Initial Setup: Opfor broke into two groups. SW group was fast – Ferret, Hermes II and Harasser. The remainder started in the SE corner as a single brick. Midnight deployed in both center maps East and West.
Turn 1: SW Opfor swung around plateau and hid. SE Opfor advanced at a slow pace. Midnight West split, heading to far west higher ground and more towards center. East shifted slightly but held for approach.
Turn 2: SW Opfor didn’t move, hidden behind hill. SE picked up speed in advancing. Midnight West forces moved more to center to support against SE push, while hedging against SW Opfor making a break for it.
Turn 3: Engaged East side. Minimal fire exchanged, no hits.
Turn 4: Midnight lost initiative and finished shifting to East Central Map. Minimal fire still on east side, the only tag was a PPC against the Hback. Opfor’s fast forces swung back to the west.
Turn 5: Opfor Fast West moving up western edge. Scrum in the east. PHawk pulling back to help deal with fast movers in the west. Both the Phawk and TBolt gang up on the Hunchback, going internal on the left arm and critting both lower arm and hand actuators. The Stinger is shot by the Vindicator, kicked and falls with badly damaged legs.
Turn 6: Midnight won initiative and shifted the Shadow Hawk further to challenge the fast SW group, who in turn pulled back effectively keeping the Shad out of the main engagement. The slower OpFor units continued to advance, while the rest of Midnight regrouped adding a bit of space between them and the others. The Vindicator destroyed the lead Scorpion, while the TBolt put two more PPC blasts into the Hunchback, though unfortunately scattering the damage locations. The PHawk also added fire to the Hunchback. The Vindicator was the designated target and took some limited damage in response.
Turn 7: OpFor won initiative. Midnight’s Shadow Hawk continued to shift to intercept the Fast moving SW group which moved up, but stayed out of range. Mostly the East groups increased range pushing Midnight back towards the North. Minimal fire with the lone tag by the TBolt against a Scorpion.
Turn 8: Battlefield spread out across the Center East map. Shadow Hawk committed to Western flank, SW group cha chaed back out of range. TBolt destroyed previously damaged Scorpion. Darkness ends.
Turn 9: OpFor won initiative again pushing Midnight back. Hunchback hit the Vindicator CT with AC/20 nearly stripping it. The PHawk tacs a ER LL hit to the Hunchback’s RT. Rolled a crit, but he burned an edge to avoid the AC/20 crit.
Turn 10: Midnight won initiative but continued to give ground on the Eastern Flank. OpFor continued slow forward march. Thunderbolt hits the Hback with both PPCs (CT and RT), takes out RT entirely. PHawk poured in more damage with ER LL and 2 ML.
Turn 11: Midnight wins initiative and when OpFor pushes digs in, holding the line and ending at point blank range. Phawk jumps behind Shadow Hawk. Scorpion goes internal on Vindy’s CT, critting the engine. Vindy hits the Pegasus and unloads everything else into the Scorpion critting the turret twice, taking out the weapons. Tbolt blows leg off Stinger. Phawk strips and crits the LL. Kicks the other leg, goes internal, lower leg crit and it falls over. Shad punches back while falling over. Vindy kicks and destroyed the Scorpion.
Turn 12: Vindicator starting pulling back, TBolt pushed into the middle of the engagement, Phawk closed to support. Shadow Hawk tried to stand up twice and fell twice, pilot still conscious after 3 pilot hits. OpFor closed on Tbolt and concentrated fire, stripping a bunch of armor, but nothing internal. Tbolt punched Hunchback in the chest.
Turn 13: Midnight won initiative. Vindy retreated further drawing the Hunchback with him. Tbolt maneuvered onto a hill to try and kick him in the head. The PHawk withdrew to forested cover and got jumped by the Pegasus and the Locust at point blank range. Hunchback took both upper leg crit and when he fell damaged his gyro. PHawk kicked Locust successfully, Locust attempted to kick back, failed, fell and critted his foot actuator. Tbolt kicked Urbie in LT.
Turn 14: Some maneuvering, mostly close quarters, Pegasus disengaged from the PHawk and went after the Vindicator. It hit with a single LL, two crits to the CT and destroyed the gyro. Tbolt unloaded into the Urbie, hit AC ammo and blew it up. Shad shot at the PHawk but missed. Locust missed the TBolt.
Turn 15: Midnight lost initiative. Pegasus disengaged and made a break for the north edge. Locust maneuvered to shoot my TBolt in the back, but missed. Shadow Hawk also shot the Tbolt in the back hitting with 3 missiles in the rear CT. Stinger also hit the TBolt in the front CT.
Turn 16: Midnight lost initiative. Pegasus moved around the back of the center hill and out of sight. Locust ran right up to the back of the TBolt, PHawk shoots and damages the Locust crippling it (internal structure damage).
Turn 17: Pegasus stayed stationary (1st turn), TBolt and PHawk closed. Shadow Hawk shifted towards the Pegasus and the SW group followed. No fire.
Turn 18: Midnight won initiative. PHawk crested top of hill above Pegasus. Thunderbolt closes on Pegasus, but no line of sight. SW group makes a break for it with the Ferret blowing past the Shadow Hawk while the other two speed forward. Shad rolls box cars and blows off the rotors (height 4) destroying the ferret (needed boxcars). PHawk opens up with all weapons and blows away the front of the Pegasus. It retaliated with 2 SRM 6s, both hit. It included one missile hitting the head.
Turn 19: OpFor successfully withdraws the damaged Locust, Hermes II and Harasser.
No captured MechWarriors.
Overall comments / Observations: Ryan's tactics started ok and improved over the course of the game. His fast SW corner unit (Ferret, Harrasser and Hermes II) kept my Royal Shadow Hawk out of the entire fight until nearly the end when he moved to push past. Had it not been for a VERY lucky shot on my part (needed boxcars, rolled boxcars), he might have been able to pull off the scouting between the Pegasus and the Ferret. It was certainly a challenge and we had fun with it.
In terms of Salvage, the Hunchback ended missing its LA, RA, RT and all weapons except the SL and 1 ton of AC ammo. It was down to 48 total points of armor out of 160 and was internal on CT and LL. The Shadow Hawk went internal on both legs and ended up with damaged actuators in each leg. Combined with a bad pilot (base piloting 6) it wasn't getting back up again. The Stinger had it's right leg blown off and remained a pain until I could finally get out of range. I'll need to figure out what to do with the three mechs, but will focus on getting the unit records updated and the unit back in the field first.
I have pictures both for setup and after each turn, but don't have a site to post them on to reference, and attaching them had them roated 90 degrees which was odd.
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Topic: Operation KESTREL - Solo Mission (Midnight) - 12/22/3048 (Read 877 times)