ScrapYard Armory

Another round of miniatures to add the the ever burgeoning collection of reformed misfits for a friend.

These Word of Blake Militia add to the Shadow Division units painted previously.  The Protectorate Militia form the anvil against which the hammer of the Shadow Divisions pound their enemies.  No Word force is complete without at least a few Militia to swell their ranks.  The white is a bit dirtier than I wanted but it works.  I began with a pure white base.  It may have been better to begin with gray, but what’s done is done.

From there, I washed with black and dry-brushed back up with the white, adding details where I felt appropriate.

Simple execution and ready for the tabletop.  I hope they are well received.

I may be taking a break from Word of Blake and try to finish off some Lyrans next.  I still have quite a backlog to paint my way through.

BattleTech is no longer a single game, but a universe with game rules that scale combat to almost any size conflict.  The BattleForce rules allow massive regimental level battles.  Standard Total Warfare rules cover games with forces between a lance and a company.  BattleTroops, released in 1989, is BattleTech at the infantry skirmish scale where individual soldiers battle it out.  It was followed by ClanTroops in 1991 which added advanced rules for Battle Armor.

A Time of War is a combination and update of BattleTroops and ClanTroops. It is at it’s heart a RPG and not an infantry combat game.  The rules for combat are extensive, but certain situations break under scrutiny.  For a better infantry combat game we’ve made a few tweaks…

Warning, House Rules Ahead

This post is meant to provide additional options for players who want to dive into a BattleTroops type game with additions and tweaks that the ScrapYard believes make the game more balanced and fun.  As always, agree with your buddy before your games what rules are being used.

Turning The World Upside Down

One of the more annoying elements of A Time of War is the use of a static to-hit number.  This may make a lot of sense, but for most of us already familiar with a variable to-hit number in Total Warfare, it can be frustrating.

Negative is good.  Positive is bad.

That’s the way I like it (and the way the rest of the BattleTech universe works) so that is the way I play the game and will introduce it to others.  From here on out, I will use the familiar Total Warfare style to-hit modifiers.

Reduced Lethality Through Armor Effectiveness

I have a bone to pick with the current personal armor system.  There are a few things that just seem off.  First, armor does very little to protect the individual.  The damage reduction it provides under normal game situations is very minimal.  Second, weapons with a higher Armor Piercing rating do not matter so long as the total of the AP and BD values add up the same.  Lets see an example.

A Free Worlds League Soldier armed with a Magnum Auto-Pistol (3B/5) is face to face with a Lyran operative armed with a M&G Service Auto-Pistol loaded with armor piercing rounds (5B/3).  Each wears personnel armor with a ballistic rating of 5 BAR.  Both manage to get off a shot which hits the other.

The Free Worlds League soldier’s armor cannot resist the high AP of the armor piercing round from the Sterns and he will take the full 3 damage and the obligatory 1 fatigue.

The Lyran’s armor provides some protection against the Magnum.  The difference between them (5BAR – 3AP = 2) is subtracted from the base damage.  The Lyran also takes 3 damage and 1 fatigue.

What we end up with is a marginalization of many of the weapon systems in the game.  There is far less variety within weapon classes beyond the sum of the AP and BD values.  We need a change.

I’ve used the following system in my personal games and it works great.  While slightly more complex (adding 1 more step), it creates a more varied experience.  Different weapons will have different outcomes based on their AP/BD values even if they have the same sum.

RULES

After reducing BD as normal, convert remaining damage to fatigue damage for every point the BAR exceeds the AP of the weapon.  This cannot reduce the remaining damage to less than 1 and does not replace the normal 1 fatigue suffered every time a character takes damage.

EXAMPLE

Lets take a look at how this house rule changes things.

The FWL soldier is still under armored against the armor piercing round from the Sterns and takes the full damage from the attack, 3 damage and 1 fatigue.

The Lyran’s superior armor reduces the incoming damage to 3 damage and 1 fatigue as normal.  In addition we also convert the damage remaining to fatigue for every point the BAR exceeds the AP (this would be 2, same as the original damage reduction).  The final damage suffered is only 1 damage but 3 fatigue.

All of a sudden we have a more diverse choice in weapons because the damage they inflict is more varied.  Effective armor now further reduces the damage taken, however, you are also more likely to find yourself in situations where you are forced to duck for cover to recover fatigue or risk getting knocked out prematurely.  More strategy and risk vs. reward to consider during the game.

Burst Firing for Accuracy

Accuracy through volume.  Effectively trading ammo for a better chance to hit rather then more damage, the way standard Bursts works.  This is not meant to replace the rules as written but rather be an additional option.

