FAS1686 BlackThorn

7/30/2019 FAS1686 BlackThorn

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9 781555 602468ISBN# 1-55560-246-0 $10.00

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rHE BLACK rHORNS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 4 Up Close and Personal 2How to Use This Book 5 Building a Legend 2UNIT HISTORY 6 A Warm Welcome 2

Victory on Solaris 6 Beware the Thorns 3First Contract 6 Falcon Hunt 3Ragged Defense 7 Press the Attack 3Working fo r the Dragon 7 Counterattack 3

Courcheval 8 Night in the City 3Future Plans 8 Some Were Expendable 3Unit Description 8 Rise and Shine 3

PERSONALITIES 9 School of Hard Knocks 3Jeremiah Rose 10 Cat and MouseRlanna Rose 11 To Catch a Rising Star ... CaptainEsmerelda 12 Fire in the Night 4Badicus O'Shea 13 Toying with the CatAjax 14 The Killing Fields 4Hawg 15 EPILOGUE 5Rachel McCloud 16 NEW'MECHSAntioch Bell 17 Grendel 5

SCENARIOS 18 Kingfisher 5Ridge Line 18 Shadow Cat 5Red Rage 20 Shootist 6What Price Victory 22

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WritingJames D. Long, Rodney KnoxDevelopment

Bryan NystulEditorial Staff

Editorial DirectorDonna Ippolito

Managing EditorSharon Turner Mulvihill

Associate EditorsDiane Piron-Gelman, Rob Cruz

Production StaffArt Director

Jim NelsonProject Manager/Cover Design/Layout

Steve BryantCoverArt

Les DorscheidIllustrations

"HE BLACK "HORNSCRED ITS

BATTLETECH, 'MECH, BATTLEMECH, and MECHWARRIOR are Registered Trademarks of FASA Corporation.THE BLACK THORNSTM is a Trademark of FASA Corporation.Copyright 1994 FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved.Printed in the USA.Published byFASA Corporation1100 W. CermakSuite B305Chicago, lL60608FASA Corporation can be reached on the Genie computer network(E. Mail-FASA Support) on SCORPIA's Roundtable (page 805)and on America Online (E. Mail-FASATom (Shadowrun),FASALou (Earthdawn), FASABryan (BattleTech) or FASAMike(General Harrassment) in the Online Gaming area (Keyword"Gaming"). Via InterNet use @AOL.COM,but please, no list or server subscriptions. Thanks!

Earl Geier, Allen Nunis, Mike Nielsen, Gary Opasinski

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.NrRoDucr.oN

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rHE BLACK rHORNS

I N T R O D U C T I O N"More often than not, it is the small things that we forget in

the larger scheme of conquest and acquisition, thinking thebeaten and bloodied opponents of our victories have no hope ofrising again to challenge us anew. It is that same shortsightedness that teaches us to never underestimate our opponents . ..and to never show them mercy."

-Alexander the GreatThe Inner Sphere is home to a multitude of MechWarriors,pilots, and foot soldiers. Some never reach their potential ; oth

ers rise to the heights of heroism by being in the right place atthe right time. Still others stride grimly along, seeking only tosuccessfully complete the job at hand, never pursuing the limelight or adulation given to the likes of the Gray Death Legion ,Wolf's Dragoons, or Rhonda's Irregulars. Such a band of warriors is the Black Thorns. Though by no means the biggest orthe best of the hundreds of mercenary units trying to scratchout a living in the Inner Sphere, the Black Thorns and theirleader have managed to accrue an unusually colorful career ina brief span of time.

The Black Thorns have bravely taken the lumps meted outto every new unit, but Lady Luck has smiled on them more thanonce. Un like most mercenary units, the Thorns earned most oftheir lumps courtesy of the Clans-and scavenged Clan equipment as their reward for their pain . The sheer amount of Clantech the Black Thorns possess gives them special status inmost potential employers' eyes.H O W T O U S E T H I S a O O K

The Black Thorns is a scenario pack for use with theBattleTech game system. Most of the scenarios in this bookuse the standard BattieTech rules found in the BattleTechCompendium. (This book provides page references for boththe BattleTech Compendium and the BattieTechCompendium: Rules of Warfare (1994).) Several of the scenarios use rules presented in the following sourcebooks andboxed sets: AeroTech; BattleSpace; MechWarrior, SecondEdition; Solaris VII; and the BattleTech Tactical Handbook.BattleTech Map Sets 2, 3, and 4 are also required to play thescenarios. Game stats for the 'Mechs, vehicles, and aerospacefighters are found in the BattleTech Technical Readouts2750, 3025, 3026, 3050, and 3055.Each scenario in this book allows players to recreate theexciting adventures of Jeremiah Rose and his Black Thorns mercenary unit. The book is divided into four main sections : UnitHistory, Personalities, Scenarios, and New 'Mechs. UnitHistory recounts the formation and history of the Black Thorns,provides an overview of the unit's exploits to date, and suppliesthe current Table of Organization and Equipment. Personalitiesprovides descriptions and MechWarrior game statistics for themajor characters among the Thorns. Scenarios contains 15 individual scenarios that recreate the epic battles fought by the Black

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Thorns and their founder, one-time Com Guard Jeremiah Rose.New 'Mechs supplies descriptions and game statistics for fournew 'Mechs encountered by the Thorns in their battles with theClans or by Jeremiah Rose during his days with ComStar.Except for those rules published in the various BattleTechsupplements listed above, the rules included in each scenarioprovide all the information ne.eded to understand and play outthat scenario. Each scenario begins with a personal account ofthe engagement and ends with a brief description of the battle'shistorical outcome. The individual scenarios also include sections titled Game Set-Up, Attacker, Defender, VictoryConditions, and Special Rules.Game Set-Up provides specific information needed to playthe scenarios, including instructions on laying out mapsheets,directions for any special terrain features, and suggestions onappropriate BattleTech rules to use.

Attacker and Defender describe each scenario's combatants. These sections also contain directions for deployingforces.

Victory Conditions describes the possible outcomes ofeach scenario. In combat, an action rarely continues until oneside is obliterated. Often both sides claim victory if they haveachieved their tactical objectives. Victory Conditions simulates this conduct by listing specific objectives that each sidemay seek to achieve in a scenario along with the conditionsneeded to satisfy those objectives.

Special Rules lists any rules needed to play the scenarionot covered in the standard BattleTech rules.

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I'HE BLACK I'HORNS

U N I T H I S T O R VJeremiah Rose was born to members of the famousNorthwind Highlanders, and followed in his MechWarrior moth

er's footsteps by entering warrior training at an early age.Deeply hurt and angered when his mother died fighting forHouse Davion in the War of 3039, Rose left the Highlandersand joined the Com Guards , believing that he was leavingsenseless conflict behind. His departure created a permanentrift between Rose and his father , Cornelius, who remains astaunch Davion loyalist. During Jeremiah's service withComStar, he was stationed on several different worlds; his natural aptitude for piloting a 'Mech soon earned him the rank ofadept. Among the worlds on which Rose was stationed duringthe Clan invasion was Luthien, where he lived for several yearsbefore the epic battle against plans Smoke Jaguar and NovaCat took place on that planet. Rose soon learned to loveLuthien, regarding it almost as a second home. He found it particularly intolerable, therefore, when the ComStar commanderson Luthien informed all local Com Guards units that they wouldnot be allowed to help defend the planet. As the Clans threatened to overrun the Imperial City, Rose could only sit andwatch. The timely arrival of the Kell Hounds and Wolf'sDragoons saved the city and the planet, but his orders hadshown Rose a side to Com Star of which he had been unawareand definitely did not like. Following the battle of Luthien, heattempted to resign his commission, but his superiors refusedto allow him to leave the Guards.Eventually, his unit traveled to Tukayyid for the famous, climactic battle against the Clan invaders. Rose's commandfought the Smoke Jaguars, then battled Clan Wolf. Despite initial successes, Rose and the rest of his command were constantly forced to mount hasty .defenses with little or no resupply.Eventually, the Wolves' better 'Mechs whittled down Rose'scommand to nothing. The Com Guards won the fight, but all ofRose's comrades died in the final battle. By the time the last ofthe Clans withdrew from the planet, only Rose survived from hiscommand and his 'Mech, a Shootist, was destroyed.

