The colors! THE COLORS! Oh, my! Those birds in the greens and that slap-your-momma camo on the Knights. It all looks so good on that map. I can't. I can't. I'm blinded by its magnificence.
I think those elementals helped make this game way more balanced then the first attempt. That Gauss King Crab as an anchor really helped Aaron counter the range distance of the clans. I think if Tom had ran more through the city, he would have taken the game. Very enjoyable battle report over all! Keep it up guys!
Good assessment! Thom and I were having a similar convo after the game - those two Omegas on the hill were out of position - holding the back corner and pushing up through the city might have been a better approach for sure.
The city forces shooting lanes and a bad init roll leaves you way vulnerable to flanking/rear shots which is risky (and deadly af in as) - and clan seems better at range vs close of the city. The second elemental force could’ve caused wreckage in the city but I though I was going to have an AWS and a vehicle to deal with. Keeping them on the hill kept the meaty mechs occupied. But yeah definitely thought about it - could’ve went well!
@@tBERGracer you are definitley right about there being additional dangers in a city fight, especially in AS. JJs can help mitigate some of the advantages winning initiative can grant your opponent in a city fight. This is even more so in AS when jumping doesn't boost up your heat like crazy (all the bonus without half the drawback). You didn't have a lot of JJ equipped units but food for thought for the future. It gives you the ability to switch between a strong defense and a strong offensive, round to round, depending on initiative. Also ridding your elemental carrying mechs through the city forces your opponent to get in knife fight range. The range elementals are most effective in.
This was an exciting battle. However I prefer the classic rules because I like to see the different parts getting hit. I will still watch all your videos though.
Absolutely love the paint jobs on all the Mechs in this one. The cityscape was equally impressive and provided some great opportunities to hide and fire around corners. That SRM Carrier into the Mist Lnyx and the Adder Head shot were definitely highlights. Looking forward to more Clan vs IS batreps... and of course a Jade Falcon win. :)
i'm doing a document of all existing units, with all their statistics, done by era, to have an easier way off looking up me options when picking my units (to avoid that frustrating requirement of needing internet + loading and checking individually each units's card)... I posted it on the battletech alpha strike internationnal facebook page, if it could be of any use to one of you guys. All units up to renaissance are done. Next is clan invasion...
Yah we have been talking about that. It seems “unfair” to give clans an arbitrary advantage just so it fits the narrative, you know? Trying to consider ways we could give the IS equally impactful but different benefits.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Aren't narrative games all about little arbitrary changes, scenario constraints and assorted fun goodies, whatever it takes to serve the... well, narrative? Basically if I showed up to an event of yours, I'd have no qualms with Clan exemption from forced withdrawal.. maybe except for if the enemy is Diamond Shark or whatever.
@@Derpy-qg9hn A better metric IMO would be look at the morale rating of the given Cluster in the appropriate Field manual. What you say makes sense for a Fanatical unit, but not every unit is that zealously devoted.
Great game. I agree with once failed moral go into full forced withdrawal. Only other thing was being shocked by how thin Clan armour is, really thought they would have more for clan tech but those XL engines really weaken their survivability.
This was such an exciting battle to watch! Great matchups and close right up to the final round. Really cool to see combined arms here. Those Elementals were downright scary! Oof, that SRM Carrier for the win! Those things are so deadly in the city, but without the Marauder to draw attention, it likely wouldn't have lasted long. Seems like in the Inner Sphere, it's the mechwarriors that get the glory, but it's the tank crews that get the job done! Great job as always guys.
I know it's almost a year old for the video, but I loved watching this one. The commentary for the Elementals hopping onto the Marauder to crack open the shell and reaching all over to grab trophies to wear was hilarious. I imagined the Marauder pilot being traumatized and screaming about the little gremlins pulling his 'Mech apart. I'm not so sure if the rules for Forced Withdrawal should not have a morale roll to see if Force Withdrawal should take effect. It seems like in so many of the battles, Clan Warriors get sneezed on internally, and end up Zoidberging out of a fight. Something with 3 structure gets nicked internally for 1 pip, and now he has to go in reverse for the rest of the match.
Thanks for sharing, have been interested in seeing IS vehicles versus the clans and seeing elementals in AS. Seemed very close, RNG evened out enough. Go Avatar Knights!
Vehicles are fairly flimsy and relatively slow. Without the cover provided the city the srm carrier could have been taken out at long range before it got close enough especially as they're easily immobilized. The lrm Bulldogs are only slightly tougher and a lot less lethal.
Yeah it’s all true - in the open they are really susceptible to motive hits. I was hoping for more out of that manticore but it got trashed. Still, worth the points and overall I would give vehicles 5 stars would buy again
Why the HELL you don't have more subscribers? I've stumbled upon you people by accident. Never played Tabletop, probably never will, but this is amazing. Please, keep making those!
Great battle report you guys. I don't know what came over me on this one, but I was actually kinda rooting for Jade Falcon. God I feel so dirty for admitting that😒. But in my defense it was out of a morbid curiosity of really wanting to see what kind of shenanigans those Elementals could get up to. Did a lot of clan vs IS back in the day, but I don't think anyone ever busted out the toads so it was exciting to see them on the field. Cheers!
