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February 2002 Edition XII

Greetings friends and readers! We have a HUGE issue planned for this month featuring
an interview with Drew Williams, a painting demo by myself, several fictional works, fan
fiction, and a few other goodies! But, I must now inform those that don’t know of the
demise of one of the greats, one of the ones that I was never able to interview, a man that
has inspired us all to try new things. This man, Joe Frazier, passed away a few weeks
ago, thus ending the career of a man that the entire community looked up to. In honor of
him, I have organized a series of auctions on e-bay that will feature Brian “Piranha”
Plunket, Drew Williams, Brian Stull, Charlie Tanner, Ross Hines, and AJ “AWOL”
Quest. We finished up the first batch of auction and raised about $376.00. The next
round of auctions are in work from me, Ron Smith, and BlueThunder. Hope to see some
bids on those as well! Our goal here is about $500 or so and I think we can reach that!
Thanks for you support! Read on and enjoy the Sentinel!

Ross “Koga” Hines


Editor and Chief
Solaris Sentinel

Interview with

Drew Williams… official painter and sculptor at Iron Winds!

1)Thanks for sitting down with me Drew. Tell us a little bit about yourself
like what you do for a living and what your duties with Iron Winds Metals
are.

>>> Your welcome. Well, I am professional freelance painter. I paint for


individual customers, eBay auctions and Iron Wind Metals. I make a very modest
living at it but its what I love to do. I freelance paint and sculpt for Iron Wind. I
also "voluntarily" manage the painting and for now, fan based sculpting. I also
have self appointed duties to the fans. I give out any information and get any
feedback I can. As a fan I want CBT to do better than ever. I also think the fans
are the key.
2)Now, your painting. WOW! Could you tell us a little about how you first
got into painting and what you have accomplished in that field?

>>> I have been painting since I was around 8. Green army men, 1/72 scale kits,
micro armor, I tried painting everything. Most of the time I did it sporadically as a
hobby. I also played a lot of squad leader. My interest in Battle tech started out
as an interest in Robotech. I remember running home from school to watch it. In
high school I focused on art and getting in trouble. I didn’t do much mini painting
until later. For reasons I won’t go into I joined the Army. There I met my wife and
picked back up on mini painting. D&D, Battle tech and Warhammer figures. I
soon discovered I could pay for my hobby by painting minis. I mainly painted
games workshop stuff for $. Since that time in 91 I have played everything,
Battletech, SFB, Warhammer, D&D just to name a few. I also started to read
battletech books, man if it isnt an addiction! In all honesty I painted mostly
warhammer stuff. An honorable discharge, 2 kids and lots of crappy jobs later I
decided to do it professionally. I have won 10 golden demon trophies for games
workshop stuff, this helped tremendously with exposure. I then did work for Ral
Partha, FASA and Wiz kids. The guys at Partha were great, the politics from
above however were not. I wont go into what happened after FASA closed down.
Anyway, I was liquidating my collection of battletech when I found out about Fan
pro and Iron Wind. Not only was the game to live, the minis were coming back.
The guys who are Iron Wind were always supportive in the fasa days regardless
of what was happening. They went out on a limb to do what they love and it
inspired me to do so as well. They brought me on board as a freelance painter
and now freelance sculptor.

3)What do you think makes your painting unique?

>>> Have you ever thought of a cool painting idea and thought "thats too hard",
or "that will take too long". Well, I do it all the time, I dont believe it until I try it.
Other than that there is nothing unique about my painting. I copy any style I thing
looks cool and dont hesitate to experiment.

4)I noticed on CBT.com the other day that you posted almost the complete
line of 'mechs that were available before Ral Partha shut down. Now, how
does this work? You had mentioned in your post that was the list that IW
would be able to spin on request. Could you elaborate?

>>> Sure, Lets say you want 10 madcats? Call them up and give them the code,
quantity and payment. They will then spin them up, package them and ship them
to you. Is that some cool customer service or what? Too top it off, orders over
$30 are free shipping. (soundlike a salesman dont I?)

5)The next item are some of the 'Mechs like the Cestus, Jackal (which I can
say I know you are tackling at the moment), Hellion, and Garm which didn't
make production going to see the light of day? (There are some others I
know but these are right off the top of my head)

>>> Ross, I am pushing for everything to see the light of day. Business being
what it is, demand plays a huge part so the items which are asked for most will
get produced first.

6)How is the Black-Out going to be handled? Do you think it's possible to


get some of the FM Battle Armor and unmade 'mechs that you are working
on ready for production before that hits?

>>> That one is out of my hands. I would love to see the BA released before the
blackout but I dont know if its possible. IWM is very busy.

7)Got a question here about the scale of the miniatures in relation to the
others. The main complaint was they did not want to see something like
the Hauptmann happen again (it's size is pretty puny for a 95 tonner). Any
kind of criteria there?

>>> That may have something to do with how sculptor were paid. Freelance stuff
was paid for in units. The bigger the figure the more expensive to have it done.
The later figures (like Atlas) were done by on staff salary sculptors. Instead of
more money they got more time to do it. "Business" strikes again. I'm mindfull of
tonnages and determine the size my projects on what I call the "Mercury to Atlas"
scale.

8) Any tips and tricks you can give to the painters out there?
>>> Experiment all the time and future floor wax!

9) The specific interest of mine is how you get that maddening detail
(human figures, rats, faction insignias) Can you tell us or is that top secret
information?

>>> I love detail. Fine tip brushes, micron pens, mechanical pencils and 2x
magnifier goggles. Oh yeah, lots of coffee and a healthy dose of impatience!

