Gray Death Legion vs Lyran Commonwealth | BattleTech Alpha Strike Battle Report | ilClan Era

Gray Death Legion vs Lyran Commonwealth | BattleTech Alpha Strike Battle Report | ilClan Era
Welcome to Death From Above Wargaming! In this thrilling episode, we bring you an action-packed Alpha Strike BattleTech report featuring a fierce clash between Smoke Jaguar and Federated Suns during the ilClan era. Witness as the Gray Death Legion attempts to seize vital resources while facing off against the determined 20th Donegal Guards.
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In this intense scenario, the Gray Death Legion's Delta Company is on a mission to secure valuable fresh water supplies on New Exford. Unpaid for their garrison duties, they target the planet's collection and processing facilities. However, the 20th Donegal Guards are prepared to defend the facility and fend off the raiders.
Sit back and watch as Aaron and Ben command their forces in a strategic showdown filled with tactical maneuvers, explosive combat, and unexpected twists. Will the Gray Death Legion succeed in their raid, or will the 20th Donegal Guards protect their assets? Tune in to find out!
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#battletech #alphastrike #smokejaguar #federatedsuns #graydeathlegion #ilclanera #wargaming #tabletopgaming #miniaturewargaming #battlereport #deathfromabovewargaming

[@brycie35]

Great to see Alpha strike back again. I would love to see you run an alpha strike campaign with your rule set like you used to do in the old days. Please keep the battle reports coming. Love them.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Ah the olden days 🙂 maybe we will!

[@androssthered1157]

Yes this!

[@pelmen1294]

I wish it would disappear

[@cavemanbum]

2:27 - you got the Centurion and the Trebuchet labels mixed up. 😯

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Just seeing if anyone is paying attention.

[@delaneyalusa]

Saw that too

[@misterbeeps]

ACKSHULLY it's called proxying thank you very much

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Love it.

[@klasclaywood2667]

I'm so proud that I also noticed that!! I'm very new to the game but I've tried to look up the different mechs as much as possible to be able to identify them

[@brianhenry152]

Nice to see you guys remembered the first rule of mercenary work: the client always pays, one way or another! Here's hoping your KS stuff arrives soon!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha you and me both!!

[@Bhaalspawn]

I appreciate the addition of explaining the optional/house rules. Great for the newer players to differentiate.

[@barryxanchez2965]

Alphastrike! Yes! Love it!

[@logosonfire2481]

Love love love your battlereps love Aloha strike!!!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thank you! Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching.

[@conflicthorizon]

Still waiting on my KS, too. Nothing. no word. A little frustrated by the extra cost and shipping cost that I had to pay. I even tried to cancel it months ago and nothing from CGL at all which seems to be typical of their customer service. The worst KS I was burned on was the Robotech Tactics kickstarter and have never again did business with the company that ran that one. Just hoping we aren't running into a leviathan situation. But can't tell due to the newish CGL community manager. Glad to see the episode. Back from gencon and with max alpha strike hype after watching the tournement.

[@jayday3674]

I ordered the legendary Mechwarriors forcepack a month ago. It's been sitting in the queue as unfulfilled the entire time in spite of the fact my card was charged and the forcepack was taken off the website.

[@willtijerina5149]

This is my first Battletech anything in a few years having previously hit a serious wall of Battletech Burn Out. Great to see you're doing better than ever and putting out (as always) excellent content. Huzzah!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

The burnout is real! Glad you are back and feeling rejuvenated!

[@sebastiang.5032]

I see a King Crab, I Alpha Strike the like button in Override mode!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I see what u did there!!!

[@sebastiang.5032]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I know you did. 😁

[@aaronpokluda1741]

My first reaction seeing the unit list for Grey Death: *THATS A LOT OF MISSILES*

[@HouseMasterPoDing]

Is that flocking I see on the base of the minis in this latest BatRep? Oh, praise be to Ben, prophet of the flocking gods!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Its the sheetz fryz affecting your vision!

[@HouseMasterPoDing]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming It was Sheetz Subz for dinner last night!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I went to sheetz and they didnt even have a roast beef hoagie. HERESY I TELL YOU.

