FlashPoint Sarna

 

Historical Overview

After the death of Joshua Marik in 3057, Victor Steiner-Davion replaced the child with a double to keep war supplies from the Free Worlds League coming to his forces. Thomas Marik discovered this substitution in September of that year, and ordered the Free Worlds League Military to attack the Federated Commonwealth in retaliation for the deception. Most of these worlds were former Free Worlds League planets that the Federated Commonwealth had captured and integrated into the Sarna March. Sun-Tzu Liao ordered the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces to attack Sarna March worlds as well to support his (possible) father-in-law.

Simultaneously with the attacks on the Sarna March by the FWLM and CCAF, Katherine Steiner-Davion announced the formation of the Lyran Alliance and declared her nation neutral in the conflict.

Prior to the offensive, Capellan terrorists had stirred up old Capellan loyalties among the populace, as well as masterminding many terrorist attacks targeting the infrastructure of these systems. In the absence of national militaries, many local governors (and other concerned interests) seized the initiative to restore order. On the worlds where this restoration was successful, most governments were resentful of the apparent lack of interest by the Great Houses, and set up their own nations. Some of these minor powers became influential enough to become multi-world nation-states. The constantly shifting web of alliances, as well as the rapid rise and fall of planetary-level governments led observers to dub this area of instability the Chaos March.

During Operation GUERRERO Sarna was attacked by the CCAF‘s Stapleton’s Grenadiers, who were supported by the Tooth of Ymir mercenary unit. These forces were driven off Sarna by the Kaifeng SMM, Grim Determination, and the first battalion of the Sarna Martial Academy Cadre. After this engagement, the Sarna Supremacy was officially revived and recognized by the Free Worlds League, Federated Commonwealth, and ComStar. Besides Sarna, it included Sakhalin which contributed vital mineral resources, and Kaifeng which provided food for the other worlds. Kaifeng was liberated by the re-equipped Kaifeng SMM from the Liao forces that attacked it during Operation Guerrero.

The revived Sarna Supremacy maintained the FedCom militia structure for their armed forces (Sarna March Militia, SMM) even though the FedCom “Sarna March” had ceased to exist. The Kaifeng SMM was commanded by Leftenant General Cynthia Fallon who had already been in command of the unit in 3054 when it was still a FedCom unit. This may be the reason why the Kaifeng SMM retained their name even when they changed their allegiance from the Federated Commonwealth to the Sarna Supremacy.

By the end of 3057 the new Sarna Supremacy was hiring mercenaries, obviously bent on expanding their influence in the Chaos March. Among these mercenaries were Jacob’s Juggernauts, Ace Darwin’s WhipIts and Carlton’s Brigade, all stationed on Kaifeng.

Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao set a plan in motion to retake the Sarna Supremacy in 3058. While blockading Sarna with three of the Confederation’s new WarShips (two frigates and a destroyer), thus preventing any relief from being sent, Warrior House Hiritsu occupied Kaifeng for the Capellan Confederation. The Sarna Supremacy’s dependence on food imports from Kaifeng gave the Confederation the fulcrum to eventually absorb the reformed Sarna Supremacy back into the Capellan Confederation.

The Second Sarna Supremacy was led by Sarna’s planetary governor, Lorete Montog-Chandler, for the two years it was independent.

Grim Determination

Long employed by the Federated Commonwealth, Grim Determination was performing garrison duty on Sarna when Operation Guerrero was launched in 3057. The unit helped the Kaifeng SMM and the 1st Battalion of the Sarna Martial Academy Cadre to successfully repulse the Stapleton’s Grenadiers and the Tooth of Ymir attack against Sarna itself, but when that world declared itself the independent Sarna Supremacy, Grim Determination was unsure how to react and refused to assist in liberating Kaifeng and Sakhalin. (Early reports from the Chaos March said that Grim Determination did in fact fight Kingston’s Legionnaireson Sakhalin.)

Instead of the expected orders, the Federated Commonwealth broke its contract with the unit after recognizing the new Sarna government, the MRBC backing the FedCom assertion that Grim Determination had breached the terms of their contract by agreeing to defend Sarna “in the name of the Federated Commonwealth”, no matter if it declared independence or not.

Unemployed, denied the balance of their old contract and still stuck on Sarna, the unit’s prospects seemed dim until the Sarna Supremacy offered to pick up the their contract under the same terms. While the pay offered now no longer equaled the greatly increased threat the unit faced in the Chaos March, it kept the Grim Determination solvent and helped to erase the black mark against its Dragoon Rating, giving the unit hope for the future.

The Tooth of Ymir

The command found employment for the next two decades with their former enemies the Capellan Confederation where they defended three planets at the same time. Because of this, some of those elements formed their own mercenary unit, Kingston’s Killers. With the increased hostility at the FedCom border Operation GUERRERO was started. The unit was teamed up with Stapleton’s Grenadiers to retake Sarna from the Federated Commonwealth. The planetary defenders (Grim Determination, the Kaifeng SMM and the 1st Battalion of the Sarna Martial Academy Cadre) outnumbered the invaders and, with the air superiority on their side, the Capellans had a difficult time. 

The Scenario

The Capellan Confederation mercenary unit The Tooth of Ymir has been tasked with taking a small civilian and industrial area on Sarna.  The Sarna Supremacy hired mercenary unit Grim Determination have been sent to intercept them.

As both forces rush into the urban battle, the lighter and more mobile lances arrived first to scout and secure the urban centre before the heavier units arrive.

