Prelude to Battle....
Star Commander Kyle of Clan Ghost Bear had waited for his moment in the sun,
and was about to have it. Early reports said both Clan Smoke Jag and Nova Cat had
overwhelming successes against the ComGuard forces arranged against them. Kyle
was about to lead his Ghost Bear Trinary to capture one of their primary
objectives, the city of Luk. His orders were to push his forces through the
Great Forest of Luk, an enormous forested area east of the city. A maneuver,
much like the Germans had used in one of Terra’s world wars. The Ghost Bear
Khan was sure they would achieve some element of surprise on the ComGuard
forces.
When bidding his forces Star Commander Kyle had thought of just taking a Binary
of heavy mechs, but thought a full Star of Elementals would be helpful once he
reached the city. He reduced the weight of the mechs he would be taking by the
amount the elementals weighed. His bid was the lowest and Star Commander Kyle
won the right to be the first forces to attempt to take Luk.
0400 hours:
Commander Kyle set forth in his Nova Prime, not a normal chassis among Clan
Ghost Bear; he stood out against the other Clan warriors in their more
traditional Ghost Bear mechs. The trip through the forest was expected to take
4 hours, so they would break through the tree line east of the city at roughly
8am, just dawn was breaking. The 25 Elementals mounted on the Omni-mechs and
the force moved out.
0600 hours:
Star Commander Kyle calculates he is a little more than half way through the
forest when he picks up something on his sensors, Aerospace fighters, ComGuard
Aerospace fighters and lots of them. The ComGuards must have figured out their
plan, the ComGuards knew they were coming through the forest. He was
unconcerned with the threat the fighters posed, they would have a difficult
time targeting the mechs through the cover of the trees. Then the first bomb
hit about 100 yards in front of his mech. Not a traditional bomb, but an
Incendiary bomb. The forest surrounding where the bomb had hit was engulfed
instantly. The fire spread rapidly through the dry forest and within a few
minutes the Ghost Bear force was standing in the middle of a raging forest
fire. Reports from units trailing Star Commander Kyle’s force reported other
fire bombing attacks. The treacherous ComGuards were turning the Great Forest
of Luk into a mighty weapon. The Mechs were relatively safe from the fire.
There was a minimal risk to those carrying ammunition. The Elementals were
another story. The powered armor lacked the heat shedding capability of their
larger brethren. The Elementals detached from their mechs in an attempt to find
burned out areas but the firestorm was too much. One by one the Elementals
succumbed to the great heat they were exposed too.
1000 hours:
Having spent most of last four hours, thanks to a couple of wrong turns,
running through the raging inferno all the Clan Mechwarriors were exhausted.
Star Commander Kyle pushed them on toward Luk, falling back was not an option.
As the Clan force approached the tree line and the edge of the forest fire,
their sensors picked up enemy mechs and tanks. The ComGuards were waiting for
them, in improved positions. Tanks were arranged in hull down in dug in
positions, the mechs standing behind walls of earth. All these positions had
obviously been built just a few days if not hours ago. Having no choice, Star
Commander Kyle orders his troops to rush from the inferno and attack.
ComGuards. (Veterans set up in prepared
positions to attack the Ghost bears as they exit a large forest.)
Awesome AWS-9M 80
Nightstar NSR-9J 95
King Crab KGC-001 100
Bombardier BMB-12D 65
Hunchback HBK-4J 50
Lancelot LNC25-01 60
Manticore Heavy Tank 60
Manticore Heavy Tank 60
Pike Support Vehicle 60
Pike Support Vehicle 60
Patton Tank 65
Patton Tank 65
vs.
Ghost Bear (Veterans) But will be a 4/5 average due to exhaustion.
Star #1
Nova (Black Hawk) Prime 50
Fire Moth (Dasher)D 20
Mad Dog (Vulture) Prime 60
Stooping Hawk C 55
Shadow Hawk IIC 45
Star #2
Kodiak 100
Kingfisher C 90
Grizzly 70
Warhawk (Masakari) C 85
Glass Spider (Galahad) 60
Star #3
Elemental BA Point Small Laser 5
Elemental BA Point Small Laser 5
Elemental BA Point Small Laser 5
Elemental BA Point Small Laser 5
Elemental BA Point Small Laser 5
Due to spending the last 4 hours running
through the fire...Ghost bears have 4/5 skills, except the commander in the
Nova who is a 3/4. ComGuards rolled well on the Veteran table getting 2
gunners in the Nightstar, King Crab, one Manticore and Patton, The rest
were 3's except the Comguards Commander who rolled poor and was a 4/5...he must
be good with paperwork or something.
