Thursday August 12th @ 7 PM

[HPG Command]: “Unidentified DropShip, you are infringing on restricted airspace. Change your vector now or we will assume you have hostile intent.”
[Badger One]: “Command, DropShip is not responding. Vector has not changed.”
[HPG Command]: “Unidentified DropShip, this is your final warning. Abort your current trajectory and divert to Kalidasa Port. We do not wish to burn you from the sky.”
[Badger Two]: “One, I’m reading active fire control. We’re being targeted.”
[Badger One]: “Back off to two thousand meters. Any sign of attack, go evasive.”
[HPG Command]: “Course unchanged. Badger flight, the Precentor has authorized weapons free. Repeat, you are weapons free. Divert that DropShip.”
[Badger One]: “Roger, Command. Weapons free. Be advised, the DropShip is opening bay doors. Prepare ground troops for landside attack.
Badger Two, punch it. Let’s go hunting.”

SITUATION
HPG Compound AA-2, Tagus Metropolis
Talitha, Free Worlds League
8 December 3069

   During a passing stint through the Free Worlds, your Galatean liaison notified you of a quick month-long contract to beef up a garrison on Talitha. The Precentor there is missing his standing force, and during the ensuing flurry of merc contracts, he neglected to cover a gap in December. A garrison contract usually blows, but it’s only a month, giving you just enough time to stand down for repair and refit without getting too bored. Another merc command is due at the turn of the year, so what’s the harm?
   Turns out some other mercs—apparently part of the decimated AMC—heard about the gap in coverage and decided to launch a raid. Too bad their intel wasn’t good. Now you not only get to rest up, but some easy salvage is dropping in, ripe for the picking.

GAME SET -UP
   Use any Urban Terrain maps. Gamemasters should place and designate a building as the HPG station (minimum Heavy Level 3 building).

Attacker
   The Attacker is elements of the Third Dismal Disinherited and Burton’s Brigade mercenary commands. The AMC units should be 150% of the Defender’s total deployed force and are of Veteran skill level. The Disinherited units roll on Column B of any Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see 122, Field Manual: Mercenaries,
Revised). The Brigade’s units (of which there should be no more than nine ’Mechs) roll on Column C of any Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see 122, Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised).
   The Attacker may choose two map edges from which to enter, but must declare one edge as his “home” edge for any forced withdrawals.

Defender
   The Defender is the player group; they may use up to 100 percent of their total force. The Defender sets up anywhere within ten hexes of the HPG/uplink satellite. Starting Velocity (if applicable) should be less than 3.

WARCHEST
Track Cost: 750 WP
Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   +300 Combat Drop!: The Attacker may deploy up to all of his available force through a combat drop maneuver (see Dropping Troops, p. 78, BMR).
   +300 High Winds: See High Wind rules, p. 153, CBTComp or 12, MT. For a space battle, a combination of massive sunspot activity, strong local magnetic fields and gravity creates the same effect.
   –500 Early Reinforcements: The Defender may bring in additional reinforcements. These troops are Regular and may equal 50 percent of the Defender’s total deployed force. To determine units, roll on Column A of the ComStar, Word of Blake and/or Mercenary RATs. The reinforcements enter from the map edge closest to the HPG/satellite station.

Victory Bonuses (not cumulative):
   +900 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives.
   +1,200 Total Victory: Completing all objectives.
   –400 (cumulative): If Objective One is not completed.

OBJECTIVES
   1. Defend with your lives! The HPG/orbital satellite uplink must survive the track.
   2. We need information: Capture an enemy soldier by crippling or capturing an attacking unit.
   3. Remain in control until reinforcements can arrive: At least 50 percent of the Defender’s deployed force should survive for at least ten turns.

SPECIAL RULES
   The following rules are in effect for this track.

Third Dismal Disinherited
   When rolling to randomly determine lance composition, twice per lance (or wing) the player controlling any of the Disinherited units may roll on Column C of either the Random Assignment Table: Federated Suns (see p. 139, Field Manual: Federated Suns or p. 225, Field Manual: Updates) or Random Assignment Table:
Lyran Alliance (see p. 127, Field Manual: Lyran Alliance or p. 227, Field
Manual: Updates).

Gift
   If the player group achieves a Total Victory, their employer gives them an additional 200 Warchest Points with which to purchase new units. These points may not be used for any other purpose.