Rather than wait for a replacement 'Mech, a disillusionedRose cashiered his commission and went home to the planetNorthwind.' Though he had not been there in many years , hefelt sure the Highlanders would accept him back into the fold;the unit was famous for sticking by its own. His hopes of raisinga Northwind unit to fight the Clans were dashed however, whenonly two warriors agreed to join him. The bitterest sting toRose's pride came when his father, now a senior technicianand the patriarch of the Rose family , spoke against him in theAssembly of Warriors. Cornelius Rose's refusal to support hisson's plans destroyed Jeremiah's chances of building an antiClan unit of Highlanders; only his sister Rianna and a halfcousin believed in his dream strongly enough to follow him. Stilldetermined to build a unit and strike at the Clans , Rose went tothe game world of Solaris in an attempt to find a new 'Mechwhile Rianna traveled to Outreach, the so-called Mercenary'sStar. There, she hoped to recruit warriors, but knew her most

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likely candidates would be jocks desperate enough for wthat they would follow an unknown commander.V I C T O R Y O N S O L A R I S

Though Rose stayed on Solaris for only a few weeksmanaged to cause quite a stir among local 'Mech stable optors. His DropShip landed during the final stages of the chamonship season, and Rose immediately went prospecting amthe stables for a 'Mech. Because he could not offer his CGuards service record to any of the stablemasters, mosthem reflexively labeled Rose a spy . Local owners refused eto allow him to purchase a 'Mech for fear ne 'Would enter onthe championship games and change the odds of the fiForced to take a desperate gamble, Rose created his oopportunity and entered the championship games in an unulance-on-Iance combat with his borrowed 'Mech as the prRose's lance emerged victorious, winning him the 'Mech hedesperately needed. After the match, he asked two of the wriors who had fought with him to join him on Outreach. Taccepted his offer, and the Black Thorns were born.F I R S T C O N T R A C T

On Outreach, Rianna Rose had also recruited a few mbers for the fledgling unit. While she nosed around for the bpossible contract, Rose started tra ining his unit to fight ateam. He had scarcely begun, however, when the Black Thoran afoul of Wolf's Dragoons. In a simulated combat, one ofDragoons broke the rules of engagement by physically assaing one of the Thorn 'Mechs. The Thorn pilot retaliated in kcausing serious damage to the Dragoon 'Mech and sevewounding its pilot . Though a hearing officially cleared Thorns of wrongdoing, many Dragoons now held a gruagainst the "upstart" mercenaries. As the situation deterioraaround them, the Thorns finally chose to accept a contract offered little except a quick way off Outreach. The Black Thoagreed to form the nucleus of a defense force for the plaBorghese, a Federated Commonwealth world near the boof the Jade Falcon occupation zone. The planet's immedneed for its defense force cut short Rose's recruiting effortseveral weeks, and so the Black Thorns left for their firstwith only seven 'Mechs.The Thorns arrived on Borghese to find that many mbers of the planet's ruling council opposed their presenThough the council agreed to honor the contract signedOutreach and allowed the mercenaries to stay, relatibetween the Thorns and Borghese's government remaistrained. The contract Rose accepted called for the Thornhelp defend the planet from probable Jade Falcon raids, he discovered, to his amazement, that a vocal minority ofpopulation and several members of the ruling council actuwelcomed a Clan presence on the planet. Within weeks,

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UN.' H.SrORYBlack Thorns became a lightning rod for both pro-Clan andanti-C\an sentiment.

Matters reached a crisis when unknown persons stole theDropShip Bristol, a civilian ship on which the Black Thornsdepended for transport. The ruling council, by now firmly proClan, accused the Black Thorns of the theft and declared themoutlaws. The Thorns fled into the wilderness pursued by severalunits of Borghese's planetary militia, whom they had untilrecently been training in anti-'Mech tactics.R A GGED D E F E N S E

R a \ n e ~ \nan fight the soldiersthey were sworn to protect, Roseand his unit led the militia in awild chase through uninhabitedareas of Borghese, successfullyeluding the infantry forces forseveral weeks. Eventually, however, their pursuers corneredthem in a heavily wooded areaand forced the mercenaries tofight. Just as the battle began,the Thorns discovered that JadeFalcon forces had arrived in-system and were approaching theplanet. Several agents acting inthe name of the ruling councilhad invited the Clans toBorghese and planned to turn theentire system over to theinvaders in the hope of profitingfrom the change in rulership.Though skeptical of the offer,several Jade Falcon warriors bidfor the right to accept Borghese'ssurrender. The Clan forces consisted of little more than a reinforced raiding unit, but the highpowered Falcon 'Mechs weremore than a match for the planetary militia, especially since mostof Borghese's best troops were off chasing the Thorns. By thetime the militia could disengage and return to the capitol, itwould be firmly in Falcon hands. As the only 'Mechs on theplanet piloted by anti-Clan warriors, only the Black Thornsstood in the way of a Clan Jade Falcon conquest.The Black Thorns managed to defeat the pro-Clan militiain a hard-tought battle, but only because one of the militiaMechWarriors eventually sided with the mercenary unit. Aftermaking the necessary minor repairs to their 'Mechs, theThorns charged back to Borghese's capitol to meet theClans. In a series of running battles that cost unit memberAngus Lochart his life, the Black Thorns fought their way tothe planet's Com Star compound and sent a frantic plea forhelp to the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth .Unwilling to fight a capable enemy in order to hold a planet

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they could not properry supply, the small Clan raiding unitdeparted from Borghese.W O R K IN G F O R T H E D R A G O N

By the time the Gray Death Legion arrived on Borghese torelieve the Black Thorns, Rose's unit had already signed a contract with the Draconis Combine to defend the garrison world ofWolcott. The contract allowed for numerous supplemental contracts, which the Black Thorns found especially to their liking.

Unlike many mercenary commanders, who had vivid memories of the Combine's long-standing contempt for merce-naries, Rose actually wanted towork for House Kurita; havinglived and worked on Luthien formany years, he felt more loyaltyto House Kurita than to HouseDavion.Wolcott was one of the fewworlds on which the Clans hadbeen defeated in their initial,virtually unstoppable conquestof Inner Sphere planets. As acondition of its failure to capture the world, Clan SmokeJaguar agreed not to attempconquest a second t ime.However, the Clans constantlyraided the planet and hadplaced the entire Wolcott system under siege . For InneSphere forces, Wolcott made aperfect launching pOint fo rstrikes and raids on Clanworlds deep behind the fronline. Though the Wolcott jobwas a dangerous assignmentthe multiple contracts and phe-nomenal bonuses tha

Coordinator Theodore Kurita offered the Thorns made theoffer too good to refuse.

Draconis Combine forces delivered Rose and the rest othe Black Thorns to the planet past a blockade of ClanOmniFighters. The trip to the planet was anything but peaceful,and Rose once again found himself on the bad side of hisemployer. The unit's Mercenary Liaison Commander was a former Com Guards officer with whom Rose had previously quarreled, and for whom he might have refused to work if his unicould afford to abandon the contract. However, the BlackThorns were allowed to take their pick of supplemental contracts appropriate to the size of their unit, which had grown tofull company strength. It seemed that this time, the BlackThorns had landed on their feet.

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UNIT HISTORYC O U R C H E V A LRose chose a contract to raid the planet Courcheval, deepin the Clan Nova Cat occupation zone . The Clans had nearlycompleted a new factory complex on Courcheval, and the localunderground believed that a successful strike against it couldset the Clans' military buildup of the planet back several years.On the inbound flight to the planet, however, Clan OmniFightersambushed the Thorns' DropShip, forcing the unit's 'Mechs todrop to the planet well short of their objective. Clan 'Mechsattacked the Thorns the moment they hit the ground, but theThorns managed to slip away from the Clan pilots in a series ofrunning battles. As they closed in on their objective, a force ofClan 'Mechs and Elementals ambushed and severely mauledthe already damaged Black Thorn 'Mechs. Only the arrival ofthe local underground savedthe unit; a hovercraft led thebattered Thorns to an aban-

U N I T D E S C R I P T IO NThe Black Thorns is a company-sized BattieMech unit tgrows and shrinks according to battlefield losses and recruiti

The unit currently numbers twelve 'Mechs, organized in thfour-'Mech lances. Captain Jeremiah Rose chose to use tformation despite his training in the Com Guards, where uare based on the number six, because his executive officonvinced him that classic Inner Sphere formations woassist new recruits in training and ease the l Q ~ ~ ' O , \ ~ c o \ \ : ) ~ ~ Q esupplying the unit.

The command lance is the Iynchpin of the unit and normly lands in the thick of the fighting. Rose commands this lanand uses its heavy 'Mechs to lead by example. This lanalways takes consideradamage and is usually last to receive repairs. Rdoned mine where theycould rest and make repairs. P E R S O N N E L R O S T E R(A S O F 1 3 .JULY 3 0 5 7 ] counts on the experiencethe pilots to keep theheavy 'Mechs in operatCommand LanceThe underground leaders informed Rose that the

unit's DropShip had beenforced to crash-land severalhundred kilometers from theunderground's base andwas firmly in Clan hands. Tomake matters worse, theplanetary garrison hadrecently been reinforced bythe Nova Cat Cavaliers, afront-line unit rotated toCourcheval fo r rest andrelaxation. A discussion withthe underground leadersconvinced Rose that theunit's only chance of survival lay in retaking the cap-

Captain Jeremiah Rose, Elite, Masakari during campaigns. To avtrouble when he mdevote the bulk of his atttion to planning strateRose works with a boguard 'Mech. Rianna Rothe company's executofficer, also fights with lance.

