CLASSIC BATTLETECH CATALYST game labs

I'm guessing you've checked, and found that 67 will actually fit on the board?   

I played against a very similar army at GenCon one time.  The other player had 2 SS Towed AA Artillery in SW J-37 transports, 2 BR Sprints loaded with TGRs, and everything else was Peasants (of various factions) and ATVs.  I had SAD, the Spectre Raven with 0/2/2 pilot and Decoy, WH Gossamer, some WH infantry, and Merc Pride.

My Gossamer hunted down both artillery units once he unloaded them, and also destroyed both loaded Sprints, over the first half of the match.  One artillery marker actually hit dead-on, damaging both my Mechs, but that was the only bright spot for him.  Everything else was shooting and killing tiny infantry guys.  I didn't get that many of them - but more than enough to win easily.

With your army, you have 3 tanks and 4 artillery to worry about.  Even though you have insane base screen to protect the artillery, many types of attacks will out-range your screen (Shiros, Nova Cats, the Alpha Mangonel).  And it doesn't take many hits to salvage or wipe out those Long Toms.

Just for clarification, this was not an army I put together, but one a friend used back when he was a hardcore win-at-all-costs player.

luckily for me he'd mellowed a bit by the time I came around . . .

2 ROTS Field
2 SH Field
2 BR Towed Arrow IV
Tammi Miller
2 DF Skadis
6 DF ATVs
and the rest DF Shock Troopers.

IIRC this was 750

Here is one army idea: (Clan Nova Cat & Bannson's Raiders)   

Clan Nova Cat Vixen (#WS071) - 117 points
Douglas Patris (GS-007) - 21 points + 5 points recruitment  [+2/+2/+1]
C3i [light] (G-117) - 17 points
Total - 160 points

Clan Nova Cat Vixen (#WS071) - 117 points
Mila Mazur (GS-050) - 14 points + 5 points recruitment  [+1/+1/+2]
C3i [light] (G-117) - 17 points
Total - 153 points

Bannson's Raiders Solitaire (#AN051) - 100 points
Scott Graves (GS-021) - 23 points + 5 points recruitment  [+0/+2/+2]
C3i [light] (G-117) - 17 points
Total - 145 points

Bannson's Raiders Solitaire (#AN051) - 100 points
Matt Vanek (GS-A20) - 23 points + 5 points recruitment  [+0/+2/+2]
C3i [light] (G-117) - 17 points
Total - 145 points

Kenneth Medchelke [Sniper Artillery] (#F109) - 63 points
Bannson's Raiders Scout ATV x7 (#CA015) - 84 points

Army Total - 750 points

The Solitaires act as a shield for the Vixens to set up their shots.  The Vixens have 21 and 22 defenses, while each of the Solitaires have 24's against range combat orders.  The idea is to setup the Solitaires at just outside 14" ranges from a particular target, with the Vixens just behind at 16" ranges.  The next turn, my Solitaires execute assault orders to bring their 10" ranges to bear on the target, with the added bonus of a C3i +1 from their wingman who has clear line of sight once the Soli' moves to attack.  It gives each of the Solitaires an effective attack of 12 (Assumes a single Vixen is the only unit "painting" the target.)  After the Soli' hits the target, the Vixen follows up with a PPC shot for 5 damage.  Each of my attackers only has two heat at most, and my target just sucked 9 clicks of damage.  If all four 'mechs are on one target, unless it is an Ares, it is GONE. 

The Scout ATVs are there to lock-down artillery, base enemy battlemechs to keep them from assaulting my units and fix them in place for my attacks.  They also serve to slow down enemy formations while my battlemechs are carving up my opponent's battlemechs.  Medchelke is there to take out the enemy artillery, and to harass enemy battlemechs, infantry and vehicle formations.

The Vixens pack assault order ranges of 22" and 23", so that will outrange most tank drops and RISC HyperLaser shots.  If the army I am taking on has extreme long-range shooters, then I can setup the Solitaires to mark the target for the Vixen's assault order and then follow up with the Soli's on the next turn.  With the right setup, I get a 14 attack against high defense targets.

Rainbow armies can be fun to play, but I like to play faction pure 90% of the time because it just looks cool.   

SA 001 (DF/SC)  50

CNC Nova Cat (elite) x1 (217)
     +DeJesus, Alberto (38)
     +RISC Hyper Laser (19)

Nyx 'Kolyu' (109)
     +Tormark, Duchess Katana (30)
     +Anti-Personnel, LGT (14)

DF Garrot (33)
     +DF Kanazuchi BA x3 (60)

DF ATV Squads x3 (42)
SC Hoverbike x3 (39)
DF Arrow IV Artilley Tank x2 (98)


The DF/SC SA is one of the nastiest in the game.  People like to use VTOL's to give the perma LOS but with 3 ATVs, 3 Hoverbikes, and the supporting Nyx with 3 free clicks of heat and a 24' run you will have it.  The Kanazuchi's have been known to melt Assault mechs (if they don't have AP).

The arty you have is only 24' range but a single move up with your 8 movement puts you in a place to hit anything.  Now add in the fact that if you center dot your target you will only miss with that piece on a 5 (7 if you are on your last click of life), they deal tons of damage.  Speaking of damage, Hyper Laser from 21 inches away, and thru all other units and terrain?  Good night.  Some may yell for the Vet for more range and cheaper, but I ask, what after you lose the RISC gear?  Me, I just run up to a building and pulse you for 10 from the other side.  Don't forget the Nyx with its armor piercing, agility, speed, heat dial, and the new anti-personnel make it an all around perfect support mech.  Assault with hardened, armor piercing before the artillery strikes.  Infantry swarm, well anti-personnel.  Can't use the SA, run across the board and call in the big guns.

Good point.  You do need one SC and one DF unit on the board at all times, otherwise the SA won't work.  CNC or HK do not act as replacements.

We had the Tri State meetup today and 700 points of the army were prebuilt so I figured I'd post it up.  I thought it was pretty nasty lol

RD Violator + (su)Evade + Errki Jorgennson
3 Elite Wraiths
3 Veteran Wraiths
2 Vangaurd CBAs
2 Domination CBAs
1 RD R10 ICV
3 RD TGRs
2 SW Padilla Artillery Tanks
2 RD Yashas

the extra 200 points had to come from the sealed pool from firepower.  I ended up with the following from the pool.

2 HD Towed Thunder Launchers
3 JF Centaur Battle Armors
1 BR Glory Fire Support Vehicles

ending up at 899 points this complete army worked well for me.  I had never run artillery let alone made it a significant part of the army so I learned a lot about how to use it. The wraiths once again proved themselves to be nasty business capturing things with ease once they were holding fast.