Initiate Enhanced Imaging!

After three days in my basement/dungeon being forced to listen to the Archers at uncomfortably loud volume, some mates were persuaded to play Battletech. Unfortunately I was too busy explaining the rules to take photos, but fun was had, even if it did peter out at the end.

What I've got for you today is a solo scenario I invented as part of a narrative campaign.

"Stormhammers" (a paramilitary force aligned with House Steiner) with a bunch of big scary Assault 'Mechs 

The campaign is set in the 'dark age' era of Battletech, which was an attempt to de-escalate the setting and give everyone an excuse to fight everyone else against a background of unreliable interstellar communications. Against this backdrop, the Stormhammer paramilitaries are out to take the planet of Kooken's Pleasure Pit back from Clan Jade Falcon, most of whom are off trying to conquer another faction.

Hellbringer (left) and Summoner (right) are still unpainted. I was hoping to do them in jade green, but I think this basecoat was too dark.

This scenario is a daring raid by the Jade Falcon garrison hoping to catch the Stormhammer forces unaware as they disembark from their DropShips. I control two 'Mechs in a hit and run against a larger force whose behaviour follows simple rules and whose disposition is determined by cards.

The first Stormhammer 'blip' turns out to be an Awesome. I realise that making contact with my most lightly armored 'Mech first may not have been a good idea.

I placed the Stormhammer forces as 6 'blip' tokens, which represent sensor contacts (idea copied from the 'blinds' Too Fat Lardies use with their I Ain't Been Shot Mum rules). The blips would not move until contact had been made, then move at best speed toward the Falcons, and whenever a blip was in line of sight of a Falcon unit, I would turn over a card (4 'Mech cards and two jokers for dummy contacts) to see what I was facing. 

All went according to plan at first, with the first 'blip' revealing itself to be an Awesome, which I was sure two Clan 'Mechs could deal with before reinforcements arrived. 

Second blip turns out to be and Atlas (erk) and the third is a Banshee. Jade Falcon is looking very outnumbered.

Unfortunately, the next blip turned out to be an Atlas, and worse, the Awesome got a solid hit on the Hellbringer, damaging its gyro and knocking it over. I swiftly moved in the Summoner to stop the bleeding, but it was clear that things were going south. A third blip turned out to be another 'Mech (thankfully the Banshee is very lightly armed for its weight) so I decided to get out before it got too hot. Despite multiple piloting skill tests for the Hellbringer pilot, he managed to get up (on a damaged gyro!) and stagger off the field intact, ending the scenario early as a no-score draw.

The Falcons manage to get off the board with their singed tails between their legs. 

In review, The scenario may have been a little biased in favour of the Steiner focres. I did want to give them some advantage, as I as player and referee would unconciously bias things in in my favour, but I have weighted things too far the other way. I think the Stormhammers, being placed 2 blips to a mapsheet (over 3 total mapsheets), were able to concentrate their forces too easily. Next time I would place one token on the Jade Falcon entry map, two on the centre and three on the far. Of course, my strategy of sending in the most lightly armored 'Mech in first can't have helped. Well, there you have it. The next scenario will be solo-ified and played from the Stormhammer perspective. Stay tuned!

PS. Today's title is a catchphrase from the BattleTech cartoon series, featuring Clan Jade Falcon. All I need say about it is that it was from the early 90's and featured CG animated sections.