Executive Officer Rianna Rose, Regular, Phoenix HawkMechWarrior Antioch Bell, Veteran, BansheeMechWarrior Jamshid AI-Kalibi, Regular, Mad Cat

Battle LanceLieutenant Esmerelda, Elite, Mad CatMechWarrior Badicus O'Shea, Regular, WarhammerMechWarrior Hawg, Regular, BattleMasterMechWarrior Greta Podell, Regular, Charger The battle lance is co

Recon Lance posed exclusively of heLieutenant Ajax, Elite, RavenMechWarrior Yuri Dogdorvich, Veteran, DasherMechWarrior Leeza Rippiticue, Regular, MercuryMechWarrior Katherine "Kitten" Kittiallen, Green, Panther

and assault 'Mechs. Whacting as a defending forthe Thorns use the'Mechs to reinforce

tured DropShip and leavingthe planet. The Black Thorns succeeded in rescuing theDropShip crew and retaking the area around the vessel, andearned safe passage off the planet when Rose defeated theNova Cat commander in single combat.F U T U R E P L A N S

Upon the Thorns' return to Wolcott, Rose married the captain of the Bristol, long-time lover Rachel McCloud. He stillburns with the desire to fight the Clans, but the unit's neardefeat on Courcheval has tempered his fire with caution. TheBlack Thorns are currently rebuilding, concentrating on recruiting and training new pilots. Though prospects look good foranother supplemental contract, Rose knows that he must allowhis unit to recover from the horrors they faced on Courcheval.Until then, the Black Thorns continue to train, awaiting the proper moment to strike back at the invaders.

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command lance. When unit is attacking, the balance provides the expunch often needed to secure objectives. Because the'Mechs are the slowest in the mercenary company, this lanmost often guards static targets or assaults stationary obj

tives. In most cases Rose assigns any liaison officer attachto the unit to this lance. The addition of a fifth 'Mech furtincreases the lance's offensive power and keeps the liaison ocer within arm's reach of Rose.

The Thorns' recon lance is composed exclusively of li'Mechs, most of which are jump-capable. Despite the short expectancy of light 'Mechs in battles against the Clans, recon lance of the Black Thorns has done remarkably wRose normally keeps this lance out of combat unless their hbecomes absolutely necessary, using them primarily to locthe enemy so that the heavier lances can move in againstopposition . Having seen the damage that assault OmniMeccan inflict on an Inner Sphere light 'Mech, Rose limits tlance's duties to scouting and recon.

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PERSONA,.r.ES~ E R E M I A H ROSEAge: 32Home Planet: Northwind'Mech Type: MasakariMechWarrior DataAttributes CharacteristicsBLD 4 (8+)REF 6 (6+)INT 6 (6+)LRN 6 (6+)CHA 4 (4+)Edge: 3AdvantagesSixth Sense

Athletic 8+Physical 6+Mental 6+Social 8+

Assets: 1,430,000 C-bills (all tied to mercenary unit)EquipmentAblative/Flak Cooling VestSLDF NeurohelmetStar League Laser Pistol

Range: 1-4/5-12/13-20Power Use: 1Damage: 406Note: Silent

Skills Target NumberBureaucracy 2 (6+)Communications/

Conventional 1 (5+)Gambling 2 (4+)Gunnery/'Mech 5 (1 +)Leadership 3 (5+)Medtech (5+)Negotiation 2 (6+)Perception 3 (3+)PilotingfMech 4 (2+)Small Arms 3 (3+)Strategy 3 (3+)Survival 2 (4+)Tactics 4 (2+)TechnicianfMech 2 (4+)Unarmed Combat 2 (6+)

The Black Thorns' company commander, Rose grew up inthe military, first with the Northwind Highlanders and later inservice with the Com Guards. A warrior first and foremost,Rose is a capable leader and an excellent tactician, but hissocial skills fall somewhat short. Forced to assume the role of adashing mercenary on Borghese, Rose discovered that beinghis own boss meant more than the freedom to do as he

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pleased. After the unit's near-defeat on Courcheval, he leathat effective leadership of a mercenary unit requires more combat skills . Having learned the hard way just how impopublic relations can be to a mercenary unit, Rose is worhard to improve his diplomatic skills .

Rose is driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge agathe Clans, who destroyed his first command, a Com Guunit. Following the death of his entire unit during the final staof the battle fo r Tukayyid, Rose became obsessedrevenge. Time has mellowed his anger somewhat, but hefeels he must wage war against the Clans if he is to be truthe memory of his former comrades. His Achilles heel isclose personal bonds he makes with those in his unit. Rtakes the death of every warrior in his command personallywill go to great lengths to prevent his troops from getting kiHe has finally resolved his on-again, off-again relationship Captain Rachel McCloud by marrying her, but the chaos surrounds their lives will continue to cause difficulties. Thohe loves Rachel and their twin infants dearly, he still feelsfirst duty is to the Black Thorns.

In battle, Rose is almost recklessly confident. He refuseallow other members of the Black Thorns to take unneces. chances, but the same rules do not apply to him. He refusesend another MechWarrior into a situation he would not ehimself, which makes him an extremely weJl-Ijked commanbut often places him on the front lines where his commskills are not as useful to the unit.

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PERSONALlrlESR IANNA ROSEAge: 23Home Planet: Northwind'Mech Type: Phoenix HawkMechWarrior DataAttributesBLD 4 (8+)REF 5(7+)INT 5(7+)LRN 6 (6+)CHA 6 (6+)Edge: 2Advantages

CharacteristicsAthletic 9+Physical 8+Mental 7+Social 7+

Natural Aptitude: AdministrationAssets: 1,250 C-biIIsEquipmentMydron PistolPersonal CommunicatorPortable ComputerSkillsAdministration 3ComputerGunnery/'Mech 2MedtechNegotiationPiloting/'Mech 4Ru nningScrounge 1Small Arms 2Survival 1T echnician/' Mech 3Unarmed Combat

Target Number(4+)-(6+)(6+)(6+)(6+)(4+)(7+)(6+)(6+)(6+)(4+)(8+)

Despite her youth , Rianna is a capable executive officer.She has a gift for logistics and keeps the Black Thorns wellstocked with parts and materials. Rianna grew up at home withher father and brothers, training as a MechWarrior (despite herfather's disapproval) after Jeremiah's departure. She graduatedat the head of her class on Northwind, and is a talented pilot.As the youngest member of the unit she tends to attract a lot ofunwanted protection from her fellow mercenaries. Well-liked byall, she serves as an excellent counter to her frequently quietand reserved brother.

Rianna had a difficult childhood. The death of her motherdisturbed her greatly, and Jeremiah's abrupt departure fromhome increased her emotional turmoil. Unable to bond with herwithdrawn father, Rianna drew close to her only remaining sibling, Danny. Danny's death in the tirst wave of the Clan invasion

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sent Rianna into a deep depression. Months passed before shebecame her old self again, and she had become more drivenand reflective. She threw herself into her training, graduating atthe top of her class and receiving her first 'Mech, a brand-newPhoenix Hawk, as a reward. She was awaiting her first postingwhen Rose returned to Northwind.

Despite his long absence, Jeremiah remained an importantpart of Rianna's life. She welcomed his return, and rather thanlet him leave her behind again , she chose to join her brother asthe first member of the Black Thorns (the name she picked forthe new mercenary unit). She finds life as a mercenary moreexciting than she ever imagined. Like Jeremiah, Rianna tendsto take the deaths of he rcomrades in battle personally, and willdo anything to keep the unit alive and well.

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PERSONA,.r.ESESMERELDAAge: 39Home Planet: Solaris VII'Mech Type: Mad CatMechWarrior DataAttributesBLD 6 (6+)REF 5 (7+)INT 6 (6+)LRN 4 (8+)CHA 4 (8+)Edge: 3AdvantagesToughnessAssets: 52,150 C-billsEquipmentSternsnachtVibrodaggerSkillsAppraisalBladeGamblingGunneryl'MechLeadershipPerceptionPiloting/MechSmall ArmsStreetwiseSurvivalTacticsTechnicianl'MechTinkerUnarmed Combat

22454443423543


Target Number(6+)(5+)(4+)(2+)(6+)(3+)(3+)(4+)(6+)(6+)(5+)(3+)(4+)(4+)

Until she joined up with Jeremiah Rose , Esmerelda spenther life eking out a living in the games on Solaris. First on theouter circuits and later in Solaris City, she fought in more duelsthan she can remember. Despite her skill as a 'Mech pilot, shecould not advance in individual competitions. When lance-onlance dueling gained popularity, however, she began herascent through the best arenas on the planet. Careful planningand a few lucky breaks enabled her to purchase a 'Mech andbegin re-fitting it into a first-class fighting machine. When Rosearrived on Solaris and fought shoulder-to-shoulder withEsmerelda in a lance duel, he impressed her enough that sheleft the arenas for the position of Battle Lance Commander inhis just-forming mercenary unit.

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Esmerelda never served in the military, and has foundlife of a mercenary quite a change from that of a 'Mech dueThough aware that the change is for the better, she has fully come to terms with what it means to be a member oteam that supports its own both on and off the battlefield. works reasonably well with her fellow warriors during combatraining, but spends most of her off-duty hours by herself or her old friend, Badicus O'Shea. She finds life in the field escially hard, but is slowly learning to adapt to her new situatOn the whole, she enjoys her new life as a member of the BThorns, though most of her lancemates would be surprisehear her say so. Her gruff manner has not changed, and still prefers to spend her free time tinkering with her BattleMe

(Historically, Esmerelda was killed in action on the plCourcheval.)

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PERSONA"r'ES

40NestorWarhammer

6 (6+) Athletic 7+F 5 (7+) Physical 8+5 (7+) Mental 9+

4 (8+) Social 8+A 5 (7+)

4

(2)3,500 C-bills

Target Number2 (6+)

ng 4 (5+)4 (4+)2 (7+)

(6+)4 (4+)raw 5 (3+)ion 3 (5+)

Arms 4 (4+)(4+)

l'Mech 2 (7+)3 (4+)

O'Shea is a lover of all things, of life most of all . He walksin good spirits no matter what the conditions. His jovial

r hides a nimble mind, and his considerable size beliesHe is the first to come to the aid of a friend

Badicus never really quits anything; he gets bored and lets

on the town. HisThorns.

