Part 526: Rise of the Phoenix - Turn 4

Rise of the Phoenix: Tactical Update 4

Daryl Su Wong’s Thunderbolt took another three steps before it fell. Its broad battle fists opened and closed like claws as though it meant to grab the jade-green enemy Warhammer and drag it along to hell. There was nothing left of the mangled ruin that had once been the BattleMech’s cockpit. It didn’t even smoke, the electric-blue bolt of charged particles from the golden Warhammer’s PPC had devoured everything. There was nothing left to burn.

In Staff Sergeant Rory Almeier’s experience a blow like that was enough to leave a `Mech cursed, even after the machine had been fully repaired. When the meat died suddenly, without enough time realize the grim reaper had come calling, it always left an indelible mark on the metal. It was as though some small part of the pilot lingered in a BattleMech’s neural uplinks. When it was eventually recovered, he expected the technicians would take months to fix the ‘glitch’ that would cause the Thunderbolt’s hands to open and close with no input from the pilot. Daryl’s last impulse to grab and hold the enemy would be reduced to a ‘persistent coding error’ or a ‘faulty fuse’ and when the Thunderbolt claimed another pilot it would, of course, be pilot error.

Rory didn’t think himself a superstitious man, but at some level all MechWarriors were. He’d seen it happen before and expected he’d see it happen again. And again. And again. Pilots left a mark on their machines, and it was always the little things that left a machine feeling off in a way a pilot couldn’t explain and the technicians could never quite fix.



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“Advance, and focus your fire on that Marauder,” Jeana Clay ordered, her bulky BattleMaster quick enough to put ‘the Red Corsair’ in the fore. Caesar fell in behind without a word, his King Cobra dwarfing the smaller Assault `Mech.

“Aff,” saKhan Dusk Moffat grumbled. The decision to focus fire rankled, but she was here to learn how the warriors of Skye did battle, and she’d given her word to follow Jeana’s orders in the field. The enemy Marauder’s silhouette was vastly different than she’d expected. It was an interesting modification, with an altered armor layout and a slender profile. The lack of shoulder-mounted autocannon had thrown her at first, but her DI computer still called it a 98% match with the Star League Marauders she was familiar with.

Something about the enemy design made her nervous in a way she couldn’t quite explain. The Marauder, the Warhammer, the Mercury, and Stefan Amaris’s Dragoon had been some of the machines that had inspired the development OmniMech after all. No matter how the Capellans had modified this one it would undoubtedly be a machine worthy of her respect. She fired dutifully, but longed to engage the machine in single combat. She was curious how long it would hold up to her heavy lasers. Not long, likely, but long enough to—

Her train of thought was interrupted as an azure mass launched itself at Jeana’s BattleMaster. A Shadow Hawk, Dusk realized in surprise. The profile was unmistakable even if the armor configuration had been drastically altered. It struck the BattleMaster in the chest at high speed, its legs flexing as it delivered a creditable dropkick that knocked the crimson machine sprawling into one of the runoff streams feeding the small alkali lake they’d deployed next to. Amazingly, as the Shadow Hawk tumbled head over heels, the enemy pilot managed to bring it down on its wedge-shaped feet. As a warrior of Clan Steel Viper, Dusk had long-since overcome her disdain of close combat, but even she couldn’t help but feel a hint of admiration for that enemy pilot.

Death from Above was difficult enough to pull off, but that had been a work of art.








Movement Phase
Shadow Hawk Qing Long
- Initiates Death from Above Attack on BattleMaster!



Shooting Phase
Grand Titan (Player)
- Fires Large X-Pulse Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 10, hit Right Leg (11/20 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 9, hit Left Torso (15/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 11, hit Left Arm (15/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires SRM-6 w/Artemis IV at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 7, 6 missiles hit Right Leg (9/20 armor remaining), Left Arm (13/21 armor remaining), Right Leg (7/20 armor remaining), Right Arm (19/21 armor remaining), Left Leg (18/20 armor remaining), Left Leg (16/20 armor remaining)!
- Gains 28 heat, sinks 34!

