AAR 8 Dec 2012 (Part 2)

To continue our Saturday adventures (two weeks later)...

Game 2 of the day was a standard lance vs lance using identical mapsheets for both sides of the field. Laying them out so that we had the maximum amount of distance between us led to the usual "first turn no fire" scenario while we positioned forces. This game was an amazing test of our comparative strategies, equipment knowledge and luck. Mitch's force was built around a C3 network, with almost all of his 'Mechs having the ability to jump. Countering that on my end, was a single ECM 'Mech (a Red Shift) and only a single jumper. Overcoming his ability to out maneuver me was the first priority of my strategy.

And, unlike the previous game, this one did not last 4 turns, it lasted almost 15.

Here we are at turn 2, my Red Shift and Marauder II anchoring the left flank while my Huron Warrior and Ti Ts'ang head for the shelter of a small rock outcropping. His left flank is heavily fortified with the Gunslinger in command, followed by a Quickdraw and Spider. Odd man on the right side is a Wolverine closing in on the Shift.

Couple of turns later and the battlefield looks completely different. The speed and jump distance of the Spider made it a C3 threat, but my Red Shift is right there to stop it. The Ti Ts'ang was in trouble, though the Huron Warrior had its back as the Wolverine and the Marauder II went toe to toe.

Sorry for the blur. 6ish turns in and still a full field. This is the longest we've gone without at least one kill in a game. Shots have been traded all over the place but neither of us can seem to get it done.

Turn 8 and we've backed off to regroup some.

Turn 9, the Ti Ts'ang is down from leg loss. It still survives, in deep pain. The Spider? She no survive at all no more.

Turn 11, approaching end game. The Ti T'sang and Huron Warrior have been sent to the salvage heap, while the Wolverine and Spider are there a-waitin' the outcome as well. And this is the turn where everything fell apart for the 4th Skye. The Gunslinger soon went down. A couple more turns of fighting to flank one another and the Quickdraw fell as well, leaving the Marauder II and Red Shift alone on the field. Neither of them were doing well by then. The Shift had lost an arm & half its weaponry with it. The Marauder II (with a fragile IS XL engine) had a single point of internal structure left in its right torso, leaving it one shot away from blowing up.

This was easily the most epic lance battle we've ever played. Neither of us could get any lucky shots (the Marauder II took two head shots from small weapons) and we really had to grind against some high TNs to hit/to be hit.

AAR 8 December 2012 (Part 1)

After a good bit of a hiatus, Mitch was finally able to get some BattleTech time in over the past weekend. Having just ordered two companies of 'Mechs, he felt it was time to drop on the field of battle and see where the victory would lie.

We got a couple of games in on Saturday. The first match saw four points of Clan Wolf's Alpha Galaxy square away against an equal tonnage of 4th Skye Rangers in a semi-Trial of Possession for an abandoned military base.

Though I saved it as turn one, this is actually turn two, and the first turn where we started firing. Actually, I think this was the start of the turn, because Star Captain Kerensky claimed the little beach house on the island as isorla prior to moving. The Rangers held the north end of the map and decided against using the military base for cover. The Uratha on the island and the Mist Lynx supporting the Sun Cobra both have jump, none of the Rangers do.

Finishing up the move, the Uratha has decided to hold the mountain by himself against the combined might of the Commando and Kit Fox, while the rest of the star moves up the middle of the map. Mitch's Fafnir and Defiance menace the three Wolf 'Mechs from afar, awaiting the call to rain death upon them.

This is where I actually thought "I am well & truly fucked." Short range against a pair of HGRs? I was fairly certain my Dire Wolf (and Star Captain Kerensky) were about to be sent to the scrap heap. Despite its light armor, the Sun Cobra was unscathed from last turn, as Mitch focused fire upon the Uratha, hoping to score the first kill. Instead, he freed me from any reliance on zellbrigen and I planned on unleashing a full spread from the Dire Wolf combined with the Sun Cobra. Didn't quite work out that way... The Dire Wolf fired its UAC-20 first in the round, scoring a hit, then scoring both rounds and the first location rolled was his Fafnir's head. Insta-kill. We both sat back for a second, then he rolled for his HGRs. The shots spread, putting my Dire Wolf in no real danger. The Uratha ripped an arm from the Commando last turn and the Kit Fox this turn. He was in a bad way at this point...

Which led to a fourth turn concession. Horribly outgunned by my remaining 'Mechs, he chose to honorably call for an end to hostilities. Having captured the island and the military base, the Wolves stood poised to push deeper into Lyran holdings...