10) From your short time in the community, what do you think of the other
painters that are out there such as Ron Smith, Joe Frazier, and Dave Fanjoy
(feel free to talk about ANYONE here, not just them!)

>>> I have a tremendous amount of respect for other painters. There seems to
be a competitive spirit among painters in other communities which at times is
downright unfriendly. Years of losing more competitions than I have won has
given me a certain humility. The painters in this community are always supportive
and encouraging. Each also displays a level of expertise that inspires me. I think
the best thing is that we are a "community" of painters. Besides, its always
preferable to try and be better than yourself.
11)Will we see a Black Knight or a Black Knight re-sculpt? Several fans
have asked me about this one, as the Black Knight just looks cool!

>>> As long as fans ask for it they should get it. If the royalties issue gets worked
out you should be able to see it sooner than later.

12)Here’s the final question for you. I like to leave it an open ended
deal for you to address anything in particular that you want. (Randall and
Loren have used this space before to talk about the past, present, and
future and give the ray of hope that so many in the community need

My experiences during the FASA takeover and all I had heard from insiders
about battletech had painted a very ugly picture for me. I was convinced that
battletech was dead; I was going to sell my entire collection as I painted it. When
I least expected it, some people with a lot of moxy stepped up and gave it life.
From all over "former" battletech players took notice and got back into the hobby.
Even new players who have yet to play are showing an interest. All this because
alot of battletech players would not give up. They expressed themselves to
Wizkids so persistently and loudly that the game they love has been reborn. I
wish to thank them.

Thanks Drew!!

Ross Koga
Editor and Chief

Painting Demo!!
Well, I decided to attempt to try a painting demo in this edition, so here it goes!

You will need these items:


• Paint (black and any other color you want to work with)
• Brushes (1/4 flat, 3/0 fine tipped, 10/0 fine tipped should do)
• Hobby Knife
• Super glue
• Paper towel
• Pen Vice

Step One:
Take the pieces of your desired miniature out of the Blister and inspect it. Find any
imperfections (flash or mold lines) and use your hobby knife to clean these off. Then dry
fit each piece on the figure to make sure they fit correctly. If they don’t, again use the
knife to make the pieces fit. Lastly, take your pin vice and assortment of drill bits and
drill out the missile and laser ports. This adds a bit of realism and depth to these items.
Superglue the pieces together, making sure they are good and dry before moving on.

Step Two: Taking the flat black paint, brush on the paint to the figure making sure that
you cover the entire figure. This will come in handy as you’ll see in the next few steps.
Step Three:
Here is the first part of the painting that will help define your figure. This is what we call
dry brushing. Taking the ¼ flat brush, dip it in the desired color that you would like to
paint your figure. I am using white because I am going to do the DCMS’s 7th Ghost (I
use white instead of light grey, but to each their own) Dip the tip of your brush in the
paint, and then wipe the paint off the best you can on the paper towel.

Then, run the brush over the figure evenly, trying to get paint on the panels and leaving
paint out of the depressions and figure detail lines. This will be the base fort he rest of
your painting. If you want to do a scheme with more than one color, you need to do a dry
brushing of each color over the area you would like to paint that particular color.

Step Four:
Now we come to the tricky part. Taking the 3/0 brush, begin filling in the panel were you
can see the off color paint. Take care not to get the paint in the detail lines; this will
make your figure stand out with detail and make give the miniature a solid color.

Step Five:
Now, I’m not perfect and you’re not perfect. I get paint in the lines. Now, the late
J.Frazier would paint in the lines with an itsy bitsy brush. Me, I’m not that talented so I
cheat and use a .005 Micron Pen. Helps define the lines of the figure and helps them
stand out.

Step Six:
Now, with any other color but white, I would do a weathering dry brush with Dark Ghost
Grey. This helps lighten up darker paints and gives you the warn look. It also adds
highlights to the areas that would normaly receive these in scale. Also, this helps bring
out line detail. I don’t do this step to white miniatures as it doesn’t show up too well.
Here’s a CAV that I have to demonstrate.

Step Seven:
Detail painting. This is where you add symbols and other small scale things with paint. I
painted the chains with a flat black to fit the scheme description in the Field Manual. I
also gave it two gold links to signify two kills that the pilot has been credited with.
Step Eight:
Now the decaling. If you have access to them, great. I buy my decals from Brian
“Piranha” Plunket of Fighting Piranha Graphics. They are white backed and water slide
decals that are made in scale for Battle Tech. If you are going to use decals, buy a decal
setting solution as well as it really helps. Brush on the solution were you want to apply
the decal and then slide off the decal from the paper, place it were you want it, and then
brush over it with the solution.

Step Nine:
Now, the flocking. Paint your hex base a earth color, hopefully a darker brown. Taking
some elmers glue, apply this to the base and then drop in some of the model rail road
stones. After doing that, liberally apply the flocking and let it set for about 30 minutes.
Once the time has passed, take the miniature and shake off the flocking that won’t stay on
the base.
Step Ten:
Now, it’s time for the Testors DulCoat. Spray it down following the directions on the
can. Apply two to three coats to keep the paint securely on the miniature. This will also
keep the flocking on the base. After the coats have dried, paint in the cockpit gloss black.
There, you are done! Try this a few times to get it down as practice makes you better
when painting. Don’t worry if your first few times don’t look good. Keep trying!

