What the heck with double 6's on vehicles not being a kill. CGL playing with our emotions. Feel like statistically Thom should have done way more damage based on what he needed to roll in this game. Love your guys videos. They are one of the highlights of my week. Not sure what that says about my life but there it is. Peace!
Hahah poor Thom! It is crazy - but bases on the % chance (youre more likely to get an engine hit on a vehicle thus the 11). Also always love hearing I can add a little entertainment value in 2020. 😁 As always really appreciate you watching!!
Man, double kill with parting shots from Eclipse! Now that's going out like a hero! Awesome battle report guys. Really looking good and an exciting watch. Not a bad kickoff to my weekend!
Haha yah that was so clutch - definitely one of those memorable BT moments. Good thing the Brigade pulled out a win - Wildcard and Slacker were able to scoop up some ejection pods on the way to the dustoff 😆
This is the first new release I've watched since discovering the channel earlier this week. I already ate my way through the batrep playlist and loved it all. Things that were especially great about this episode: - Including some voice clips in the table work, not just the opening flyby (that "boom" when the Atlas slapped the Nova at 1:05:15 was fun) - The fade effect on the Windfield's Brigade mechs' gun barrels, especially the Marauder - The green chickens' paint jobs overall; they're really well done (the Winfielders were, too, but I prefer a matte finish to gloss, so the chickens get the edge) - Eclipse going arms akimbo to take down the Hellbringer and Mad Dog in the last moments before ejecting I really wanted the Mad Dog and the Nova to put in more work. They're two of my favorites. Next time, Spheroids, next time...
(Watching you roll that amazing double-kill by the Atlas inspired me. Indulge an old writer and fan, if you would.) "Eclipse!" The word escaped Wildcard's lips unbidden, watching as almost every type of ordnance imaginable slammed into the Atlas' upper works. Smoke and flame poured in great rents from the titanic Battlemech's shoulders and chest, but as it reeled back on its heels, its guns and launchers sounded once more. A crimson beam of light stabbed into the Falcon Loki two hundred meters distant, gouging a hole in its belly as the 100mm autocannon thundered and raked the front of the Falcon machine. Four heavy SRMs crossed the distance in a heartbeat, slamming squarely into its torso in a flat line. Wildcard flinched as the Falcon 'Mech's chest exploded, coming apart like it had been spring-loaded and sending its arms flying off to land in places unknown. The flaming wreckage fell back out of sight, deadweight. Another blast of laser and missile fire reached out of the smoldering cloud surrounding the Atlas, very nearly clipping his Marauder's shoulder. For a second he thought Eclipse had simply not been able to see and was firing at whatever her Magnetic Anomaly Detector could find, but as he turned he found his jaw dropping in awe. Her last salvo scourged the Vulture, shattering the glowing coil of its surviving Gauss rifle. The Falcon 'Mech lurched as its own weapon's energy poured into its ruined torso, a wild spray of half-melted Gauss slugs erupting from the left side of its body as the rifle's capacitors lost containment. It was too much. The Vulture tottered this way and that, twisting briefly to look in his direction before it too collapsed. A distinctive 'whumph' went off near him, and when Wildcard turned back to the Atlas, the whole top of its rounded skull-head was already blowing open as it fell...and there, rocketing into the sky, was a battered but very much alive Eclipse. "Don't worry about me! Get them!" Eclipse's words were barely audible through the wind as her parachute deployed hundreds of meters above him. There was nothing he could do for her while she was up there, but there sure was a lot he could do down at this level. His Marauder's twin weapons pods rose as he drew a bead on the Dragonfly that had just taken a potshot at Slacker's Archer. Through the haze of smoke rising from Eclipse's fallen Atlas, he could just barely make out Axe's Thunderbolt rounding the corner from the small complex up near the bridge head, no doubt also lining up a shot on their overextended foe. His fingers tightened on the triggers as he braced for the inevitable rush of heat. "Die, clanner." Energy bolts and missile fire converged, and the Falcon Battlemech ceased to exist in a towering column of flame.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I was a Mall Cop for 12.5 years between two of the shittiest malls in my city. But I've been AFFS since 1989, or since the Fourth Succession War storyline, if you prefer. Put me in a Marauder II and I'll trespass some Clanners from LIFE. ^_^
ha our after action report was so long it was basically an HPU - we made a twofer! But I was really excited to talk about the clan mechs and tactics after such an exciting game. I apologize to my fellow clanners for the lost honor.
Fun battle. Death to all mist lynx and hellbringers. Absolutely not worth their cost. Excellent map setup. The bridge and high ground area made it very interesting. The more elevation changes you get in these the better. Thom is killing it with the paint. He should get bonus PV!
So here is a totally separate question from the today's video. What is the state of Battletech? I got into Btech in 1990 and up until the late 2000's I could find Btech in my local gaming stores , there were video games etc. However over the last several years when I would come home (I live in Asia now) to visit my local gaming stores there wasn't any Btech products to be found. I kinda thought it had become a dead license. It wasn't until I heard about Battletech from HBS last year that I got back into it. So from playing the new computer game I learned about Catalyst games and that's when I started buying Battletech stuff again, but it's only available online or through mail order. BTW I'm waiting eagerly for my Clan Invasion set to arrive. I ordered the Star Commander's package. So I guess my point is I'm glad I rediscovered BattleTech and it has a lively community and Catalyst seems passionate about the product but considering I can't even find the minis in any stores and all the new computer games are low budget Kickstarter projects what is going on with this brand. Thanks.
Have you considered recreating a battle from the animated series? I thing a battle between Clan Jade Falcon vs Somerset Strikers on the tabletop would be very interesting.
Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed it! It was a fun one to play - lots of epic moments. Except when Thom’s elementals whiffed on the anti mech attack bwahahah
I’m confused by your comments about the Mist Lynx costing more than a Mad Dog, my alpha strike cards say 27 and 42 respectively. Am I looking at the wrong costs?
You are not wrong - though that is the cost for the Vulture Prime. Thom has the Vulture C which is 33. But then again still not more expensive than a Vulture - but not far off!
