ScrapYard Armory

GenCon 2011 is in the rear-view mirror.  I was not able to go myself this year but the tales of games and news from my roving reporters fired me up.  The excitement of GenCon is infectious even if you are not personally there.  As news, pictures and rumors made their way through the assortment of blogs and message boards, you could feel the excitement build.  This final GenCon post will cover all of the areas I missed earlier to wrap up coverage for 2011.

Catalyst always does a great job with the major conventions.  I hope to be there again next year.  Time will tell though if that wish will make it to reality.

Boot Camp and Grinders

The boot camp games ran all the way to the end of the convention.  Even with a slow start on Sunday (proof that you have to sleep sometime at GenCon) business picked right up.  Both the Grinder and the Boot Camps had full tables most of the convention as eager gamers had a blast tearing ‘Mechs apart.

Lance Tactics

The lance tactics games were held on a beautiful assortment of terrain from Wild Child Gaming.  Those who managed to get to GenCon last year will remember their terrain being used for the QuickStrike games.  This year’s setup was brilliant as well.  Rumor has it that there will be new items going live on their website soon.

Not Covered…

Unfortunately there is no way to be everywhere at once and so reporting is sketchy when it comes to the following events:

• Flight School
• A Time of War, held in a different building, boo urns GenCon…
• Daily Canon Events
• Grand Melee, a damn near full event…

This is a testament to the epic scale that is GenCon.  Catalyst puts on a great show and has just about every kind of BattleTech available to be played and enjoyed!

Battle the Masters

The capstone event of Saturday featured the Masters of the BattleTech brand going up against the fanatic fans that make this community possible.  The Masters divided into teams of two to take on opposing teams of fans.  Each player brought two ‘Mechs to the party and a lance on lance battle beatdown ensued.  Here is one battle of many…

The Masters

• Hellstar
• MAD-2R Marauder
• YMN-10-OR Yeoman
• NGS-6S Nightsky

The Fans

• Hellstar
• Marauder IIC
• MAD-6L Marauder
• BLR-1G BattleMaster

The Masters jumped to an early lead by putting crippling damage on the fan’s Marauder leaving it with a single Plasma Rifle.  The rally was on shortly thereafter though.  At first the fan’s Clan units tried to stay at range to bait the Masters into the open.  High to-hit numbers forced an advance.

The Nightsky fell first over three rounds from the BattleMaster and 7 CLan ERPPCs.  The fans then split fire using the Clan units against the opposing Hellstar while the BattleMaster and 6L Marauder took on the 2R Marauder.  The Yeoman tried to support his lancemates but just could not output enough damage to make a difference before the Master’s Marauder fell.

The Marauder IIC was destroyed after shutting down from overheating but the rout was already in progress.  The BattleMaster tore through the Yeoman while the fan Hellstar dealt a deathblow to the Master’s Hellstar.

In another heated battle the Masters (which included the line developer Herb) had two Celestials, a Pariah and one other ‘Mech against the fans who brought a Thunderhawk and others (sorry for the sketchy details, the evening ran very late!).  By the time the end of the game came around the Thunderhawk had devoured the Celestials leaving the lone Pariah on the field.  Unfortunately the fans lost initiative over and over again which allowed the Pariah to jump for back shots with impunity.

That game was the ONLY game that the Masters ended up winning that evening.

Thanks to the Fans

From the perspective of gamers and demo agents I have reports that spoke highly of the conduct of all fans who partook of the BattleTech festivities at GenCon.  The level of trust between players was notable.  Events seemed to run themselves which made the job of hosting events a pleasure.  Demo agents are a great bunch and work their tails off to make these games available.  Great fans just make the entire package better.

Also bravo to Catalyst for moving to a staggered Demo agent schedule which gave every game a sense of continuity.  There was never a cold shift from one team to another. A decided improvement from previous GenCons.

Thanks to My Reporters

A great many thanks go to JPArbiter and nckestrel who have provided the reports and pictures for this year’s GenCon.  I could not have been able to have any coverage this year if not for their love of the game and willingness to help out.

Till next year!

News and pictures are flooding in from GenCon and there is a lot to talk about.  GenCon is living up to it’s reputation as the best four days in gaming.  As always the companion podcast to the ScrapYardArmory GenCon experience is being provided by Arbitration Studios.

Canon Event: The Wars of Reaving

This year’s canon event is centered around the Wars of Reaving, further promoting the recently released sourcebook courtesy of Ben Rome.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Clan Steel Viper is on the defense protecting their genetic repository from an onslaught of Clan Blood Spirit.

Blood Spirit gains victory points by destroying buildings that make up the Steel Viper repository and lose points whenver they call in reinforcements.

The Steel Vipers gain victory points by destroying attacking units.  The regular bounty is actually quite small but Star Commanders are worth much much more.  Star Commanders on the Blood Spirit side are assigned in secret before each gaming slot.