Ross Koga
Solaris Sentinel

http://www.gamers-union.com

Your one stop shop for just about anything Battle Tech! New and used miniatures for
auction or shop in the stock room and buy everything you need right there! Been dealing
with Ed for a few months now and I can say he is one of the best retailers out there!
BATTLETECH SCENARIO:
LET SLEEPING CAPELLANS LIE
Personal Journal
Damn those politicians! They should have
known better. Sure the Capellans looked like
easy pickings after the drubbing they took after
’28, but they should have foreseen that a trapped
and cornered animal is the most dangerous.
I guess that’s what two years of hindsight
will get you. Hell, two years ago I was all for
teaming up with the Andurians and taking a
piece of the CapCon for Canopus. But that was
before they let loose these devils from Daidachi.
They attack without regard for their own lives.
They attack only to destroy those that have dared
try to take advantage of the CapCon.
There is no chance for success now. We
have been routed. My lance has been chosen to
help the Andurians hold Daidachi until the LZ is
set up.
May God have mercy on our souls.

SITUATION
Santa Carmen Wildlife Preserve, Barras
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
May 28, 3030
After two years of stunning success
attacking a Capellan Confederation still reeling
from the 4th Succession War, the Magistracy of
Canopus and their Secessionist Andurian allies ATTACKER
have run straight into the fearsome Warrior The attacker consists of a small demi-
House of Daidachi. company of House Daidachi MechWarriors.
After only two months the Canopus and
Andurian forces are in full retreat. On Barras, an House Daidachi
element from each of the allies is set in place to Strike Lance
hold House Daidachi until their DropShips can Captain Wang Zhao (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2)
land so they can flee. CTF-1X Cataphract
Commander Cat Ger (Piloting3, Gunnery 3)
GAME SET-UP RFL-3C Rifleman
Lay out the BattleTech maps as show. Use Sun Xing Piloting4 , Gunnery3 )
Both Open Terrain maps from BattleTech Map OSR-2L Ostroc
Set 5, both Rolling Hills maps from BattleTech Roger Chee (Piloting5, Gunnery 4)
Map Set 3, the Scattered Woods and the Lake CPLT-C1 Catapult
Area maps from BattleTech Map Set 2. Recon Lance
Commander Ji Kim (Piloting 3 , Gunnery 4)
VND-1R Vindicator
Robert Peel (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3)
RVN-1X Raven
Alistair Thurwachter (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4)
PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
Jax Hemming (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4)
HBK-4P Hunchback
Deployment
The attacker starts turn 1 off the map, and
may enter the map along the southern edge on or SPECIAL RULES
after turn 1. The following special rules apply during this
scenario.
DEFENDER
The defender consists of separate elements Retreat
of the Canopian Fusiliers and Andurian Militia. The Magistracy/Andurian units must stay on
the map boards for at least 10 turns. At the
Elements of 2nd Canopian Light Horse beginning of turn 11 the allies roll 2D6; on a 12
Ensign Sheila Su (Piloting 3 , Gunnery 3) they may begin their retreat. On each successive
WHM-6D Warhammer turn they must roll on less or better to begin their
Johann Mahler (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) retreat.
RFL-3N Rifleman Capellan forces will not retreat for any
Janet Rahna (Piloting 5, Gunnery 3) circumstances. They will fight on until either the
DV-6M Dervish pilot is dead or the ’Mech is unable to fight any
Ariana Junkman (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4) longer.
SHD-2H Shadow Hawk
Elements of 1st Sadumi Militia Artillery
Lieutenant Sam Fa (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) Beginning on turn 2(and every even
CHP-2N Champion numbered turn from then on), the Capellan
Jackabald Smits (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4) player may call in Sniper artillery bombardment
MAD-3M Marauder (two shots each turn) per the rules on pages 77-
Gretchen Hoff (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4) 80, BTC:RoW. The Snipers are effectively
WVR-6M Wolverine located two mapsheets away, so flight time is 2
Tomas Granger (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4) turns. The RVN-1X acts as the spotting unit,
WTH-1 Whitworth ignoring all penalties for spotting for artillery.
Deployment Additionally, the Capellan play chooses any four
The defenders may set up anywhere in the hexes prior to game play and designates those
two center maps. hexes as pre-plotted artillery targets (see p. 78,
BTC:RoW). Artillery fire from any of the
VICTORY CONDITIONS Snipers aimed at one of the four designated
The scenario ends when all forces of one hexes automatically hits its target.
side have been destroyed or have withdrawn. To
calculate the victory level, add up the Victory Technical Read-out
Type/Model: Raven RVN-1X
Point for each side, then subtract Mass: 35 tons
Magistracy/Andurian score from the Capellan Chassis: Hellespont Type R Standard
score and consult the Victory Table. Power Plant: 175 Hermes Fusion
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
ACTION VICTORY POINTS Jump Jets: None
Capellan Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Per Ally ’Mech Destroyed before turn 10 10 Armor Type: Hellespont Lite
Per Ally ’Mech Destroyed after turn 10 5 Armament:
2 Ceres Arms Medium Lasers
Magistracy/Andurian Alliance 1 Harpoon-6 SRM 6
Per Capellan ’Mech Destroyed 10 1 <CLASSIFIED> ECM*
Per Ally ’Mech retreating from the map 5 Manufacturer: Hellespont Industries
VICTORY TABLE Location: Sian
Communications System: <CLASSIFIED>
Total Point Results Targeting & Tracking System: <CLASSIFIED>
60 or higher Decisive Capellan Victory
35 to 59 Substantial Capellan Victory
10 to 34 Marginal Capellan Victory
–5 to 9 Draw
–25 to –6 Marginal Alliance Victory
–50 to –26 Substantial Alliance Victory
–51 or lower Decisive Alliance Victory
==Capabilities:== Capellans had won back all of their worlds taken
The mission of this lightly armed and armored Raven is to
provide electronic warfare and countermeasures support at
by the alliance.
company level for other BattleMechs. Leaving the heavy
close-in combats to other, more heavily armed 'Mechs, the
Raven, as envisioned, will typically stand off in an
engagement and identify selected targets for indirect fire by
artillery and infantry. Its ECM allows it to identify targets at
longer than normal ranges and to degrade EW techniques by
enemy units.
--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Raven RVN-1X
Mass: 35 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 58 pts 0 3.50
Engine: 175 6 7.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 12 Single 5 2.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 HD, 2 CT, 1 LL, 1 RL)
Gyro: 4 2.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: 12 0.00
Armor Factor: 64 pts 0 4.00
IS AV
Head: 3 6
Center Torso: 11 8
Center Torso (Rear): 4
L/R Side Torso: 8 6/6
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 3/3
L/R Arm: 6 6/6
L/R Leg: 8 8/8
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
2 Medium Lasers RA 6 2 2.00
1 SRM 6 RT 4 15 3 4.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 LT)
1 ECM* LT 0 4 7.50
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 10 41 35.00
Crits & Tons Left: 37 0.00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 2,801,025 C-Bills
Battle Value: 595
Cost per BV: 4,707.61
Weapon Value: 262 / 262 (Ratio = .44 / .44)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 14; MRDmg = 2; LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2: MP: 5, Armor/Structure: 2/3
Damage PB/M/L: 3/2/-, Overheat: 0
Class: ML; Point Value: 6
AFTERMATH
The Warrior House Daidachi destroyed
every last Alliance MechWarrior on Barras. So
fearsome was the defeat for the Alliance that less
than 3 months later elements of the Chasseurs à
Cheval fled the battlefield before House
Daidachi had even open fired. By 3035, the
TOUR OF DUTY: COLONIAL MARSHAL
Affiliation Magistracy of Canopus and Taurian Concordat only.
It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. Protecting the settlers in the virtually unexplored area known as the “New
Colony Region” has many perils, from pirates to disease to supply shortages. You will be far from support so all technical and military
activities are up to you. Can you handle it?

