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Blackhand
Draconis Combine
Chu-i
Joined: 05-Jul-2002 00:00
Posts: 334
Location: Canada
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 Posted: 07-Aug-2005 05:49 Post subject: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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DarkAdders son's Force
Grasshopper GHR-5H, Head Destroyed. 6P/4G. Destroyed by Roc Beta.
Guillotine GLT-4L, Center Torso Destroyed. 4P/3G. Legged by Roc Beta and Nova
Blackhand's Forces
Assassin ASN-21, Pilot Ejected. 5P/4G. Legged by Cauldron-Born with AC 20.
Griffin GRF-1S, Center Torso Destroyed. 4P/3G. Killed by Nova
Wolverine WVR-6M, Center Torso Destroyed. 4P/3G. Killed by Nova.
Hunchback HBK-4SP, Center Torso Destroyed. 4P/3G. Killed by Cauldron born
DarkAdder's Forces
Roc 2 Alpha, Destroyed. 1G. Destroyed by Hunchback.
Roc 2 Beta, Destroyed. 1G. Wolverine 3rd Kill
Cauldron-Born H, Right Torso Destoryed. 2P/1G Engine Nonfunctional. Wolverine 2nd kill
Mad Dog H, Head Destroyed. 2P/1G Wolverine first kill
Timber Wolf H, Head Destroyed. 2P/1G. Untouched otherwise. Destroyed By hunchback after RoEs were broken.
Nova S, Center Torso Destroyed. 4P/3G. Wolverine 4th kill
The battle starts with the Inner Sphere forces holding a tight formation and waiting for the clanners to advance. The Clan forces hot drop on us, the Timberwolf failing his piloting check.
Opening round sees the Hunchback demolish Roc Alpha, as all units pair off into dueling.
Second round sees the Hunchback demolish the Timberwolf, and RoEs broken by the Guillotine and Grasshopper jumping down beside the Nova and both alphaing and missing.
Several rounds later the Wolverine and Hunchback are losing against the Cauldron-Born but ripping its armour off. The Guillotine is legged by the Nova, Roc Alpha combination despite the fact the Guillotine and Grasshopper should out gun that pair. The Mad Dog is holding off the Assassin and Griffin.
Two rounds later Hunchback goes down to an AC 20 to the center torso. but its put two engine hits on the Cauldron Born and destroyed numerous of its Heavy lasers.
The Mad Dog drops against the Wolverine and Griffin as the Assassin tries to hold the line against the Cauldron Born. Roc Alpha and Nova are playing tag in the buildings against the Grasshopper.
The third round of the Assassin fighting the Cauldron Born it takes AC 20 shell in the Left Leg and drops, pilot ejects.
Two rounds later Griffin gets cornered and killed by Nova at this point but takes off one of its arms in the exchange.
Wolverine pilot is now fighting a 3 on one, first taking the Cauldron born's other torso out one round after the Griffin drops. Even though my Wolverine is missing every SRM 6 volley t round after round.
Wolverine jumps into the buildings and Roc Alpha and the Nova break up to try and chase to ground.
Two rounds later Wolverine corners Roc Alpha and smokes it with a pair of Medium Lasers.
Wolverine knocks off Nova's other arm but loses a jump jet. A bunch of rounds pass where initiative is won or lost and mechs jump out of range behind buildings and walls.
Wolverine pilot finally jumps up on top of level 2 hill with a level 2 wall and takes on the Nova at 2 hexes. The final weapon exchange cores the Nova. However, the Right Arm, Right Torso, and Center torso of the Wolverine are destroyed in the return volley.
My Comments. In no particular order.
The Wolverine connected with ONE of his 15 volley's of SRMs. Darkadder's comment was that I dumped my ammo all over the field one salvo at a time.
When the forces were down to Griffin, Wolverine, Assassin, versus Cauldron Born, Mad Dog, Nova, and Roc Alpha. Heigra was offered by Darkadder on my forces. I declined and that round set of a pair of rounds where my Assassin and the Mad Dog dropped one after another.
The hot drop to start off the battle was a brillant tactic. I didn't expect it. But it brought the ranges to exactly where I wanted them so it was like Darkadder played right into my hand. In retrospect I'm not sure if it was the best play.
The forces were massively uneven. Skillful use of Partial Cover and terrain forced the clan mechs again and again in 1 on 2s and 1 on 3s. My lack of any decent units in my medium lance meant I really couldn't do damage fast enough though.
Darkadder heavily relied on the near miss thing to keep his proto mechs alive. This didn't work against the mechs I picked as my sand paper type weapons just slaughtered them all the same.
Highlight of my night was the first two rounds of the Assassin buzzing the Cauldron Born. The double tap AC 20 and single tap AC 20 shots both missed. My luck ran out when both shells of the 3rd round AC 20 volley smoked it. But meh, it was a good run.
Highlight of Darkadder's night was him taking apart his son's Grasshopper and Guillotine with a Nova and Roc Beta. The loss of the hammer of my force that way... crippled my forces.
The ending to that fight was more dramatic than it needed to be. I could have gained a 4 hex seperation and kept my Wolverine alive and killed the Nova in that final round. BUT, it had one crit right arm, one crit right torso, 3 crits left arm, 1 crit left torso, and 5 crits center torso left. I figured it was probably scrap anyway so let the dice god's decide it.