The elementals were so flattened by surprise when the Thunderbolt stomped them, they even forgot to retaliate. Superhumans or rather pidgeons with a bad attitude - you decide :D As much as I like seeing everything clan being obliterated, the sheer amount of bad dice rolling was stunning to watch. It's just bad Karma, as soon as you play on the IS side everything will become better - promised.
Yah they just totally whiffed that AM attack - would have changed the course of the game. This is where I really like formations and especially Battle lances/stars for a bit of luck when you really need it...
Loved the Bat Rep, looks like I changed my pledge level too late, be seeing my name on the back board in the new year. Have you guys considered adding any Clan Second Line mechs or "C" variants or any of Inner Sphere designs in order to bring some cheaper bulk to your clan forces? I know the Elementals are expensive, is there any utility to them as ablative armour as your fast mechs rush in? 1/3 of incoming fire tags them instead of your fast movers.
Its possible with the elementals! We talked about that a little... As for the second liners - wave 2 will give us some great options there. Generally I think playing skill 3 clan warriors will be game changing in the clans favor. Pork barreling them with elites just exacerbates their cost problems. And yes - you are already on the placard for the next batrep I am working on 🙂 there is a bit of a production delay on that 😝
Amazing game! So many heroic moments. There's a formula {I think in the Companion book} for figuring out the target number to see if a character survived the destruction of their unit, and for characters created on the fly like Paul Blart (not your usual recurring characters which I know auto-survive), I would love to see you to make a survival roll on camera to see if they make it.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Found it. It's under "Pilot and Crew Diagnostics" on page 172-173 of the Alpha Strike Companion. If I am reading this correctly, for Paul it looks like the survival roll would be 11+: 3 (his skill level) +0 (Unit type modifier) +2 (Unit was destroyed) + 2 (100% Armor loss) + 4 (100% strutcture loss) +0 (No crew, ammo, or fuel crits). Now that sounds harsh, but he is only killed if he rolls a measure of failure of 5 or more. So a roll of 6 or less kills him, 7 to 10 wounds him, and 11+ sees him safe and unharmed. Wounded pilots and crews are at +1 Skill level until they take time to heal, and have a +2 penalty on survival rolls, making them more likely to die the next mission. I think it's kind of a neat system. By the way, crashed choppers add an additional +4 mod on top of everything else, so those wild wacky weirdos in their whirlibirds are probably toast.
nothing else needed to play classic. if you want to play alphastrike, you'll need those rules (Catalyst has released a 'Commander's Edition' of Alphastrike rules that is great). If you want to play with our collection of alternate rules, they are available on our website linked in the description.
@@thomberg3457 I just got the book yesterday as an early christmas present, so far i havent seen how you do the range and walking distances. Do you just use the measure and use same distance you would have if shooting hexa tiles ?
Guys do you use the clan honour rules? There is the section at the end of that which states they do not run versus inner sphere and fight to the death... Just wondering if you thought about bringing zelbrigen and that into the clan games.
We will be featuring it in clan vs clan games! Otherwise it would really put the clans at a major disadvantage / would be rendered moot as soon as every IS pilot lights up the same clan mech 🙂 Same deal on the morale/fighting to the death... if there was some way to balance this or give the IS a comparable advantage, I’d love to work that in. Might be a good SPA to work in.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming a part of me also wonders if the long range targeting rules you guys are using are also negatively effecting the clans, as they are more of a long range faction and are not being able to leverage the extra difficulty to be hit at range as much as would otherwise apply?
There is a vigorous conversation on this in another comment thread - I am convinced it is skill-related. Clan forces are playing lots of points for marginal gains over skill 3 from what I see.
I suggest replacing the Mist Lynx with a Fire Falcon, a Battle Cobra, or a Shadow Cat. They all fall pretty close in point value, and have better firepower, armor, and similar mobility. As for the rest, I probably would dump one of the other lights and the Elementals for a Summoner if you're going to have to deal with IS heavies and assaults, even 3025 ones. On the IS side, the Gobin is an ok buy, but I would have dumped them and the Warriors them for a Manticore or a Von Luckner, and then a pair of Drillson Hover Tanks.
We talked about elementals at the end - and having ‘elemental’ lists and non elemental lists - I think I am going to try that - and I really like your list ideas here!
Great report! Excellent action and you guys are good sports. Do you plan on having a classic battletech match soon? I think that is the ruleset to really showcase what sets the Clans apart from the Inner Sphere.
Thanks! Maybe on CBT - admittedly my feelings on CBT in this era (and beyond) are mixed. It is very cumbersome in some respects making it less than ideal candidate when you are filming, etc. in a timebox. I also have seen that BV really breaks down with advanced tech - penalizing the clans quite a bit.
This was a great bat rep! Are there rules for recovering from forced withdrawl somewhere? Also I noticed the withdrawing mechs were running away and not firing back. Is that an optional rule you're playing where they can't turn around and fire as they're retreating?
Hey man! We havent published them yet as we’re still testing & balancing, but soon. Essentially when you take crippling damage, the pilot/crew needs to test morale. This is 2xSkill + some mods based on #crits and if you were damaged this turn. If you pass, you can withdraw at least 1” and still shoot. If you fail, you sprint towards the table edge (think of it like evasive maneuvers). Fleeing pilots can attempt to recover each end phase. Composed pilots don’t need to retest unless they get shot at (not necc even hit) or take damage (eg from the environment)
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ooh, I love this! Thank you for making a bit of a clunky rule system more playable. We always play w your house rules when we play.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming that’s my major issue right now is trying to find the plastic to rebuild my old armies with out spending a PPC load of credits
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming picked up the starter set after binge watching yalls alpha strike rules got my teenagers into waiting to see what happens with Christmas to pick up Armored combat.
Thom is gifted! With a little practice you can learn to cheat like me 😁 check out camospecs - they have some awesome tutorials! Contrast paints (new) also make it very easy!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming My work schedule has me a touch run ragged, when I get home I'm usually too tired to paint. Plus, thanks to the Guard army I did for 40k, I learned how to churn things out fairly quick.