O'Shea never discusses his experiences in the militaryess than favorable circumstances." After drifting around

up on Solaris and met

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Esmerelda. She was just beginning to fight in the lance-onlance duels, and Badicus fit right in with the team she wasbuilding . Though O'Shea possessed more combat experiencethan Esmerelda, he was content to let her handle the lancewhile he spent his free time and winnings in the bars.

(Historically, Badicus O'Shea was killed in action onCourcheval.)

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PERSONA,. .ESA.JAXAge: 40Home Planet: No Return'Mech Type: RavenMechWarrior DataAttributes CharacteristicsBLD 4 (8+) Athletic 8+REF 6 (6+) Physical 6+INT 6 (6+) Mental 6+LRN 6 (6+) Social 9+CHA 3 (9+)Edge: 3Advantages \Sixth SenseAssets: 132,700 C-billsEquipmentBattleMech Repair KitMedical KitSkills Target NumberCryptography 2 (4+)Gunnery/'Mech 4 (2+)Interrogation 5 (4+)Leadership 4 (5+)Medtech 2 (4+)Perception 4 (2+)Piloting/'Mech 5 (1 +)Protocol 4 (5+)Running 2 (6+)Small Arms 3 (3+)Survival 4 (2+)Tactics 3 (3+)Technicianl'Mech 3 (3+)Unarmed Combat 5 (3+)

Ajax joined the Black Thorns after fleeing the WarriorHouse Hiritsu in the Capellan Confederation, evading Liaoforces and landing on Outreach with his 'Mech intact. Aftercareful examination of several possibilities open to him, hechose Rose as his new commander. An excellent scout, Ajaxfills his role as leader of the recon lance effortlessly. Ajax quietly assumed temporary command following the death of thelance's first commander, and initially refused formal promotionwhen the Clans left Borghese. Eventually he accepted it, moreout of respect for Rose's decision rather than from any beliefthat he deserved it.

Quiet and unassuming by nature, Ajax speaks little of hislife before joining the Black Thorns. In truth, he would prefer toforget it. As a member of one of the famed Liao Warrior

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Houses, he was constantly required to demonstrate his worness to be named among the best warriors in the Inner SpheIn addition, he was required to show fanatical nationalism ato live according to every doctrine handed down from Celestial Throne. When Ajax discovered he could no longer with the deeds he was being required to commit, he choseleave the Warrior House and try to right some of the wrongshad done in its name.Ajax has had much broader training than most of the otmembers of the Black Thorns, and serves as something ojack-of-all-trades for the unit as well as being Recon LanCommander. Some of his skills, however, he refuses to uexcept under extreme circumstances.

Though content to battle the Clans, Ajax secretly hopesone day fight for the Federated Commonwealth. He would csider such duty a form of pay back for the raids and skirmisin which he fought against House Davion during his days wHouse Hiritsu .

fon order #2161351


17/71

PERSONAllrlES

BattleMaster

Characteristics6 (6+) Athletic 6+(6+) Physical 6+6 (6+) Mental 7+5 (7+) Social 7+5 (7+)

(1): 3,500 C-bills

Number/Conventional (6+)

(5+)1 (6+)'Mech 3 (3+)(6+)(6+)(4+)

3 (3+)2 (4+)

Literature 3 (4+)1 (6+)2 (5+)(4+)

l'Mech 4 (2+)d Combat 3 (3+)Hawg is a huge individual with a physique that looks as if itbe cast in bronze. Though he talks as if he just walkedis a Renaissance man. Well versed in

. Intensely loyal, Hawg worksto make the Black Thorns a successful unit. He serves'

in the unit's battle lance and is the Thorns' most

15

Upon joining the Black Thorns, Hawg received a promisefrom Jeremiah and Rianna Rose not to reveal his true name tothe other members of the unit. As far as the Thorns are concerned, he has no other name.

In many ways, Hawg remains boyish. Even after fightingseveral hellish engagements against the Clans, he still sees lifeas a glorious adventure. Even in the most dangerous situationshe maintains the deep-rooted conviction that everything will turnout fine. Whether confidence or naivete, this attitude allows himto keep his head and think clearly when others are prone topaniC. More than once, Hawg's coolness under fire has helpedthe Thorns out of tight situations.Though Hawg possesses many likable characteristics, andhis eruditeness comes as a pleasant surprise in the face of hisintimidating size and unrefined speaking style, he often walksalong the fringes of sanity-he has an unexpected and uncontrollable crazy streak.

fon order #2161351


18/71

PfRSONA""'fS

RACHEL MCCLOUDAge: 35Home Planet: NoneShip Type: Union Class DropShip, the BristolMechWarrior DataAttributesBLD 4 (8+)REF 4 (8+)INT 5 (7+)LRN 6 (6+)CHA 6 (6+)Edge: 2AdvantagesWealth


Assets: 3,436,000 C-bills (all tied to the DropShip B r i sEquipmentArmored VestPersonal Communicator

SkillsAdministration 2Appraisal 4Bureaucracy 3Communications/

Conventional 2Computer 2Gunnery/Spacecraft 3Leadership 2Medtech 1Navigation 3Negotiation 2Perception 1Piloting/Spacecraft 5Protocol 2Small ArmsTechnician/

Electronics 2Technician/Mechanic 2Unarmed Combat 4

Target Number(5+)(3+)(4+)(5+)(5+)(6+)(5+)(6+)(4+)(5+)(6+)(4+)(5+)(8+)(5+)(5+)(6+)

Born and raised in space, Rachel McCloud feels muchmore at home with the metal deck of a ship under her feet thansolid earth. Being a merchant is difficult for her; being a soldieris almost impossible. The captain of the Union Class DropShipBristol, McCloud initially agreed to transport the Black Thornsout of economic necessity. Short on cargo, she was forced to

18

ta ke the mercenary unit to Borghese to meet the stringedemands of the bank hold ing the note on her beloved BrisSince the unit's first eng agement, McCloud's on-again , oagain relat ionship wi th Jeremiah Rose has stabilized into mriage and she has become a full member of the Black ThorThough she never considered herself a soldier, she is slowbecoming one.

At times McCloud feels almost overwhelmed by the burdof debt she owes to th e bankers who hold the note on tBristol. For a time she flirted with the idea of becoming a pirabut realized she was too honest to skip out on her obligationAs a result, she spends most of her time on the ground figurout how to keep the old ship in parts and supplies. Rianna Rohas been a great he lp to her in this endeavor.

In space, McCloud becomes an entirely different persUnburdened by the cares that hound her when she is planside, she can relax and acts more carefree. Rose fell in lowith th is side of her, and hopes to free her from ali her worrby eventually purchasing the Bristol outright for the BlaThorns.

fon order #2161351


19/71

PRSONAL''''SANT IOCH BELLAge: 32Home Planet: Orkney'Mech Type: BansheeMechWarrior DataAttributes CharacteristicsBLD 4 (8+) Athletic 9+REF 5 (7+) Physical 8+INT 5 (7+) Mental 8+LRN 5 (7+) Social 7+CHA 6 (6+)Edge: 5AdvantagesExtra Edge (2)Assets: 32,000 C-billsEquipmentAblative/Flak VestDeluxe Field KitLaser PistolMedipackSkills Target NumberAdministration (7+)Computer 2 (6+)Driving 4 (4+)Gambling 2 (6+)Gunnery/'Mech 5 (3+)Leadership 2 (5+)Medtech 2 (6+)Perception 3 (5+)Piloting/'Mech 4 (4+)Seduction 3 (4+)Small Arms 3 (5+)Survival 2 (6+)Tactics 2 (6+)Technician/'Mech 2 (6+)Unarmed Combat 3 (6+)

A native of the Federated Commonwealth, Bell resignedhis commission in the AFFC when his entire unit was implicatedin black-market dealing . Though not actively involved, Bellknew that his own commanding officer was in charge of theoperation, but said nothing out of loyalty . After the scandalbroke, he followed his former commander and best friend toBorghese in the belief that together they would start a mercenary unit. Instead, his former friend joined the pro-Clan forceson Borghese and Bell joined the Black Thorns.

Rose and Bell are kindred spirits , sharing many of thesame interests . They have a friendship whose ease belies its

17

short duration . Bell is easy to like and has no shortage ofriends, but he feels a special bond with both Jeremiah andRianna Rose. In battle, Bell keeps close to Jeremiah , providing protection and support as needed. He feels more at homewith the Black Thorns than he has with any unit in which heever served , and is fiercely loyal to all members of the mercenary unit.

Bell continues to feel haunted by the criminal actions of hisformer commander. He is determined to make sure that heneed not leave the Black Thorns one day because of anythinghe may be asked to do . As a result , he often acts as the unit'sconscience. Though Bell understands the often harsh realitiesof war, he also knows the Black Thorns can make a differencein the lives of the people they protect.

fon order #2161351


20/71

'fH BUlCK "HORNS

RIDGE L INE

-Transcript of Acolyte Julia Tiegard's report following initial contact with Clan Smoke Jaguar forces

"It felt almost like fighting in a fog. I'm no stranger tocombat-hell, I've fought enough to know what it's l ike-butthis was different. I felt like we were fighting a machine ratherthan flesh-and-blood soldiers. I'm not saying the Clan warriors are robots or anything like that. I know they 're human, orat least close to it. I also know they die when you shootthem-trust me on that one. But they are different than anyother enemy I've ever faced.