Rampage (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 2007!
- Fires LB-10X Autocannon (Slug) at Marauder Guan Yu (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 8, hit Right Arm (14/24 armor remaining)!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Marauder Guan Yu (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires Medium Laser at Marauder Guan Yu (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 6, hit Right Leg (27/32 armor remaining)!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Marauder Guan Yu (3 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 4): rolled 6, hit Left Torso (15/24 armor remaining)!
- Gains 18 heat, sinks 20!

Guillotine (Player)
- Fires ER Large Laser at Warhammer Golden Boy (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 smoke - 1 targeting computer = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Warhammer Golden Boy (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 2 smoke - 1 targeting computer = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains 26 heat, sinks 28!

Thunderbolt (Player)
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Warhammer Golden Boy (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 9, hit Center Torso (11/26 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Jade Girl (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 6, hit Left Arm (15/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Jade Girl (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 9, hit Left Torso (15/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Jade Girl (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 9, hit Right Torso (15/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Jade Girl (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 secondary target - 2 pulse laser = 6): rolled 8, hit Left Leg (14/20 armor remaining)!
- Gains 4 heat, sinks 20!

Gallowglas (Player)
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 12, hit Right Arm (13/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 5): rolled 6, hit Left Arm (7/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Small Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 7, hit Left Torso (12/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Large Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER PPC Laser at Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 7): rolled 7, hit Center Torso (16/26 armor remaining)!
- Gains 34 heat, sinks 36!

BattleMaster (Player)
- Fires ER PPC at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 7, hit Left Arm (9/24 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER PPC at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 pulse laser = 4): rolled 10, hit Right Leg (22/32 armor remaining)!
- Gains 42 heat, sinks 42!

Archer (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1132!
- Attempts to fire LRM-20s w/Artemis IV at Shadow Hawk Bai Hu but the target is not in the front firing arc!
- Gains 2 heat, sinks 20!

Wolverine II (Player)
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement = 9): rolled 12, hit Left Torso (9/24 armor remaining)!
- Fires SRM-6 w/Artemis IV at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 4 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement = 11): rolled 4, miss!
- Gains 9 heat, sinks 20!

King Cobra (Player)
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Marauder Lu Bu (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 6): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Marauder Lu Bu (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 1 targeting computer = 8): rolled 9, hit Left Leg (25/32 armor remaining)!
- Fires Streak SRM-6 at Marauder Lu Bu (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 9): rolled 12, 6 missiles hit Left Torso (7/24 armor remaining), Left Leg (23/24 armor remaining), Center Torso (33/35 armor remaining), Center Torso (31/35 armor remaining), Right Torso (22/24 armor remaining), Right Torso (20/24 armor remaining)!
- Fires Streak SRM-6 at Marauder Lu Bu (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 9): rolled 5, fails to lock-on!
- Gains 12 heat, sinks 26!

Timber Wolf H (Player)
- Fires Heavy Large Laser at Marauder Lu Bu (2 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires ER Mall Laser at Marauder Lu Bu! Target Out of Range!
- Fires LRM-20 w/Artemis IV at Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires LRM-20 w/Artemis IV at Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 9, 16 missiles hit Left Arm (4/24 armor remaining), Right Arm (19/24 armor remaining), Center Torso (26/35 armor remaining), Left Torso (6/24 armor remaining)!
- Gains 34 heat, sinks 36!

Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (White)
- Fires Heavy PPC at Archer (3 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 phantom = 10): rolled 6, miss!

Warhammer Gong Gong (Black and Orange)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 2109!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Grand Titan (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 2 minimum range = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Grand Titan (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 9, hit Left Leg (30/38 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Grand Titan (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 11, hit Left Arm (21/29 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Gallowglas (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement +2 secondary target in rear arc = 8): rolled 8, hit Right Torso (18/23 armor remaining)!

Warhammer Jiangshi (Black and Blue)
- Holds fire!

Marauder Lu Bu (Black and Red)
- Fires Snub-Nose PPC w/ Charged Capacitor at BattleMaster (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 10, hit Right Arm (13/28 armor remaining)!
- Fires Snub-Nose PPC w/ Charged Capacitor at BattleMaster (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 3, miss!

