• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

JimJ4m

Head of Community
1 Badges
Jan 7, 2019
82
5
  • Age of Wonders: Planetfall Sign Up
Greetings 'Mechwarriors!

As we said during the last challenge stream, we are now out of official challenges from HBS, but we really like the idea, so we now need YOU to help us out.

We will create some Challenges ourselves, but what we would love is to see your suggestions here!
The idea with the ones we have been playing is to teach a certain aspect or two of BATTLETECH, and we would (to begin with at least) like continue in that flavor.
___________________________________________________________________________
The setup should be:

Quick brief on the scenario and what you call it (bonus points for catchy name), please state what the challenge is all about and what it aims to teach the players.

Player's lance:
1-4 'Mechs

Opponents' lance:
1-4 'Mechs

Map being used
___________________________________________________________________________

That said, please be as creative as you like! And if you come up with something that is a bit outside of the template feel free to post it with a motivation why you think it would be a good challenge!

I will continuously look through this thread and compile ideas, and we will take it from there!



[Mod note: Links to all current Challenges here.]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
RED CITY RAID
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Player is tasked with a "quick" hit & run on the mechs in Red City. The expectation is that resistance will be light...but we all know that always means it's not light.

Pilot choice is up to the player.
All mechs are stock.

Player's lance:
  • 2x Locust 1M
  • 1x Locust 1S
  • 1x Locust 1V
Opponent's lance:
  • 2x Hunchback 4G
  • 2x Hunchback 4P
Map: Red City

Goals / Objective:
  • Improve player understanding of positioning, evasion, and light tactics.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Yes. I've completed this. Probably took me much longer than it'll take some of you.
 
@mjbroekman has an excellent format, I shall use that format as well. :bow:

SUBURBAN DEFENSE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Player is a local Militia commander tasked to defend a suburban cluster of businesses and dwellings with a Lance of UrbanMechs against a Pirate incursion.

Use the Red City Map and a Lance of four Urban Mechs for the player, against the AI’s Enforcer, JagerMech, Spider and Trebuchet.

Pilot choice is up to the player.
All mechs are stock.

Player's lance:
  • 4x UrbanMechs
Opponent's lance:
  • 1x Enforcer
  • 1x JagerMech
  • 1x Spider
  • 1xTrebuchet
Map: Red City

Goals / Objective:
  • In advance of URBAN WARFARE, introduce the Player to as close to City Fighting as one can get using the Red City Map. Savvy use of Jump Jets, Ambushes and Rear Torso Attacks should permit the Player to draw the AI OpFor into a series of Mid to Close Combat opportunities.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 
I'm going to refresh one of my old Beta Challenges:

TWO BROTHERS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Paradise and Sumo are the two baddest brothers in town. Prove it by defeating the "Heavy Assault Lance" on the Stacks. Both brothers 'Mechs must survive.

Use the Stacks Map and AS7-D Paradise with AS7-D Sumo for the player, against the AI’s stock preset "Heavy Assault Lance."

All mechs are stock.

Player's lance:
  • 2x AS7-D - Paradise, Sumo
Opponent's lance:
  • 1x Heavy Assault Lance
Map: The Stacks

Goals / Objective:
  • Keep both brothers alive and their 'Mechs operational while taking out the enemy Lance. These pilots have totally opposing skill sets and the player needs to utilize them in their niche to succeed. Without any Sensor Lock or Multi-Target, selecting when to target each enemy and how to lead them in to your trap are paramount.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I ran this one once just to make sure it's still a good challenge with the current game and stock AI. Yep, it's a close one.

I1Q0YGY.jpg

eLiTjsi.jpg


This was a real close one. Paradise is incredibly fragile and had I taken any head hits it would have failed as he both lost a leg and torso in succession. I did have to overheat Sumo twice to backshot the KGC. In general, I lead them to the left and let the lights come in first, but they were too evasive at first. Just before the KGC was able to get direct LoS, I was able to destroy the LCT and cut the COM down to just a torso. Afterwards, a lucky AC/20 chopped the MGs off the TDR and that was it for the crit-seekers in play. I ignored the TDR for the KGC and pulled Paradise back knowing the two AI would pursue and let me place Sumo behind the KGC. This could have very easily gone south with another ammo expulsion or headshot on Paradise, but it's a fun and intense setup that puts you on the edge between success and failure.
 