Time: 2 years
Traits: Contact, Vehicle (2); if taken a second time in a row add Promotion
Skills: Add +1 to any two Military Field skills, +1 to any two Technician Field skills, Language +1
Next Path: Police Academy (3), Civilian Job (4), Comstar Service (4), Lostech Prospector (4), Ne’er-Do-
Well (4), Tour of Duty: Brotherhood of Randis (4), Tour of Duty: Piracy (4), Travel (4)

Tour of Duty: Colonial Marshal Events


2 “How do they expect one person to fight off all those pirates?” Captured and interrogated
by pirates. [Lose all Vehicle Traits, choose two: Combat Paralysis, Disability, Glass Jaw,
Poor Hearing, Poor Vision and may only take Ne’er-Do-Well Path next]
3 Should have taken all of your inoculations. [Choose either: Allergy (2) and
Addiction/Allergy Medication (2) or Disabled and Unattractive, add 1d6 to the time this
path takes]
4 “This piece of Drek never works right!” [Lemon, Vehicle –1, +1 to any two Technician
Field Skills]
5 Its getting harder and harder to get spare parts. [Poverty (2), Vehicle –2]
6 “Who cares? No ones going to attack this dirtball, might as well have fun.” [-1 to all
Skills advanced this path. Brawling +2, Gambling +2, Streetwise +2, Running +2, May
take no more Military Paths in the Magistracy of Canopus or Taurian Concordat.
7 It was a hard fought Stalemate. [+3 to any three Military Field Skills, Choose three:
Combat Paralysis, Disabled (2), Glass Jaw, Introvert, Lost Limb (2), Timid] They always
seem to be one step ahead of you. [+1 to any two Military Field Skills, Bad Reputation,
Quirk/Paranoid, Tracking,
8 You fought the good fight, but at what price, [+1 to any three Military Field Skills,
Choose three: Addiction, Combat Paralysis, Disability, Glass Jaw, Lost Limb, Poor
Hearing, Poor Vision
9 You make you right decision, but it goes against the wrong person. [Enemy (2), Good
Reputation, Poverty]
10 Spend more time out of the Cockpit than in. [-1 to all Military Field Skills, Blades +1,
Pistols +1, Running +1, Streetwise +1]
11 Nothing happens out here in the sticks, except training. [+1 to any two Military Field
skills, +1 to any Technician Field]
12 You work closely with the people you live with. [Good Reputation, Well-Connected,
Protocol +1, Training+1]
13 Minor skirmishing. [+1 to any three Military Field Skills]
14 Peaceful time. Spend most of your time tinkering on your vehicle. [ +3 to any 2
Technician Field, Vehicle +1, Custom Vehicle +2, -1 to any two Military Field Skills
15 Who knew you’d have to do all this just to get along. [Negotiation +3, Appraisals +3,
Scrounge +2, Contact, +1 to any two Military Fields]
16 Successfully outsmart the pirates! [Good Reputation, +2 to any three Military Field
Skills, Strategy, Tactics]
17 Saved the Planetary Governor’s Daughter from Raiders! [Wealth (2), Well-Equipped,
Contact (3), Custom Vehicle]
18 Single-Handedly defend your planet from Pirate Raiders. [+3 to any two Military Field
Skills Contact (3), Good Reputation (3), Vehicle (2), Owns Vehicle, Custom Vehicle (2),
May choose either Commission, and Rank 1, or Promotion 2]
19 [Choose one event or roll twice and apply both events]
20 [Choose two events or roll three times and apply each event]

The following two works are done by Pidge for the Solaris Sentinel! Thanks Pidge, great work!
Fan Art!!