[@HouseMasterPoDing]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming A Hoagie? I didn't think that was legal in Pennsylvania?

[@CrankyOldGamer]

"The estranged step-nephew". YES. 😂

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha could be some sister-wives stuff going on too, idk. Backwater Steiner worlds get weird, I’m told.

[@matthewbirdsall9518]

Played a couple more AlphaStrike games, adding the pilot die and extreme range helped for sure. Need to do vehicles next!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I got some Arrow IV carrying Testudos that need a debut…

[@AndrewUrosevic-SonofGod]

I can finally root for Aaron In this one since he’s usually up against my beloved ghost bears!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha finally!!! I am a big CGB fan - maybe I will even play them soon 😁

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

Italian faction: A periphery state called the Supreme Mario Brotherhood. Their first home-grown hardware was a fast one-man wheeled tank called the Kart G0-K4RT. They were invaded by Clan Dragon Turtle, who took their crown princess as a bondswoman. The short story that introduced the faction had a mid-tier officer name Louis Geeble assisting the current ruler of the Brotherhood, Marius Mario, in his efforts to track down the princess across numerous worlds, each of which had a Castle Brian hidden somewhere and occupied by the Clan commander.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

!!!!!!!

[@jonathanblair9731]

Love the Alpha Strike games.

[@markbrown8154]

LOVE Alpha Strike. Great for getting two or three games into a day (or night).

[@RobertPritchard-zq9rq]

Love the MW2 soundtrack.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

One of my all time favs!

[@markbrown8154]

We played this scenario with a company vs Company yesterday, and it was BRUTAL.

[@senint]

Heh! When you talked about asking some of us viewers to illustrate the cybermonkeys, I somehow remembered this one creature created by Belgian comic artist. Here is a hint of the angry creature I am thinking of instead causing the trouble; "HOUBA!"

[@williamtanner2166]

The Narrative is the best. You guys should get a plushie of a cyborg monkey with an eye patch and use it as a channel mascot! :D

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

… or a REAL cyborg monkey. I called Elon. He is working on it.

[@williamtanner2166]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming 🤣

[@retropeoplegaming2740]

The music track on the opening is fantastic

[@chameleonkingdom6517]

Woo alpha strike!

[@derekburge5294]

The cell door opened with a creak to allow a somewhat short man in a well-tailored suit to enter the dingy little room. His eyes were hard and his visage radiated barely restrained hostility, but the way the man walked told Wolfgang that the newcomer was a try-hard. "Gut morgen, herr LOKI-man! How good of you to visit me," the pilot said with a smile before his new interrogator could get a word in. "I'd offer to shake your hand, but as you can see," he shrugged, making the manacles binding his hands to the wall jangle, "I am a bit tied up at the moment. Do forgive the impoliteness!" "I was told you are a talker, ja," replied the short fellow. He shut the cell door behind him, then easily tossed his briefcase onto the cot and sat down heavily into the only chair. It creaked and scraped against the concrete floor as the man settled in. "You may call me Herr LOKI, or simply Siegfried if you prefer. Let's make this swift, ja?" Wolfgang shrugged again. "You return Sir Tamar and I'll talk about whatever you want, Herr LOKI." Despite his best effort, his smile slipped just a tiny bit. "Ja, the monkey... We shall see about that. Before that though, I wish to speak about your illegal presence on New Exeter. Who sent you?" "Your puffed-shirt generals did when they refused payment. The Gray Death Legion always gets paid." Siegfried shook his head. "I am sure they do, Herr Wolfgang, but that is neither here nor there, mmmm? I did some checking," he gestured towards his briefcase, "and there *is no* Wolfgang Carlisle in the Legion. No second cousins, no sons of sister's estranged father, nothing. You, Herr Wolfgang, do not exist as far as they are concerned." He spread his hands in a hapless gesture. "So I am at a loss as to what to do with you." Wolfgang didn't say anything for a long moment. "Return Sir Tamar to me immediately. He has done nothing wrong." "Why should I? You are a captive with no one to ransom you back to. Your mechs are destroyed, your team members are dead or in comas. You are alone and worthless to us. As a matter of record, I am only here wasting time with you because the next jumpship home doesn't arrive for two months." Siegfried leaned back in the chair; the cheap metal of its frame protested loudly. "Forget the monkey... Tell me why I shouldn't just leave you here to rot, forgotten to all but the guard rotation here?" Wolfgang sighed. "You get nothing until I get the monkey back." Siegfried rolled his eyes and got up to leave. "You fought well, Wolfgang Whoever-You-Are. Maybe I return with your monkey later, ja? Maybe you will be more talkative later." He knocked on the door twice. The guarded opened the door and the man was gone a moment later. The downed pilot leaned his head back and closed his eyes. *Next jumpship is in two months, eh?* he thought to himself. *Plenty of time to escape.* His grin widened.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Beware the monkey!