So Im just going to say it....the Elementals are better equipped for a fight then the Mist Lynx....the Mist Lynx had 2 armor 1 structure and the elemental had 2 armor 2 structure.
Haha yes. The Elementals are somewhat under performers in AS I think - they do well if you can get them in, but are pretty expensive for the risk. Also the Mist Lynx is made of paper. oof. 😆
Except these aren’t the infantry carriers. They don’t debut until after then initial invasion per MUL (3053). This version has IT1 which can’t carry anything meaningful.
@@deadsalmon4115 I'm not convinced the house rules aren't a part of the problem. The way they roll variable damage with a single "pilot die" makes things much more swingy than they'd normally be, and halving the movement values on everything makes it harder for the generally faster Clan mechs to stay at the range band they favor, especially with extreme range in play. And that includes the elementals, who really want to be riding a fast omnimech that can drop them off right in the enemy's face without having to take much if any fire, and that doesn't happen when the carrier is moving 8-10" rather than the 16-20+" the normal rules support. I can understand wanting to add some limits to the extremely freeform movement of AS but lowering speeds isn't the approach I'd take. Limit your free turns and make extra turning cost movement instead.
The multiple damage rule makes it less swingy. One die roll “all or none” is maximally swingy. Changing movement *and also range* has zero effect. That’s like saying if we played with cm instead of inches it’d be different. If anything it benefits the clans because by “normal” AS rules we’d need to play on an 8’ x 8’ area to accomodate the same starting distance... so I don’t buy it. Changing speed would only have a meaningful impact if range wasnt also adjusted or you were playing on an extremely small map. The only optional rule from ASCE that has an effect here is the long range targeting& tracking rules - but 🤷🏻♂️ it affects all ‘mechs equally. The clan ‘mechs largely suck because: - the XL engine penalty is way steeper than reflected in classic - stuffing every clan ‘mech with a thematically appropriate skill 1-2 elite pilot drives up the cost significantly. Lastly, every match has been close - the last one a matter of some luck on my side. I was able to pull out a victory with ClanWolf last week... so it’s not like IS is just mopping up.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Does regular AS really use only one die role? I would think that it would be one per point of damage in a way similar to Classic but outside if this channel I have never seen AS played. Anyway, I was just surprised by how clanners vs 3050 IS changed in terms of balence from classic. Keep up the good work.
I've really enjoyed watching this channel since I discovered it back in October, however I gotta say I really feel Alpha Strike is really screwing the Clan in these games. The longer range, heavier hitting capabilities of Clan mechs seems dumbed down. In our Classic games Clan mechs often ruled, but here they've only scored one Minor Victory despite their technological and skill advantage. Something else I've noticed is that the defenders usually have a two to one numbers advantage with the Clan rarely sending in any Assault mechs, which again goes against the Clans so much that the games are becoming predictable. Maybe I'm missing something can anyone help elaborate on this?
I think it is coming down to the points costs for the mechs and pilots. I think i saw someone mentioning that the elite pilots being overcosted. So then you end up with fewer mechs that cost more, so you end up losing to volume of fire compared to the cheaper inner sphere counterparts.
@@oldguycantgame That makes sense. I'm not as familiar with Alpha Strike as I am Classic. So I wonder since Clan pilots are supposed to be better to begin with maybe there is an option to give the Clan better pilots with having to pay for them. Either way I want to see some Clan wins. Not offense to DFA Wargaming but these matches are starting to look a lot like WWE wrestling or the Cincinnati Bengals, I already know who is going to win before the match even starts:)
LOL well I think there is also an expectation the clans are going to mop house thanks to the novels... but even in classic you dont really see that (assuming you are playing a BV balanced game). We had one subscriber do an analysis of a prior batrep, and converting PV to BV the clans had a 3000 BV advantage (meaning, in classic, I’d have been able to take better pilots/more mechs/whatever). The clans do get a few extra hexes of range, but unless you are playing a Warhawk against a bunch of Hunchbacks on the flat plains of Kansas, it should be a good game. I’d also say that in all my Battlytics analyses of clan vs IS, the clan BV is just way inflated... and that is a byproduct of how mobility is (over)weighted in the calculation; same thing in PV but to a lesser extend. Check out the analysis of the Avatar vs Summoner for reference. Not disagreeing that I’d love to see more from the clans. We are discussing ideas internally.
For as much as people complain about Clanners being overpowered in Total Warfare, they seem pretty underwhelming in Alpha Strike. Sure, they're fast and have a lot of guns, but they have terrible structure compared to IS mechs, fall victim to the action economy, and don't run combined arms apart from Elementals. If the Invasion had played out using AS rules, the Clanners would've never made it past the Periphery.
Hah - well they are largely underwhelming in Classic too, unless you pit them against garbage IS ‘mechs with awful pilots, and play a game with no objective other than “kite the IS mechs” 😁 I’m controversial. I know.
Andy I don’t totally disagree overall. I think if we stopped paying for elites (which we do out of ‘lore’ appropriateness) the lists might become a tad better. These games really are closely balanced so list building can make a difference.
You and me both! And not yet. Blaine Lee Pardoe and Brent Evans started a new company to sell individual multipart plastics - so omni configs etc. Soon I hope.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming indeed. Aaron harkens back to the Davion/Steiner alliance and his tactics are similar to the Regimental Combat Teams, almost a page out of the US Armys Airland Battle manual.
Thanks! And yes, we are playing with AS rules and some optional rules from the Commander’s Edition. We also use a house rule related to the “pilot die” for shooting - all can be found in a free download on our website if interested!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming thanks for your answer! Do you play sometime with the new edition of the game or you only play AS? (i like AS and your video are cool but i bought the game on KS for the complete version). So if you have some game to it woule be nice.
