Last of the Big Stompy Robots - For Now

As implied the last time I posted about MekHQ, the game date was in mid-May.  I ground through to the beginning of June, and it truly was a grind of heavy and assault 'mechs battering away at one another, with a parade of light and medium 'mechs (and a like number of vehicles) were turned to scrap left for the Heartbreakers' Davion employers.

Warhammer exploding.  By Earl Geier

For in-game fiction, the Heartbreakers ran into a heavy regiment of Capellans.  Maybe even the famed McCarron's Armored Cavalry.  Not that it matters that much.  My team came out on top.

Here is a list of the more notable 'mechs my lances fought against this game week:

2x Cyclops

5x Victor (3 in one fight)

3x Grasshopper

2x Archer

1x Marauder

1x Stalker

2x Catapult 

2x Orion

2x Thunderbolt

1x Ostsol

4x Rifleman

2x Warhammer

Most of these 'mechs ended up in the Heartbreakers' repair bays for eventual adoption into our ranks. The ones that didn't suffered ammunition explosions during the fighting.  All this out of a total of 192 various 'mechs and vees scattered across 16 separate engagements.  Yes, I have the 'double vees' option turned on.  Then I realized that May 31, 3030 was a Monday, so I had another week's worth of fights to battle through. It was similar to the above, but with Battlemasters and Awesomes.

A battle's speed is a much ambient light and dumb luck as it is pilot skill.  The tactics skill can often turn an unfavorable fight into a better one (I'm a fan of deep woods - it lets my jumping 'mechs shine while preventing much movement from opposing 'mechs and vees), though sometimes, it goes from bad to worse and I end up with open fields while opposing a legion of Pegasus hover tanks.

Pegasus Hover Tank, by Duane Loose - those twin SRM 6 launchers can do some damage.

Repair and Refit

June and July were spent repairing the salvage and refitting the Wolverines and Marauders (there is a second in the repair bay from the week prior) to more preferred versions.  The Wolverines got the -M conversion, and the Marauders are turned into what I suspect is a common custom build, trading out the AC5 and ammo for an additional pair of medium lasers, more heat sinks, and more armor.  

Aside from that, I ordered another 50-75 tons of armor and more missiles and AC ammo, though how much of which sorts, I don't recall.  For giggles, I ordered some Inferno and Heat-Seeking ammo, as well. Then I'll be ready for the next slog, which begins in August - after two months, enemy morale has returned to normal, and the fighting continues. 

Reconstitution

In addition to recruiting numerous Veteran mechwarriors from the POW camp, the personnel market has provided several true mercenaries to balance things out.  Enough so that the Fifth Regiment now stands at two battalions strong, as I ran out of Veteran mechwarriors.  The remaining 'mechs are in the hangar, though, mothballed until I gather more troops under my banner.

Since I have free time in game, I'm not only standing up the Fifth Regiment, I am spending the various techs' experience points.  Elite mechanics are cross-trained to become 'mech techs, and elite 'mech techs are cross-trained into administrative rolls.

Mechwarriors and vehicle crewmembers have experience points expended as they are deployed.  It is simpler for me, but also kind of reminds me who fights a lot and who doesn't... as well as who is competent.  Battletech ends up becoming a weird meritocracy balanced only by lucky headshots and ammo explosions.

Prisoners have been ransomed away in vast quantities.  As might be imagined, Elite and Veteran mechwarriors fetch the most, but enough Green troops add up. 9,385,000 C-Bills is a helluva payday - but where the Capellan Confederation gets that kind of money, I don't know.  Probably from the same mystery source as all of their 'mechs.  

Lastly, I removed all the armored lances from the 68 required for the mission, replacing them with 'mechs.  Tanks just die to fast, so I am using them for backup in chases or in the flatlands.

A pilot standing next to a Warhammer and Rifleman, to scale.  Source uncertain.

Moving Forward

I set the combat toggles to keep opponents hidden until they appear in Line of Sight.  The sympathetic explosions toggle is staying off for now - I like kicking legs out from 'mechs and playing kickball with missile launchers.

Still, I am done for now with MegaMek and MekHQ, so the Heartbreakers will rest in digital limbo until I feel like more giant stompy robot fun.  Unless I download the new version of the game or that StratCon version that is being worked on.  It sounds fun.