After Action Report: The Crystal Fields of Kallix-7

 The seventh spheroid of the Kallix system - planet is too strong a word and dwarf planet implies that the system holds something larger than irregular rocks and swollen balls of unpleasant gasses - is a horrible little rock. It has managed a thin, dreadful atmosphere, a coating of the worst kind of lichen life, and is home to some of the better laser-focusing crystals in the Deep Periphery.

Crystal fields of Kallix-7
Note the caustic lochs created by crystal subduction

Today, it was also the home of a pitched fight between a company of the 1st Canopian Cuirassiers and the pirate company known as Lord Ethan's Exiles, a savage sometime-mercenary brigade that operated in deep space.

some of Lord Ethan's Exiles

A surprisingly well-equipped force, the pirates came with the equivalent of a reinforced company including an entire lance of heavy tanks and aerospace support.

1st Canopian Cuirassiers

The Cuirassiers had only the one company, but they were hardened veterans, and including cutting edge Magistcracy 'Mechs such as an Eyleuka EYL-45A and an Anubis ABS-3MC, both piloted by veteran pilots.

Pirate recon lance and a half-strength artillery lance advance

The novice pilots come in from the extreme west

A pirate lance takes up position behind a volatile crystal field

Cuirassiers taking up position behind the broken mesa line

The Canopians got the initiative on the pirates, having detected the emissions from the 'Conscript Lance'; the tanks were piloted by truly raw recruits who had neither the skill nor understanding to run the heavy tanks cool to avoid detection. Trying to avoid the triple-PPC cannons of the two Shreck Carriers, the Royal Guards dropped below the line of the broken mesa that crossed the eastern edge of the field.

Pirate forces poured in from the north and west.

'Mechs in mixed livery move around the crystal field

An under-strength lance moves up

Despite the extreme range, the pirates score first blood; a rain of missiles pour from the Catapult CPLT-C1 into the Canopian Awesome AWS-8Q. The missiles barely score the 'Mech's heavy armour, but one blunt-nosed explosive cracks the barrel of a PPC, reducing its firepower.

Now that the Canopians have deployed in full, Lord Ethan calls in his aerospace support, hoping to pin the Cuirassiers and crack the unstable earth beneath their arrogant feet.

The Cuirassiers, spooked by the strength of the pirate company, remain cagey, avoiding the immensity of the enemy firepower by using the natural fortress in which they find themselves.

Canopian recon units attempt to encircle the Exiles

The pirate heavy lance presses forward

The Exiles' recon lance rushes the Royal Guards

The Exiles press the attack, recon lance 'Anarchists' rushing around the broken mountains in the centre of the field. The Canopians set up a crossfire; despite their speed, fire from elements from all three Magistcracy lances smash into the light 'Mechs. One by one, they are first crippled and then rendered inoperable.

The Assault Lance concentrates fire on the racing light 'Mechs

Overwhelming fire

As the Canopians pour fire into the Anarchists, the aerospace begins its attack run

Cuirassier recon 'Mechs encircle the toxic loch

Cuirassier Shadow Hawk SHD-2H jumps up to a commanding position

Despite the loss of an entire lance of 'Mechs, the Exiles still command a company's worth of 'Mechs and armour and have the aerospace lance on top of that. The Canopians' fight is far from over. They bring their assault lance around their mesa fortress, spreading their Cavalry and Recon lances out in a transparent attempt to encircle Lord Ethan's Exiles.

Canopian assault 'Mechs open fire

Despite their losses, the pirates command the field

The Shadow Hawk SHD-2H takes nearly the entire pirate command's worth of fire. The poor training of the pirate forces tells, and his 'Mech survives the barrage - albeit with the LRM tubes fused, the targeting matrix disabled, and every internal warning flashing red.

Death of a Phoenix

The under-strength pirate strike lance engages the Canopian Commando COM-2D at the edge of the crystal field. She is disabled, red fires flickering among the glimmering crystals. The pirates turn from the remaining 'Mechs of the Recon Lance to shoot down a Wolverine WVR-6R that moved to encircle their assault lance..

..but this is an error - the Locust LCT-1V (piloted by a regular-rated 'Mechwarrior) gets a lucky hit into the rear armour of the damaged Phoenix Hawk PXH-1. Its ammunition stores ignite and the mech is torn to pieces.

a lot happened in this photo

Above you can see the images from the after-effects of this combat. The Wolverine WVR-6R raced around the assault pirates; the striker 'Mechs turned to fire into his exposed rear; the Phoenix Hawk PXH-1 was gunned down by that lucky Locust LCT-1V pilot; and the pirate Warhammer WHM-6R was blasted by the Wolverine, having been already hammered by the Canopian assault 'Mechs.

Canopians lead from the front!

The Canopians used the crumbling terrain of Kallix-7 to great advantage. Initially swinging westward behind their mesa fortress (as seen above), the Assault Lance then swept back behind the cover of the inpenetrable rock; this gave their overheated weapons a chance to cool. The Exiles continued to press their assault, hoping that point-blank range would allow their still-greater weight of numbers to tell.

And then the Magistcracy elite fell upon their foes, yellow armour gleaming in the light of alien pseudosuns...

The pirates hesitate...

Pirate forces take the centre ground; the tanks finally cross the field

It is far too late

Magistcracy training may be expensive, but it pays for itself on the field. The veterans of the 1st Canopian Cuirassiers gunned down everything that came within reach. Lord Ethan had sent some extremely expensive units into the field, including assault-class 'Mechs and two Shreck PPC Carriers, but the inexperience of his 'Mechwarriors meant they couldn't apply that power correctly.

Cover art for BattleTech Mercenaries Supplemental,
published by FanPro in 2004 and written by Herbert A. Beas II.
(c) Doug Chaffee/Catalyst Game Lab

It was a good game, and I had a lot of fun. It was nerve-wracking as hell it see those triple-PPC tanks bearing down on me, so being able to refuse flank that entire half of the field is what did it for me. Being able to then play 'hide and shoot' behind the shattered mesa was a bonus.

I do want to point out that I gave my opponent choice of deployment zones; I won initiative for deployment and he placed the tank lance first. If that had gone different, it might have been a different game.

Then again, it might not have been - nearly his entire force was Skill 5, while mine were mostly 3 and some were Skill 2. This meant he was nearly always trying for 9+ to hit, while I usually hit on 7+ at worst and sometimes 3+!

It was good to get a game after months of only playing theorygaming. I'm hoping for many more games in the coming year - stay tuned...