Edge of the Inner Sphere (A BattleTech Quest)

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LucidProp said:
I'd say we have the forces to end this decisively, so I'm against hunkering down. Either we help relieve the siege, or directly attack the enemy LZ to disrupt supply lines, prevent enemy reinforcements, and perhaps even draw some of the besieging enemies away from the city.

No spliting up either. We go all in one of these to ensure maximum damage.
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Don't forgot about the settlement on the other side of the planet also getting attacked.
 
I think I might do a temporary hiatus until next Wednesday. I want to do this war good, but I'm going to have very little opportunity to write.

I might be able to get out an update over the weekend though.

On the next update I'll definitely be giving you guys a lot more options as well. I placed artillery pieces and ammo/maintenance depots on the map for a reason. One thing you could try doing is identifying where the enemy is keeping their own resources.
 
Honestly if ya want to be semi realistic the ranges need to be scaled up a fair bit. Bruce Quest for example has each tile of range be a third of a kilometer.

Also if there was any time to ask for lyran or fwl help against the pirates cosplaying as a nation now would be the time. Neither party likes them at all.

Also of our losses/cripples that Archer, the longbows, and hunchback on the mech front and the LVT-4s, condor, and especially the manticores on tank front are by far the most serious loss of combat power.
Still those hostile firestarters being out of play is huge for our infantry since they're arguably the single best platform for killing them since the foe doesn't seem to have artillery much like ourselves(something we need to fix in the medium term ideally in the form of ballistia and/or thumper SPGs)
 
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LucidProp said:
I'd say we have the forces to end this decisively, so I'm against hunkering down. Either we help relieve the siege, or directly attack the enemy LZ to disrupt supply lines, prevent enemy reinforcements, and perhaps even draw some of the besieging enemies away from the city.

No spliting up either. We go all in on one of these to ensure maximum damage.
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Not much point in striking the LZ since they will simple make a new one somewhere else and in the mean time make Circinus troops and commanders cornored with the consequence of becoming even more agressive since they will need to take a settlement to survive.

Send a relief a force to Gulf is a better call.
 
Soberan 123 said:
Not much point in striking the LZ since they will simple make a new one somewhere else and in the mean time make Circinus troops and commanders cornored with the consequence of becoming even more agressive since they will need to take a settlement to survive.

Send a relief a force to Gulf is a better call.
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Having to make another LZ on a hostile planet is still a major disruption to their operations however, especially since they'll be forced to put it farther away from the action to keep it safe, further extending the vulnerability of their supply lines and worsening the supply situation due to increased distance from the frontline. Might even cause the Circinians to pause their assault since the supply issues of a siege goes both ways.

The besiegers have to outlast the besieged, but the latter has the advantage on this since their supplies are intact and nearer while the former's aren't.

Far as I'm concerned, cornering the enemy into a headlong charged into prepared and fortified positions while they're undersupplied is a good thing for us. That, or it forces them to lift the siege which is good too in my books.
 
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I just realized we didn't send the entirety of the 1st National Guard, we only sent the 1st National Guard's Alpha Company. Thankfully, we also sent the entirety of the 1st Armored Regiment with them so while this isn't as overwhelming a force as I initially imagined, it's still a significant amount of armor.

That said, the fact there's a second city to defend from so far away changes things. I think we only need to send a token force there to help the place hold out since we have the defender's advantage there. The forces at Gulf are going to be savaged, but they should be able to hold. It's a worthy tradeoff for complicating the logistics of the Circinians and threatening their rear and supplies so they'll hopefully dedicate more troops to guarding the backline from raids rather than the front where the domed cities are.

[] Plan: Behind Enemy Lines
-[] Launch a Raid into the Circinian LZ
--[] Include Alpha Lance in the Raid
--[] Include Gamma Lance in the Raid
--[] Include Alpha Battalion in the Raid
--[] Include Beta Battalion in the Raid
-[] Send Relief Forces to Gulf
--[] Include Gamma Battalion in the Relief Forces

Let's concentrate the vast majority of our forces to raids. They're all battlemechs and armored vehicles with motorized infantry support, so their mobility will really help them out in this role. Gulf only gets a token force for now, just in case things go wrong there. I was tempted to also assign Beta Battalion to Gulf, but having a critical mass of mechs and armor is essential for the raids to be something the Circinians can't ignore.