Setup

The battle takes place on 6 map sheets in a 3 x 2 configuration with an urban industrial  centre in the middle.

Force Building

FlashPoint Force Building Sheet

Each force has 18,000 BV (Using official BV2 values from the MUL or MegaMek) to spend with the following parameters:

• 12-16 combat units (which can be vehicles or BattleMechs)
• 0-8 Platoons of Infantry

All forces must have a minium training of Regular (Piloting 5/Gunnery 4).  The force commanders Mech must have a minimum training of a Veteran (Piloting 4/Gunnery 3).

Forces must be arranged into Lances of 3-6 units.  The unit with the slowest speed in the Lance will determine in which turn the units arrive on the battlefield.

Combat units may be selected from any cannon TRO from 3058 and before.  BV’s and year of construction can be found in http://www.masterunitlist.info.

Munitions

Forces may select any munitions appraise to the time periods including:

• Inferno
• Smoke
• Flak
• Armour-Piercing
• Flechette
• Fragmentation
• Semi-Guided Missiles (note these require a BV adjustment for TAG units – Tech Manual)

Artillery

BattleTech Artillery Record Sheet (PDF)

BattleTech Artillery Record Sheet (Word)

Each force may select up to 12 BattleField Support Points of Artillery from the following as off Table Artillery.

• Thumper (3BSP)
• Sniper (4BSP)
• LongTom (6 BSP)

Off Table Artillery are 5 map sheets away from the battlefield and artillery fore has a flight time of 1 turn.  Artillery may only be attacked using “Counter Battery Fire”.

All Artillery rules form Tactical Operations are in effect.

Artillery may make use of the following ammunitions:

• Standard/HE
• Copperhead (Homing/TAG)
• Smoke
• Cluster
• Fragmentation

Artillery Hex Designation

Normally before a battle scout units designate hexes for artillery fire.  Usually this involved the scout unit remaining stationary at the location while it transmits co-ordinates to the artillery computers. If a Mech tries to designate a hex while moving it will often result in inaccurate co-ordinates.

Any Light Class Mech or vehicle may perform the following action:

Predesignate Artillery Hex.

The Light mech may use its laser designators to mark hexes for artillery fire.  It may not fire any other weapon systems in this turn.   Rolls 2D6 to hit.  Target number 4 is modified by range [(0) -4/Short 1-4/Medium 5-8/ Long 9-12]  and by movement etc, but not include the -4 for a stationary target/hex.  If a hit is successful the target hex is now predestinated.  If it fails record the Margin of Failure.  This becomes the hit modifier for the artillery piece which targeting that hex (up to a maximum of +7).  Units with TAG receive a -2 to this role.

Each side may designate up to 6 hexes in this way.

Deployment

Both forces arrive by walking onto the battlefield.  Grim Determination enter from the Northern Map edge.  The Tooth of Yamir enter from the Southern Map edge.

Due to the rapid deployment of forces, lances will arrive at different times based on the unit with the slowest walking/cuise speed

• Turn 1 – Walking/Cuise speed 9+
• Turn 2 – Walking/Cuise speed 7-8+
• Turn 3 – Walking/Cuise speed 5-6
• Turn 4 – Walking/Cuise speed 4
• Turn 5 – Walking/Cuise speed 2-3

Players may elect for their lance to enter on a later turn if they wish.

Battlefield Hazards

There are 8 chemical/fuel storage tanks in the city. If they are destroyed they explode causing an area of effect attack with a strength of 80 [0]// 40 [1]/ 20 [2]/ 10 [3]/ 5 [4].  When they explode they ignite fires in all adjacent hexes which last for the rest of the scenario and generate smoke.

If when LoF is drawn from an Attacker to a defender and it passes either across a hex with a petrochemical tanker or facility OR the LoF line when drawn would continue on passed the defender and hit the facility (up to the maximum range of the weapon) then roll 2 dice.  On an 8+ the stay shot hits the facility.

For cluster munitions if any of the munitions miss they also may strike the buildings.  Roll to hit with each cluster.

Forced Withdrawal/Force Retreat

Any Mech or Vehicle that enters Forced Withdrawal is abandoned (Mech Warrior Ejects).  Conventional Infantry/Battle Armour surrender when they reach 75% casualties (round down).

When a force reaches 33% of less (6000 BV) they are considered to be in retreat and the scenario ends.

Command And Control Mechs

Each player should should designate one veteran unit as a Force Commander.  If that unit has the Quirk – Command BattleMech or Battle Computer they get a +2 to initiative rolls.  Each lance should also have a Lance Lieutenant (These should be predesignated before the game).

When that Mech is destroyed or in Forced Withdrawal command must be transferred to another Lance Lieutenant.  During the turn after command is transferred – that force automatically loses initiative.  (If both players command ‘Mech is destroyed then initiative is rolled as per normal). During the turn after a Force Commander as been destroyed off board Artillery may not fire.

If all Force Commanders are destroyed, the force automatically losses initiative every turn and can no longer call for Artillery strikes.  If both sides have lost all Force commanders both players roll initiative normally.

Victory Conditions

• Destroy 3,000 of Enemy BV [200]
• Destroy 6,000 of Enemy BV [400]
• Destroy 9,000 of Enemy BV [600]
• Destroy 12,000 of Enemy BV [800]
• Destroy an Enemy Command Mech/Vehicle (max of 3) [200]
• For each hex designated for artillery on the opponents half of the battlefield (max of 6) [50]