The dry, waist-high grass of Harpster's Anglic Steppes raced by under a brass sky fading into twilight. Wind snapped and snickered around us, felt rather than heard above the keening of our fans. There was a mutter of arty off to the south, where Brion's Legion had run afoul of the Hussar's big guns. The Colonel had told us off for a hunting party. At least, that was what he called it. The 4th Cavalry had not participated much in the fun since our set-down on Harpster. As always, the big boys had stolen most of the show, a BattleMech grappling match which had shifted this way and that across Anglica, where the Ceti Hussars had established their foothold. Wittengate was a crossroads out on the steppes where the Dracs were supposed to have set up an ammo and supply dump. Intel was spotty--isn't it always?--but reports suggested that a lot of the Drac logistical support had been moving in and out of Wittengate, and the place was well-placed strategically, far enough behind the snake lines to be safe, far enough up to keep their 'Mechs supplied. Only the head dragons hadn't been counting on us. All of the boys were excited. The orders had come down that afternoon that we were going to circle the Drac forces facing us, disengage, then make a long-range sweep behind the enemy lines to Wittengate. If we moved like lightning, we might find the Kurita supply dump there when we reached it, long after dark. It was the sort of operation that veteran cavalrymen dream of. Too bad, it was also the sort of operation that leaves a lot of veteran cavalrymen dead... Boots and Saddles: A Cavalryman's Perspective of the 'Mech Wars Captain Kelly Caldwell, C Troop, 4th Cavalry, 2nd Ceti Hussars Situation: August 16, 3027, Wittengate, Harpster On August 16, 3027, elements of House Davion's 2nd Ceti Hussars 4th Cavalry company were detailed to make a smash-and-grab raid on a supply depot held by a security detachment of Brion's Legion on Harpster in the Draconis March. Five light cavalry vehicles and two heavy trucks carrying two rifle platoons attacked the depot at Wittengate just after sunset, with orders to capture as much materiel as they could and to destroy the rest. As the attack began, two Kurita 'Mechs met the cavalry, hoping to fend off the attacking Davion vehicles. While the defending 'Mechs battled the reinforced cavalry lance, the trucks, escorted by one of the 40-ton Whirlwinds, sneaked into the depot. The infantry platoons began loading supplies. Before the trucks were finished loading, the cavalry lance commander ordered the trucks to pull out and destroy the dump. The infantrymen planted incendiary charges and sped away. Reports revealed that one Kurita 'mech, a 45-ton Phoenix Hawk, had been destroyed, and the other, a 55-ton Wolverine, had been damaged. Of the attacking cavalry vehicles, a 50-ton Condor was badly damaged and two vehicles were destroyed-a 50-ton Harrier, and a 40-ton Whirlwind. The supplies gained in the raid bought the Davion forces on Harpster enough time for reinforcements to arrive and push the Kuritas back across the border. Game Set-Up Use the basic BattleTech mapboard, treating all water hexes as level 0-solid ground. Use one CityTech H1 building in hex 0504 to represent the supply depot. One M2 building is placed in each of the following hexes: 0506, 0401, 0708. Attacking Forces: Elements of the 4th light cavalry company of the 2nd Ceti Hussars. 1 50-ton Condor hovertank 1 30-ton Pegasus hovertank 2 40-ton Whirlwind hovertanks 1 50-ton Harrier hovertank 2 heavy trucks 2 rifle platoons (riding in the trucks) Defending Forces: Security detachment of Brion's Legion. 1 45-ton Phoenix Hawk 1 55-ton Wolverine 1 rifle platoon (foot) the supply depot The Defender sets up first; the Attacker moves first. The Attacker enters the board from the north edge-hexes 1117 through 1517. Objective: Capture supplies and/or destroy the supply depot. Special Rules: To load supplies, a truck must occupy the same hex as the supply depot with a friendly infantry platoon. The depot houses 100 factors of supplies. A truck may carry 28 factors, which may be loaded by the infantry at a rate of 1 factor per damage rating per turn. The squad's current damage rating is used. Example: an undamaged rifle platoon may load 7 factors per turn, while one which has suffered 9 casualties may only load 5 factors per turn. Each infantry platoon also carries incendiary satchel charges which will destroy 1 D6 x 6 factors worth of supplies per platoon. These charges must be planted in the depot hex by the platoon, to the exclusion of any other activity thatturn. The charges will explode during the weapons fire phase of the second turn following. Once the charges have been set, they may be removed by an infantry platoon occupying the same hex as the charges. The platoon must be of equal or greater strength than the platoon which planted the charges, and must make a rol: of 9+ on 2D6. If the supply depot takes any weapons fire, one-quarter (rounded up) of the damage taken by the building is passed on to the supplies inside. For example, if the depot is struck by a PPC, the supplies inside suffer 3 factors of damage. Weapons fire may set fire to the building normally according to the CityTech rules. If a truck is destroyed, any supplies it may have been carrying are also destroyed. Night rules are in effect. Apply a -1 DM to all attack and piloting rolls for 'Mechs and vehicles, and a -2 DM to attack rolls for all infantry platoons. (Note: this modifier does not affect the planting or disarming of the incendiary satchel charges.) Each Whirlwind can carry either 28 factors of supplies or 1 infantry platoon. They can be loaded with supplies in the same manner as trucks. Victory Conditions The following point schedule is used to determine the winner of this action: +2 for each supply factor destroyed in the depot +3 for each supply factor captured and taken off the north edge of the board +50 if the Phoenix Hawk is destroyed +60 if the Wolverine is destroyed +1 for each Kurita infantryman killed -1 for each supply factor left intact in the depot -2 for each supply factor destroyed while in a truck -1 per ton of each cavalry vehicle destroyed -10 for each truck destroyed -1 for each Davion infantryman killed Total Points : Result 250+ : Spectacular Davion Victory 175 to 249 : Decisive Davion Victory 50 to 174 : Marginal Davion Victory -49 to +49 : Draw-no clear victory -50 to -174 : Decisive Kurita Victory -175+ : Spectacular Kurita Victory The technical data for the new light cavalry vehicles used in this simulation are listed on page 49. 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