[Turn 52] *Turning Point* Liao - Terran Hegemony vs. Shark Supremacy

[Dave Baughman]

Planet Liao
Late October 3091

Ostensibly for the good of the Capellan people, Terran forces under the command of Admiral Frederick Charikov begin their assault drops against Liao and other nearby systems. Encountering stiff resistance from the Capellan loyalists on the ground, the campaign drags into November as word reaches the Strategios that other TH forces are moving into the northern reaches of the Shark Supremacy through Federated Suns space.

While fighting raged all across the region, it became clear that Liao would set the tempo for the entire campaign. If the Supremacy could hold out against this first attack, chances were good they could stand strong against the rest.

Scenario

The Terrans are invading the Shark Supremacy, intent on creating a buffer zone between their home systems and the "new Clan menace." Thanks to the apparent cooperation of the Federated Suns, they have been able to attack across a broad front. The first target of their agression was Liao, the main system of sector 2728, and it was here that the fighting was the fiercest.


Attacker

The attackers are elements of the Veteran THAF 82nd Brigade. The forces used are equal to 90% of the BV (MegaMek) or FP (Simple Resolution) deployed by the defender (not neccessarily of the total Supremacy forces in the hex - see also the special conditions).

Defender

The defenders are one or more Shark Supremacy ground units. The recommended size for the engagement is one ground force "line item" (a regiment or cluster), but a larger force can be used if desired; this scenario does not neccessarily represent the totality of fighting for the campaign, so forces not used are not "sitting out the fight" - they are just engaged elsewhere.

Special Conditions

Rebel Troops: The rebel troops of Syn's Hussars were never planning on being TH surrogates. If played in MegaMek, a force from Syn's Hussars may join the battle no earlier than turn 8, consisting of 10% of the defender's deployed forces. If the fight is scaled down to smaller than 10 tactical units, Syn's Hussars may contribute one unit.

Naval Forces: Interference from the Supremacy navy is preventing Charikov's warships from directly supporting the ground forces with orbital strikes, but naval aerospace fighters have been dispatched to provide close air support. For every six tactical units in the attacker's force (round up), one Striga heavy fighter is added to the attacker's force. These fighters should not arrive earlier than turn 2.

Home Turf: The Supremacy side always chooses the map.

TH force composition: The TH troops are front-line ground forces, and each unit deployed must have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Clan Technology (limited to 20% of the total deployed force)
• C3i
• Stealth Armor (for battle armor, Mimetic armor fulfills this requirement)

TH Clan equipment is primarily Wolf Dragoons and Nova Cat in origin, as well as Inner Sphere and Celestial Omni designs with Clan pods.


Scoring

In MegaMek, the TH wins if they end the game with control of the field (i.e. all Shark forces are destroyed, driven off, or crippled). Any other outcome is a Shark Supremacy victory.

In Simple Resolution, use normal Invasion rules; the first side to win three rounds of Simple Resolution is the victor.

[Fatebringer]

Holy Hand Grenades Batman! This fight was a Slobbernocker! Please notice that nearly everyone that survived was missing limbs. Cept those beautiful tanks.

Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

Fatebringer: 15503 BV remaining (from 30105 initially) 0 BV fled
82nd Brigade: 2121 BV remaining (from 35805 initially) 3037 BV fled

Survivors are:
Phoenix Hawk IIC 3 (Fatebringer)
Pilot : Star Captain Dennis Sutherland [2/3] ( 1 hit(s) )
Kills : 2

Nobori-nin (Huntsman) E (Fatebringer)
Pilot : SCMD Rico [3/4] ( 1 hit(s) )
Kills : 0

Shadow Cat B (Fatebringer)
Pilot : MW Carrol [3/4]
Kills : 0

Mad Cat III (Fatebringer)
Pilot : MW Brandon [3/4] ( 2 hit(s) )
Kills : 3

Firestarter FS9-OB (Fatebringer)
Pilot : Rupert Ashwanti [3/4] ( 2 hit(s) )
Kills : 0

Ti Ts'ang TSG-9H (Fatebringer)
Pilot : Simon Ray Vaughn [3/2] ( 2 hit(s) )
Kills : 1

Athena Combat Vehicle (Fatebringer)
Driver : Crew: Big Mamma [3/4]
Kills : 1

Ares Medium Tank (Fatebringer)
Driver : Crew: Mama's Boy [3/4]
Kills : 1

Ares Medium Tank #2 (Fatebringer)
Driver : Crew: Daddy's Girl [3/4]
Kills : 2

Pillager PLG-4Z (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Carlton Albaev [4/5] ( 4 hit(s)   )
Kills : 1

The following units never entered the field of battle:
Shedu Assault Battle Armor (Support) (82nd Brigade)
Gunnery Skill : Palmira Terminiello [3]
Kills : 0


The following units are in retreat:
MechWarrior Doretha Bacosa (82nd Brigade)
Gunnery Skill : Doretha Bacosa [3] ( 5 hit(s)   )
Kills : 0

Striga S-STR-0 Comminus (C) (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Vivyana Morales [3/4]
Kills : 0