Warhammer Golden Boy (Gold ACE!)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1510!
- Fires eER PPC at Thunderbolt (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 6, hit Head (0/9 armor, 0/3 structure remaining)! Mech destroyed!
- Fires eER PPC at Thunderbolt (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 12, hit Center Torso (20/32 armor remaining)!

Warhammer Jade Girl (Jade)
- Fires eER PPC at Thunderbolt (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires eER PPC at Thunderbolt (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 10, hit Left Leg (16/28 armor remaining)!

Shadow Hawk Qing Long (Blue ACE!)
- Death From Above continues!

Marauder Guan Yu (Green ACE!)
- Fires Large VSPL at Rampage (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 1 pulse laser = 5): rolled 11, hit Left Leg (21/32 armor remaining)!
- Fires Large VSPL at Rampage (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement - 1 pulse laser = 5): rolled 3, miss!
- Fires Snub-Nose PPC at Rampage (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 6): rolled 6, hit Right Torso (16/26 armor remaining)!

Marauder Zhang Fei (Silver and Red ACE!)
- Fires LRM-15 at Guillotine (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 smoke = 7): rolled 7, 9 missiles hit Center Torso (24/29 armor remaining), Right Torso (17/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires LRM-15 at Guillotine (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 smoke = 7): rolled 8, 5 missiles hit Left Arm (7/20 armor remaining (TAC!))!

Pillager Liu Bei (Red and Gold)
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Guillotine (2 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 3 smoke = 8): rolled 7, miss!



End Phase
Warhammer Gong Gong
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 4, succeeds!

Marauder Guan Yu
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 10, succeeds!

Warhammer Jade Girl
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 8, succeeds!

Marauder Guan Yu
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 9, succeeds!

Rampage (Player)
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 1 massive damage = 4): rolled 4, succeeds!



Physical Combat Phase:
Grand Titan (Player)
- Kicks Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 kick = 5): rolled 7, hit Right Leg (0/20 armor, 2/15 structure remaining)! Crit!

Rampage (Player)
- Kicks Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 kick = 5): rolled 5, hit Right Leg (0/20 armor, 0/15 structure remaining)! Leg destroyed!

Gallowglas (Player)
- Kicks Warhammer Gong Gong (3 base + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement - 2 kick = 5): rolled 3, miss!

Shadow Hawk Qing Long
- Launches a Death From Above attack against BattleMaster (3 base + 0 difference in piloting + 3 movement + 1 target movement = 7): rolled 9, succeeds!
- - BattleMaster suffers 17 damage in the attack to Right Arm (8/28 armor remaining), Left Torso (23/28 armor remaining), Left Torso (18/28 armor remaining), Head (4/9 armor remaining)!
- - Shadow Hawk Qing Long suffers 11 damage in the attack to Left Leg (21/26 armor remaining), Left Leg (16/26 armor remaining), Right Leg (25/26 armor remaining)!



End Phase:
BattleMaster
- Displaced into hex 1229 by Death From Above attack!
- - Automatic fall in hex 1229!
- - - Suffers 8 damage (halved) in the fall to Left Torso (14/28 armor remaining)

Shadow Hawk Qing Long
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (3 base + 4 attacker in DFA = 7): rolled 8, succeeds!



Turn End Phase:
VNC3 Network: Tian
- Rearranges members!

VNC3 Network: Diyu
- Rearranges members!

Shadow Hawk Qing Long
- Unable to rejoin network due to enemy ECM!
- Loses ACE status!








Player Status:




Opposing Force Status:




Special Rules:
Glare – Any unit standing above level 0 suffers a -2 penalty due to intense sunlight reflecting off the local rocks. All units attacking a unit standing above level 0 suffer a -1 penalty due to intense sunlight reflecting off the target unit. These penalties stack.



Mission Objective:
- Break Through (0/1)



Orders Due: Midnight Tuesday!



Witness Pooncha
We'll be seeing him again next mission!