Battletech game

I've decided to keep logs of my BT games here since this is the only forum I'm part of that has a blog system.

Game Overview:
In the year 3052 a reinforced mercenary company calling themselves the Black Knight Legion attack the Clan Jade Falcon held planet of Parakoila to raid for Clan technology and to strike a blow against the invaders. Reaching the planet, Major Ellicksander Cartwright broadcasts a challenge to the Falcon commanders on the ground, promising them an honorable fight in order to strike a blow for the Inner Sphere. Here is a transcript of the conversation between the Major and the Falcon commander:

Cartwright- Jade Falcons, I am Major Ellicksander Cartwright of the Black Knight Legion, in the name of the Federated Commonwealth I challenge you to honorable combat, when we win any 'Mechs lost on the field are ours to salvage. I have been well versed in your rituals of combat and have brought with me a reinforced company of 'Mechs, sixteen of your Points. With what will you defend your claim?

Jonas: I am Star Colonel Jonas of the Jade Falcon Clan, you have no right to declare your intentions honorable! We have seen how you Inner Sphere stravags fight, you battle with deceit and treachery, your so called warriors continue to harass and ambush our garrison patrols even after they have lost their planet, your pitiful challenge means nothing to me!

Cartwright: Star Colonel, we have never fought to Clans and so how can you claim that we are dishonorable, we will concede the place of battle to you. In doing so you will have full knowledge that we haven't set any traps for your warriors. In return we will take any 'Mechs from the field after we have defeated you.

Jonas: Ha! Fine, if you are so eager to die then come, little mouse, the Jade Falcons will feed well tonight! The place of battle will be the Shanteir Archipelago, I will be defending with a Trinary of 'Mechs, I look forward to crushing you Major Ellicksander...

Cartwright: Don't count on it, if I recall right according to your culture you are already past your prime as a warrior....unfit for frontline duty...

Jonas: I shall be more then a match for you, my prey, you will not leave this planet alive. Star Colonel Jonas, out.

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From here the game begins, we played over "Megamek" an online version of the tabletop game, and one that speeds the process up tremendously allowing for larger battles to be played in a shorter time. I'll just give highlights of the game followed by an after action report.

The game begins with Major Cartwright's Black Knight Legion(16 mechs) meeting the Falcon Trinary (15 mechs) on the battlefield. Major Cartwright in his 100 ton Marauder II challenges Star Colonel Jonas in his 85 ton Marauder IIC to a single duel, the Star Colonel agrees and marches his machine out to met the Major. Meanwhile in keeping with tradition the opposing side create a large ring around the two warriors.

Unknown to the Clan forces, Major Cartwright has ordered all of his pilots to turn off their targeting arrays and manually sight in the clan machines standing opposite to them, should he fall they are to flip their target locks on and immediately blast the Clanners, hopefully catching them by surprise and taking a few of them down before they have the chance to fire back. The game begins:

Black Knight Legion total points: 26338
Clan Jade Falcon total points: 36775

As you can see the Clan player has a large advantage in points, not only due to his machine's superiority over the Legion machines, but because every clan pilot in better then their Inner Sphere counterpart. I was counting on my little surprise and the fact that the clan machines were generally smaller then mine to win me the day.

The two commanders face off against each other and begin to blast armor away, the Clanner has the advantage at the start, but soon loses it as the larger machine uses his jumpjets to constantly jump behind him. Major Cartwright draws first blood as he blasts through his opponent's rear armor and destroys a heatsink while peppering his cockpit with LBX-10 shells.

On turn 4 another of my surprises steps in to aid me, the gamemaster decided that since there are constant guerrilla raids going on that the rebels holding out would have heard about this battle. a lance of mechs appears on the board to aid me, the clanners are thrown into disarray at this breach of honor and some turn to engage the approaching mechs.

In their opening salvo the Clanners destroy one of the machines, killing the pilot. Simultaneously Star Colonel Jonas gets a lucky hit on the Major's torso, finding his ammunition and blowing the entire mech away, killing Major Cartwright. The rest of the Black Knight Legion let loose with everything they have on the confused Clanners, destroying their most dangerous mech, a 90 ton Supernova, with a well placed Gauss Rifle shot to the head, SALVAGE!

All Hell breaks loose as a Star (5 mechs) of light mechs turns to engage the new mechs on the field while the larger ones rush forward to meet the Legion head on. many Legion mechs use their jumpjets to boost over their foes and take shots on their rears. Within 2 turns the massive brawl has claims three Falcon mechs, two of the rebel mechs, and three Legion mechs. Massed fire from anklebitter Legion mechs maim a massive 100 ton Bane and knock out a large portion of Star Colonel Jonas's weapons. Things are not looking good for the Legion and their new allies.

The next round finishes off the wounded Bane and renders a Falcon Rifleman IIC unable to engage in combat

The following round destroys another of the Falcons medium mechs, Star Colonel Jonas finds himself surrounded and turns just in time to see the massive fist of a Legion assault mech smash his cockpit and himself to pieces. The Falcons are in disarray with the Legion mechs taking down all of their largest mechs and smaller Legion mechs ganging up on any Falcon mechs they find.

The Falcon second in command tries to break off from the battle, only to find their escape blocked as the massive forms of 4 Legion heavy mechs return from finishing off the light Star that went after the rebel mechs.

With their exit blocked and Legion mechs at their rear front and sides, the remaining Falcons are helpless as one final salvo rips through their lines, destroying or disabling every mech.

The Black Knight Legion XO hurriedly calls their dropship to the battle site to pull in any salvage and to recover the Major's body if possible. Work begins quickly as the Legion mechs watch over their salvage crews. Suddenly a Legion mech goes down as a light Star that was close to the battle makes itself known. The battle is rejoined and two more legion mechs are lost before the light star is destroyed. Salvage crews are told to focus on clan machines and finding downed pilots.

The Black Knight Legion lifts off just as two more Stars a light and medium mechs find their way to the battlesite

Final tally:

Black Knight Legion
-10 mechs left standing from a total of 20, one of which is a survivor of the rebel lance
- 5 pilots dead, 1 of which is a pilot from the rebel lance

Jade Falcons
-0 mechs left standing from a total of 20
- 12 pilots KIA, 2 are captured and the remain get away

Salvage:
Black Knight Legion manages to pull in:

Ceaser
Vindicator

Clan machines:
Supernova
Glass Spider
Locust IIC
Incubus
Firefly C
Locust IIC

All other machines are stripped for parts, resulting in many clan weapons being hauled in.

The Black Knight Legion pulls out and heads for the Federated Commonwealth border, but the blow of losing Major Cartwright crushes moral, it remains to be seen in the Black Knight Legion will disband because of this attack.