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BattleTech - first game
wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:09 pm 
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Hi

I had my first proper game of BattleTech last night. Last week I had watched a game played at ID Gaming shop to understand some of the basics.  That had featured a Davion lance against Kurita (I dont remember all of the mechs but included Centurion, Enforcer, Jagermech, and Dragon, Trebuchet and Panther). That had been slow game with most shots missing and little damage to mechs armour, let alone internal structure. That had left me a bit concerned as to the pace of CBT.

So for last night's game I travelled over to Grimsby Wargames Club to play against Chris from Starship Combat News forum.  We played lance on lance with 2 players per side both choosing 2 mechs with no more than 100 tonnes combined. All mechs 3025 era with no clans. Standard pilots & gunners.

I had Griffon & Assassin, my immediate opponent had Jagermech and Panther. I think other mechs included Clint, Commando, Whitworth and a Lyran design that I had not seen before.

Game was quite cagey. My Griffon and Jagermech exchanged long range fire, my Griffon benefitting from some cover from a low building. The Assassin and Panther played hide & seek jumping around large building. We lost initiative virtually every turn so I had to use the Assasins jump jets & manueverability in a futile attempt to stay out of Panther's threat zone.

As the game wore on my Assasin lost first it's left arm and then left torso, with Panther having suffered damage but spread across torso. However the Panther had suffered build up of heat and was one point away from a shutdown roll when we finished. Meanwhile the Griffon had managed to get an LRM shot on the Jagermech's head, the 10 points punching through it's head armour and damging both Jagermech's sensor meaning that it was unable to fire for rest of battle.

We finished with the Jagermechs retreating attempting to get away from Griffon whilst the Assasin was clinging on joping that the Panther would shutdown.

A good fun game against sporting opponents and a great intro game. It definitely helped taking the lighter mechs. My opponents said they normally took Assault and Heavy mechs- just having Light & Medium mechs made it far more tactical. The game saw several instances of hit & run style attacks and feints. Also the attempts to keep alive damaged mechs so that could live for another day. Even though it was a one-off pick up game it felt as if easily could be a part of wider campaign with our forces representing two heavy recon  lances sizing each other up.

We did not use all of the full rules. We did nt use piloting checks oitherwise the Jagermech's pilot could have been in trouble from my Griffon's head shot. However it was ideal to get basic grasp of the core rules.

Next time we will try slightly heavier mechs. Depending on player numbers we will probably take a heavy mech each. I need to get my Warhammer assembly finished (just the weapons to glue on).

Am waiting for the arrival of Intro Box Set and TRO 3039 with as much patience as can muster (i.e. not very!!) :D

Looking forward to this weekends game of Kurita vs Ghost bears at ID Gaming.

Cheers

James

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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:22 pm 
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Had another game of BattleTech at the weekend. We had a large multi-player game at ID Gaming in St Helens. We had approx 42,000 points per side with Kuritans mounting an amphibious invasion of Clan Ghost Bear.

It looked amazing with invasion fleet using Old Crow 1/300 scale landing craft. As a long term Davion player I always leap at the chance of shooting at some snakes. I was given command of a Ghost Bear 2nd line star with 5 older Mechs (No-Dachi, Rifleman, Hatchetman, Grand Dragon, Glass Spider). I was on the Ghost Bear left flank defending the oil refinery objective. Our centre comprised the newer Clan Omnimechs with attached battlearmour (literally attached in that the battlearmour cling on to the Omnimechs until they are ready to deploy). The right flank comprised the Ghost Bear artillery and some hovertanks with Undine battlearmour.

Facing us was a sea of Kuritan landing craft ranging from small boats carrying single light tanks right up to heavy tanks carried in ships the size of oil tankers. Overhead flew Donar attack VTOL's and Kanga troop transports. But no mechs yet visible. Were they going to emerage out of the water or drop out of the sky. Come the second turn I had my answer as a full company of 12 1st line Kuritan Battlemechs air dropped in front of my 5 old Clan mechs.

The next 4 turns saw furiouys firefight, as I lost No-Dachi, Rifleman & Hatchetman as I attempted to slow down the Kuritan mech assault and protect the refinery. In return 5 Kuritan mechs had hit the dirt with another couple on their last legs. When the game drew to a close the Kuritan swarm of landing craft had won the beach but had been repulsed from the oil refinery. If we had carried on the Kuritans would have had the advantage of overwhelming numbers and would have eventually triumphed. So the Kuritans were acclaimed as victors although I had the moral victory of having defended the refinery objective.

It was an amazing game. We got to see aquatic Ghost Bear Undine Battle Armour launch underwater torpedo attacks on the landing craft, the sound of Ride of the Valkyries as the Kuritan Donars and Kangas swooped in, the landing craft and hoverboats from Old Crow looked awesome.

I got to experience first hand the letahlity of C3 matix as all of the Kuritan company could utilise the range modifiers of the closest mech when firing. It meant that the 12 mechs could shoot with high degree of accuracy. My star took a pounding but last couple of mechs
hung in there just long enough.

