Platform Assault
General Summary
Mission Profile
- Mission Type: Base Assault
- Force Size: Unlimited
- Location: Grid D23
- Weather: Light Rain
- Time of Day: Late Morning
Situation Overview
With a confirmation from scouts on the location of the Legion's staging area, Commander Sethan has assembled a simple lance-scale assault team to deal with it. The Legion's "Shio Firebase" has been built on a pair of megastructures built by a defunct drilling company called 'Barony Petroleum', artificial platforms which were set over drilling targets. Civilians have long since left it alone, but the Legion had moved in and put crews to work making it safe as a staging area. And Priam Company is going to remove it as a viable place for them to work from by destroying the command center.Objectives
Primary Objective: Destroy the command center. (300 SP)Secondary Objective: Force defenders to withdraw with over 75% of their forces. (150 SP)
Setup
There are two large one-level artificial rises in the area, one of which is home to a mining and processing plant, while the other has been co-opted by the Legion as their base of operations. Their command center is converted from a domed storage building, amidst four pre-fabricated storage buildings and five modular storage units. To fill out the rest of the tidal flat area, place 1d6+1 Hill elements and 1d6+2 Rough Terrain elements on the field (in this engagement, those are 3 and 5 respectively.) There is also a relatively small platform dedicated to power generation between the two larger rises, with a Power Station built on it. On the other side, 1d6 Light Forest elements represent groves and high points where trees have not been eroded away.Priam Company sets up on the north edge of the battlefield, while the defenders set up near the artificial rises. The defensive turrets must be within two hexes of the artificial rises.
Forces
Fourth Legion of Vega
Seventh Lance
- BLR-1G (4/4)
- WVR-6K (4/5)
- HER-1A (4/5)
- WHM-6R (4/5)
- Packrat (4/7)
- Skulker (4/6)
- Vedette (3/4)
- Scorpion (3/5)
- Heavy Autocannon Turret (x2) (4; 40 CF)
Priam Company
Assault Team
- VTR-9B (Otto)
(2/3; Speed Demon, Range Master M) - STK-3F (Lisa)
(3/6) - BJ-1 (Faust)
(5/6) - Condor B ("Bully Gear") (6/6)
- JR7-D "Polecat" ("Cardiac")
(4/5) - GRF-1N "Peregrine" ("Dead Ringer")
(3/4; Jumping Jack)
Special Rules
Forced Withdrawal: When certain conditions are met, the defending units will surrender in position. These conditions are as follows:- If a BattleMech expends all their ammunition and has no more available weapons.
- If a BattleMech loses one side torso location due to damage.
- If a BattleMech sustains internal damage in two torso locations or three limb locations.
- If a BattleMech suffers two Engine hits or one Engine hit and one Gyro hit.
- If a BattleMech is rendered immobile or otherwise unable to escape the battlefield.
Command Center: The command center for Shio Firebase is the heart of its construction, though it is little more than a converted civilian building with a generator inside. It has a CF of 35.
Power Relay: This structure is responsible for distributing power for buildings, and is vital to keep distant buildings connected to the power system. It has 15 CF, and if within five hexes of another active Power Relay or Power Generator will power any structure within five hexes.
Heavy Autocannon Turret: These turrets are armed with an AC/10 and have two tons of ammunition in their stores. They attack with a Gunnery of 4 and can sustain up to 40 points of damage.
Turret Critical Hits: Any attack which strikes a turret causes a second roll to see if the damage causes issues for the crew. On a roll of 7-9, the fire control systems are lightly damaged; the crew must spend one turn fixing the problem before it can fire again. On a roll of 10-11, one random weapon is destroyed and rendered inoperable. On a roll of 12, critical structural damage renders the turret effectively destroyed.
Special Abilities
Jumping Jack: This unit is more accurate when jumping than normal, having only a +1 to-hit penalty.Range Master: This pilot has trained to fire more accurately at a different range than normal. They swap their short range penalty for the designated range penalty (either medium or long range this means their short range is now less accurate but their chosen range is more accurate.
Speed Demon: This unit may move 1 extra space while using Running/Flank speed, but it may make no attack action this round.
Battle Report
Prelude
([url=]Image Link)As Priam Company's assault team arrives, they discover the Legion has already begun moving things from the staging area. Even so, the goal is to neutralize the base - the operation commander in the Victor begins moving everyone forward, mindful of the potential hazards in the defenses and the terrain.
Turn 1
(Image Link)At the approach of Priam Company's forces, the Legion's forces moved to engage as a single spearhead with the light scout vehicles taking point. The Griffin and Stalker attempted to fire long-range missiles at the Packrat in the lead, only to miss. The Victor and Jenner moved to flank, while the Condor began to move with the intent to sneak around to behind and begin attacking their base structures.
