LUCKY FIND "Pretty, huh?" I said. "Beautiful," Inge agreed. They were just two heaps of inert metal, a Stalker and a Marauder with Kurita markings lying still and lifeless on the rocky ground, but to us they looked like pure germanium. Inge glanced up at the high ridge overlooking us. "They must've lost their footing up there." "Got caught in a dust storm, maybe?" It could happen anytime on this God-forsaken world. Between the quakes and the dust storms and the rockslides, it was hard enough just to keep your 'Mech standing upright on the ploughed-up terrain. But there were gullies and sheer drops everywhere. All you had to do was take one wrong step and the ground could cave in under your feet and send you and 50 tons of metal spinning end over end in a sickening, deadly cartwheel. Lieutenant Zak lumbered up in his Shadow Hawk. "Careful. The pilots may still be alive." But Inge had already picked her way over to the wrecks and was staring down at them. "Don't worry, they're not going to bother us." Over the intercom her voice sounded a little sick. "Good luck all around." The Lieutenant sounded pleased. They were going to be happy back at base. A pair of good salvage 'Mechs like these were a real find anytime, but right now they were a godsend. The Kuritists had landed a month before, taking us by surprise, and we'd been slugging it out with them ever since. Our biggest problem was keeping 'Mechs operational. Even without the fighting, the climate of Baxter IV is hard on anything mechanical. By now, half our 'Mechs were out of commission, and a lot of good pilots were spending their days drinking coffee and playing cards. These two heaps of metal were going to make a big difference. Just using them for parts, our techs could put another company of 'Mechs into the field. The Lieutenant ordered me to report back to base, while he and Inge began attaching the tow cables and nets. I got on the link, but all I could raise was Lieutenant Robb's patrol. I was just telling them about how we'd gone and solved the supply problem, when Inge's voice suddenly cut in. "Look out, Lieutenant, we've got company." I checked my screen and I suddenly felt cold all over. This wasn't going to be as easy as we'd thought. GAME SET-UP Lay out the two BattleTech maps in the configuration shown. The disabled Stalker occupies hex 1412 on the left-hand map, the disabled Marauder occupies hex 1513. The defender deploys first. Note: With so many 'Mechs out of commission, all functioning 'Mechs are manned by expert pilots. All Defender pilots in this scenario have Piloting skill 4, Gunnery skill 2. Defender Scout Lance Lieutenant Erwin Zak's Shadow Hawk Inge Schramme's Phoenix Hawk Dub Cooper's Spider The defending forces deploy in any hexes adjacent to the disabled 'Mechs. Attacker Fire Lance Lieutenant Kiyo Nakasone's Crusader Piloting 3, Gunnery 3 Thucidides Green's Wolverine Piloting 4, Gunnery 4 Alan Hanbury-Sparrow's Panther Piloting 4, Gunnery 5 Yvan Bilodeau's Javelin Piloting 5, Gunnery 5 The attacking forces enter from the west edge of the left-hand map. Defender's Relief Force Scout Lance Lieutenant Genghis Robb's Griffin Madeleine Javert's Phoenix Hawk Max Heine's Stinger See "Special Rules" for the deployment of Lt. Robb's forces. Victory Conditions The overriding goal for both sides is to carry off the salvage 'Mechs or, failing that, to deny the salvage to the enemy. All other considerations must be subordinated to this goal. The Steiner forces attempt to carry off the disabled 'Mechs and exit by the east edge of the right-hand map. The Kurita forces head for the westedge of the left-hand map. The possible outcomes are summarized in the following table: Win Lose Destroyed Result 2 0 0 Decisive Win 1 0 1 Win 1 1 0 Draw 0 2 0 Decisive Loss 0 1 1 Loss 0 0 2 Draw In other words, if a side carries off both 'Mechs, it scores a decisive win and the opponent suffers a decisive loss. If a side carries off one'Mech and the other is destroyed, it scores a win, etc. Special Rules 1. Carrying off the prize The normal method for hauling salvage is to pull it with a large net or cable hung from a 'Mech's back. This requires the pilot to climb out of his 'Mech and deploy the net by hand, a lengthy process which is quite hazardous during battle. It is assumed that the Steiner crews have nearly completed hooking up the cables when the Kurita 'Mechs are sighted. BattleMechs expend 2 MPs to pick up a net or cable in order to drag a prize. 'Mechs can drag up to their own weight and can join with other 'Mechs to cooperate in dragging off a prize equal to their combined weights. Players may drag prizes by placing the 'Mechs attempting the maneuver adjacent to the disabled 'Mech. 'Mechs need at least one hand free and without a disabled actuator in order to drag a prize. While dragging a prize, the 'Mech cannot use weapons mounted on the arm which it is using for that task. 'Mechs can drop their tow cables at any time. 'Mechs which are towing a disabled 'Mech are limited to a movement rate of one hex per turn. Movement is possible only through clear terrain. 2. Destroying the Prize If necessary, one side or the other may attempt to destroy the disabled 'Mechs in order to keep them from falling into enemy hands. Each disabled 'Mech has a hit capacity of 100 damage points and can be fired at as if it were an ordinary prone BattleMech. If it is not being dragged at the time it is being fired at, the -4 modifier for immobile targets would also apply. All hits against the disabled 'Mechs are recorded. When the total number of damage points reaches or exceeds 100, the damaged'Mech is considered to have been fragmented by weapons fire and is destroyed. 3. Rescue After 6 turns, Lieutenant Robb sends another transmission which is monitored by both sides. He announces how far away he is and how long it will take him to arrive. The player rolls 1 D6 + 3 to determine the number of turns before Lieutenant Robb's lance will appear on the east edge of the right-hand map. The players face several unpleasant alternatives: whether to try to haul the salvage away under fire, taking whatever damage comes their way; or instead to stand and fight, hoping to weaken the opponent enough to make hauling the salvage a more feasible option; or finally, to destroy the prize, and deny it to the enemy. Throughout this scenario, the players must carefully consider the time factor and the likelihood of rescue. Situation, 0942 hours, March 7, 3027 Baxter IV LOCATION: Groder Dune Sea region, Baxter IV In early March, 3027, forces of the Draconis Combine's 4th Regiment of Proserpina Hussars launched a surprise assault on the inhospitable world of Baxter IV which was lightly garrisoned by the 1011 Regiment of Skye Rangers. The Kurita forces evidently expected a quick victory, but the fierce resistance of the Steiner defenders combined with attrition due to the planet's hostile climate soon led to a stalemate. Both sides were plagued with materiel problems. 'Mechs continually broke down, and often more than 50% of the available armor was in the repair bay. Patrols were instructed to be on the lookout for salvageable parts, and some of the bloodiest battles of the campaign were smallscale contests fought over the debris of a previous encounter. The stand of Lieutenant Erwin Zak's lance against superior Combine forces shows the ruthless calculus of this kind of fighting. Outnumbered and outgunned by the attacking forces, unwilling to flee and leave the prize to the enemy, the Ranger lance could only hang on, trusting to luck and hoping for rescue from a relief force hurrying to their aid. In such situations, both attacker and defender must take care not to damage the prize 'Mechs in the fighting, yet if defeat looms, either side must be willing to destroy the prize rather than yield it to the enemy. The spectacle of a battered and beaten force, all hope of victory or even survival gone, no longer trading blows with the enemy but turning its remaining firepower on the precious artifact whose preservation was the whole reason for the fight-this surely is one of the grimmest sights of contemporary warfare. Back to BattleTechnology 3 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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