The table edge, and other odd rules...

Just a couple of final rule clarifications before our first night.

1) The table edge.
With the Grand Melee style we will be playing, it will be tempting to put your back to the table edge to keep it safe.  This is good however, should a mech Push you off the table from either a Push, Charge or DFA you will be eliminated from the match.  The mech doing the pushing will be credited with a solo kill.  (might be the easiest way for a light mech to get a solo kill on an Assault)  Only part of your base needs to be pushed off, not the whole thing, so think about that before you back yourself against the table edge.

Likewise, if you are leaving the board, trying to get your crippled mech off the board before becoming a kill for someone else, you only have to get part of your base off the board...not the whole thing.


2) Off Board Time - reseeding from split matches

Our second match is going to be split with half of us playing on each table.  Battle 2A is the "Losers" bracket for the first night (first 5 guys eliminated) and will be held in the Ishiyama tunnels.  Battle 2B (Winners Bracket) is the last 5 mechs from the first battle, and they will fight in the Hartford Gardens arena. The order after those two matches are done for the purposes of Off board time will be as follows.

1. Battle 2A - 1st eliminated (3Mill C-Bill Murphy award)
2. Battle 2B - 1st eliminated (3Mill C-Bill Murphy award)
3. Battle 2A - 2nd eliminated (1.5Mill C-Bill Murphy award)
4. Battle 2B - 2nd eliminated (1.5Mill C-Bill Murphy award)
5. Battle 2A- 3rd place
6. Battle 2B - 3rd place
7. Battle 2A - 2nd place (F chart mech - one weight class lower than heaviest in match, Kurita or your faction charts)
8. Battle 2B - 2nd place (F chart mech - one weight class lower than heaviest in match, Kurita or your faction charts)
9. Battle 2A - 1st place (F chart mech - same weight class  as heaviest in match, kurita or your faction charts)
10. Battle 2B - 1st place (F chart mech - same weight class  as heaviest in match, kurita or your faction charts)  

This will be the order in which we buy mechs for our Off board time before next months match.

3) Egg Timer - aka...keep things moving.
I have an egg timer...I think it is either 1 minute or 1 min 30 seconds.  We will not use this off the bat, but if someone is going slow any other player can call for the timer.  After an iniative card is flipped for movement or for fire declaration, someone can call for the timer.  Once called for the sand timer is started, and the player has that much time to finish either moving or placing their sticks for fire declaration.

For Movement: If the timer runs out before the player has finished their move their mech will be placed back where it started the turn and will not move this turn.  Place a green 6 behind their mech.  The timer will be placed on it's side (paused) when terrain needs to be moved (Building roofs in the Factory), and restarted once the terrain is out of the way.

For Firing:  If the timer runs out, the sticks that are on the table pointed at a valid target when the time runs out are what the mech fires.  The timer may be paused (on it's side) if the player asks for a line of sight question.  A 3rd player will determine line of sight, and then restart the timer.

If two games are going at once, the egg timer will go to who ever it was called for 1st, giving the 2nd player a little extra time.

I really hope we won't need to use this, But I know I can be slow playing at times too.  This is a tool to help keep us going. 


4) Initiative Cards vs. Dice.
When a match gets down to two players they can resume using dice to determine init order, rather than the cards.  If they are using dice then once the order has been determined, an egg timer may be called for if needed, with the 2nd players time starting after the 1st has completed their move.  Fire declaration can be done at the same time and use the same egg timer when there are only two players.   



5) Fire Declaration -
We will use re-shuffled init cards for fire declaration.  This is to serve two purposes.  One, to be able to put a timer on someone if needed.  Two, there is a strategy to choose wither to fire at the mech that has 3 others shooting at it, or the light mech that only you have line of sight to.

 
6) What is a "Clan" mech?
For the purposes of this campaign any mech that has any clan tech what so ever on it, will be considered a "Clan" mech and one weight class heavier then it actually is.  So if you modify your Vindicator and swap out the Inner sphere PPC for a Clan ERPPC...it will be classified as a "Clan" mech and one rank higher for kill purposes.

7) Something else I was forgetting...
I now there was something else I wanted to mention...but darned if I can remember it.

See yah tonight....

S. O. S. Profile: Sam "Mayday" Malone

Name: Sam Malone 

Callsign: Mayday

Player: Mitch

Faction: Federated Suns (House Davion)

Rank: Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:
11th Avalon Hussars RTC,
"The Galloping 11th"; 2nd Battalion (Retired)


Current Battlemech:
Charger CGR-1D10T
Awesome AWS-9Q
Penetrator PTR-4D

Arena Kills: 8.5


Best finish:
1st (of 6) -Harftford Gardens - Battle 4A
1st of 12 - Battle #7, Commando Challenge

Current Stable:
Starlight Stables

Current Sponsors: none

Back in 3051, How "Mayday" learned his new mech was a King Crab

Background:
Born in the Peabody system, in the city of New Boston in 3004, "Mayday" is the elder contestant here at the Solaris Olympiad.  “Mayday” earned his fame fighting alongside the fellow members of the “BoSox” company against the Jade Falcons during the initial Clan invasion. 

