Part 502: Behind Enemy Lines - Turn 20

Behind Enemy Lines: Tactical Update 20

Hellhound’s Cerberus shook as he unleashed another salvo, his Gauss Rifles missing high as he fought to avoid shooting Ballista’s battered War Dog by mistake. His pulse lasers scored, marring the crimson machine’s paint. Its emerald ally shot him in the back, and one of the Cerb’s rear cameras burst in the heat. It took the DI computer a moment to switch to a back-up, her dispassionate voice announcing the armor breach. His status board stayed amber. It could’ve been worse but another few hits like that and he’d be done. He ran, braced himself, involuntarily wincing as he waited for the next fusillade.

It never came.

“They’re backing off,” Ballista broadcast, incredulity creeping into his voice. “They had us. Why?”

“Was this just a live fire test?” Hellhound mused as he watched the pair retreat towards the growing inferno that the city of Safi was quickly becoming. “All this, just to see if their machines can fight?”








Movement Phase
Nightstar (Player)
- Escapes Successfully!

Grand Titan
- Escapes Successfully!

Rotunda Armored Car
- Escapes successfully!



Shooting Phase
War Dog (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 2006!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolls 5, miss! (welp )
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolls 4, miss! (seriously?)
- Gains 16 heat, sinks 20!

Maelstrom (Player)
- No Line of Sight to target!
- Gains 2 heat, sinks 34!

Cerberus (Player)
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night = 9): rolled 8, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 11): rolled 11, hit Left Arm (12/18 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 11): rolled 12, hit Center Torso (16/28 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 11): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 partial cover + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 11): rolled 5, miss!
- Gains 20 heat, sinks 30!

Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (White ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 0 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red ACE!)
- Fires Plasma Rifle at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 dusk = 9): rolled 11, hit Rear Center Torso (0/10 armor remaining)! War Dog gains 1 heat!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 7): rolled 7, hit Right Leg (16/28 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 7): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires ER Small Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 dusk = 9): rolled 10, hit Rear Right Torso (6/9 armor remaining)!
- Gains 17 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Xuan Wu (Black ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 7 heat, sinks 30!

Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green ACE!)
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Grand Titan (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 8, hit Rear Center Torso (0/15 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Grand Titan (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 7, hit Rear Center Torso (24/30 structure remaining)! Crit!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Grand Titan (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 night - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 9, hit Left Leg (0/27 armor, 16/20 structure remaining)! TAC!
- Gains 17 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (Blue ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 0 heat, sinks 30!

Shadow Hawk Huang Long (Blue ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 0 heat, sinks 26!

Union-class Dropship 天龍
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!
- Fires LRM-20 at Building!



End Phase
Cerberus
- Critical chance in Center Torso! No critical hits sustained!
- Through-armor critical chance in Left Leg! No critical hits sustained!




[n/a]



Player Status:




Allied Status




Opposing Force Status:




Mission Objective:
- Protect Carlos Marik (success!)

Secondary Objectives:
- Damage but don’t destroy the Civillian `Mechbay in hex 0517 (1/1)
- Destroy the Capellan Checkpoint in hex 1418 (1/1)
- - Make it look like an accident (1/1)
- Avoid Antagonizing ComStar (succeeded!)
- Rescue the ComGuard, if possible (failed!)
- - Recover Acolyte Kreszentia from hex 0512 (1/1)!
- - - Escape with Acolyte Kreszentia (1/1)

Vengeance Counter: 7



Special Rules:
Night – Night has fallen, applying a +2 penalty to-hit.

Escort Mission – This mission has a mobile objective that must be defended.



After-Action Report:
Carlos escaped, so the battle’s over. I never had a way to stop the Grand Titan from just walking off the field but BattleTech might’ve happened. Even in the last turn abusing ACE advantage I couldn’t put down either the War Dog or the Cerberus. I got completely demolished by the players this time around, even if the dice were fighting them the whole way.

So, I hope you all like surprises because this is a Pseudo-campaign! I say Pseudo because we’ll still get a combat theater vote. I wonder who the next group of players will get to play?

First things first, though. MVPs and MVEs!