The early game had the Vipers bottled up inside the canyon holding the repository.  The Blood Spirit players split their way through the defenders or climbed over the canyon walls to get at the repository.  With few options to repulse the attackers, the buildings kept falling resulting in a sizable lead for Clan Blood Spirit.

The final score as of last night was about 70VP to 35VP with Clan Blood Spirit in control.

***END SPOILER***

Late Night Quick Strike

The CamoSpecs crew are at it again with several off the schedule battles of epic proportion.  When you absolutely positively have to destroy a regiment/galaxy of units in a single evening, only the Quick Strike rules from Strategic Operations will do.

The game featured the Word of Blake versus Coalition forces in a massive game hosted by Demo Agent Incridibl. As in previous years most of the players ended up being either Demo Agents or CSO artists but there was always a slot or two available for the adventurous convention goer ready to command a few lances/level II.

Coalition forces were a mixed crew featuring several Clans alongside Inner Sphere regulars as well as off-board artillery.  The Word of Blake also brought artillery but also included several aerospace fighter wings.

The first two turns were fairly standard with some long range shots but little damage as a result. The third turn is when it all hit the fan.  An initial flight of Word of Blake artillery (8 Arrow IVs) slammed into the Coalition front line. Weapons fire, now at medium range was dropping ‘Mechs.  The Word of Blake aerospace assets came out in force and dive bombed the coalition armor assets.  Anti-aircraft fire brought down a third of the fighters but the bombs did their work, damaging almost half of the Coalition force to some degree.

The Coalition forces took a beating but pushed forward bravely to claim the forward objectives.  At the end of the evening the consensus from the field was that despite higher losses, the Coalition forces won the event due to the early objective grab.  Thanks to the CamoSpecs Online crew and Incidibl for hosting the event!

The Painting Competition

The Machines of War category is again well represented by BattleTech minis.  Is another sweep in store for the fans of the Inner Sphere this year?  There are some stunning minis in the field and I wish the very best for any BattleTech mini!

Eye Candy for All

Ben Rome, assistant line developer and photography enthusiast was gracious enough to post a link to his flicker album.  There are some great shots in the collection and are definitely worth a click.

Ghost Bear’s GenCon Flicker Album

Keeping it Interesting

Here are a few more pictures from around the convention!

ScrapYard Armory Photography provided by JPArbiter and nckestrel.

What’s Up with BattleTech and Catalyst

A big part of Day 2 is the BattleTech seminars where the loyal fans of the game get to hear about the state of the game from The Powers that Be in person.

At the front of the house for this year’s convention was Herb, Jason S, and Ben Rome.  Loren Coleman and Randall Bill managed to visit towards the end.

New Product in the Pipeline

Closing out the end of this year we should be expecting the A Time of War Companion (previous edition conversions, advanced cybernetics, archaic weapons, creature creation), Jihad Reckoning (featuring an early Republic/Liao conflict), and Field Manual 3085.  Moving into 2012 we should be looking for Handbook Kurita and Historical Liberation of Terra.

The Clan Introductory Box set is still in the works but is facing some serious difficulties.  The hope is for all of the miniatures to be made in High Impact Plastic similar to the Loki and Thor from the regular box set (and also to fantastic looking Leviathans minis).  Topps remains a jealous guard of plastic minis.  They are not in the mood for anyone to make an attempt to redo the Click-Tech plastic miniatures even though that is absolutely not what Catalyst is doing.  At one point Catalyst had permission to go forward but then Topps somehow forgot they gave them permission.  The whole situation is frustrating but Catalyst remains cautious.

High detail plastic is in the future for the Clan Box Set AND the normal Intro Box Set.  Not this reprint but the one after that, Catalyst hopes to at least partially do away with the soft plastic miniatures in favor of high impact plastic.  The current reprint in progress is around 7,500 boxes.  At MSRP of $49.99 that is $374,925 of product.  Start bugging your friends to buy one this Christmas season!

Keep in mind that this is a hope and not a promise.  Catalyst can’t confirm anything until it is a done deal so the future of plastic miniatures is very much in flux.

The PDF Turning Points series will be going strong with several titles in various stages of work.  Titles that were mentioned include the following in no particular order;

• Vega
• Lurzerne
• Chesterton

A few other titles were also noted.  These would be in the very early stages of work and few details were available surrounding their scope.

• Solaris 7
• Clan Widowmaker Absorption
• York

Interstellar Operations is the Duke Nukem Forever of BattleTech (a title previously held by Operation Klondike).  Randall is the one to bug about this monster.  I highly suspect that baby seals everywhere will be on guard until it’s release.

Randall has a lot of big ideas and would love to do a large scale high production value “Twilight Imperium” style game in the same color as the old Succession Wars board game.  Interstellar Operations is taking priority though.