AS is actually the “new” version 🙂 Classic - or the rules you see in the boxed sets - has been around for much longer... and we may mix in some classic and do have some batreps out there for classic.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ok i was thinking the complet version was patch. AS is fun but i don't found the same charm as the full mecha character sheet ^^
Oh man I agree with you... I grew up playing classic as a kid. Great game for small scale engagements in my opinion... but I do find that when you include tanks/infantry and/or try to play larger scale games it becomes prone to players missing rules or forgetting to track something. It takes a long time to get through turns. If you haven’t tried AS I’d recommend trying it... you can put more minis on the table and plays really well! 😁
haha absolutely not. Have you actually played Classic in the Clan Invasion? I mean a competitive game where your friend is list building to beat you? IS will stomp every single time. BV is virtually non-functional as a means of balancing game play between introductory and advanced ruleset mechs, and the IS can take almost 3x the number of units. For your 2/3 Warhawk Prime (arguably one of the most lethal Clan units) I can take two 3/4 Awesomes and have enough points left over to run a 3/4 Whitworth.
So the question is, is it possible to balance clan vs IS using pv or bv? I haven't played a game with clan mechs yet, but I already have so many from the KS and 100+ clanners coming in wave 2, I should probably just start playing them... fluff wise did the IS have so many mechs to spare in order to meet their clan foes?
Terrain plays a big factor in helping reduce the IS numbers advantage. Really need to increase the density of it to give the Clans superior mobility a chance to shine.
I shouted out loud when Eclipse in the Atlas got the dual kill as she had it shot out from underneath her. Very epic.
Was so great! The probability was not in my favor but she pulled it out. Eat that Jade losers. Haha
What the heck with double 6's on vehicles not being a kill. CGL playing with our emotions. Feel like statistically Thom should have done way more damage based on what he needed to roll in this game. Love your guys videos. They are one of the highlights of my week. Not sure what that says about my life but there it is. Peace!
Hahah poor Thom! It is crazy - but bases on the % chance (youre more likely to get an engine hit on a vehicle thus the 11).
Also always love hearing I can add a little entertainment value in 2020. 😁 As always really appreciate you watching!!
You guys are just pumping these out!
Thanks for watching them! 🙂👍
Man, double kill with parting shots from Eclipse! Now that's going out like a hero! Awesome battle report guys. Really looking good and an exciting watch. Not a bad kickoff to my weekend!
Haha yah that was so clutch - definitely one of those memorable BT moments. Good thing the Brigade pulled out a win - Wildcard and Slacker were able to scoop up some ejection pods on the way to the dustoff 😆
The black painted mechs look great. So does that bridge. Thanks for the video guys.
Thanks! Appreciate the comment 🙂👍
Hell yeah, Heavy Metal time...t('-'t)
Battletech report...you guys ROCK 🤯😎🏴☠️
Happy Friday!
Love all these! just painting up the Clan Invasion mechs now, can't wait for my Wave 2 shipment! Keep up the great production and games!
I’m just finishing up comstar now - can’t wait for wave 2
Sameeeee
@@thomberg3457 I thought Comstar would be in Wave 2.
Probably also wave 2 but I am painting up the IS mechs from Wave 1 as well
This is the first new release I've watched since discovering the channel earlier this week. I already ate my way through the batrep playlist and loved it all.
Things that were especially great about this episode:
- Including some voice clips in the table work, not just the opening flyby (that "boom" when the Atlas slapped the Nova at 1:05:15 was fun)
- The fade effect on the Windfield's Brigade mechs' gun barrels, especially the Marauder
- The green chickens' paint jobs overall; they're really well done (the Winfielders were, too, but I prefer a matte finish to gloss, so the chickens get the edge)
- Eclipse going arms akimbo to take down the Hellbringer and Mad Dog in the last moments before ejecting
I really wanted the Mad Dog and the Nova to put in more work. They're two of my favorites. Next time, Spheroids, next time...
Thanks for watching! Check out the Tactical Reports if you enjoyed the in-game voice work - lots featured there. 🙂👍
The Paintjob on the Atlas is really good
Thanks! That is a Polygon Masterworks mini - tons of detail.
Feels like a proper Friday now. Thanks as always, folks. This was another great one.
lol! Thanks for watching as always! 👍👍
Perhaps the Clans should start fielding only Adders from now on. XD
Best mech ever.
Love your work y'all. Winfield Brigade? Wow talk about old school. There was a novella where some unit of theirs faced Galedon Regulars and did well.
Thanks as always for watching! 👍 Thought Winfield vs JF would be a classic matchup! Probably not the last time we’ll see them facing off!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming awesome and it can add non canonically to the unit history!!!!!
Yessss 👍
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming always good to add a feud. :)
Another great one. Thank you
(Watching you roll that amazing double-kill by the Atlas inspired me. Indulge an old writer and fan, if you would.)
"Eclipse!"
The word escaped Wildcard's lips unbidden, watching as almost every type of ordnance imaginable slammed into the Atlas' upper works. Smoke and flame poured in great rents from the titanic Battlemech's shoulders and chest, but as it reeled back on its heels, its guns and launchers sounded once more.
A crimson beam of light stabbed into the Falcon Loki two hundred meters distant, gouging a hole in its belly as the 100mm autocannon thundered and raked the front of the Falcon machine. Four heavy SRMs crossed the distance in a heartbeat, slamming squarely into its torso in a flat line. Wildcard flinched as the Falcon 'Mech's chest exploded, coming apart like it had been spring-loaded and sending its arms flying off to land in places unknown. The flaming wreckage fell back out of sight, deadweight.
Another blast of laser and missile fire reached out of the smoldering cloud surrounding the Atlas, very nearly clipping his Marauder's shoulder. For a second he thought Eclipse had simply not been able to see and was firing at whatever her Magnetic Anomaly Detector could find, but as he turned he found his jaw dropping in awe. Her last salvo scourged the Vulture, shattering the glowing coil of its surviving Gauss rifle.