Not much close combat but otherwise got to see virtually all of BattleTech rules in action. I have long loved the games background but it plays pretty well too.

Hopefully another game in Grimsby tonight.

Cheers

James

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pixelgeek
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:34 pm 
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Wow

Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun

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Sergeant_Crunch
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:46 pm 
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Out of curiosity, how long did that second game take?

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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:14 pm 
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Hi

We started at about 11.00 and finished around 4.30. It took a while because multiple players. With 4 players per side you would be waiting for specific formation to move or fire and find the player had nipped off to the shop/outside for a smoke!!

Also we were using a lot of non standard stujff such as all of the naval vessels and landing craft. The Ghost Bears had a battlecruiser and couple of river monitors. The Kuritans had a destroyer, a couple of large tanking landing craft, and probably a dozen varied landing craft. It is the first time I have seen the Old Crow figures. They were very cool.

If you have nt seen them before take a look at:
http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/6watercraft.htm

Appartently they were specifically designed to fit BattleTech tanks.

Cheers

James

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fairoaks024
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:53 pm 
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the old crow stuff is all excellent, i have many of Jez's buildings for epic, they are lovely.
regards

jim
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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:34 pm 
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Hi Jim

I will have to look out for them at a future gaming show.

Had 3rd game last weekend. Started off doing a mech vs mech using Quickstart rules & first training scenario. I say started because my opponent Ross had played BattleTech bef9ore, so after about a turn we were able to graduate to the Introductory Rules and then the full Total Warfare Rules.

Ross took a Hunchback, seduced by the promnise of 1-shot kill from AC/20. I took the Enotcer, a real classic Davion design. An AC/4, large laser and medium laser plus jump jets. Ross did nt like it when I used my jumpjets to get a few rear-arc shots when I won initiative.

Ross was nt too impressed with the AC/20. Not wanting to malign the Kurita weapons technicians or their targeting computers, but it only hit twice out of 10 shots. My weapons might have done less damage per shot but hit more often as I was able to use my range advantage to get a better to-hit roll on the slower Huncback.

Ross came within one point of shooting off my right leg. The last half dozen shooting turns were quite nerve racking as Ross was hoping to land one shot on mr fragile right leg. I managed to whittle down his armour taking out both arms and right & left torso. It was threatening to be like Monty Python's black knight sketch. In the end I sneaked it and shot out the snake's centre torso.

Everyone really liked the new Intro Box Set. You get a load of stuff including maps and painting guides as well as hex maps and dice and 24 plastic figures. Also the Quickstart rules and Intro rules were nice & clearly laid out.

The one downside of 1vs1 duels is it increased the importance that main weapon hit. Next time we will be doing full lance on lance hopefully with 2 players per side so each player can control 2 mechs.

Cheers

James

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fairoaks024
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:38 pm 
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how much was the new starter selling for james?

regards

jim
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pixelgeek
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:52 pm 
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Quote: (wargame_insomniac @ 04 Jul. 2008, 13:34 )

Ross was nt too impressed with the AC/20. Not wanting to malign the Kurita weapons technicians or their targeting computers, but it only hit twice out of 10 shots.

Can I play a game against him? Last time I faced a Hunchback it did two head hits against Assault Mechs :-)

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pixelgeek
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:53 pm 
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Quote: (fairoaks024 @ 05 Jul. 2008, 10:38 )

how much was the new starter selling for james?

regards

jim

MSRP is $39.99 US

I did a review of it for TGN that has painted and unpainted photos of the Mechs

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2008/01/02/11742

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fairoaks024
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:58 pm 
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thanks very much Pixelgeek. looks good, will have to pick it up when i see it.

regards

jim
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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:29 pm 
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Hi Jim

In UK retails at UK£25- you might be able to pick it up off ebay for UK£18-£20.

They paint up quite nicely:
http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums....en.html

Reckon they would suit your painting style.

Cheers

James

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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:33 pm 
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Quote: (pixelgeek @ 05 Jul. 2008, 18:53 )

I did a review of it for TGN that has painted and unpainted photos of the Mechs

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2008/01/02/11742

Hi Pixelgeek. I had nt realised that was your review. I found it very clear and comprehensive. I read your review thoroughly a couple of times before finally deciding to buy it.

Thanks very much

James

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fairoaks024
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:59 pm 
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Quote: (wargame_insomniac @ 07 Jul. 2008, 21:29 )

They paint up quite nicely:
http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums....en.html

Reckon they would suit your painting style.

Cheers

James

cheers James,

I think they would suit my style, i'm thinking of a grey and dark green camo scheme for them.


regards

jim
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wargame_insomniac
 Post subject: BattleTech - first game
PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:19 pm 
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Jim

Assuming that you are still persisting in your misguided loyalty to the dragons, then my Fed-rats will have to come down to London and kick yoour butt (well at least try).

If you ever decide to a weekend all-day game of BattleTech (or of Full Thrust) I will gladly come down from Yorkshire. Plus been a while since have seen you all.

Cheers

James

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