MechWarrior BN CMD Shan Lopan (Fatebringer)
Gunnery Skill : BN CMD Shan Lopan [3]
Kills : 0


Graveyard contains:
Archangel C-ANG-O (Berith) (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Doretha Bacosa [3/4] ( 5 hit(s)   )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Hellhound (Conjurer) 2 (Fatebringer)

Malak C-MK-O Caelestis (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Hwui-ning Sang [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Ti Ts'ang TSG-9H (Fatebringer)

Bolla Stealth Tank Comminus (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Phinam Layar [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Phoenix Hawk IIC 3 (Fatebringer)

Cyrano Gunship (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Asil Dato [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Raven RVN-SS (Fatebringer)

Seraph C-SRP-O Ravana (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Domeneco Pavanaja [3/4] ( 2 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by pilot error.

Cyrano Gunship #2 (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Min-Ji Park [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Athena Combat Vehicle (Fatebringer)

Hellhound (Conjurer) 2 (Fatebringer)
Pilot : MW Anastasia [3/4] ( 6 hit(s)   )
Kills : 1
Destroyed by Archangel C-ANG-O Caelestis (82nd Brigade)

Bolla Stealth Tank Invictus (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Lyndon Johnston [3/4] ( 6 hit(s)   )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Mad Cat III (Fatebringer)

Tengu Heavy Battle Armor (Support) (82nd Brigade)
Gunnery Skill : Akbar Lavanya [3]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Ares Medium Tank (Fatebringer)

Grigori C-GRG-O Rufus (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Kerra Clarke [3/4] ( 4 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Mad Cat III (Fatebringer)

Striga S-STR-0 Comminus (C) #2 (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Lucy Caris [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Phoenix Hawk IIC 3 (Fatebringer)

Archangel C-ANG-O Caelestis (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Tubrady bin Mu'tasim [3/4] ( 2 hit(s) )
Kills : 1
Destroyed by Mad Cat III (Fatebringer)

Raven RVN-SS (Fatebringer)
Pilot : Siew-Chan Wu [3/4]
Kills : 2
Destroyed by Pillager PLG-4Z (82nd Brigade)

Bolla Stealth Tank Infernus (82nd Brigade)
Driver : Francisco López [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Raven RVN-SS (Fatebringer)

Nephilim Assault Battle Armor (Gauss) (82nd Brigade)
Gunnery Skill : Kurt Hazelzet [3]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Ares Medium Tank #2 (Fatebringer)


The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:
Men Shen MS1-OA (Fatebringer)
Pilot : BN CMD Shan Lopan [3/4]
Kills : 0
Destroyed by pilot error.

Deva C-DVA-O Caelestis (82nd Brigade)
Pilot : Zoe Horsforth [3/4] ( 6 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Ares Medium Tank #2 (Fatebringer)

MechWarrior Zoe Horsforth (82nd Brigade)
Gunnery Skill : Zoe Horsforth [3] ( 6 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by pilot error.


Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

[Holt]

Blah! is all i can say.

The TH forces tried to muscle their way through the land bridges and city and drop off their BA, but only the Malak made it and immobilized the Athena, then died, while the rest of the force tried to bull its way through the shark defense on the bridge. They did not make it and more than a few died. Then it was just a slow death while taking cappies and clanners, of the surviving clan mechs only the two ares and the Shadow Cat were still fully armored and really combat worthy. The Naborinin was missing a leg, Ti Ts'ang was flopping around on the floor, Mad Cat, Shadow Hawk and Firestarter were swiss cheese; oh and the athena was on the other side of the board immobile.

MVP goes to the Mad Cat, I peeled the RT on it and did not hit that section again for the rest of the game! Even as i tried with streaks and all!

The fighters were useless because of the options, I could only hit with a single streak 6 or ER Med, no one of the other weapons were useful.

[Fatebringer]

Against IS Tech, the WoB did pretty good, but still had the same problem of not being strong enough. I had expected you to take Hovers and drop the BA off in my rear. That would have been pretty devastating to me, but the Bolla Stealth Tanks were just massively armored Stealth Tanks being engaged at close range. While they had shots, the Sharks remained mobile as they led the assault and the cappies followed the wholes.

One of the main things was not just that we engaged you on the bridge, we trapped you on the bridge by using jumpers that could leapfrog your formation and prevent you from backing up as well. The Ti'Tsang hatcheted the Malak thru the rear CT with TSM active. It was just a good day for the Cappies / Sharks, while like Holt said, he wasn't getting the numbers he needed. On the other hand, when the Pillager showed up, my guys must have freaked because the next thing you know, I'm getting critted like mad and my units were dropping like flies. RP wise, the arrival of the Rebels should definitely stand for something.

Anywho, my biggest concern was not getting past all that armor they had, the TH was loaded with big boys and I think the difference in mobility made the difference in the game. I went after his most mobile units first and trapped the slow guys so with jumpers and labeled them with long range firepower from my end of the bridge. I'm fairly certain had the BA been able to ride the TH mechs like Clanner BA can, this would have been a different batle as the BA were never really part of the fight. I'm not even sure if all of them made it out of the tanks when I rushed them like that.