Reminder: we will be missing Osiris, Ironside, and Blitzkrieg Lances. This makes putting organized companies on the field practically impossible, with attendant effects on the ability to ensure everyone is getting sufficient play opportunities. Please do not bomb my PMs about this.
NORTH
SOUTH
Maps
Forward Base...........River Valley...............Hill Fort (custom from John)
City (downtown)......River Commcenter......Grasslands 1
Forward Base..........Streams....................Grasslands 1
DeploymentTurret Deployment: Deploys first. Turrets must be deployed onto Turret Hexes anywhere on the River Commcenter map, or on to Turret hexes on the EASTERN half of either Forward Base map. Artillery turrets MUST be deployed either onto hex 0109 or 0312 of the River Commcenter map. As a reminder, turrets have 20 armor + 10 armor per gun after the first. Artillery turrets have 30 armor + 10 armor per gun after the first.
Ranger Deployment: After turret deployment, Ranger forces will secretly note the hexes onto which they are airdropping. As this is a surprise raid, they will land using normal airdropping rules on their initiative on Turn 1 (with a +3 TMM) and count as having jumped for purposes of weapons fire; their DropShip may not be fired upon. Ranger forces may deploy anywhere on the battlefield, but no more than 2 lances may drop into a single mapsheet, and no member of a lance may PLAN to deploy within 6 hexes of a member of any other lance. The FedCom liaison drops alongside the Local Command lance.
OPFOR Tank Garrison Deployment: Deploys after Ranger airdrop has been planned. Tank garrison units must deploy on a pavement hex within 8 hexes of hex 0909 of the River Commcenter map. VTOL units begin the game grounded and may not move or fire; they may take off and move normally beginning on Turn 2. Tank Garrison ground units may only use cruising speed on Turn 1 and may not fire, but may act normally beginning on Turn 2.
OPFOR Primary deployment: Deploys after Ranger airdrop has been planned. Divide Mech group into 3 units of 4 mechs each, vertically down the list.
Randomly determine the map where the one group deploys (
any of the 3 groups may determine first); its Mechs deploy within 6 hexes of hex 0909 of that map. Randomly determine the map where the next group deploys; its Mechs deploy within 6 hexes of hex 0909 of that map. If no Mech unit has yet deployed onto the River Commcenter map, deploy the third group onto that map; if there are already OPFOR Mech units on that map, randomly determine the map where the third group deploys. Mechs may move and fire normally on Turn 1.
OPFOR Reinforcements: Enters the board from the eastern board edge on Turn 8.
Ranger Reinforcements: Rangers may deploy a single lance (Mechs only) from the following list: Marigold, Paladin, Fire, Norbotten. This lance accompanies the airdrop and deploys along with the remainder of the Ranger forces, using the same rules.
Environmental Conditions:Dusk/Dawn: Dawn. All weapon attacks add a +1 to-hit modifier, until the end of Turn 4. Searchlights do not avoid this penalty, but All-weather Fighter (or the Night Vision Trait) does.
Designated Targets: the goal of this mission is to open a hole in the ground-based orbital defenses. The Rangers successful recon raid has revealed the locations of these structures:
1) River Commcenter Map, hexes 0907, and the 5 surrounding building hexes. These are CF 60 each
2) River Commcenter Map, hexes 0910, 0911, 1009, 1010. These are CF 40 each
3) River Commcenter Map, hexes 0210, 0310, 0311 These are CF 60 each
4) River Commcenter Map, hexes 0303, 0304, 0403, 0404, 0504 These are CF 60 each
5) City Downtown Map, hexes 0602, 0603, 0702, 0703, 0704 These are CF 75 each
6) Hill Fortress, All 4 hexes marked as "medium" These are CF 80 each
For purposes of this scenario and simplicity, artillery deals the following damage to the above building hexes:
Direct hit: (Long Tom): 30 (Sniper) 20 (Thumper) 15
Radius 1: (Long Tom): 20 (Sniper) 15 (Thumper) 10
Radius 2: (Long Tom) 10
Word of Blake Magical Mystery Tech: Mechs and tracked vehicles need not make skidding checks on pavement hexes
Friendly Fire Isn't: The WOB artillery turret may not direct-fire against ground units within 3 hexes of its own position (blind spot), and may not deliberately fire in a manner which would result in damage to a Designated Target building. By way of small compensation, it carries the following ammunition types in functionally unlimited quantities: standard, flak, cluster, Illumination*, Smoke.
*(yes, it works against Dawn/Dusk)
Battlefield Support:Rangers have 28 points of BSP support. Four ASFs *must* be allocated to escort the DropShip in and out of the combat zone, and are therefore not available for BSP use. Each ASF is still limited to 2 sorties during the mission. The Rangers have no pre-plotted artillery hexes.
The WOB receives 4 light strikes, 2 heavy strikes, 2 heavy air cover, 2 light air cover, and 2 strafes. They do not have access to off-board artillery or non-nuclear minefields in this scenario. WOB Strafes may not be made if their area of effect would include a non-wall structure. WOB air attacks may be declared directly against Ranger artillery, the turn AFTER Ranger artillery begins firing (strafes will target only a single artillery unit).
Victory ConditionsRangers1)* Destroy ALL turrets and ALL designated target buildings (a collapsed building counts as being destroyed).
2) Destroy or render incapable of spending MP at least 8 WoB units from the Primary OPFOR, and at least 3 units from the Tank Garrison.
3) Ensure the liaison is capable of spending MP at the end of the game.
*Condition 1 must be fulfilled to either /victory, or for a Rangers win at all, regardless of VP values.
OPFOR1) End the game with at least 3 turrets, and 2 designated target buildings undestroyed.
2) Destroy, cripple, or render incapable of spending MP, at least 7 Ranger units.
3) Render the liaison incapable of spending MP by the end of the game.
MISCELLANEOUS
1) Exiting the battlefield requires a unit to remain stationary at the board edge for 1 turn. Only a single spent MP is required to move offboard (ie, the environmental MP penalties doesn't apply; or, more specifically, the Minimum Movement rule overrides it). Civilian units may only exit from the Eastern board edge.
2) OPFOR MechWarriors will attempt to capture any ejected Ranger MechWarriors in this scenario, unless a Ranger BattleMech target in LOF is equally as close (or closer) than the ejected MechWarrior, or the Ranger BattleMech target is within 8 hexes and subject to a valid LOF in any case.
3) True Believers: attempts to recruit OPFOR Mechwarriors in this mission suffer a +2 TN penalty (+3 for ComStar-affiliated lance leaders, +0 for WOB-affiliated lance leaders). Upon taking a prisoner, roll 2d6. On an 8+, the prisoner detonates a suicide device which deals 1d6 damage to the capturing MechWarrior (edge cannot be used to avoid the bomb entirely, but may be spent to gain a reroll on the 1d6, or may be burnt to survive). All prisoner ransom values for this contract are *tripled* (ie, a MechWarrior ransomed for 10,000 CB is instead ransomed for 30,000 CB).
4) Following the battle, GM makes a check.