2. Battle of South Mortarborne | BattleTech Alpha Strike Battle Report | Tamar Rising Chaos Campaign

This is a battle report for BattleTech: Alpha Strike, Chaos Campaign in the Tamar Rising setting.
Battle of South Mortarborne, Phase 1 of the war, 2nd episode.
My players are battling for control of a lucrative world: Blue Hole. My players represent different factions/ armies under the greater umbrella of the Alyina Mercantile League and Vesper Marches (Tamar Rising). Their decisions dictate this narrative campaign and which battles are fought. ________________________________________________________________________
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:16 League Forces Reposition
0:41 Korbyn Forces Develop Strategy
01:13 Operation Bum-Rush
01:49 Chupacabras launch a Spoiling Attack
02:09 Title of Battle Report
02:29 Welcome to South Mortarborne
02:57 Game Mechanics of a Spoiling Attack
04:27 House Korbyn Forces
05:03 Jefe’s Chupacabras Forces
05:43 Chupacabras make Spoiling Attack bonus movements
06:12 Turn 1
09:59 Turn 2
15:33 Turn 3
19:50 Turn 4 and 5
20:14 Chupacabra Aftermath
21:03 House Korbyn Aftermath
21:39 Thanks for Watching!
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Music: Horde of Geese by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
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Drums of the Deep by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: incompetech.com/
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Game-Icons
Spaceship icon: By: Delapouite game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
Missile Mech icon: By: Lorc game-icons.net/1x1/lorc/missi... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
APC icon: By: Skoll game-icons.net/1x1/skoll/apc.... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
Barracks icon: By: Delapouite game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
Battle Tank icon: By: Lorc game-icons.net/1x1/lorc/battl... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
Sentry Gun icon: By: Lorc game-icons.net/1x1/lorc/sentr... License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/... Modifications were made.
Helicopter icon: By: Delapouite
game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite...
License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Modifications were made.
Field Gun icon:
By: Quoting
game-icons.net/1x1/quoting/fi...
License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Modifications were made.
Jet-Fighter icon:
By: Delapouite
game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite...
License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Modifications were made.
Round Silo icon:
By: Delapouite
game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite...
License: CC BY 3.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Modifications were made.

[@kylerogers8948]

On the second video now. The Mercs players are absolutely inspired with their tactics. Once again the maneuvering on the campaign map was wonderful, and really set the mood and stakes for the battle of this video. 10/10.

[@Heckibrd]

Wow, these are the best production I've seen on a battletech battle report. I've never felt so excited watching one and the pacing is perfect. You're criminally underviewed/subbed and sincerely hope you blow up. Now back to binging the rest of your videos.

[@stuffenthusiast110]

I second that.

[@SimoneRistori]

This is the way I want to play all my games! Great production

[@tonypacsai9372]

Great production. A lot of bigger channels could learn from this. Keep up the good work!

[@r3dfiv3]

Liked, subbed and commented! I'm a CBT vet but I love how Alpha Strike simplifies big battles. I have to look into it some more 😄

[@0sumgame541]

A proper narrative battlereport, this hits harder than an AC20 to the cockpit. Happy to sub your channel

[@jameshojnowski8455]

Best AARs on YT.

[@silentbob4100]

Hey look, a comment to help this channel with the algorithm

[@omfglongbeach]

These are really great! Love watching these. Great narrative.

[@WargamerStories]

Glad you like them!

[@csudab]

My dudes this is so incredibly good, if it ever comes to it please _cut_ some of the production values if it’s ever that or realise it’s too much work and give up 😅 I would still watch these even with a little less razzmatazz 😅

[@WargamerStories]

I am glad you're enjoying! And also thank you for the suggestion to number the episodes! I hope that can help others follow the story better

[@Redmow51]

I'm really loving your vids. Battlefield is great, the mechs look great, the visual effects are an added bonus. The storyline is awesome. Thanks for it all!

[@mkozinski]

this is exactly the style of battlereports i was looking for

[@TRexFlame9]

Keep up the good work. This one month gap between episodes is great don’t go overworking yourself or your players to pump them out any faster. Keep this as a passion project and you’ll enjoy it no matter what.

[@donmccalmon694]

If you add a little dap of poster tack between the 'Mech bases and the colored bases, it will have them stick together but be very easy to remove when needed.

[@henryortega9203]

This is a great style battlereport! Subscribed!

[@MervDeGriff]

Thanks for awesome battle report!

[@Vognee]

Great content!

[@majorplothole2620]

Really fun to watch, can't wait to see what happens next!

[@FleetfootMike]

This is class. And inspiring.

[@shagakhan9442]

I love the narrative play

[@fballoqui]

Need more reports!!!!! This is amazing!!!

[@CF875602]

❤

[@Rapman21]

First, are you doing these solo? Second, I love the format with the animations and V.O. Keep it up.

[@WargamerStories]

Players make the choices but I move their units for them while filming. As for video editing... that's all me. I am glad you're enjoying the series!

[@zpafford]

"Noice"

[@DustinClark]

These videos are great. Where are you getting your trees?

[@WargamerStories]

The trees themselves are from train modeling kits and scenic trees off of amazon. We glue them to MDF plates, then add in texture and grass on the bases.

[@brenmayhugh]

Great video! Really enjoy this. where did you get the elevated roads and the red and yellow hexagons that you used to mark the different forces?

[@WargamerStories]

Hey, sorry for the delay in response. I have been traveling with not much internet access. So the two products you mentioned were purchased many, many moons ago. I got the colored bases from 3DHobbyCraftShop on ETSY. There might be other vendors making them as well, but those are the folks I got mine from. As for the elevated roads, I got them from GCmini.com. Here is a link to their 6mm roads and bridges page: gcmini.mybigcommerce.com/6mm-roads-and-bridges/ I am not an affiliate to either of those vendors, but I do like what they make. Happy Gaming!