Last edited:
HIDE, SEEK and BACKSTAB
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Do you know that one that says "3 Jagermechs entered the Red City, found 4 Spiders and then..."? Well, here you get to say how it ends. With your full lance of paper-thin armour 'Mechs, try not to get shot at while disposing of these hunters (Jäger = hunter in German).

Player's lance:
  • 4x Spider SDR-5V (Recommended pilots: Paradise, Apex, Kraken and Blockade)
Opponent's lance:
  • 2x Jagermech JM6-A (Suggested pilots: Sumo and Wildfire)
  • 1x Jagermech JM6-S (Suggested pilot: Buckshot)
Map: Red City

Goals / Objective:
  • A bit of everything: controling line of sight and initiative, flanking maneuvers, keeping high evasion and also a bit of heat managing.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Unfortunately this challenge is quite similar to the one proposed by @mjbroekman (and great job with the format). I guess we both had the idea of combining several game skills and probably also like light 'Mechs. For a moment I thought of changing the map, but this one is the only with buildings (as far as I remember), and they are key for the LoS control. Luckily, we had different lances in mind.
This same challenge is still doable against 4 Jagermechs, but it requires more patience. The suggested OpFor pilots are because of: (1) coolant flush, if you let Sumo to shoot you several times, and (2) multitarget. For the player's lance: Paradise for Ace pilot is the only critical one, Apex for high gunnery and breaching shot and the others fair gunnery and tactics, in case you get enough fury for a precision shot.
 
Opponent's lance:
  • 2x Jagermech JM6-A (Suggested pilots: Sumo and Wildfire)
  • 1x Jagermech JM6-S (Suggested pilot: Buckshot)

You are MEAN. LRM heavies against Spiders?!? That's just evil. My challenge was "inspired" (if that's what you want to call it) by the setup I used to get the "Swarm of Locusts" achievement. Line of Sight wasn't a big deal so much as accurately judging the movement and range on the Hunchies weapons (since they max out at ML range). Line of sight was definitely less important but positioning was key. Your challenge is definitely a "learn about LoS breakers or DIE horribly" because those autocannons and LRMs are going to be brutal and no amount of Bulwark will save you.

Great variation on the "Light Mech Master Class" though. I am not at all 'good' with light mechs in this game but between our two challenges, I might become a decent light pilot (especially if I can manage to complete my challenge in less than the 200+ rounds it took me the first time).
 
Hahaha, I'm not that mean... Jagers are walking bombs, with all that ammunition boxes xD But, yes, I agree with your statement about "learn about LoS breakers or DIE horribly", hence the title ;) But everytime that I read Yang's description of Spiders, I want to make a lance full of them... just not a thing you wanna do in Career or Campaign, though...

In the next days I'm gonna try your challenges (the three mentioned here, at least for now). Mine took me around 16 rounds, I think, but I did it without losing any pilot (just one or two injuries)
 
I really like the suggestions here, and we will try one or two next week on stream! Just a gentle reminder to everyone else that has a cool idea to post them before Friday!

At the moment I think I will be true to the roots of BATTLETECH and bring my biggest dice to the stream to randomly decide which one(s) we try out!
 
Hi! For this week stream there is no thread to comment about? I guess it's because @JimJ4m is still sick... I hope you have a quick recovery! ;)
In the meantime, as the two proposed challenges remaining are in the same map than Red City Raid and seem quite long challenges, I came up with something quite faster (I believe it won't take more than 15 rounds).

MELT THE BATTLEMASTERS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"3 Battlemasters, right? Such a pretentious name... if they overheat so easily, I'm sure we can beat them anywhere with only 4 lights!" - Paradise words in a bar one night after quite too many drinks. Now, some angry merc wants him to prove it, in an artic location: Still Valley! Paradise's only hope is to field a lance full of Firestarters...

