Let's Play Together: GM'd Battletech via Megamek II

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:05 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 5:57 pm Thanks. And at 1525, none of the vehicles outside of the compound / building should be able to hit me, on account of the level 2 building behind me, although the vindicator and the small laser turrets could, right? Could the single LRM10 turret hit me?

If so I'll move to 1525, torso twist to the left, and fire everything at the Vindicator.

On the firestarter, 0826 can't hit 0927, right? If so I'll jump the firestarter to 0932 and fire the large laser at the Saracen. Other weapons too if the targeting #s and heat make sense (which I think they probably won't).

Maxim should get to the safest position closest to the compound that he can.

LRM10 turret can't hit you at 1525. The dual small laser can, the other one can't (out of range). You might take some indirect LRM fire, as the second small laser will probably spot for it. Well, better than two AC/20s anyway. The Vindicator *might* hit you with some things, but it can't twist so not much (just the small laser in the left arm, I believe).

From the top of the building at 0826, you can hit 0927 easy with ranged weapons. No melee though.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:10 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:05 pm
El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 5:57 pm Thanks. And at 1525, none of the vehicles outside of the compound / building should be able to hit me, on account of the level 2 building behind me, although the vindicator and the small laser turrets could, right? Could the single LRM10 turret hit me?

If so I'll move to 1525, torso twist to the left, and fire everything at the Vindicator.

On the firestarter, 0826 can't hit 0927, right? If so I'll jump the firestarter to 0932 and fire the large laser at the Saracen. Other weapons too if the targeting #s and heat make sense (which I think they probably won't).

Maxim should get to the safest position closest to the compound that he can.
LRM10 turret can't hit you at 1525. The dual small laser can, the other one can't (out of range). You might take some indirect LRM fire, as the second small laser will probably spot for it. Well, better than two AC/20s anyway. The Vindicator *might* hit you with some things, but it can't twist so not much (just the small laser in the left arm, I believe).

From the top of the building at 0826, you can hit 0927 easy with ranged weapons. No melee though.

Ok, then I'll stick with moving to 1525 with the Hunchback, and jump to 0826 with the Firestarter. Fire large laser (and anything else that makes sense) at 0927.

I enjoy the butt flamer on the enemy support tank, by the way.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 8:10 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:10 pm I enjoy the butt flamer on the enemy support tank, by the way.

I think they prefer to call it a "turbo booster", thank you very much.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 9:21 pm

Turn 7:
The compound wall wasn't quite designed with mechs in mind, so El Guapo's Hunchback easily climbs over it and out of reach of the Saladins. The AC/20 burps up a string of heavy duty rounds and rips the armor and most of the structure off the target Vindicator's right torso. El Guapo gets lit up by a few small lasers, and indirect-fire LRMs land all around his position, but he's clear. The Centurion is unable to capitalize on the Vindicator's weakness, unfortunately.

The Firestarter briefly considers hopping onto a building next to the Saracen, but decides she can't make it with the high gravity and goes to her original considered position instead.

The Warhammer holds the PPCs and engages with short range weapons instead. The Saracen fires some SRMs and LRMs in a panic, most of which whiff. Luckily for it, the Warhammer only scores one hit with a medium laser. It also dodges several shots from the approaching Assassin, but fails to get away from the mech's boot, getting jammed in between a sturdy lamp post and a building facade.

Isgrimnur and the Galleon light tank exchange fire, the Galleon scoring a medium laser hit, the offending medium laser subsequently being sliced off, ruining the vehicle's main armament. The Vindicator further down the street whiffs completely.

The Maxim fires at the retreating Dervish to the north, scoring a few LRM hits, but nothing major.

Raw Movement, Firing, Heat data:

Spoiler:

The enemy force drops back a little, in preparation for another charge presumably.

The crippled Stinger finally manages to get up and run for the board edge. The Maxim advances next to the mostly-wrecked LRM turret, and it appears that one of the enemy Vindicators is targeting it. El Guapo's opponent walks along the wall, trailing sparks and wires from its right torso section, while an enemy Phoenix Hawk closes in.