Novels are going to happen.  “If we don’t get them out … I’m going to hurt somebody.” – Herb.  This is a big issue for the Catalyst guys and they are working several angles to get it done.  Unfortunately the collapse of Borders has tightened everyone’s grip on their purse strings.  A major brick and mortar like Barnes and Noble pays on a delayed schedule which makes things challenging to say the least.  Catalyst is actively talking with several other vendors that may be able to bring novels into reality quicker and with less risk (think epub or print on demand, btw the Cosmic Patrol rulebook was done via print on demand).

A BattleCorps Anthology was not available this year due to work load issues with the Leviathans launch.  Ultimately, they would like to have one available each year.  There is at least a chance for one before the year is out if not early next.  Regardless the series will continue to be produced and will highlight the best fiction available on BattleCorps.

The Plot Line Moves (and shakes!)

There is going to be a concerted effort to remove the white hat worn by the Republic of the Sphere.  Nothing in BattleTech is completely white hat anyways.  Davions are crooks.  Steiner, which is Herb’s favorite, are also crooks.  Liao have been the punching bag of the Inner Sphere for what seems like forever and have come by their black hats honestly.  The Republic will be more of a stepping stone for the plot.  No much happens over the course of 60 or so years so a jump is called for.  3150 will be the beginning of whatever era is next for the BattleTech line.

All the Rest

BattleCorps has been a bit slow since Jason has been tapped to review several products all at once.  A new update is in the works that will provide additional functionality including ePub capability.  This is still in early development so don’t hold your breath.

Rumor has it that the MechWarrior game had been sidelined lately but shows signs of movement once again.  However, there is very little contact between Catalyst and the game developer so take this rumor with a Tharkad sized grain of NaCl.

There has been a recent shake up in the status of the unseen.  Art previously thought to be back on the OK list is again off limits.  The licensing issue and confusion at Topps have muddied the waters significantly.

Photography provided by JPArbiter and nckestrel.

While I may not be there in person this year, my gaming heart is in Indianapolis.  The ScrapYardArmory has two roving reporters snapping photos and taking notes to make sure BattleTech fans from near and far are kept in the loop.

The Line Starts Where?!

The lines for Will Call were very long.  The GenCon staff seemed overwhelmed as it took attendees several hours to pick up their badges.  This got so bad that some stalwart fans were forced to miss their first games.  Other sources have suggested that the GenCon powers that be are hoping for/expecting a record attendance this year.  They may very well be getting their wish.

For those of you lucky enough to be at Indy for the festivities remember to keep your badge near and dear.  The GenCon staff are rather draconian when it comes to enforcing their badge policies.  If you lose your badge, you need to buy a whole new entry.

Catalyst Game Labs

Several major product releases made the trip to Indy and were available for purchase at the Catalyst booth.

• Wars of Reaving
• Historical Reunification War
• Era Report 3062
• HexPack Cities and Roads
• BattleTech Dice

The BattleTech Dice are available in several colors and feature a BattleMaster profile on the 6.  These are a prototype run that may be expanded to feature faction logos.  There are no promises as always.

Of particular note is the heft of the Wars of Reaving sourcebook.  This item is Randall worthy in it’s size and ability to do physical harm when thrown.  I can’t wait for the print product to make it to store shelves!

Iron Wind Metals

The team representing Iron Wind Metals brought their “A” game to GenCon this year.  There was a wealth of new product on display including the Bounty Hunter packs.  The “A Time of War” scale Nighthawk BattleArmor will be a welcome addition to many tabletops.  Finally there is something reasonable to go up against the 28mm Clan Elemental!

BattleTech Games

BattleTech games were packed in the early sessions and into the night.  From the arenas of Solaris 7 to the training sessions in the Boot Camp there were plenty of ‘Mechs getting bashed together to the delight of convention goers.

In Solaris 7 there was a fantastic shake-up when a janitor suited up in a BlackHawk to stir the pot!   After a few frightening volleys, the players at the table wised up and began to team up to put an end to the wayward janitor.  No mop-jockey was going to steal the show in this arena!

Leviathans

The rumors are confirmed, the Leviathans Box set missed GenCon due to failed promise from a foreign printer.  Randall Bills had tweeted about a printer snafu prior to GenCon and now we know what product was the victim.  That said, there was plenty of Leviathans goodness to be seen.  Demos were running full tilt and the big ships were drawing quite a crowd.  Too bad the box set missed, it would have been an epic unveiling.

