ScrapYard Armory

This holiday scenario is based on the short story Ghost of Christmas Present by Michael Stackpole, available in the Battlecorps Anthology Volume I.

ANTI-NICK COMES TO TOWN

SITUATION

It is early Christmas morning and Anti-Nick is up to his old tricks again.  He’s making a list and checking it twice.  Have you and your lance mates been naughty or nice this year?  It’s time to find out in this Holiday slugfest!

GAME SET-UP

Included for this scenario is a custom map made from Heavy Metal Map inspired by the standard Battletech map we all know and love.  In lieu of the included map, use any map with at least some level three terrain.

ScrapYardArmory – Winter Wonderland

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DEFENDER

Deployment

The Defenders begin the game deployed anywhere on the mapsheet opposite the Attacker’s chosen map edge.

ATTACKER

Deployment

The Attackers choose a map edge at the beginning of the game.  They enter the game on turn one from the chosen map edge.

SPECIAL RULES

Not a Fit Night Out for Man Nor Beast

If you don’t like the weather, just wait. At the beginning of each turn, roll 1D6 and use the table below to determine the weather conditions in effect for that turn.

1. Light Snowfall, -1 Heat Points per Turn
2. Moderate Snowfall, -2 Heat Points per Turn, +1 To-Hit for all Ranged Weapon Attacks
3. Heavy Snowfall, -2 Heat Points per Turn, +1 To-Hit for all Ranged Weapon Attacks, +1 to all Piloting Rolls
4. Snow Flurries, -2 Heat Points per Turn, +2 To-Hit for Missile Attacks, +1 To-Hit all other Ranged Attacks
5. Ice Storm, -3 Heat Points per Turn, +1 To-Hit for Missile Attacks
6. Blizzard, -2 Heat Points per Turn, +2 To-Hit for all Direct Fire Ballistic Attacks, +3 To-Hit for Missile Attacks, +1 to all Piloting Rolls

At the beginning of the game, all hexes are considered thin snow which has no effect on game play.  Any unit with a flamer or incendiary missiles may attack a thin snow hex to turn it into mud.  Roll 2D6 for each attempt.  A result of 8 or better turns the hex into mud.  Mud requires 1 additional MP to enter and inflict a +1 modifier to all piloting skill rolls.  Units in mud may become bogged down.  See Tactical Operations page 62 for details.  (Feel free to skip the bogged down rules if you don’t own Tactical Operations or you just don’t feel like it)

On turn 6, all thin snow hexes become deep snow (mud stays as mud).  Deep snow requires an additional 1 MP to enter and all piloting skill rolls suffer a +1 modifier.  All leg mounted heat sinks will sink 1 additional heat per turn.  Prone ‘Mechs will sink an additional 3 heat per turn.  Detailed rules for thin and deep snow are in Tactical Operations if players wish to have the full experience.  However, the rules as presented here are more than enough to play the scenario.

Avalanche!

On or after turn 6 an avalanche is possible.  Deep snow at level three or higher may be attacked in order to trigger an avalanche.  For each 20 points of damage delivered per phase (That’s right, you could get two rolls a turn if you manage to do 20 points of damage by kicking the snow drifts!), roll 2D6.  On an 8 or better an avalanche is triggered.

An avalanche is resolved during the end phase of the turn it is triggered.  Once a hex begins an avalanche, all adjacent level 3 hexes also avalanche.  An avalanche begins slowly and then picks up steam following the fall line.   ‘Mechs in the path of an avalanche will take damage and be forced to make a piloting roll to avoid falling.

Use the chart below to determine damage based on where the ‘Mech is in relation to the fall line.  Note: If a ‘Mech is swept away in an avalanche, the unit takes damage in this way for each additional hex it is forced to enter (see below).

The base damage is the victim’s tonnage divided by 10.  Multiply this value by the damage multiplier in the chart below.  The base damage is multiplied by the difference in levels between the ‘Mech and the top of the avalanche minus the number of level 0 hexes traversed by the avalanche.   ie. A ‘Mech on level 1 terrain is 2 hexes lower than the level of the avalanche.  The damage suffered is the base damage times 2.  A ‘Mech on level 0 terrain with 2 intervening level 0 terrain between it and the avalanche start point would only have a multiplier of 1.

‘Mechs need to make a piloting skill roll to determine if they fall from the impact of the snow.  Make a piloting roll with the modifiers listed in the chart below.  The piloting roll is also modified by the number of intervening level 0 hexes similar to the damage roll.  If the piloting roll fails, the ‘Mech falls and is swept away in the direction of the fall line.  Take damage and make a seat belt check normally before continuing.  If two or more possible routes exist, choose the destination hex randomly.  Modify the piloting skill roll using the chart below.

‘Mechs with jump jets get a -2 modifier to this check but only once on the first attempt.  A piloting roll is made for every hex the unit is swept into to attempt to stop using the same modifiers.

An avalanche will not continue past 3 hexes on level 0 terrain and never goes uphill.  An avalanche may only be started once per hill.

An Example

‘Mech A has triggered an avalanche in 1403.  Since 1304 is adjacent to the avalanche start point, it also begins to avalanche.  ‘Mech A is on level 2 terrain and takes damage equal to it’s tonnage divided by 10 times 1.  After assigning damage, ‘Mech A makes a check to see if he falls and is swept away.  Looking at the chart, he sees that his piloting skill (3) is modified by +4 since he is 1 hex lower than the start point, level 3.  However, he has jump jets and gets a -2 modifier for the first attempt!  ‘Mech A needs a 5 to avoid the avalanche and rolls a 6, success!  Good thing he had jump jets to evade the snow!

‘Mech B is 2 hexes from the nearest avalanche start point.  He is on level 0, which means he would take 3 times the base damage from the snow.  However, since there are two intervening level 0 terrain, the multiplier is only 1.  After assigning damage ‘Mech B looks at the chart and subtracts 2 (the number of intervening level 0 terrain) from the piloting modifier.  His piloting skill is 4 and his modifier is +4 (base +6 – 2 for intervening level 0 terrain).  He has no jump jets so he needs an 8.  ‘Mech B rolls a 7, curses!  ‘Mech B will take falling damage normally and then be swept away along the fall line of the avalanche.  There are two possible locations after being swept away, 0903 and 0904.  The players agree to dice off the location.  After moving to 0903, ‘Mech B is done because there are now 3 intervening level 0 hexes between him and the top of the avalanche.  Had the ‘Mech been closer to the hill, he would have taken another round of damage at his new location and another piloting skill roll to avoid being swept away again!

‘Mech C can count 3 hexes of intervening level 0 terrain so the avalanche stops just short of his hex!

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Whoever cries uncle first is declared naughty for the rest of the evening!  The loser must serve the winner a cup of hot chocolate after the game (or whatever their beverage of choice is).

Happy Holidays Everyone!