Stalagmites are the ones that grow from the ground and stalactites from the ceiling. Useful way to remember: The M looks like it is growing up and the T looks like it is growing from the ceiling. StalagMite, StalacTite. But since you're not in a cave, those are probably Hoodoos anyway :)
20:30 Your grade school teachers didn't do their job. Always remember "hang tight/tite" because stalactites hang from the cave ceiling. There's a ton of other mnemonics for them, but that's the shortest one. Stuck with me for about 50 years now. Debatable if it's more or less useful than knowing the Classic BT hit location chart from memory. :)
A very close battle this time, with a late-game swing due to some really key hits. How do elemental points do against vehicles in tight quarters? Obviously the SRM carrier melted that one point, but in a more general sense I'd think that their ability to jump and to engage in melee would give them an edge against tanks at very short ranges.
Yeah they would do well as long as you can keep them covered and get them into range or base contact without getting cut down. Throwing them on a fast mech is a fun tactic.
Great batrep, really love what you guys are putting out! I think not closing to short range with IS forces is a mistake though. Clans almost always have the better chance to hit but less armor represented on the field--get close to where you aren't missing either, and have the slug-fest that I think the heavier IS forces win.
SRM carriers, I will never forget first time using a brand new blood asp mini. Got ambushed by an SRM carrier. No floating crits no armor penetration. got hit 4 times in the head. Mech fell over and pilot died. Ever since then they get shot first. Whether it be air strike or arty fire I make sure they die.
This match kind of felt like that first time I played Mechwarrior 2 and picked Jade Falcon, you go in you do your thing and you come back and the after action report shows that even though you think you did well the Falcon's were overall decimated behind the scenes, like every single mission.
I keep forgetting to mention, but: even though the original turn summary graphics will always hold a special place in my heart, I *really* like how its evolved. Hopefully slightly less work for you, but does a great job and keeps the focus on the batrep itself. Well done! - I like the morale rules. For campaign games, it still makes sense to try and preserve resources, so I might modify it so that a pass would allow you to withdraw at half movement rather than full. but still require a withdrawal. - Using that infuriating and expensive dropship model as a salt storage facility....I legit lol'd. - the paint job on those elementals does look fantastic, Tom - didn't those toads have flamers? Marauder should also have been 1pt hot I think. Even though it didn't shoot and could have cooled down, heat damage from attacks that round apply after cool down. Insult to injury for sure, but thought I'd mention it as its confused us as well. - though still bloody (and super entertaining as a result), this match felt a bit more balanced, but still kind of swingy. Last note: grabbed myself the new catapult sculpt with the C2 variant parts from Aries. First metal mini in an age. Good savings and great experience overall.
Awesome! Thanks 🙂 We are revising morale a little and have some good ideas for the next time. The elementals did have flamers - I did not think that ability applied on an anti mech (melee) attack but will double check! Lmk if you have a page #! Thanks for watching as always - appreciate the support 🙂
Found out the other day that someone over at Catalyst game labs added my old MWO unit to the canon in the second succession wars book but left basically no written lore other than it's canon. I wonder what they'll do with Antares Scorpions, maybe the great scorpion will rise again?
@@caljohnson875 I was ecstatic, too bad our Unit has since dissolved and it's hard to find our old logo and other things. I'm totally gunna paint up some of my 2nd wave minis in the camo spec of mate black, some sort of dark red, and dark grey for trim.
As far as balancing is concerned: What worries me a bit is the IS side where holding the center with three 'Mechs and one armored unit, the Marauder and 3 other vehicles where in the city and still the Clans couldn't get the upper hand. I don't think the JF side have been unlucky at dice rolling in this one (rather the opposite).
I think the trend you’ll see as the battlereports progress is that certain mechs (eg mist lynx) are just a waste of points. Also stacking the clan force with all elites does not help the situation. Trying to conform to the lore (elite pilots 5-mech star) is disadvantageous. I’d like to run some battles where the clan force is primarily veteran level and I think you’ll see the playing field greatly leveled out.
Forgot the additional plus 1 for anti-mech attacks by battle armor. Non ba infantry have a plus 3 for anti-mech attacks. Other than that it was a great game, loving it.
Nice video as always, you guys do a good job with the backstory and the battle. I have a question about the turn when the Marauder got swarmed by the Mist Lynx and the Elementals. The Marauder didn't shoot anything that turn. Was that intentional or an oversight?
I don't think it had anything to shoot at, if I recall. I was in base to base with it and had hidden my other mech around the building. But I could be misremembering as well.
Normally I would totally agree with the static physical damage roll, but in the case with the Elementals I think variable makes more sense. Maybe only two of them breach the armor? Same in the reverse, maybe he only steps on two.
Really enjoying these battle reports and can't wait for the next one. Loved the paint schemes, especially the Knights which are really cool looking. Thought the battle was a lot more even than last time and I felt that the result was more determined by a bit of bad luck and a few mistakes rather than feeling like the clans were completely out matched (although I think that was more an issue of the unfavourable scenario and dice issues in the first game rather than balance). I also really liked the combined arms, especially the elementals, which were fun. Balance wise I'm wondering if your long range house rule is skewing things making the higher skill worth less? I was thinking that you could perhaps counter this by giving the clans a free +1 skill upgrade.
any tips for classic battletech when it comes to clan vs innersphere for the innersphere side? I am running my own Megamek campaign and it will soon head into the clan invasion era.