The Camo Spec Diorama

The diorama this year features a pivotal moment in the Wars of Reaving.  The Kerensky Blood Chapel stands protected by Clan Wolf as a horde of attackers advance to claim the founder’s legacy.  More pictures cause I know you love em…

Other News

Outrider Hobbies has unveiled a custom BattleTech themed miniature bag.  The final product will be available this fall.  The bag will have the following trays:

• Three 1 inch trays for vehicles
• Three 1.5 inch trays for large vehicles
• Four 2 inch trays for ‘Mechs
• Logo Patch, one of the following
• Clan Wolf
• Clan Jade Falcon
• Davion
• Kurita
• Comstar

Bryan Wade from Outrider Hobbies contacted the ScrapYard shortly after this post went live and graciously provided the following images.  Thank you Bryan and Outrider Hobbies!

 BattleTech PodCasting GenCon

Keep your eye on Arbitration Studios for podcasts as the convention continues!

Photography provided by JPArbiter and nckestrel.

The Wars of Reaving are Upon Us

Photography by JPArbiter

This game was played at NJCon 2011 in Somerset NJ.  Thanks go to Jim “RatBoy” Williamson for hosting the event and making a great game.  The game used the QuickStrike rules available in Strategic Operations.

Jim debuted a new record sheet creation that proved very useful and helped to keep the game moving.

Hold the Line

The Initial Word of Blake operations on Terra were carried out by Blake agents already on planet – most notable the so-called Shadow Lancers. ComStar headquarters on Hilton Head Island was perhaps the most important target assigned to the Lancers. While Lancer BattleMech forces dealt with the two battalions of the Com Guard 201st Division at Salina, the Lancer’s armor forces struck Hilton Head. Advancing under the cover provided by bad weather that covered much of North America, the unit had traveled to within 50 kilometers of the Hilton Head HQ before the defending Com Guard forces detected it.

With their computer and communications sabotaged by the Word of Blake, the Com Guard forces were unable to prevent the Lancers from crossing to the island and seizing control of the city of Hilton Head. At the first Circuit compound, however, the Com Guard forces rallied and made their desperate stand.

You can read more about this battle and the rest of the war for control of Terra in 3058 in the Fasa scenario book, The Fall of Terra.

Comstar

Flight of Arrows II – Lambda

• Mantis Light Attack VTOL
• Mantis Light Attack VTOL
• Hunter Light Support Tank
• Hunter Light Support Tank
• Striker Light Tank
• Striker Light Tank

Great Resistance II -Iota

• Scimitar Medium Hover Tank
• Scimitar Medium Hover Tank
• Maxim Heavy Hover Transport
• Jump Laser Platoon
• Maxim Heavy Hover Transport
• Jump Rifle Platoon

Word of Blake

Assault Lance

• Scimitar Medium Hover Tank
• Scimitar Medium Hover Tank
• Patton Tank
• Patton Tank

Support Lance

• Blizzard Hover Transport
• Blizzard Hover Transport
• Myrmidon Medium Tank
• Myrmidon Medium Tank

Recon Lance

• Pegasus Scout Hover Tank
• Pegasus Scout Hover Tank
• Galleon Light Tank
• Galleon Light Tank

Objectives

The Word of Blake units must exit off the opposite side of the battlefield with at least 50% of their units surviving.  The ComStar force must stop the Word of Blake forces at all costs.

Turn 1 – Comstar wins Initiative

Comstar begins the game deployed as far into the map as allowed but remain concentrated in the center.  The Word of Blake begins more spread out with the Patton tanks to the far North to evade attention.

The battle begins with each force advancing predictably across the map.  Only medium range shots are available to either side.

Comstar forces concentrate all fire on the lead Galleon Tank but only manage to hit once.  The Word of Blake return fire and astonishingly manage to destroy a Scimitar.  First blood goes to the Word of Blake!

Turn 2 – Comstar wins Initiative

The middle of the battle becomes a mess as the forward Comstar elements and Word of Blake hovercraft converge.  Comstar VTOLs flank behind the hovercraft for rear attacks.

The damaged Galleon from last turn and a Blizzard Hover are destroyed by Comstar.  The second Galleon is lightly damaged as well.  The Word of Blake concentrates on both Striker Tanks, killing one while the other survives due to bad rolls.

To the North, the Word of Blake Patton tanks move at flank speed safe from harm for now.

Turn 3 – Word of Blake wins Initiative

The injured Word of Blake Galleon seeks refuge in nearby woods while the faster hover units sprint past Comstar defenses.  The slower Word of Blake tanks creep up as fast as their treads will carry them.

Comstar forces hold the line in the center while breaking off select forces to hunt the Galleon and Myrmidon tanks.  The Comstar VTOLs keep their speed up and move behind the out-maneuvered Blizzard hover tank which is destroyed in short order.

Comstar forces make good use of the turn and strip the armor from one Myrmidon and slightly damage the other.  No shots against the Galleon Tank find their target.

Return fire is concentrated on the Hunter tanks which each take strong damage.  The lead Hunter Tank has a crew hit criticals inflicted but lives to fight another turn.