The Falcon 'Mech lurched as its own weapon's energy poured into its ruined torso, a wild spray of half-melted Gauss slugs erupting from the left side of its body as the rifle's capacitors lost containment. It was too much. The Vulture tottered this way and that, twisting briefly to look in his direction before it too collapsed. A distinctive 'whumph' went off near him, and when Wildcard turned back to the Atlas, the whole top of its rounded skull-head was already blowing open as it fell...and there, rocketing into the sky, was a battered but very much alive Eclipse.
"Don't worry about me! Get them!" Eclipse's words were barely audible through the wind as her parachute deployed hundreds of meters above him. There was nothing he could do for her while she was up there, but there sure was a lot he could do down at this level. His Marauder's twin weapons pods rose as he drew a bead on the Dragonfly that had just taken a potshot at Slacker's Archer. Through the haze of smoke rising from Eclipse's fallen Atlas, he could just barely make out Axe's Thunderbolt rounding the corner from the small complex up near the bridge head, no doubt also lining up a shot on their overextended foe.
His fingers tightened on the triggers as he braced for the inevitable rush of heat. "Die, clanner."
Energy bolts and missile fire converged, and the Falcon Battlemech ceased to exist in a towering column of flame.
We need this narrated! 👍🏼 nice job
Dude that is awesome! You should consider writing a short story for the Sharpnel publication. Great job!! Really enjoyed reading it. 👍
Absolutely fantastic production!!
Thank you! And thanks for watching 🙂👍
Glad you’re playing so much Alpha Strike.
Really lets us pack in more mechs and action into the battlereport!
Damn. S tier production. Yall know how to bring the battletech vibe the right way.
Thanks!
Everybody's always like, "lol, can't trust ComStar!" Until their HPG link goes the way of the Mackie and their C-bills suddenly disappear.
Hahah This is why you can’t trust them!
As a former mall cop, I agree - never make fun of us. We're mechwarriors, too. ^_^
Yesssssssssssss!!! Favorite comment.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I was a Mall Cop for 12.5 years between two of the shittiest malls in my city. But I've been AFFS since 1989, or since the Fourth Succession War storyline, if you prefer. Put me in a Marauder II and I'll trespass some Clanners from LIFE. ^_^
ha our after action report was so long it was basically an HPU - we made a twofer! But I was really excited to talk about the clan mechs and tactics after such an exciting game.
I apologize to my fellow clanners for the lost honor.
I also edited our at least 4 hours of banter. At least 😜
"I apologize to my fellow clanners for the lost honor."
Ah, you're Greenbirds. The rest of the Clans kind of expect it from you guys. :)
Ahaha sick burnnn
A very taff fight. But the Claners creeping inch for inch to a victory.
Solid battle. I think the thermal generator needs some throbbing red lights in those smoke stacks.
LOL yessssss one day I will illuminate all my buildings. One day.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Need to commit on that drop pod to sell it as terrain.
Jade falcon be back for another round
Most definitely.
Fun battle. Death to all mist lynx and hellbringers. Absolutely not worth their cost. Excellent map setup. The bridge and high ground area made it very interesting. The more elevation changes you get in these the better.
Thom is killing it with the paint. He should get bonus PV!
Thanks! It was a fun match - and 100% on the Mist Lynx, though I still hold out hope for the Hellbringer. 😁
When do we get to see turtle bay?
holy shit i just painted up a couple of lances as winfields brigade.
Perfect timing! Find a buddy with some Jade Falcon and make us proud 😆
Great video. I would like to see Thom and Kevin play against Aaron in a battle report.
Doing our best! We’ll try to get all three of us in the same room soon. 👍 Thanks as always for watching!
Looking forward to that EPIC battle!
So here is a totally separate question from the today's video. What is the state of Battletech?
I got into Btech in 1990 and up until the late 2000's I could find Btech in my local gaming stores , there were video games etc. However over the last several years when I would come home (I live in Asia now) to visit my local gaming stores there wasn't any Btech products to be found. I kinda thought it had become a dead license. It wasn't until I heard about Battletech from HBS last year that I got back into it. So from playing the new computer game I learned about Catalyst games and that's when I started buying Battletech stuff again, but it's only available online or through mail order. BTW I'm waiting eagerly for my Clan Invasion set to arrive. I ordered the Star Commander's package.
So I guess my point is I'm glad I rediscovered BattleTech and it has a lively community and Catalyst seems passionate about the product but considering I can't even find the minis in any stores and all the new computer games are low budget Kickstarter projects what is going on with this brand. Thanks.
Thom can blame the lack of structure on the Mad Dog on the Jags. They designed it after all.
Where do you get the mechs that you use for the radar detection and then reveal who they are when you get close enough.
3D printed. You can get the STLs on Patreon.
Keep em coming!
Got another one on the editing bench right now 🙂😁
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Perfection!
I would love to know what the geothermal terrain was from Iron Wind. Can't seem to find it online.
Haha its the bottom of their dropship 😁
can you enter building with elementals ? because that would change a lot
We dont play with the buildings rules as its a lot more to track - but maybe down the road we will start layering that in!
@@joshkellemen5931 It can be a lot to track in classic, too.
Have you considered recreating a battle from the animated series? I thing a battle between Clan Jade Falcon vs Somerset Strikers on the tabletop would be very interesting.
It would be cool! Maybe!
Wow! Man I’ve been waiting on a bat rep. Thank you! P.S. Eclipse is my code name, lol!
Thanks for watching!
Great job gents!
Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed it! It was a fun one to play - lots of epic moments. Except when Thom’s elementals whiffed on the anti mech attack bwahahah
I’m confused by your comments about the Mist Lynx costing more than a Mad Dog, my alpha strike cards say 27 and 42 respectively. Am I looking at the wrong costs?
You are not wrong - though that is the cost for the Vulture Prime. Thom has the Vulture C which is 33.
But then again still not more expensive than a Vulture - but not far off!
The elementals were so flattened by surprise when the Thunderbolt stomped them, they even forgot to retaliate.
Superhumans or rather pidgeons with a bad attitude - you decide :D
As much as I like seeing everything clan being obliterated, the sheer amount of bad dice rolling was stunning to watch.