[@derekburge5294]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming That's Sir Tamar to you!

[@perryshaffer8358]

Been a huge fan of this game since the mid '80's, back when it was 2 identical mapsheets with cardboard facsimiles for 'mechs. I still have the FASA rules for Land/Air Mechs floating around. Bought the old games on 5-1/4" and 3-1/2" disks for my IBM 380. What can I say? I'm old. Just discovered the channel. Liked and subscribed. Well done, gentlemen!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I still have the box from the Activision BattleTech “Power Hits” (Crescent Hawks Inception, Revenge & MechWarrior) on 3.5!

[@MathewJC25]

I always liked the other styles of play, like classic and the others. The only reason I don’t like alpha is because it takes the individualism of the mech out and the different weapon systems. But I’m always happy to see more table top!

[@madcat3525]

Great video! You get an email with tracking number. Mine arrived 2days after my email. Some people KS is just showing up. Looking forward to more videos.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Good info - no second email for me yet but I am trying to keep the faith! 😆

[@madcat3525]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming my 2nd email came about week after 1st email. It’s been different for most people.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

@madcat3525 I am trying not to get my hopes up!

[@madcat3525]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Hoping you get yours and Thoms soon.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

@madcat3525 thank you!

[@philippauli8162]

Ronan Carlyle is gonna feel that one in his third quarters balance sheet. Great battle folks!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

LOL too good! Thanks for watching.

[@barryxanchez2965]

Need more Alphastrike. Maybe another 3 parter campaign.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

It could happen!

[@markbrown8154]

Our house rule on Short Range is 10". When we started playing Alpha Strike when it came out (actually, we started with Quick Strike) we changed it to 10" on account of so many mechs crammed into a tiny area when going for the short range shot.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I am into that. Agree with your reasoning!!

[@deleonfrancis60]

You and me others backers are waiting for our kick starter on a sidenote, nice battlerap. Welcome back hopefully next battle report will be with some voice acting I missed those.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@danielwooldridge630]

Great battle report! I love seeing the big gamble of overheating - sometimes you hit a home run and sometimes you strike out. Be wary of the Word of Blake cyborg monkeys!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

The threat is real!!

[@chriscoffee2268]

Heck ya! Let's get a company v company alpha strike. I do enjoy your blend of alpha and classic though.

[@androssthered1157]

Wooooo Battle Report! Got my Mercenaries stuff hoping you guys do too by now. Wouldn't mind getting a pack I missed but all sold out on Aries atm. WAS hoping for a Gray Death win!

[@gavincross2902]

Good game. lol Those Gray Death die were impossible for me to see but then I have walleye vision. :)

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I mean - I was standing at the table and couldn’t read them. But Ben is the most honest guy I know 😂

[@TheNeobuzzard]

Don't forget breach checks if you're in the water. Even if it's only partial, there is still a check.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

There are breach checks in Alpha?