Turn 4 – Word of Blake wins Initiative

The Word of Blake tanks in the center of the battlefield dodge into woods for cover.  Hover forces remain on the field but at long range.  The Patton tanks continue at flank speed across the North edge of the battle.

Comstar forces surround and attempt to trap enemy tanks where possible.  Several short range and rear shots are made possible.

Comstar does a lot of missing this turn and only manages to scrape armor off the healthier Myrmidon.  All other shots miss.

The Word of Blake strikes back and destroys a Hunter Tank.  Both VTOLs are hit this turn, one of which is killed outright.  One of the shots was made at long range from the Word of Blake hover tanks far across the battle.

Turn 5 – Comstar wins Initiative

The Word of Blake is taking no chances and exits one hover tank off the map while three more lurk close to the objective edge.  The remaining tanks make best speed and dance between cover hoping to spread out the defending Comstar forces.  The Patton tanks are perilously slow as they weave around terrain to the North.

Comstar ends up giving chase to the Galleon tank with the one remaining VTOL and two supporting tanks.  Remaining forces try to anticipate Word of Blake movement and end up with poor shots.

Luck begins to shine again on Comstar who manage to destroy the Galleon Tank and one of the injured Myrmidons.  Return fire from the Blakists is ineffective.

Turn 6 – Word of Blake wins Initiative

The Word of Blake moves three more hover tanks off the objective edge while remaining tanks move as quickly as possible.  The last Myrmidon attempts to stay covered by woods as the Patton tanks continue their slow march.

Comstar is running out of available targets and swarms on the Myrmidon tank which is destroyed under a massive barrage.  The Word of Blake does not manage to deal any damage in return.

Turn 7 – Comstar wins Initiative

The last two Word of Blake tanks throw caution to the wind and give up rear shots as they frantically rush towards the edge of the battle.  Comstar forces converge with all forces and fire with everything in range.

Word of Blake shots miss badly.  Comstar forces combine fire and whittle away armor until a lucky strike finds the ammo bins sending the first Patton tank up in smoke.

Turn 8 to the End

The last Word of Blake Patton tank pushes towards the objective edge but is surrounded by adversaries which pummel the vehicle until it is reduced to scrap.

• Word of Blake: Exited the battle with 4 live units (33%)
• Comstar: Destroyed 8 units (66%)

Victory to Comstar!

It was a good run while it lasted but this year I am not going to make it out to Indy for the best four days of gaming.

In order to keep the coverage going, I’d like to reach out to someone from the BattleTech community to help me provide the news and pictures this year.

If you are going to GenCon this year and love BattleTech drop me a line.  At the very least here is what I would require from you.

• You must own your own camera.  It can be a point and shoot but it should be able to take nice miniature pictures. (macro mode)
• Be able to upload pictures to the ScrapYard.  I will provide FTP access for you.
• You should be planning on attending the What’s Up with BattleTech/Catalyst Seminar and take notes.

I wouldn’t be asking for help if I wasn’t able to make it worth your while.  In addition to the soul altering satisfaction of helping the ScrapYardArmory meet the insatiable demand for BattleTech GenCon coverage I am able to offer the following incentives.

• I’ll cover the cost of internet access at your hotel room if needed.  (last year the convention center had great free wireless coverage so this is just in case)
• For each day of coverage you help me provide, I’ll give you a new in box BattleMech from my collection.  I have at least a hundred or so minis to choose from, you are sure to find something you like.

While I am not able to go myself this year, I hope that somebody will be able to help continue the excellent BattleTech coverage this site has delivered.

brian@scrapyardarmory.com

Historicon 2011 is in the rear view mirror and it was a great one!  Demo Agent “Speck” was on hand with several car loads of new miniatures, new terrain and a fine crew of volunteers to aid in the heavy metal mayhem.

There were multiple BattleTech games available throughout the four days of gaming.  I hosted two of them with the help of SaxyWolf on Thursday.

Iron Wind Metals and the Dealer Room

I love shopping at conventions for a lot of reasons.  Chief among them is the ability to grab online exclusive units, limited editions, ala carte battle armor, no shipping, and the convenience of seeing exactly what you are buying.  I’m not afraid to say I’ve more than once put a mini back on the shelf after seeing just how complicated the assembly will be.  I’m not afraid of a challenge, but I try not to go out of my way to invite complexity.

Jim from Iron Wind Metals was graciously ringing up customers and holding the fort as convention goers browsed the many BattleTech, fantasy, and space miniatures available.

The rest of the dealer room held the usual suspects with a few notable absences.  The number of dealers at the convention was definitely smaller than years prior.  Certainly some of that is due to the uncertainty caused by various inner workings within the HMGS.  Regardless, there was plenty to see and plenty to buy.  There were also multiple demos available for those willing to spend the time.