It's just bad Karma, as soon as you play on the IS side everything will become better - promised.
Yah they just totally whiffed that AM attack - would have changed the course of the game.
This is where I really like formations and especially Battle lances/stars for a bit of luck when you really need it...
Loved the Bat Rep, looks like I changed my pledge level too late, be seeing my name on the back board in the new year.
Have you guys considered adding any Clan Second Line mechs or "C" variants or any of Inner Sphere designs in order to bring some cheaper bulk to your clan forces?
I know the Elementals are expensive, is there any utility to them as ablative armour as your fast mechs rush in? 1/3 of incoming fire tags them instead of your fast movers.
Its possible with the elementals! We talked about that a little...
As for the second liners - wave 2 will give us some great options there. Generally I think playing skill 3 clan warriors will be game changing in the clans favor. Pork barreling them with elites just exacerbates their cost problems.
And yes - you are already on the placard for the next batrep I am working on 🙂 there is a bit of a production delay on that 😝
Amazing game! So many heroic moments. There's a formula {I think in the Companion book} for figuring out the target number to see if a character survived the destruction of their unit, and for characters created on the fly like Paul Blart (not your usual recurring characters which I know auto-survive), I would love to see you to make a survival roll on camera to see if they make it.
Hey hey hey Paul Blart is a GOD among tankers haha 😁 lmk if you find a page ref maybe we can use it CAMPAIGN 2.0 rules!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Found it. It's under "Pilot and Crew Diagnostics" on page 172-173 of the Alpha Strike Companion. If I am reading this correctly, for Paul it looks like the survival roll would be 11+: 3 (his skill level) +0 (Unit type modifier) +2 (Unit was destroyed) + 2 (100% Armor loss) + 4 (100% strutcture loss) +0 (No crew, ammo, or fuel crits).
Now that sounds harsh, but he is only killed if he rolls a measure of failure of 5 or more. So a roll of 6 or less kills him, 7 to 10 wounds him, and 11+ sees him safe and unharmed. Wounded pilots and crews are at +1 Skill level until they take time to heal, and have a +2 penalty on survival rolls, making them more likely to die the next mission. I think it's kind of a neat system.
By the way, crashed choppers add an additional +4 mod on top of everything else, so those wild wacky weirdos in their whirlibirds are probably toast.
I think Paul may be in the hospital for a few months LOL
Also, short fyi. Started painting a company of Wolfs Dragoons Zeta Bn and also 3 stars of Widowmaker Mechs.
Gotta send some pics of all these units!!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I'll have my son show me how. Also, Nikolai Malthus??? Evil, you're evil. Yall know hes TBN propoganda....
I have the the Battletech box and the CLassic battletech book, what else do i need for the tabletop ruleswise
nothing else needed to play classic. if you want to play alphastrike, you'll need those rules (Catalyst has released a 'Commander's Edition' of Alphastrike rules that is great). If you want to play with our collection of alternate rules, they are available on our website linked in the description.
Correct - you can also grab free AS quick start rules online as well!
@@thomberg3457 I just got the book yesterday as an early christmas present, so far i havent seen how you do the range and walking distances. Do you just use the measure and use same distance you would have if shooting hexa tiles ?
Can you email me? Will be easier. Dfawargaming at gmail
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Sure :D
Can you guys do some clan stuff that isnt alpha strike?
Started watching...😬 Do not bring dishonor to the clan this time Tom. Defeat him and make him your bondsman! Aaron is not allowed to win this battle!
I'll wait...
@@thomberg3457 ....time to bring Nicolai Malthus.
If only you could add pics to YT comments, Id post the one with all the Malthus faces laughing.
Guys do you use the clan honour rules? There is the section at the end of that which states they do not run versus inner sphere and fight to the death... Just wondering if you thought about bringing zelbrigen and that into the clan games.
We will be featuring it in clan vs clan games! Otherwise it would really put the clans at a major disadvantage / would be rendered moot as soon as every IS pilot lights up the same clan mech 🙂
Same deal on the morale/fighting to the death... if there was some way to balance this or give the IS a comparable advantage, I’d love to work that in.
Might be a good SPA to work in.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming a part of me also wonders if the long range targeting rules you guys are using are also negatively effecting the clans, as they are more of a long range faction and are not being able to leverage the extra difficulty to be hit at range as much as would otherwise apply?
There is a vigorous conversation on this in another comment thread - I am convinced it is skill-related. Clan forces are playing lots of points for marginal gains over skill 3 from what I see.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ah that’s a good point I also hadn’t considered.
Only more battle reports will unlock the truth haha thanks for watching! 🙂👍
Whoa. how do you force withdraw a jade falcon? :)
Make a ton of really mean bird jokes. Like really mean.
where can i find more on aerotech in alpha strike.
The Alpha Strike Commander’s Edition has a section in the back on it - very easy to integrate into normal gameplay.
I suggest replacing the Mist Lynx with a Fire Falcon, a Battle Cobra, or a Shadow Cat. They all fall pretty close in point value, and have better firepower, armor, and similar mobility. As for the rest, I probably would dump one of the other lights and the Elementals for a Summoner if you're going to have to deal with IS heavies and assaults, even 3025 ones. On the IS side, the Gobin is an ok buy, but I would have dumped them and the Warriors them for a Manticore or a Von Luckner, and then a pair of Drillson Hover Tanks.
I'll add the Crossbow and the Cauldron to replace the Hellbringer.
I can only paint so many units so fast 😜
We talked about elementals at the end - and having ‘elemental’ lists and non elemental lists - I think I am going to try that - and I really like your list ideas here!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming True, but with Wave 2 coming out, the Clans get even more designs.
Cant wait!!
Sweet paint jobs
Great report! Excellent action and you guys are good sports.
Do you plan on having a classic battletech match soon? I think that is the ruleset to really showcase what sets the Clans apart from the Inner Sphere.
