Situation Late April, 3070. Solaris VII
"Irena's command put us between a rock and a hard place. I was hoping to be able to negotiate with the Solaris Home Defense League on my terms, but with the money in the coffers running out, I didn't have much choice but to take the first contract they offered me. June was able to help get me something a little more to my liking, but the contract barely paid enough to make ends meet and cover the repair costs from the mission. We ended up losing the Perseus, and I was lucky to recover my own 'Mech from the field after my ammunition cooked off. Tess and I have both been in the infirmary since then. I haven't seen or heard from June since I took this mission. After everything, you'd think she could come see me. Mel's been covering the admin work here while I'm laid up, and has been here almost daily to check in on me, and get my approval on things. At least someone seems to care." - Gabriel D'Vries.
Optional Rules:
Floating Criticals
Careful Stand
Ground Vehicle Hit Location Chart removes the Critical on an 8 and the possible motive Damage on a 9.
VTOL and Hover Lateral Slip
Mission Options:
Covering Fire
Tangled Woods
Forces:
Attacker
The Brotherhood of OutreachCO: Gabriel D'Vries (3/4) - Griffin GRF-3M
Tess Forrest (4/5) - Perseus
Perseus P1 "Brotherhood"(4/4) Patton (Precision Ammo)
(3/4) Bandit G
(4/5) IS Battle Armor (Laser)
(4/5) IS Battle Armor (Laser)
Defender
Word of Blake Allied Mercenary
(4/5) Battlemaster BLR-4S
(4/5) Enforcer III ENF-6G
(4/5) Fulcrum Heavy Hovertank
(4/5) Zephyr Hovertank
(4/5) Typhoon Urban Assault Vehicle (RAC)
(4/5) Rhino Fire Support Vehicle (SL)
Map Set-up
North Edge
[Inverse Woodlands][Open Terrain #2][Woodlands]
Defender Home Edge - "Northern"
Turn 1 - Initiative OpFor
Little movement on OpFor, Brotherhood approaches from edges. Fire phase results in smoke cover for all the vehicles. (Since trees are unavailable for them to move into, light trees were turned into heavy, and heavy trees into ultra-heavy.)
Turn 2 - Initiative OpFor
OpFor begins to spread out, as the Brotherhood approaches closer. Bandit disembarks a unit of battle armor towards the north end of the open terrain map, intending to use the smoke as cover of his own to advance towards the slower OpFor vehicles - but the Zephyr came up behind it to try and get an early motive damage. The Enforcer III engaging from the front, the hovertank ended up not being the primary target.
Fire from the Zephyr scratched paint on the Bandit, but caused no serious damage. The Rhino fired indirectly, and the Enforcer III direct fired at the Battle Armor. The Enforcer gets a single laser hit, but nothing to cause permanent damage.
Turn 3 - Initiative Brotherhood
Rhino moves as far away from the active battle armor as it can, after which the battle armor jumps into nearby ultra-heavy woods. The Griffin and Perseus move into firing range and line of sight. Typhoon moves into range and is shot at by both. Fulcrum retreats towards the northern edge, preventing it from being shot, but not getting a shot of its own. Enforcer moves into the heavy woods near the battle armor in an attempt to root them out. Bandit takes position in the smoke to unload the other battle armor squad. End of the phase, the Zephyr *tries* to tag the newly unleashed battle armor, but misses it by 1.
Firing phase sees the Griffin and Perseus firing at the Typhoon, with the Typhoon returning fire on the Griffin. Perseus misses on 8s and 10s. Griffin misses the PPC on a 7 and hits with nine missiles on a 10. Typhoon fires back and hits an 3 shot RAC5 on an 11. Battlemaster takes a single shot at the Perseus and misses. Patton is out of visual for any firing this turn. Battle armor exchanges fire with the Enforcer, while the Zephyr attempts to take a shot at it as well. The battle armor scores three laser hits from the suits and are completely unharmed by return fire.
Turn 4 - Initiative OpFor
Brotherhood forces started to consolidate in the southern side of the map, near where the OpFor initially deployed. Bandit used the smoke to approach the Zephyr at close range, without exposing itself to too much fire. OpFor engaged heavily.