I ended up buying a bunch of the new BattleTech infantry, some battle armor, a squad of fantasy elf archers, and a load of MERCS minis for use in A Time of War.  I’ll hopefully have more pictures of the infantry with size comparisons in a future post.

Breaking and Entering

With a brand new load of terrain, SaxyWolf and I hosted an A Time of War mission to disable a Castle Brian Space Defense Station from the inside.  Two squads of elite assault troopers infiltrated the facility and raced to find the command and control systems and take it over by any means necessary.  Expect a more in depth after action report on this event.  It was a lot of fun to run.  We had two brand new players playing and they picked up the rules quickly.  I also debuted a second iteration of my revised A Time of War tactical record sheet which helped lower the learning curve.

Dusting for Scraps

In the second event of a ScrapYard double header, the forces of the Free Worlds League faced off against the Word of Blake on Atreus.  This game is a repeat of a game featured in an after action report here at the ScrapYard.  See The Fall of Atreus for a full run down of the units involved.  We ended up not using the artillery or the mines this time to help balance things for the Word of Blake.

The Free Worlds League forces fared better than the Word of Blake defenders but did not make ample progress towards their goal of escaping the battle.  In the end it was probably a draw.  We had two new players on each side who needed a bit of help to move things along but did a great job commanding their troops.

Devil’s Tower BattleForce

This event was an all day affair with regiments of units in action alongside artillery, minefields, and gun emplacements.

Between the three time slots (the players had to eat sometime…) forces were shifted to represent the relative progress of the coalition forces invading the Castle Brian.  This was an amazing game using the new miniature BattleMechs to represent lances or Level IIs.  As the end drew near the coalition forces breached the walls and made significant progress against the defending Word of Blake.

Kudos to Mark for pulling off such a massive game.

East Coast Commandothon

For the first time, a HMGS event was host to the East Coast Commandothon.  Demo agents from near and far converged at the table for some ‘Mech stomping goodness.  There were lots of familiar faces among the crowd.  A full recount of the event is available on the Classic BattleTech forums.

Grand Melee

The traditional last event of the convention is the Grand Melee.  This year’s event used the Castle Brian terrain as the center piece for the combatants to fight over.  It was a fantastic battle ending with a final head cap.

2012 Location in the Works

There is a lot of speculation as to where Historicon will land next year.  The Valley Forge convention center is going to be putting in slots and gaming tables in some of the spaces that would be required for games.  Other prospective locations are in Virginia and possibly York Pa.

A move to Virginia would be the most disruptive but I’m sure that the Demo team is up to the challenge.  The Pennsylvania based HMGS conventions are always so convenient for me in New Jersey.  The longer trip will force me to do more to save costs to make the trip doable.

All the Rest

There is always more to Historicon than BattleTech alone.  I spent a good bit of time playing other game systems from historicals to fantasy.  I had a great time at Historicon and would encourage anyone who hasn’t had the privilege to make the leap next year.

The Historical Turning Points series gains a new chapter.  This time around we are treated to a Succession War era battle between bitter rivals.

Geoff Swift, a return author for the series is in charge to bring Mallory’s World to life.  Will the Turning Points series continue to impress?

The Desolation of Combat

This single page piece was one of the best and most riveting piece of opening fiction I have read.  The story is an emotional roller coaster beginning with a palpable arrogance that melts away, eventually extracting sympathy from the reader or maybe pity.  The ultimate sacrifice is expertly storied in so few words.  It is a great opening for the PDF and makes me want to read more!

Mallory’s World

After a standard full color map of the world, the Atlas section gives a brief description of the world.  Mallory’s World consists of mainly desert or urban areas in part due to the frequent conflict the world attracts.  I enjoyed reading about the early history of this world which is full of otherwise useless anecdotal information.  While I doubt you or your players will care that Mallory’s World is a major supplier of diapers, you can play your tracks and missions secure in the knowledge that the writers have made such information available to all.

A short list of recommended terrain is included for those wishing to roll suitable random terrain.

Lastly, there is a list of available Tactical Operations terrain enhancements for the adventurous to include in their games.

The Battle for Mallory’s World

In a single page the brief but information packed chronology of the multi-year war at Mallory’s World is presented.  For a single page it packs a significant quantity of details that will form the framework for the tracks presented later.

For anyone unfamiliar with the battle this is a great primer.  If you haven’t read the novels there is a lot to pick up.  The lightweight presentation is a perfect fit and gives a fine overview of this epic Succession Wars era conflict.  From copious combat drops, pincher movements, and single combat between leaders Mallory’s World has it all.

Random Assignment Tables

Tables are provided for Kurita and Davion and include ‘Mechs, Vehicles, and Aerospace.  Infantry tables are absent which is not unexpected given the lack of battle armor during this time.