AFTERMATH
After Action Report 4992-T
   Okay, maybe not so easy. Those AMC jocks fought with their lives to get at the HPG station—but ultimately to no avail. Good salvage though. These mercs’ve been living on the hog lately. They must’ve mauled a Blakist force or raided a supply base—some of their machines were Word designs.
   We got some argument from the WoB Precentor at the HPG regarding that. He claims it’s all Blakist property and offered us a small sum of money in exchange, but good ol’ Harrison looked it up on the Interweb and noted that the equipment we scored is worth a hell of a lot more than what he offered. We reached an agreement eventually—we handed over the C3i equipment but got to keep the ’Mechs and vehicles. The Blakie gizmos are pretty sweet, but those machines we brought down will last a lot longer. Plus, we finagled some time in the garrison’s empty repair bays, so the Blakies will bring us up to fighting trim a lot quicker.
   While we don’t trust the Word all that much, considering that they caused some of the problems out there, I’ve got a better feel for this crew. Being abandoned by the Blakie high command also stands in their favor—seems the First Circuit (or whatever they call them now) doesn’t much like these “Expatriates”. My guess is, the big boys are just looking for a way to whack these folks without doing it themselves. Of course, I wouldn’t put it past the Blakies to have hired out the Dismal D to do just that.

NEXT TRACK
   Click, Click, Boom; Binge, Purge, Flush

I was just about to make a thread like this.  My summer has finally slowed down a bit and I was looking into how many people show up for 40k day (which is on Sunday, I believe).  My normal gaming group has slowed a bit and I my want for some 40k battles is up there.

Thursday July 15th @ 7 PM

Brute Force

The Caselton asteroid belt was formed more than three million years ago, when two mid-sized planetoids intersected in their orbits. The resulting collision occurred in slow motion over time, creating gigantic chunks of rock that gradually separated along a wobbly path around the system primary. Influenced by gravitational effects from the two nearby gas giants, the Cassini Belt—as the local scientific community named it—has spread out into a snake-like string that plods along its orbital path. The string contains more than two million identified asteroids, with more than 900 of them at least 50 km or larger across.
   Because of the high mineral content of both intersecting planetoids, the Cassini Belt is known in the Federated Suns as among the best sources of germanium, nickel, zinc and silver.
—From the Federated Atlas (3065 edition)

SITUATION
Site 2B, Cassini Belt
Caselton, Federated Suns
10 September 3069

   Every once in a while, you get a contract offer that you have to take—not because it’s a peach or on some exotic ocean world, but because it’s the proverbial “tough nut.” Caselton, at first glance, is one of them.
   A challenge, to be sure, but the payoff is worth it. Seems Mr. Askai’s employers are all hot to trot in cracking this particular nut. Several clauses of the contract contain so much legalese, they practically scream “corporate,” but other parts seem ill defined. After brief but intense negotiations, your unit landed the contract to break open Site 2B, part of the Caselton Mining Corporation’s string of germanium mines.
   Why take it when it looks so tough? Ego. Break this sucker and bragging rights are yours—as well as a justified increase in rates. And right now, with mercs under the microscope everywhere, nailing a place like this can only enhance your reputation, guaranteeing more solid work ahead.
   Time to break out those nutcrackers. So where is the rest of the crew?

GAME SET -UP
   Use Mountain Terrain maps. The gamemaster should place the HQ (Level 2; CF 80) within five hexes of one map edge. Place the power station (Level 1; CF 50) within ten hexes of the HQ building. This track uses the Low Gravity and vacuum rules (see pp. 84-85, BMR).

Attacker
   The Attacker consists of up to 100 percent of the players’ total force. The Attacker deploys on the map edge farthest from the HQ building.

Defender
   The Defender consists of elements of the Second Davion Guards RCT. The Defender’s force equals 100 percent of the Attacker’s total deployed force and has Elite experience. Add five RAC 2 turrets (CF 60; 20 rounds per turret) and place the turrets before the Attacker deploys. Turrets must be no farther than twelve hexes from the power station. Space turrets (Armor: 50, SI: 10, armed as ground turrets) are placed on stationary asteroids.
   The Defender enters on the map edge closest to the HQ building.

WARCHEST
Track Cost: 700 WP
Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   +250 Transport Glitch: Part of the Attacker’s transportation gets separated from the main group or develops mechanical problems; reduce the Attacker’s force build to 75 percent of the players’ total force.
   +400 Sandstorm: Use rules for Blowing Sand (ee p. 153, CBTComp or p. 11, MT).

Victory Bonuses (not cumulative):
   +600 Partial Victory: Complete one objective.
   +1,000 Complete Victory: Complete all objectives.
   –300 Total Defeat: Complete no objectives.

