Battletech: Sword and Dragon - Touchpoint: Dust Up

Thursday October 8th @ 7 PM

TOUCHPOINT: Dust-Up
   The problem with being the best is that there is always somebody out there who is willing to take you on—somebody with something
to prove. Usually there is no problem—you pound them some and send them on their way with a deflated ego and a few bruises. But
sometimes the other team actually is almost as good as they think they are.
   When Captain McKinnon told us we were going up against Sorenson’s Sabres we all knew that things were going to get interesting—in the Chinese sense.
—from the Journals of Daniel Alison Waylen (3049)

SITUATION
Aurora Badlands
Benet III, Federated Commonwealth
7 June 3049

   Fox’s Teeth only recently arrived back at their station on Benet III from an exhausting tour along the Combine border when the system’s small nadir point station alerted the planet of an incoming DropShip bearing Kurita colors. The unit’s markings identify it as the Marrakesh Express, known to be in service with
Sorenson’s Sabres.
   On the morning of 7 June, the two companies collided on the Aurora Badlands. At stake were the personal bragging rights of both commands.

GAME SET-UP
   The Defender sets up two mapsheets in any legal configuration. The Attacker determines his home edge, with the Defender’s home edge on the opposite end of the battlefield.

Attacker
   The Attacker consists of Sorenson’s Sabres. If the Sabres are the player’s force, then up to twelve ’Mechs may be used under the current campaign setup the players have been using. Otherwise, use the 3049 TO&E listed for the Sabres (see p. 17). The Attacker enters from his home edge.

Defender
   The Defender consists of Fox’s Teeth. If the Raiders are the player’s force, then up to twelve ’Mechs may be used under the current campaign setup the players have been using. Otherwise, use the 3049 TO&E listed for the Raiders (see p. 17). The Defender enters from his home edge.

WARCHEST
   Track Cost: 600 WP, completion of either Touchpoint: Cassias or Touchpoint: Brundage
   Optional Bonuses (points are gained if at least one Objective is completed with the following optional rules, all bonuses cumulative):
   +150 Electromagnetic Storm: Add +1 to all to-hit rolls due to heavy sensor interference from the Badlands.

OBJECTIVES
   1. Hammer. Cripple / destroy at least half of the opposing force. (Reward: 600)
   2. No quarter. Cripple / destroy all of the opposing forces. (Reward: 800)

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

Forced Withdrawal
   Both forces are operating under the Forced Withdrawal rules (see p. 60).

Salvage
   The winner receives salvage from this track if the second Objective is attained.

Off-Map Movement
   Both forces may assign up to half their forces with Off-Map movement orders. This may only occur once during the track.

AFTERMATH
   Both companies hammered into each other, no quarter asked or given. Each side had something to prove—both to themselves, to each other, and to their respective nations. When the smoke cleared, both the Sabres and the Raiders would claim victory over the other, but deep down both Daniel Sorenson and Ian McKinnon knew that one wrong move, one misstep and the battle would’ve been different. One thing both forces would take away from this, however, was respect.
   As both the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine examined the intelligence, it became clear that neither side was planning on launching a major offensive any time soon. With the threat of war diminished, the frontier returned to armed watchfulness—at least for now. Theodore Kurita assigned his son Hohiro to a Periphery post, and Hanse Davion reciprocated by sending Victor to Trell I.
The Inner Sphere’s two most powerful warlords were indicating that they were willing to let the final battle for the Inner Sphere be fought by their successors.
   But then rumblings along the Periphery border bespoke of alien invaders and unstoppable BattleMechs capable of eradicating whole regiments. With each rumor came the kernel of truth—and that truth would change the face of the Inner Sphere forever.