Interestingly, there are five Land Air ‘Mechs (LAMs) slots included.  Details for their use were provided in TRO: 3085.  No doubt there will be those who will love this addition.  Others won’t be bothered either way.  Now if we could only get official miniatures for the newly imaged LAMs we would be in real business.

Commanders

The commanders section details one commander from each side of the battle.  The first is a relatively unknown from the Davions.  I really appreciate the effort to mix it up.  It would have been more expected to have detailed Ian Davion for the PDF, instead we get to learn more about Eugene Drivers.  The Kurita leader is the slayer of the First Prince, a more obvious choice but well worth the page space.

Each leader is further detailed with a short list of A Time of War skills and attributes.  It does not provide a complete character sheet, more of a framework that players can adapt to use in their campaign if you desire.

Combatants

The combatants for both sides are provided for reference including experience rating, unit abilities, and a brief set of notes.

I found the notes and unit abilities to be especially interesting and entertaining.  I really liked the Mallorian Militia and the Second Legion of Vega.  Both have detrimental abilities that are sure to be a factor if your player group is brave enough to use them.

Tracks

The tracks section includes an amazing eleven tracks to play!

Throughout the tracks the use of conventional and infantry units is heavily encouraged in the game setup and attacker/defender descriptions.  I really appreciate the heavy support of combined arms.

I noted that the individual tracks are not balanced the way I would have expected.  I suspect that the history of the battles was a more important factor in recommended force ratios than game balance.  A perfect example is Just Droppin’ In which looks like a bloodbath for the Hussars.  Looking at the aftermath section of the track, it certainly was.  It is an interesting and I believe deliberate methodology to present an accurate battle even if the results are not likely to change.  I would have liked to see more thought put into the objectives to compensate for the unequal unit strengths but can appreciate the unique perspective at work.

The Defeat of Nobility is a brave new take on the track series which pits Ian Davion in his Atlas against the command lance of the Kurita invaders.  It is historically presented and requires special terrain and a bevy of special rules that force the players to relive history and attempt to rewrite it.  A very bold track.

The final five tracks are built to reflect the massive retaliatory invasion of Mallory’s World by Kurita in 3016.  They are meant to be played in any order as they occur at the same time.

Mr. Swift takes a lot of interesting hooks to make the plethora of tracks in Mallory’s World worth playing.  I felt that the sometimes obvious selection of objectives and mundane bonus options are the only items that detract from this excellent set of tracks.  Like none other, Mallory’s World tells the story of the battles, both the wins and the losses with unwavering focus.

Record Sheets

Record sheets are provided for Morgan Kell and Yorinaga piloting an Archer and Warhammer respectively both of which lack a ‘Mech image.  Oversight or intentional?

Three LAM configurations are also provided for the nostalgic among us.  Here is an excellent chance to get your LAM on if that is the sort of thing that floats your boat.

The Final Word

Mallory’s World is an impressive product as a whole.  A unique mix of terrain, detailed setups and painful regard for historical accuracy offset some more obvious objective and bonus selections.  This PDF is well worth the $5 asking price given the large assortment of tracks.  Your gaming group is sure to find something to like among the tracks on Mallory’s World.  It is a mix of both quality and quantity that make it a must buy for Succession War era buffs and a good investment for casual fans.

This game was played at Cold Wars 2011 in Lancaster, Pa.  Thanks go to Scott “Wemic9″ for hosting the event and doing so on short notice due a mishap of my own.  Standard BattleTech rules are in effect for this fast and furious battle for the power of the bottle!

Stirring the Hornet’s Nest

Rumor has it that some backwater bumpkins have developed the best whiskey in the galaxy and it’s worth more than can be imagined on the black market.  This is the raid for you and your pirate brothers.  Get in, take out the local defenders, and take the reported shipment of booze that is being prepped for shipment off-world.

In and out, easy job.  No problem. These hicks won’t know what hit them.  Heck, the only two things that these rednecks can do is make whiskey and race on the weekends.

Pirate Raiders

• WTH-2 Whitworth
• VND-5L Vindicator
• PXH-3D Phoenix Hawk
• JR7-D Jenner
• CLNT-6S Clint
• BJ-1 Blackjack
• PNT-10K Panther
• TR1 Wraith
• WVR-7M Wolverine
• END-6J Enfield
• COM-1B Commando
• WLF-1 Wolfhound

Planetary Militia

• HNT-151 Hornet (Red)
• HNT-151 Hornet (Blue)
• HNT-151 Hornet (Green)
• HNT-151 Hornet (White)

Objectives

The Pirate forces are searching for a cache of Whiskey.  The Whiskey is hidden in one of the warehouses inside the city gates.  The Militia player secretly selected a building to hold the booze.  The Pirate player must find the Whiskey, load it onto a ‘Mech and escape off the map.  The Militia must stop the Pirates at all costs.

