Author Topic: Mars Rising - Marian Hegemony V: Barbari ite Domum! (Read 49187 times)

Sartris · « **Reply #660 on:** 02 November 2022, 00:07:33 »

NETC built the Mk VI for several decades. there are enough to track in several anti-spinward militaries. how many? enough.

Martius · « **Reply #661 on:** 04 November 2022, 13:02:55 »

We got the Bulldog ER-Large, too now. Quite a brick, will have to try it soon.

ArkRoyalRavager · « **Reply #662 on:** 13 November 2022, 08:58:36 »

So in the latest Rec Guide, Merlin fluff, Streak LRMs can fire Thunder minefields?

Baldur Mekorig · « **Reply #663 on:** 13 November 2022, 09:41:31 »

Quote from: ArkRoyalRavager on 13 November 2022, 08:58:36

So in the latest Rec Guide, Merlin fluff, Streak LRMs can fire Thunder minefields?

If you mean the part about the First Magistracy Highlanders fighting the VI Legio, the canopians are using the Merlin -1D, that have a regular Holly LRM-5. The model with the Streak LRM-5 is the Merlin C, that apparently is exclusive for the RA.

Weirdo · « **Reply #664 on:** 13 November 2022, 10:22:08 »

If SLRMs ever get to for fancy munitions, PLEASE let me know. They've proliferated so much, it'd be great for them to suddenly be useful.

ArkRoyalRavager · « **Reply #665 on:** 14 November 2022, 08:54:30 »

Quote from: Baldur Mekorig on 13 November 2022, 09:41:31

If you mean the part about the First Magistracy Highlanders fighting the VI Legio, the canopians are using the Merlin -1D, that have a regular Holly LRM-5. The model with the Streak LRM-5 is the Merlin C, that apparently is exclusive for the RA.

I got confused reading the whole thing because I thought the superior C version would allow a single lance to wipe an entire Cohors out, but now it seems the veteran VI Legio allowed an entire cohort to get wiped out by a single lance of bog standard Merlins? Is the MHAF that bad?

Martius · « **Reply #666 on:** 14 November 2022, 10:27:48 »

In this era? Yes.

Adacas · « **Reply #667 on:** 14 November 2022, 10:54:24 »

Quote from: Martius on 14 November 2022, 10:27:48

In this era? Yes.

If it seems that we went down from being The most seasoned and experienced Troops until 3145 to being a gang of ignorant rednecks who trip over their feet and have no idea how to fight

And I will wait for Rec Guide 27 to appear to see if they throw us a few bits of information about the Hegemony other than how clumsy we are

Weirdo · « **Reply #668 on:** 14 November 2022, 11:30:25 »

Is it confirmed that the formation in question was a mech cohort, not an auxilia?

Adacas · « **Reply #669 on:** 14 November 2022, 12:02:22 »

Quote from: Weirdo on 14 November 2022, 11:30:25

Is it confirmed that the formation in question was a mech cohort, not an auxilia?

Weirdo, being an Auxiliary Cohort in combined close combat of vehicles and infantry, just for statistics, they should lower one of the mechs more if they were ambushing that Lance, it is not very coherent that what it implies is that they did not even sweat to annihilate them

Weirdo · « **Reply #670 on:** 14 November 2022, 16:06:43 »

You didn't say they didn't even break a sweat. Please be complete.

If a cohort is mostly infantry and light IFVs, I could see it as vaguely plausible that a lance of solid generalist heavy mechs could defeat them, though I would also expect it to be a tough fight.

Any other kind of cohort...no.

Gorgon · « **Reply #671 on:** 14 November 2022, 16:25:50 »

Just for completion's sake: the Merlin entry says that a lance of MAF Merlins engaged a Manipel of MHAF tanks and (conventional) infantry. From the sound of it, they traded fire with the tanks and opportunistically targeted any infantry suicidal enough to get too close. When the tanks started to retreat, they were hindered by thunder LRMs. That's plausible enough for me.

Weirdo · « **Reply #672 on:** 14 November 2022, 16:28:06 »

Finally picked up the RecGuide myself

It was a maniple not a cohort, and confirmed to be a mix of vehicles and infantry. Moreover, nowhere does it say "did not even sweat" or anything remotely like it.

I dislike reading about MHAF defeats as much as any other Marian fan, but this one is perfectly believable.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #673 on:** 14 November 2022, 17:59:20 »

Quote from: Weirdo on 14 November 2022, 16:28:06

Finally picked up the RecGuide myself

It was a maniple not a cohort, and confirmed to be a mix of vehicles and infantry. Moreover, nowhere does it say "did not even sweat" or anything remotely like it.

I dislike reading about MHAF defeats as much as any other Marian fan, but this one is perfectly believable.

And yet, might be interesting to play. Did it detail what armor?

Weirdo · « **Reply #674 on:** 14 November 2022, 18:05:19 »

It did not, sadly.

ArkRoyalRavager · « **Reply #675 on:** 15 November 2022, 06:53:56 »

It says a Maniple of a Cohort was crushed, and they were in ambush positions. As Adacas pointed out, the lance should've lost at least a Mech to the experienced legionaries

Weirdo · « **Reply #676 on:** 15 November 2022, 08:49:56 »

Depends on the vees. If we're talking about Scorpions or APCs, not so much.