18

"Following our initial exchange, I figured they'd back dowfor sure. Anybody with any brains at all would have called itday and backed off after that first salvo, but they didn't.almost seemed as if they didn't care that they were going to diFor some reason they decided that bloody ridge was worth geting killed for, and on they came.

"It's hard to think of your actions in glowing terms when yolook back at a battle like that, if it really was a battle in the fiplace. I know they outgunned us and they might even have haa slight advantage in tonnage , but it was like the charge of tLight Brigade out there.

fon order #2161351


21/71

R.DGE '.NE"The Precentor Martial thin,ks we can win, and maybe he's

ight. Hell, he probably is right. Ae's been right about everythingfar. I can tell you one thing, though-plenty of MechWarriorso act as though a life

be afraid to die, but I am. Death scares me a lot.."

T U K A V V I D ,A V 3 0 5 2When the Clans agreed to the proxy fight for Terra on

, the Com Guards became the first and last line of. Though many individual members of the Guards

combat experience, as a unified army they were largelyntested. Tukayyid proved to be their baptism of fire. Thoselived through it, as did Jeremiah Rose, often represented

by the ClanIn the early stages of the Tukayyid campaign, everythinga few victories, but defeat and retreat were the order of the

. The engagement in this scenario, fought by JeremiahRose and his command, is typical of many that occurred soon

\lan OmniMechs met the immovable object of Com GuardsattleMechs in a brutal contest that only flesh and nerve could

G A M E S E T -U PLayout the BattleTech maps end-to-end as shown to cre

ate a long playing area. Use the Rolling Hills maps 1 and 2in BattleTech Map Set 3.

NtD E F E N D E RThe Defender consists of Kimmelry's Raiders, members ofthe Com Guards 103rd Division .

19

Kimmelry's RaidersAdept Jeremiah Rose (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), ShootistAcolyte Mark Jenkins (Piloting 3, Gunnery 4), ThugAcolyte Scott Hopper (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), CrabAcolyte Stephen Morressy (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3),

ExterminatorAcolyte Oliver Batteil (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4), Black KnightAcolyte Julia Tiegard (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), Highlander

DeploymentThe Defender sets up first on the eastern mapsheet at anylocation and any facing he chooses, but his units may not begin

the game hidden.A T T A C K E R

The Attacker consists of members of Alpha Claw 1, TrinaryBravo, First Jaguar'Guards.Trinary Bravo

Star Commander Gorson (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Vulture-AMechWarrior Elam (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Vulture-AMechWarrior Coldrain (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Ryoken

PrimeMechWarrior Vigord (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Ryoken PrimeMechWarrior Winstalf (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Ryoken

PrimeDeploymentThe Attacker enters on Turn 1 from the west edge of themap. All 'Mechs must enter the map at the beginning of Turn 1.V I C T O R V C O N D I TI O N S

The side with the last functional 'Mech left standing winsthe scenario. Keep in mind that the Smoke Jaguars want tosecure as much ground as quickly as possible. They believethemselves invincible and do not consider the six Com GuardsBattleMechs much of a threat.S P E C I A L R U L E S

Neither side will give ground in this fight, and so no unitsmay exit the mapsheets.

A F T E R M A T HThough Rose and his troops beat the Jaguars in this battle,

the Clans seemed unstoppable. Even when all hope of victorywas gone, Clan troops continued to fight. The attackingTrinaries followed up their initial successes with extra troops;wherever their advance halted, they moved additionalOmniMechs to the front to force their way through Tukayyid'sdefenders. Initially shaken by the ferocity of the Clan assault,the Com Guards were forced to pull back and reorganize theirdefenses. By the time the sun set on the first day of combat, theSmoke Jaguars were securely entrenched on Tukayyid.

fon order #2161351


22/71

'FHE BLACK 'FHORNS

RED RAGE

-Excerpted from the personal diary of Acolyte MarkJenkinsAfter seven days of misery, we finally pushed the Smoke

Jaguars off Tukayyid . I'm not sure whether I should rejoice atour hard-won victory or cry over the cost of it. I guess in thefinal analysis I'll end up doing both.Morressy did not survive the battle . We were among thelead elements attempting to overrun the Jaguars' drop zones asthey lifted off the planet. Things seemed to go pretty well for us,even in the initial stages of the attack when the Jaguars had

position on us and we were stuck in open terrain. We hit theirline like a steel hammer. I'd like to think ours was the first unit tobreach the Clan lines, but it looked as if their whole line crumbled en masse.I didn't even see Morressy fall. The whole unit was takingfire from a group of Jaguar Omnis whose pilots had apparently

20

decided they weren't going to make it off the planet anyway.'Mech was running pretty hot, and when I finally got a chancelook around, Morressy was down. , .guess one of the ShadCats got him.

I'm worried about Adept Rose. He's been a great commader up to this point, but I think the strain is starting to get to hToday he fought like a man possessed, taking out a ShadCat and a Thor without taking even a scratch in the processhe doesn't burn out, I don't think the Clans can touch hiSomebody, maybe Blake himself, has decided Rose is goingmake it out of this one.

The rest of us probably won't be so lucky. Tiegard waus to all meet, without Rose, later tonight-I think I know whshe wants. She's thinking of the hereafter, and I guess I feel same way. I doubt I'll be making many mofe diary entries 00 'I might get lucky enough to make it off this rock. And maybe mThug will sprout feathers and fly 00 .

fon order #2161351


23/71

RED RAGETUKAVVID ,AV 3 0 5 2

Even though the Smoke Jaguars' 'Mechs outmatched

advance against the Com Guards. After a string of defeatsas much by underestimating their Com Star opponents

by lack of supplies, the Smoke Jaguars found their basesby Com Guards eager to close in for the kill.

Marshaling their most skilled MechWarriors to act as aJaguars dashed for their

at the Smoke Jaguars, hoping to break through

SET UPLayout the BattleTech maps as shown, placing the

in BattleTechp Set 2, end to end to create the west side of the playing

2, found in3, end to end to make the east side of the

The Defender consists of members of Beta Claw 2, Trinarya, First Jaguar Guards.

21

Trinary AlphaStar Commander Biaster (Piloting 2, Gunnery 2), Thor PrimeMechWarrior Thrain (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2) , Masakari PrimeMechWarrior Yrsin (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Mad Cat-AMechWarrior Kenel (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3) , Shadow Cat-AMechWarrior Fejensk (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Shadow Cat-B

DeploymentThe Defender sets up first on either of the western map

sheets at any location and any facing, but his units may notbegin the game hidden.ATTACKERThe Attacker consists of members of the Com Guards103rd Division.Kimmelry's Raiders

Adept Jeremiah Rose (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), ShootistAcolyte Mark Jenkins (Piloting 3, Gunnery 4), ThugAcolyte Scott Hopper (Piloting 5, Gunnery4) , CrabAcolyte Stephen Morressy (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3),

ExterminatorACOlyte Oliver Batteil (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4), Black KnightAcolyte Julia Tiegard (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), Highlander

DeploymentThe Attacker enters on Turn 1 from the east edge of the

mapsheets. All 'Mechs must enter on Turn 1.V ICTORY CONDIT IONS

Rose and the rest of his company are attempting to fighttheir way past the Jaguars' rearguard and attack the ClanDropShips. Victory goes to the side with the highest total points.Award points as follows :Com Guards

1 point for each Smoke Jaguar 'Mech destroyed1 point for each Com Guards 'Mech that exits off the west

edge of the mapsheetsSmoke Jaguars

1 pOint for every Com Guards 'Mech destroyedSPECIAL RULES

Rose fought the entire battle in a berserk fury and remembered little about it afterward. To represent his mental stateapply the following rules:

1. Rose must always fire at the closest target and may notsplit shots between targets.2. Rose must fire every weapon capable of hitting a targetunless such firing would result in an automatic shutdown.3. Rose's 'Mech must stay on the mapsheet until all ComGuards 'Mechs have either exited, been disabled, or been

destroyed.

fon order #2161351


24/71

"HE BLACK "HORNS

WHAT PRICE V ICTORV

-Excerpted from the personal diary of Acolyte MarkJenkins

"It's been quiet for a couple of hours now. I guess that'sgood, but for the life of me I can't say why. We're maintainingstrict radio silence, so I've been cooped up in this oversized tin.... .can with nothing to keep me company but the beating of myheart. I guess it's some consolation that I'm still alive.

"From here I can pretty well make out all the other 'Mechsin the command. The others may be drawing some kind ofstrength from the knowledge that we're not alone , but it doesn't seem to help me any. I mean, what good is companionshipwhen it's fifty meters away and quiet as a church mouse?Might as well be back on Luthien as in these hills, for all thecomfort I get."The way I figure it, we've got to hold this line until dawn . Ifwe make it until dawn, we'll be all right. By the clock, we don'thave much longer to go, but the time seems to be crawling by.