El Guapo sees the Swiftwind through the front gates and idly wonders what it's trying to do.

"Ready to disembark. We'll hop over the wall and search the building, just keep 'em off of us." the search and rescue squad squawks over the radio.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:35 am

The assassin will move up to 924, turn to face the vindicator, and back up one square to 0824. He will fire his LRMs at the Swiftwind and his medium lasers at the Vindicator in front of him.

The Centurion will move to 1126 and fire the lasers at the Vindicator in 1023 and will fire LRMs at the Swiftwind using the Assassin to spot for indirect fire.

Does all that work or did I screw up a bunch of rules?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:39 am

Only two:

You can't step over the Saracen, it's still technically taking up space. You can jump to 0824 but piloting roll etc.

Also, you can't spot and fire in the same turn.

Centurion movement is fine though.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:00 am

Hmm. Urg. Well, lets gamble and go for the jump, then. The Assassin will skip firing in order to spot for the Centurion. It's not like he's hit anything so far anyway. :/

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:30 am

gbasden wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:00 am Hmm. Urg. Well, lets gamble and go for the jump, then. The Assassin will skip firing in order to spot for the Centurion. It's not like he's hit anything so far anyway. :/

FYI, the rules for indirect fire:
- Add +1 for indirect fire
- Add spotter movement modifier
- Add +1 if spotter fires
- Use spotter range modifier instead of attacker range modifier
- Use intervening terrain modifiers from spotter instead of attacker
- Add attacker/target movement modifiers as normal

So, it'll be something like 4 base, +3 spotter jumped, +1 indirect, +2 medium range from spotter (8), +2 attacker ran, +3 target moved 7 hexes. So, uh we're looking at 15+. You can drop that to 13+ by going to 0924 to get rid of the medium range modifier and 11+ by not moving the Centurion. Still not the best odds even in that case.

I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't advise it.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:38 am

Let's put the Warhammer at 1128, facing north to engage the Vindicator.

And I'll keep pounding on the Saracen.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:08 am

So my Hunchback is at -1 move this turn due to 5 heat, right? How much heat is generated by moving?

Related: is there a link to the rules handy?

I'm thinking - Hunchback - run to 1324 (should be 1 move to turn left, 2 move to go to level 1 building, 2 move to move ahead to next space), then torso twist to the right. Fire the AC/20, small laser, and left arm medium laser at the Vindicator. Punch him with the right arm. Kick him if I can (guess I can't since he's higher than me), but if not kick the building that he's on.

Where are the Dervish's weapons located? What can it fire south (towards the Firestarter) given its facing (towards a building to the southeast)?

For the firestarter thinking I'll run to 0925 and fire the large laser and small lasers at the Vindicator in 1023 (depending upon what the Dervish can fire at me).

Maxim can do its pilot rescuing thing.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:24 am

Quick start rules cover most of the basic situations.

You generate 1 heat by walking, 2 heat by running, 1 heat per hex jumped (not an issue for the Hunchback).

You won't be able to do physical attacks vs the Vindicator from 1324, as he's on a height 2 building. Good part? You don't get kicked in the head, either.

The Dervish can torso twist right and fire everything down the street, but he's somewhat limited by heat, so it'll probably be just the LRMs or the lasers/SRMs depending on the range.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:42 am

Thanks. I'll stick with my plan, then. And I'll kick the building that the Vindicator is standing on, at any rate - maybe it'll knock the CF down enough to cause him problems.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:15 pm

Whoop, looks like you can't run to 0925, as that Saracen is technically blocking your path.

Also, uh, other minor problem, the building you're walking over doesn't have the CF to support the Hunchback (it's only CF 40).

However, you may attempt to walk *through* the building, requiring a 4+ piloting roll (and I think you also have a risk of stumbling into a basement).

