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[Darrian Wolffe]

As the Jade Falcons fell back to their original landing zones, Precentor Martial Focht seized the opportunity and flung several DropShips of the 104th Division, plus several as-yet unengaged Numenorean Ranger forces, in a behind-the-lines operation to hit the Falcons at their DropShips.  One 104th DropShip was shot down en route, but the other Overlord managed to airdrop its forces on top of the withdrawing Falcons.  The mission was simple.
 Destroy as many Jade Falcons as possible.  While the Falcon DropShips themselves were off-limits due to the negotiated conditions of the battle, if the Falcons could be smashed at their LZ, Focht could claim a clear victory on Tukayyid over the Jade Falcons.

Ranger Deployed Units
Bright Lance
Crusher Lance
Reaper Lance
0 reinforcement units (or 1, if there's anybody I've forgotten who hasn't played their lance on Tukayyid yet. Freya has played twice and is NOT eligible to be a reinforcement unit.)

Allied Units
ComGuard Level II-B, 104th Division
Adept Vladimire Charikov (3/4) Wolverine WVR-7HLx
Senior Acolyte Sabina Adamson (3/4) Griffin-GRF-1NxL
Acolyte Konrad Chadwick (3/4)  Wolverine WVR-6RxL
Acolyte Matthew Morley (3/4) Centurion CN9-AxL
Acolyte Aryana Gibson (3/4) Victor VTR-9BLx
Acolyte Barbara Au (2/3) Gladiator GLD-4RDx

 
ComGuard Level II-D, 104th Division
Adept (3/4) Rifleman RFL-3N
Acolyte (4/5) Warhammer WHM-6R
Acolyte (4/5) Guillotine GLT-3N
Acolyte (4/5) Quickdraw QKD-5A
Acolyte (4/5) Clint CLNT-2-3T-Denton
Acolyte (4/5) Stinger STG-3R

Enemy Units
Falcon Guard

Command Star
Star Colonel Aidan Pryde (1/2), Timber Wolf Pryde
Mechwarrior Horse (1/2), Marauder MAD-3R(C)
Margo (1/2), Kit Fox A
Russel (3/3), Summoner A
Janice (3/3), Hellbringer A

Trinary Alpha, Alpha Beak
Star Commander Joanna (1/2), Mad Dog Prime
Diana (1/2), Warhawk Prime
Khastis (2/3), Fenris B
Faulk (2/3), Hellbringer Prime
Leema (2/3), Stormcrow C

Trinary Bravo, Bravo Eye
Star Commander Zyn (1/2) Dragonfly B
Bish (1/2), Fenris Prime
Andre (2/3), Adder D
Ta-Ken (2/3), Kit Fox B
Glysto (3/4), Summoner Prime

Trinary Delta, Delta Nova
Star Captain Shika (1/2), Dire Wolf Prime
Black (2/3), Executioner Prime
Kurti (2/3), Summoner A
Lutz (1/2), Summoner
Smit (2/3), Timber Wolf A
Selima Elemental Point (1/2)
Nelza Elemental Point  (1/2)
Deryn Elemental Point (2/3)
Vidia Elemental Point (2/3)
Ast Elemental Point (2/3)


NORTH

SOUTH

Maps
1....Open Terrain 1............Open Terrain 2.......Open Terrain 1
2...Open Terrain 2 (new)....Grasslands 1.........Classic BattleTech
3....Open Terrain 2............Open Terrain 3.......Open Terrain 2 (new)

Deployment
Com Guard Forces: Each Com Guard Level II may choose to deploy in any of the white-labeled zones (1, 2, or 3). Only a single Level II may deploy into a single zone.  For the sake of clarity, each White Zone is 6 hexes wide and 4 hexes deep into the board.  Com Guard forces deploy last.

Numenorean Ranger Forces: Each Deployed Lance may choose to deploy in any of the blue-labeled zones (1, 2, 3, or 4).  Only a single Lance may deploy into a single zone.  For the sake of clarity, Blue Zones 1 and 4 are each 4 hexes square, while Blue Zones 2 and 3 are 3 hexes wide and extend 6 hexes into the board.  Ranger forces deploy first.

Clan Forces:  Three of the four Clan Stars/Novas may choose to deploy in any of the red-labeled zones (1, 2, 3, or 4).  Only a single Star/Nova may deploy into a single zone.  For the sake of clarity, each deployment zone is described as a 4 hex radius semi-circle, from the conjunction hex formed by the map corners.  The final Clan Star/Nova, which must be Delta Nova, or Bravo Eye, deploys anywhere within 3 hexes of the Raptor.