Always quick to charm, Mayday had quite the reputation as a ladies man. His prowess on the battlefield, although short lived, was nothing spectacular. Saving his earnings, Sam retired with his health. Realizing that making your way in the Fed Suns took everything you got, he opened a bar near the New Avalon Institute of Science. Malone knew all the regulars by name, and they were always glad that they arrived at his establishment.  Recent lean times has forced Sam to sell his bar and return to the fighting pits of Solaris, hoping the win enough money to buy it back from the corporation that bought it.

S. O. S. Profile: John "Crash'n'burn" Palmer

Name: John Palmer

Callsign: Crash'n'Burn

Player: Gregg

Faction: Outworlds Alliance

Rank: Director

Unit: Alliance Grenadiers, 1st Batallion

Current Battlemech:
Grasshopper GHR-5N

Arena Kills: 2

Best finish:
2nd (of 6) -Hartford Gardens - Battle #4A

Current Stable: none

Current Sponsors: none



Background:

Director John Palmer leads a charmed life. Fresh out of academy he was assigned to the Grenadiers aerospace squadron and stationed at the Praxton moonbase. During a routine sector sweep he visually spotted a bandit Union class dropship slipping past the moons sensor arrays during a solar flare. In the ensuing dogfight he abandoned his craft after taking laser fire to his cockpit. The Thrush careened out of control and impacted into the dropship crippling one of its engines and causing it to make a forced landing where it and its valuable raider mech cargo were mopped up by ground forces. The Alliance brass assumed the move was deliberate and Palmer was promoted.

His mech pilot scores were commendable so he was given one of the two WASP LAMS salvaged from the bandits. Given command of a garrison lance outside Praxton's third largest city he again saw combat when a separatist faction tried to seize control of the modest spaceport. His small force was quickly overrun and during his attempt to switch from mech to aerospace mode to fly for reinforcements he was knocked unconscious from PPC fire and his mech fell atop the secondary control tower destroying it. When he awoke moments later he discovered that the separatist leader and his team had captured the tower and were using it to jam the main towers comm. All the terrorists inside were killed when the building collapsed. Leaderless the separatist mechs fled and Palmer found himself promoted to Section Leader for his quick thinking and bravery.

Given the second WASP LAM he was given the task of finding the rebels on Praxton and destroying their power base. He proved himself able enough as a commander in this task and after two short years he had driven them to a small island where their last vestige of strength lay. Amidst the assault Palmer's WSP 105 jumped atop what he had assumed was a ferrocrete bivouac. It turned out to be a wood and tin munitions shed. The resulting explosion destroyed his mech and took all the fight out of the surviving rebels. 

Finally back from his reconstructive surgery and sporting a brand new cyber-mylar arm he accepted his commendation and promotion to Director. Chairman Rice, CO of the Grenadiers spoke at length with many of the officers that had served with him and after careful consideration has decided that rather than command an entire company of very valuable mechs and their support he would better serve the Alliance as a sterling example of bravery, skill and resilience. With his shiny new medals he is happy to represent the Outworlds Alliance at the Solaris Olympiad. Let his foes beware!

S. O. S. Profile: Kristopher "Bad Wolf" Radick

Name: Kristopher Radick

Callsign: "Bad Wolf"

Player: Jeff

Faction: Clan Wolf in Exile

Rank: Star Captain

Unit: 1st Wolf Guardian Cluster "Night Runners"
Omega Galaxy

Current Battlemechs:
Nova (Blackhawk) - Prime & H
Stormcrow (Ryoken) - B & C
Griffin IIC

Arena Kills: 9

Best finish:
1st (of 12) - Devil's Bath - Battle #3


Current Stable: Zellbrigen

Current Sponsors: none

Background:

When the Olympiad was announced throughout the Clan Wolf (in exile) there was much excitement. Internally the clan had a series of challenges by those that wished to represent the Clan in such a prestigious event. Much to the Khan's surprise a lesser known bloodnamed Star Captain charged with a simple Binary won against the odds using fierce determination and innovative tactics.


Khan Phelan Kell himself dubbed him the "Bad Wolf" both as a comment on his prowess and on their exiled status. Radick hopes that his victories will show the other clans that his clan has made the right decision and that by his example his misguided brethren will come around.