"I wish I had half Adept Rose's confidence. If he were incharge of this sector you can bet your last C-bill we wouldn't bestuck in these godforsaken foothills with our nearest supporthalfway back to base . Rose would cover us-with his own'Mech if that was all he had. We sure wouldn't be hanging outto dry like we are now.

22

"My scanners are picking up multiple inbound targLooks like we won't make it until dawn after all. Once morethe breach ... and may whoever's running this universe hmercy on our souls."

S ITUAT ION: TUKAVV ID ,MAV 3052Though the Com Guards had racked up impressive

cesses against several of the Clans, Clan Wolf's troops mathem faster than they could repair the damage. From every tor on Tukayyid came frantic calls for more troops to stopWolves' advance.

Rose and his remaining troops were spread thinly infoothills of the Pozoristu mountain range, praying the Wowould pass them by . After several hours of silence,Guards units picked up a force of advancing Wolf OmniMeOutnumbered and outgunned, Rose requested permissioretreat along the line of the Wolf advance, but his supeordered him to stay put. Knowing that only he had any hopsaving the lives of his soldiers, Rose searched desperately way to blunt the Wolf advance.

fon order #2161351


25/71

WHAT PRICE VICTORYG A M E SET-UP

Layout the BattleTech maps as shown, placing theScattered Woods and Lake Area maps, found in BattleTechMap Set 2, end to end to form the west side of the playing areaand placing the Rolling Hills maps 1 and 2, found in BattleTechMap Set 3, end to end to form the east side of the playing area.The Rolling Hills maps represent the ridge where the ComGuards waited and hoped that the Wolves would pass them by.

NtD E F E N D E R

The Defender is comprised of members of the ComGuards 103rd Division.Kimmelry's Raiders

Adept Jeremiah Rose (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), ShootistAcolyte Mark Jenkins (Piloting 3, Gunnery 4), ThugAcolyte Scott Hopper (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), CrabAcolyte Oliver Batteil (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4), Black KnightAcolyte Julia Tiegard (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), Highlander

DeploymentThe Defender sets up first on the eastern mapsheets atany location and any facing, but his units may not begin thegame hidden. In addition, no Com Guards 'Mech may beginplay closer than 7 hexes away from Rose's Shootist.A T T A C K E RThe Attacker consists of members of Bravo Second Star,Trinary Second, Wolf 279th Battle Cluster.

23

Bravo Second StarStar Commander Galvin (Piloting 2, Gunnery 3), Fenris PrimMechWarrior Nokkin (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2), Mad Cat-AMechWarrior Lucian (Piloting 3, Gunnery 4), Mad Cat-BMechWarrior Bisston Carns (Piloting 4, Gunnery3), Puma-AMechWarrior Wetten (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), Puma-A

DeploymentThe Attacker enters on Turn 1 from the west edge of thmapsheets. All 'Mechs must enter the map on Turn 1.V I C T O R Y C O N D I T IO N SWhen the Com Guards reinforcements arrive, determinthe victor according to the conditions listed below:No Com Guards 'Mechs remaining1 Com Guards 'Mech remains2 Com Guards 'Mechs remain3 Com Guards 'Mechs remain4-5 Com Guards 'Mechs remain

S P E C I A L R U L E S

Decisive Wolf VictoryPyrrhic Com Guards

VictoryMarginal Com GuardsVictorySubstantial Com GuardsVictory

Decisive Com GuardsVictory

1. This engagement occurred during the hours betweemidnight and dawn. Apply standard night-combat modifiers (seNight Combat, p. 61, BattleTech Compendium, or p. 94BattleTech Compendium: Rules of Warfare).

2. Because the Com Guards are defending an entire areathey are honor-bound not to retreat and so none of the ComGuards 'Mechs may exit the mapsheets.3. The game ends when the Com Guards reinforcementarrive. To determine when the reinforcements show up, roll 10in the End Phase of each turn beginning with Turn 5Reinforcements arrive on a result of 6 in Turn 9; on each subsequent turn, subtract 1 from the result needed for reinforcements. For example, reinforcements arrive on a result of 5 orin Turn 6, a result of 4-6 in Turn 7, and so on.

A F T E R M A T HThe Com Guards won the war, but Rose and his unit lo

the battle. Soon after this engagement the Wolves retreatefrom Tukayyid, leaving the victorious Com Guards in possesion of the planet and the treaty for which they had foughJeremiah Rose spent months recovering from the emotionscars of losing his entire command, and to this day feels ththe victory on Tukayyid came at too high a personal cost. Hinitial depression over the deaths of his friends turned to angeand he resigned his commission . His Com Guard superioprotested this decision, but Rose refused to take no for aanswer. He left Terra and traveled home to Northwind, detemined to form a mercenary unit to carry the fight to the Clans.

fon order #2161351


26/71

rHE BLACK rHORNS

U P C L O S E A N D P E R S O N A L

-Transcript of a pre-fight interview with Jeremiah Roseprior to the first Solaris Lance Championship

OBNC: "MechWarrior Rose, what are you thinking aboutright now?"

ROSE: "You're not a pilot, are you, ma'am? If you were, youwouldn't have to ask."OBNC: "MechWarrior Rose, I'm sure all our viewers wantto know how you feel about entering this possibly lethal

engagement. Is it true you're a last-minute sUbstitute?"ROSE: "Yes."OBNC: "And how does that make you feel?"ROSE: "How does that make me feel about what?"OBNC: "How do you feel about the upcoming battle? Youmust be a little nervous."ROSE: "Why do you say that?"OBNC: "I-we-assumed you'd be a little shaken at the

prospect of your first arena duel."ROSE: "Pardon me, ma'am, but you're the one that looks a

little shaken. Is this your first interview?"

24

OBNC: "Certainly not! Do you have anything else to sayour viewers prior to this championship fight?"

ROSE: "No. I do have something to say to you, however."OBNC: "And that is?"ROSE: "You're blocking the door."

S I TU A T I O N : S O L A R I S CITY ,S O L A R I S , A U G U S T 3 0 5 4Jeremiah Rose's luck had run out on Solaris. With onlyweek left in the gaming season, he had failed to secure functional BattieMech from any dealer. After checking wi

several sources and coming up dry, Rose concocted an elaorate last-ditch plan to acquire a 'Mech. Knowing that thCarstairs and Warwick Stables were soon to face each othin a lance-on-Iance arena battle, Rose decided to put one the Carstairs fighters temporarily out of action and take hplace, with the 'Mech he would fight in as his prize if thCarstairs lance won.

fon order #2161351


27/71

UP CLOSE AND PERSONALIn a desolate alleyway near a popular local bar, Jeremiah

waited for the Carstairs warrior Badicus O'Shea and his girlAs they passed him, Rose jumped O'Shea and disabled

him after a brief struggle. To Rose's shock, O'Shea's girlfriendfor the

Stables on a mission to kill O'Shea and assure. The female assassin managed to wound Roseher needier pistol before Rose killed her with a head shotO'Shea's Sunbeam laser.After presenting himself to Mr. Carstairs and relating a

. If Carstairs', the salvage went to the Warwick. If Carstairs Stables won, Rose could not claim any of

salvage-but he would get to keep the 'Mech forhowever, that the two stable masters had cut a private

in the fight.SET-UP

Layout Solaris VII Map 1: Steiner Stadium. All walls arein the locked position . Have the players roll one die;

in the arena.

EFENDERThe Defender consists of warriors from the WarwickStables.

arwick Lance"Mad Dog" Maddox (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), HCT-3NH

HatchetmanChuck lsi bell (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), CHR-3K ChargerAnn Hawkins (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4), CN9-AL CenturionAndrew Norris (Piloting 5, Gunnery 5), JVN-10F Javelin

25

DeploymentThe Warwick 'Mechs enter from the east edge of the mapsheet.A T T A C K E RThe Attacker consists of Jeremiah Rose and warriors fromthe Carstairs Stables.Carstairs LanceJeremiah Rose (Piloting 2, Gunnery 1), SHD-2D2 Shadow

HawkEsmerelda (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2), WHM-7M WarhammerMary Hodges (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), STG-3G StingerJackson Carter (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4), HBK-4H

HunchbackDeploymentThe Carstairs 'Mechs enter from the west edge of the mapsheet.V I C T O R Y C O N D I T IO N S

In this winner-takes-all battle, each side fights until his'Mechs can no longer continue. Whoever defeats the enemylance wins the scenario.S P E C I A L R U L E SAll weapons are non-functional, and ranged systems maynot be fired. Therefore, players may only make physical attacksduring the battle. Use the Dueling Rules, pp. 45-50, SolarisVII Gamemaster's Book. Note that none of the walls in theSteiner Stadium will be raised.

A F T E R M A T HBrutal and swift, the match lasted six minutes and cost theWarwick Stable four 'Mechs . Carstairs kept his bargain with

Jeremiah and allowed him to keep the Shadow Hawk in whichhe had fought. Later that evening Rose joined Carsta irs in hisoffice to fulfill the second part of his agreement for acquiring the'Mech; he told Carstairs the story of his battle against the Clanson Tukayyid. Just before Rose left the office, Carstairs surprised him by offering to sell him a refitted Charger. Roseaccepted the offer.