RULES

Declare you are Burst Firing for accuracy at a target (a Simple Action).  For every 3 rounds fired you gain a +1 bonus to your to-hit (round down, maximum +3).  Damage is applied as though a single shot was fired (do not use the burst fire damage value).

EXAMPLE

You are firing a TK Assault Rifle at a target behind half cover from medium range and declare you are Burst Firing for Accuracy with 6 bullets.  You need a 6 (assume Target Number of 3, Range:+2, Cover:+2, Recoil: +1, Accuracy: -2).

Now you’re firing the TK Assault Rifle at a target at long range behind heavy cover so you declare you are Burst Firing for Accuracy with 9 bullets.  You need an 8 (assume Target Number of 3, Range:+4, Cover:+3, Recoil: +1, Accuracy: -3).

Grenades

Grenades and satchel charges are overpowered.  Almost all of my games from the Beta were settled with a single grenade throw.  The fact that they explode immediately after being thrown has an unbalancing effect on the game especially when high initiative characters are the ones doing the delivery.

ENFORCING THE RULES AS WRITTEN

One mistake I made early on is to allow the use of grenades without preparation.  Make sure you follow the guidelines presented in the Action Complexity Table (page 167).  It costs a simple action to ready or stow a weapon.  You have to ready a grenade before you can throw it and more importantly you have to stow any weapons you are using before you can even ready that grenade.

Of course it’s an option to simply drop your primary weapon (incidental action) to be able to ready and throw in one turn, but then you have to spend a simple action later to pick up your weapon or ready a secondary weapon.

NEW RULES

Grenades do not explode immediately.  A thrown grenade will explode after X completed activations, where X is half the number of active characters in the game when the grenade was thrown (rounded up).

A character may “cook off” a grenade with a simple action.  This will prime the grenade causing it to explode immediately after being thrown or after the character throwing the grenade completes his next simple or complex action, whichever comes first.

Suppressing Fire

The suppression fire rules were tweaked from the Beta release and are much better for it.  Though it still needs adjustment.  The mechanic should be about area denial and a true threat to your opponents.  As it stands, suppression fire is very weak, and ends up underutilized.

RULES

Suppression fire lasts until the shooter activates again (or cannot fire).  Any unit attempting a skill check while in or after passing through Suppressing Fire must add a +2 modifier to the attempt.

Overwatch (Held Actions)

Winning initiative is a very big deal in A Time of War.  In middle to end game situations you need it to clear stuns, run for cover or finish off a wounded opponent.  However, before forces have mixed it up in earnest, there is an overwhelming temptation to hold action with every soldier you can in order to act last.

To avoid turtle tactics, we can inject a little variability into this game mechanic.

RULES

After electing to interrupt another character’s action, an opposed reflex attribute check is used to determine which character gets to act first.  The losing character must act immediately after the winner.

Leadership

The leadership rules in A Time of War are necessarily abbreviated due to the RPG nature of the system.  Any meaningful effect of leadership skills can and should be role played by the players and the GM.  For an infantry skirmish game, we can live with a little extra complexity to give players a reason to use this skill in their games.

RULES

If not using team or squad initiative, a character with the Leadership ability may use a simple action to “Lead” a friendly character.  The following turn, the affected character may add half the Leader’s Leadership skill to their initiative roll (round up).

Stealth

The stealth mechanic needs a retooling in order to bring skill rolls into line with what is reasonable.  In any infantry game, the ability to remain unseen is a huge advantage.  However, once the lead starts flying the ability to remain unseen should quickly diminish.  The Stealth ability and it’s associated modifiers need to be carefully selected to keep game play balanced.

RULES

A hidden character may not be targeted directly by opposing units.  A perception check must be made against the target’s stealth skill to spot the target.  Once spotted, the target is revealed to every other unit.  A character with the Stealth skill may re-hide with a Stealth skill check as a complex action if no opposing units have line of sight.  A character with Stealth may begin the game hidden if no opposing units can draw a clean line of sight.

The following table replaces the Vision Based Action Checks section of the Action Check Modifiers Table (page 41).  It adds two condition modifiers when trying to spot a stealth’d character who fired a gun in his/her last activation.

I’m not very confident regarding the stealth rules and I’m sure they will need some additional play-testing and tweaking to get the balance just right.

Consciousness Checks

A curious change made late in the development cycle (post Beta) was a revised KO Check.  The change had the effect of making each and every character in the game (with few exceptions) exactly the same and imposing a very harsh first hit KO check roll of 7+.  The change saps variety from the selection of characters.  Here are the values I use in my games which has worked well.  Knock outs are still a threat but only after you are either very unlucky or very beat up.

RULES

A consciousness check target number is 12 – Body – Willpower + Injury Modifier + Fatigue Modifier.