Megamek will help tremendously to keep all the rules straight - thats 80% of the challenge 🙂 keep an eye on BV. PV is a more balanced measure, but BV tends to really blow up fast from the Clan Invasion era on... and it does not tend to favor the clan mechs!
Excellent battle report and the first one I've watched for BattleTech. I made it to your channel following a recommendation from "Cranky Old Gamer" and I decided to watch this particular one as a friend is getting started in BattleTech but wants to use the Alpha Strike rule set. I'm typically a "classic" player using the paper maps and boards along with the traditional unit sheets. I'm a House Steiner player but I've never strayed into the Clan Invasion Era and it definitely looks as though I'll have to grab some tanks to support my mech's. I'll certainly be having an in-depth look through your channel but any advice or pointers are always appreciated. The board and terrain all look great, I'm curious to know where you got the unidentified unit markers from as they appear to be an excellent addition.
Hey welcome to the channel! We have a great “intro” series to Alpha Strike you could check out, along with free downloads on our website for things like quick ref sheets and all the optional rules we use.
I would like to point out that the cartoon is no longer cannon and is a in universe cartoon by the tharkkad broadcasting system in lyran space... so of course they would tell people comstar gave them losttech... also good bat rep, first time watching a battletech one. i enjoyed it
We did talk about that, but clan mechs are so expensive and we wanted to follow lore and go with lower piloting which forced the selection. Definitely a lot for us to figure out on the list builder and tactics side of the game.
Even with skill level 2 you should have been able to fit in some heavier mechs. Especially if you dropped some of the elementals They were fun but didn't do a lot for their cost. I thought it was funny when you said you've been list building since the last vid as I've been doing the same. One force I came up with after the last vid was this: Timber Wolf prime, Summoner prime, Vulture prime, Stormcrow prime and Adder prime. All skill 2 comes in at 298pv.
If you have the AS Commander’s Edition, check out the option rules for Multiple Hit Rolls. We combine this with our house “pilot die” rule to give you something (in terms of boom/bust) between RAW and the optional rule. You can find all the optional and an explanation of this house rule in a free download on our website. Also not sure where we rolled 2x to hit - were you looking at the critical roll maybe?
Alpha Strike seems too easy for the IS to destroy a Clan mech. It would be interesting to see a Classic Battletech game and if there is a difference and Clans have more of a tech advantage. Ok well the Adder went down fast, rest of the fight was much better. Would still like to see if there is much of a difference between CBT and AS.
Wow. Elementals are SUPER squishy in this system compared to classic. Generally it takes a minimum of 5 attacks to down a point... Plus AS gives them 4 HP, which is kinda weird for a unit that would have 55 HP in Classic and take a minimum of 5 hits to destroy. It really feels like each hit against Elementals should do a maximum of one pip. And that's not even mentioning the +3 modifier for stomping infantry.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Yeah I know 😭😭😭. It's all part of your devious plan. Let the other clans be the labrats for testing balance. When you have it figured out, you bring in the Wolves. Why couldn't you just paint Jaguars Aaron? I would even root for you.
This was a fun watch, but the sound effects are too loud for the volume of the commentary, for someone who doesn't want to have their ears blasted off in headphones could you turn them down just a notch?
Alpha Strike is mainly hexless, though you can use a map. Classic is the opposite... we prefer the hexless environment simply because the 3D terrain is a bit more immersive - but there is no wrong way to BattleTech 😁
It doesn't really work on the tabletop if you try and follow those zellbrigen rules vs the IS. Also gets a bit restrictive on the players and makes for a duller game.
Battletech turns are 10 seconds... I don't think moral and forced withdrawal would actually factor in at all in 10 seconds... take the Awesome in this video, it was perfectly healthy and then 10 seconds later it was shot to bits... I can't see pilots having time to do much other than dive into cover if it is available in 10 seconds.
That is a good point and great feedback. We have revised the rules a bit so crippling damage always makes you fall back - failing morale means you cant shoot that round vs passing which allows you to attack (but still fall back).
Maybe you should try a battle report without that long range house rule? I think it might be throwing the balance out a bit too far in clan vs is alpha strike.
I think an internal investigation is urgently needed into how an upgraded King Crab ended up in the possession of a mercenary unit of questionable loyalty.
No one understands the ways of ComStar. They see the bigger picture. Perhaps one of the FWL senate sympathizers leveraged their political ties with ComStar to call in a favor? Or maybe the Knights are up to no good.
Old comment, but not really. It's not like they're using clan tech, Comstar just came up with the designation of 001 for their Clanbuster variant. Rare? Yes. But technically anyone could discover a little LosTech and gear up their mech.
robert -- can you explain more? I played JF canon galaxies, on a canon planet using what I think are era and year correct mechs and variants (per MUL). and if possible when you say it's not per canon can you provide references.
