The TBAGers are painted!

The above represents all that was left of the battalion when the FWL terminated their contract following the Andurien Surrender.

It occurred to me while making the list for my last game, that I really ought to be able to at least field a fully painted 8k force painted in the colors of this blog's namesake unit. As such, this past week I set about doing just that. 

Unlike the billboards of old, the unit logo is much smaller and painted on the left lower legs of mechs. 

Starting off with my original Catapult, I painted up a Charger CGR-SB, Hunchback HBK-4G (or H), A Panther PNT-8Z, two Stinger STG-3Gs, and lastly an infantry platoon. In addition to the Catapult, I also had a previously painted captured heavy APC from Warrior House Hiritsu (see below).

Both lances are short one mech apiece. Also it is something of a mystery as to where they managed to find a replacement arm plating for this rare 8Z variant Panther in the Andurien Warzone! Almost have to wonder if they raided a museum's collection of mechs for it...

Paint scheme is that same as with the catapult: 2-tone brown and green camo, with a broad red stripe running from the top of the head, down the center torso. Additional red accents can be added per the Mechwarrior's preference. This scheme is broken up by multitude of grey-primered replacement armor panels following repairs of battlefield damage that they haven't yet had the time to repaint.

The other Mechwarriors have dubbed this mech 'Socky', much to its pilot's annoyance.

Of specific note is the Hunchback's lower left leg. A victim of being 'legged' This mech was successfully recovered and a replacement came from the ruins of an Andurien Defenders' Hunchback. While plenty of new armor plating joins the 'new' lower leg and foot to the rest of the mech, the resulting appearance is amusing to friend and foe alike!

All that remains of the armor and infantry companies. 

At some point amidst the fighting on Betelgeuse from 3031-3032, The TBAGers captured a Heavy tracked APC from Warrior House Hiritsu. In truth it had simply become hopelessly mired in a bog. Its crew, awaiting recovery units fled when TBAGer mechs approached instead. Extricating the APC themselves, a crewman from an accompanying tank drove it back behind friendly lines under escort to avoid a 'friendly fire incident'.

The infantry making good use of cover.

A red stripe down the transport's center along with the initials 'TBAG' on the left and right flanks were applied hastily and it joined the Buffet Assault Group's ranks. Refusal to repaint the APC following its capture has been a point of pride, while also barring simultaneously it from serving the Capellan Confederation due to having possession of 'blatantly stolen' war material.

At last, to battle once more!

 o/

Diplomacy in action...

This past Saturday, my buddy Screech and I got in a game for the first time in forever. Eight thousand points per side, straight up kill each other lack of scenario. The following is more of a highlight reel than a proper battle report as I have since come down with Covid, and as such I currently feel pretty lousy.

That said I'm feeling better than I did just a day ago due to meds, and as of this writing, Screech doesn't seem to have (yet) contracted the virus from me. Fingers crossed that he doesn't. 

Screech's force. Five, very well equipped 3060s era, unidentified inner sphere mechs. Either the Marian Hegemony got itself very well equipped and then decided on an all the way across the fucking Inner Sphere raid, or it is a thinly veiled Wobbly false flag operation. I'm leaning towards the latter though we'll likely never know... 

My DCMS Sword of Light (though not any one in particular) lance with a DEST jump infantry platoon to round out the points. All of Screech's units were 4/5 pilots often relying on cutting edge tech to make up the difference. My pilots & infantry were all better trained (to varying degrees) with older mechs.

Ahh, I see they've taken the Jenner's 'bait' role a bit too seriously. Time to fire (and miss with) the gauss rifle and LRMs!

Not too much to see here aside from my HBK-4P running full tilt down the road to it's doom!

A 100-ton Marauder II vs. a (by this point) maybe 2ish surviving tons of DEST infantry? Sounds like a fair fight!

Just prior to the pic, the Hunchback somehow managed to stand despite having a +4 to its piloting skill due to a multitude of left leg crits! Furthermore, what was left of its the right arm was lying on the ground nearby. Nonetheless, on its feet again it unloaded its laser onslaught to the opposing Warhammer (already heavily damaged from earlier HBK laser hits and LRMs from the far-off Archer) was knocked out of action due to taking three engine hits!

Screech's Wolverine closes the distance and starts to draw my Archer's ire as you can see... (I just love this sculpt!)

Turning to the enemy catapult, the Hunchback put 5 medium lasers into it. The Cat's LRMs and LBX-2s reply with a punishing salvo that ultimately tears the Hunchback's badly damaged leg clean off!

The Archer never moved from its mountain perch. Instead, it camped out lobbing fairly accurate LRM fire out in all directions, whilst often splitting fire to send its arm mounted medium lasers out after the harassing Shadow Hawk in its midst. The Catapult had to keep jumping around from peak to peak to keep my 7F model Jenner off of its tail. Overall, for my first ever use of a Jenner it did well, look for it again in future bat reps.

The irritated Marauder, unable to shake the damned (ineffective) infantry chooses to ignore them and continue it's duel with my Cyclops. The two traded heavy blows for 3-4 turns straight. However, in the end I was outmaneuvered and had to choose between protecting my thin rear armor, or else trying to finish off the beast!

Going for the kill, I hit with everything and certainly sent the Marauder in for some heavy armor replacement maintenance (never got any crits though). The Wolverine however punched thru my rear armor and hit a full LRM ammo bin in the side torso, vaporizing my mech and ending the game. 

We had already planned on ending the game at the end of this last round as it was getting late, however hitting that ammo sent the game out with a literal bang! Having lost 2 mechs to 1, with all other mechs on the board sporting moderate-to-heavy damage I conceded, and the victory went to Screech's raiders!