Give the Game a Try

A Time of War is a great system with seemingly endless customization options.  The gritty feel of the universe compliments the overall game.  Give the game a try and see how it all works.  You can easily pull together some of the Sample Characters from A Time of War for a demo.

• Kicking the Tires
• BattleTroops Miniatures from Iron Wind Metals
• Infantry Recon
• Side Show

2010 was another great year here at the ScrapYard.  I hope you have enjoyed the articles, after action reports, miniatures, terrain, and reviews this year.   Here are the favorite posts from 2010 by page views.  I excluded my GenCon posts this year due to the fact that they were far and away the most visited posts and don’t reflect the normal traffic the site sees.

1. Chaos Campaign Mechwarrior Conversion
2. Reinventing the Big Game
3. Jihad Turning Point Dieron
4. Mechwarrior 4 is Finally Free
5. Black Widow Company Recon Lance
6. Last Stand of the Davion Guards
7. Historical Turning Points Galtor
8. Historicon 2010
9. Battletroops Infantry Recon
10. War of 3039 Update

Along with great posts come great comments.  Here are the top commentators for 2010, in no particular order.  Thanks for all of your input.  Looking forward to hearing more from you and others in 2011.

• Paint it Pink – Panther 6 Actual Blog
• Quigs
• Eastwood DC – Giant Battling Robots
• Noobk
• Reinwood99 – CBT Workbench

I hope you have a great New Year.  2011 is in the chamber and ready to rock!

This miniature is my contribution to the BattleTech Universe Miniature Exchange. What’s a miniature exchange you ask? It’s a simple arrangement where a group of fans get together and paint each other miniatures. Everybody paints a mini for someone else on the list and sends it off.

Besides just good clean fun, it is an opportunity to hone painting skills and give and get critique from someone you don’t know.

Wolves in Exile

This Orion IIC is an attempt at a Wolf in Exile color scheme.  The base for the red is Dark Fleshtone.  The highlights involve increasing amounts of Gory Red and Bloody Red mixed into the Dark Fleshtone.

The Grey is a simple Cold Grey to Stonewall Grey to White palate.

A few GunMetal to Silver highlights are mixed in for good measure on the hip weapon and exposed leg joints.

The base began primed Black which got a heavy drybrush of Beasty Brown followed by lighter drybrushes of Filthy Brown and a Filthy Brown-Dead White mix.  A touch of mixed green flocking finished the miniature.

Something New

New for me on this mini is a special jewel technique.  The effect is an attempt to capture a realistic glare or reflection of the surrounding terrain in the cockpit of the ‘Mech.

To gain some confidence I practiced on a piece of empty spure.  I’m not 100% sold on the result.  I think I need some practice to make it better.  There is a first for everything.

The Green is a shade from Dark Green to Sick Green to Goblin Green to Scrufy Green.  The Blue begins at Night Blue and fades to Magic Blue then Electric Blue.  An attempted fine white line separates the two colors.

I’ll be shipping this little guy out this week to a lucky fan and await what I get in return.  I hope she makes it in one piece and the new owner enjoys it and takes good care of it.

Nobody likes ammo explosions when it’s your ‘Mechs going up in smoke.  But what can you do about it?  Besides loading up on energy weapons or upgrading to CASE there isn’t much that can be done.

But can’t you protect your ammo by carefully placing it within your ‘Mech chassis? For instance I’ve heard that by placing seven items in a side torso you get some measure of protection against critical hits.

This BattleTech myth has strong roots and even some experienced players fall prey to this misguided logic.

Why Doesn’t This Make Sense?

In order to dis-spell this troublesome myth, you have to first follow the letter of the rules when it comes to critical hits.  For each critical hit, you roll two dice, one for the section (upper or lower) and another for the slot.  Whenever you roll an empty slot you must re-roll BOTH dice.  The process starts from scratch.

But if there are six filled slots in the upper section and only one slot of ammo in the lower, a section roll of 1-3 is guaranteed to hit something other than your ammo.  A section roll of 4-6 by contrast has a 5 in 6 chance of requiring a re-roll.

Is your ammo protected?  Yes and no.  The only thing protecting that slot of ammunition is the fact that there are six other things to hit.

By following the rules as they were intended you guarantee that each slot has a 1 in 7 chance of being hit.  To believe otherwise is a classic case of outcome bias.

Show Me!

I wanted to demonstrate this phenomenon to convince even the most skeptical that ammo protection is a busted myth.  I whipped up a small Java application that simulated critical hit rolls where seven items in a torso or arm are available targets.  The program simulates the exact dice rolling protocol as described in Total Warfare.  The ammunition is placed in the last slot and gratuitous virtual dice rolling ensues.  Here are my results.