@@thomberg3457 ok. In the first wave of the clan invasion NOT ONE inner sphere unit had ANY Helm Memory core equipment. Not even Takashi Kuritas house guards had any modern gear during the battle of Luthien. One or two Mechs out of ENTIRE REGIMENTS may have had an item of lostech. It wasnt until ATER COMSTAR WON AT TUKAYYID, that Inner Sphere units started getting 3039 Memory core gear.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming not really the way they have played out though literally is already de ided before yall move a machine in sheer numbers. Look at it objectively. Speaking from an IS main in the RPGS, there is an air of inevitable loss now in both matches. Literally not one aspect of the clans actual capabilities except cost is showcased in AS. Just saying, from an outside looking on perspective.
I get what you are saying - but these are balanced matches to make for a competitive game. Not an attempt to recreate the lore exactly as it happened. If we were expecting the clans to handily win every match like the books portray, then we wouldn’t be balancing on PV. PS KGC-001 says “IS General” availability in 3050. Take it up with CGL. 😜
I love how interconnected the community is. Between Aries, DFA, Wolfnet Radio, Camo Specs, etc. I feel like it’s one big, battle heavy family
We're a lance!
Im so glad you didnt say “a star”
We’re also a star :P
😱 haha
Hey, nothing brings people together quite like big stompy robots!
The colors! THE COLORS! Oh, my! Those birds in the greens and that slap-your-momma camo on the Knights. It all looks so good on that map. I can't. I can't. I'm blinded by its magnificence.
Thanks Charles! Appreciate you watching. #winning
Yes!
I would also like to see the painting guide...!
I will relay to Thom - he did do some live streaming on this as well!
I think those elementals helped make this game way more balanced then the first attempt. That Gauss King Crab as an anchor really helped Aaron counter the range distance of the clans. I think if Tom had ran more through the city, he would have taken the game. Very enjoyable battle report over all! Keep it up guys!
Good assessment! Thom and I were having a similar convo after the game - those two Omegas on the hill were out of position - holding the back corner and pushing up through the city might have been a better approach for sure.
The city forces shooting lanes and a bad init roll leaves you way vulnerable to flanking/rear shots which is risky (and deadly af in as) - and clan seems better at range vs close of the city. The second elemental force could’ve caused wreckage in the city but I though I was going to have an AWS and a vehicle to deal with. Keeping them on the hill kept the meaty mechs occupied.
But yeah definitely thought about it - could’ve went well!
@@tBERGracer you are definitley right about there being additional dangers in a city fight, especially in AS. JJs can help mitigate some of the advantages winning initiative can grant your opponent in a city fight. This is even more so in AS when jumping doesn't boost up your heat like crazy (all the bonus without half the drawback). You didn't have a lot of JJ equipped units but food for thought for the future. It gives you the ability to switch between a strong defense and a strong offensive, round to round, depending on initiative.
Also ridding your elemental carrying mechs through the city forces your opponent to get in knife fight range. The range elementals are most effective in.
@@lesjames2478 I always forget about jump jets!
This was an exciting battle. However I prefer the classic rules because I like to see the different parts getting hit. I will still watch all your videos though.
Absolutely love the paint jobs on all the Mechs in this one. The cityscape was equally impressive and provided some great opportunities to hide and fire around corners.
That SRM Carrier into the Mist Lnyx and the Adder Head shot were definitely highlights.
Looking forward to more Clan vs IS batreps... and of course a Jade Falcon win. :)
You and Thom with your CJF love. 🤮
Hahah 😘
Man I love those default mech/tanks for unknown sensor contacts. It really captures the mechanic well. It reminds me so much of HBS Battletech.
This one was a lot of fun. Nice work on this, fellas! BTW, love that 1080p, Patreon folks!
i'm doing a document of all existing units, with all their statistics, done by era, to have an easier way off looking up me options when picking my units (to avoid that frustrating requirement of needing internet + loading and checking individually each units's card)... I posted it on the battletech alpha strike internationnal facebook page, if it could be of any use to one of you guys. All units up to renaissance are done. Next is clan invasion...
If I might suggest a houserule: no force withdrawal for Clanners. With their low internal pips and their honor codex it'd fit them quite well I guess.
Yah we have been talking about that. It seems “unfair” to give clans an arbitrary advantage just so it fits the narrative, you know? Trying to consider ways we could give the IS equally impactful but different benefits.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Aren't narrative games all about little arbitrary changes, scenario constraints and assorted fun goodies, whatever it takes to serve the... well, narrative? Basically if I showed up to an event of yours, I'd have no qualms with Clan exemption from forced withdrawal.. maybe except for if the enemy is Diamond Shark or whatever.
These are points-balanced games with a narrative, not to be confused with a “I’ll play what the novels say”
I would say that Clan units fighting with zellebringen automatically get the special ability Esprit de corps.
@@Derpy-qg9hn A better metric IMO would be look at the morale rating of the given Cluster in the appropriate Field manual. What you say makes sense for a Fanatical unit, but not every unit is that zealously devoted.
A truly epic batrep! Love the elementals and the King Crab! Great Head shot! I also like the morale checks.
Thanks! We have been talking about that rule... putting some little tweaks to it. 😁
The paint job on those clanners is nice to look at!
