Sunday, October 25, 2015

Battletech Scenario: Advance Guard Action

Just in time for Halloween here's... a Battletech scenario?  Whatever.

This scenario is a conversion of one of Charles Grant's Tabletop Teasers (specifically the Advance Guard Action).

An earlier game my wife and I played using a different scenario

SITUATION
Alexandria is a planet devastated by war.  Once one of the jewels of the Star League, its position on the border between the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine has meant it is subject to constant raiding.  In November of 3029, these raids came to a head when the Draconis Combine deployed elements of the 2nd Legion of Vega to capture some valuable lostech believed to be on the planet.  House Steiner quickly deployed elements of the 15th Arcturan Guards to intercept.

Both sides planned on engaging in ground north of the ruined city where the lostech lay.  Believing the Legion of Vega to be in control of a factory their, the commander of the Arcturan Guards deployed a recon lance to move north and seize a nearby bridge to use in assaulting the factory.  The commander of the Legion of Vega, believing the Guards hold the bridge, similarly sent a light lance to take the factory.  When the two lances arrived they found that neither position was occupied...

GAME SETUP
Use the Battleforce 2 and Open Terrain 2 maps as shown.  The attacker places 4 buildings within two hexes of Hex 1312 on Open Terrain 2.  These buildings count as being 1 level and indestructible for the purposes of this scenario.

They line up better with my physical maps.

DEFENDER
The defender consists of a recon lance of the Arcturan Guards

Lt. Eudora Hale (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), CN9-A Centurion
WO. Rahman Bugti (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), ASN-21 Assassin
Mechwarrior Jake Estrada (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), WLF-1 Wolfhound
Mechwarrior Venkatesha Taska (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4) COM-2D Commando

Deployment
The defender deploys their forces along the southern edge of the map.

ATTACKER
The attacker consists of a pursuit lance of the Legion of Vega.

Talon Sergeant Van Matias (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), WTH-1 Whitworth
Sergeant Harumi Higashida (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), HER-2S Hermes II
Mechwarrior Francisca Akajima (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), SDR-5V Spider
Mechwarrior Hilda Larsen (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), FS9-H Firestarter

Deployment
The attacker deploys their forces along the northern edge of the map.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
The defender's goal is to secure the bridge as planned with a secondary goal of securing the factory.  The attacker's goals are the inverse.  To secure an area, the player must have a mech within two hexes of its central square and their opponent must not have a mech in the same vicinity.  The scenario ends after 10 turns.

Draw
Both sides each hold their respective objectives at the end of 10 turns OR neither side holds its objective at the end of 10 turns.  Note: the second condition includes holding the enemies objective but not your own. 

Minor Victory
One side holds their respective objective while the other side's is contested.

Major Victory
One side holds both objectives.

SPECIAL RULES
At the beginning of turn 5 there is a chance that reinforcements will arrive for either or both sides.  When that turn begins, both players should roll 1d6 and consult the chart below.

1
2 medium mechs (no more than 100 tons total)
2
1 assault and one heavy mech (no more than 165 tons total)
3
1 assault mech
4
1 heavy mech
5
No reinforcements this turn.  Roll again next turn.
6
Reinforcements are pinned down and will not arrive.

If reinforcements arrive, deploy them along the player's home edge.