The numbers speak for themselves.  Using a very large sample, it is obvious that there is no favoritism in the way critical hits are determined.  Every slot every time has an equal chance of being hit as any other.

In fact the only way to protect ammo is to load the section up with heatsinks or other crit soaking equipment.  More targets to hit means a lower probability that the ammo (and thus your ‘Mech) will be the one going up in smoke.

BattleTech Dossiers make their debut as PDF only products with the release of Lamenkov’s Liability and Salazar Tsakalotos.  Both these items are set in the Dark Age era alongside the man of legend, Delvin Stone.  You and your gaming group can jump into the adventure for the low price of $3.95 and $1.95 respectively.

Paul Sjardijn is at the helm for both these products.  What new adventures await players in this short tome?  Is it worth the combined $5.90?  Let’s delve in to see.

Introspective Enemy

An opening battle filled with missiles, lasers, and concentrated firepower open up this dossier.  This lance has some issues.  The tension evident between the members of the Liability is palpable.  Add to that the sudden realization that a trap has been set and we have the makings of a proper adventure with ample opportunities for twists and turns along the way.

The fiction sets the stage and its now time to meet the actors.

Unit Profile

Each member of the Lamenkov’s Liability is detailed in a profile which is a bit of short fiction that answers a few of the most basic questions surrounding their past.  How did they get started as a MechWarrior?  How did they rise up through the ranks?  How did they end up with Lamenkov’s Liability?

While brief, the bios were entertaining and help to paint a colorful picture of each character’s personality.

Alongside each bio is a brief spot on each member’s BattleMech including a picture of a painted miniature courtesy of CamoSpecs.  All of the ‘Mechs have Strategic Operations Quirks assigned to them.  Some are obvious, like Difficult Ejection, others not so much, like Sensor Ghosts.

Missions

The missions section is a combined Total Warfare and A Time of War adventure pack featuring the Liability and their mission on Schedar within the Republic of the Sphere.  The opening mission, Warm Welcome, picks up where Introspective Enemy left off with a frantic chase.  Both Total Warfare missions use the Chaos Campaign track system.

I was very impressed with this first mission.  The objectives were not a simple kill everything variation and the optional bonuses are actually interesting.  Well done Mr. Sjardijn!  Here we have the first tie in to the sister dossier.  As an optional bonus, Salazar Tsakalotos is included in the pursuing force.

That Could Have Gone Better is an RPG mission with open ended objectives and ample opportunity for anywhere from one to four additional Total Warfare encounters.  I’ve never been a fan of RPGs so this is certainly not my cup of tea.  The two page mission description equips a GM with a patchwork of information from which the overall adventure is constructed.  The quality of your experience is ultimately in the hands of the GM.

The last mission, Nowhere to Run is a final stand where the Liability have their chance to prove their worth.  In this case, I don’t mind the less than imaginative objectives since the fiction dictates that this was a fight to the finish.  I see no other way this mission could have been written.  The tie in to the earlier missions is enough of a hook to keep my interest and the interest of your gaming group.

Record Sheets

Each member of the lance has a complete Time of War record sheet describing their every detail.  Each ‘Mech in turn has a record sheet.

The record sheets look great, no repeat of the Death to Mercenaries issues.  My only complaint is the fact that the Time of War damage monitors are not optimally displayed.  Currently, the health and fatigue circles are grouped in fives.  What would have made more sense, is to have the health grouped in quarters and fatigue grouped in halves.  That way it becomes easier during a game to, at a glance, recognize what the injury and fatigue modifiers are.  Not a huge deal but something I think can be improved in future releases.

Salazar Tsakalotos

Salazar is the chief (albeit unnecessarily optional) antagonist in the Liability story and is available separately for $1.95.  The dossier includes elements exactly the same as the Unit Profile and Record Sheets described above.  There is no opening fiction or missions included.

This independent but intertwined dossier is available separately but should not have been.  I feel that the addition of Salazar as the primary antagonist in this story requires he be included in the Liability PDF.  There is little the community can do with him separately outside the context provided by the story told in the main PDF.

If you plan on buying the Lamenkov’s Liability PDF pick up Salazar as well.  They go together and should not be digested separately if you intend on having the full experience.

Product Tie Ins Galore

The Liability PDF is a shining example of how the multiple volumes of BattleTech rules and lore can be combined and mixed with great success.  Within it’s pages we have recommended/optional injections from no less than the following products:

• Total Warfare
• A Time of War
• Hexpacks
• TRO: Vehicle Annex
• Iron Wind Metals 3085 Lance Pack (the Liability use all of these ‘Mechs)
• Strategic Operations

It’s wonderful to see all of these products mixed together.  The gaming experience is better for it.  We have all of these books full of rules and fiction.  It is refreshing to have official product make ample use of all that there is to offer.  Older players with access to most if not all of these tomes will be glad to take advantage of their stock of information.  New players will feel the pull to buy in deeper into the BattleTech world to see what all the fuss is about.