Here is the setup...ComGuards placed in their improved positions. 15
point defenses for the Tanks, Indestructible level1 hills in front of the
mechs. Told the players it would only cost 2 hexes of movement to go over
the mech defenses, with a piloting check. Failed check and you fell onto
the side of the hill you were attempting to get too. Comguards could have
moved their mechs and vehicles around, but I placed them where their ranges
would do the best so they left them where they were. Ghost Bears were
forced to spread out, justification being they wanted their entire force coming
out of the forest at once against the fixed positions. Tree line, with
the fire and smoke blocked line of sight completely, so the clanners couldn't
just sit in the woods.
Turn #1
Ghost Bears come out to play, The Dasher makes his MASC roll and zooms up the
right side of the board, only to be gunned down by the Hunchback, Patton, and
two Pikes. Entered the Dasher over at LotB.com for their monthly painting
contest.
Dasher didn't quite make the game pic but you can see the patton on the right
has turned it's turret to face it.
Turn #2
Ghost Bears charge the lines...couple of tank emplacements are taken out.
ComGuard commander in the Lancelot, is chosen by the KODIAK as the primary
target...and backs away for the rest of the game. 
Turn #3
Commander of the Bears in the Nova (Blackhawk)...shows why he is the
boss. When flanked by Comguard Hunchback, procedes to place two ER Medium
laser shots into the Hunchbacks head. Bombardier gives up the defensive
postion to keep his LRM's at good range. Many of the other tanks begin to
fall back.
Turn 4...
Tanks are starting to get some attention from the Clanners. Nova,
Vulture, Shadow HawkIIC and Galahad are all on Tank killing duty. One
Patton continues to follow the Kodiak, placing round after round into the rear
armor, as the clanner chases the Lancelot. Kingfisher (Whose paint
was burned off in the forest fire, yeah that's the ticket!) takes on the
NightStar, Warhawk C and King Crab square off, Crab giving up the cover for
better numbers with the Gauss Rifles. The Mech hill in front of the King
Crab probably took 200 points of damage this game, about 150 from the Warhawk
as it approached and the rest from the King Crab as it fired back at the
Warhawk, lots of Leg hits rolled.
Grizzly takes the Awesome as its target...they are locked in a battle to the
death for the rest of the game.
Turn 5...
Nova (Who hasn't moved yet) runs up and finishes off a Manticore.
Lancelot continues to run (Walk backwards) away from the Kodiak. Grizzly
jumps over the Awesome, and the Awesome climbs the hill to base the Grizzly
(Not enough room on the hill, but both were on the same level). At this
point I had a brain misfire and forgot the clanners were at lvl 1 honor close combat
rules (No closecombat attacks on mechs), I'll just chalk it up to the Grizzly
pilot breaking Zell and losing Honor, but not really caring because of the
underhanded (Forest fire) tactics of the Comguards. Shadow HawkIIC finished off
the Patton, only to have a Manticore replace the patton pounding the back of
the Kodiak.
Turn #6...
Warhawk has 1 point of internal in the left torso, so turns his back to
the Plinkers of Doom (Pikes) to protect that side, but exposes the gaping hole
to the King Crab. Nova drops one of the Pikes. Kodiak takes an Ammo
crit on the AC20 ammo from the Manticore...no more left side...then takes a CT
engine crit from the front by the Lancelot...scratch one Kodiak. Grizzly
and Awesome stay toe to toe...Awesome lands a punch to the Clanners head,
Grizzly kicks away. Bombardier empties its LRM ammo into the Stooping
Hawk. King Crab takes a Gyro hit and falls over.
Turn #7...
Vuture steps up to kill the Manticore...only to lose the Right torso to
an Ammo Crit, and a floating crit to the Left torso takes out the XL
engine. Shadow Hawk IIC offs the last Pike. King Crab
attempts to stand, falls, lands on hit Head...TWICE! Roll for Crit...one
crit...3: cockpit.
Grizzly, "Sweeps the leg" taking off the left leg, and as the Awesome
falls she crits the right leg and rolls 12.
Commanders face off (Nova vs. Lancelot)...andf Lancelot takes two engine hits
with almost no armor left anywhere else.
This is where we called it...Comguards only having NightStar in OK shape, a
Bombardier with an SRM4, and the Lancelot that was about to drop.
Minor Victory for the Ghost Bears.