For Victor and Country (Templar B) by Lou “Nuke Loader” Myers

Alternate Fiction, Part III


Tameron, Clan Coyote space
December 7th, 3066

“Attention dishonorable freebirth scum of Clan Coyote, I am Star Commodore


Benson Paik of Clan Star Adder. For you dishonorable actions in committing to the
relocation to the Inner Sphere, you will now suffer the destruction of everything you hold
dear on the surface of you fairytale land of Tameron. We bid our entire force, all of
Gamma Galaxy and her Warship support, namely the Admiral William S. Preston.
Prepare to meet the Kerensky’s dishonorable Coyote scum!”
Paik cut the transmission to the freebirth Coyotes on planet and then stalked over
to his command chair were he directed the small flotilla. He typed in a few commands to
his console station and then sat back with a smug look on his face. Khan N’Buta had said
that their intelligence had stated that the only other Warship in system was the Texas
class Ancestral Home, a Clan Coyote Warship whose K-F drive had long ago been
destroyed and who had been retrofitted with more armor, weapons, and fuel. A menacing
opponent, but with only the misfits and screwballs of Rho Galaxy on planet, they front
line Gamma would surely have an easy time of it. Star Colonel MacLeod Connery
wasn’t as happy with the decision of striking Tameron, as he had been hoping to travel to
the Inner Sphere with the Adder Command Clusters, Alpha Galaxy, and Delta Galaxy.
The vote for the Adders to make their stake in the unknown prompted clamoring and only
then did Khan N’Bute find out from a Diamond Shark Khan that the Coyotes were
already underway in that direction, with or with out the Grand Councils approval. This
suddenly bold move by such a conservative Clan was striking to just about all of the
Clans. But, the Star Adders had the most to loose by the Coyotes striking the Inner
Sphere first. The Adders needed to punish these freebirth whelps before they could either
move or dig in further on Tameron. And he was here to do it. Dialing up Connery’s
frequency, he waited for a response.
“Star Colonel Connery a speakin’, what can I do fer ya Commodore?” Connery
said in his Gaelic accent that he over played most of the time.
“We are preparing for battle and Galaxy Commander Leo Cathis wanted me to
tell you to strike hard and fast. This attack prong should work, but the Admiral will have
to hold the line for your drop ships. You are in command if the Galaxy Commander goes
down, and these orders have been relayed to the Ninth and Hundred and Thirty Third.
Speed is of the essence. Remember that we in the Admiral will tangle with the Texas and
you will just need to slip through the cracks. Good Luck and good hunting, Star
Commodore Paik out.”
Paik cut the link again, and then ordered the Black Lion-class Admiral William S.
Preston forward away from the other jump ships present that were carrying two of the
Clusters of Gamma Galaxy.
“Do we have a track on that Texas yet? We need to have had her spotted
yesterday people, come on, let us go!! Move move move!” Paik shouted.
All around him, the crew went to work trying to find the beast that had become
the Ancestral Home. For most Clan naval crews, the mention of that ship would send a
shudder down their collective spines, unless of course you were a Snow Raven, then you
just applied more Warships to the problem. Paik had been worried at first, but Khan
N’buta had assured him that the Texas would have a green crew in training and that his
mighty Black Lion had nothing to worry about. So, let the Coyote whelps come. They
were ready. Just like the Absorption War, the Adders would again prevail.
“Captain, Sensors, signature resembling that of a Texas-class battleship has just
appeared from behind the 2nd planet in system! It seems to be changing course to… wait,
it has. The signature has now aligned to intercept! Repeat, the Texas-class signature has
aligned to intercept!”
“Roger Sensors. Launch fighter screens. Communicate with Connery that the go
code is now Alpha, repeat Alpha. Relay that now please,” Paik uttered calmly.
“Captain, Sensors, fighters have scrambled from Tamaron and are on course to
intercept. Repeat, at least six trinaries are inbound.”
“That changes nothing; we know what we have to do here. All stations, red alert.
Call to battle stations. Time to show these weak Wardens what warfare is all about,”
Paik again said calmly. Just like crushing the Blood Spirits he thought to himself
savagely. We have the upper hand. We are on the attack. Just like in ’59.
“CAPTAIN! We have something… something from the planet! It just lifted off
from Tameron, two, no three, no make that six objects just lifted off from the planet!
They appear to be surface to ship missiles. The might possibly part of a Regan system!”
“WHAT?” Paik screamed, his calm shattered, “That can not be!”
“It is sir,” the sensors operator said nervously, “they are on a heading inbound for
our fleets position. To early to determine the targets yet, but they are coming hard.”
This suddenly caught Paik for a loss. He couldn’t remember the Coyotes
possessing such a system and it was a sudden stroke of bad luck that they would have to
run in to it. But there would be no avoiding these missiles. He hoped that his thickly
armored Black Lion could withstand what ever was flying in his direction, and he figured
it could. But now they needed to go meet the enemy and seize the day.
“Helm, set course for Oh seven nine, directly at the on-coming ship. I mean to
have this day. For the Glory of the Star Adders,” Paik uttered in a ritualistic manner that
the rest of the crew noted immediately.
The entire bridge uttered it right after him in a chilling effect. The Battle of
Tameron was underway.