Overview

The story told in these two products is excellent and well worth the $5.90 combined price.  My only concern is the fact that the full campaign may not fill a long enough session to make it worth the entry fee.  A typical Turning Point PDF contains anywhere from five to seven missions.  The Liability adventure may possibly have up to six missions in them before the campaign comes to an end.  But, if the RPG section is skipped then it becomes only two.  For the level of detail that went into describing this unit I would have liked to see more.

The quality of the product is excellent but the quantity is left up to the GM and and the players.  Under certain conditions there should be ample opportunities to string together multiple battles. However, under certain courses of action the end of the campaign may sneak up unexpectedly.

Still, to put it all into perspective, for less than the price to go to a movie you have yourself several hours over at least two (probably more) gaming sessions to fill your time.  The price of admission is low so give it a shot if your gaming group feels like taking an excursion into the Dark Age.  It may be a short detour but the views are worth it.

This scenario is based on the short story by Blaine Lee Pardoe.  Heart of Dixie was featured in the latest BattleCorps compilation, First Strike.  You can also read this excellent fiction and many more like it on BattleCorps.  Current members may already have read the story and will be familiar with the battle for Dixie within the Lyran Commonwealth.

Heart of Dixie stuck out in my mind as one of the best battle descriptions I have ever read.  The best part is the fact that the story covers the full military event from dropship burn in to the final climactic end.  I really enjoyed the story and hope you have the chance to play this scenario.  Play testing was always fun with significant ups and downs during the battles.

SITUATION

The sleepy world of Dixie is suddenly plunged into conflict when a Castle Brian is discovered buried in the countryside.  Undercover agents have leaked the report to the Free Worlds League who sent a detachment from the Fusiliers of the Orient to capture the prize before the Lyrans could respond.  The only thing in their way is the Dixie Militia.

The Militia seize the advantage when they notice that the Fusiliers do not know the exact location of the Castle Brian.  A diversion is prepared in the Southern Continent to draw them away.  It is up to a short company of Militia to hold off the attackers for as long as they can while a proper welcome is prepared at the real Castle Brian site.

GAME SETUP

Arrange maps as shown below.  The three maps used are:

• Standard BattleTech
• Woodland
• Open Terrain #2

The west map edge is the Dixie Militia home edge.  The east map edge is the Fusilier home edge.

DEFENDER

Dixie Militia – Rainbow Actual Company

Command Lance

• CN9-A Centurion, Lieutenant Hollister (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• HBK-4G Hunchback, Mechwarrior Gengler (Gunnery 4, Piloting 4)
• CPLT-C1 Catapult, Mechwarrior Brooks (Gunnery 4, Piloting 3)
• CLNT-2-3T Clint, Mechwarrior Nero (Gunnery 4, Piloting 4)

Sweep Lance

• Pegasus Scout Hovertank, (Gunnery 4, Piloting 3)
• LRPV PKR-T5 Packrat, (Gunnery 4, Piloting 5)
• Savannah Master Hovercraft, (Gunnery 4, Piloting 4)
• Galleon Light Tank, (Gunnery 4, Piloting 4)

Deployment

The Dixie Militia may begin the scenario deployed anywhere on the battlefield.  Up to two units may begin the game hidden.  No units may be hidden within 6 hexes of the Fusilier’s home edge.

ATTACKER

Fusiliers of the Oriente, Fourth Brigade

Command Lance

• AS7-D Atlas, Colonel Hansi (Gunnery 2, Piloting 3)
• AWS-8Q Awesome, Mechwarrior Reive (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• BJ-1 Blackjack, Mechwarrior Thompson (Gunnery 4, Piloting 3)
• TDR-5S Thunderbolt, Mechwarrior Dundas (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)

Fire Lance

• ARC-2R Archer, Sergeant Bloch (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• QKD-4G Quickdraw, Mechwarrior Olsen (Gunnery 3, Piloting 4)
• ON1-V Orion, Mechwarrior Qadir (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• WTH-1 Whitworth, Mechwarrior Dales (Gunnery 4, Piloting 2)

Sweep Lance

• VND-1R Vindicator, Sergeant Sharp (Gunnery 3, Piloting 2)
• STG-3G Stinger, Mechwarrior Harval (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• LCT-1E Locust, Mechwarrior Nita (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)
• WSP-1A Wasp, Mechwarrior Clark (Gunnery 3, Piloting 3)

Deployment

The Fusiliers are in the process of disembarking from their dropship and have a staggered deployment.  One lance enters the game  on turn 1.  A second lance may enter on turn 3.  The last lance enters on turn 5.  The Fusilier player may select what lance deploys each turn.

