Carver V Campaign
Mission Briefing:
Mission #11 “Look to the Skies”

South Essex,

The time has come to put the pressure on Rennier and those House Steiner thugs. We will be taking back the Star-port at El Toro if all goes as planned with this assault. This will be a two pronged attack with the South Essex drawing out the defenders and the 95th Rifles taking the Star-port.

Our intelligence agents have determined Col. Rennier has divided the remaining Mechs into two main forces. The first group which we will designate as Alpha acts as Rennier’s personal bodyguards. It is a combined arms force Mechs, Tanks, and Fenrir Battle Armor. No less than 5 members of the Triple Digits are with Rennier at all times. This will be a tough group to crack, but I’m not worried about them at this time. Rennier stays holed up in his headquarters, waiting to hear the latest news on the Assault on New Avalon. Safe to say he bet on the wrong horse.

The group we will call Beta is the unit that took out our mech repair facilities. They are operating out of the Star-port at El Toro. They are led by a Sergeant Apone in his Behemoth clan mech. Always close by his side is Corporal Hicks and his Daishi clan Omni Mech. They hit us with a company of mechs, half of which were Clan tech. It looks like this group has seen some successful actions against both Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Smoke Jaguar, and they have the mechs to show it. The lightest we saw was a 60 ton Vulture. Reviewing our gun camera footage, the whole company seemed to be well trained and experienced working together. I’ll admit they caught the 95th off guard, we regrouped and pushed them back, but not before our repair bays were in ruins.

Beta Group had some help which I’m sure both the 95th and the South Essex will see during this assault. Steiner has a couple of wings of aerospace fighters stationed at the Star-port we are attacking. Expect them to get airborne and provide air support for the Steiner mechs. The 95th will do it’s best to keep as many Aerospace fighters on the ground as possible, but no doubt a few will make it up before we breach the perimeter of the Star-port.

The plan is for the South Essex to approach from the south of El Toro, through a hilly region with a few wooded areas. We know Steiner has seismic sensors in this area to warn them of approaching Mechs or tanks. Seeing the South Essex approach, Sgt. Apone will move his forces to meet the attackers rather than risk damage to any of the Star-port facilities. Once the battle has started, the 95th Rifles will move onto the Star-port from the West and remove any resistance remaining at the Star-port. Once the Star-port is secured, the 95th will engage Beta group from the flank, and assist the South Essex finishing them off.

Should be a straight up meeting engagement, which is something the South Essex has not done in a while. I wouldn’t count on whatever Gods that guided all those head shots last mission will being with you again. This will be messy and the South Essex will take a thumping, but you will pull through…you always do.

Major Richard Sharpe,
CO 95th Rifles
Co South Essex Militia

Gun camera images of "Beta Group" attacking the 95th will be sent to you shortly.

As promised…here are some images of “Beta” group.  The gun camera shots only captured individual mechs.  These images are from a security camera that watches the southern gate to our Mech Repair Facility.  These images show the group better as a whole.

  First up is Sgt. Apone and Cpl. Hicks.  Apone is in your base model Behemoth…nasty mech.  Hicks is in a Daishi Prime…one of the most feared Battlemechs ever created.


  Coming through the gate next we caught the image of a Masakari A, Mad Cat D, Loki Prime and a Vulture Prime.  As was said in the briefing these are Veteran Mechwarriors so be cautious.


  Flooding through the gate next was a Penetrator PTR-4D, Bushwacker BSW-L1, Hollander II BZK-F5, Rifleman RFL-8D, Griffin GRF-6S, and a Starslayer STY-3C.  Watch that Rifleman in this group…Twin Rac5’s very nasty.

Normally for “reinforcements” I have 4 or 5 mechs off to a side table.  If a player should get head capped early in the game, or a new player wants to join in they take one of these mechs and joins the players.  Up to this point of the campaign, the mechs provided were spare mechs in the players mech pool, and were 4/5 mechwarriors.

