Battletech

Last night we played a game of Battletech. We each had one heavy mech and it was a gladiatorial scenario - every man for themselves and winner was the last mech standing. The terrain was a mix of hills on one side and a city on the other. There were five of us playing, but I can't tell you what mech each person had, because I've forgotten.

Not strictly true - mine was a Black Knight. I thought that it was called that because it's a heroic fighter. I was later to discover that it's for a different reason.

Bailey (who had that red mech) and I skulked around in the building, whilst the other three exchanged long-range potshots. Saying that, I took a little bit of missile damage from Caesar (and returned the favour with my lasers).

It was obvious even at this stage that Bailey, whilst looking for opportunistic shots, was content to sit in a corner behind a high building and wait for the other four mechs to wreck each other.

To be fair Bailey's plan had occurred to me as well, but I wasn't very well positioned to do it. I did make for the cover of some high buildings, though, where I encountered Stuart's mech. This had taken a  few missile hits from Caesar's missile-monster, and in a couple of places its armour was looking vulnerable. 

We exchanged fire. I took damage - every bit of my armour had now taken hits. One of my laser shots (I had so many lasers!) took out his remaining torso armour and destroyed the gyros underneath. Stuart's mech collapsed, unable to fight.

First kill to me!

By now I'd convinced Ed and Caesar that Bailey was simply going to wait for us to destroy ourselves, then emerge and pick off the damaged survivor. I suggested that we team up briefly and put some serious hits on the skulker. In the background you can see Caesar's mech moving in to position. We had the red mech cornered against the board edge.

Feeling bold I got in close. In fact this wasn't a bad plan as the Bailey's mech had several weapons that had a minimum range, whereas my lasers didn't have that disadvantage. We ended up in a point-blank range firefight with a small building between us.

For several turns we exhanged fire, blowing bits off each other. Baily ended up leaping onto the building to kick my mech, whilst I returned a punch with the one arm I had left. Yes, my mech's right arm had gone by this stage. As had most of my armour.

Caesar and Ed were now in position. Caesar had sprayed Bailey's mech with missiles, but seeing that both Bailey and I were on our last legs, they opted to shoot at each other. 

Around this time my left arm came off as well. Fortunately a lot of my weaponry was in the mech's torso, so the loss of both arms was but a scratch. Now do you see where the name 'Black Knight' comes from?

Anyway, Bailey and I exchanged more fire, bits came off both of us and I finally put a laser shot through his ammunition store and blew him to pieces.

So I now had no arms, and one of my legs was virtually off, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from keeping up the attack. I charged Ed's mech, looking to get in close.

I did some damage to him. 

He put a laser through my mech's head, and that was the Black Knight done for.

Caesar and Ed continued to exchange fire, but it became obvious that Caesar had the upper-hand, and Ed conceded.

Caesar claimed victory by being the last mech standing. I claimed the moral victory for not only damaging every other mech at some point but also destroying two of them. 

A fun evening of silly stompy-mech action. Thanks to Colin who let everything running (and Caesar for looking up lots of stuff when we asked awkward questions)