Later that evening Jeremiah paid O'Shea a visit to returnthe Sunbeam laser pistol the big man had dropped duringtheir scuffle. Esmerelda was in O'Shea's small apartment, andbefore the evening ended both had accepted Rose's offer tojoin the newly forming Black Thorns. A few days later,Jeremiah Rose left Solaris with three 'Mechs and two newpilots for his unit.

fon order #2161351


28/71

"HE BLACK "HORNS

BUILD ING A LEGEND

-Excerpted from And I Get to Wear a Laser? byMechWarrior Hawg, Avalon Press, 3057

I'd only been with the unit for about 24 hours when we gotour first call to action . I'd been in combat a couple of timesbefore and I thought I understood how these things were supposed to go. Back then, of course, I was still getting used to mynew comrades, and to tell the truth they blind-sided me with thefirst one.I learned later that Esmerelda was sneaky. Me, I'd havecharged right in and challenged the Dragoons to a duel , but notEsmerelda. She wanted them to make the challenge-or atleast, it looked that way.

We were in the Dragoon's repair bay, gathered around thefoot of the Charger, when she launched her opening salvo. Likeany good commander she started with a feint, in this case fromRianna. Rianna took on a Dragoons' assistant tech , arguingwith her about the best way to reattach a severed leg to a'Mech. When the junior techie crumbled, Rianna pounced quick

28

as a Locust on the senior tech in charge. He put up a fight bwas clear from the beginning who would win. When Esmerejumped into the fray, Rianna drifted to the background witcouple of verbal jabs and a stare that would freeze water. Jas the senior tech was sending up a white flag, a dapper lsnot of a Dragoon captain wandered into the line of fire and hit with both barrels. He roared back, but Esmerelda tossed a casual insult and provoked him into demanding a duel. Wa puppet! He never realized he'd been manipulated into c

lenging the Thorns. Smooth lady, our Esmerelda. I wimpressed.Of course, she denied the whole thing. Esmerelda claimshe was genuinely furious because the techs were qutioning her competence, and that she'd mouthed off to Dragoon captain in the heat of anger. I didn't buy that fominute. Esmerelda had better control than that over

temper. The way I see it, taking on the Dragoons so earlour career posed quite a few risks, but Esmerelda must hfigured the benefits of beating them outweighed the dangers

S ITUAT ION:HARLECH ,OUTREACH ,SEPTEMBER 3054Rose and his new unit had spent a mere two days

Outreach when they landed in deep trouble. Rianna starteheated debate with the Dragoon technicians who were retaching the leg to Jeremiah's Charger, insisting that they form a stress test the Dragoons saw as unnecessaEsmerelda joined the rapidly escalating argument, backingRianna, and soon all work in the repair bay stopped as debate turned into a shouting match . Rose walked in on dustup and had just about gotten control of the situation wheyoung Dragoon captain, Nigel Hawkens, intervened and bethrowing his weight around. Not approving of Hawkens' conscending tone, Esmerelda turned her fury on him and insuhim in front of his men. Before the mutual hostilities could coto blows, Jeremiah suggested resolving the conflict in 'Mcombat on the training field.

Hawkens agreed to fight, itching for the chance to man example of the Black Thorns. By insulting him in front ofmen, they had reminded him just how little many of his feDragoons respected or even liked him. Despite having survseveral pitched battles and proved his piloting skills under too many Dragoons believed Hawkens had risen to the rancaptain so quickly because his uncle sat on the CommissBy beating the Black Thorns to a pulp, Hawkens could regsome of the face he had lost. "We will teach those upstart mcontents to respect us!" Hawkens told his sergeant later. "I wthem to understand who they're dealing with. We'll do whateit takes to show them what happens to fools who tangle Wolf's Dragoons ."

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BUILDING A LEGENDG A M E SET-UP

Layout the BattleTech maps as shown, placing the CityHills/Residential Maps 1 and 2 from BattleTech Map Set 3 sideby side to form an even playing area. The Dragoon playershould place 10 Light buildings on the east map to representthe mock town in the Dragoons' training field.

CITY [Hills/Residential) #1 CITY [Hills/Residential) #2Nt

D E F E N D E RThe Defender consists of elements of Wolf's Dragoons.

Dragoons Gamma Regiment LancesCaptain Hawkens (Piloting 2, Gunnery 2), ANH-1 AAnnihilatorSergeant Hudson (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2), ARC-2W ArcherCorporal Wood (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), WVR-7M

WolverineCorporal Thomsend (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) , WVR-7M

WolverineLieutenant Richardson (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), IMP-2E ImpSergeant Dickens (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3), CRD-3KCrusaderSergeant Adams (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), ZEU-6T ZeusCorporal James (Piloting 5, Gunnery4), SHG-2E Shogun

DeploymentThe Dragoon units deploy as hidden units (see p. 57,

BattleTech Compendium, or p. 89, BattleTechCompendium: Rules of Warfare) on the east mapsheet.A T T A C K E R

The Attacker is the Black Thorns.Black Thorns

Captain Jeremiah Rose (Piloting 2, Gunnery 1), CHR-3KChargerRianna Rose (Piloting 4, Gunnery6), PHX-3D Phoenix Hawk

27

Angus Lochart (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), VLK-QD ValkyrieBadicus O'Shea (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4), SHD-2D2 ShadoHawkEsmerelda (Piloting 3, Gunnery 2), WHM-7M WarhammerHawg (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3), ZEU-6S Zeus

DeploymentThe Thorns units enter on Turn 1 from the west edge of thmapsheets.V I C TO R Y C O N D I T I O N S

The first side to initiate a physical attack loses the battleThe scenario ends immediately after the first physical attachas been resolved.

If no physical attacks are made, the scenario ends when a'Mechs on one side are destroyed or flee from the battlefield. Ithis case, the victory goes to the side with the highest totapOints. The Dragoons receive 1 point for every Thorn 'Mecdestroyed. The Black Thorns receive 1 point for every Dragoo'Mech destroyed and 1 point for every turn they remain in battleS P E C I A L R U L E S

1. The Dragoons units are surprised by the Thorns, antherefore cannot attack in the first Combat Turn.

2. As soon as the Black Thorns spot the first Dragoo'Mech, all other Dragoon 'Mechs emerge from hiding.

3. In Turn 2 and each turn thereafter, the Dragoons playerolls 2D6 at the beginning of the Movement Phase. On a resuof 9 or higher, Captain Hawkens loses his composure anmoves toward the nearest Thorn 'Mech to initiate a phYSicaattack. If he cannot reach an enemy 'Mech in a single move, hcontinues to advance toward the nearest Thorn 'Mech in subsequent turns until he can make a physical attack.

A F T E R M A T HDuring the heat of battle, Captain Hawkens lost his coo

and tried to punch the cockpit of Esmerelda's Warhammer. Hpunch went wide of its mark, hitting the Warhammer in thchest. Esmerelda responded in kind; her 'Mech's massive armfound its mark, burying its PPC barrel in the cockpit oHawkens' Annihilator. The Dragoon captain suffered severinjuries, and narrowly escaped death. The Dragoon refereequickly activated the 'Mechs' myomer inhibitors, ending the batle. Captain Hawkens was evacuated to a hospital for treament, and both the Thorns and the Dragoons lances wertaken into custody.

Later cleared of all charges, the Thorns were awarded aofficial victory over the Dragoons. Rising anger toward the unamong the Dragoons ranks, however, soon proved that life oOutreach would not be kind to the Thorns for long. Eager to goff-planet, they accepted their only offer: a garrison contract othe planet Borghese near the border of the Jade Falcon occupation zone.

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I'HE BLACK I'HORNS

A \ N A R M \ N E L C O M E

-Excerpted from And I Ge t to Wear a Laser? byMechWarrior Hawg, Avalon Press, 3057

As planets go, Borghese's not a bad vacation spot. Thelocals were nice enough-with the possible exception of theprotesters outside our compound gate-and the weather'sgreat. We 'd been there for several months when I got sick-oneof those illnesses where you think you're not going to live andthen you're afraid you will. I don't remember much of thattime-mostly white walls and nurses in white uniforms. I'd justgotten back to active duty when everything hit the fan. Theplanetary council got taken over by a bunch of opportunists whofigured they'd be better off under Clan occupation than by fighting, and they sent a big chunk of the militia after us.

We had to fight our way out of Houston-that's the capital-with the militia hot on our trail. Angus and Ajax led usthrough Borghese's version of the outback, and we almostlost the local soldier boys until one of their hovercraft spotted

28

Badicus' 'Mech during a river crossing. We could have nailethe hovercraft, but Badicus did the right thing by not shooing . After all , we 'd sworn to protect the men in that flyeBadicus always said he'd never have made the shot anywaat such a tricky angle.Our fat was really in the fire after that encounter. Couple days later, the militia ran us to ground. I think Rose was juabout ready to give up and surrender when that iac'f--aSalander Morgain showed up with his toadies . Turns oMorgain was in the pay of a pro-Clanner on the council, ancouldn't help gloating about the Clans' imminent arrival oBorghese. He was foolish enough to admit that the Clanneweren't invading in force-that Morgain's partners in crime hainvited them to take Borghese. Rose was smart enough tbroadcast the transmissions to the rest of the militia, hopinthey'd come over to our side once they knew they'd been had.