For the final 2 missions of the campaign the “Reinforcements” will be the Elite members of the 95th Rifles (Non-canon Davion unit, based upon the Napoleonic era novels by Bernard Cromwell)

Major Richard Sharpe: Black Knight BL9-KNT (ComStar’s variant with the hatchet)
Sgt Maj. Patrick Harper: Marauder IIC (the 85 ton one not the newer 100 ton)
Rifleman Daniel Hagman: Sagittaire (In the novels/movies Hagman never misses…so he gets the TC-pulseboat)
Rifleman Jason Harris: Warhawk C
Rifleman Lyndon Perkins: Stealth STH-2D



Originally Harper was in the Rac5 version of the Jagermech to better represent the Volley gun his character carries in the novels.  Also Harris was to be in the Mad Cat MkII.  During Mission #7, while the players were working for House Liao, Liao agents had stolen mechs from the 95th.  The players used these mechs to impersonate the 95th Rifles and attack a Steiner base, hoping to kickstart the Fed/Com civil war on Carver V.  The players got to keep 2 of those the mechs after that mission…they chose the Rac Jager and the Mad Cat MkII (Both of which they lost in mission #8, and the Mad Cat MkII reappeared in mission #10.)   This is why Harper and Harris are painted in Falcon colors rather than 95th.  Once the Mad Cat MKII is repaired Harris will take it, freeing up the Warhawk C for one lucky player for mission #12.

The Sagittire - I pinned the torso to the legs but I didn't glue it...so the Torso is twistable and makes it easier to transport.

The player Mechs...

Ok…Here we go.  I’m running the House Steiner forces (Blue/white and Smoke Jag paint jobs) against the 12 players each with their own mech (Green or White or Orange or Red/grey stripe).  The Black Knight, Falconer, and T-Bolt players couldn't make it...no worries though...my dice are that bad.

Turn #1

Both forces advance, with Steiner moving the majority of the forces to the west flank, seeing Davion moving most of its assault mechs up that side.  Long range fire from Steiner focuses on the white King Crab, return fire from all of the Davion forces miss.


The Griffin charges ahead, to draw fire away from the slow moving Clan Assault mechs. (It worked)


Turn #2

Both sides take advantage of what cover they can, again massed fire on the white King Crab by Steiner forces.  The Griffin hops over to help the Penetrator hold the east flank.
The Rotary armed Rifleman opens up on the Davion Mad Cat and makes him think twice about advancing any further.


INCOMING!  Steiner Aerospace forces perform their first strafing run.  To convert the hex strafing to open terrain I made up some 2” templates out of clay.  I know I could have just measured the 10” but this looks cooler.  Davion “Team Orange” gets hit by a Shilone; a Stingray hits the Banshee and Naginata.  The Stingray’s Fire Control system is damaged hurting his chances to hit for the rest of the game.  This was the first time I had used Aerospace fighters, and the players really liked the added level to the game.


Turn #3

The heavy fighting kicks in this turn.  The Warhawk and Stone Rhino take up cover positions behind the hill.  The Daishi takes the crest of the hill…and stays there the rest of the game, due to boxcars being rolled on a leg crit.  The Stormcrow moves to flank the Steiner force and is fired upon by the Loki, Mad Cat and Warhawk.  My dice failed me NUMEROUS times trying to drop this Stormcrow.

On the East side the Penetrator closes (But not into close combat) with the Ti’Tsang, hoping to carve it up with the 6 Medium pulse lasers.  The Thor and Griffin exchange shots.  The Stingray focuses his attack on the Naginata, and the Shilone strafes the Thor and Ti’Tsang.  Moving up the center, the Rac Rifleman, Bushwacker and Vulture pummel the Victor,


Massed fire from the propped up Daishi, Stone Rhino, and StarSlayer ravage the Banshee…why is the banshee leading the charge rather than the King Crabs and the Kraken…I don’t know you would have to ask the players.  Well ok the White crab has an excuse of taking two rounds of fire already.  Still no losses on either side this turn.