Fullyautomagic said:
Don't forgot about the settlement on the other side of the planet also getting attacked.
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Do we have an assessment of how well Gulf will be able to hold out without our assistance? I assume the local military have some units stationed there.
 
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LucidProp said:
Do we have an assessment of how well Gulf will be able to hold out without our assistance? I assume the local military have some units stationed there.
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Of the settlements on Balthazar, Gulf is the least protected one. It has pretty bad terrain for defense, and all of the planet's mechs were deployed to secure Holley. The capitol, Sagrado, is heavily fortified, in very defensible terrain, and has massive amounts of anti-air systems to shoot incoming DropShips out of the sky.

That's why they went for Holley and Gulf first. Gulf because it would be a pretty big morale boost and propaganda opportunity, and Holley because they don't want raids being launched on their rear as they try to grind through to Sagrado.

Hmm, might as well give a breakdown of the enemy forces (that you're aware of):

Attacking Holley
- 1x Combat Vehicle Battalion
- 3x BattleMech Companies
- 2x Self-Propelled Artilley Companies

Defending the Holley LZ:
- 3x Combat Vehicle Companies
- ???

Attacking Gulf:
- 1x Regiment of Mechanized Infantry
- 3x Combat Vehicle Battalions
- 1x Self-Propelled Artillery Company

Defending the Gulf LZ:
- ???


Just so you guys know, you don't have to just attack or defend. You can also launch probing strikes to test their capabilities or send scouting parties behind enemy lines. A deep strike against their maintenance Company would also be another option.
 
Fullyautomagic said:
Of the settlements on Balthazar, Gulf is the least protected one. It has pretty bad terrain for defense, and all of the planet's mechs were deployed to secure Holley. The capitol, Sagrado, is heavily fortified, in very defensible terrain, and has massive amounts of anti-air systems to shoot incoming DropShips out of the sky.

That's why they went for Holley and Gulf first. Gulf because it would be a pretty big morale boost and propaganda opportunity, and Holley because they don't want raids being launched on their rear as they try to grind through to Sagrado.

Hmm, might as well give a breakdown of the enemy forces (that you're aware of):

Attacking Holley
- 1x Combat Vehicle Battalion
- 3x BattleMech Companies
- 2x Self-Propelled Artilley Companies

Defending the Holley LZ:
- 3x Combat Vehicle Companies
- ???

Attacking Gulf:
- 1x Regiment of Mechanized Infantry
- 3x Combat Vehicle Battalions
- 1x Self-Propelled Artillery Company

Defending the Gulf LZ:
- ???

Just so you guys know, you don't have to just attack or defend. You can also launch probing strikes to test their capabilities or send scouting parties behind enemy lines. A deep strike against their maintenance Company would also be another option.
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Well, that changes things. If Gulf is indefensible, I'm tempted to give it up and let the Circinians get their propaganda victory. Better than bleeding ourselves out on a bad defense.

However, I doubt our local allies believe the same considering their families live there.

Considering all that, I think bolstering Gulf is something we'll need to do with more than just a token force if we want the forces sent there to do more than just be a speed bump.

Holley I think, will do fine without us actively meddling there, thanks to the local battlemech companies already present.

It pains me to do this, but Beta Battalion has to go help Gamma Battalion in Gulf while Alpha and Gamma Lance along with Alpha Battalion fulfills the role of hopefully drawing enemy forces away from Gulf and Holley, especially the former. The plan won't work if the enemy just take Gulf after all.

[X] Plan: Behind Enemy Lines
-[X] Launch a Raid into the Circinian LZ
--[X] Include Alpha Lance in the Raid
--[X] Include Gamma Lance in the Raid
--[X] Include Alpha Battalion in the Raid
-[X] Send Relief Forces to Gulf
--[X] Include Beta Battalion in the Relief Forces
--[X] Include Gamma Battalion in the Relief Forces
 
Vote closed
  • Voting
    • Scheduled vote count started by Fullyautomagic on Jul 20, 2023 at 1:32 AM, finished with 14 posts and 4 votes.
    • [X] Plan: Behind Enemy Lines
      -[X] Launch a Raid into the Circinian LZ
      --[X] Include Alpha Lance in the Raid
      --[X] Include Gamma Lance in the Raid
      --[X] Include Alpha Battalion in the Raid
      -[X] Send Relief Forces to Gulf
      --[X] Include Beta Battalion in the Relief Forces
      --[X] Include Gamma Battalion in the Relief Forces
    Click to expand...
     
