thanks for the suggestions!!  I think I'll try glitterboy's suggestion first, as we're new to the game and I'm playing with a couple of young boys.  If it were other guys my age, things would be different but the BattleTech scene in my local area is non-existent. :(

[MattK]

Thanks for the suggestions!!  I think I'll try glitterboy's suggestion first, as we're new to the game and I'm playing with a couple of young boys.  If it were other guys my age, things would be different but the BattleTech scene in my local area is non-existent. :(

Great - good to get them started when young.  My oldest son is 20 and then I have a 10 and 12 year old son and daughter.  We started with just 2 mechs each player in a Lance vs Lance action and pretty much just your the Quick Start Alpha Strike free download.  But, that went by pretty quick and the kiddos (I teamed up with my daughter against the boys) picked it up pretty well since the shooting and movement modifiers are pretty easy to calculate.

Then the next game we did company vs company action.  It took us 2 hours to complete that one - but the terrain and action kept their interest.

Make sure to get them interested in the painting side of the hobby - you'd be surprised at how fast they pick up on the artistic side of miniatures - lot quicker than us.  My oldest son paints as a 2nd job between studies and can out paint me on every level or game.

But somehow it was I that taught him everything he knows about painting?

[Col.Hengist]

Are they TW battletech players and this is just an intro to AS or are they totally new? If they're totally new start with a light Mech each, then a medium each on up. Then, once they have that do lance on lance with 1 mech from each weight class.

[iamfanboy]

I recommend a lance-sized game and give a mission briefing to each side to reinforce the universe of Battletech - nothing big, just a paragraph or two.

Here's one I made a while ago, nice and simple.

SCENARIO 1: HOT LZ
"I'm tired of idiots saying any landing you walk away from is a good landing! What
happens if you're half a damn planet away from where you're supposed to be, huh?"
- Lt. Benjamin Belleci
FEDERATED SUNS BRIEFING: Though it isn't as bad as Belleci thinks it is, he's not far off. A Leopard-class DropShip got its coordinates wrong and discharged its cargo far from where it's supposed to be. Good news: an almost-undefended refinery nearby offers a chance for Belleci to cover himself with glory. Bad news: that 'almost' includes Chu-i Jeshika Byron and her lance.

VP CONDITION: Add to your VP total the PV of any of your units which move off the opponent side of the table.
UNITS
AWS-8Q Awesome, Lt. Benjamin Belleci (PV 39)
ZEU-6S Zeus, 'Handsome' Ansom Maddock (PV 34)
JM6-DD Jagermech, Carl Brutana (PV 27)
WTH-1 Whitworth, Anita Mencita

DRACONIS COMBINE BRIEFING: Curse that Tai-sa Hyneman! He assigned you to this kami-forsaken place so you would get no glory in the coming battle, and yet by an accident some Fedrats landed here - and he'll look like he saw it coming! However, you have a duty to the Dragon, and you will discharge it... and pretend every 'Mech you shoot at has Hyneman's face painted on it.

VP CONDITION: Double the VP of any unit killed by Chu-I Byron's Grasshopper.
GHR-5H Grasshopper, Chu-i Jeshika Byron (PV 39)
CPLT-C2 Catapult, Kevin Murphy (PV 34)
TBT-5N Trebuchet, Laura Tsukino
JR7-F Jenner, Ichigo Tsukino (PV 26)


No real roles, just relatively balanced and straight out of the introductory boxed set.

[-Ice]

Finally got the toner for the printer and printed and cut out these babies...







Here's the lance suggested by glitterboy but there's a 5-point difference between the two lances.  I wonder why the COM-2D suggestion?  The CLNT-2-3T comes in at 19 PV or the HER-2S is at 21 PV which are much closer points-wise.  The Commando has the SRM ability, the Clint can jump, and the Hermes II is tougher...

[-Ice]

The troops ready for training!   O0