I uh, may only have noticed this after starting to process the turn. Whoops! Good thing I keep a lot of saved states around.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:25 pm

Heh, looked at the "basement table", and apparently you roll a 2d6 and get a basement on a 2-4 or 10-12. So, not the highest odds ever, but non-zero.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:27 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:25 pm Heh, looked at the "basement table", and apparently you roll a 2d6 and get a basement on a 2-4 or 10-12. So, not the highest odds ever, but non-zero.

What happens if you get a basement? Fall and take damage?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:29 pm

The Saladin and Harrasser can't hit 1325, can they? If so I'll run to there, and torso twist to the right, and fire on the Vindicator as before.

Firestarter will move into the Saracen's space, then. Fire at the VIndicator as before - I think there's LOS there.

Nothing to be achieved by the FIrestarter kicking the Saracen, right?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:33 pm

Yeah, fall and take damage from basements. You also wind up on a lower elevation so it's tough to climb out. And somebody may collapse the building on top of you.

The hovercraft can't hit 1325, no.

No point to kicking the Saracen, they're waving a French... er... white flag.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:11 pm

Round 7:
The Assassin hops over the Saracen it just disabled, but crunches the internal structure on its legs a little bit. No serious equipment damage though. He scores a couple of hits on the Vindicator targeting the Maxim, a medium laser and some SRMs.

The Warhammer rounds the corner and opens up on the same Vindicator, attracting its attention with a PPC and a medium laser. It fires back, hitting the right torso with its PPC. The Centurion complements the Warhammer's fire with a four-pack of lasers, stripping all armor from the Vindicator's left leg while absorbing a few LRMs. The Maxim adds some LRMs and SRMs to the mix, damaging two arm actuators on the ground-level Vindicator's PPC arm.

El Guapo nails the walltop Vindicator with the AC/20 again, almost ripping off the right arm. It splits its fire, hitting the Warhammer with one PPC and some LRMs while directing a medium laser at the Hunchback's right arm. As usual, several salvos of indirect LRMs pepper the courtyard, but wind up missing El Guapo's mech.

The Warhammer, having taken multiple PPCs, falls over. The Vindicator stays up.

Isgrimnur whiffs his shots at the weaving Saracen - the driver then floors it and breaks west.

Raw movement, heat, firing data:

Spoiler:

Without name tags cluttering things up:

Spoiler:

The enemy Stinger leaves the field. The mechwarrior in the Locust regains consciousness and takes his mech up to a knee, eyeing the back of the Firestarter. A non-trivial number of enemy units go in to dogpile on the fallen Warhammer. The damaged 1R Vindicator backs up out of the crossfire, letting its vehicle buddies take the heat.

The wall-top 1X Vindicator sees the Maxim plow through the damaged outer wall section with the destroyed turret and moves to intercept.

The Swiftwind drives through the front gate, and El Guapo can see some activity at the compound door.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:18 pm

Move to 1117 and turn to face the Dervish and open up on him. I guess the WH will try to stand up.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:24 pm

So the Scout car is presumably trying to take away the guy we're rescuing?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:39 pm

Ok, here's the plan

Firestarter - jump to 1326. Fire everything at the VIndicator in 1426. Also kick the building that the Vindicator is standing on.

Hunchback - walk to 1324, face towards the scout car. Fire AC/20 at the Vindicator in 1426. Fire medium lasers at the scout car. Also fire small laser if the odds of hitting aren't shitty.

If the Maxim could also shoot at the scout car while doing it's thing, that would be great as well.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:54 pm

A reasonable assumption.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:44 pm

Is the search and rescue team going to fight whomever is going into the building from the scout car?

Also - are we screwed? Sure are a lot of enemies in and around this compound...

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:06 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:44 pm Is the search and rescue team going to fight whomever is going into the building from the scout car?

Also - are we screwed? Sure are a lot of enemies in and around this compound...

I would be a lot more aggressive with physical attacks against vehicles. Also, you'll want to put a lot of effort into staying out of those Saladin firing arcs.

You'll want to take out the scout car for sure, don't want any Capellan jerks taking Madmarcus out of here. The infantry will easily overpower any local security forces (they're KGB spooks, not warriors).