Typhoon, Battlemaster targeted the Perseus with return fire on the Battlemaster. Battlemaster took a Gauss slug from the Perseus and a PPC from the Griffin. Perseus took a pair of mediums from the Battlemaster, and one from the Typhoon. Fulcrum fired at the Patton, who returned fire with a precision AC/10 shot, but also fired his LRM-5 onto the Battlmaster as a secondary target. Bandit and one squad of battle armor fired at the Zephyr, who fired back at the Bandit, with the Enforcer's help; Bandit took a gauss and a couple of medium laser hits, the Zepyhr took a medium laser and a couple of smalls. Last battle armor tried to fire at the Enforcer and missed. A kick and a punch were thrown, but nothing happened.
Turn 5 - Initiative OpFor
Battle armor moved aggressively, despite the loss of initiative this turn in order to continue to put pressure on the OpFor. The Zephyr pushed into the smoke to engage the northernmost battle armor, so the Bandit moved to knife fight in the smoke, to which the Enforcer responded. Perseus backed off to avoid too much exposure, and still maintain the ability to fight. OpFor's Battlemaster backed into some heavy trees in an attempt to keep the Griffin at bay, while the Patton fully exposed itself to bait his vehicles and keep them away from the Griffin to allow it to jump into the right arc of the Battlemaster, and hopefully put damage into his nearly opened right torso. The Fulcrum moved last and moved attempted to punish the Griffin for his attempt.
Fire this turn saw the Rhino and Patton Immobilized, thus forcing them to ditch their tanks due to forced withdrawal. Fire on the Griffin was enough to force a PSR, which it failed. And then took pilot damage in the fall. The Enforcer tried to kick the Bandit, but also fell on his rear.
Turn 6 - Initiative OpFor
Battle armor continue to be the iniative sink and manevuer to keep potential shots on the enemy. Enforcer moved back towards the trees on the south, opening himself to a battle armor squad, but giving himself a better chance with the Gauss Rifle on the Bandit. Perseus stayed where he was in order to take a better shot on the enemy, with the Zephyr and Bandit continuing their catfight outside of the smoke. Griffin carefully stood up to get standing back up, though it put him at risk for severe damage from the Typhoon and the Battlemaster.
Fulcrum and Typhoon fire on the Perseus, with one RAC jamming, and only a Streak 2 and two medium lasers. Perseus fired on the Battlemaster and hit with the HPPC and a single medium laser. Battlemaster gets a clean shot on the Griffin, and between the gauss and a medium laser, crits the ammo, even having expended three shots, it was still enough to remove the torso. Bandit rakes the Zephyr and halves it's movement, while taking little in retaliation.
Turn 7 - Initiative Brotherhood
Zephyr tried to bait the Bandit away from the rest of the fight, but the Bandit engaged anyways. The battle armor was now at the point where it was struggling to remain relevant in the fight, as things shifted away from them. The Perseus came off his vantage point top face the Battlemaster directly, with the Enforcer moving in for support.
Fire saw the battle armor immobilize the Typhoon, forcing its crew to abandon the vehicle. The Bandit shredded the rest of the Zephyr and destroyed it. A little fire was exchanged between the Perseus and the Battlemaster with the Enforcer's support, but nothing hurt the Perseus that badly, but neither was the Battlemaster that badly hurt. The Perseus did attempt to punch, and while it conncted, he did not hit the right torso he was hoping for.
Turn 8 - Initiative Brotherhood
The Fulcrum retreated into the smoke, but was close enough to the battle armor, that it jumped to engage at short range. The other battle armor jumped to be close to the Perseus and to threaten the Battlemaster's position. The Bandit also moved to engage the Fulcrum, hoping to remove the last of the most mobile OpFor units. The Battlemaster moved into the open, but a perfect side shot opening on the Enforcer had the Perseus move to engage there instead.
The Enforcer failed to hit with anything, while the Perseus lands four Medium Lasers, one hitting the head. The Bandit and Battle Armor accomplish nothing versus the Fulcrum, who does just as well.
Turn 9 - Initiative OpFor
Battle armor continue to be aggresive initiative sinks, while the Fulcrum moved in such a way as to avoid the Bandit, who moved to engage the Battlemaster's right side, as did the Perseus. The Enforcer backed into some trees.
For the OpFor, the Battle armor ended up being the best target as it jumped into the open this turn in an attempt to get a shot on the Fulcrum.
