Part 382: Ultimatum - Turn 8

Ultimatum: Tactical Update 8

Star Captain Ren Sukhanov stared incredulously at his HUD, momentarily dumbfounded by what he’d just witnessed. His mouth opened to voice a warning but he couldn’t bring himself to utter a word. A fluke was all it was, surely: two of his Streak SRMs had missed—one from each launcher. Ren had never seen the like. His salvo had been on target, and yet a missile from each flight had not only missed; but overcorrected immediately and swung itself around the enemy Bobcat like an orbiting comet moments before being flung away to explode harmlessly in mid-air. He’d heard of Streak SRMs failing before, but so rarely most Clanners considered such a thing an impossibility. His machine was well-maintained, his launchers read fine, and the missiles themselves had passed all inspections—and yet two had missed. One from each launcher.

His radio crackled, a sonorous voice filled the airwaves and Ren’s computer identified the broadcaster as one of the freeborn warriors from Gamma Galaxy, “I’ve never seen ECM this good! It even misdirected my Streak missiles in-flight!”

“Aff,” Ren confirmed. “This appears to be true.”

His blood ran cold as he ran through a thousand possibilities. If the enemy’s electronic warfare capabilities were so much better than the Clan standard, what else could they hide? BattleMechs, clearly, but what about explosives? DropShips? Or even, Kerensky-forbid, even fleets of WarShips? Would the Inner Sphere, bereft of such technology for nearly a century, even know the telltale signs that one of their star systems had been entered covertly?

A younger him would never have questioned such a thing but after twenty seconds of combat he knew one thing: the Clans had seriously underestimated this “new” Rim Worlds Republic.



Combat Phase
ACE Vapor Eagle
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 2 pulse laser - 1 targeting computer = 3): rolled 10, hit Rear Right Torso (0/5 armor, 10/15 structure remains)! Crit!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 2 pulse laser - 1 targeting computer = 3): rolled 10, hit Rear Left Torso (0/5 armor, 14/15 structure remains)! Crit!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 2 pulse laser - 1 targeting computer = 3): rolled 6, hit Left Leg (7/13 armor remains)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 2 pulse laser - 1 targeting computer = 3): rolled 2, miss!
- Fires Machine Gun at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 1 targeting computer = 5): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires Machine Gun at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 1 targeting computer = 5): rolled 9, hit Right Arm (11/13 armor remains)!
- Fires Machine Gun at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 1 targeting computer = 5): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires Machine Gun at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System - 1 targeting computer = 5): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires Streak SRM-2 at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System = 6): rolled 6, 1 missile hit Left Leg (5/13 armor remains)!
- Fires Streak SRM-2 at Excalibur (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System = 6): rolled 11, 1 missile hit Rear Center Torso (3/5 armor remains)!
- Gains 27 heat, sinks 22! Overheating!

Warhawk B
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 6, hit Left Torso (11/18 armor remains)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 10, hit Left Leg (11/18 armor remains)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 6, hit Left Torso (4/18 armor remains)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 6, hit Left Leg (4/18 armor remains)!
- Fires Streak SRM-6 at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement = 7): rolled 9, 5 missiles hit Left Leg (2/18 armor remains), Left Arm (11/13 armor remains), Right Torso (16/18 armor remains), Right Arm (11/13 armor remains), Center Torso (20/22 armor remains)!
- Fires Streak SRM-6 at Bobcat (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement = 7): rolled 6, 5 missiles hit Center Torso (18/22 armor remains), Center Torso (16/22 armor remains), Left Arm (9/13 armor remains), Left Arm (7/13 armor remains), Center Torso (14/22 armor remains)!
- Fires ER Small Laser at Bobcat (3 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 8): rolled 11, hit Right Torso (11/18 armor remains)!
- Gains 42 heat, sinks 40!

Wolf Spider B
- Fires ER PPC at Bobcat (3 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement = 9): rolled 8, miss!
- Fires ER PPC at Bobcat (3 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement = 9): rolled 10, hit Right Arm (0/13 armor, 3/7 structure remains)! Crit!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Bobcat (3 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 3 enemy movement = 9): rolled 9, hit Center Torso (0/22 armor, 13/14 structure remains)! Crit!
- Gains 32 heat, sinks 32!

Arctic Cheetah
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 8, hit Left Arm (7/14 armor remains)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires LRM-5 at Crab (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 7, 4 missiles hit Left Arm (3/14 armor remains)!
- Fires LRM-5 at Crab (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 7, 3 missiles hit Right Arm (11/14 armor remains)!
- Fires Flamer at Crab (3 base + 3 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 10): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires TAG at Crab (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 0 enemy movement + 3 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 7, hit!
- Gains 20 heat, sinks 20!

Huntsman A
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Longbow (2 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 Void Signature System + 1 Light Woods + 1 partial cover - 2 Pulse Laser = 9): rolled 9, hit Left Leg (damage blocked by terrain)!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Longbow (2 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 Void Signature System + 1 Light Woods + 1 partial cover - 2 Pulse Laser = 9): rolled 9, hit Left Arm (0/9 armor, 11/14 structure remains)! Crit!
- Fires LB 2-X Autocannon at Longbow (2 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 Void Signature System + 1 Light Woods + 1 partial cover = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires LRM-10 at Longbow (2 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 0 enemy movement + 2 Void Signature System + 1 Light Woods + 1 partial cover = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains 30 heat, sinks 24! Overheating!

