The Invasion of Bridgetopia - a Battletech Alpha Strike Campaign

 

The Invasion of Bridgetopia: An Alpha Strike Narrative Campaign

Planet Bridgetopia - Lyran Alliance near the Jade Falcon border.

Planet type: Temperate with urban areas.

Over the last several months an elite mercenary company known as the C-Billa Killas for Skrilla have been raiding Jade Falcon garrison worlds for advanced tech and mech salvage angering Jade Falcon command with their dishonorable actions.  Having tracked the mercs back to the planet Bridgetopia where they maintain a headquarters, the Falcons have dispatched a front line cluster to serve as a punitive strike force against the Inner Sphere surrats. The Falcons intend to retrieve any stolen material and eliminate the mercenary force to prevent an further strikes on their holdings.

Though the Killas are only a company strength unit, they’ve lucked out that Bridgetopia is home to an HPG array and garrisoned by a Comguard Level III with strong Blakist leanings. Demi-Precentor Caedes, a veteran of Tukayyid, has decided the Jade Falcon assault is a perfect opportunity to blood several of his untested Level II formations.

Campaign Set Up:

Players should select 500 points of Clan Jade Falcon, Mercs, or Comstar units.

Clan Jade Falcon is considered the attacker while all other units are considered the defenders.

Resupply and Repair:

Both the Attackers and Defenders have a shared pool of 2000 Support Points.

Units may be repaired between campaign phases using the Alpha Strike Campaign Support Point Tables.

Any damage not repaired persists through the campaign.

Optional Rules: Clan players may choose whether to use the Zellbrigen challenge rules as the Killa’s are already considered dezgra.

Campaign Phases:

The Campaign will be broken into three phases. The first phase will be Mission 1: Ambush! and depending on the results of those first battles will determine which mission is played in phase 2.  Phase 3 will be based off the results of Phase 2.

Phase Victors and Losers:

Each mission will have  major victory and minor victory criteria.  Factions will score 2 points for a major Victory and 1 point. The faction with the most points at the end of the phase is declared the winner of that phase.

Tie breaker: the faction that destroyed the most points value in mechs will take the victory.

Mission order:

Phase 1: Ambush!

Phase 2: 

Attacker Victory - Headquarters Assault

Defender Victory - Supply Depot Counter Raid

Phase 3:

If Headquarters Assault was played:

Attacker Victory - Last Stand

Defender Victory - Drive Them Off!

If Supply Depot Counter Raid was played:

Attacker Victory - Rushed Defenses

Defender Victory - Drive Them Off!

Mission 1: Ambush!

Scenario:  A Jade Falcon assault cluster has landed on Bridgetopia and has split off several trinaries and novas to assault their objectives. The Killa’s have scrambled their company to set a number of hasty ambushes along the lead Falcon units path of advance, while local Comstar forces copy their example and have set their own ambushes along a number of secondary routes.

Game Setup: Temperate rolling hills with woods. Players should set the table with hills, woods while leaving a central path at the center of the table representing the travel route the Jade Falcons are taking to their objectives.

Sensor Blips: The sensor blip rules are in effect for both sides for this mission.  Each player should mark on their unit sheets which numbered blip a unit is represented by.

Attacker: The attacker may take up to 250 points representing the advance elements of their assault force making their way to take key objectives. During the first movement phase the attacker enters the battlefield from their table edge.

Defender: The defender may take up to 200 points representing the hastily assembled ambush units put into place to slow the Jade Falcon Advance. The Defender may deploy anywhere that is not within 12in of the attackers table edge.

Objectives:

Attacker Objectives: Break Through - The attacking Jade Falcon Forces are trying to break through the defenders line and score victory points by leaving the defenders table edge.

Major Victory: If more than 165 points of the attackers leave the defenders table edge it is considered a major victory.

Minor Victory: If 84 points of the attackers leave the defenders table edge and the defenders have less than 100 points of their forces left on the table

Defender Objectives: Hold the Line - The defending coalition must prevent the lead elements of the Jade Falcons from breaking through their lines.

Major Victory: If more than 166 points of the attackers force has been destroyed or forced to withdraw with less and 100 points of the defenders force destroyed it is considered a major victory.

Minor Victory: If more than 100 points of the defending force survive it is considered a minor victory.

Mission 2A: Headquarters Assault

Scenario:  The main Jade Falcon assault force has begun its attack on the Killa’s home base.  The Killa’s have dug in with Comstar Support and are trying to prevent the destruction of their base.

Game Setup:  The game takes place in an urban environment on the outskirts of a city.  The defender should place 5 buildings to represent the Killa’s base. There will be 4 medium class buildings(CF12) and 1 heavy class building(CF25). The buildings should be placed within a 12 in area on the defenders half of the table.

Attacker: The attackers may take up to 400 points worth of units representing its main assault force. They Deploy within 12 ins of their table edge.