Great game. I agree with once failed moral go into full forced withdrawal. Only other thing was being shocked by how thin Clan armour is, really thought they would have more for clan tech but those XL engines really weaken their survivability.
Its really debilitating... even in classic those XL engines are such a liability.
I'm enjoying the Clan Invasion games. Nice and thematic with the Kickstarter success. ^_^
Thanks and glad you like it! More on the way 👍
This was such an exciting battle to watch! Great matchups and close right up to the final round. Really cool to see combined arms here. Those Elementals were downright scary!
Oof, that SRM Carrier for the win! Those things are so deadly in the city, but without the Marauder to draw attention, it likely wouldn't have lasted long. Seems like in the Inner Sphere, it's the mechwarriors that get the glory, but it's the tank crews that get the job done!
Great job as always guys.
The city definitely favoured the srm carrier. I always take them out at long range whenever possible.
@@stephenyates1415 I had no idea how deadly they were (my ignorance)!
Epic Gauss round to the head, how cool is that?!??
I know it's almost a year old for the video, but I loved watching this one. The commentary for the Elementals hopping onto the Marauder to crack open the shell and reaching all over to grab trophies to wear was hilarious. I imagined the Marauder pilot being traumatized and screaming about the little gremlins pulling his 'Mech apart.
I'm not so sure if the rules for Forced Withdrawal should not have a morale roll to see if Force Withdrawal should take effect. It seems like in so many of the battles, Clan Warriors get sneezed on internally, and end up Zoidberging out of a fight. Something with 3 structure gets nicked internally for 1 pip, and now he has to go in reverse for the rest of the match.
Wow, Tom, awesome job on the CJF minis!
Alright!
Guys, both forces look great! Like the paint jobs.
Thanks for sharing, have been interested in seeing IS vehicles versus the clans and seeing elementals in AS. Seemed very close, RNG evened out enough. Go Avatar Knights!
It was a close one for sure... lots of fun to play.
Vehicles are absurd in this game :P
@@tBERGracer That is the worry and my interest is seeing play with them.
Vehicles are fairly flimsy and relatively slow. Without the cover provided the city the srm carrier could have been taken out at long range before it got close enough especially as they're easily immobilized. The lrm Bulldogs are only slightly tougher and a lot less lethal.
Yeah it’s all true - in the open they are really susceptible to motive hits. I was hoping for more out of that manticore but it got trashed.
Still, worth the points and overall I would give vehicles 5 stars would buy again
Found this at random. I dig the sound effects! Makes it real. :)
I was hoping for a FedCom vs Jade Falcon battle report, and you guys definitely delivered. Thank you.
You are welcome! No doubt more of it is in the cards so stay tuned and of course thanks for watching! 🙂👍
Why the HELL you don't have more subscribers? I've stumbled upon you people by accident. Never played Tabletop, probably never will, but this is amazing. Please, keep making those!
Thanks! Really appreciate that 🙂 Stay tuned for more!
What a great game! You guys have been putting out content so fast I can't keep up. The upside is there's always another video to be watched!
Thanks for watching as always!!
Great batrep fellas. Those dice had me white knuckling all the way through.
Thanks! It was a close one.
Great battle report you guys. I don't know what came over me on this one, but I was actually kinda rooting for Jade Falcon. God I feel so dirty for admitting that😒. But in my defense it was out of a morbid curiosity of really wanting to see what kind of shenanigans those Elementals could get up to. Did a lot of clan vs IS back in the day, but I don't think anyone ever busted out the toads so it was exciting to see them on the field. Cheers!
Haha I wont hold it against you 😁 hard not to cheer for such well-painted mechs!
Here's to hoping Fedcom kicks some clan turkey tail!
Happy thanksgiving Jade Turkey for dinner. :D
Hahah
[spoiler]
Aaron, as far as I’m concerned AK lore doesn’t exist until you help me release a Spotlight episode. Obscure mercenaries help win the day.
So bitter, lol.
I owe you this Kevin. It’s true.
Lol well played.
Also Aaron keeps calling them Avatar Knights vice Atrean Knights... .;)
When they mutiny from the FWL to fight on the clan front, they rebrand from Atrean Knights to Avatar Knights 😁
Yaaaay, another new BatRep! Keep them coming! But the video is quite dark this time, maybe the camera didn't like the winter map that much?
This is the best batrep I have ever seen, despite beloved CJF losing.
Thanks! 😁👍 And don’t worry, CJF will make a comeback.
Stalagmites are the ones that grow from the ground and stalactites from the ceiling. Useful way to remember: The M looks like it is growing up and the T looks like it is growing from the ceiling. StalagMite, StalacTite. But since you're not in a cave, those are probably Hoodoos anyway :)
20:30 Your grade school teachers didn't do their job. Always remember "hang tight/tite" because stalactites hang from the cave ceiling. There's a ton of other mnemonics for them, but that's the shortest one. Stuck with me for about 50 years now. Debatable if it's more or less useful than knowing the Classic BT hit location chart from memory. :)
Lol! Love it.
A very close battle this time, with a late-game swing due to some really key hits.