  • Voting
    • The Battle of Balthazar, Week Two
  • Threadmarks
    • Edge of the Inner Sphere
    A BattleTech Quest

    Operation: Plunging Dagger​

    [X] Plan: Behind Enemy Lines
    -[X] Launch a Raid into the Circinian LZ
    --[X] Include Alpha Lance in the Raid
    --[X] Include Gamma Lance in the Raid
    --[X] Include Alpha Battalion in the Raid
    -[X] Send Relief Forces to Gulf
    --[X] Include Beta Battalion in the Relief Forces
    --[X] Include Gamma Battalion in the Relief Forces

    Though they lack experience in conducting stealth operations, a bit of consultation with the locals allows for the 1st National Guard's leadership to draft a reasonable enough stratagem. Under the cover of night, and with a withering barrage of artillery from their Balthazarian allies, Operation Plunging Dagger begins.

    Infiltration Roll:
    - Enemy Patrol Roll: 6 (3, 1, +2)
    vs.
    - Allied Stealth Roll: 7 (4, 6, +1, -4 (Battalion-Sized Force)), Success!

    Though the size of their force would make any kind of stealth operation a daunting task, they just barely manage to sneak by the last of the Circian rear guard. Sadly, the stealth operation's success wouldn't mean much without an equally skilled application of force to go alongside it.

    They spend nearly a day in the dense hydrocarbonic forests of Balthazar scouting out the Circinian's LZ, watching as truckloads of ammunition and spare parts speed off to fuel the assault on Holley. In addition to the trucks and dropships, three battalion's worth of combat vehicles were patrolling the area at all times.

    She would've preferred to spend a bit longer strategizing. However, she knew that if she spent too much time planning, they'd be discovered by the Circinians. Instead, she ordered her forces to-

    Opposing Command Roll:
    - Sue Gecaj, Command Roll: 11 (5, 5, +1)
    vs.
    - ???, Command Roll: 8 (3, 3, +2)
    Allied Forces receive 15% BV advantage!

    OOB Selection, up to Three Waves, all Units must be Assigned:
    [ ] Write-In, Wave One Forces
    [ ] Write-In, Wave Two Forces
    -[ ] Include Non-Crippled Units from Previous Waves
    [ ] Write-In, Wave Three Forces
    -[ ] Include Non-Crippled Units from Previous Waves

    Angle of Attack:
    [ ] From the Jungle (+Cover, -Incendiary Terrain)
    [ ] On the Road (+Logistical Cutoff, -Alert Enemies)
    [ ] Charge through the Open Field (+Surprise Round, -No Cover)

    Primary Objective:
    [ ] Destroy Logistical Vehicles and Resource Dumps
    [ ] Attempt to Capture as many DropShips as Possible
    [ ] Chase Off and Strike at the Circinian Rear on the Holley Front

    1st National Guard, Alpha Company - Alpha Lance
    - 1x MAD-3R
    - 1x WTH-1
    - 1x GHR-5H
    - 1x QKD-4G

    1st National Guard, Alpha Company - Gamma Lance
    - 1x ASN-21
    - 1x FS9-H
    - 1x FS9-H
    - 1x WVR-6R

    1st Armored Regiment, Alpha Battalion
    - 12x Vedette Medium Tank
    - 8x Pike Support Vehicle
    - 4x Scorpion Light Tank
    - 4x Partisan Heavy Tank
    - 4x AC/2 Carrier
    - 4x Thumper Artillery Vehicle

    Armored Battalion 1
    - 6x Pegasus Hover Tank
    - 6x LTV-4 Hover Tank
    - 3x Rhino Fire Support Tank
    - 3x Manticore Heavy Tank
    - 3x Von Luckner Heavy Tank
    - 3x Demolisher Heavy Tank
    - 12x Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

    Armored Battalion 2
    - 24x Vedette Medium Tank
    - 6x Pike Support Vehicle
    - 6x Manticore Heavy Tank

    Armored Battalion 3
    - 6x Saladin Assault Hover Tank
    - 6x Maxim Heavy Hover Transport
    - 9x Vedette Medium Tank
    - 3x Scorpion Light Tank
    - 3x Hunter Light Support Tank
    - 9x Galleon Light Tank GAL-100

    Foot Company 1
    - 3x Foot Platoon (Rifle)

    Foot Company 2
    - 3x Foot Platoon (Rifle)

    Foot Company 3
    - 3x Foot Platoon (Rifle)
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Leaning towards the destruction of resource dumps and Logi Vehicles. We were able to sneak a battalion-sized element into the Circinian backline, let's make sure they remember this lesson and force them to dedicate more troops to the back instead of the frontline.