Defender: The defenders may take up to 400 points worth of units representing the surviving defenders. They Deploy within 12 ins of their table edge. 100 points worth of units may deploy in the 12 inch base area.

Objectives:

Attacker: The attacker wins a major victory if all 5 buildings are destroyed.

Attacker: The attack wins a minor victory if 3 or more buildings are destroyed.

Defender: The defender wins a major victory if all 5 buildings remain.

Defender: The defender wins a minor victory if 3 or more buildings remain.

Mission 2B: Supply Depot Counter Raid

Scenario:  The Killa’s and Comguard have stymied the Jade Falcon assault and are pushing their advantage by counter assaulting the Jade Falcon Forward Operations Base(FOB). The Jade Falcons have stashed a large amount of the ammo and supplies at the FOB making it a priority target. 

Game Setup: The terrain is rolling hills with pockets of woods. The Jade Falcons should place two Heavy Buildings (CF25)  within 8in of the center of their deployment zone

Attacker: The attacker may take up to 350 points of units representing the forces stationed to guard the FOB. They Deploy within 12 ins of their table edge.

Defender: The Defender may take up to 400 points of units representing the forces attacking the FOB. They Deploy within 12 ins of their table edge.

Objectives:

Attacker: 

Major Victory: The attacker wins a major victory if both supply depot buildings survive.

Minor Victory: The attacker wins a minor victory if one supply depot building survives.

Defender:

Major Victory: The Defender wins a major victory if both supply depot buildings are destroyed.

Minor Victory: The Defender wins a minor victory if they destroy one of the supply depot buildings and more that 200 points of the Defenders force safely withdraws from the battlefield.

Mission 3A: Last Stand

Scenario:  The Jade Falcon assault force has so far crushed all resistance from the Killa’s and their Comstar Allies.  The remaining defenders have rallied at their last fall back point and have found themselves surrounded.  Their only choice, Victory or Death.

Game Setup: The Terrain type is rolling hills with forested areas.  Their should be an open area in the center of the table to represent the Defenders rally point.

Attacker: The Attacker may deploy any of their remaining forces. Their forces should be split into four groups and may deploy within 12in of any table edge.

Defender: The Defender may deploy any of their remaining forces. All of the Defenders forces should be deployed within 12in of the center of the table.

Objectives: Straight up fight to the death. Last mech standing wins a major victory for their faction.

Mission 3B: Rushed Defenses

Scenario:  While initially meeting success, Killa and Comstar forces have been caught out of position.  Jade Falcon forces have have begun assaults on their 

Game Setup: The game takes place in an urban environment on the outskirts of a city.  The defender should place 5 buildings to represent the Killa’s base. There will be 4 medium class buildings(CF12) and 1 heavy class building(CF25). The buildings should be placed within a 12 in area on the defenders half of the table. The defender should also choose one table edge where reinforcements will arrive.

Attacker: The attackers may deploy any of its remaining units representing its main assault force. They deploy within 12 ins of their table edge.

Defender: The defenders may take any remaining units representing the surviving defenders.  The defender may deploy 50 points worth of units near their structures representing the security forces left behind.  The rest of the units will arrive from the selected short table edge. 

At the start of each round, starting on the second round next roll 1d6 for each of the defenders mechs. For round 2 if a 4 is rolled the mech may enter the battlefied from the selected short edge during the movement phase. The continues each turn with the target number needed to be rolled being lowered by 1. Any remaining units may enter during round 5 with no roll needed.  Exception, Aerospace units function as normal.

Round 2: 4

Round 3: 3

Round 4: 2

Round 5:  Automatic entry.

Objectives:

Attacker: The attacker wins a major victory if all 5 buildings are destroyed.

Attacker: The attack wins a minor victory if 3 or more buildings are destroyed.

Defender: The defender wins a major victory if all 5 buildings remain.

Defender: The defender wins a minor victory if 3 or more buildings remain.

Mission 3c: Drive Them Off!

Scenario:  The Jade Falcon assault has been met with set backs and higher command has ordered the withdrawal from the planet. To their dismay, Killa and Comstar forces are in hot pursuit, harrying their retreat.

Game Setup: The table should be set up with rolling hills and woodlands.

Attacker: The attacker may deploy all of their surviving forces.  They may deploy on the table between 18in and 24in from the defenders table edge.

Defender: The defender may deploy all of their surviving forces. The deploy within 12in of their table edge.

Note: There should be at least 6in between any attacker or defender mechs at the start of the game.

Objectives:

Attacker:

The Attacker wins a major victory if 80% of their forces exit their table edge.

The Attacker wins a minor victory if 50% of their forces exit their table edge.

Defender

The Defender wins a major victory if 80% of the enemy force is destroyed.

The Attacker wins a minor victory if 50% of the enemy force is destroyed