We simply do not have the info needed to pass judgement on this.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #677 on:** 15 November 2022, 11:44:13 »

Yeah, if we were talking Demolishers hidden in woods I would agree with you ARR . . . if we are talking something like Gladius II with a lot of small hits that would have to move to strike because they would have to be out of LOS for a ambush, then no.

Still, might be fun to try- give them a pair of the new Bulldogs supported by Gladius Mk IIs for the rest of the maniple.

Weirdo · « **Reply #678 on:** 15 November 2022, 13:06:36 »

Given that the base Marian infantry unit bigger than a squad is a full Century, I feel safe in assuming there would be a maximum of five actual vehicles in that Maniple.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #679 on:** 15 November 2022, 14:05:39 »

Yeah, for a fun try at the scenario two of the new Bulldogs and fill the 3 other slots with their locally produced Gladius Mk II. Nothing in those vehicles is going to penetrate the armor in one hit- the ERLL on the Bulldogs is still just 8 after all and the Gladius are full of 5 point hits. The Gladius would also have limited/decreasing firepower from the RLs . . .

Gives the Marian CO a bit of a catch-22 decision . . . wait for the Bulldog to get more ERLL hits and hope the Gladius Mk II's LAC/5s connect as well, THEN fire the RL15s . . . or go with the alpha to start the ambush and hope you put out enough damage to really weaken the Merlin lance before they can wreck the Bulldogs. Heck for the scenario I would even give the Bulldogs the advantage of being Hidden Units rather than just sitting in trees, so they get in their shots when they want to w/ less defensive modifiers.

Note, I am not saying those were the tanks involved . . . BUT it is a serious force, just not a big enough threat to a lance of heavies without something that can make big holes for the small plinker weapons to exploit. It would be a fun scenario to see if you could do 'better' than the sourcebook result.

I think one other question not addressed however would be what were the Marian commander's orders? Were they ordered to kill enemy units? Or stall/degrade their performance? If the orders were to delay the MAF heavy lance for X amount of time so other forces could retreat safely, load a DS, or position for a pitched battle . . . then the MHAF commander achieved a minor strategic victory for their orders.

Weirdo · « **Reply #680 on:** 15 November 2022, 16:57:54 »

Yeah, there's a lot we don't know about that fight.

If I were gaming it out, using the tanks you described? I'd pull back and try to lure the mechs into an infantry ambush, then surge forward while they're dealing with that. Don't even need to kill anything, as getting two of the mechs into forced withdrawal would normally be enough to get the whole lance to pull back for the day.

Honestly, given the description of the Merlins' tactics, it's possible that was the plan but the mechs refused to take the bait. And if you've been ordered to hold that pass, there's only so far your can pull back before it stops being a feint and starts being a violation of orders.

ArkRoyalRavager · « **Reply #681 on:** 16 November 2022, 09:41:09 »

Out of all the interesting possibilities for that fight, they went with another total Canopian victory. The run-of-the-mill Dark Age TRO fluff fights have been X wins this round, Y wins the other, but this one is so one-sided.

Saint · « **Reply #682 on:** 17 November 2022, 09:43:07 »

It is a little sad that the Rifleman IIC fluff is the closet thing to a upside for the MHAF.

Adacas · « **Reply #683 on:** 17 November 2022, 10:17:46 »

Quote from: Saint on 17 November 2022, 09:43:07

It is a little sad that the Rifleman IIC fluff is the closet thing to a upside for the MHAF.

I want to see what Fluff gives to Withworth if it's another jerk for the MHAF or something in which they at least win someone

Adacas · « **Reply #684 on:** 17 November 2022, 16:26:53 »

Add Flea 21 nd Merlin 1D in Battlemechs, Add Drost II a in Aerospace

Weirdo · « **Reply #685 on:** 17 November 2022, 16:46:09 »

But no IIb... :'(

Colt Ward · « **Reply #686 on:** 17 November 2022, 16:47:18 »

Lol, DRoST . . . well, my suggestion in the MUL thread seems to have happened. The gunship did not have the same language unfortunately.

Adacas · « **Reply #687 on:** 17 November 2022, 16:59:00 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 17 November 2022, 16:47:18

Lol, DRoST . . . well, my suggestion in the MUL thread seems to have happened. The gunship did not have the same language unfortunately.

From time to time, perhaps as the Drost is so customizable, there may be some IIb but not in an appreciable number to be counted, or perhaps you can start from the IIa to make another local DS of your own

Colt Ward · « **Reply #688 on:** 17 November 2022, 17:05:00 »

The reason the Drost dates were adjusted was that the sourcebook entry clearly stated they (or generic knockoffs) were still traveling the trade lanes everywhere to that very day- in 3085. The gunship did not have that language, thus did not get it's dates changed. But hey, the MHAF now has a infantry transport w/ some cargo space. Plus getting a ~~Firefly~~ DroST mini is pretty easy, so a nice add to most games.

Adacas · « **Reply #689 on:** 17 November 2022, 17:19:09 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 17 November 2022, 17:05:00

The reason the Drost dates were adjusted was that the sourcebook entry clearly stated they (or generic knockoffs) were still traveling the trade lanes everywhere to that very day- in 3085. The gunship did not have that language, thus did not get it's dates changed. But hey, the MHAF now has a infantry transport w/ some cargo space. Plus getting a ~~Firefly~~ DroST mini is pretty easy, so a nice add to most games.

Having an extra common infantry transport never hurts, I wonder if it could be adapted to transport assault troops to another ship