    Would it be possible to dump all our forces in a single wave or do we need to do it in 3 waves?
     
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    LucidProp said:
    Leaning towards the destruction of resource dumps and Logi Vehicles. We were able to sneak a battalion-sized element into the Circinian backline, let's make sure they remember this lesson and force them dedicate more troops to the back instead of the frontline.

    Would it be possible to dump all our forces in a single wave or do we need to do it in 3 waves?
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    You can do it all at once.
     
    LucidProp said:
    Is there any particular advantage to approaching this in waves mechanically? Just want to be sure my laziness isn't dooming our raiders.
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    Well, one possible strategy is frontloading your fodder units to have your more elite ones come around at the end to mop things up. You also hedge your bets a bit by not tossing everything in at once, so even if there is a loss your surviving units can still escape rather than all of them being trapped in a doomed charge.

    EDIT: I should probably also clarify, only the base BV is calculated when deciding opposing forces. However, this doesn't really apply much here since you don't have any Veterans or Elites quite yet.
     
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    [X] Plan: Charge of the Mech Brigade
    -[X] Wave One Forces:
    --[X] Alpha Lance, Gamma Lance, Alpha Battalion
    -[X] Charge through the Open Field (+Surprise Round, -No Cover)
    -[X] Destroy Logistical Vehicles and Resource Dumps

    Someone's gotta do a BV calculation to weigh the balance of forces properly, but my gut says we go full throttle while we still have the advantage of surprise.

    No cover? No worry. Enemy elements will be too scattered or dead to retaliate properly by the time the first round is finished. We push as much firepower as we can in the first round (Single Wave attack) when the enemy is too surprised to fight back or take cover (Open Field), and then we mop-up the remains since the BV balance should tip into our favor so the no cover penalty doesn't hurt as much.

    That's the theory at least. Here's hoping it works out in practice.

    While I'm tempted to capture as many DropShips as we can, disrupting enemy logistics to a hopefully extreme degree will have major effects in the Circinian's ability to maintain a siege since they'll be attritioned faster than the defenders will be. What's better than the smoking wreck of a enemy battlemech? A enemy battletech without ammo or fuel.
     
    I dunno. There's 72 enemy combat vehicles and 9 foot platoons. That's a lot of guns? We have 8 mechs and 36 vehicles. The action economy is not necessarily in our favor.

    "Surprise round" is sweet music, tho.
     
    Rockeye said:
    I dunno. There's 72 enemy combat vehicles and 9 foot platoons. That's a lot of guns? We have 8 mechs and 36 vehicles. The action economy is not necessarily in our favor.

    "Surprise round" is sweet music, tho.
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    Fortunately, due to the Opposing Command Roll results, you'll have at least a 15% BV advantage in the actual scenario, though they'll still have units leftover from the ones who didn't get to participate.
     
    Rockeye said:
    I dunno. There's 72 enemy combat vehicles and 9 foot platoons. That's a lot of guns? We have 8 mechs and 36 vehicles. The action economy is not necessarily in our favor.

    "Surprise round" is sweet music, tho.
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    When you put it like that, it does put a dampner on my hopes of total enemy destruction, but thankfully, this is a raid so we don't need to stand and fight once the enemy starts shooting back and things get too hot.

    Hopefully, we deliver enough of a initial shock to the enemy that even if they theoretically have the forces to crush our raiders here, their depots blowing up and everything catching fire causes enough chaos and confusion that they can't effectively organize until we're already on our way out.
     
    [X] Plan: Charge of the Mech Brigade
    It looks like the Circinians are better trained (bigger modifiers), we just got really lucky, especially with the sudden bout of 'Tactical Genius'.
     
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