OBJECTIVES
   1. Take down that network! Destroy the power hub and all turrets.
   2. Sever system coordination: Destroy the headquarters building.
   3. Soften ’em up! Destroy or cripple at least 75 percent of the Defender’s force.

SPECIAL RULES
   The following rules are in effect for this track.

Forced Withdrawal
   The Second Davion Guards follow the Forced Withdrawal rule.

Initiative Bonus
   The gamemaster should designate one of the Defender’s units as the operational leader. As long as that leader remains on the battlefield, the Defender gains a +2 Initiative bonus. This bonus is lost once the leader is removed from battle.

Turrets
   In addition to following the rules for Gun Emplacements (see p. 53, BMR), each turret is independently powered and rotated, and so the destruction of the power station does not affect them. All turrets have Gunnery Skill 3 for this track. To reflect their quirky fire control systems, each turret suffers a +1 penalty to all to-hit rolls if the hex containing the turret is covered by enemy ECM.

AFTERMATH
   You gave it your best. Shattered the turrets and blew the power station just like you were told. Too bad that whole setup didn’t even affect Site 2B. Seems Askai’s contacts had really crappy intel. Not sure you want to hook up with this fool again, unless you negotiate your own intel operation next time.
   As you burn out-system, your transport captain points out a cluster of dots on his threat board. “Unidentified, as far as they’re transmitting, but all of those are transports loaded to the gills. One of the boys on the Gulag Savior owes me a favor, sent me a scan of that little gaggle. No transmissions, no CAP, nuthin’. Dunno if
that’s an invasion force waiting to go in on the signal or a recharging effort. Either way, someone nearby’s gonna get hammered soon….”

NEXT TRACK
   Living Dead Men; Panic and Pain; Binge, Purge, Flush

After Action Report

The players chose the Sharpshooter victory bonus.

The attackers for this mission were made up of 2 lances of Reed's Brew mercenary company.

The 2 lances were MAD-9M Marauder, AXM-1N Axman, PHX-1D Phoenix Hawk, STG-3R Stinger, SDR-7M Spider, BJ-2 Blackjack, HBK-5N Hunchback and TBT-7M Trebuchet

The militia support for the defenders were DRV-6M Dervish, PHX-3M Phoenix Hawk, GRF-3M Griffin.

The players force, The Gray Gryphons, consists of MAD-5D Marauder, OSR-4L Ostroc, Victor VTR-9K, Battlemaster BLR-3SGG (custom) and Shadow Hawk SHD-5D

Reed's Brew were having an off night and weren't connecting with many of their shots while the militia forces were remarkably hardy and connected with many their shots despite being green troops.

The first 2 rounds were spent with Reed's Brew maneuvering into range of the target building while exchanging fire with the defenders. Armor was stripped but no serious damage was inflicted on either side. The 3rd round saw the attacking Phoenix Hawk achieve range and after hitting the building was slamed in the rear by the Gryphon's Ostroc causing it to fall down.

The 4th round saw the destruction of the target building thereby causing the players to lose objective 1. Although objective 1 was lost, the players were able to capture both the Blackjack pilot and the Phoenix Hawk's pilot by destroying the Phoenix Hawk's leg and the Blackjack's gyro although the gained their first causalty when the Axman buried it's ax in the Dervish's head.

Since their objective was obtained, Reed's Brew were attempting to retreat from the field but only 1 mech was able to make it off the field.

Next mission:  Brute Force.

I was wondering if there are any upcoming 40k or fantasy battle(s) skirmishes or full-out battles slated coming up?  Tournaments?  Anything?  I'd be interested in coming down to do a day-long tourney style or even a circuit of skirmishes (500-1000pt).  Maybe Parallax could referee?  I usually play Empire for FB and Imperial Guard for 40k. 

Thursday June 17th, 2010 @ 7 PM

[Monteray One]: "HQ, I'm getting an odd signal over the horizon. Really bizarre."
[HQ]: "Patch it through."
[Monteray Three]: "Sure bet someone's coming and wants us to know it. Looks like those kooks in the Coterie were right after all."
[HQ]: “Boys, that’s the worst rendition of ‘Baby Mack Attack’ I’ve ever heard. Didn’t know it even still existed.”
[Monteray Four]: “Nuevodiscola should’ve died with the damn dingo.”
[HQ]: “Well, e-com analysis shows it’s a modified ECM wave. Whoever it is, they’re coming in to play.”
[Monteray One]: “Roger that, HQ. Mongoose Lance, prep for high-angle scanning run on vector two-four-oh. Pass and scan, people. No heroics.”

