Cheerleading the B-Team

[Brother Diogenes]

In my new career, I've already had three different deployments babysitting these dorks, and I love them. Not only is it nice to not worry about the time and cost of repairing every component and point of internal structure, their enthusiasm is fantastic.

I don't know what happens if any of them die, since I've managed to avoid that so far, but I'm not looking forward to it... even if a couple of them seem bound and determined to die as loudly as possible.

Love the new scenarios so far. I hope they keep coming!

 

[Technophobe]

That looks hilarious. I haven't encountered a new contract yet but now I'm looking forward to it even more.

 

[gh0s7]

Yeah, the B-Team contracts are a blast.
The first time I did one, I lost one of the trainees (KIA), but at the end (before the AAR) Darius chatted that all was well and we'll get paid. Dude, that's cold...
(but still true)

 

[Vanu Kaos]

I wanted to adopt them straight away. Have them around like puppies or over enthusiastic hamsters or something.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

I watched Baradul play a couple of these and I was chuckling at the dialog . The call signs are pretty great too. Burger Time, Flapjack, etc..

In one deployment a medium mech dropped in as a reinforcement and one of the pilots was yelling something like ...I don't want to die! It was funny after they spent the first half being all cocky .

 

[Technophobe]

I just got to try this one on a one skull mission. It was a fun new addition. Can't wait to get it on a higher skull mission.

 

[Brother Diogenes]

In one deployment a medium mech dropped in as a reinforcement and one of the pilots was yelling something like ...I don't want to die! It was funny after they spent the first half being all cocky .

That happened on my first outing with them, except the reinforcement was a Thunderbolt 5SE. Darius tells me we already fulfilled the mission and were clear to evac instead of engaging, but I had two problems with that:

1). Two of the rookies were in Urbies. They weren't outrunning a T-Bolt unless my commander facetanks it, and this is still on my first month of game time, when repair bills can cost more than an abandoned mission.

2). It would be pretty great to salvage a piece of a T-Bolt this early in my career, especially since there was a second one available in the store.

Luckily, Urbies in woods are tough little nuts to crack, so they took fire and drew the T-Bolt in until my Enforcer could jump behind and get a precision shot on its rear center torso to set off its ammunition. The rookies were pretty stoked over that one, but I'm hoping I didn't set a bad example about acceptable risks.

 

[Brother Diogenes]

Oh my God, these adorable morons... I have to assume these are minor nobles' kids being taught to drive their family mechs, but they didn't have a Mastiff available.

 

[KnightCole]

Wait, you actually have to sit there and watch them fight? Or do you play as them? I have not done one of those missions yet. Seen it, but didnt take itt.

I did however just get done doing some VIP Escort, this 1 2 1 1 recruit in a Griffin takes up one of my lance slots as I have to face off against 8 mechs, lucky for me, they were all lights. THe little chick even managed to get a kill lol.

 

[wolfhoundtoo]

You put 1 mech and pilot on the mission. You control the 3 rookies. And I agree that mission is hilarious.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

Wait, you actually have to sit there and watch them fight? Or do you play as them? I have not done one of those missions yet. Seen it, but didnt take itt.

I did however just get done doing some VIP Escort, this 1 2 1 1 recruit in a Griffin takes up one of my lance slots as I have to face off against 8 mechs, lucky for me, they were all lights. THe little chick even managed to get a kill lol.

Yeah, as @wolfhoundtoo said in the post above, you pick one of your own mechs and pilot, and then control the other 3 rookies.

And I thought my starting MechWarriors were bad lol.

 

[Wumpus]

I've had several missions babysitting Pontoon, Stubble, and someone else whose name I forget (not mentioned yet in this thread). They are adorable, like @Vanu Kaos said they are like puppies! <3

Since I haven't done the new flashpoint campaign yet, my "favorite heavy metal NPCs" list is essentially these three and that idiot Agamemnon I think is his name, lance lead for a lance you are supposed to protect. I mean, I hate that dude but it's funny anyway.

 

[Jamey]

The B-Team was entertaining in my first experience with them. I’m looking forward to more.

 

[Zair]

My first B-Team consisted of Guano (Commando SRM Shotgun,) Stubble (Panther,) and Pontoon in an Urbie R60 with Glitch (Multitarget, Breaching Shot, Bulwark) escorting in the heaviest thing I had at the time - an Archer with two lasers taken off to add heat sinks.

Guano got himself ded. Glitch confirmed in her after-action report that he was indeed 'a pretty shitty pilot.'

Pontoon's Urbie was somehow the only mech that didn't take structural damage that mission.

 

[Timaeus]

Oh my God, these adorable morons... I have to assume these are minor nobles' kids being taught to drive their family mechs, but they didn't have a Mastiff available.

View attachment 527815

 

[stnylan]

I love those missions too

 

[Ben G]

I swear that the Commando driver in “Training Day” is Decker in disguise. My first try, he got a boot to the head from a Centurion. My second try, he took a PPC in the face from a Panther.

Unfortunately for me, having any of the trainees get killed in that one is an automatic mission failure.

 

[Wumpus]

I've had several missions babysitting Pontoon, Stubble, and someone else whose name I forget

My first B-Team consisted of Guano (Commando SRM Shotgun,) Stubble (Panther,) and Pontoon in an Urbie R60

Yes, Guano! That was my third B-team member! In an interesting note, I've had three or maybe four b-team missions in this playthrough (one where they all must live, the others it's apparently ok if they die (but none did)) and all have the same three pilots. I wonder if the b-team folks are randomized per-campaign rather than per-mission? Or has anybody pulled two different sets of b-team members during the same playthrough?

 

[stnylan]

Yes, Guano! That was my third B-team member! In an interesting note, I've had three or maybe four b-team missions in this playthrough (one where they all must live, the others it's apparently ok if they die (but none did)) and all have the same three pilots. I wonder if the b-team folks are randomized per-campaign rather than per-mission? Or has anybody pulled two different sets of b-team members during the same playthrough?

I've had two different sets in my current campaign.

 

[Rubidium]

I've also had different sets (I started my career in a planet with not one but two sets of that mission). It's actually a pretty easy early game mission for a career; their pilots aren't that much worse than your starting pilots, and 3 mid-tier light mechs plus your favorite starting medium is enough to handle most enemies at that level. You only get xp for the one pilot that's yours, but cash and salvage can help, and since you only have to worry about damage to your one mech, you can let the newbies tank for you (especially if you're on one of the versions of the mission that doesn't care if they all survive).