Greetings!
In this thread, I intend to go through the complete library of BattleTech fiction and scenarios in chronological order. I won't be covering sourcebooks or rulebooks - just the short stories, novel chapters, and scenarios that comprise the ground-level view of events in the Inner Sphere and beyond.
Entries will take the format of:
Date: (Month Day, Year)
Location: (Planet, when applicable)
Title: The story's name.
Author: Who wrote it.
Type: BattleCorps Story, Sourcebook Fiction, Scenario, Novel Chapter, etc.
Synopsis: A brief summary of the action
Notes: My thoughts on the story, the scenario, etc.
We begin at the dawn of the Age of War:
Date: January 14, 2366
Location: Lopez
Title: Rebirth
Author: Randall N. Bills
Type: Scenario (Northwind Highlanders)
Synopsis: The newly reformed First Kearny Highlanders launch a raid against the Oriente Hussars’ supply depots on Lopez, hoping to offset the Hussars’ technological superiority. The Hussars are field testing TechniCorp’s prototype PPCs.
Notes: This is the earliest scenario set in the BattleTech universe to date, predating the development of BattleMechs. The Highlanders field Karnovs packed with Laser Jump Infantry and J. Edgars for ground support. The defenders have Manticores and SRM Carriers.
At the time this scenario was written, these vehicles had been referred to in TROs as designs that had been in service for centuries, so it was a good effort at making an era-appropriate lineup. However, with the recent spate of products more fully fleshing out the Age of War, these vehicles have been shown to be anachronisms. PPCs didn't debut until 2460, the Manticore in 2660, the Karnov in 2901, the J. Edgar in the 2700s, and the SRM Carrier in 2440. Line Developer Herb Beas has stated that, given the conflicting data, the vehicles in this scenario and the stated motivation of field testing primitive PPC technology should not be taken as part of canonical BattleTech history.
A more period-accurate TO&E for the engagement would pit Torrent Heavy Bombers (the "IC" variant retrofitted for HALO paratrooper deployment) in place of the Karnovs and Randolph Support Vehicles for ground support in place of the J. Edgar hovercraft on the Capellan side, while the FWLM would field Kestrel MBTs in place of both the Manticores and SRM carriers.
Designed for the “Master Rules” ruleset, this scenario appears to be heavily slanted against the Highlanders under the later Total Warfare ruleset, due to the increased likelihood of motive system damage (particularly against hovercraft). The SRM-Carriers in particular, much more than the vaunted Manticores, prove ruinous against the J. Edgars, which have nothing that outranges the SRM Carriers. Even if most of the missile storm sent against the hovercraft misses, the few that connect are very likely to blow the hoverskirt, and the follow-up strikes against the slowed or immobilized unit will be terminal.
The terrain also works against the attackers. The woods on the maps surrounding the “CityTech” map would allow the defender to completely seal off that map with five strategically placed tanks (2 SRM carriers and 3 Manticores – since the LRMs and PPCs can cover the depots from the chokepoint), leaving the other four as a reserve around the depot buildings against the airborne Karnovs and infantry. Since all four depots can be placed on the CityTech map, the defender can concentrate their forces and have a good chance of obliterating the lightly armed VTOLs and infantry before they could possibly inflict the 110 points of damage necessary to destroy all four depot buildings.
As a caveat – the infantry do have satchel charges that enable them to auto-destroy a building, given a full movement phase used to plant them. If the Hussars’ dice hate them early on, the Karnovs may be able to penetrate to the depot buildings and drop the infantry on the roofs. But if more than one Karnov is shot down en-route (with jump infantry aboard), it is unlikely that the Highlanders will be able to win the scenario on points.
With the period correct vehicles, infantry deployment gets easier with the Torrents (which are Conventional Fighters rather than slower VTOLs), but ground support is severely weakened, as the Randolphs are slower, more poorly armored, and minimally armed compared to the J. Edgars. The whole scenario then relies on getting the infantry onto the buildings and blowing them sky high (the Randolphs can also carry infantry, so you could two-track the assault with both airborne and ground prongs). The League Estevez platoon should concentrate on massing fire on the Torrents to try to take them out before they deploy their infantry onto the buildings. Cluster tightly around the buildings to be protected so you can machine gun any platoon that scatters during the drop before it can reach the target structure and set charges.