Somewhere In Clan Jade Falcon Space...

Tonight P and I went to visit our friend C and his wife L, and C and I took advantage of being in the same place as each other for the first time in a while played a game of Battletech: Alpha Strike. A 500 point game saw a company of his Davion Guards go up against a binary of my Jade Falcon Falcon Guards. We actually played a scenario from the Alpha Strike Commander's Edition rulebook - Hold The Line. I ended up as defender, and had to stop his mechs from exiting my board edge. It turned out to be quite a challenging mission for me, and his two Hunchback -4SPs were absolute monsters. 

Deployment: C about to move his Assault Lance up towards the Jade Falcon defensive line.

End of Turn 1: The Davions have lost a Nightstar and a Phoenix Hawk, while the Falcons have lost a Turkina (with the Skill 2 Star Colonel in it!) thanks to the Assault Lance and the Kingfisher thanks to the Hunchbacks

End Turn 2: the survivors of the Command Star have spread out but the Dire Wolf fell victim to the Hunchbacks while the Kit Fox fell to the Falcon Ebon Jaguar. Damage was scattered around the Thunderbolt, a Thunderhawk, and one of the Phoenix Hawks

End Turn 3: The Command Star has been utterly destroyed, while the Fire Star has lost its Mist Lynx. The Adder has begun to demonstrate its charmed life, with all the shots going towards it missing. In return the Falcons have downed a Thunderhawk, the Thunderbolt, and a second Phoenix Hawk

End Turn 4: The writing is on the wall for the Falcon Guards - they have been reduced to just the Ebon Jaguar and the now armourless Adder! But perhaps one more turn is in order before they concede

End Turn 5, End Game: The losses have been brutal on both sides. The last gasp of the Falcons sees them destroy the Ceasar for the loss of the Ebon Jaguar. The Adder, in what can only be the result of sheer good fortune, remains standing! Only five of the Davion machines remain, but the ratio of 7 IS mechs to 9 Clan is not a good one - dezgra!

 Strictly speaking the result was a draw - C got 500 VP for the surviving machines, and I got 500 VP for reducing his force below half strength - but that's just a technicality. I got my behind well and truly handed to me, and I have a newfound healthy respect for the Hunchback. Especially when they have Speed Demon and are moving at 10" a turn! Overall I think that the scenario didn't favour me - I had an advantage at range, but couldn't make use of it: we were in short range by turn 1 and never fired a long range shot all game. However I have to hand it to C, he played well and exploited success. Next time, spheroids!