How do elemental points do against vehicles in tight quarters? Obviously the SRM carrier melted that one point, but in a more general sense I'd think that their ability to jump and to engage in melee would give them an edge against tanks at very short ranges.
Yah I think if they would have swarmed it, it’d be over. AM plus motive hits etc. bad day for tanks.
Yeah they would do well as long as you can keep them covered and get them into range or base contact without getting cut down. Throwing them on a fast mech is a fun tactic.
Great batrep, really love what you guys are putting out! I think not closing to short range with IS forces is a mistake though. Clans almost always have the better chance to hit but less armor represented on the field--get close to where you aren't missing either, and have the slug-fest that I think the heavier IS forces win.
SRM carriers, I will never forget first time using a brand new blood asp mini. Got ambushed by an SRM carrier. No floating crits no armor penetration. got hit 4 times in the head. Mech fell over and pilot died. Ever since then they get shot first. Whether it be air strike or arty fire I make sure they die.
lol anyone would have SRM Carrier PTSD after that experience!
That tank is the stuff of nightmares yet its so unassuming. You just don't realize what it can do till it does it. Poor myst lynx paid a heavy price.
Another awesome job fellas. Thanks. Loved the banter. Lol
Haha thanks for watching as always! Never a dull moment with Thom around 😁
Heck yeah here we go again
This match kind of felt like that first time I played Mechwarrior 2 and picked Jade Falcon, you go in you do your thing and you come back and the after action report shows that even though you think you did well the Falcon's were overall decimated behind the scenes, like every single mission.
Hahahah loved that game.
I keep forgetting to mention, but: even though the original turn summary graphics will always hold a special place in my heart, I *really* like how its evolved. Hopefully slightly less work for you, but does a great job and keeps the focus on the batrep itself. Well done!
- I like the morale rules. For campaign games, it still makes sense to try and preserve resources, so I might modify it so that a pass would allow you to withdraw at half movement rather than full. but still require a withdrawal.
- Using that infuriating and expensive dropship model as a salt storage facility....I legit lol'd.
- the paint job on those elementals does look fantastic, Tom
- didn't those toads have flamers? Marauder should also have been 1pt hot I think. Even though it didn't shoot and could have cooled down, heat damage from attacks that round apply after cool down. Insult to injury for sure, but thought I'd mention it as its confused us as well.
- though still bloody (and super entertaining as a result), this match felt a bit more balanced, but still kind of swingy.
Last note: grabbed myself the new catapult sculpt with the C2 variant parts from Aries. First metal mini in an age. Good savings and great experience overall.
Awesome! Thanks 🙂
We are revising morale a little and have some good ideas for the next time.
The elementals did have flamers - I did not think that ability applied on an anti mech (melee) attack but will double check! Lmk if you have a page #!
Thanks for watching as always - appreciate the support 🙂
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Anti-Mech Infantry Attacks - pg 46 and Cooling Down - pg 53
Great stuff!
Found out the other day that someone over at Catalyst game labs added my old MWO unit to the canon in the second succession wars book but left basically no written lore other than it's canon. I wonder what they'll do with Antares Scorpions, maybe the great scorpion will rise again?
That is awesome!
@@caljohnson875 I was ecstatic, too bad our Unit has since dissolved and it's hard to find our old logo and other things. I'm totally gunna paint up some of my 2nd wave minis in the camo spec of mate black, some sort of dark red, and dark grey for trim.
Nothing better!
Need... More.... Alphastrike! Keep em comin
We got a whole new campaign series!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming sweet! I'ma keep my eye out
Seemed like that srm carrier needed to get in on the action earlier.
As far as balancing is concerned: What worries me a bit is the IS side where holding the center with three 'Mechs and one armored unit, the Marauder and 3 other vehicles where in the city and still the Clans couldn't get the upper hand. I don't think the JF side have been unlucky at dice rolling in this one (rather the opposite).
I think the trend you’ll see as the battlereports progress is that certain mechs (eg mist lynx) are just a waste of points. Also stacking the clan force with all elites does not help the situation. Trying to conform to the lore (elite pilots 5-mech star) is disadvantageous.
I’d like to run some battles where the clan force is primarily veteran level and I think you’ll see the playing field greatly leveled out.
Love the classic Steiner recon lance. LOL
Haha always have the lore in mind 😜
Defend and get paid? Seems good to me!
Holy hell that terrain looks tops! Where did you pick it up from?
Thanks! From a variety of places - buildings are 3D printed from ebay/amazon, XMarx makes some great stuff, battlemats are from PWork.
Forgot the additional plus 1 for anti-mech attacks by battle armor. Non ba infantry have a plus 3 for anti-mech attacks. Other than that it was a great game, loving it.
Are there plans to play CBT sometime in the future?
Misread the hell outta this one, till I remembered where I was.
Nice video as always, you guys do a good job with the backstory and the battle. I have a question about the turn when the Marauder got swarmed by the Mist Lynx and the Elementals. The Marauder didn't shoot anything that turn. Was that intentional or an oversight?
Well crap! If it didnt shoot then I wiffed... let’s call it pilot panic. Haha
I don't think it had anything to shoot at, if I recall. I was in base to base with it and had hidden my other mech around the building. But I could be misremembering as well.
I should have drop kicked you.