Battlefield Support
None.  The weather conditions inherent to this scenario, in addition to the rules imposed on the ComGuard (see "Rules of Warfare", below), preclude the use of Battlefield Support units by the ComGuard/Rangers.  The Jade Falcons have no battlefield support available, as they are evacuating the planet.


Environmental Effects
Dust, Smoke, and Night: (Battle of Tukayyid Campaign Book, pg 128) The battle takes place in a dark night, with a light smoke and dust swirling from the battle and repeated landing and liftoff of DropShips in the area.  The cumulative modifier is a +2 modifier to all ranged attacks.  Searchlights have no effect due to the dust/smoke component.  Characters with any form of environmental SPAs designed to assist with any darkness or smoke effect might receive a benefit, make a 1d6 roll at the beginning of each weapons fire phase: on a 4-6, the modifier is reduced to only a +1, instead.


Scenario Special Rules
We Have Reserves: 2 copies of each Mech Record Sheet in the Com Guard Level II-D unit should be printed.  When that unit is destroyed, a new Mech of that type and piloting skill enters the battlefield from the zone in which Level II-D initially deployed.  If the second unit is destroyed, no replacement is given.

Orbiting Eyes: Loremaster Kael Pershaw is orbiting the battlefield in the most advanced recon aircraft to which the Jade Falcons have access, projecting targeting guidance for the Star Colonel.  Aidan Pryde ignores the modifier to weapon attacks for the Dust, Smoke, and Night rule.

Evacuation: Jade Falcon forces are attempting to evacuate the planet.  Up to 3 Jade Falcon Mechs at a time may board the Raptor each turn, by moving adjacent to the Raptor with Walking MP (or beginning the turn adjacent to the DropShip), and spending 3 Walking MP to board the DropShip.  They may fire or be fired upon during the turn they board the DropShip, and are considered to have boarded during the End Phase of the turn in which they spent the 3 MP to board.  Only units from a single Star/Nova may attempt to board at one time.  Bravo Eye and Delta Nova MUST board their surviving units, before any units from the other Falcon Stars may attempt to board.  Each turn, at least 1 unit from Stars eligible to board must attempt to move closer to the Raptor, even if such a move is not tactically advantageous (in other words, no, the Falcons are not making a general counterattack away from their ride off-planet).  Aidan Pryde, Horse, Diana, and Joanna are not subject to any of the restrictions within this rule.

Rules of Warfare: The Raptor is not a viable target: a Jade Falcon Mech or Elemental which boards the Raptor is considered to have escaped the planet.  The Precentor Martial is effectively allowing the Falcon DropShips hegira, because he doesn't want to risk the Clans being upset enough to drop by with WarShips to which the Inner Sphere has no answer.  No Com Guard unit may declare an attack of any kind on the DropShip, for any reason, and any weapons fire which targets a Clan unit attempting to board the DropShip takes a further +1 penalty.  Firing on the DropShip will cause the Com Guard to void the Rangers contract.  If a Rangers player declares weapons fire against the DropShip, please see the GM.

Last Stand: Aidan Pryde has a chance to (unknowingly) discover the Phantom Mech ability in this final, desperate hour.  Each turn, after initiative is determined, the player controlling Pryde's Mech rolls 2d6.  On a 10+, the ability activates (Edge may not be used on this roll).  Additionally, the ability will automatically activate in the case on any of the following conditions:
1) 10+ Jade Falcon units are crippled or destroyed (including crippling his own unit). Evacuated units do not add to this total.
2) Less than 5 total Jade Falcon Mechs remain active on the board
3) <hidden>
4) <hidden>
5) <hidden>

The Phantom Mech ability (Kell Hounds Scenario Pack, pg 12) provides the following modifiers (these stack with any and all existing modifiers):
1) The Mech with active Phantom Mech is treated as though the range to him is doubled (ie, the Mech is 4 hexes away, he is effectively at 8 hexes, meaning your medium laser is at long range and suffers a +4 penalty; if the Mech was at 5 hexes, you could not fire the laser at all).  Note that this DOES mean that some physical attacks (punches, kicks) are impossible, and that you must spend significantly more MP for other attacks (charge, DFA).
2) The Mech is always treated as though it moved 10+ hexes (ie, receives a +4 target movement modifier), regardless of its actual movement.
3) The Mechwarrior with active Phantom Mech gains a -2 bonus to-hit on all weapon attacks.  It may also be used to shift results on the Hit Location table by 1 or 2 points, but only so that weapons fire hits a limb, rather than the head or torso.

Under any and all circumstances, Aidan Pryde MUST be the last unit to evacuate the battlefield, and may not evacuate at all if Phantom Mech has activated.


Objectives
ComGuard:
1) Overrun the landing zone and destroy as many Jade Falcon units as possible.  Each Falcon unit which fails to evacuate for any reason is worth 1 VP.  If Aidan doesn't evacuate, he is worth 5 VP instead.