Thug
- Fires Heavy PPC w/ PPC Capacitor (charged) at Warhawk B (2 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 1 Heavy PPC = 8): rolled 10, hit Right Leg (15/35 armor remains)!
- Fires Heavy PPC w/ PPC Capacitor (charged) at Warhawk B (2 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 1 Heavy PPC = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains 41 heat, sinks 34! Overheating!

Longbow
- Fires LRM-20 w/Artemis IV (Artemis) at Huntsman A (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 10): rolled 11, 12 missiles hit Left Arm (11/16 armor remains), Left Leg (19/24 armor remains), Right Arm (14/16 armor remains)!
- Fires LRM-20 w/Artemis IV (Artemis) at Huntsman A (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 10): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Large Laser at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 10, miss!
- Fires TAG at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 11, miss!
- Gains 20 heat, sinks 26!

Longbow
- Holds fire!
- Gains 11 heat, sinks 26!

Black Knight
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 11, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 10, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Huntsman A (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 2 light woods = 12): rolled 11, miss!
- Gains 32 heat, sinks 36!

Excalibur
- Holds fire!
- Gains 12 heat, sinks 22!

Coyote
- Fires ER Large Laser at Vapor Eagle (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System = 5): rolled 11, hit (near miss)!
- Gains 22 heat, sinks 28!

Crab
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1825!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Arctic Cheetah (2 base + 0 range + 0 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 1 light woods = 5): rolled 10, hit Right Arm (0/7 armor, 4/5 structure remains)! Crit!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Arctic Cheetah (2 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System + 1 light woods - 2 Pulse Laser = 5): rolled 10, hit Left Leg (2/8 armor remains)!
- Gains 34 heat, sinks 36!

Hunchback
- No Line of Sight to target!
- Gains 12 heat, sinks 22!

Bobcat
- Fires Snub-Nose PPC w/ PPC Capacitor (charged) at Warhawk B (2 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 11, hit Right Leg (0/35 armor remains)!
- Fires Light PPC at Warhawk B (2 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 Void Signature System = 7): rolled 10, hit Right Arm (23/28 armor remains)!
- Gains 36 heat, sinks 24! Overheating! ACE!

Stinger
- Holds fire
- Gains 7 heat, sinks 20!

Arrow IV Salvo
- Must roll a 4+ to strike the northern map: rolled 10, succeeds!
- Must roll a 4+ to hit target Crab: rolled 8, hits Left Arm (0/14 armor, 0/8 structure remains)! Arm blown off!
- - Damage transfers to Left Torso (3/12 structure remains)! Crit!
- Must roll a 4+ to strike the northern map: rolled 9, succeeds!
- Must roll a 4+ to hit target Crab: rolled 8, hits Center Torso (0/18 armor, 14/16 structure remains)! Crit!


End Phase:
Crab
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 9, succeeds!
- Critical chance in Left Torso! No critical hits sustained!
- Critical chance in Center Torso! No critical hits sustained!

Excalibur
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 7, succeeds!
- Critical chance in Right Torso! No critical hits sustained!
- Critical chance in Left Torso! 1 critical hit sustained!
- - LRM-20 hit!

Bobcat
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 8, succeeds!
- Critical chance in Right Arm! No critical hits sustained!
- Critical chance in Center Torso! 1 critical hit sustained!
- - Angel ECM hit!

Longbow
- Critical chance in Left Arm! No critical hits sustained!

Arctic Cheetah
- Critical chance in Right Arm! No critical hits sustained!

Warhawk B
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (4 base + 1 massive damage = 5): rolled 9, succeeds!



Physical Combat Phase:
Vapor Eagle
- Kicks Excalibur (4 base + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 Clanner - 2 kick = 6): rolled 3, miss!



End Phase:
Vapor Eagle
- Must roll a piloting test or fall (4 base + 0 missed kick = 4): rolled 11, succeeds!









Special Rules
Overheat Ace: The Rim World Blackguard gain Ace status when they overheat by 10 points or more!

Blind: Enemy units are only visible in direct Line of Sight

Hidden Units: Some enemy units remain hidden until they attack. Additionally, units equipped with Void Signature Systems may expend a turn’s movement to hide themselves if they are not in direct line of sight.

Expect Surprises: When the players lose their Phase 1 units, they will gain control of a powerful Phase 2 unit. When the players lose their Phase 2 unit, they will still have a chance to influence the outcome of the battle with a weaker Phase 3 unit. Some of these units start on the map, others will enter from elsewhere.



Player Status:


Glorious Deaths




Phase 1 Objectives:
- Die Gloriously!

Phase 2 / Phase 3 Objectives:
- Defeat as many enemy `Mechs as possible (3/39 defeated)
- Defend Clan HQ Vehicles (3/3 remaining)
- Defend Clan Personnel (59/84 tents remaining)
- Defend Clan Equipment (24/36 units remaining)



Enemy Status:
Stinger –Structure damage
Hunchback – Armor damage
Longbow – Structure damage! Pilot injured!
Crab – Armor penetrated

Enemy Movement Mods:
- Longbow +1
- Longbow +1
- Thug +1
- Black Knight +1
- Excalibur +0
- Coyote +0
- Hunchback +0
- Crab +0
- Bobcat +ACE
- Stinger +4


Orders Due: Tuesday Night!