S. O. S. Profile: Harry "Flashy" Flashman

Name: Harry Flashman

Callsign: "Flashy"

Player: Fab

Faction: Ghost Bear Dominion

Rank: Mechwarrior (Bondsman)

Unit: Tau Galaxy; Second Bear Regulars

Current Battlemechs:
Vapor Eagle (Goshawk)
Warhawk (Masakari) C
Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) A

Arena Kills: 10


Best finishs:
1st of 5 - Ishiyama "Stone Mountain" - Battle #2B,
2nd of 12 - Coliseum - Battle #6

Current Stable: Zellbrigen

Current Sponsors: none
   
Background:

Flashy (Harry Flashman) is a charismatic man and the image of an ideal Federated Commonwealth officer. He claims only three natural talents: Mech piloting, facility with foreign languages, and womanizing. He's become an expert cricket bowler, but that was through hard effort (he needed sporting credit at Rugby School, and was afraid to play rugby football). He can also display a winning personality, when he wants to, and is very skilled at flattering those more important than himself without appearing servile.

As he admits, Flashy is a coward, who will flee from danger if there is any way to do so, and on some occasions collapses in funk. He has one great advantage in concealing this weakness: when he is frightened, his face turns red, rather than white, so that observers think he is excited, enraged, or exuberant - as a hero ought to be.

After his expulsion from school for drunkenness, Flashy looked for an easy life. He had his wealthy father buy him an Lyran officer's commission in the fashionable 10th Donegal Guards stationed in the system of Chateau. The 10th, commanded by Marshal Sarah Steiner, was a unit of renown in Lyran space.  Flashy threw himself into the social life that the 10th offered and became a leading light of Chateau society. A duel with another officer over a courtesan led to his being relocated to a different continent on Chateau. There he met and deflowered Elspeth Morrison, daughter of a wealthy Lyran weapons developer, whom he had to marry in a "shotgun wedding".  Though he was kicked out of the 10th for "actions unbecoming an officer".  The day he was to ship out, The Clans struck Chateau, wiping out the 10th and none lived to tell the tale.  He fled the system along with the other refugees.

Unfortunately, his language talent and his habit of flattery brought him to the attention of the Morgan Kell.  Flashy having weaseled his way into a royal banquet on Tharkad, found himself rubbing elbows with the Grand Duke of Arc-Royal.  After hearing Flashy's version of escaping Clan Wolf on Chateau, Morgan offered him a position with the Kell Hounds.

His first action with the Hounds was the 2nd battle of Twycross, against Clan Jade Falcon.  Flashy, in fleeing from the Falcon Guard, led them right into the trap that had been set by Kai Allard-Liao.  Battle turned in favor of the FedCom forces, when Falcon Guard were lured into a deep canyon where Kai Allard-Liao detonated planted powerful explosives in the canyon walls. Resulting in Jade Falcon Guards destruction by being buried under rock and rubble.  Flashy close enough to the mouth of the canyon, that his Shadow Hawk battlemech was only partially buried from the rock slide.  A video crew captured the image of the Shadow Hawk emerging from the rubble that had claimed nearly 50 Falcon mechs.  Flashman's fame of the incident was only surpassed by Kai Allard-Liao.   

Flashy survived the ensuing debacle by a mixture of sheer luck and unstinting cowardice. He became an unwitting hero: The Defender of Luithen's primary LRM ammo factory, where he was the only surviving Kell Hound from his company.  Flashy was found by the relieving troops in his armless shutdown Shadow Hawk surrounded by destroyed Smoke Jaguar battlemechs. Of course, Flashy arrived at the Ammo factory by accident, collapsed in terror rather than fight, was forced to stand and fight by his subordinate, and was 'pegged' for a complete coward. He had been trying to surrender with the arms of his kneeling Shadow Hawk upraised when the the primary ammo storage warehouse was hit.  Every mech within 200m was destroyed, except for Flashy who only lost the arms of his mech to the blast due to the kneeling position.  The reinforced lower walls of the warehouse protected everything under 5m.  Happily for him, all inconvenient witnesses had been killed.

This incident set the tone for Flashy's life. Always in spite of his best efforts to evade his duty. He was often selected for especially dangerous jobs because of his heroic reputation. He met many famous people, and survived some of the worst military disasters, always coming out with more heroic laurels.

Despite his admitted cowardice, Flashy was a dab hand at fighting when he had to. It should be pointed out that most of these acts of 'bravery' were performed only when he had absolutely no choice, and to do anything else would have resulted in his being exposed as a coward and losing his respected status in society, or being shot for desertion. When he could act like a coward with impunity, he invariably did.

Flashy left the Kell Hounds on Arc-Royal to join with the 1st Davion Guards on New Avalon in Davion space.  He did so to get out of Lyran space and away from transplanted Clan Wolf in Exile who's Clan warriors would see right through Flashy and jeopardize his reputation.  He thought he would be safe, back on a capitol world, living the life in the upper echelons of society.  Then Operation Bulldog was launched and Harry Flashman was once again in the middle of the major conflicts of his time.