“I do not care, fire again! Blast that buzzard out of the water!” Paik screamed as
the murderous Ancestral Home again made another pass at the battle cruiser Admiral
William S. Preston. Both ships exchanged fire from their side firing arcs, bring to bare a
large chunk of their fire power. Armor was ripped away and naval grade auto cannons
gouged huge holes in the armor of both ships. Naval grade energy weapons fell silently
on the two ships, melting armor and superheating the ships if for but a second. Both
ships had been locked in grueling and devastating combat for longer than Paik cared to
think about. Now, had Connery made it?
“Get Connery up! Now!” Paik screamed and then looked to his second, “You
have the helm for a moment; the battle plan must follow through.”
“Connery ‘ere. We ‘ave us a wee litt’ proble’ ‘ere. Our drop ‘ips is bloody stuc’
to tha jump ‘ip. I canna get off of thi’ bloody thin’.”
“WHAT?” Paik almost fell out of his chair as the shock of the Connery’s news
and the latest round of fire from the Coyote ship combined.
“Machanica failua is wha’ they tell me,” Connery yelled back, in obvious anger.
“Well Hell. Son of a free birth!” Paik cursed.
“Captain, there are more incoming missiles from the planet. These seem to be
targeting the Jump Ship that the Seventy-Third is on.”
“Connery, get out of the system. We cannot afford to loose a whole cluster in
space because their WEEE little jump ship gets blasted to smithereens!” Paik leered at
Connery.
As he cut off the signal, he caught Connery’s scream of rage. Good, let him
anger. They had almost lost the Sixty-Ninth Dragoon Cluster when anti-ship missiles had
ripped its jump ship apart. The Clusters drop ships had just disembarked thankfully, so
they started their burn of the planet. Too close a call if you asked him, Paik thought.
Now, back to business.
After looking over the tactical displays, he regained command of his ship and
began to over see the battle again. The Sixty-Ninth’s drop ships passed by their position,
but the Coyote Warship paid them no mind. It was locked in a battle to the death with the
Star Adder ship. Nothing was going to change that. Good, this captain of theirs has
some balls. I like that Paik thought to himself savagely.
“Stop the ship! Reverse thrust and then spin up back towards him!” Paik
commanded.
The ship engaged its numerous engines and reversed its thrust, no small feet in
space and then began to “lift up” and go on its “top.” Since there is no up or down in
space, this affected the crew little, except the maneuver left them totally exposed. The
Coyote captain quickly picked up on this and used the opportunity to blast the Black Lion
battle cruiser to bits. The ship wasn’t dead, but it was a lot worse shape than when they
began the maneuver.
Paik realized that that might not have been such a great choice for them, but it
mattered little now. As he analyzed the situation, another factor suddenly announced
itself loud and clear.
“CAPTAIN! Nightlord-class battleship has just appeared very close by. They
were covered by the last planet! It is the Great Coyote Spirit! We are doomed!” the
sensor operator screamed.
Paiks mouth went sour. That ment that the Golden Keshik was also on planet,
waiting for the rest of Gamma Galaxy. Was the rest of Alpha? “Control your freebirth
urges! Find the other ship that travels with Alpha Galaxy. Do it now if you want to live!”
“Got it,” another, more controlled sensor operator said, “A Sovetskii Soyuz-class
light cruiser. IFF says it is Alpha Galaxies Steel Fang. Sir, we are outnumbered three to
one,” he finished in a grave voice.
Paik slumped back in his chair, trying to think even as the next salvo of naval
PPC fire pounded what armor was left on the Admiral William S. Preston. He had to
think, but he was getting no time!
“Sir, we have breaches in the forward hull. We have lost integrity there,” came a
damage report.
“Sir, the Ancestral Home is coming around again. Orders?” came another voice.
“Sir, the Nightlord just blasted two of the drop ships of the Sixty-Ninth! They are
totally gone! Stravag freebirth! They are sitting ducks out there!” came the seasoned
sensors operator.
“Turn her around and increase to maximum speed. We are taking something with
us and it might as well be the Ancestral Home. All remaining batteries continue to fire at
will,” Paik finally managed to say.
As the Black Lion turned, it was struck by the Steel Fang’s anti-ship missiles,
further adding to the damage. The Ancestral Home hit the Black Lion with its heavy
naval auto cannons, the big guns belching silent destruction on the ship. The whole battle
cruiser shuttered, its internal structure absorbing most of the damage. The light flickered
on, then off. Then they came back on. At that moment, the death blow came when the
Ancestral Home opened up with its main armament, its massive amount of heavy naval
lasers.
The beams ate through the Black Lion, destroying more and more of the ship.
The lights in the bridge finally ceased for good, leaving that small section of the ship
totally dark. Emergency generators kicked in, but what little information flowed to the
damage control computers told the whole story. There were almost ninety percent
breaches through the ships compartments. Almost the only thing left intact was the
bridge itself, through some amount of sheer luck. The Steel Fang approached with
caution as rescue craft began to filter into the now lifeless mass of wrecked ship. The
Admiral William S. Preston was no more.

Ross Koga
Editor and Chief

Take Down! By Lou “Nuke Loader” Myers


Updates from CBT
Well, just incase you haven’t heard, there are some new books due out VERY soon!
Technical Read Out: 3067 is due out this month! It includes ALL of the ‘mechs from the
Field Manual series and some new variants for some of the Omni Mechs that are featured
there. Then, there are the MW4 mechs that actually include fluff! So now we will get
the low down on these machines, like who and were they are made, and some other
interesting stuff that generally accompanies such designs. Then there are the new mechs
like the Sagittaire and Spirit, new tanks like the Ajax and Tyr, and new Aerofighters like
the Shiva. You can find the stats for all of these mechs on
http://www.classicbattletech.com. Now, the new Record Sheets that are going to come
out. Have you ever wondered how each of the great houses would update their
Marauders? Well, get ready to find out! The new RS:3067 will feature completely
upgrade unseen ‘mechs to 3067 standards and will later be included in the random roll
tables in the Field Manual: Updates book due out late in they year or possibly the first of
next year. So, stay tuned as CBT is going no were at all!!

