CincyBattletech

June 12, 3060
Ehreschuld lance detected an incursion of FRR forces attempting to skirt the northern edge of the Rangers' OZ.  Moving faster than the OpFor expected They were able to move north, forcing the FRR to execute their probe into the swamp rather than the forested rolling hills to the south.  Both forces entered the engagement area with the OpFor deploying along the eastern edge just south of the basin with the VTOLs in the NE corner apparently on a sweep.  Ehreschuld deployed mostly center west with the liaison's Wolfhound guarding the northern flank while the Ostwar flanked south.  While the tanks would be pinned in the SE corner, the bulk of the FRR were deployed in an even line to conceal their intent.  The FRR's lack of jump jets for most units slowed their progress through the swamp as the Rangers flanking units extended north and south and the majority of the lance headed directly towards the enemy forces allowing for rapid reaction should the Scout helicopters commit to scouting instead of flying back and forth along the eastern edge of the zone.  The only high ground was in the NW corner and claimed by the Wolfhound taking shots at the VTOLs to prevent them from being complacent.  Meanwhile, the FRR forces shifted south, making a probe with more than a lance of forces anchored by the Beowulf and Shadowhawk.  The commanders clashed in the center with the first exchange between Kelswa's Battlemaster and Haynes Dragon Fire coming when Kelswa executed a successful DFA on the pristine Dragon Fire.  His targeting was perfect and if not for a last minute twitch by Haynes to take the full brunt of the attack on the Dragon Fire's head (3 head hits, 5 points each, 2 were forced elsewhere by use of the CO's 2 EDG), the enemy commander would have been down quickly.

The fight breaks into 3 separate fights, with the Beowulf scouting the Ranger's zone and working it's way back facing mostly the Avatar and Ostwar with support from the Shadow Hawk, Hollander, Falcon Hawk and others, the center Duel being Marauder and Battlemaster against the Dragon Fire, Panther, Night Hawk, Wolverine and the other Hollander while the Phoenix Hawk used the distraction to slip between those forces and the Wolf Hound.  The Phoenix Hawk took good damage on the way through, but its low tech construction and high speed would allow it to successfully exfiltrate the scouting data towards the end of the engagement.  A lucky shot from a damaged Hollander caused the Avatar's gauss rifle to explode, evicting the pilot to safety.  With the Shadow Hawk advancing to scout and the Beowulf on the run, this was perhaps the darkest moment for the Rangers.  They rallied though, coring the center Hollander, cooking off the ammo in the Urbanmech IIC and taking down the Dragon Fire.  The second Hollander's gyro was hit, a limb blown off and sustained signficant engine damage causing the pilot to abandon.  The Shadow Hawk was knocked over after it successfully scouted with a gyro crit and then being head capped.  The Night Hawk penetrated for it's own run at scouting data, but hadn't accounted on a MASCed Marauder whose pilot easily navigated the light woods running it down, then turning to take down one of the Sprints that were trying to use the confusion to tag the objective and flee.

While the Lt Kelswa's lance took signficant damage with the Ostwar losing an arm and the Marauder losing a leg in the final exchange of the battle, they did well.  None of the Ranger mechs were crippled, though the Avatar had been abandoned triggered by the GR explosion.  Eleven of the 12 mechs were destroyed, the heavily damaged Phoenix Hawk that escaped being the lone exception.  Four of the eight vehicles were destroyed, with the remaining four retreating (mission kills).  Three of the four mechs that successfully scouted were destroyed before they could report in.  Both the FRR local CO as well as the elite pilot of the Night Hawk were captured.

Ehreschuld was able to claim both the Dragon Fire and the Wolverine as salvage as well as the bragging rights for the DFA.

Mechwarriors
MSGT Tara Price Retirement Target TN: 8
LTJG Bikki Rosado Retirement Target TN: 7
MSGT Colm Trick Retirement Target TN: 9
MSGT Carlie Lee Retirement Target TN: 8

Techs
MSGT Regina Swanson Retirement Target TN: 8
SGT Darlene Wimmer Retirement Target TN: 6
SGT Daly de Moor Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Saturnina Moran Retirement Target TN: 6
SGT Jean Patton Retirement Target TN: 6

Doctors
LTJG Harley Walker Retirement Target TN: 8
LTJG Maria Skoula Retirement Target TN: 6

June 28 MSGT Colm Trick and Keavy Haynes (captured pilot) fully healed.

June 14, 3060

Cleared for Duty
LTSG Anders Wolfram Kelswa & MSGT Tara Price healed and returned to duty June 14th

June 20
Injured
LTJG Dean Ramsden (1 hit) assigned to the care of LTJG Maria Skoula (Elite, 5+)
MSGT Colm Trick (1 hit) assigned to the care of LTJG Maria Skoula (Elite, 5+)
MSGT Carlie Lee (1 hit) (self care) assigned to the care of LTJG Harley Walker (Elite, 5+)
Keavy Haynes (captured Dragonfire pilot) (2 hits)assigned to the care of LTJG Harley Walker (Elite, 5+)

Solo complete.  Rangers total victory (both objectives gained, OpFor, 0 objectives gained).
OpFor PHawk escaped after scouting.  2 Galleons, 1 Vedette and 1 Scout Helicopter retreated off board (mission kills)
Battlemaster successfully DFA on pristine Dragonfire and if it didn't have 2 EDG to force rerolls of three 5 point head hits, would have been an instant kill (dropped later)
All other OpFor units destroyed (15 total)
Dragonfire (2 pilot hits) and Night Hawk pilots captured
Ranger Avatar was mission kill (GR blew up, but didn't shut down the mech, pilot auto ejected)
No Ranger mechs crippled
All Ranger pilots received minor injuries (1 hit each except for XO who got 2)
Wolverine and Dragonfire claimed as salvage
94,023 salvage total remains.
AAR forthcoming.

Mechwarriors
LTJG Lela MacGhie Retirement Target TN: 6
SGT Emilie Thorsen Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Mona le Bris Retirement Target TN: 7

Techs
SGT Mike Nechtan Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Ron Soumitra Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Wivekin Hester Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Robin Yamamoto Retirement Target TN: 7
SGT Jasmyn Guesne Retirement Target TN: 7

Doctors
LTJG Callie Flynn Retirement Target TN: 7

Spectre ransoms Elite pilot Bill Cook for 250M and pays Tawna Pavolko a 15M bonus.