Turn 1 - Pirates win Initiative

The start of the game is a bit boring.  The Militia Hornets are spread out and hiding behind buildings.  The Pirate horde marches ominously forward, no doubt counting their lucky stars that the planet is so lightly defended.

Easy money!

Turn 2 – Militia win Initiative

The Pirates continue to move forward in two main groups.  The Hornets continue to hide but manage to let loose a few volleys of LRMs all of which miss.

Turn 3 – Pirates win Initiative

The Pirates are now at the gates of the city.  The lead units, a Phoenix Hawk and a Commando are shot at with LRMs but only the Commando takes any damage.  Return fire from the Pirates is ineffective.

Turn 4 – Pirates win Initiative

As the Pirates push into the city the Militia back off and find better cover further away from the attackers.  The first warehouse building is scanned by the Pirates.  Nothing yet.

Then suddenly, a lance of Savannah Masters burst out of one of the warehouses to the North!

One of the fearless hovercraft pilots charges the Pirate Commando while the others pour in laser fire.  A Pirate Wraith blasts the charging hovercraft before it can do any damage.  The medium laser barrage manages to critically hit one of the Commando’s engine slots.

Turn 5 – Pirates win Initiative

The Pirates fan out at best speed to cover as many warehouses as possible.

Suddenly a buzz is heard across the battlefield as a horde of hover fans turn on.  Three Gabriels and 17 Savannah Masters burst from their hiding spots to envelop the attacking Pirates!

The mass of hover tanks concentrate fire on the Wolfhound, Commando, and Clint while the Pirates lash out at targets of opportunity.

The Wolfhound is crushed from behind.  After a gyro hit the Wolfhound is almost brought down when its rear armor fails.  The Commando loses a few heatsinks and takes an engine critical but is alive for now.  The Clint sees a whole lot of armor peeled off but stands through the punishment.

In return fire a lucky strike from the Wolverine critical hits one of the Hornet’s ammo slots sending the ‘Mech to the scrapyard.

In a stunning turn the whiskey is located by the Wolfhound!

Turn 6 – Pirates win Initiative

The Pirate force is stunned by the sudden influx of hovers and moves three ‘Mechs to surround the whiskey stores.  The hovers scatter to maintain top speed while the Pirate Wraith stalks them with it’s pulse lasers.  A Hornet manages to get behind the Pirate Phoenix Hawk.

The hovers concentrate fire on the Wraith, Whitworth, and Clint.  The Pirates again fire at whatever hover craft are in range.

All told four hovers were cored, kicked or otherwise dispatched by the Pirates.  Return fire slags some armor but the Pirates keep their backs to the buildings to maximize protection.

One of the Hornets together with a couple hovercraft attempt to blow up the Whiskey! Their concentrated fire power is enough to take the building down a notch but is not enough to punch through to ignite the booze.  The Pirates successfully load up their precious cargo at the end of the turn.

Turn 7 – Pirates win Initiative

The Pirates use their initiative advantage to pick their lanes and begin moving units towards their home edge.  The Pirate Enfield, who is carrying the booze, moves last and dekes his way behind a building away from most of the danger.

The Pirate Commando is ganged up on and is cored through by a Hornet and a trio of hovers.  The Wolfhound is destroyed by engine criticals.  Both the Whitworth and Phoenix Hawk fall due to damage.

In return, three hovers die a sudden death by a combination of lucky weapon hits and kicks.

Turn 8 – Militia win Initiative

The Pirate force consolidates their force and seeks cover from a nearby building.  They strategically place their backs to the wall to avoid rear shots.  The hovers envelope the Pirates while keeping their speed up.

The Green Hornet is cored while two hovers are destroyed.  Another hover is immobilized and then killed by a sword attack from the Pirate Vindicator.  The hovers damage armor on the Wraith, Enfield and Jenner but do no major damage.  The Jenner misses a kick and falls flat on his face.

Turn 9 – Militia win Initiative

Time is running out and the Pirates can’t afford to make a run for it!  Its a final stand.

(our time slot at the convention was running out)

The Pirates put their backs to the wall again as the hovers swarm around them.  The Pirates scatter their fire at available targets while the hovers concentrate all fire on the Enfield!

Pirate weapons fire brings down no less than four hovercraft.  The hovers brutalize the Enfield, stripping armor in several locations.  The Enfield loses two engine criticals, a gyro hit and loses a number of weapon systems but manages to stay alive and upright.

End Game

Unfortunately, our time slot ran out and we were not able to completely finish this game.

So, who do you think would have been able to pull off the victory?  Do the Pirates have enough gusto to put the Militia in their place or will the stalwart defenders of the greatest vice in the Inner Sphere have the last word?

Regardless, this was a fun and spirited game.  My hat goes off to Scott for having the twisted mind to put it all together.