Ross Koga
Editor and Chief
Solaris Sentinel

Another piece by Drew


Williams, head painter
for Iron Winds Metals
this Draconis O-
Bekemono is painted in
a truly incredible
scheme.
Welcome to Ramrods Tactical Overview!

This edition...Small Unit Tactics.

Howdy again!

Well, Ross finally published my other article, so I figure I best be gettin y'all some more
info on Tactics.

Small Unit tactics, at least for me, can make or break a game. A lance of Battlemechs, for
the most part, is enough firepower to level a city. They can destroy a lot of real estate,
and kill lots of innocents. When used right, they can even take out a larger force of
mechs! Lets take a look at how this can be done, and how you can become the king of the
battlefield....well, ok, maybe Prince....cause I am Da KING......

(there is a brief pause while medication is taken)

Choosing your Lance/Unit

First of all, you need to understand the weakness of Your unit, and get Intel on Their
Unit. The rules of Warfare don't change when you bring a heavy, or assault, or other
weight class unit into the Frey. Remember my first article? Those rules apply! First
things first though, choosing a lance.

Now, some of ya are gonna want to choose a heavy or assault unit...I don't advise this for
a few reasons. The most important of them is mobility. Light or medium mechs have, as a
general rule, better speed. Speed is quite often the saving factor for, say, a Locust, where
that ole Atlas may be better armored and Armed, the Locust can sweep behind it, open up
that rear armor, and scoot before ole Big Ben can turn around.....most of the time.

I'm gonna create a lance of Light mechs, and we are gonna study how to keep these
buggers alive and kickin in a long campaign. First of all, let’s choose the mechs. I am
gonna use the 3025-3050 TRO, cause I feel those are among the best Light mechs. Then I
will tell ya why I chose them

MON-69 Mongoose; No brainer here. Beagle probe can detect forces, and it has good
firepower for its size...it can kick out some damage and get the hell out of the way! Great
recon mech! It also has good armor for its weight class.

WLF-2 Wolfhound; Good speed and armor, no reliance on Ammo, and the ER Large
Laser makes it good for sniping, as well as helping lance mates out. I think I will take two
of these.

VLK-QA Valkyrie; Slowest of the ones I picked, but still respectable at a 5/8/5. The
LRM10 gives it long range punch, and it has decent armor for its weight class. If it hadn't
been for the Medium Pulse on the VLK-OD, I may have chosen it instead. Note that I
would not choose any recon mechs requiring ammo as a usual rule, but for an example
that I am using here, it will do.

Now that we have our lance, lets take a look at the terrain, supply line, overview of the
mission profile, and enemy forces.

Mission Profile.

Your mission is to raid supply lines (to keep yourself supplied with armor, ammo, and
parts), harass the local garrison force (of a reinforced company), and gather Intel on them
for your main unit, which will arrive in a week.

First off, this is a hard mission for two reasons. First is that you have no supply lines of
your own, and what extra ammo your Valkyrie pilot has is about 2 tons. You have about 8
tons of additional armor, and 5 tons of heat sinks. This has to supply your entire unit
unless you can get more from the enemy. Second is that you have a week to do this in,
and a timeline without support is treacherous.

Intelligence

Time to get out of the mechs, and see what you are up against. There is a reinforced
company of mechs in a garrison force. Most are medium to heavy mechs, with a
smattering of light and assault mechs. You have to get close enough to see the opposition,
without alarming them, so its time to get outa the mechs, and into a less threatening
position to get intelligence.

Maybe you have a contact with the local population, or perhaps you have a Landsat photo
of the area with the mech force showing, or perhaps you have no info at all! Time to get
some. Great opportunity for RPG. Find out what you are facing, Who you are facing, and
how they are deploying, What are the mechs, do they have Aerospace? Do they have
Infantry, Artillery..the whole ball of wax? Get info, take your time to do it, and keep your
mechs hidden!

Let’s "Pretend" you have a contact on the planet. You find him, in an abandoned
farmhouse. The walls are falling, the roof is gone, and he is driving an old pickup that
runs on a steam engine. For a price, say, 600 C-Bills (don't forget to pay him in local
currency) he will give you a map of the area, along with what he has seen. Keep in mind,
most folks know what a mech is, but not necessarily what mech it is. He has a holopic of
the location and a few of the mechs in the garrison though, so that helps. He gives you the
name of a contact he has on the inside, and can arrange for you to meet with him later.
This is a good start.

You find out, through observation, that there are patrols at random hours and usually
done by light and medium mechs. There is no pattern you can see, and they seem to go
out in random areas, or roam at will, without showing a specific preference for a patrol
area.

Terrain

You are in hilly country, with lots of trees and large boulders for cover. There is a large
cave where you have established a base, where you can store your ammo and parts, and
maybe repair your mechs, one at a time, inside. It’s the rainy season, so heat will be down
a little, but it makes for slippery footing, as well as leaving tracks. Local animals are not
gonna be a problem, since they lit out for quieter grounds when you hot dropped into the
LZ. Fortunately, it was far enough away from the Garrison to keep you well away from
problems. For now. The hills are dotted with boulders, and one valley is filled with loose
boulders and rock. The locals call it Marble Alley. On the plus side, it’s a great place for
a fight, good ambush area. The bad news is it is a hazard zone for mechs, because of
loose footing, add +2 to all piloting rolls, which you would have to use every movement
phase.