SPECIAL RULES

The following special rules are in effect for this scenario.

Fire for Effect

The Dixie Militia have a Long Tom Artillery vehicle waiting for the Fusiliers to land.  However, since the Militia do not have air superiority, it cannot fire for long without being detected by Aerospace fighters.

The Militia may fire 1 Long Tom Artillery round in turns 1 through 5.  The flight time is one turn.  The artillery crew has a skill of 4.   See Tactical Operations page 179.

Watch Your Step

The Militia have laid a trap and may deploy up to three 15-point conventional mine fields in each map.  No mines may be placed within 6 hexes of the Fusilier’s home edge.  Keep in mind that conventional mine fields affect friendly and foe alike!  See Tactical Operations page 207.

Forced Withdrawal

The Dixie Militia can not afford to lose personnel on a diversionary attack.  Militia units will operate under Forced Withdrawal once they suffer crippling damage.

Bad Weather on the Horizon

The southern continent of Dixie is known for it’s Spring storms.  After turn 12, Heavy Rain will move into the area which will turn the majority of the fake dig site into mud.  For the purposes of this scenario, the game will end after turn 12 is complete.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Secure the Perimeter

Control of the area is paramount to the Fusiliers’ plans.  The Militia aim to delay them for as long as possible.

During the end phase of each turn, each player will receive 1 Victory Point for every map they control.  Control of each map is determined by counting the number of active units per map (not shutdown and MechWarrior is conscious).  The side with the most units wins control of the map for that turn.  If there is a tie, no side gets the Victory Point.  If a unit is on the hex row between maps, it will count for control of the last map it was in.  Hidden units do not count for control of maps.

Seek and Destroy

The Fusiliers receive 1 Victory Point for every Militia unit destroyed.

The Militia receive 1 Victory Point for every Fusilier unit crippled and 2 Victory Points for every Fusilier unit destroyed.

Fight Another Day

The Dixie Militia player receives 1 Victory point for every unit retreated off their home map edge on or before turn 12.

Pressure

The opening fiction to OTP: Death to Mercenaries follows a lone Dragoons lance and their struggle against impossible odds.  What appears like a resounding victory soon fades back to reality.  Reality for the Dragoons after Misery is bleak and unforgiving.  The stage is set for this Turning Point sequel and by all accounts, we can expect a tragedy to evolve.  The writing is excellent and action packed.  I would love to have read more about this particular sub-unit of the Dragoons in future fiction but I know in all likelihood, they would not have survived the next few hours.

Atlas

The events of this OTP take place on no less than four planets within the Federated Commonwealth.  Each has a short biography and a small (1D6) terrain table with suggested Tactical Operations upgrades.  Most if not all of the information supplied in the atlas section is superfluous in nature but should not be overlooked.  While crafting my own tracks and one-off scenarios, I relish access to this type of information to add flavor that will make the mission stand out and feel less generic.  Most gamers I expect will gloss over this information on their way to the good stuff.  Never-the-less, it is presented in earnest for the curious or motivated to carve out a little piece of the sandbox for their own.

Random Assignment Tables

The provided RAT tables are near copy-paste from the earlier released Historical Turning Points: Misery.  There are a few modifications here and there but nothing drastic.  Most will never know the difference.  The biggest change I saw was the addition of the WLF-1 Wolfhound to the Dragoons medium 7 slot.

Death to Mercenaries

This two page section gives a brief overview of the conflict between the Dragoons and the singular minded Draconis Combine.  It is an excellent primer for the rest of the Turning Point and brings together the end of Misery to a new beginning within these pages. Descriptions of events and battles are short and to the point.

A full page map describes force movements between 3028 and 3029.

Commanders

One leader from each side is detailed with a short bio with picture with RPG special abilities.  The RPG stats are not a total description but a list of suggested traits and abilities to be used to guide a player’s own incarnation of these legends.  With Jaime Wolf already covered in HTP:Misery, Natasha Kerensky takes center stage for the Dragoons.  Tai-sho Li Dok To is the commander of the Galedon Regulars.

The character bios add flavor to the campaign but I find their special abilities to be less than useful for most BattleTech enthusiasts that will pick up this PDF.  Along with the nebulous Administrative, Leadership, and Tactics skill bonuses I think it would have been prudent to include a gunnery and piloting skill as well.  I also don’t believe that the developers need to be straitjacketed by the RPG rules to flesh out famous unit leaders.  There are any number of unique and original special abilities that can be cooked up to fit any personality or history.  These famous characters should not be expected to fit any manner of mold even in a world where the motto is “Yeah, we’ve got a rule for that.”  Writers should feel free to be original rather than looking up a special ability that fits close enough.