Turn 2
(Image Link)Having realized the danger, the Stalker backed up and denied an easy target to the advancing vehicles. The Jenner moved forward to strike at them, failing to do significant damage. The three heavier BattleMechs clustered together and prepared to advance behind the Vedette and Scorpion. The Stalker, picking carefully, fired its large lasers and one of its LRM 10 launchers at the Packrat. The strike managed to foul up its motive system, while the Jenner's weapon fire went wide. Watching the larger 'Mechs maneuvering, the Victor moved into the forest cover to wait for an opportune moment to strike with its heavy Autocannon.
The Hermes ran up on the Griffin on the hill, attempting to unload its weaponry into it and failing. After the Griffin shifted away from an unsuccessful kick from the lighter 'Mech, the 'MechWarrior simply brought the skirmisher's foot down hard on the lower leg actuator and crushed it in the wrong direction. The damage also tore the hip connections, leaving the scout on the ground in a heap.
Turn 3
(Image Link)The Packrat attempted to ram the Jenner in the legs, in order to curtail its mobility, but failed and wound up skidding to the side uncontrollably. Even so, the Jenner took a massive amount of punishment from the Skulker shooting into its rear and the two tanks shelling it. The Blackjack continued to fire ineffectually at targets, while the Stalker managed to tag the Vedette with a laser.
Meanwhile, the Hermes, having had its hip destroyed, could not rise and its attempts only served to exacerbate the damage and tear the leg completely free at the joint. Thus the 'MechWarrior signaled his surrender and shut down. The Griffin and Condor moved past the flank to threaten the base command center, which drew the attention of the BattleMaster. Its PPC lanced out, striking the Griffin, though the Condor's AC/5 impacted the dome.
Turn 4
(Image Link)The Jenner and Victor moved through the forest, intending to pounce in behind the advancing units. The BattleMaster command 'Mech pursued the Griffin and Condor, while turrets began tracking the hover tank and Jenner. Fire from the BattleMaster impacted all around the Condor and managed to sear a gash across the side yet it remained mobile enough. The crew fired upon the dome again, cracking the exterior, while the Griffin fired back at the BattleMaster and scored only a little damage.
The Legion continued a push to try to cripple the Stalker, the Wolverine trying to shoulder-check it while the smaller vehicles began pouring fire into the Assault 'Mech and bring it down. The Warhammer strode past the forest, all its weapons firing on the Stalker alongside the main guns from the Scorpion and Vedette. Despite this, the Stalker remained standing and fired an impressive arsenal into the charging Wolverine. An errant laser strike managed to turn it aside at the last moment.
With the Warhammer presenting its back, the Victor's pilot opened up with its AC/20 and hit it square in the back. The grievous damage cascaded through the Warhammer's systems and what should have been a manageable heat spike instead turned into a critically dangerous reaction which caused an emergency shutdown. Between that and the Stalker remaining ready to counter-attack, the Legion simply began to scatter and refuse engagements.
Aftermath
As the Legion retreats, the assault team remains in place to salvage two 'Mechs and the Packrat. The removal of the Cypra Wetlands base and this staging area has blunted a bit of the Legion's capability to endanger the city of White Reach. However, as Priam Company prepares to seek out where the retreating units had gone they receive a message. The Legion has entered a sizable force into the city and has moved the dispersed elements into the First District.
Damage Report
Damage
- STK-3F: Left Arm (15 Armor), Right Arm (2 Armor), Left Torso (5 Armor), Center Torso (7 Armor)
- Condor B: Left (5 Armor)
Rearming
- VTR-9B: AC/20 (1 ton)
- STK-3F: SRM 6, LRM 10 (2 tons)
- BJ-1: AC/2 (1 ton)
- Condor B: AC/5 (1 ton)
Mercenary Report
- "Dead Ringer": Rearming. Fee: 60 SP
- "Cardiac": Rearming. Fee:40 SP
Salvage Report
- WHM-6R: Recovered. Sent to Minos Firebase.
- HER-1A: Recovered. Sent to Minos Firebase.
- Packrat: Recovered. Sent to Minos Firebase.
NPC Report
Salvaged
- HER-1A (4/5): Recovered. 'MechWarrior captured.
- WHM-6R (4/5): Recovered. 'MechWarrior captured.
- Packrat (4/7): Recovered. Vehicle Crew captured.
Escaped
- BLR-1G (4/4): Escaped.
- WVR-6K (4/5): Escaped.
- Skulker (4/6): Escaped.
- Vedette (3/4): Escaped.
- Scorpion (3/5): Escaped.
Table of Contents
- General Summary
- Forces
- Special Rules
- Special Abilities
- Battle Report
- Aftermath
- Damage Report
- Mercenary Report
- Salvage Report
- NPC Report
Report Date
10 May 2018
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