So this weekend we are taking a break from the semi-monthly campaign to participate in a Catalyst event at Games Plus in Mount Prospect. The game is a reenactment of the FedSun invasion during the Victoria War around 3105. It was designed to allow us to use some of the new TRO:3085 'Mechs (but we end up not using all that many). This post is to just to prep the game, provide unit lists, and discuss our strategy.
So its going to be 10 lances vs 10 lances (battalions with a command lance) with probably around 25 people participating. For these big games, we assign a card (from a deck of cards) as its initiative card. Every turn, the cards are shuffled and pulled to determine initiative order. We might end up assigning cards to each player if we have to start breaking apart lances due to participation. Also, our campaign participants will be playing on behalf of the CCAF (obviously), and are hoping our practice playing together will help coordinate our tactics.
CCAF Force List
A♥ Command Lance, 1st Battalion, 3rd CRC
JN-G9CC Jinggau "Ming the Merciless"
LHU-3C Lao Hu "Tiger Lily"
HEL-6X Helios "Celestial Chariot"
GOL-3L Goliath "Hebrew Hammerer"
1st Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd CRC
K♥ Assault Lance
BLR-4L Battlemaster "Sun Tzu You"
VTR-10L Victor "Hanse's Nightmare"
SD1-OA Sunder "Ivan Grozny"
Y-H9G Yu Huang "Huang 'Em High"
Q♥ Strike Lance
JN-G8A Jinggau "Defalconer"
WHM-5L Warhammer "Chillin' like an Anvillain"
CRD-8L Crusader "Celestial Sunbeam"
THR-2L Thunder "Thunderbus"
J♥ Pursuit Lance
PXH-5L Phoenix Hawk "Xin Sheng"
ABS-3L Anubis "Jackalope"
D9-G10 Duan Gung "Ghost Pressure"
RVN-SS Raven "Edgar VIII"
2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd CRC
10♥ Assault Lance
EMP-6L Emperor "Jiajing"
XNT-5O Xanthos "Trojan Horse"
PLG-4Z Pillager "Ghost"
STK-6M Stalker "Love Blimp"
9♥ Heavy Lance
CTF-5MOC Cataphract "Naomi"
CPLT-C6 Catapult "Emancipator"
VND-3Lr Vindicator "City of Tikograd"
OSP-26 Osprey "Republican't"
8♥ Pursuit Lance
TSG-9H Ti Ts'ang "Skull Smasha"
MS1-OD Men Shen "TWIN-01"
MS1-OF Men Shen "TWIN-02"
SYU-2B Sha Yu "Landshark!"
3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd CRC
7♥ Heavy Lance
OSR-4L Ostroc "Ostroc Your World"
MAD-5L Marauder "Stealthy Foxtrot"
GRF-5L Griffin "G-Man"
BJ-3 Blackjack "The Prodigal Son"
6♥ Medium Lance
EYL-45B Eyleuka "Canopian Jupming Bean"
EYL-45A Eyleuka "Horizontal Mambo"
SNK-2Br Snake "Foxhunter"
HUR-W0-R4N Huron Warrior "Tomahawk"
5♥ Light Lance
TR1 Wraith "I Was Never Here"
D9-G9 Duan Gung "Onward to Capella!"
D9-G9 Duan Gung "Fat Lady Killa"
RVN-4Lr Raven "Stark Raven Mad"
AFFS Force List
A♠ Command Lance, 1st Battalion, 1st Crucis Lancers
VTR-9KCC Victor "Floreat Etona"
BL-12-KNT Black Knight "Hammer of the Liaoists"
CES-4R Caesar "Sex Bob-omb"
MAD-5R Marauder "Rope-a-Dope"
1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Crucis Lancers
K♠ Assault Lance
DVS-X10 Devastator MUSE EARTH "TESTBED-05"
WHM-8D Warhammer "Sammy the Whammy"
PTR-6T Penetrator "Predictable Pun IV"
TLR1-O Templar "Sans Peur Et Sans Reproche"
Q♠ Medium Lance
ENF-6M Enforcer III "Dirty Harry"
DV-9D Dervish "Mad Mahdi Machine"
SHD-5D Shadow Hawk "Shatterband"
VLK-QD4 Valkyrie "Leaping Lady"
J♠ Light Lance
OSR-3D Osiris "God-King"
V4-LNT-J3 Valiant "Mutt"
SCB-9A Scarabus "Jeff"
ALM-10D Fireball "Doom Egg"
2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Crucis Lancers
10♠ Assault Lance
MAD-6D Marauder II "Big Bad Daddy"
HMH-5D Hammerhands "Archilochus"
GHR-7K Grasshopper "Sifu Slayer"
ENF-6H Enforcer III "Disco Don't Die"
9♠ Heavy Lance
FLC-8R Falconer "Tony"
MDG-2A Rakshasa "Hindu Hellion"
TDR-9NAIS Thunderbolt "Blinding You With Science"
RFL-6D Rifleman "Nothing LAC-ing"
8♠ Medium Lance
ENF-6G Enforcer III "Clint Eastwood"
CN9-D9 Centurion "Diocletian"
LGN-2D Legionnaire "Fabius Cunctator"
STH-2D2 Stealth "Contains No Stealth"
3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Crucis Lancers
7♠ Assault Lance
NSR-9J Nightstar "Great Vishnu"
STK-7D Stalker "Dead Zeppelin"
GOL-5D Goliath "King David"
TDR-10M Thunderbolt "Zeus III"
6♠ Strike Lance
Rifleman IIC 8 "Clan Tin Can"
FLC-8R Falconer "Handsome Harry"
CTS-6Y Cestus "Clubber Lang"
RFL-8D Rifleman "Lead Rain"
5♠ Fire Lance
AGS-2D Argus "All-Seeing Eyes"
DV-8D Dervish "Khartoum Killa"
VLK-QD1 Valkyrie "Brunhilde"
DRT-6T Dart "Lawn Dart"
Force Analysis:
The CCAF has a nice balance force. Mix of fire support, cavalry, and skirmishers/flankers. The AFFS forces are much more oriented to cavalry and brawler type 'Mechs. Because of this, we have developed, what we think is a good strategy for this upcoming battle.