Thanks! Maybe on CBT - admittedly my feelings on CBT in this era (and beyond) are mixed. It is very cumbersome in some respects making it less than ideal candidate when you are filming, etc. in a timebox. I also have seen that BV really breaks down with advanced tech - penalizing the clans quite a bit.
This was a great bat rep! Are there rules for recovering from forced withdrawl somewhere? Also I noticed the withdrawing mechs were running away and not firing back. Is that an optional rule you're playing where they can't turn around and fire as they're retreating?
Hey man! We havent published them yet as we’re still testing & balancing, but soon.
Essentially when you take crippling damage, the pilot/crew needs to test morale. This is 2xSkill + some mods based on #crits and if you were damaged this turn.
If you pass, you can withdraw at least 1” and still shoot. If you fail, you sprint towards the table edge (think of it like evasive maneuvers).
Fleeing pilots can attempt to recover each end phase. Composed pilots don’t need to retest unless they get shot at (not necc even hit) or take damage (eg from the environment)
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ooh, I love this! Thank you for making a bit of a clunky rule system more playable. We always play w your house rules when we play.
Awesome! Thanks - and you are welcome. We’ll try to refine and get it on paper soon. 😁
Great stuff. Loving the terrain, where did you get the bridge and the big comms? Towers?
Thanks! Roads and bridges are gcmini… towers are tomytec. Check out our terrain series in the Hobby playlist!
Ok new recruit to the channel this Sholama unit is curious are these mechs and units the old school pewter mechs? Or new plastic?
All new plastics! Except the tanks and choppers.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming that’s my major issue right now is trying to find the plastic to rebuild my old armies with out spending a PPC load of credits
Check out Aries Games and Minis. Under $20 for a lance when they are in stock! Also the Game of Armored Combat is a good buy. 👍
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming picked up the starter set after binge watching yalls alpha strike rules got my teenagers into waiting to see what happens with Christmas to pick up Armored combat.
But did the Jade Falxons have their batchal get refused?
Their what?
I dont speak that language.
Lol, honestly wish I could try this out. But, my painting isn't really good enough to be put on UA-cam.
Thom is gifted! With a little practice you can learn to cheat like me 😁 check out camospecs - they have some awesome tutorials! Contrast paints (new) also make it very easy!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming My work schedule has me a touch run ragged, when I get home I'm usually too tired to paint. Plus, thanks to the Guard army I did for 40k, I learned how to churn things out fairly quick.
So Im just going to say it....the Elementals are better equipped for a fight then the Mist Lynx....the Mist Lynx had 2 armor 1 structure and the elemental had 2 armor 2 structure.
Haha yes. The Elementals are somewhat under performers in AS I think - they do well if you can get them in, but are pretty expensive for the risk.
Also the Mist Lynx is made of paper. oof. 😆
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming....I don't think so....Paper actually has some structure
😆
Where do you guys get your buildings and terrain mats? Thanks
Terrain - check out xmarx, hardware studios, and aries games and minis.
Terrain mats come from deep-cut studio and pwork wargames.
Great. Thanks so
Man, I wish I would have picked up a Vulture or two during the KS! #regrets
One of my favs!
I want more alpha strike!
As always good stuff guys, thanks for the show. Has there been any thought or consideration for a RPG type content say Mechwarrior/AToW or Destiny?
We have discussed it! We really like (I know its old school) then 2nd edition MW rpg - maybe we’ll do something in 2021.
Where did you get the clear cubes?
Amazon or ebay... just search for terms like “d6 blank 12mm”
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming And those roads? Those are super nice!
thanks! They come from gcmini.com - clear acrylic, but just spray ‘em and get the templates for the lines etc!
Hi, where did you buy the clear blank dice from please?
I get these on amazon and ebay... try search terms like “blank d6 12mm”
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Thank you 😊
Shame to field those goblins and not the platoon of infantry they can carry each
Except these aren’t the infantry carriers. They don’t debut until after then initial invasion per MUL (3053).
This version has IT1 which can’t carry anything meaningful.
Is that Marauder from Ironwind?
That is the new kickstarter plastic Marauder from Catalyst.
Man the clan mechs in this feel so bad sometimes
Or the novels just make them seem unkillable destroyers. 🙂
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I have never read the novels, I am going purely based of point values.
@@deadsalmon4115 I'm not convinced the house rules aren't a part of the problem. The way they roll variable damage with a single "pilot die" makes things much more swingy than they'd normally be, and halving the movement values on everything makes it harder for the generally faster Clan mechs to stay at the range band they favor, especially with extreme range in play. And that includes the elementals, who really want to be riding a fast omnimech that can drop them off right in the enemy's face without having to take much if any fire, and that doesn't happen when the carrier is moving 8-10" rather than the 16-20+" the normal rules support.
I can understand wanting to add some limits to the extremely freeform movement of AS but lowering speeds isn't the approach I'd take. Limit your free turns and make extra turning cost movement instead.
The multiple damage rule makes it less swingy. One die roll “all or none” is maximally swingy.
Changing movement *and also range* has zero effect. That’s like saying if we played with cm instead of inches it’d be different. If anything it benefits the clans because by “normal” AS rules we’d need to play on an 8’ x 8’ area to accomodate the same starting distance... so I don’t buy it.
Changing speed would only have a meaningful impact if range wasnt also adjusted or you were playing on an extremely small map.
The only optional rule from ASCE that has an effect here is the long range targeting& tracking rules - but 🤷🏻♂️ it affects all ‘mechs equally.
The clan ‘mechs largely suck because:
- the XL engine penalty is way steeper than reflected in classic
- stuffing every clan ‘mech with a thematically appropriate skill 1-2 elite pilot drives up the cost significantly.
Lastly, every match has been close - the last one a matter of some luck on my side. I was able to pull out a victory with ClanWolf last week... so it’s not like IS is just mopping up.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Does regular AS really use only one die role? I would think that it would be one per point of damage in a way similar to Classic but outside if this channel I have never seen AS played. Anyway, I was just surprised by how clanners vs 3050 IS changed in terms of balence from classic. Keep up the good work.