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:18 pm Move to 1117 and turn to face the Dervish and open up on him. I guess the WH will try to stand up.

Standing up takes "only" 2 MP, so you can do other stuff afterwards if you succeed the PSR.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:12 pm

If getting up allows facing changes, we'll face 1227, back up two to 0928, unload everything but the small lasers at the PH, and use the small lasers plus a boot, if permitted, at the Scorpion.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 7:39 pm

The Assassin will jump to 1423 and shoot at the Swiftwind.

The Centurion will move to 1024, shoot lasers at the Saladin in 924, and kick the adjacent Saladin.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:17 pm

Round 9:
El Guapo is pretty focused on the Swiftwind, so he kind of whiffs the AC/20 shot at the Vindicator. One of the medium lasers does take a wheel off the rear right side of the scout car, so that thing is going nowhere. The group of Capellans dragging a comatose-looking figure out the front door stand there for a second, looking confused, trying to decide if they should run for the car or not. The Assasin then hops over the wall (crunching internal leg structure again) and slices the crippled vehicle in half with the medium laser. El Guapo takes a few LRMs from the southeast corner LRM turret and over the wall, but nothing breaches armor. The Capellan KGB spooks rush back inside the building.

The Maxim takes the right arm off the walltop Vindicator with an SRM, providing cover fire for the disembarking infantry.

The Centurion takes a bit of a pounding - a few lasers from the Galleon, SRMs from the Harasser missile platform. Only one small laser hits the Saladin in front of the mech though, damaging an air intake. He stomps the Saladin zipping around underfoot though, crunching through the weak left side armor and shattering the vehicle.

The Warhammer gets up but fails to land any shots, taking a little return fire from its targets. Lt. Scrub then crunches her boot through the front of the Scorpion, snapping away armor, treads and sensor clusters, and slams the "shutdown override" button just in time to avoid having the mech power down while surrounded by a bunch of AC/20 Saladins.

Isgrimnur walks around the corner, unloading on the Dervish. The PPC strips the armor off the left arm, then a small laser takes it off. He also squeezes off a round of LRMs at the Galleon in the distance, breaching its front armor. He takes some return fire from the Dervish, but it's sandpaper against his armor.

Nobody notices too much, but the wind has picked up a little, turning into a light gale and impeding missile fire.

Raw movement, heat, firing data:

Spoiler:

The Scorpion and Galleon quickly begin to roll away from the fight: they're done.

Slowly and painfully, the Locust to the south gets up. Quite a feat with a damaged gyro, but he did it.

The enemy Phoenix Hawk joins the Vindicator on top of the wall, while the Saladins and Harasser cluster around the Warhammer like vultures.

The Dervish tries to rejoin the formation but slips up on the pavement and goes down.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:34 pm

Firestarter will stay where he is and fire all his lasers (but not his flamer) at the Phoenix Hawk next to him

Hunchback will move to 1425 and fire the AC/20 and medium lasers at the phoenix hawk.

The Maxim (and Assassin) I think should focus fire on the Vindicator on the wall to hopefully finish that damn thing off.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 3:32 am

The assassin will indeed fire at the Vindicator on the wall, nursing the crunched leg actuators. That's definitely enough jumping for now.

How dire is the Warhammer's predicament? I could bring the Centurion down and get some laser shots at the Saladin, but I can't close to melee and the vindicator is going to have a straight shot at my back. What do you think, Isgrimnur?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:20 am

gbasden wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2017 3:32 am How dire is the Warhammer's predicament? I could bring the Centurion down and get some laser shots at the Saladin, but I can't close to melee and the vindicator is going to have a straight shot at my back. What do you think, Isgrimnur?

Right torso armor is at 7. Left arm armor is at 14. Everything else is slightly higher than 20.