Strategy:
Based on player composition (we already know who's on what team), we are fairly certain that the AFFS players will be individualistic and disorganized. Given the nature of the AFFS forces, they will have to close the gap to bring their might to bear. The basic plan is to divide our forces into 3 distinct groups, but not constrained by lances. We'll have our fire support/snipers, cavalry, and skirmishers.
Our fire support will take cover and take up firing positions. Those 'Mechs will focus fire on key targets as they run across the battlefield to engage us. Our cavalry will hang primarily to the center of our line. For the most part, they'll keep moving to keep the move mod up, shoot if they can, or stay out of LOS and wait for the AFFS 'Mech to get close and then pounce. The skirmishing forces will hang on our flanks, moving similarly to the cavalry forces. Keeping move mods up, they should be our main sponge to absorb damage through mitigation and enemy missing high mov mods. The skirmisher forces will primarily be used to "pack hunt" damaged 'Mechs that didn't have the good graces to die. Also, they will protect our flanks from any of the speed that the AFFS might deploy on one of our flanks.
In order to keep our cohesion in the scenario, we are assigning a Captain and two Lieutenants for each of the 3 distinct groups. We will maintain the chain of command, which will help efficiently use our resources. We'll see how effective this command structure is in actual game play, but I think it should work out well. For our generic startegy, I think it will work well. We anticipate that the AFFS forces will be coming over piece-meal. As they come in waves, our fire support will soften them up, and the cavalry or skirmishing forces will finish them off. The cavalry will also be able to deploy to either side depending on if the AFFS overloads a side.
Needless to say, I'm excited and I'll have a nice after action report ready to go, with pictures after this weekend. Hopefully Halo: Reach doesn't cut into my blogging time too much.....
I would have perhaps created "task forces" with fire support, cavalry and skirmishers to allow a little more flexibility and to avoid that by bad luck parts of your forces become isolated and destroyed without any help possible (ie creating something like the original concept of the military division)
ReplyDelete"So its going to be 10 lances vs 10 lances (battalions with a command lance) with probably around 25 people participating."
ReplyDeleteWow! I can barrly get two other players for a game of Battletech here in Sacramento. What is so differnt there in Chicago? It sounds like an awesome event!
Jason
http://reinwood99.blogspot.com/
You know, the key is that we have a lot of catalyst writers, freelancers, and Commandos in and around Chicago. The Commando teams have a good relationship with Games Plus (a gaming store), and typically hold these big games once a month. They use the CBT boards to organize. Check out CBT forums and see if Sacramento has a group. You might be suprised.
ReplyDeleteThat's a big game :D I hope you keep it moving and really get the turns flowing!
ReplyDeleteI like the organisation, task specific kampfgrupes with clear mission oriented goals should help a lot against what sounds like a barbarian horde strategy ;)
How did you pick forces?
One of the Catalyst Commmandos determined the forces. Supposedly, they are balanced by BV within a 1000 points or so. But the GM of our campaign is going to be the Lt. Colonel in-charge of this battalion (he's ex-military), with three COs (captains) for each of the three task groups: flankers, cavalry, and fire support. This should increase our coordination and, as long as the dice don't screw us, we should have a resounding victory.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with the use of the deck of cards initiative, there aren't rounds, its one round, you move when you're card is flipped. It drastically speeds up the movement phase. It's not good for small games, but great for big ones.
Additionally, once the movement phase is concluded, everyone writes their numbers and target on their sheet, then you just work with your oppponent to make the combat phase happen. Suprisingly, the turns here go about as fast as the turns in our campaign.
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ReplyDelete