Part 467: Sludge Factory - Turn 11

Sludge Factory: Tactical Update 11

There were moments in the middle of every battle when the horrors of war seemed to catch up with both sides. Historians called them lulls, moments where nothing of any real import happened. Men and women pouring over reports decades or centuries after the fact always seemed to assume both sides were taking a moment to catch their breath before the next ferocious engagement. Kashira Kolar knew differently. He’d seen enough of them in his thirty-year career to know the truth: it was luck. Pure and simple luck.

Sometimes, no matter how well your gunner aimed or how well your driver maneuvered the enemy would be just out of reach. Shells and lasers would pass their targets harmlessly, missile guidance systems would fail or jam or target a buried power cable by mistake. When it happened to one side, it was often enough for the other to claim victory. When it happened to both, there was still no time to breathe. If anything, a pause in the fight was murder on morale. When everyone had a chance to realize how tired they were, or that the sour stink in the air was their own fear, they started to question why they’d ever agreed to be shot at for a living.

“This still beats working in a factory,” Kolar broadcast, answering the unasked question in the mind of every enlisted vehicle crewman in range. “Make your next shots count!”








Indirect-Fire Artillery Targeting Phase
- Mobile Long Tom fires!



Movement Phase
Panther
- High speed turn on concrete in hex 3304 (5 base - 1 distance traveled = 4): rolled 6, succeeds!



Indirect-Fire Artillery Phase
- In the previous turn Mobile Long Tom fired Long Tom Artillery at hex 3525 (4 base + 7 indirect fire = 11): rolled 2, Margin of Failure 9!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3524!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3623!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3622!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3621!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3721!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3720!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3819!
- - Shell scatters into hex 3919!
- - Shell lands in hex 4018!

Epona
- High-speed turn in hex 2403 (4 base + 2 distance traveled = 6): rolled 9, succeeds!



Combat Phase
ACE Sylph Point
- Fires Micro Pulse Laser at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 6, hit Rear (7/16 armor remaining)!
- Fires Micro Pulse Laser at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 7, hit Rear (4/16 armor remaining)!
- Fires Micro Pulse Laser at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 8, hit Rear (1/16 armor remaining)!
- Fires Micro Pulse Laser at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 7, hit Right Side (1/16 armor remaining)! CfMSD!

ACE Epona
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Tokugawa 2 (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 10, hit Left Side (25/33 armor remaining)! CfMSD
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Tokugawa 2 (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 2, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Tokugawa 2 (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 10, hit Front (34/40 armor remaining)!!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Tokugawa 2 (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 8, hit Front (28/40 armor remaining)!
- Fires Streak SRM-4 at Drillson (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 7): rolled 8, 4 missiles hit Front (26/40 armor remaining), Front (24/40 armor remaining (CfMSD!)), Front (22/40 armor remaining), Front (20/40 armor remaining)!

Manticore
- Turret twists to threaten right arc!
- Fires LRM-10 at Epona (4 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 4 enemy movement = 10): rolled 8, miss!

Manticore (LBX)
- Turret twists to threaten left arc!
- Fires LB 10-X Autocannon (Slug) at Horned Owl (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement = 9): rolled 8, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Horned Owl (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Streak SRM-6 at Horned Owl (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement = 11): rolled 7, fails to lock-on!

Challenger X
- Fires LB 10-X Autocannon (Slug) at Sylph Point (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Sylph Point (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires LRM at Sylph Point (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 minimum range = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Streak SRM-2 at Sylph Point (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 9): rolled 6, miss!

Wasp
- No Line of Sight to primary target!
- No Line of Sight to secondary target!
- Still no Line of Sight to tertiary target!
- Gains 1 heat, sinks 10!

Hunter 1
- Fires ER Large Laser at Anhur (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement = 6): rolled 4, hit miss!
- Fires Artemis LRM-15 at Zorya 1 (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 light woods + 1 secondary target = 10): rolled 7, miss!