Combatants

All of the Dragoon regiments have been described in Misery.  Luckily for us, each unit has a notes section with a post Misery update.  Unit abilities are either updated or changed completely.  I loved Epsilon Regiment’s ability.  Best of the Dragoons if you ask me.

The Combine forces are likewise deliciously described with accompanying special abilities that are as worthwhile as they are varied.  The Twenty-Firth Galedon Regulars are back for more but have suffered heavily in the experience category since Misery. The only thing I can say that seems out of place is the Fifth and Sixteenth Galedon Regulars vehicle specific special abilities when there are no vehicle RATs provided.  It is an easy fix for the energized gamer, but it seems like there was more than enough room to include an extra column in the RAT table provided earlier.

How to Use the Campaign (and something more)

This section is a cookie cutter of OTP:The Red Corsair, tailored for the Dragoons and the Draconis Combine.  It lays out the framework for the campaign ahead.  But then there is more.  New to this PDF is the inclusion of a sidebar called, How It All Goes Together.  This simple sidebar gives a plainly spoken description of how a gaming group (much like your own) could use the generic tracks alongside Touchpoints to stretch the campaign over many many gaming sessions without becoming old and stale.  I feel like the writers and developers are pulling the reader aside for a moment and calmly suggesting, “Hey, in case you are having a hard time getting it, this is what we all had in mind with this crazy Chaos Campaign system.  It’s easier than you think!”

I don’t know if there was a piece of feedback or customer interaction that prompted this inclusion but I’m happy to see it.  I enjoy the Chaos Campaign system and love to see it so vigorously supported by Catalyst.

Tracks

For generic tracks, known as Missions, we have Scout, Flank, Assault, and Defend.  These can be easily combined with missions from OTP: The Red Corsair to add additional variety.  The Red Corsair has Strike, Defend, Assault, and Interdict.  The Assault missions are the same but the Defend mission are quite different from each other.

The generic missions are for the most part bland and leave much to the imagination of the GM or the player group.  But for generic missions, they fit their purpose.

The Touchpoints unfortunately followed the lead set by the generic missions.  Optional bonuses are a mix of optional terrain and Tac Ops rules.  Objectives with few exceptions are variations of “kill the other guy”.  Not all that inspiring.  By comparison Misery did a better job reliving the story behind the battles.

Record Sheets

Each side of the conflict has one custom ‘Mech detailed.  The Dragoons have a custom Annihilator which is an energy weapons monster.  It’s a scary assault ‘Mech with well more firepower than the best Awesome chassis and enough heatsinks to be very dangerous, especially in 3028.

Li Dok To’s personal ride is an odd Victor variant packing a swarm of medium lasers and a lone LRM15.  With only 19 heat sinks it is not as scary as the Annihilator.  Indeed this Victor will be forced to close the distance if it expects to bring the bulk of it’s arsenal to bear.

Something is very off with these record sheets.  Previous iterations of the Turning Points series have had crisp readable record sheets but this time Catalyst tried something different.  The background of the record sheet is obviously a raster based graphic with overlayed vector based stats and armor circles.  The sheet looks awful.  Much of the content is blurry.  The armor dots are uniform in size and just look wrong.

The powers that be have already weighed in on the manner.

My apologies for the RS quality, but it’s an issue we’re dealing with on the back end. RS issues are a big reason for the XTRO hiccups and I chose to bypass our normal (severely overworked) route for a lesser quality so that the TPs don’t hiccup. When things get better on the RS front, we’ll update the PDF.

-GhostBear, BattleTech Assistant Line Developer

Wrapping it All Up

Death to Mercenaries is a worthy successor to the Misery Turning Point PDF despite it’s shortcomings.  Any fan of the the Dragoons is going to want to pick this up.  Combined with Misery, Death to Mercenaries easily contains months worth of gaming sessions.

All together, Death to Mercenaries is well worth the slightly higher price point and a great addition to any fans PDF collection.

This lance is another addition to a long project for a friend.  They came together rather easily in a few days and I’m happy with the outcome even if it seems a bit bland.  It needs something to help it I think.  Maybe some time spent panel painting would do some good, but for now I am happy to seal these up and call them done.

Red always seems to work really well.  The only other thing I can say was lacking was an opportunity to jewel the cockpit on the Sunder and Hatamoto-Chi.  The Chi is just too small which is excusable.  The Sunder is simply not there.  I can see why this particular ‘Mech has a re-sculpt.  The new version is a definite improvement on this blocky statically posed mess.

