Dark Age Stormhammers

The Dark Age has begun.

A small force of Stormhammers have been ordered onto Vindemiatrix ahead of the Clan attack.  The warriors of this company are green, newly raised by the Tharkan Striker's commander - the freeborn Alexia Wolf.  Aware the Clan are coming to claim this world for their own, the appointed Inner Sphere commander surveys his forces for disposition.

The mustered Stormhammers defending Vindemiatrix's landing zones on the sulfur fields.

Tharkan Strikers
Commanding Officer Kommandant Wilhelm Kloss

Strategic Mission: Protect Vindemiatrix from the new Falcon Offensive.

Targe, Hellstars and Crimson Hawks make up the bulk of the professional forces battlemechs.

Lyran mechs are notoriously heavy.  The Tharkan Strikers have several mechs on the heavier side, but nothing truly huge.  However, they may have struck a fine balance to meet their needs as the Clan forces will be swift and sure.

Even the miners on the sulfur fields had better be ready. 

There are many mining facilities out on the sulfur fields.  Lots of infrastructure to protect, though Stormhammer command is fairly sure the Clan attack will focus on military assets.  Nonetheless, the civilian mechs have been made as ready for battle as possible should the need arise.

The Stormhammers have more and more varied infantry than their clan opponents.

Infantry will play a strong role in the defense of Vindemiatrix.  The Stormhammers can call upon an array of troop types and armors.  The infantry sections of the defense garrison are the most well trained and experienced warriors in the detachment.

Mobile and fixed position artillery strengthens the conventional forces of the Stormhammers.

The garrison has an array of mobile artillery support vehicles and mech killers.  Gun emplacements will serve as point-defenses for every defensive line.  Missile batteries will rain damage on ground forces and aircraft alike.  Any approach to a Stormhammer position will be paid for by the attack in losses that may be too great to sustain.

Stormhammer and allied Inner Sphere support craft.

The Stormhammers will also deploy VTOL assault craft in large numbers.  Not only are the Lyran attack choppers present, but allied units from Inner Sphere powers have been serving as transport craft.  These helicopters will form a vital link in the combined arms tactics the defenders are preparing.

No guts, no glory!

The Stormhammers have the advantages of numbers and the home ground in the coming conflict, but nothing is assured.  To repel the Clan attack, all elements must work together and coordinate to avoid losses and effect damage on the powerful enemies they will soon face.  Yet the company is eager to prove itself, and sees the coming conflict as the chance it's been waiting for.

Infantry train in specialist techniques of not getting crushed or thrown during joint operations with battlemechs.

Dark Age Jade Falcon

The Dark Age has begun.

The year is 3145, a century after the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere...and all is in ruin.  As old wars grind away, new ones flare up.  The Clan Jade Falcon has mustered on Izar for a foray into Commonwealth space to expand the Falcon's Reach, and we begin our adventure here on the field as our Jade Falcon commander surveys their battleforce.

I decided to go ahead and take photos of the MechWarrior: Dark Age models I'll be using to start Horizon Wars and other mecha games.  I'll be adding squads and support elements later, as I've got plenty of C.A.V.s to paint up!

Jade Falcon attack force, mustering on Izar.

2nd Falcon Dragoons
Commanding Officer Star Colonel Ayaan Mandaka

Strategic Mission: Take Planet Vindemiatrix from the weakling Lyran Commonwealth.

A mix of stationary emplacements and mobile fire support.

Jade Falcon usually eschews such tactics as bombardments and artillery.  Nonetheless, the attack force does have some artillery support units.  These elements provide support to bust emplacements and dig out infantry from defended positions in coordination with a direct attack, rather than performing long-range bombardments.

Allied Clan heavy transports aid in moving heavy equipment, while VTOL craft provide air support to the ground forces.

Light Cavalry and Aircraft carry a secondary value to the Jade Falcon, and as such these units are limited.  However, the Clan's tactics do not usually require them.  When they are deployed as part of the attack force, they fulfill the role of transport, reconnaissance and air-defense.