SITUATION
Mather Swamp, Lowellstowne
Tohelet, Free Worlds League
6 May 3069

   Subcontracting work out is tough, but pays off in spades if the timing is right. As your command passes through the Free Worlds League, a member of the mysterious Coterie contacts your CO to assist with defenses in the apparently defenseless Rim Commonality. Seems the Eighth Orloff is the only unit in the area, and several pirates and hard-luck mercs have taken advantage of that fact by executing heavy raids. The bandits have absconded with enormous amounts of foodstuffs and basic supplies, more than those groups would normally require. This means someone’s coordinating the raids, and piling up a large amount of the fundamentals for an army or a world in crisis. You haven’t heard of any planets in crisis around here, so most likely someone is building an army.
   The Coterie seem to think that the large peat farms outside Lowellstowne make a viable target, so here you sit, babysitting some hardened muck. Ah, the mercenary life!

GAME SET-UP
   Use Hill/Mountain Terrain maps. The gamemaster may place at least one building (gamemaster’s preference) anywhere on the map that the players’ force must defend.

Attacker
   The Attacker consists of elements of Reed’s Brew, and fields a force equal to 75 percent of the Defender’s total deployed force. Reed’s Brew is a Veteran mercenary command and rolls on the D column of the Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see 122, Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised).

   The mercenaries start on the map edge farthest from the gamemaster-designated target.

Defender
   The Defender consists of the player group and the small planetary militia. The players may use up to 50 percent of their total force; the militia equals 25 percent of the players’ deployed force and is Green.
   Set up the Defender within eight hexes of the gamemaster-designated objective.

WARCHEST
Track Cost: 600 WP
Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   +150 Brute Force: Add a number of mercenaries equal to 50 percent of the Defender’s total deployed force. These units enter later in the track (as determined by the gamemaster).
   +250 Sharpshooter: The gamemaster designates at least 25% of the units in the Attacker’s force as Elite.

Victory Bonuses (not cumulative):
   +450 Partial Victory: Complete one objective.
   +800 Total Victory: Complete all objectives.

OBJECTIVES
   1. Defend target: The gamemaster-designated target must survive the track.
   2. Information: Capture or cripple one mercenary unit.
   3. Eliminate the threat: Destroy or cripple the Attacker’s force.

SPECIAL RULES
   The following rules are in effect for this track.

Reed’s Brew
   Reed’s Brew isn’t suicidal but they are out to prove that they’re more than just a “party patrol”. They will begin to withdraw only after they take over 50% losses.

AFTERMATH
   The battlefield hadn’t even cooled before several small cargo craft bearing members of the Coterie arrived on-station to assess the damage. While you were tangling with the “Beer Can Brigade,” another merc force hammered Lowellstowne and “liberated” several containers of seed and cattle from one of the giant land train
terminals. The fighting started several fires that took most of the next day to corral.
   As for you and your team, the Coterie representative just smiled, handed you the confirmed transfer order and politely asked you to leave. While you had no problem complying, you couldn’t help but wonder what was going on….

NEXT TRACK
Brute Force; Living Dead Men

After Action Report

First track of the JHS: 3070 campaign.

The players were the attackers and were made up of the Gray Gryphons and 2 unnamed mercenary lances. The attackers were allowed 25% BV and each supporting merc lance was 100% of the Gryphon's force. Since the track stated that the players began with 1/2 ammo, the players chose mechs that were lighter on the ammo dependent weapons.

The Gryphon mechs chosen were: MAD-5D Marauder, OSR-4L Ostroc, PNT-12A Panther

Supporting Mercenary Mechs:

CLN-7W Chameleon, KW1-LH3 Lineholder, STY-3D Starslayer, APL-1M Apollo

WHM-7M Warhammer, MAD-9M Marauder, CLN-7W Chameleon, KW1-LH3 Lineholder

The defenders were a company of militia troops and were made up of the following mechs:

PHX-7S Phoenix Hawk, PHX-7S Phoenix Hawk, CN9-D Centurion, CN9-D Centurion, CLNT-2-3U Clint, CLNT-2-3U Clint,HCT-5S Hatchetman, NGS-4S Nightsky, JR7-D Jenner, TLN-5W Talon, GHR-5J Grasshopper, PTR-6S Penetrator

The options chosen were: High Ambient Temperature and Disorganized.

