The climax of the struggle for Site Seven-Alpha hinged on that aspect of combat which can never be predicted, and rarely be controlled. If only that essence of human battle fury could be isolated, prescribed, administered as we would a drug! Though the Davion forces of the socalled Delta Company enjoyed early success, the telling weight of tonnage and numbers soon turned against them. Outnumbered, the Valkyries and Firestaiters were no match at all for the Goliaths which, though slow, could withstand far more damage than the light 'Mechs. The Delta Company commander appears to have panicked. At some point in the melee, he launched his Firestarter on its jumpjets and collided--probably by accident--with a Liao Goliath. By a strange twist of fate, the Goliath happened to be the command 'Mech of Major Fiona Cochraine. Both 'Mechs were destroyed, and Fiona Cochraine was killed. It is believed that Redburn survived, though he took no further part in the action. His unit, however, entered an almost berserker-like frenzy, launching a counterattack which caught Cochraine's Goliaths, momentarily stunned and disorganized by the loss of their leader, by surprise. In the resulting melee, the Goliaths were driven back into the sights of the Light Guards' 1st Battalion. Minutes later, the 2nd Battalion arrived on the scene, and the trap was closed. None of the Goliaths escaped the field. Excerpt from a fragment of partly burned message tape found on a civilian's body just outside of Jerome, St. Andre, by troopers of the 12h Vegan Rangers, August 25, 3028 Situation, 1024 hours, August 22, 3028 St. Andre LOCATION: Site Seven-Alpha, Ivaar Wastes, St. Andre As the battle unfolded near Site SevenAlpha, Delta Company enjoyed an early and unprecedented success. At least five Goliaths were destroyed or put out of the fight, and the others were momentarily confused by the disconcerting losses within their ranks. Unfortunately, at this point in the contest, 1 at Battalion was largely out of the fight, having been forced to withdraw shortly before Redburn's 'Mechs entered the action. As a result, some 27 light and medium 'Mechs found themselves facing an aroused herd of at least 30 heavy BattleMechs, most of them Goliaths. Speed and maneuverability were not enough in these conditions. The rocky plain was empty of cover, save for burning 'Mechs, and there were no options for evasion, maneuver, or tactics. Though Redburn's unit enjoyed a small advantage when fighting at close range, Cochraine's MechWarriors soon learned to cover one another, even if it meant directing fire at comrades. The Goliaths could stand up to friendly fire much longer than Firestarters or Valkyries. Andrew Redburn's decision at this point is still being debated. Was it an act of supreme heroism... or of desperation? Perhaps the answer must include a mixture of both. Redburn, having identified the BattleMech piloted by Fiona Cochraine, the Goliaths' commander, launched a Death From Above assault, sending a 35-ton Firestarter crashing onto an 80-ton Goliath. This scenario recreates that action. GAME SET-UP This scenario may be played on a blank hex sheet, or on standard BattleTech mapsheets laid out as shown to the right. All terrain is considered to be flat and open, representing the barren wastes of the Ivaar Plains. Players who wish to use Optional Rules Variants 0204-A and 0204-B do not need to use a map. The playing area should represent ground covering approximately 1000 meters by 500 meters. The starting positions of each 'Mech may be approximated by looking at the map. Defender The Defender represents elements of Fiona Cochraine's battalion at Site Seven-Alpha, on St. Andre. These forces include the following: 1. Major Fiona Cochraine: Elite Goliath Piloting 4, Gunnery 4 2. MechWarrior Raymond DeSanto: Veteran Goliath Piloting 5, Gunnery 4 3. MechWarrior Paul Caesario: Veteran Goliath Piloting 5, Gunnery 4 These 'Mechs are placed on the map first, positioned in the numbered hexes as shown. They are facing west. Attacker The Attacker represents 'Mechs of the battered Delta Company of the Davion Light Guards. Initially, these include: A. Captain Andrew Redburn: Elite Firestarter Piloting 3, Gunnery 3 B. Lieutenant Robert Craon: Elite Firestarter Piloting 4, Gunnery 4 These two begin the fight in the hexes marked A and B, respectively. As the battle unfolds, Davion reinforcements may arrive. These may include any of the ten 'Mechs in Archer and Cat Lances. Each of these lances comprises four 'Mechs in addition to the lance commander. Archer Lance Archarnbaud St. Agnan Veteran Valkyrie Piloting 4, Gunnery 5 Demon Lance Andrew Montbard Veteran Valkyrie Piloting 4, Gunnery 4 Details on the other MechWarriors in these two lances, and their 'Mechs, may be found in the previous scenario on pages 52 and 53. The arrival of the Attacker's 'Mechs are determined by rules covered in the Special Rules Section of this scenario. The players may, if they wish, overlap the scenario on page 52--Assault on St. Andre--with this scenario-Goliaths at St. Andre. In this case, damage suffered by'Mechs in the first scenario should be carried over to 'Mechs which are used in this scenario. 'Mechs which are destroyed in the first engagement may not be used here. Special Rules The Attacker always has the initiative in this engagement. The scenario begins with only the two Firestarters on the map, facing three Goliaths. One is Fiona Cochraine's command 'Mech, and it is assumed that Andrew Redburn has identified her vehicle from its markings. The odds will remain three to two until Cochraine's 'Mech is destroyed or crippled ("crippled" here means both immobile and with its PPC out of action) or Andrew Redburn is dead or unconscious. Once either of these conditions is fulfilled, the Davion reinforcements may arrive on the board. No more than three 'Mechs may arrive on the board during any one turn. They may arrive from the north, west, or south edges of the map (Attacker's choice) or in any combination of the three. Victory Conditions The Defender wins by exiting at least two 'Mechs, including Fiona Cochraine's command 'Mech, off the west edge of the board. The Attacker wins by triggering a berserker frenzy and destroying or crippling all three Gofiaths. Any other result is a draw. Tactical Notes The Defender is attempting to move his command 'Mech to a position from which Cochraine can coordinate her counterattack against Delta Company. If that 'Mech is destroyed and Cochraine is killed, the Defender's position may quickly deteriorate into chaos. The Defender must attempt to use the three Goliaths in tandem to keep stray Davion 'Mechs (such as the two Firestarters) at bay. The Attacker is growing desperate and must take desperate measures if he is to rally his shattered command. Only the destruction of the enemy command 'Mech will suffice... plus the psychological edge gained by a force which has lost a beloved and respected commanding officer. The Attacker has no choice. He must identify the command Goliath, close to point-blank range, and attempt to destroy it by close assault. Death From Above is one option, but if the Davion player misses, he will probably not get a second chance. Back to BattleTechnology 6 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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