Normally I would totally agree with the static physical damage roll, but in the case with the Elementals I think variable makes more sense. Maybe only two of them breach the armor? Same in the reverse, maybe he only steps on two.
I like this feedback. Could warrant a change specific to/from infantry attacks.
Damn, all of those mechs are beautiful
Thanks!! Thom and Kev really showing off their skillz with these new models!
Great battle report! Where did you get those sky scrapers ? Love them , they look awesome! Keep up the great content
Looks like they are 3d printed from a filament printer. I wouldn't mind knowing where they got the files though. :)
Thanks! Yah they were filament printed through a guy on ebay... NickDo3D
Let's see if those stuck up Davion clowns fair as well as the Dragon!
Bring it, Drac. ^_^
The Suns can always find time to go snake hunting. : )
Really enjoying these battle reports and can't wait for the next one. Loved the paint schemes, especially the Knights which are really cool looking.
Thought the battle was a lot more even than last time and I felt that the result was more determined by a bit of bad luck and a few mistakes rather than feeling like the clans were completely out matched (although I think that was more an issue of the unfavourable scenario and dice issues in the first game rather than balance). I also really liked the combined arms, especially the elementals, which were fun.
Balance wise I'm wondering if your long range house rule is skewing things making the higher skill worth less? I was thinking that you could perhaps counter this by giving the clans a free +1 skill upgrade.
Love the input! Thanks for watching and stay tuned ... got another batrep on the editing bench right now 🙂
Great Battle it I love the terrain even more! Where did it all come from? I struggle to find decent 6mm terrain!
Check out our “Terrain Review” series in the Hobby Tutorial playlist!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming will do, thanks!
any tips for classic battletech when it comes to clan vs innersphere for the innersphere side? I am running my own Megamek campaign and it will soon head into the clan invasion era.
Megamek will help tremendously to keep all the rules straight - thats 80% of the challenge 🙂 keep an eye on BV. PV is a more balanced measure, but BV tends to really blow up fast from the Clan Invasion era on... and it does not tend to favor the clan mechs!
Excellent battle report and the first one I've watched for BattleTech. I made it to your channel following a recommendation from "Cranky Old Gamer" and I decided to watch this particular one as a friend is getting started in BattleTech but wants to use the Alpha Strike rule set. I'm typically a "classic" player using the paper maps and boards along with the traditional unit sheets. I'm a House Steiner player but I've never strayed into the Clan Invasion Era and it definitely looks as though I'll have to grab some tanks to support my mech's.
I'll certainly be having an in-depth look through your channel but any advice or pointers are always appreciated. The board and terrain all look great, I'm curious to know where you got the unidentified unit markers from as they appear to be an excellent addition.
Hey welcome to the channel! We have a great “intro” series to Alpha Strike you could check out, along with free downloads on our website for things like quick ref sheets and all the optional rules we use.
I would like to point out that the cartoon is no longer cannon and is a in universe cartoon by the tharkkad broadcasting system in lyran space... so of course they would tell people comstar gave them losttech... also good bat rep, first time watching a battletech one. i enjoyed it
Thanks for watching!
Newb question. How do you figure out the attack dice for extreme range?
Its simply long range minus 1! The rules are buried in the “optional rules” section of the Commander’s Edition.
Let's go!!!!
Honestly,I think Jade Facon force was too light. It needed at least one heavy mech.
The Mad Dogs (Vultures) are heavy mechs.
We did talk about that, but clan mechs are so expensive and we wanted to follow lore and go with lower piloting which forced the selection. Definitely a lot for us to figure out on the list builder and tactics side of the game.
Even with skill level 2 you should have been able to fit in some heavier mechs. Especially if you dropped some of the elementals They were fun but didn't do a lot for their cost.
I thought it was funny when you said you've been list building since the last vid as I've been doing the same. One force I came up with after the last vid was this:
Timber Wolf prime, Summoner prime, Vulture prime, Stormcrow prime and Adder prime. All skill 2 comes in at 298pv.
Yeah - We did a 5v8. Check out the Ghost Bear vs Draconis Combine batrep! Kev had a big ol’ Executioner in there 👍
Maybe you should try tonage, like 100 tons for clans and 140 tons for IS.
i dont understand the "more then 2 dice" being rolled. and why did the king crab roll twice to hit?
If you have the AS Commander’s Edition, check out the option rules for Multiple Hit Rolls. We combine this with our house “pilot die” rule to give you something (in terms of boom/bust) between RAW and the optional rule.
You can find all the optional and an explanation of this house rule in a free download on our website.
Also not sure where we rolled 2x to hit - were you looking at the critical roll maybe?
Thom can you paint me up some omega galaxy mechs when my kickstarter shows up, I love that paint job more every time I see them
Maybe I can convince him to do a tutorial as well!
Inner Sphere is OP!
can you guys do some clan stuff that isnt alpha strike?
Alpha Strike seems too easy for the IS to destroy a Clan mech. It would be interesting to see a Classic Battletech game and if there is a difference and Clans have more of a tech advantage.
Ok well the Adder went down fast, rest of the fight was much better. Would still like to see if there is much of a difference between CBT and AS.