Also, it has 4/6 movement, so the centurion *could* get to 0927 and rotate once to face its back away from the Vindicator.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:34 am

Also the Warhammer could run to 1127 (two forward, turn right twice, back up one space), and then I'm pretty sure he would only be shot at by the Harasser, which he should be able to take ok. I'd suggest 1128 and a kick to the harasser, but I think that would expose him to the Saladin in 0928.

I'd also suggest just firing the lasers at the Harasser this turn, as that would let it dissipate its heat.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:03 am

Warhammer is pretty badly overheated, eating a -2 MP penalty. Current movement is 2/3. But yeah, you definitely want to reduce the number of Saladin firing arcs you're in.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:08 am

NickAragua wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:03 am Warhammer is pretty badly overheated, eating a -2 MP penalty. Current movement is 2/3. But yeah, you definitely want to reduce the number of Saladin firing arcs you're in.

Ah, that's a problem. In that case I'd suggest turning the Warhammer to the right and backing up into 0828. Then the 0828 Saladin can't hit it. I'm assuming that the 'front arc' on the 0928 Saladin covers 0828, but that would only be one AC/20, and you'd get the defensive fortifications, and you could stomp on the 0828 Saladin or kick the 0928 Saladin. And fire off the lasers while dissipating the built-up heat.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:09 am

Also, you can't run and back up.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:13 am

WH forward teo, rotate right, torso twist right to engage the Harasser at point-blank range with low-heat and melee if possible.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:17 am

vindy forward one to keep that Dervish in pain.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:12 pm

OK. The Centurion will move to 0926 facing SE and will shoot at the Saladin in 0928.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:50 pm

Round 9:
Our units in the compound fire at the enemies on the walls.

The Firestarter and El Guapo double team on the Phoenix Hawk, El Guapo's autocannon and the Firestarter's large laser blasting through the right torso armor and leaving tiny little slivers of internal structure. The Phoenix Hawk is in a cooldown cycle this turn, so it only fires the one medium laser and two machineguns, eating away at the Firestarter's left torso armor. As usual, indirect-fire LRMs splash down all around El Guapo's mech. He frowns slightly as the ammo counter on the AC/20 indicates two "portions" left.

The Assassin takes a couple of small lasers to the legs from the nearby small laser turret, despite the Maxim's efforts to blow it to bits - one of the small laser turret barrels jams. Meanwhile, the Assassin pilot concentrates on the Vindicator, finishing off the right torso with an SRM salvo, and gives the small laser turret's building a bonus boot, causing the second barrel to jam as well.

The Warhammer takes an AC/20 round to the right arm and a bunch of SRMs scattered around. The right arm structure is exposed now, but it's still fine. The heat introduces some serious inaccuracy to the targeting reticle, so the two token lasers go wide, but the foot comes down directly on the Harasser, crushing it flat.

The infantry moves into the building and engages the local security detail. A stray LRM from the wall-top Vindicator nails one of the troopers, but the squad is still ok.

Isgrimnur's target thrashes around too much and only winds up eating a medium laser to an arm and a boot to the, left torso, absorbed by the armor.

Raw movement, heat, firing data:

Spoiler:

The Saladins pull back, getting ready to charge in again. The Vindicator 1X and Phoenix Hawk group up on the eastern compound wall, while the Vindicator 1R and Dervish group up to the west.

The Assassin's pilot observes with some mild amusement several grenade detonations and a Capellan KGB spook flying through a shattered window, then the search and rescue squad reports that they have secured our mechwarrior and are ready for extraction. Two turns to get into the APC, then another few turns to clear the battlefield.

The enemy force is looking a little worn out though, with only twelve active units (and two light tanks puttering away at best speed).

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:58 pm

How is that goddamn Vindicator still going?? Isn't it a problem when your right torso is destroyed?

Also, don't mechs need to make piloting rolls to stay up when they take 20+ points of damage or something?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 5:33 pm

Yep, piloting rolls are in the raw data. This round, the Warhammer and Phoenix Hawk both had to make one.

The sturdiness is one of the main ways mechs are superior to vehicles.

Vindicator is missing the right arm PPC, making him much less of a threat now.