The first couple of rounds had the two forces moving into range with a few units taking shots at each other but by the end of the 2nd round, one of the 2 Clints was crippled enough to have to withdraw under the Forced Withdrawl rules. The player's forces slowly whittled away at the defenders, forcing units to retreat with a couple mechs out-right destroyed. The defender's Jenner was lost to an ammo explosion in the 4th round.

All of the defenders were destroyed or forced to retreat by the 8th round leaving the warehouses clear for the attackers to destroy at their leisure. Giving the players a complete victory with all 3 objectives completed.

I would be interested in some casual magic.  I'm relatively new to the game and tournaments seem a little intimidating to me. 

Chantz
xero_33@hotmail.com

This topic has been moved for reviewing.

Thursday May 20th @ 7 PM

Entry 810
   Weve been at the Gienah nadir jump point for almost a week now, waiting for a bunch of clowns calling themselves Hals Heinous Halberds. Their Gazelle decided that today was a good day to die—it’s power plant just up and quit on them. Our burn in-system is delayed yet again. A full company of assault tanks is nice, but I don’t think it’s worth this wait. We’ve wasted a week now.  Gienah’s GOT to know what’s going on by now. I can smell another disaster.

Entry 811
   Things got worse. Four JumpShips showed up and are spilling DropShips as we speak. We’re being challenged and ordered to surrender. Two outfits just hijacked a Merchant and jumped out. The Halberds idiots wasted no time in surrendering. Our fighters started to skirmish with them, and plugged a Fury. Of course, five of our guys had to die to get that done. For things to suck any harder, I’d need to expose myself to hard vacuum.

Entry 812
   Things got better. Turns out the commander of that JumpShip coterie is on the same mission as us, and thought we were intercepting them. The Halberds un-surrendered, and apart from the wimps who split or died, we’ve got a pretty decent taskforce. Eight more days till we make landfall. Gienah’s supposed to be mostly undefended, which is just as well. This whole mess really soured things up; I don’t think there’ll be much cooperation.

SITUATION
Inbound vector
Gienah, Lyran Alliance
30 September 3068

   A Mr. Askai hired numerous mercenary units from nearby Lyran and League space to attack Gienah, specifically the Gienah Automotive and Gienah Combat Vehicles sites. The strikes succeeded, largely because of the mercenaries’ overwhelming numbers and the lack of an organized ’Mech force to oppose them. The Gienah militia, however, with support from corporate security forces (and surprisingly well-armed labor union workers), has managed to inflict a serious toll on the mercenaries, exploiting a lack of cooperation among the invaders.
   The mercenaries are wrapping up their operations. Some secondary objectives remain, including a vehicle supply dump midway between Gienah Combat Vehicles and the spaceport. It must be destroyed.

GAME SET-UP
   Use at least one Urban Terrain map. Deploy four Heavy two-hex Level 1 buildings. Deploy at least four additional Medium one-hex Level 1 buildings.

Attacker
   The Attacker consists of up to 25 percent of the player group’s total force. All friendly units begin with half their ammunition load as a result of prior engagements. In addition, the gamemaster (or the players, with gamemaster approval) fields two other forces in support of the player group, both equaling 100 percent of the players’ deployed force. Both support forces must have lowerquality technology and lesser experience than the players’ force.
   Each of the three forces enters from a different map side with a starting Velocity of 6 or lower (if applicable).

Defender
   The Defender equals 100 percent of the Attacker’s total deployed force and must be of lower quality than the players’ force in technology and experience. For example, a Regular ’Mech force with B technology would face Green conventional troops with C or lower technology. A Veteran aerospace company would face Regular  conventional fighters and anti-aircraft tank. Deploy all forces near the hangars.

WARCHEST
Track Cost: 250 WP

Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   +150 High Ambient Temperature: It’s a balmy 52 degrees Celsius outside.
   +150 Reinforcements: Local personnel manage to reactivate and attack with two Centipede Scout Cars per hangar if the hangars survive up until Turn Five.
   +150 Disorganized: Reflecting poor cooperation between the three attacking forces, all friendly forces suffer a –2 penalty to their Initiative rolls.

Victory Bonuses (not cumulative):
   +200 Partial Victory: Completing one objective
   +400 Total Victory: Completing all objectives

OBJECTIVES
   1. Fireworks! At least two hangars are destroyed.
   2. Urban renewal: All hangars are destroyed.
   3. Wipe them out! All hostile forces are destroyed or forced to withdraw.

SPECIAL RULES
   The following rules are in effect for this track:

Forced Withdrawal
   All Defending forces must use the Forced Withdrawal rules (see pp. 135-136, DotJ).