With the great success of the 7th Company of the 1st Davion Guards on Port Arthur, Flashy went on to receive his choice of postings.  In classic Flashy style he chose a base as far away from the fighting as possible.  Choosing to train as a military advisor on New Avalon and was living the life of luxury.  No sooner did he complete his first class then he was reassigned to Courchevel, a Draconis Combine world, along their border with Clan Ghost Bear.  Flashy having been selected for the post as he was one of the few Davion officers that the Kuritans trusted.  Indications were the the Ghost Bears might make a grab at some of the Combine worlds that the Smoke Jaguars had just given up, and sure enough...the Combine-Ghost Bear War started with Flashy again in the middle of the fighting.

His unit was desperately outnumbered and making it's last stand, putting up a tremendous fight against overwhelming odds.  He was hiding behind a barricade that protected his mechs torsos and head...(the important parts) with downed mechs all around him.  Star Colonel Katrina Homaovi saw Flashy's Flashman battlemech.  Out of ammo and her energy weapons destroyed Homaovi charged Flashy with her Grizzly battlemech.  Just before impact one of the dead mech's ammo cooked off blowing out the legs of the Flashman.  The explosion made Homaovi mostly miss her charge but in the tumble he wound up on top of her and both were knocked out.  When the follow up Ghost Bear forces came and saw the devastation and carnage of the last stand- and Flashman mech on top of their commanders Grizzly- they assumed he had been the guy to hold out last and do all the killing.  

Star Colonel Katrina Homaovi can't remember any of the how the mechs ended up the way they did, but she was the first to awaken and quickly captured the unconscious Flashman in his cockpit, taking him as a bondsman.  Of course he later woos her, and is never far from her side.

Other Clanners aren't too fond of Flashy obviously, and rumors are starting to go around that when his mech was recovered after the battle it had a full ammo load.  To defend his honor SHE recommends he go to Solaris for the new Solaris Olympiad Series, of course he doesn't want to go.  But he is the logical choice, as all of the trueborn Clan mechwarriors consider the posting beneath them and an insult.

So off to Solaris it is for Flashy, and knowing his luck he will probably end up winning the whole thing.

S. O. S. Profile: Paul "Ace" Frehley

Name: Paul Frehley

Callsign: "Ace"

Player: Dereck

Faction: Free Worlds League (House Marik)

Rank: Corporal

Unit: Silver Hawk Irregulars
Gryphons Regiment; 1st Battalion


Current Battlemech:
Orion ON-2M

Arena Kills: 8.5

Best finish:
1st (of 5)- Ishiyama "Stone Mountain" - Battle #2A

Current Stable: none

Current Sponsors: Barrymore Munitions


   
Background:
When the Olympiad was announced the Marik government was a tad skeptical. Many of the top brass saw it as a way to try and gather important government officials to neutral territory for espionage and/or assassination purposes. Rather than bow out completely they asked for volunteers.

Paul "Ace" Frehley is a rabblerousing upstart and very neurotic (he can only fight in full costume) but also a gifted pilot.  The whole facepaint and costume gimmick started when before a routine patrol. "Ace", who was recently reprimanded for not displaying the Silver Hawk Irregulars logo properly on his uniform, took his response to the extreme.  He had painted Silver Hawk wings on his face as a sort of warpaint.  The unit had a good laugh, and they went out on their mission.  Well, as luck would have it that routine patrol turned into a fierce battle with some raiding pirates.  Ace, ended up saving his Commanding officer's life, and probably much of the company with his actions that day.   After he was out of LRM ammo and this PPC had been knocked out, he landed three "Death from above" style attacks on the pirates with his Griffin battlemech.  A captured pirate mechwarrior said..."That Griffin was bouncing around like some deranged Spaceman in low gravity or something...we had no idea where he was going next."  Well after that day, the Commanding officer of Ace's company said, that Ace could wear any facepaint or uniform he wanted to in his mech if he performed like that.     


   While his CO might understand Ace, those in the upper levels of command do not.  He would have made Staff Sergeant by now but his poor attitude and inability to follow the chain of command has held him back. The General given the task of picking the Marik Mechwarrior read the dossier and figured if Ace somehow wins, great, if not...well, it will be no big loss.

S. O. S. Profile: Randel "Badger Honey" Pelton

Name: Randel Pelton  KIA

Callsign: "Badger Honey"

Status: KIA, Battle 2B, Ishiyama "Stone Mountain"

Player: Dave

Faction: Magistracy of Canopus

Rank: Commander

Unit: Chasseurs a' Cheval;
3rd Canopian Light Horse, 3rd Battalion

Current Battlemech:
Hatchetman HCT-3F

Arena Kills: 1.5

Best finish: 3rd - Ishiyama "Stone Mountain" - Battle #2B (killed)

Current Stable: none

Current Sponsors: none




Background:
Honey Badger doesn't give a &@*#$!!!