[@TheNeobuzzard]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming AS:CE page 48-49. Under Underwater Damage. To summarize if you take damage while fully submerged your opponent gets a free crit roll. If you're "partially" submerged, you make a 2d6 roll where your target number is your skill+2 to avoid the breach/underwater crit.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Love it!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

Fantastic terrain setup as always! One thing I will say about Alpha Strike, every time I see someone playing it's never with completely stock rules. EVERYBODY seems to mod it in some way. This tells us something about AS doesn't quite fit right. I also prefer modified movement and ranges. The doubling movement and range of stock AS makes any normal kitchen tabletop unusable for anything but all slow assault fights. For ranges we combine true short range weapons like MGs with physical attacks and use short 1-9, medium, 10-15, and long 16-25. As Battletech was intended. You would be AMAZED at how modding the ranges to recognizable brackets and making mechs Battletech walk speed their AS movement brings in the Classic players. Bringing back the tactical use of true medium range weapons brings back more of the Classic feel without the long play times. Try it. You would be amazed!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I agree with everything here - it’s really the driver behind our Override system (based on AS and MW: Destiny). The ranges are weird choices. Short is way too short. Medium is a weird cutoff. Long doesn’t feel long enough. We are pretty happy with it once you get the right mix of optional rules, but I like your method as well!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Thanks.For close weapons like MGs we put C+ a number in the specials section to indicate additional damage at contact/physical attack range. The typical 2 MGs get C+1 to show they get an additional point of physical attack damage ( similar to the 2018 Battletech video game). Rare occasions where there are enough point blank weapons a unit can achieve more but it's rare. For the rare weapons that shoot past 25 hexes they get an ER for extended range in the special abilities section as well as the actual distance and damage. For instance a unit with a single Clan LB 2-X would get a special of ER 30X1 to indicate a range of 30 and 1 damage. Making the standard long range 25 means very few weapons fit this category. Since the Clan ER Large is pretty common that's why we stretched it to 25 to avoid as many specials. Without a radically different system like Override it's the simplest solution we could find overall. This modded systems gives mechs like the Phoenix Hawk and Clan Black Hawk back their tactical advantage against units with only short range weapons. Wish it were made this way in the first place. We'd win over Classic players like crazy.

[@RecklessFables]

​@@HouseDavieMercdo you fiddle with the points then?

[@HouseDavieMerc]

@@RecklessFables Yes but we don't have it all perfectly calculated yet. We adjust the PV up or down as well as the damage done at appropriate ranges. The original calculations are no longer published in the Commander's Eddition. We need to get a hold of the older editions and come up with a better system for calculating PV. Even without the range/movement changes most believe the old PV calculation system needs redone. So far we've just been adding a point or 2 of PV to mechs with medium range weapons. For friendly games it's worked well enough but we need to come up with a better mathematical formula.

[@ysiel1676]

Nice content as usual. Pleased to see the lyran commonwealth in action. New subscriber for the amazing job you have done. Thanks you sooo much to the DFA team. Greetings from Europe. Anyone knows where i can find the new battlelord/wolverine/CRO-8R (don't know this one)? Ty.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Aries Games and Minis. BattleMaster and Wolverine are both in the “Game of Armored Combat” box.

[@user-nm2lx5ob4c]

The figures and the terrain are amazing. I just picked up a few of the same terrain pieces as stl’s. Great game as always!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thank you! Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching

[@Gh0stClown]

I think you'll find the Marian Hegemony has the best pizza in the Inner Sphere/Periphery

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Deep dish or thin crust?

[@Gh0stClown]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Sarna tells me that apparently Chicago is way over by Raven Alliance space, so probably thin crust.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

@Gh0stClown LOL

[@rburt3]

Must be some FCCW shenanigans up in here.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

The only shenanigans are due to Capellans.

[@UrbanmechAce]

Is that the goosebumps theme in the background?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

lol no it’s either from the old MW2 soundtrack or from our DFA albums (available on all streaming platforms!)

[@christopher1821]

I swear, like 90% of the comments I see on every video are some variation of “I’m so glad you’re playing MY FAVORITE ruleset!” …I’m just happy you guys play at all. Don’t really care what ruleset it is 😅

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha thank you! It is hard to please everyone!

[@csudab]

If you 180° rotate the ceiling cam, the team on the left of the screen will remain on the left :)

[@banzailancer9969]

The pilot dice is very interesting. Is this a DFA invention or from another source?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

A vintage DFA invention!