Jade Falcons:
1) Evacuate as many units as possible.  Each Falcon unit which evacuates is worth 1 VP.  Horse, Joanna, and Diana are worth 2 VP each.  Aiden Pryde is worth 3 VP.  Each unit destroyed or crippled by Aiden Pryde when there are 3 or fewer Falcon units active on the table is worth an additional 1 VP for the Falcons.
2) The Falcons are evacuating and cannot "win" the scenario.  However, the ratio of ComGuard to Falcon VPs will determine the degree of gloriousness of the evacuation effort.

[Ad Hoc]

Are the maps, deployment rules, and victory conditions going to be posted? It would be helpful for possible developing a strategy.

If reinforcements are not available, would the PC lance be able to upgrade to Level II lances? If so, what would the bv cap be?

Also, I will print all the Comstar forces.

[Hat]

Mike,

There is a 4th PC lance involved, just not a current Rangers one as Logan’s lance is the first one listed under Comstar. Rob would need to answer the next part

Hat

[Ad Hoc]

Mike,

There is a 4th PC lance involved, just not a current Rangers one as Logan’s lance is the first one listed under Comstar. Rob would need to answer the next part

Hat

Logan's force is taking the place of the original Comstar lead lance since he is technically a member of Comstar and kicked out of our unit😉 (since now he is available to play). Plus, the last mission with Rob as reinforcements that gave the PC side 28 units against the clan 15 mechs and 25 elementals. This mission with the 3 PC standard lances and the 2 Level II lances we will have 24 units to the clans 20 mechs, 25 elementals, with Ayden Pride probably in ghost mech mode.

[Hat]

Mike,

There is a 4th PC lance involved, just not a current Rangers one as Logan’s lance is the first one listed under Comstar. Rob would need to answer the next part

Hat

Logan's force is taking the place of the original Comstar lead lance since he is technically a member of Comstar and kicked out of our unit😉 (since now he is available to play). Plus, the last mission with Rob as reinforcements that gave the PC side 28 units against the clan 15 mechs and 25 elementals. This mission with the 3 PC standard lances and the 2 Level II lances we will have 24 units to the clans 20 mechs, 25 elementals, with Ayden Pride probably in ghost mech mode.

I didn't recall Logan replacing other units, though I guess that makes sense.  Midnight could field a Battlemaster BLR-3M, Custom TBolt, Custom Shadow Hawk and a custom Wolfhound.  When my unit regroups after picking through the shattered corpses of my mechs I'd be left with a Warhammer, Ostwar, PHawk LAM, Panther and a new shiny from Comstar.  Atayde has enough Edge he'd hopefully survive.  I'd be guaranteed to have my XO and elite pilot, so would just have to hope one of the other pilots survived, that I picked up one of the clanners or that I pick up a decent pilot from the first marketplace we get.  That's manageable.  We still have some mechs in unit stores to work with as well.

I would strongly prefer another PC lance as reinforcements as opposed to allowing existing PCs to go to the equivalent of a Comstar L2 as otherwise losses are even more heavily sustained by a small number of PC lances rather than spread out a bit more.  Guess we'll see what Rob says.

[ItsTehPope]

If necessary Skaraborg is combat operational.  Berthe and Oduyas Aweeomes require a moderate amount of repair and I have spares as well.

[Darrian Wolffe]

OK, so I wasn't done with the scenario yet, which is why I hadn't removed the (empty message) tag from the thread subject.  Any questions resulting from people reading a thread with a tag fairly clearly indicating that it wasn't supposed to be read yet are on you, and being summarily ignored.

[Darrian Wolffe]

And now the scenario is up.

God help us.

[Hat]

Rob, thanks for the details.  Yes, God help us all.

The key items from the scenario from my perspective are towards the beginning and at the end.

The mission was simple.  Destroy as many Jade Falcons as possible.  While the Falcon DropShips themselves were off-limits due to the negotiated conditions of the battle, if the Falcons could be smashed at their LZ, Focht could claim a clear victory on Tukayyid over the Jade Falcons.

and

The Falcons are evacuating and cannot "win" the scenario.  However, the ratio of ComGuard to Falcon VPs will determine the degree of gloriousness of the evacuation effort.

Yes, this is a kill as much as possible scenario.  It is not however a desperate last stand for the PCs/Comstar side or win at all costs.  Can Comstar get an all out win rather than a draw?  Yes.  I have to imagine both the Comstar troops and the Rangers have gotten updates on how things are going  so far which is to say that by this point the Nova Cats, Diamond Sharks and majority of the Smoke Jaguars have retreated off planet, Steel Vipers and Jade Falcons are in retreat and Comstar has fought Ghost Bear to a draw with the Wolves being the only Clan doing well.  The overall struggle for Tukayyid isn't hanging in the balance.

