Here we go again! After a pause, Tanit’s Talons ride again.

This time they’re tasked with the defence of an important power plant / water treatment facility.

 

******* The following text contains spoilers for the Scouring Sands Campaign *******

 

 

Mission 6

After having their main base raided during the last mission, our nemesis Star Captain Sender, plans to destroy the planet’s main infrastructure – the water treatment plant with attached geothermal power plant.

So proper important to those who want clean water and turn it into hot tea. Rumour has it they infiltrated small groups of saboteurs on foot made up of old clan infantry on site.

 

Our mission is to defend the plant. To hinder us in that endeavor, the clan also sends a Sabotage Lance to keep us occupied while the foot soldiers do their destructive duty.

We elect to bring some more nimble mechs to the fight to get on these saboteurs quickly and take them out. They are on site and will be uncovered if any of our ‘mechs scans them or at the end of the game turns, one by one. Luckily, earlier missions showed the local populus that we’re class people, so they help us by doing some recon, which buys us a bit more time. We also spend some Suppy Points on blueprints of the site to work out the most likely positions the saboteurs would attack. [we get to remove one of the Waypoints before the game starts]

As per usual, Cpt.Tanit leads her mechwarriors into battle in her Marauder, Lt.Leekon in his Phoenix Hawk, Ade Fraser in his Crusader. Of the Scout Lance, both named characters, Mohammed Lee in his Victor and Nancy Delacroix in her Catapult, will face the enemy in battle.

Lt.Cadillac once again will have to spend the game in a Local Medical Facility(tm) and her Warhammer IIc at a local garage. Her second-in-command, Fabio Zucchini, takes charge of the Fire Lance. He’s got the Masters siblings, Kai and Sally with him, in their Catapult and Thunderbolt respectively.

 

The Game

Our Battlemechs approach the scene from one side and already we see the enemy mechs approaching.

Our plan is as simple as it is brilliant – Cpt.Tanit leads the heavy Victor and Awesome ‘mechs to engage the enemy battlemechs head on to keep them busy. Our more nimble mechs (and the Crusader) cross the river and clear the plant from saboteur units.

And indeed, as soon as we approach, the clan mechwarriors turn their attention towards our three heavies.

The lumbering Awesome has to sprint, the faster Victor and Marauder follow up and light up the cocky enemy Howler.

The rest of our force crosses the river under the cover of a hill. As soon as they approach, they surprise a group of saboteurs as they place explosives next to a building. They do some superficial damage to Leekon’s Phoenix Hawk.

A geothermal pipe thingy must have been hit though, and Leekon just manages to warn Kai Masters to take a step back before a blast of hot steam hits Leekon’s Phoenix Hawk for some more light damage.

 

Together, our mechs take out the group of saboteurs.

At the other flank, the heavies get into a brawl as first the Summoner and then the Marauder II close the distance to the Awesome (who has the Victor and Marauder for support, just off picture here. 😛 )

The three heavies, supported by the catapults from further away, eventually manage to kill the Summoner.

As Leekon’s Phoenix Hawk combs the plant for more saboteurs, he’s confronted by the insanely up-gunned clan Locust and Rifleman.

Leekon keeps them busy as his comrades take out two more groups of saboteurs just in time before they detonate their explosives. At the cost of Leekon’s Phoenix Hawk getting battered, but in turn damaging the light Locust II badly as well. Leekon has to retreat.

The clan Marauder II decides to support the attack on the plant and hops into the river and opens fire at our Crusader.

Due to acumulated damage, the Crusader dives for cover.

 

The enemy Marauder II returns to the centre, where our heavy battlemechs await it.

Even with the Rifleman backing it up, it’s no match for the concentrated fire power of the Awesome, the Victor and the Catapult.

 

 

To hunt down more saboteurs (and to get out of the firing line), Sally Masters steers her Thunderbolt behind another building. Indeed, she stumbles into enemy saboteurs and makes short work of them. This takes care of the last group of the infiltrators.

The clan Locust crosses the bridge to finish off Fraser’s Crusader, but together with Kai Master’s Catapult, he manages to take out the glass cannon that is the Locust before it can do more damage.

In the end, we even manage to light up the enemy Rifleman II, and as such not only saved the power plant, but also destroyed all enemy battlemechs!

 

Aftermath

Once more, Tanits Talons are victorious. Even though we took quite a beating this time. The Awesome got shot up pretty good, the Thunderbolt took some critical damage due to an event, Leekon’s Phoenix Hawk and the Crusader are in dire need of repairs as well.

It was a cool scenario, in that it had multiple layers of stuff going on. The Waypoints keep you guessing what happens next.

 

Speaking of next – since Star Captain Sender is on a mad revenge tour now, the momentum is all his. Rumour has it he’s currently scraping together every he has left to attack the capitol of Apolakkia, to do as much damage to the civilian population as possible. Does this sound like the big finale to our campaign? Possibly! Stay tuned for the next battle report!

 

Hope you enjoyed this little battle report and stay tuned for sortie 7!