[@onomatopoeia7505]

Am I the only one seeing a Centurion when showing the Trebuchet and vice versa in the intro?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Yes.

[@alecciarosewater7438]

so are you using the primitive lrm carrier Are the mechs just carrying giant containers of water while shooting at the steiners? Or did the legion steal cargo trucks so they can steal the water?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Or maybe they were securing the area so container dropships could land?

[@verysilentmouse]

Wrong title oops

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Hah! Thanks for pointing that out!! Will fix

[@BwfVid]

The only Monkey left is Micky Dolenz.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Sad but true

[@markbrown8154]

Aaron, what are your flexible rivers made from?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Oh man I wish I could remember - they were from the EU somewhere. Neoprene. But I can’t find the site.

[@markbrown8154]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming That's still handy to know. Thanks

[@nuclearrylaw7616]

Calling it now at 9:33 that the Marauder is gonna kill one of the small mechs, will make an edit after watching the full thing 😂 Edit: didn’t take out a small boi but definitely happy to see it take down a Orion 😂 rest well my Marauder son you’ve done me proud 🫡😂

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

lol enjoy

[@spudcrusade3197]

What colors were used to paint the GDL? They look awesome!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks - that is Ben’s masterwork. He is planning on releasing some details on that soon!

[@A88mph]

The Briefing says New Exford, but above the map says Alyina. Then the GDL's Trebuchet and Centurion minis were mixed up.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Yeah mistakes happen. Good thing you aren’t paying for anything.

[@ThisName1]

Did you guys say Wawa? So your in PA, NJ, or FL most likely.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Near Philly!

[@ThisName1]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming same!

[@DwarfElvishDiplomacy]

Well, the mercs are taking their sweet time i guess

[@delaneyalusa]

Still waiting on 2 orders. 1 Verification though 2 weeks ago

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

I can't decide if it's fitting or strange to see the GDL going up against the Lyrans. What I can say is that my lingering resentment over GDC's full-on pro-KSD kool-aide chugging makes it so that no matter who loses in this battle, I win.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Oooh yeaaaah

[@Andaman1979999]

It's a PA thing. That's why we haven't received them Lol

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

*shakes fist at the heavens* whhhhyyyyy

[@alanrickett2537]

You must have been fighting WoB dressed up as GDL doesn't die that easy

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

lol we turned “plot armor” off in the settings

[@geoffgill8054]

Uhhh, short range is already 6". Always has been, or at least that's the range in commanders edition. Did you mean something else?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

In hex map scale (1:1 )it’s 3”… but I know the way I phrased it, it was a little confusing. So in Raw 2:1 it would be 12”.

[@geoffgill8054]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ahhh, I see. I feel like 12" would be way too large for standard AS. On boards with good cover you would be in short range for most of the game. I think the half speed/half range rules you guys use affects that because it is hard for you guys to move around terrain and from cover to cover just due to spacing on the table.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You could be right there - but I have played 2:1 and I am still rarely in short range. But maybe it’s a play-style thing.

[@geoffgill8054]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming it's definitely still not common, medium is the workhorse range band normally, but fast mechs/vees that are aiming to deliver battle armor or get in and brawl over objectives will get there. Though maybe not all of them

[@intense_pickle]

Watching this video as someone who is uninitiated with this game, but is familiar with others, watching you guys double-check everything and hesitate due to making sure your numbers are right is very off-putting. If you're having trouble, how would I fare, yk?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Congrats. You won the “dumbest comment of the month” award.

[@verysilentmouse]

But yay gdl

[@DwarfElvishDiplomacy]

What is the soundtrack when the Donegal Guards are shown ? I have been searching for years to find out, all i can remember is that it was in a trailer for some kind of mech game and it was on my diablo 1 CD

[@cavemanbum]

It's from the "Command & Conquer - Red Alert" soundtrack from the late 1990s.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Its from MW2: Mercenaries - not C&C

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

It's "Dragon's Teeth" from the original MW2 Mercenaries OST. I believe it's labeled as Track 17, for those who still have their discs.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You know I do 😁