Heyhey, it’s January, so it’s the time of year for hopeful campaign plans. Battetech (Alpha Strike) has been all the rage lately, Catalyst blessed us with Aces recently, so no better time to do this.

 

What is Battletech Aces?

Battletech Aces is a campaign supplement for Battletech Alpha Strike specifically made for solo/cooperative play. At its core lies a pretty neat activation system for enemy mechs which varies their behavior based on their type, enemy units present and cards. It takes a bit to get into, but by this game (we had a test game a few weeks prior) the system worked remarkably well. It’s a bit like the solo/coop system Heroes of Aturi Cluster for X-Wing (if you haven’t played it you should. Best way to play X-Wing) but a wee bit more complex.

It also features a full campaign, with a choose-your-own-adventure style structure and little events rather than a linear list of scenarios.

The backstory is about a planet, which has a detachment of Jade Falcon clan forces basically stranded. The local merchant’s guild looks to hire mercenaries to rid them of the clan forces…

Cue Tanit’s Talons‘ very cool theme music!

 

Yeah, that’s our mercenaries outfit. We split the initial 400 points evenly between us three players to build three lances. Cpt.Shandy plays the Command Lance with Cpt. Lyndra “Lynx” Tanit in charge, I put together the Fire Lance, commanded by Lt. Priss Cadillac and Virago, under the guise of mech warrior Mohammed Lee, leads his Scout Lance into battle.

Each player may spend these points on mechs and up to 6 ‘named characters’ per campaign.

 

Mission 1

Before we make planetfall, Cpt.Tanit orders her fellow officers for a staff meeting to determine our strategy. The options are to land far off in the wilderness as not to make the enemy aware of our presence before we want them to be, to commence a surprise attack against an enemy outpost or to land near a colony, make contact with the local population. Lt.Cadillac opts for a surprise attack, but is overruled by the other lance commanders, who prefer to show presence with the locals to make them see we’re here to help.

So we land at some outpost of the merchant’s guild. I guess. 😛

Somebody must have taken notice, because soon enough dust clouds on the horizon announce enemy movement. A Jade Falcon clan recon detachment closes in, Tanit’s Talons take cover.

Two mechs of each of the Fire (Awesome and Wolverine) and Scout (Victor and Phoenix Hawk) lances are present, one by our Command Lance (Crusader). Our mission is to identify the attackers by getting close and scanning them and then drive them off.

The opposing clan force consists of a Rifleman C2, ….

… a Locust IIC4, a Howler 6,…

and two Fulcum Heavy Hovertanks.

(all painted very nicely by Virago). The enemy rifleman tries to sneak up on us around the hill while the lighter mechs in the centre go straight for us.

Same with the Fulcrums on the other flank. We lure them out with Lt. Cadillac’s Awesome and Cpt.Tanit’s Crusader (named characters may switch battlemechs between missions).

 

We decide that we let them close in, scan them and then squish them. They’re just tanks, we are very heavy battlemechs!

 

The enemy Riflemen stays in cover and takes opportunity shots, denting Lt.Cadillac’s Awesome’s heavy armour.

In the centre, Virago’s lighter mechs of our Scout Lance engage the enemy scouts. The Victor shoots the guns straight off of the enemy Howler and we just get to scan the guy before he retreats off the table. They then proceed to very efficiently take care of the enemy Locust II.

 

Meanwhile, the Awesome and the Crusader have to realize that Fulcrum tanks aren’t just very fast and nimble, but also pack a punch!

After the deed is done the Fulcrums evade to the side and regroup. Since the two smaller enemy mechs are destroyed, we decide to evade the Rifleman and hunt down these pesky Fulcrums.

 

 

…but once more these darned Fulcrums get away to finish off Priss Cadillac’s Awesome.

On a more positive note, the nimble Phoenix Hawk finally gets a chance to hop behind the enemy Rifleman, scan him and take off again into safety.

Soon thereafter we finally deal enough damage for the enemy force to retire. Tanit’s Talons win the day, albeit with the loss of a heavy mech and Lt.Cadillac getting wounded.

 

Aftermath

There’s a resource system for salvaging/repairing lost mechs and buying additional hardware or to ‘level up’ named characters.

It plays well, that thing. The scenarios look good (from what I have seen), it’s great to have a choice between scenarios/approaches. Also within the scenarios there’s these little milestone things which happen at pre-determined points which have some fluffy thing happen. Those are pretty cool. Kinda like random events, but mission- and often time-specific.

 

In the end there’s a lot of elements bolted together in Battletech Aces Scouring Sands, but it works and it’s an expansion many people have been waiting for a long time. Hope you enjoyed the article and stay tuned for future adventures of Tanit’s Talons!