The Wolf Skinners [3024]

[Daryk]

Also for Tinyozora: The Doc is going to have to hit the books on reintegrating personnel after prolonged imprisonment, with a side of slavery thrown in.  Assuming, of course, he can keep them from learning the proximate cause of their captivity and enslavement is now a nominal ally...  ^-^

[DOC_Agren]

Well I would figure if you know the "terrain" you should be able to conceal the vehicle in 5 to 10 mins assuming that you have the right gear. 

Is the chase team working as a "group" ie staying bunched up following the tracks of the runways??  Or are they fanning Jeeps out to keep "flushing" them out for the Mechs.

Next question more RPG related then CBT but is the driver used to driving the Jeep in this terrain, or not, and at speed.  If not that lead, might be less.  I'm asking because my young ward and I make different times to areas because he is unfamiliar with area and still my vehicle compared to me.

[Daryk]

Since they don't know where the jeep they're chasing is going, shortcuts aren't exactly a thing.  Aisde from that, the locals are likely to stick together, at least as much to keep eyes on each other as any other reason.  Succession is a big deal, and at least three of the infantry types have families back there.  Everyone is nervous.

I'm still a fan of that long shot from the most recent Mad Max of the lone vehicle running from a bunch of others toward a sand storm...  ^-^

[DOC_Agren]

Since they don't know where the jeep they're chasing is going, shortcuts aren't exactly a thing.  Aisde from that, the locals are likely to stick together, at least as much to keep eyes on each other as any other reason.  Succession is a big deal, and at least three of the infantry types have families back there.  Everyone is nervous.

I'm still a fan of that long shot from the most recent Mad Max of the lone vehicle running from a bunch of others toward a sand storm...  ^-^

I wasn't talking shortcuts...  I was talking about being familiar with the Jeeps and how they handle.  You can push the vehicle more if you know it's advantages and disadvantages. 

But I can see why they are stay clustered together not trying spread out and gain the glory for themselves and family if they find the escapees are worried how the fight back in basecamp is going to turn out.

that was a cool shot.

[Daryk]

Going through my maps, I've found the perfect one for the ambush: Desert Mountain #2 from Map Set Compiliation #1.  Hex 0717 will be the entry point for Fury and the pursuing units.  The Hunchback and Blackjack will be hidden in hexes 0708 and 0908, respectively.  The infantry squads with their Sunrakers will be in 1010-1012 and 1111-1112.  The Panther and Whitworth will be in 1109 and 0608, with the Recon lance in 0309 (Stinger), 0311 (Fire Javelin), 1007 (Mirage), and 1213 (Vulcan).  The APC will be staged in 1203 to catch any leakers.  Point Blank shots preclude physicals, so the Hunchback and Blackjack will simply unmask in the firing phase, then kick afterward.

The pirate convoy will be the Hermes and one jeep, two jeeps, two jeeps, two jeeps, and the Flea and one jeep bringing up the rear.  The lead units can make 0808, with the rest of the convoy behind them.

I'm going to try to get the dice rolling done today, and the write up by tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes! :)

[Failure16]

Which is ridiculous--and a further damning indictment of FASA's ages-old decision to peg turns at 10-second intervals (as opposed to not specifying it at all, or leaving it nebulous).

[Daryk]

Well, the dice were almost completely against the Wolf Skinners.  Despite blowing 5 edge points in the first two turns, no significant hits were scored on relatively easy to hit numbers, while the enemy Flea rolled a ridiculous to hit number to roast a dug in infantry squad.  4d6 damage is not kind to a squad of six (at least that squad dinged the Flea!).  In the physical phase of the second turn, the Vulcan (of all 'mechs) landed a kick and ripped a leg off the Hermes.  Unfortunately, the Flea took that opportunity to bypass the ambush.  Turn three saw the Blazer Cannon miss a FIVE to hit the prone Hermes, which fired back defiantly and tagged the Hunchback for five points to the center torso.  Turn 4, the Blazer Cannon finally landed (on a four) and hit the Hermes' head (of course).  At least they get a damaged engine and gyro out of the deal (both crits also credited to the mighty Vulcan).  The Recon Lance was sent to go rendezvous with Fury's jeep before the Flea finds her (I'll need to set up another encounter now).  All the jeeps ran for it, though one took a Medium Laser to the nose.  That's probably a good enough excuse to take half the jeeps back to Al Mazrea to report the loss of the Hermes and the Flea's successful contiuation of the pursuit.  I'll get the in character write up going shortly, and post that in the other thread.