Colors used were a Scarlet Red base coat followed by a dark wash.  Gory Red and Bloody Red dry brushes finished the highlights.  There are only a few GunMetal highlights here and there.

The cockpit jewels that are present on the Komodo and Jenner are a standard Stormy Blue, Magic Blue, Electric Blue combo.  Decals from Fighting Pirannha Graphics provide the finishing touch.

Are We Missing Something?

I know!  I was on a roll when I was painting this lance that I didn’t even notice until late that I was all out of hex bases.  So the Hatamoto-Chi is hex-less until I can order up some more.  It also appears from these photos that another coat or two of DullCote is in order.  There is still some shine showing.

I’m making good on my threat to hold a linked scenario campaign online.  I’m going to need your help to make it happen.  Warm up your MegaMek and jump into the action if you can.

Part One is an abstract campaign meaning there will be no campaign map in use.  Each sub-unit will be given orders like Attack, Defend, and Repair and they move off to attack opposing forces with like orders as applicable.

The Forces

This campaign will feature two classic rivals, Davion versus Liao.  Using the Random Assignment Tables in Total Warfare and BattleTech Force Balancer, The following forces were generated.  They are approximately equal in terms of Battle Value. Each side begins with six lances of units and three technical teams.  Here is the TRO:

The Davions

• Chase Lance
  • Sentry SNT-04 (3/3)
  • Strider Prime (3/3)
  • Stealth STH-1D (4/3)
  • Nightsky NGS-4S (4/3)
• Command Lance
  • Victor VTR-9K (3/4)
  • Gunslinger GUN-1ERD (4/3)
  • Longbow LGB-12C (3/3)
  • Atlas AS7-K (4/3)
• Enforcer Lance
  • Enforcer III ENF-6M (3/3)
  • Enforcer ENF-5D (3/4)
  • Centurion CN9-D (2/4)
  • Whitworth WTH-2 (4/3)
• Heavy Lance
  • Jagermech III JM6-D3 (4/3)
  • Jagermech JM6-DD (3/4)
  • Falconer FLC-8R (4/4)
  • Penetrator PTR-4D (3/2)
• Recon Lance
  • Commando COM-5S (4/3)
  • Javelin JVN-10P (3/3)
  • Valkyrie VLK-QD1 (3/4)
  • Wolfhound WLF-2 (4/4)
• Strike Lance
  • Firestarter FS9-S (4/3)
  • Blackjack BJ-2 (2/4)
  • Hatchetman HCT-5S (3/3)
  • Enforcer ENF-5D (3/4)

The Liaos

• Chase Lance
  • Sha-Yu SYU-2B (4/3)
  • Snake SNK-1V (3/4)
  • Huron Warrior HUR-W0-R4L (3/3)
  • Men Shen Prime (4/4)
• Command Lance
  • Awesome AWS-8Q (3/3)
  • Stalker STK-5M (3/4)
  • Emperor EMP-6A (4/3)
  • Pillager PLG-3Z (4/4)
• Heavy Lance
  • Catapult CPLT-C1 (3/4)
  • Jinggau JN-G8A (4/3)
  • Grasshopper GHR-5H (3/3)
  • Marauder MAD-5L (4/4)
• Recon Lance
  • Cossack C-SK1 (3/4)
  • Spider SDR-5V (4/3)
  • Firestarter FS9-S (3/4)
  • Raven RVN-3L (4/3)
• Strike Lance
  • Clint CLNT-2-3U (3/3)
  • Blackjack BJ-2 (4/3)
  • Vindicator VND-5L (3/4)
  • Huron Warrior HUR-W0-R40 (4/4)
• Warrior Lance
  • Blackjack BJ-2 (3/4)
  • Vindicator VND-3L (3/3)
  • Vindicator VND-3L (4/3)
  • Dervish DV-7D (4/4)

The Basics

Here are the ground rules we are using to kick off our campaign.  I expect new ground rules to be added as necessary.  We are doing this to find out what works and what needs tweaking.  Also, I hope that it will inspire others to get their game on and try out a linked scenario campaign of their own.

• Orders are assigned opposing forces randomly among available targets.
• Terrain is selected randomly unless one force has a defend order.  Defender may select terrain.
• Available terrain must be from standard BattleTech maps.  If it was printed in a map pack, you can use it.
• Scenario conditions are looked up as battles are assigned.  The campaign score will be as dynamic as possible.
• Lances are the lowest sub-unit.  You may not issue combat orders to less than four ‘Mech unless forced by your numerical situation.
• If any player retreats before turn 6 is complete, the opposing side receives a decisive victory for the battle (2 Victory points).

Get Ready to Battle

The main battle will be tracked in a new page located at the top of the site.  Check back for updates as the battle progresses.