Wow. Elementals are SUPER squishy in this system compared to classic. Generally it takes a minimum of 5 attacks to down a point... Plus AS gives them 4 HP, which is kinda weird for a unit that would have 55 HP in Classic and take a minimum of 5 hits to destroy. It really feels like each hit against Elementals should do a maximum of one pip. And that's not even mentioning the +3 modifier for stomping infantry.
Yah these things are not the toughest in AS…
That one person who left a dislike must have not rolled high enough
lol it makes us feel important when we have critics 😁
I wana see a Jade Falcon victory. Or a clan victory that isn't clan Wolf.
Haha I have a Clan Wolf force waiting to go 😜
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Yeah I know 😭😭😭. It's all part of your devious plan. Let the other clans be the labrats for testing balance. When you have it figured out, you bring in the Wolves. Why couldn't you just paint Jaguars Aaron? I would even root for you.
😆😆 too funny!!! You have me figured out 😁
Mad dog prime: 2x LRM20 2X LG PULSE LASER 2X MED PULSE LASER
Mad dog c: 2x gauss rifle
This was a fun watch, but the sound effects are too loud for the volume of the commentary, for someone who doesn't want to have their ears blasted off in headphones could you turn them down just a notch?
Curious how we get onto the discord you mentioned?
We are on the Everything BattleTech discord hosted by the legend: David Vivas!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming can i get an invite? lol
discord.gg/dbcXAzMF
A Gauss rifle to the head? Pilot Hamburger.
A cruel fate. 😆
This also seems to be other then actual battletech.
This was using the Alpha Strike ruleset not the Classic Battletech ruleset.
no hexes?
Never!!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ok , not for me so.
Alpha Strike is mainly hexless, though you can use a map. Classic is the opposite... we prefer the hexless environment simply because the 3D terrain is a bit more immersive - but there is no wrong way to BattleTech 😁
Text book SRM carrier.
It looked like clans won... im confused.
Crazy I know.
Mistake made is that the falcon player used two mechs on one. this is a break in lore if its the initial clan invasion.
It doesn't really work on the tabletop if you try and follow those zellbrigen rules vs the IS. Also gets a bit restrictive on the players and makes for a duller game.
Battletech turns are 10 seconds... I don't think moral and forced withdrawal would actually factor in at all in 10 seconds... take the Awesome in this video, it was perfectly healthy and then 10 seconds later it was shot to bits... I can't see pilots having time to do much other than dive into cover if it is available in 10 seconds.
That is a good point and great feedback. We have revised the rules a bit so crippling damage always makes you fall back - failing morale means you cant shoot that round vs passing which allows you to attack (but still fall back).
Maybe if you weren’t playing with every mech having a long large targeting computer lower pilot skill would be more relevant.
It would definitely!
Maybe you should try a battle report without that long range house rule? I think it might be throwing the balance out a bit too far in clan vs is alpha strike.
Not having watched yet, im not sure i like the clans odds.....i mean its a King Crab.......
Both meaty and delicious.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Why no love on the Dragon Fire.....i don't think ive seen one used in any of your videos
IS pilot dice were horrible rolls through out the entire game.
I'm going to call BS on this one come on guys you know the crab with the gauss rifles is a comstar exclusive.....
BS noted!
I think an internal investigation is urgently needed into how an upgraded King Crab ended up in the possession of a mercenary unit of questionable loyalty.
No one understands the ways of ComStar. They see the bigger picture. Perhaps one of the FWL senate sympathizers leveraged their political ties with ComStar to call in a favor? Or maybe the Knights are up to no good.
Old comment, but not really. It's not like they're using clan tech, Comstar just came up with the designation of 001 for their Clanbuster variant. Rare? Yes. But technically anyone could discover a little LosTech and gear up their mech.
And again non lore units with non available gear. In AS clan is weighted to lose. So yall enjoy but I'm not viewing non lore games man. Have fun.
robert -- can you explain more? I played JF canon galaxies, on a canon planet using what I think are era and year correct mechs and variants (per MUL).
and if possible when you say it's not per canon can you provide references.
@@thomberg3457 ok. In the first wave of the clan invasion NOT ONE inner sphere unit had ANY Helm Memory core equipment. Not even Takashi Kuritas house guards had any modern gear during the battle of Luthien. One or two Mechs out of ENTIRE REGIMENTS may have had an item of lostech. It wasnt until ATER COMSTAR WON AT TUKAYYID, that Inner Sphere units started getting 3039 Memory core gear.
Do you think we should also give the clans more PV so they steamroll the IS just like the lore?
Sounds like a pretty boring game.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming not really the way they have played out though literally is already de ided before yall move a machine in sheer numbers. Look at it objectively. Speaking from an IS main in the RPGS, there is an air of inevitable loss now in both matches. Literally not one aspect of the clans actual capabilities except cost is showcased in AS. Just saying, from an outside looking on perspective.
I get what you are saying - but these are balanced matches to make for a competitive game. Not an attempt to recreate the lore exactly as it happened.
If we were expecting the clans to handily win every match like the books portray, then we wouldn’t be balancing on PV.
PS KGC-001 says “IS General” availability in 3050. Take it up with CGL. 😜