[DOC_Agren]

Daryk.. I have had those dice night..  One night the only weapons I could hit easy with SL and MG even at "Long Range"

I'm guessing the jeeps will head for home, unless now someone want "Glory" and goes their own way..  But lost of the Hermes had to spook them..  and if I was in the Flea I might have 1 eye looking out for the jeep, but the other will be worried about whose ambush we just ran into

[Daryk]

They've encountered the Vulcan before, so they have some idea.  I'm going to boost the Vulcan's gunnery AND piloting based on that last encounter.  It might even be enough to put paid to a dinged Flea and four jeeps...  ^-^

[Daryk]

Damage taken:

Wolf Skinners:
Hunchack: three 5-point hits, one each to the LT, CT and RL (all from the Hermes)

APC: 10 points to the Front (the Flea hit with both lasers on its way by)

Vulcan: two 5-point hits (CT and LL) and a kick to the RL for 6 (the Hermes only missed with the Flamer)

Infantry: 1 squad of six took 17 points of Flamer damage and 1 point from a Medium Laser (out of spite) xp

Al Mazrea:

1 Jeep: a Medium Laser to the Front

Flea: a 2-point hit from an infantry squad and a Medium Laser from the APC to the CT (1 point of armor left there)

Hermes: both legs and the head destroyed; 2 points of internal damage to the RT (no armor left); 5 points to the CT (2 left); 5 points to the LT (1 left); 5 points to the RA (0 left, no internal damage); 1 Engine hit and 1 Gyro hit

[Daryk]

Damage taken in the second encounter:

Fury's Jeep: 1 Medium Laser to the Rear (Critical: Infantry/Cargo; -1 mouth to feed, but also minus all the seeds and tools)

1 Pirate Jeep: 3 Medium Lasers to the Front (destroyed; wreck loaded on the Recovery Vehicle for parts)

Pirate Flea: CT destroyed, pilot ejected (destroying the head), RA and RL failed to be salvaged, RA Medium Laser was successfully salvaged, along with the entire LT, LA, and LL along with the RT internal structure and rear armor.

[Tinyozora]

Jeeze man, I need to send you new dice.  All the negatives in not just first but second battle too.  :'(

[Daryk]

I suppose things might have gone better if I used the dice you already gave me...  ::)

[Tinyozora]

Look at you, making me have feels in the middle of Battletech.  I still state you need to convert this into a Shrapnel series.

[Daryk]

Can't... published fan fic is ineligible.  You'll just have to keep reading it here for free...  ^-^

[Tinyozora]

well poop. fine....though I file grievance.

[Daryk]

They also don't do series, so it would be out on that score too.  And I'll PM you some other reasons...

[Tinyozora]

I think the easiest answer is that as commanders they should be concerned about the defensiveness of the terrain their in and recon elements searching for better defensive positions shouldn't be too suspicious. 

[Daryk]

That's why Skinner gave them a couple of weeks to work it into the plan.

[Daryk]

Real terrain is SO amazing!  Why make stuff up when something like Cono de Arita exists!  That is a 400 foot volcanic cone looming over the middle of a salt flat in Argentina.  If the Star League didn't hide a facility in that, Lieutenant Stevenson will eat his neurohelmet...  :D

[Daryk]

Map-wise, the mountain is 14 hexes from base to peak, and rises two levels per hex (level 28 at the top).

[Tinyozora]

We've found the lonely mountain.  I know that it is real, but it looks so fantastical in that image.

[Daryk]

It looks fantastical in every image I've found of it...  8)

The funny thing was I was only searching for "salt flat" to start...  ^-^

[Sir Chaos]

It looks fantastical in every image I've found of it...  8)

The funny thing was I was only searching for "salt flat" to start...  ^-^

You searched for "flat" and got a mountain? Artificial intelligence, my ass...

[Daryk]

That mountain is in the middle of a salt flat.  It wasn't the first picture, but once I saw it, I grabbed it!  8)

[DOC_Agren]

Real terrain is SO amazing!  Why make stuff up when something like Cono de Arita exists!  That is a 400 foot volcanic cone looming over the middle of a salt flat in Argentina.  If the Star League didn't hide a facility in that, Lieutenant Stevenson will eat his neurohelmet...  :D

u mean this.. 

Kinda looks like something that makes u go huh??

[Daryk]

That's exactly it, just from another angle.  :thumbsup:

[DOC_Agren]

That's exactly it, just from another angle.  :thumbsup:

I thought a picture for the rest of us might be nice   :thumbsup:

[Daryk]

I posted the picture I found in the story thread... :)

[Daryk]

Here's a link to the specific post (since I just realized we're a few pages away from the original link to the story thread):
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/fan-fiction/this-is-the-way-the-world-ends-wolf-skinners-3024/msg1863653/#msg1863653