Turn #4

  Both King Crabs and the Kraken advance.  The Banshee charges up the hill hoping to step on the Daishi’s cockpit.  A LBX10 solid shot from the Warhawk takes off the rest of Banshee’s head.  The Hollander tries to get behind the green King Crab, but is intercepted by the Davion Mad Cat who doesn’t want to play with the Rac Rifleman.  The Steiner Bushwacker tries to get a rear shot on the Davion Mad Cat only to have the Victor get behind him and blow off the worthless torso with a rear shot from the Ultra AC20.  The Rac Rifleman seeing the juicy backside of the Victor manages to jam one Rac and scatter the other shots all over the place. 


  The Ti’Tsang, running hot closes with the Steiner Vulture…Only to have the Hatchet shot off at the hilt by one of the Large Pulse lasers.  The Stormcrow continues to flank the Steiner force, The Loki walks just behind the Stormcrow hoping to finish it off…Only to be cored itself by the Ultra20 and a few ER medium lasers shots.  The Stingray comes in low and seeing a line of quality targets he can’t resist attempting to strafe; too bad his only hit was on his fellow Steiner in the downed Daishi. 


Turn #5

  The Hollander and Rifleman focus their sights on the Naginata, Freeing up the StarSlayer to get behind the King Crabs.  The Vulture and Davion Mad Cat square off.
The Steiner Griffin runs over to help with the Davion King Crabs, only to fall from massed fire from the Cataphract, Thor and Zeus.  The Warhawk and Kraken trade shots with the Warhawk criting a foot actuator slowing down the Monster even more.  The Stormcrow still kicking gets behind the Stone Rhino, the Steiner Mad Cat positions itself to finish off the all too lucky Stormcrow, however the Ti’Tsang moves up and becomes the primary target.  The Ti’Tsang fails its piloting check and falls before getting the chance to kick the leg off the Mad Cat.  The Stingray also focuses on finishing off the Stormcrow with a direct assault…no dice though and the Stormcrow lives yet another round. 


  With all the fire, from all these quality mechs…those fire sticks are a HUGE time saver.


  The player running the Banshee picked the 95th Rifles Warhawk from the Reinforcement pool of mechs.  However, an old enemy reared his head, in the form of the Liao Wraith that has hounded the players on missions 8, 9 and 10.  The Shilone, seeing a fresh target, focuses his attack on the Davion Warhawk, as does the near armor-less Penetrator.


Turn #6

  The King Crabs move up to hopefully finish off the Daishi…but fail to do so…the white one loses his XL engine, falls over then explodes from cooking off its ammo.  The green one falls over from massed fire from the StarSlayer and Stone Rhino.  The Kraken takes an ammo crit from the Stingray and loses its left side…but remains standing.  It’s not all good news for Steiner, the Warhawk takes two engine hits, as does the Stone Rhino, and both along with the Daishi are almost bare of armor.  The Warhawk attempts to finish off the Stormcrow yet again…But the Stormcrow alpha-strikes back and the two remaining rounds of AC20 ammo cook off sending the Stormcrow to the scrap yard.  The Mad Cat finishes off the Ti’Tsang with a well placed ERPPC shot to the CT.


  The Shilone continues to harass the new Davion Warhawk.  The Warhawk, with the 2 Gunnery, TC and Pulses can’t hit the Wraith.  The Wraith puts a few lasers into the backside of the Zeus.  The Thor and Victor finish off the Bushwacker.  The Penetrator puts all three medium pulses into the back of the Cataphract.  The Mad Cat knocks down the Vulture with massed fire, and kicks in the Left torso crushing the XL engine.  The Naginata knocks down both the Rifleman and the Hollander with split fire.  The Rifleman is finished off from falling damage.


  The players lost the White King Crab, the Ti’Tsang and the Stormcrow (finally) this round, with the Kraken, Green King Crab, Mad Cat and Victor all with many internals.  Steiner lost The Vulture, Rifleman and Bushwacker this turn.  Only the Steiner Mad Cat and Liao Wraith are in good shape.  With 3 Fresh assault mechs from the 95th Rifles coming in on the Davion side, we called the battle here.  A few die rolls determined the Daishi and Vulture would be salvageable the rest were considered scrap metal, with the Steiner Mad Cat and Wraith escaping to fight another day.  Yeah, they will be in mission #12, the final mission of the year long campaign.

Everyone had a great time.  The Aerospace fighters added a new level to the game that the players enjoyed.