Human Edge

Situation: The Union deployed to the southern end of the canyon which hides Jacob's Redoubt, disgorging its cargo of mechs under the cover of its guns. As the enemy spread out in the darkness, Yuri spotted an opportunity - the enemy formation would be split up as they protected their flanks, giving an opportunity to ambush a lance and then withdrew before the enemy regrouped - the frozen forests around the entrance to the canyon, before the path narrowed, would provide a rare opportunity to strike from hiding. The trick would be avoiding encirclement, or getting lost in the darkness.

Participants: Up to One Combat Lance + Trainee reinforcements.

Rules: This is a combat thread. There is a very real risk of dispossession, injury, or death. The battle takes place under cover of darkness and relying upon sensors for visuals, as well as under heavy snowfall. This inflicts a -1 accuracy penalty to all shots, along with steadily less stable ground - if the battle drags on too long, the ground will grow treacherous, slowing down mechs substantially and increasing the risk of falling. On turns 4 and 8, enemy reinforcements will arrive from the south-west, and then west as the hostiles close their formation toward you.

Objectives: The goal is to inflict greater damage to the enemy than what is suffered, and to then safely withdraw from the northern map edge.

Under cover of darkness and heat largely hidden by the howling snowstorm, the plunging temperatures lent a small advantage to the mechs heat sinks as they went, shrouding them in blankets of frigid wind. Punching out here would be a risky business... but odds were, combat would warm them all up soon.

The enemy entered visual range at last, the sensor feed from the satellites helping set up the ambush which now began - catching one lance of hostiles out of position and granting a brief window of opportunity for the allied units to strike before hostile reinforcements arrived.

-------- Situation -----

Battlemaster-- No damage -- 0 Heat
Wolverine -- No damage -- 0 heat
Archer -- No Damage -- 0 Heat
Sentinel -- No Damage -- 0 Heat
Marauder -- No Damage -- 0 Heat
Crab -- No Damage -- 0 Heat

Hostile Status -

Orion -- +0
Crusader -- +1
Panther -- +1
Toro -- +1

"Lance Leader, I am going to say hello to the Orion." Andrea smirked and lined up her PPC. She fired it and the two medium lasers. For know her Battlemaster remained in the woods.

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Stand and deliver.

1 PPC and 2 MLs at the Orion in front. Should be good range for the PPC and medium for the MLs.

“I’m going to give our Davion princess some missile support,” Gillian said into the microphone. With a few light taps of the controls, she edged the Archer forward to engage the enemy Orion.

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Starting 0406 facing S. Left, forward (walking). End in 0507 facing SE. Fire both LRMs at Orion in 0812. Fire large lasers at Orion if I need a 9 to hit (or easier), don't fire if it needs a 10 or more. Overall goal is to stay in cover, don't run, and attack the Orion.

"Sentinel, Engaging."
- - -
[Sentinel movement: turn to face S, move up to 1208, turn to face SE > fire medium and gauss laser at Orion at 0812.]
[Ghosting instructions, if required - provide fire support as required, trying to keep some cover and fire safely.]

"Gonna hold this flank for now. Y'all kick the crap outta that Orion, but don't get too close to its friends."

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Jump to 0312 facing SE
Fire everything at Crusader, only single shot the Ultra

The ambush lit up the night in a blaze of color and fire. The opening salvo already littering the snow with fragments of armor and molten metal. The Panther lanced Ryougi's Marauder with it's PPC, searing the chest (hit CT, 10 damage), and the Crusader zeroed in on the Archer on the hill, trying to clear away some of the fire support with a swarm of 30 LRM, raising a thunderous din as they detonated across the Archer (hit CT+LA+RA, 5+5+2 damage), missing 8 SRMs aimed at the Marauder right after.

The Toro dealt a glancing blow to the Marauder(glancing hit CT, 5 damage), and then a volley of SRMs targeting the Sentinel ploughed into the hillside, blocked from striking the legs of the spindly mech. The Orion fired it's own LRMs and autocannon at the Sentinel, and Marik twitched back just in time, a potential headshot from the autocannon instead scraping across the torso (hit LT, 10 damage, Edge spent).

Then the ambusher's guns roared, the Ryougi's Marauder missing one PPC and laser, but compensating with the other arm pylon and back-mounted autocannon, stitching beams and high-explosive shells across the light mech (HIT RA+RT, 5+5 damage). Gillian sighted in her LRMs, steadying her mech and then unleashing staggered waves of missiles from both shoulders, a massive stream of flame and smoke roaring through the night sky to fall across the glowing form of the Orion on sensors in a percussive storm of impacts (Hit HD+CT+RT, 5+4+9 damage, Pilot injured) The Wolverine missed low and the Sentinel sent both the beam of its laser and the silver blur of the gauss slug flying high, the air cracking with a wicked supersonic crack, the speed of the projectile leaving a trail of flame in the air as it ignited for a half a moment.

Then the Battlemaster let rip into the Orion, rocking the mech with a PPC and laser, two lasers missing low. (Hit LT+RT, 10+5 damage) The Orion stumbled as it lost tons of armor, but didn't fall. (Passed piloting roll)

The enemy contracted their formation, attempting to cover for one another as they realized they were outnumbered.

-------- Situation --------

Battlemaster-- No damage -- 0 Heat
Wolverine -- No damage -- 0 heat
Archer -- minor Damage -- 0 Heat
Sentinel -- minor Damage -- 0 Heat
Marauder -- minor Damage -- 0 Heat
Crab -- No Damage -- 0 Heat

Hostile Status -

Orion -- +0
Crusader -- +0
Panther -- +2
Toro -- +0

Even his own crummy shooting couldn't bring down Bruun's excitement as Gillian and Andrea laid into the Orion with such accuracy.

"Chow and Andrea, keep that up! Chick, Abs, don't let them dog pile on you. Remember, this game is shoot and scoot."

Bruun fires his jump jets again, coming into a nice spot threatening the rear of the Orion and the flank of the Crusader. Somebody's gotta come get me, the veteran thinks. Who's gonna take the bait?

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Jumping to 0414 facing NE
Fire all at Crusader, including double shot Ultra AC

Gillian adjusted the firing solution slightly for the Orion's movement, then launched another salvo of missiles to keep pressure on the point of the enemy formation.

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No movement. Fire all LRMs at Orion or Crusader, whichever is easier to hit.
Fire large lasers if I can hit on an 8 (or easier), hold laser fire if I need 9+ (or harder).

Andrea decided to use some of that aggressiveness. Pushing the Battlemaster forward, she dashed straight to the Orion. Delivering the full volley of SRMs, MLs, and MGs into it, followed by a hard kick.

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Move straight ahead to 0810, turn to face 0911, move into 0911.

Fire SRM and all forward MLs into the Orion, Kick the Orion! Fire the machine guns too!