ScrapYard Armory

The Last Day of Zeta: A BattleTech Scenario

This scenario is based on the BattleCorps fiction of the same name.  It is one of the sadder tales within the BattleCorps library. On the barren and desolate surface of Mars one of the most storied units in the Inner Sphere meets it’s end .  The is hope that their sacrifice was not in vain.  Something lies within the sands of Mars.  The Dragoons knew something even ComStar was unaware of.  And that made the Word of Blake very very upset.

SITUATION

The Dismal D’s are gone.  All of the Dragoon Jumpships are either captured or destroyed.  No help is coming.  Zeta is surrounded by the Word of Blake Protectorate and there is no escape.

Weaker Mechwarriors would have given up.  They would have surrendered and prayed for the mercy of their defeaters.

But Zeta are not just any Mechwarriors.  They are the Zeta Battalion of Wolf’s Dragoons.

GAME SETUP

Arrange two maps as shown below.  The west map is Moonscape 1 and the east map is Moonscape 2.

DEFENDER

The Defender consists of elements from Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion.

Deployment

Zeta may begin the game anywhere on the battlefield.

ATTACKER

The Attacker is made up of several waves of units from the Word of Blake Protectorate.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Deployment

Wave 1 enters the game on turn 1 from any single map edge.  Waves 2 and 3 enter the game from any single map edge at the end of the turn during which the preceding wave is completely crippled or destroyed.

SPECIAL RULES

Buried in the Sand

Before the Defender deploys, the Word of Blake player may deploy up to two squads of Purifier Battle Armor as hidden units anywhere on the battlefield per Total Warfare pg 259.  These units may be hidden in clear hexes.

Extreme Cold (-50 C)

‘Mechs dissipate an additional 2 heat per turn.

Low Gravity (0.38 G)
(Tactical Operations pg 55)

Apply a +3 to-hit modifier to all missile and ballistic weapon attacks.

Multiply falling damage by 0.38 and round up.

‘Mechs and battle armor are capable of moving faster in lower G environments.  Use the following table to determine an adjusted walking and jumping MP.  Then recalculate the running MP normally.

(Game Note: We toned down the actual speed increase associated with Mars gravity due to some rather dramatic results from playtesting.  We knew something was seriously wrong when an assault star of clan Omnis gets steamrolled in four turns by Wave 1.  In this instance, we chose to trump the game rules as written in order to preserve game balance.  I hope you won’t mind.)

Every time a unit spends more MP than it’s standard running MP or jumps farther than it’s normal jumping MP, make a pilot skill roll.  If the roll fails, the ‘Mech takes 1 internal armor damage to each leg for every MP expended over it’s normal running MP and roll for possible criticals.

Trace Atmosphere
(Tactical Operations pg. 54)

Whenever any unit takes damage, roll 2D6.  On a result of 12 the section is breached.  Also, if all external armor is destroyed the section is automatically breached.

No End in Sight

In the unlikely event that the Wolf’s Dragoons player makes it past the third wave, simply repeat Wave 1 and so on until all of the Wolf’s Dragoons are destroyed.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

The Dragoons may claim a Marginal Victory if they can defeat Wave 1 and half of Wave 2.  They achieve Complete Victory if they defeat Wave 2 and a Major Victory if they can defeat half of Wave 3.

The Word of Blake may claim a Major Victory if they can destroy the unbelievers with Wave 1 alone.  They achieve a Complete Victory if they defeat the Dragoons with Wave 2 and a Marginal Victory if they have to bring in Wave 3.