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BATTLETECH

Heat Haze - By Commander Toby R.

This was a straight forward assault and defense game with one side reacting to an unexpected strike from the opposing forces.

Background.
The local authorities on Sigala IV have a small problem with arms dealers. Arms dealers who not only run guns but are actually manufacturing them on the planet. Time to call in some hard hitting mercenaries to sort the problem out and maybe even capture the weapons plant intact.

However to add to the complications the power plants for the factory were liable to explode if damaged. This was an abtstracted roll made whenever anyone rolled a double 1 or double 6 for their to hit rolls to represent stray fire from any number of locations.




The Weapons Plant
The road to the factory (top left) ran past a Mech bay which contained some nasty suprises!

The Forces

The defenders (Commanders Kelvin & Rich) had an Atlas, Scorpian, Mad Cat(C), a Patton tank and five infantry units armed with MGs and Field Guns.

The mercs (Commanders Matt & Hal) had a Black Hawk, Longbow, Hunchback, 2 VTOLs, 2 Pack rats, 4 Laser armed infantry units and 4 LRM jump infantry units.


Scenery

The scenery was our desert scenery as described in our Legion section (Click here!) and the buildings were a mix of scratch built pieces from packaging and King & Kerr's (6mm) desert range .

The factory was a pencil case packing tray turned upside down, based and painted.



The defenders Atlas joins the Longbow on the deck (see below right) having lost its left torso. The attacking Hunchback was soon to lose its left arm, partly from fire from the Scorpian which is just visible despite its camo pattern against the rocks behind right of the Hunchback -


The attackers wasted no time in trying to secure the plant, sending two infantry filled Pack Rats straight down the road supported by the Black Hawk. Meanwhile the 2 VTOLs delivered the Jump infantry onto the factory roof.

At this point a fierce firefight between the Jump and regular infantry and defending troops dug-in in the hills around the complex started and was to continue throughout most the game.
With most the infantry slugging it out around the weapons factory many of the mechs were left to sort themselves out in the area to the right of the Mech bay.

This part of the battle involving the Atlas, Scorpian, Hunchbak and Longbow was fast & furious. During this firefight the nearest powerplant was breached and subsequently exploded. Apart from this the installations were mostly undamaged (which is more than we can say for the mechs involved!)


By the end of the evening it was apparent that despite some major losses the attackers had control of the situation and would soon secure the area.

A Mercenary Black Hawk takes fire from MG and Field Gun armed infantry dug in in the surrounding buildings. Meanwhile a Patton Heavy tank moves out from the Mech bay (right) to engage the Pack Rats.

The Mercs Longbow loses a leg over to fire from a defending Mad Cat (centre) and an Atlas (on mech bay top left) and falls over while a Hunchback attempts (too late) to assist it.

Having dropped off their cargo the VTOLs engage infantry in some of the nearby buildings.