The only hit from the Bandit and Perseus was a single medium laser, which was enough to crit a Battlemaster engine. The return fire was negligible. The battle armor took nothing, but missed as well.
Turn 10 - Initiative OpFor
One begins to wonder how it is that I am doing so well, having only won 30% of the initiatives for this game. That said, the battle armor units do what they came to do. Sink failed initiatives, and maybe do something useful. One of which was given the opportunity to move into the Enforcer's hex, where it attempts a leg attack (My opponent was expecting a swarm...) The Bandit retreated to preserve its severely reduced armor. The Battlemaster and Perseus both face off, with the Battlemaster having walked to present himself to the Perseus, while the Perseus just stood there. And fired. A lot. The Fulcrum moved behind the Perseus for a rear shot.
ALPHA STRIKE! The Perseus skyrockets to 17 heat in order to fire the eight medium lasers, Heavy PPC, and Gauss Rifle at the Battlemaster. The Heavy PPC and Gauss both connect, with only two of the eight medium lasers connecting (On 8's to hit...) In return, the Perseus took a Gauss, and three SRMS from a six-pack. The Enforcer completely missed the Perseus, and the Fulcrum hits with just an LRM-10. The leg attack failed. Battlemaster fell over from damage, while the Perseus remained standing.
Turn 11 - Initiative OpFor
Perseus begins the turn by jumping further into cover to cool down. Enforcer gives chase, while the battle armor does the same. The Battlemaster crawled out of his trees, which the Bandit driver said, "Gotta' do it..." and moved to engage the right side again.
The Bandit barely suffers damage, and successfully opens the center torso on the Battlemaster which considers it crippled. Everything else is mostly harmless, except one battle armor trooper dies.
Turn 12 - Initiative Brotherhood
Battlemaster begins its slow trek towards the defender's board edge, while the battle armor repositions to take a shot on it, as well as force the Enforcer and Fulcrum to move before the two meant to engage them. The Fulcrum moves away from the Bandit, but the Perseus is close enough to counter. The Enforcer tries to counter the counter, but the Bandit finishes the turn with a full speed turn onto the Enforcer.
Battlemaster fires at the Bandit, the Enforcer and the Fulcrum at the Perseus. The Bandit fires at the Enforcer. The injured Battle armor fires on the Battlemaster, and does a little damage. The Perseus does another Alpha Strike, this time into the Fulcrum and wings a shot at the Battlemaster. The Perseus halve the Fulcrum's movement and shut down for its efforts.
Turn 13 - Initiative Brotherhood
Fulcrum moved to get a shot on the front of the Perseus, as did the Enforcer and Battlemaster. The Bandit moved behind the Enforcer, and the Battle armor moved to attempt to destroy the Fulcrum and the Battlemasters accordingly.
Battle armor did little, and the Bandit came just short of killing the Enforcer. The return fire all targetted the shut down Perseus and cored it.
Turn 14 - Initiative OpFor
Mmmm... rubbing salt into the wounds... Battle armor repositions, for doing nothing much. Fulcrum moved away, and the Bandit moved to reengage. The Enforcer came after the Bandit.
Battlemaster gausses away a single battle armor troop. The Bandit just came short of crippling the Fulcrum. And was immobilized for his efforts.
Turn 15 - Initiative Brotherhood
Moot point at this point. With only Battle Armor left, I need to win initiative to *maybe* hem in the OpFor.
Two more battle armor troopers from the already injured squad die, leaving it with only one. Forcing him to withdraw.
Turn 16- Initiative Brotherhood
Battle armor slowly moved back towards it's side, and crippled the Fulcrum. The other battle armor did nothing of note.
Turn 17 - Initiative OpFor
Injured battle armor retreats as fast as it can this time. The other battle armor moves to protect him. Fulcrum retreats quickly. One battle armor trooper from the fresh-ish squad.
Turn 18 - Initiative Brotherhood
Battle armor retreats. Fulcrum retreats. End of game.
The Perseus is a complete loss, which is unfortunate, as I can't just add another one to my roster. It was a pretty solid design. If I hadn't gotten greedy and tried to take the potshot on the Battlemaster, it wouldn't have shut down, and likely would have survived. But I wanted to try to get another pair of engine hits on the Battlemaster and capture it. I did get the Rhino and the Typhoon, which at least allowed me to break even on repairs. I'm still down a Mech, and only up 200 WP. Such is life, I suppose.