Clan Angry Chicken :D
Okay, finished watching the report. My statement was wrong. It's a Clan Fried Chicken :D
I've really enjoyed watching this channel since I discovered it back in October, however I gotta say I really feel Alpha Strike is really screwing the Clan in these games. The longer range, heavier hitting capabilities of Clan mechs seems dumbed down. In our Classic games Clan mechs often ruled, but here they've only scored one Minor Victory despite their technological and skill advantage.
Something else I've noticed is that the defenders usually have a two to one numbers advantage with the Clan rarely sending in any Assault mechs, which again goes against the Clans so much that the games are becoming predictable. Maybe I'm missing something can anyone help elaborate on this?
I think it is coming down to the points costs for the mechs and pilots. I think i saw someone mentioning that the elite pilots being overcosted. So then you end up with fewer mechs that cost more, so you end up losing to volume of fire compared to the cheaper inner sphere counterparts.
@@oldguycantgame That makes sense. I'm not as familiar with Alpha Strike as I am Classic. So I wonder since Clan pilots are supposed to be better to begin with maybe there is an option to give the Clan better pilots with having to pay for them.
Either way I want to see some Clan wins. Not offense to DFA Wargaming but these matches are starting to look a lot like WWE wrestling or the Cincinnati Bengals, I already know who is going to win before the match even starts:)
LOL well I think there is also an expectation the clans are going to mop house thanks to the novels... but even in classic you dont really see that (assuming you are playing a BV balanced game).
We had one subscriber do an analysis of a prior batrep, and converting PV to BV the clans had a 3000 BV advantage (meaning, in classic, I’d have been able to take better pilots/more mechs/whatever).
The clans do get a few extra hexes of range, but unless you are playing a Warhawk against a bunch of Hunchbacks on the flat plains of Kansas, it should be a good game.
I’d also say that in all my Battlytics analyses of clan vs IS, the clan BV is just way inflated... and that is a byproduct of how mobility is (over)weighted in the calculation; same thing in PV but to a lesser extend.
Check out the analysis of the Avatar vs Summoner for reference.
Not disagreeing that I’d love to see more from the clans. We are discussing ideas internally.
I think that is a fair point!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Cool. Thanks for the feedback and clarification.
For as much as people complain about Clanners being overpowered in Total Warfare, they seem pretty underwhelming in Alpha Strike. Sure, they're fast and have a lot of guns, but they have terrible structure compared to IS mechs, fall victim to the action economy, and don't run combined arms apart from Elementals. If the Invasion had played out using AS rules, the Clanners would've never made it past the Periphery.
Hah - well they are largely underwhelming in Classic too, unless you pit them against garbage IS ‘mechs with awful pilots, and play a game with no objective other than “kite the IS mechs” 😁
I’m controversial. I know.
Andy I don’t totally disagree overall. I think if we stopped paying for elites (which we do out of ‘lore’ appropriateness) the lists might become a tad better. These games really are closely balanced so list building can make a difference.
But I will say the clan mechs feel SO GOOD to play on the table - the speed and damage is intoxicating.
Man, cant order the Adder singly yet can we? I need 3 more models lol.
You and me both! And not yet. Blaine Lee Pardoe and Brent Evans started a new company to sell individual multipart plastics - so omni configs etc. Soon I hope.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming roger that. After Aaron's display of combined arms I need tanks too.
They are a great addition and so easy to paint comparatively! And usually come in 2-packs 🙂
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming indeed. Aaron harkens back to the Davion/Steiner alliance and his tactics are similar to the Regimental Combat Teams, almost a page out of the US Armys Airland Battle manual.
Warrior H7s are soo good just replace the the SRM with an LRM , or take the obscene 3055 version
I run the LRM versions here - but yes the 3055 ones are great also!!
Where can I find the plastic bases?
I buy mine on amazon.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Ok, I will see if I can find them there....plastic bases are hard to find. Iron Winds has plenty of metallic bases
Nice game!
You were using alpha striker rules?
Thanks! And yes, we are playing with AS rules and some optional rules from the Commander’s Edition. We also use a house rule related to the “pilot die” for shooting - all can be found in a free download on our website if interested!
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming thanks for your answer!
Do you play sometime with the new edition of the game or you only play AS?
(i like AS and your video are cool but i bought the game on KS for the complete version).
So if you have some game to it woule be nice.
AS is actually the “new” version 🙂 Classic - or the rules you see in the boxed sets - has been around for much longer... and we may mix in some classic and do have some batreps out there for classic.
@@DeathfromAboveWargaming ok i was thinking the complet version was patch.
AS is fun but i don't found the same charm as the full mecha character sheet ^^
Oh man I agree with you... I grew up playing classic as a kid. Great game for small scale engagements in my opinion... but I do find that when you include tanks/infantry and/or try to play larger scale games it becomes prone to players missing rules or forgetting to track something. It takes a long time to get through turns.
If you haven’t tried AS I’d recommend trying it... you can put more minis on the table and plays really well! 😁
Given that the clans have lost every single one of these, maybe its time to stop using elite pilots that arent worth paying for.
Havent lost every one - but I agree elite pilots aren’t worth it.
haha absolutely not. Have you actually played Classic in the Clan Invasion? I mean a competitive game where your friend is list building to beat you? IS will stomp every single time. BV is virtually non-functional as a means of balancing game play between introductory and advanced ruleset mechs, and the IS can take almost 3x the number of units. For your 2/3 Warhawk Prime (arguably one of the most lethal Clan units) I can take two 3/4 Awesomes and have enough points left over to run a 3/4 Whitworth.
So the question is, is it possible to balance clan vs IS using pv or bv? I haven't played a game with clan mechs yet, but I already have so many from the KS and 100+ clanners coming in wave 2, I should probably just start playing them... fluff wise did the IS have so many mechs to spare in order to meet their clan foes?
@@MrHitmanx of course. maybe start by using regular pilots
Terrain plays a big factor in helping reduce the IS numbers advantage. Really need to increase the density of it to give the Clans superior mobility a chance to shine.
Wow