Rob, is that a fair assessment?  Just trying to provide a gauge of how aggressive Comstar/the Rangers are expected to be.

[Darrian Wolffe]

Rob, is that a fair assessment? 

It is not, and assumes facts not in evidence. 

As per the events dictated by Jerimiah Rose in the Black Thorns novels, soldiers on the ground were not aware of strategic-level events *at all*.  Divisional command was the lowest rank at which the things you're listing as critical information were considered widely known, and therefore must be discarded as rationale for action. 

More importantly, the Precentor Martial continues to throw his troops at the Clans - all of them, even while they're retreating - because of one of his stated goals to Ulrich Kerensky.  His job isn't just to win the battle.  His job is to win the peace of the 15-year truce, and the best way to ensure that the Clans won't jump the border or set aside the truce is to smash them while they're within his grasp.  To destroy as much of their toumans as possible, and keep on destroying them right up until the point where the Clanner's OmniMech steps foot inside their sacrosanct outbound DropShip.  The fewer Clanners there are left after the Battle of Tukayyid, the safer the Inner Sphere will be for the next 15 years.  Your objectives reflect this fact.

Most importantly, your objectives as given are to destroy or disable as many Clan units as possible.  While hanging back and letting the ComGuard take it on the chin while you don't push the LZs that you're surrounded is certainly a decision that the Rangers players definitely DO have the freedom to make...it also should be remembered that the quality and (to a point) quantity of salvage guaranteed by your contract is at the discretion of the Com Guard commanding generals.  Generals who are unlikely to react particularly well to having their troops unilaterally used as a Clanner's shooting gallery by a bunch of mercs who were brought in as independent contractors and who aren't truly faithful to the cause in the first place.

[Hat]

Thanks for the clarification.  Never read the Black Thorns novels so didn't have that perspective.  My question wasn't intended as a go light or pull back if things started getting bad.  It was intended more that it didn't need to feel like the units were expected to die to the last man to eek out one more kill.  So, push hard across the board, got it.

For the PC units, there are 7 mechs in unit reserve (1 light, 2 medium, 3 heavy and 1 assault) that are there to help replace battlefield losses if they get bad.  Barring something catastrophically bad like disobeying direct orders and firing on the JF dropships voiding our contract, Atayde is certainly willing to clear the stores to make sure units are in fighting shape and as needed swing extra cash.  So don't worry about the shape of your unit after.  We'll take care of you.  The Corps is Mother.  The Corps is Father.

[Hat]

Ok, I've printed almost all of the record sheets for both Comstar and the Clan forces.  There are a few that I don't have printed.

1. Lutz - it lists a Summoner, but not which configuration
2. The elemental points - if someone can send me a PDF for Elementals, I'm happy to print them.

I don't have the figs, someone else will need to provide those.  I can probably provide the maps as needed.  I'd need to check.

[Ad Hoc]

Ok, I've printed almost all of the record sheets for both Comstar and the Clan forces.  There are a few that I don't have printed.

1. Lutz - it lists a Summoner, but not which configuration
2. The elemental points - if someone can send me a PDF for Elementals, I'm happy to print them.

I don't have the figs, someone else will need to provide those.  I can probably provide the maps as needed.  I'd need to check.

Hat,
Did you print 2 copies of the Comstar force that isn't Logan's per the We have "reinforcements" section of the scenario?

[Hat]

Hat,
Did you print 2 copies of the Comstar force that isn't Logan's per the We have "reinforcements" section of the scenario?

Yes, 2 copies of the level 2 that isn’t Logan’s.

[Darrian Wolffe]

Ok, I've printed almost all of the record sheets for both Comstar and the Clan forces.  There are a few that I don't have printed.

1. Lutz - it lists a Summoner, but not which configuration
2. The elemental points - if someone can send me a PDF for Elementals, I'm happy to print them.

I don't have the figs, someone else will need to provide those.  I can probably provide the maps as needed.  I'd need to check.

I apologize.  That should be a Summoner Prime.  CJF Sourcebook, pg 57.

I've gone ahead and printed the elemental BA sheet.  For reference, the most current version of the Elemental BA record sheet is found in Record Sheets 3058 Unabridged (BC-203A).  It can be downloaded here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/6v3nuu3j7mdfpit/BATTLETECH_-_Record_Sheets_3058_Unabridged_-_Clan_Mech%252C_Star_League_%2526_Battle_Armor.pdf/file

I believe I have all the maps, and I'm checking the minis as soon as I've confirmed the maps.