[@dzilla2099]

Love your videos so far I have a question about your process though do your players play the game & you take notes on dice rolls & troop movements and reenact the whole thing? Or do you play a round have everyone step back from the table & take video / pictures and resume from there?

[@WargamerStories]

I film while we play and take notes on their actions. They place their movement tokens and then I set up the camera and move the mechs... so those are my hands you see. The players step back, eat pretzels and try to make me laugh while I am moving mechs around while filming.

[@alexhunt7810]

You're forgetting some of your cover TN modifiers either in the voiceover or the game.

[@Kaneswargaming]

Love this. What campaign rule set are you using? What application do you use for the map showing unit movement and who holds what?

[@WargamerStories]

The campaign rules is a hybrid of Chaos Campaign and another game (The Gambit Signum). Just today I released a video that gives an introduction to the rules and discusses a little about the software used. But specifically for the videos, all animation and video editing is done with DaVinci Resolve. I'm glad you're enjoying the battle reports!

[@Phoney72]

The House Korbyn leadership needs to find out who gave a level 5 pilot a Marauder 2 and fire him ..out of a cannon...into the sun

[@WargamerStories]

Lol, he shall be tried by fire. But the players brought that upon himself. They chose to have lots of fancy mechs but at the cost of having bad MechWarriors- he has since repeatedly stated how much regretted that decision. For the narrative aspect, House Korbyn is a potential political rival to Duke Vedet Brewer (leader of Vesper Marches) - who in turn has sabotaged House Korbyn by supplying poorly trained recruits to the war effort on Blue Hole.

[@Phoney72]

@@WargamerStories oh I get it, sometimes you have that money burning a hole in your pocket and just have to go out and buy an M2 and a Nightstar. Love the series, really is brilliant 😁

[@jercaldin318]

Where did you get your building terrain?

[@WargamerStories]

The small houses were STLs purchased off of MyMiniFactory.com The scale of the houses are 6-10mm, and were 3D printed at a local library (which was cheap, but did lose some of the fantastic details). Then we painted them one afternoon. Check out the website and search for 6mm or 10mm houses, there a lot of interesting options. Though, you'd need access to a 3D printer.

[@Decado123]

Sorry to be a bit slow but having trouble understanding the target number at about 7:30, i don't get how the target number is 8. SKill 3 +4 for range +1 for indirect +3 for tmm, and possibly +1 for intervening woods from the spotter. What am i missing here?

[@WargamerStories]

It's an indirect fire attack, which calculates Target Numbers differently than a regular ranged attack. It's at the bottom left on Page 41 of the BattleTech: Alpha Strike Commander's Edition. Range Modifier of the Attacking Unit (+4), Movement Modifier of the target (so the TMM of the Wraith, +3), plus the movement and terrain modifier of the spotter's Line-of-sight (in this case, the VTOL, which is +0), and +1 simply because it is an Indirect Fire attack. Skill of the MechWarrior pilot is not added in for Indirect Fire Attacks.

[@Decado123]

I am not sure that is correct tbh. It still works as any attack roll the difference is just in using the spotters terrain and movement modifiers. If it did not work that way then indirect fire would actually be more accurate than direct fire which does not appear to make much sense. Anyway i don't want to rules lawyer you, i have enjoyed your battle reports but was just a bit confused about what was happening. @@WargamerStories

[@WargamerStories]

Oh man, that would be a bummer if that's the case. But I don't think it is - or at least I hope it is not. For one thing, that takes away the tactical ability and choice a player can make, and instead makes indirect fire a "consolation prize". For example, the "Archer C2" has 7 damage at short, 7 at medium and 4 at long range- but its indirect fire special ability is always 2 damage. Therefore, my players and I interpreted the reduction in damage and the rule on page 41 to be: "You don't use your skill because your precision weapon is now doing an "area effect attack" so you are penalized with reduced damage." I mean, indirect fire attacks automatically get penalties in target number already... add in the skill of pilot and pretty soon the appeal of those type of attacks lose value to the player. However, if what you say is true, then I don't think my players will ever attempt to use indirect fire again (the target number would be too high for the damage output to be so low). But I guess the retort to that is, "well the chance to do 2 damage is better than none"... which is why it would be a consolation prize instead of tactical ability. Thanks for pointing it out - it is food for thought. I'll look into it more and discuss with my players if we did get the rule wrong. Ultimately, I want them to enjoy the game. @@Decado123

[@Decado123]

Honestly mate I am 100% sure about this. SATOR is always used for attack rolls, its just for indirect fire the part on pg 41 details the fact that some of the numbers you plug into the SATOR formula come from the spotter rather than the attacking unit. That said it's not that bad, IF is still useful to have if you would otherwise have no shot or want to finish off a damaged mech you can't draw LOS too etc., and in the new errata the the spotter can attempt to tag the unit for Indirect fire and if successful can fire without imposing a +1 penalty on the attacking unit for spotter fired. In the end if you don't care for playing that way you could always house rule it. In any event its not that big a deal, the battle report was great, love the narrative and special effects you do it really elevates the report.@@WargamerStories

[@pickledtezcat]

@@WargamerStories Imagine if I have a lance of LRM carriers and I park them behind a hill on the first turn. From then on, I can keep making IF attacks on your units and you can't do anything to my fragile carriers unless you come all the way to the other side of the map and spot them behind their hill. So for 22 points each, they are firing out IF 3 every turn. It's a strategy that can be used, but it has to be balanced in the rules. If the LRMs are doing 3 damage each turn with a TN of 8, then they would have to be worth more than 22 points each. Even with a TN of 11 or 12, it's still a threat that can't be ignored.