The Garrison is on a hilltop, with a natural cave and spring inside. NO worries for them
running out of water, and with the cave having several exits, some big enough for Mechs,
its a good idea to map them, or get a map. Its a defensible position, so a frontal assault on
the Garrison is stupid.

Review

Ok, let’s review what we have so far. You have bivouacked at a cave. You stowed your
supplies, and have made contact with a local for Intel. You got close enough on foot to
the Garrison to see them go out on patrols. You see a Jenner, a Fireball, and a Locust as
light mechs, a Vindicator and a Phoenix Hawk in the medium range, and a Quickdraw
and a Gallowglass as Heavies....and that's all you have seen in Mechs. You also see a
J.Edgar and a Plainsman tank outside the gates, as well as a Packrat, so you know they
have some mobility on the field, and possibly some Infantry, unless those guys patrolling
the top of the wall around the complex wearing Combo armor are mech jocks as well! No
Aerospace that you can see.

Options

Now, you have what you need to start, and probably used two days out of seven to find
info. The locals don't want to get involved, and you are under strict orders NOT to harm
non-coms. You have good machines, good pilots, and a good hiding place, but you are
severely outgunned and outnumbered. Here are your options.

First option; Now that you have intel, you can sit on it, and when the main force arrives,
they will be more able to cope.

Second option; you can ambush the patrols, taking out one mech at a time, until you get
their attention (which would be right away). Concentrate firepower on the bigger mechs,
Damage or destroy them, then fade. Don’t hang around for a fight, or your little mechs
will get chewed up. Keep in mind; you have a few long range types, use that to your
advantage. Survivors WILL follow you, so find alternate hiding places. Mud leaves
tracks, especially for 25 ton machines (and heavier) so see if there is some way to
eliminate tracks, or cover them.

Third option; Sneak into the Garrison with a food delivery, or supply delivery. This is
risky, but it would let you assess their strengths better. Wars are not won by firepower
alone! You should have at least one security specialist, and at least one demolitions
specialist with you. You can plant bombs, or toxins, or even disable a mech or two. Keep
in mind you run the risk of getting caught, but that goes without saying. Whatever you
do, don't stay there! Get your dirty work done, and then leave, the same way you came in.
Don’t draw attention to your self, but don't be obvious by being sneaky.

Fourth option; If you decide to harass the enemy, be aware that they are gonna get mad!
There are only a few of you, and a lot more of them! Muddy ground leaves tracks, not
only for mechs, but foot too! Make sure you have at least one person with Survival skills,
and make certain he or she is good enough at it to help the rest of ya. You may have to
find the most unlikely places to hide. Maybe its a pile of rocks, maybe a cave, maybe in
the bottom of a lake...remember, Mechs can be submerged! Also keep in mind, that they
have mechs (or may have) that have Beagle probes too, and even a low power setting on
a mech can be picked up, so find a place to hide that interferes with their readout. Also
keep in mind, if they can’t see you on sensors, you probably won’t see them either.
Nothing beats Scanner Alpha One....your vision. Setting up a perimeter with tried and
trusted alarms never hurts either. Trip lines concealed in brush, bells, a few silent alarms
(like a fishing line attached to a series of bushes, the intruder trips it, the bushes
wiggle...you know they are there...and they are alerted too, if they see it), and a
watchman are the best way to observe incoming enemy forces. You can either bug out, or
stay and fight, but be aware that you need to pick your battleground, regardless of what
they do.
Fifth option; Choose your ground! Don’t be forced to defending an undefendable spot,
and choose your battleground where you have the advantage. Remember, no matter what
terrain you land in, there is a way to capitalize on it, to make it work for you! Even a flat
arid plain can be useful, if you know how to use it. Remember that boulder field I spoke
of earlier? Use it to lure the opponents into. You may want to go in on foot and set up a
minefield, or, if they have one there already, remove them and set them up where they
don’t know the positions. This is especially useful if they are Command Detonated...what
a rude surprise if they set off a mine under their own feet!

Again, out think your enemy, and use their weaknesses against them. You can win, but it
may require patience and skills outside of the cockpit.

Till next time...

Keep yer heat low, and get a hard lock on your target!

Ramrod

Battle of Monte Diablo!


Well, on March 2nd, the Battle of Monte Diablo was official launched and completed for
the most part. Over 50 sites participated in the monumental event to decide the fate of a
single planet in the Lyran Alliance. Some were left out because they lived too far from
the closest event. Sorry about that. Hopefully you’ll have a chance to go to the next big
thing! The scenario was pretty fun, even for the split up Lyran commanders. In Norman,
the Davions forces killed off all twelve Steiner ‘mechs! You can see pictures of my game
at http://www.solaris7.com and look for the link with Norman OK (thanks to Ross Koga)
That should show you our battle. I controlled the light lance of a Lynx, Uziel,
Razorback, and Commando. We tried valiantly to split the Davion sweep and open a
hole for our 2nd Donegal Guards comrades, but to no avail. I plan to write a fictional
narrative for our battle and get it here in the Sentinel for the next issue. Should be good I
hope! Well, I think I’m going to stick a fork in this issue and call it done! Thanks for
you support!

Ross Koga
Editor and Chief
Fighting Hunchback by Lou “Nuke Loader” Myers

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