Infantry Armor!  ...and a TrackBike!

A large section of Light Power Armor elements make up the bulk of the Clan infantry in this attack force.  These are augmented by a number of other models of armor, including some Elementals.  In addition, a TrackBike serves as Mobile Infantry reconnaissance.

Powerful Jade Falcon Battlemechs cross the Sulfur Fields.

The Clan has brought a selection of battlemechs to take part in the attack force.  Zeus, Blade and Jaguar mechs will be most common, supported by a few light and medium varieties.  Expect Clan Stars to be heavier than standard.

For the glory of the Jade Falcon!

Battletech & Mechwarrior

Far off, long ago, in another land, in another time, I got my first introduction to the Inner Sphere. We were in a small Missouri town, devoid of cool game stuff.  However, people liked to keep that old 'devil-worship' stuff in attics and other hidden places.  We found this out and started scouring attics across town for whatever game books we could find, and to our surprise we kept finding things people had hidden away and had absolutely no use for.  A friend of mine found a copy of Mechwarrior, 2nd Ed. in his mom's attic.  It belonged to his older brother, but as soon as we got ahold of it I don't think the older brother ever saw it again.

Battletech would come later.  I would already have experience with this type of game, as I was one of the only people to collect Renegade Legion at the time.  Battletech had 'mechs, though...and it caught on a little stronger in most folks' imaginations than the Renegades could at the time.

As an aside to tabletop gaming, my game group and I have no shortage of experience behind the controls of a virtual battlemech.  From Mechwarrior 2 all the way to Mechwarrior Online, battlemechs have been an enduring part of our gaming experience, even if they weren't always at the forefront.

Now, we're going to do something completely different.  We are going to the the Dark Age, a much maligned era of Battletech lore.  However, the very nature of the Dark Age makes it preferable to us, since we won't be using Battletech miniatures or rules exclusively.  We're going non-canon, but in a way that will fit in the canon.

Clan Jade Falcon elements approach to attack the Freeborn position...even if they are Clix.

 10mm games aren't quite as prevalent as games of other scales just yet, though in the last few years some have risen (and fallen), providing us with a lot more options at that scale.  In truth, I like a lot of stuff, but I decided that 10mm was a great place for giant robots in the pantheon of my collection.  With a Kickstarter's worth of C.A.V. models, I started looking around for rulesets to guide army creation.  I found a ton of cool games, including Horizon Wars and Tomorrow's War.  I decided I liked both of them, and they both work for 10mm quite pleasingly.

I still didn't have a narrative, though.

I found out that Mechwarrior: Dark Age was 10mm, just like the lines I had been collecting.  I wanted helicopters, and didn't have them already, so I hopped on Ebay and found a ton of cool VTOL aircraft in 10mm.  Yeah, they were clix...but so what?  When they arrived, I was quite satisfied...and decided to take a look at infantry.  Guess what?  I liked those too, and finally decided to take the plunge on some battlemechs.  Shortly after that, I decided I'd just play Battletech...or at least in the Inner Sphere, no matter the ruleset.

Steiner Stormhammer elements staging to repel the Clan attack...and no sign of debilitation due to clicky-ness.

I hadn't delved deeply into the lore of the Dark Age, honestly.  My time was spent during the 4th Succession War and Clan Invasion, and honestly that's where I feel most comfortable.  So, it's nice to actually get out of that comfort zone.  The Dark Age pretty much gives me carte blanche to do whatever I want with the story and / or units involved.  For the first time in a good long while, I actually am cranking up (what I think is) a cool setting and adventure / campaign.

Who cares what models you use?  It's the DARK AGE!  Is that a battlemech that 'doesn't exist' - or is it just one you never saw, that they made on a blind planet, one time, because they had to?  Who even cares?  I'm going to be putting some 10mm German troops on the board, painted as Steiners, so please suspend your disbelief.  The galaxy (i.e. The Inner Sphere) is HUGE.  Plenty of room for all kinds of stuff.

It's time to take back the Inner Sphere!