Tokugawa 2
- Fires LB 10-X Autocannon (Cluster) at Epona (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 4 enemy movement - 1 cluster = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Artemis SRM-6 at Epona (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 4 enemy movement = 9): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Epona (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 4 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 7): rolled 9, hit Turret (2/17 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Epona (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 4 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 7): rolled 6, miss!

Partisan 2
- No Line of Sight to primary target!
- No Line of Sight to secondary target!
- Fires Autocannon/5 at Donar (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 4 enemy movement = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires Autocannon/5 at Donar (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 4 enemy movement = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires Autocannon/5 at Donar (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 4 enemy movement = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires Autocannon/5 at Donar (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 4 enemy movement = 14): automatic miss!

Regulator
- Turret rotates to threaten Rear Arc!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Sylph Point (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 minimum range = 8): rolled 4, miss!

Drillson
- Primary target too close!
- No line of Sight to secondary target!
- Tertiary target still too close!

PNT 10K2 Panther
- No Line of Sight to primary target!

Mobile Long Tom
- Holds fire!

Zorya 1
- Fires LB 5-X Autocannon (Cluster) at Manticore (LBX) (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 light woods - 1 cluster = 11): rolled 10, miss!

Mars Assault Vehicle
- Fires ER Large Laser at Manticore (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement - 4 immobile target = 6): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Manticore (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement - 4 immobile target = 6): rolled 5, miss!

Anhur
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Hunter 1 (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 stabilizer hit = 6): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires AP Gauss Rifle at Hunter 1 (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 stabilizer hit = 6): rolled 5, miss!

Athena Combat Vehicle
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 11): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 11): rolled 9, miss!
- Fires LRM-10 at Regulator (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 11): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Manticore (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 4 immobile target = 5): rolled 5, hit Turret (29/42 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Manticore (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 4 immobile target = 5): rolled 9, hit Turret (22/42 armor remaining)!

Donar
- Fires ER Large Laser at M.A.S.H. unit (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement = 10): rolled 4, miss!

Horned Owl
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Wasp (4 base + 4 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 light woods - 2 Pulse Laser = 12): Rolled 5, miss!



End Phase
Regulator
- Chance for Motive System Damage!
- - No damage sustained!

Drillson
- Chance for Motive System Damage!
- - Minor damage +1 driving penalty!
- Chance for Motive System Damage!
- - No damage sustained!



Physical Combat Phase:
Wasp
- Kicks Athena (5 base + 1 movement + 2 target movement - 2 kick = 5): rolled 3, miss!



End Phase:
Wasp
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (5 base + 0 missed kick + 1 actuator damage = 6): rolled 8, succeeds!



Next Turn’s Movement Phase
Mars Assault Vehicle
- Designates Sylph Point as Ace!
- High-speed turn in hex 3223!
- - Must pass a skidding test (5 base - 1 distance traveled = 4): rolled 6, succeeds!

Donar
- High-speed turn in hex 3223!
- - Must pass a sideslip test (5 base + 1 distance traveled = 6): rolled 9, succeeds!








Player Status:



Opposing Force Status:




Mission Objective:
Capture the Coolant Factory (0/1)

Secondary Objectives:
Protect the Mobile Army Support Hospital from detection (0/1)
Defend the Mobile Army Support Hospital (0/1)
Locate the Clan Ammunition Dump (0/1)
Destroy the Clan Ammunition Dump (0/1)

Special Rules:
Caustic, Tainted Atmosphere (TacOps p56)
Vehicles suffer an automatic Crew Stunned if armor is breached, Mechwarriors take double damage from cockpit hits.
Point Commanders
As long as they are active combatants, the Mars Assault Vehicle and Epona Pursuit Tank may designate one unit each as an Ace for two turns. New Ace units may not be designated until Ace status expires. Units which opt to remain immobile for at least two turns gain Ace status on the first turn they move. BattleMechs and VTOLs may not be Aces.



Orders Due: Midnight Tuesday!