Losing Rules of Engagement in round 3's beginning crippled me, because I had my mechs perfectly positioned to gain maximum advantage in each individual duel and then the RoEs are broken so Darkadder just shoots the easiest target in every case rather than take the shots that would have given me edges. However, with RoEs broken my jump capable forces were frequently able to limit they're exposure to fire and maximize they're rather light firepower on one or two targets.
DarkAdder's son seemed super depressed every round as his mechs were getting hammered. Against Elite Clan mechwarriors in front line Omni mechs... you have to understand ahead of time that your going to get pasted. I think he started to understand this as I desperately did everything I could to push up Darkadder's to hit numbers near the end with my Wolverine adding 6 and 7 to his to hit numbers every round just to get them up to numbers that weren't guarentied rolls.
As a side note I'll never again take militia quality machines against front line elite clan warriors. Its almost sucide. Although with 5 of my side's warriors ejecting safely and only 2 of the clan mechwarriors surviving. I can feel very happy about this draw/marginal victory.
Darkadder on the other hand has stated he will take at least a point of artillery and level my cover next time we play.
I read the rules and it appeared a misintrepretation allowed his random rolls to be much better than they should have been. It was a simple mistake due to the wording of the original book we were using. Next time the skill levels will be more even.
At a point late in the fight with my crippled Griffin seconds from being cornered by his Nova and my Wolverine playing tag with the Cauldron Born and the Roc in buildings. Darkadder offered to take my Assassin pilot as bondsman, but offered both my mechs still functioning and my battlefield salvage and my Guillotine pilot to me if I left the field.
Relying on a rookie to both follow orders and to use my two heaviest mechs was a gamble that failed miserably. With my two heaviest mechs not forgiving enough to survive against the clanners, I was left with very long odds to make up. The idea behind giving the rookie both of my biggest mechs was that they had the most armour to take a few hits before they had any real loss.
The biggest issue with fighting those clan pilots was that 1 gunnery skill mated to Targeting computers and pulses.... even adding 6 to 7 to they're gunnery a round with just my movement. I couldn't get the modifiers high enough.
It made me realise I want to move heaven and earth to get Heavy Metal Light or something that can print out Protomech sheets for me.
Also, that no matter how good a player you are, sometimes with the odds heavily stacked against you... the best you can do is a draw.
In closing the 7 hour mothering battle we had, was most enjoyable and Darkadder called it battletech at its purest form.
Questions, comments and cat calls will now be fielded both from the non hydrogenated and hydrogenated peanut galleries.
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Warhammer: 3025
Freelance
Captain, AFFC (Ret.)
Joined: 29-Jan-2005 00:00
Posts: 1856
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| Posted: 07-Aug-2005 07:02 Post subject: RE: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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*Ahem*
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Here kitty! C'mon!
_________________
Evil is like a bowl of oranges. Only one, instead, is an orange of DOOM. That orange has a fate to rule over the other oranges with an iron fist. That orange is me.
Because sometimes, there are many guards in the castle.
Ya Rl'yeh!
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 07-Aug-2005 07:04 Post subject: RE: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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"Uneven"? That doesn't even begin to describe it! Elite clanners in front-line mechs? Against regular guys in militia-grade IS mechs? 
I wouldn't go against that star with less than a company of medium mechs.
_________________
A tree fall in the forest, and no one is around, and it hits a mime. Does anyone care?
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Delta
Lyran Alliance
Leutnant
Joined: 11-Dec-2004 00:00
Posts: 635
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| Posted: 07-Aug-2005 23:19 Post subject: RE: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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3 Heads Destroyed?
Pretty impressive...
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DarkAdder
Clan Star Adder
Star Commander
Joined: 10-Jan-2004 00:00
Posts: 604
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| Posted: 08-Aug-2005 01:08 Post subject: RE: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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The really frustrating part was when we would hit internal structure, or score a random possible critical, our dice wouldnt roll above a 5. 
_________________
Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
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ralgith
Blighted Sun Battalion
1st Company
"Ralgith's Renegades"
Colonel
Joined: 18-Aug-2003 00:00
Posts: 2021
Location: United States
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| Posted: 08-Oct-2005 02:10 Post subject: RE: After Action Report on Star Adder bid for Inner Sphere Base. |
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Quote:
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On 2005-08-07 05:49, Blackhand wrote:
...
The battle starts with the Inner Sphere forces holding a tight formation and waiting for the clanners to advance. The Clan forces hot drop on us, the Timberwolf failing his piloting check.
...
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I only quoted a little of the previous post, because it was huge. However I wanted to comment on how excellent this was. Kudos man, very well written. This is the type of content that is in my job description here, and I loved reading it as well as approving it for credit. I just wanted to let you know how good of a post I felt this was, especially since its the first I've approved in a looong time heh. You have no idea how boring it is reading filler posts such as "Yeah, me too" over and over again, the quality here just sparked something inside me that I couldn't ignore 
Anyways, once again, nice job and I would like to see more of these kinda action reports from you guys' games in future. Very descriptive and analitical.
_________________
Colonel Ralgith t'Mayasara
Blighted Sun Battalion
1st Company 'Ralgith's Renegades'
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