Player's lance:
  • 4x Firestarter FS9-H (Recommended pilots: up to you, but Sure Footing and Ace Pilot can be handy)
Opponent's lance:
  • 3x Battlemaster BLR-1G (Suggested pilots: Sumo (for Heat management) and a Sensor Locker if the AI wants to try to remove some of your evasion)
Map: Still Valley

Goals / Objective:
  • Taunt the enemy for an easy overheat or even shut down while keeping your heat at bay. Initiative control to take advantage of called shots. Evasion and positioning to avoid too many melee attacks.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This is not the challenge I had first in mind, but when I tried it was too easy, if someone is interested, more details in the spoiler.
At first I wanted to try a couple of Battlemasters (player) against 4 Firestarters (AI), in a cold map (Still Valley) as stock Battlemasters are terrible with heat sinking. Well, apparently the AI doesn't like to commit or focus fire in a single Mech, so 2 Firestarters attacked from distance (only lasers) and the other 2 with everything, but each one to a different Mech. As a result, none of my Mechs even overheated. With melee I managed to keep heat at bay, and the Firestarters broke down in 6 or 7 rounds...

I was disappointed at how easy it had been, so I thought, let's do it the other way around. Mistake, even easier. Then the AI didn't care about the heat, alpha striked with both Mechs, so I was able to shut down both of them and punish their backs, a lot. In 5 rounds both Battlemasters were down. Then I tried increasing their numbers, as I don't think it's possible to shut down 3 Mechs in the same round, and that's the challenge I'm proposing.

I tested and it's fairly easy, just be careful with the Battlemaster melee attacks, they destroyed one of my Mechs early on with a single punch. Below the final results:
My lance20190227114044_1.jpg
OpFor 20190227114051_1.jpg

PS: @mjbroekman , you said that my challenge was mean, but honestly, I'm not sure, I think yours its more mean (meaner?) than mine, as Spiders have a similar speed walking/running but they have jump jets, which is very helpful in a city map like this one ;)

PS2:
@Prussian Havoc , I'm sorry but I won't do your challenge. I've tried 2 or 3 times, but the UrbanMech doesn't fit at all with my play-style. I feel like it's under-armoured, with almost no weapons (AC20 has very low chances to hit, usually... and the OpFor lance you proposed is quite good with evasion or hitting you from afar) and, even with the Jump jets, I feel like the UrbanMech has low mobility for its weight... so, unfortunately I don't enjoy much trying it.
 

Attachments

  • 20190227114051_1.jpg
    20190227114051_1.jpg
    168,4 KB · Views: 37
Challenge:

Finish main "Arano" campaign in shortest time possible (in game days)

This is definitely something I'd like to see someone do - are there any streaming/youtube etc players who have tried something like this, eg taking every story mission as soon as it appears and doing the minimum number of side missions?

Don't think I'm good enough to try it myself.
 
This is definitely something I'd like to see someone do - are there any streaming/youtube etc players who have tried something like this, eg taking every story mission as soon as it appears and doing the minimum number of side missions?

Don't think I'm good enough to try it myself.
Set salvage to 1 piece and you could do it in a month.
 
Challenge accepted! I've started a default campaign with the goal of taking each arano mission as soon as it appears, with one concession, I will be finishing all missions at the current planet before traveling as directly as possible to the arano mission, not stopping at any systems along the way. Is that acceptable?
 
I know Mods aren't officially supported, but it would be cool to see one of Devs playing one of the comprehensive Mods out there. Personally, I enjoy the BattleTech 3025 Extended Commander's' Edition, but I know RogueTech is widely popular and the 3062 Mod would be another good candidate. A nice way to show a bit love to all the people out there investing their time and energy in giving this game some serious legs.

A second choice would be to showcase one of the fan-created Flashpoints. AMechWarrior's The Raid is the first that comes to mind.