S I T U A T IO N : B O R G H E S EO U T B A C K , .JULY 3 0 5 5The Black Thorns arrived on Borghese to find, not th

usual fanfare and acclaim, but protest and discord. A small fation of the local people believed that Clan occupation would bpreferable to seeing their planet become a war zone, and thegreeted Jeremiah and his crew with pickets and unflatterinbanners. Making his first real command decision, Rose formeup his unit and marched them down the capital city's mastreet all the way from the spaceport directly to the seat of goernment on Borghese. After a tense debate, Borghese's rulincouncil approved the Thorns' contract and uneasily welcometheir newly commissioned protectors to the planet.

The peace proved all too brief, however. The pro-Clan fation, known as the Preservationists, turned terrorist anhijacked the Bristol. Jeremiah led the Thorns to the spacepoto recover the DropShip , but arrived too late. As the unwatched the Bristol disappear into the sky, they received worthat their base was under attack by the same terrorists . ThPreservationists destroyed the base, leaving the Thorns witheir 'Mechs and the clothes on their backs.

On the heels of this disaster came another. ThPreservationists had recruited a local hero of the Clan waSalander Morgain, as their spokesman. Morgain broadcast planet-wide appeal to the people of Borghese to surrender tthe invading Clan force that had recently arrived in thBorghese system and was only two weeks away from planetfaPlaying on his audience's emotions, he emphasized the horrifviolence they would surely face if they resisted. Morgain alsclaimed that the Thorns had gone insane and killed a band oprotesters picketing their compound, destroying it in thprocess before fleeing into the wilderness. Citing the fact ththe DropShip Bristol had fired at several buildings on spacepoproperty and then blasted off without paying its debts , Morga

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FHE BLACK FHORNS

BEWARE THE THORNS-Excerpted from And I Get to Wear a Laser? byMechWarrior Hawg, Avalon Press, 3057Despite the fatigue of the past couple of days in the out

back, I felt pretty good sitting in the cockpit of my newBattieMaster. My family's Zeus had been shot out from underme, and that hurt some-but sometimes a MechWarrior's justgot to be practical. We were outnumbered, outgunned, and inan inferior tactical position, but none of that made any difference. We had no hope of winning and nothing to gain by theattempt, but we headed toward Houston under cover of darkness anyway. Despite my oh-so-short test run with my newride, I could move it like a dream. My grandfather's surely turning over in his grave as I say this, but I didn't miss the Zeus one

30

IT+Attacker VictoriousIF+

Defender Victorious

little bit. The BattieMaster had everything, and I couldn't wait use it in combat.

The rest of the company didn't exactly share my enthuasm. Badicus was too beat up to even share in the action athe rest of the unit was riding 'Mechs that were pretty lightammunition. Rose was worried, but I'd begun to figure out thworrying came natural to him. He's one of those guys that fiures all the angles and then runs through the calculatioanother couple of times to make sure he's got everything righfind that kind of dedication reassuring, but at that momentdidn't think it necessary. Me, I wanted to kick the tail of tentire Jade Falcon Clan all by myself, right then and therFortunately, I didn't have to.

S ITUAT ION : HOUSTON ,BORGHESE , .JULV 3055Following the defeat of Salander Morgain and his me

Rose made what repairs he could to his available 'Mechs acame up with the only feasible scheme for returning to the catal city of Houston . Piecing together a ragtag unit from tThorn machines and the remains of the militia, he and the mtia commander devised a bold plan to take back the city frothe Jade Falcon invaders.

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BEWARE rHE rHORNSThe invaders DEFENDER

Blackhis

Ifcould get close

BLACK THORNS COMBAT VALUE POINTS TABLE The Defender comprises elements of theNinth Talon Cluster ofCombat Pool: 29,602 points, allocated as follows:'Mechs CV Points the Jade FalconGamma Galaxy. Thedefending player rolls20 6 to determine hisstarting forces, applying the +2 modifier thatis standard for anExtraction Raid (p. 13,BattleTech TacticalHandbook). TheFalcon force's total CVpOints (see p. 28,BattleTech TacticalHandbook) should bedivided between hisCombat Pool, LogisticsPool, Repair Pool, andReinforcement Pool

on thebefore they

the Thorns afight their

Borghese'san SOS toFederated

milithe battle, the

Command Lance, main bodyCaptain Jeremiah Rose, Elite, CHR-3K ChargerRianna Rose, Regular, PHX-3D Phoenix HawkAntioch Bell, Veteran, BNC-5S Banshee

Battle Lance, main bodyEsmerelda, Veteran, MAD-5A Marauder /IHawg, Veteran, BLR-3S BattleMaster

Pursuit Lance, recon detachmentAngus, Regular, VLK-QD ValkyrieAjax, Elite, RVN-3L RavenLogistics Pool: 1,098 pointsRepair Pool: 300 pOintsReinforcement Pool: 0 pOints

as Rosenight was long and

MEET ING ENGAGEMENTIN IT IAL CONDIT IONS

SET UPBeware the Thorns is an

12-27, BattieTechgiven below into the

Turn orderon the

the Thornsall operational

Black ThornsWalking speed of slowest 'MechBeagle Active ProbeGuardian ECM SuiteLanding ModifierTotal:

-2+1+1-2-2

5,1063,2086,2976,7335,0041,5471,707

When setting up the

ign the Thorns'edge is the westis the east edge. N t Recovery and Repair

according to the standardOperational Game rules.ATTACKER

The Attacker consists of theremaining Black Thorns listed inthe Black Thorns Combat ValuePoints Table. The Thorns have atotal of 31,000 CV points.

Black Thorns LogisticsBecause they are raiding,the Thorns have noreloads. The Thorns playercan pay the base logisticscost for all personnel, butmay not pay for weaponreloads during the operational game . All BlackThorn 'Mechs enter eachscenario with the roundsthey have remaining fromthe previous scenario.

OB.JECTIVEThe Thorns' objective in this campaign is to break throughto the Federated Commonwealth. The Falcons' objective

to keep that from happening. The winner of the campaignclaim Borghese for his side's respective leaders .

The severe time constraints of the battle for Houstonallow the Black Thorns to repair damage to their 'Mechs onlyonce during the entire operational game. This means that if theywin an Operational Phase, they should press the attack ratherthan spending any Repair Points . If the Falcons win anOperational Phase, the Thorns may spend Repair Points asnormal. The Thorns may not salvage damaged Clan 'Mechsuntil after the operational game has ended, but may salvagetheir own 'Mechs if time permits.

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BEWARE rHE rHORNSSCENAR IO: FALCON H U N TAs the Black Thorns are already on the planet, there is noneed for a Planetary Landing scenario. Begin the operationalgame with the Meeting Engagement scenario under the initialconditions described in the table on p. 31.Game Set-UpLayout the Heavy Forest 1, Rolling Hills 2, and DrainageBasin 2 maps from the BattleTech Map Sets 3 and 4 side byside to form a rectangular playing area.Victory DeterminationIf the Thorns are victorious, they will press toward Houston inthe Advance scenario. Go to Press the Attack, below. If theFalcons win the Meeting Engagement, they will hunt down andtry to destroy the Thorns. In this case, play Press the Attackas the Pursuit scenario.SCENARIO: PRES S THE A T T A C K

This scenario serves as either the Advance or Pursuit scenario, depending on who won Falcon Hunt.Game Set-Up

Layout the BattleTech maps as shown, placing Rolling HillsMaps 1 and 2 from Batt leTech Map Set 3 next to the CityTechMap from BattleTech Map Set 2. The CityTech Map represents Houston.

NtVictory Determination

Determine victory in Press the Attack using standard rules(p. 19, BattleTech Tactical Handbook). When played as anAdvance scenario, Press the Attack can end when all mobileThorn 'Mechs have exited off the east edge of the map.The loser of this engagement may choose to launch aCounterattack scenario against the winner (see Counterattack,below). If not, go to the Assault scenario Night in the City.S C E N A R I O : C O U N T E R A T T A C KIf the loser of Press the Attack chooses to counterattackthe winner, play proceeds as described on p. 19, BattleTechTactical Handbook. Choose the mapsheets for this scenarioaccording to standard operational game rules (p. 15,BattleTech Tactical Handbook).

32

Victory DeterminationRegardless of who wins the Counterattack scenario, proceeds to the final encounter, Night in the City.

S C E N A R I O : N I G H T IN TH E CITVThis Assault scenario is the final phase of the operatigame. The entire campaign has been fought over the pashours, and this final nighttime battle will determine the fatBorghese. During this scenario, use the Night Combat rulesp. 61, BattleTech Compendium, or p. 94, BattleTCompendium: Rules of Warfare.Game Set-Up

Layout the City Hills/Residential maps from BattleTMap Set 3.

NtCITY [Hille/Residentiel, #1 CITY (Hille/Residential ' #2

Victory DeterminationThe winner of this scenario wins the campaign, endingoperational game (see Assault, p. 19, BattleTech TactHandbook).

A F T E R M A T HThough the Black Thorns won the war on Borghese,

were almost too weak to accept the victory. By the time Clan forces lifted off-planet, less than half the Thorns' 'Meremained functional. Salvage rights made the battle profitafor them in terms of materiel, but the loss of Angus Locmade the cost for the Thorns almost too dear.

The Black Thorns spent most of the next year fulfilling tcontract and repairing the damage they had suffered. EventBorghese, though painful and difficult for the Thorns, ultimamade them stronger.Rianna Rose left Borghese for a brief trip to Northwreturning Angus' Valkyrie to the Highlanders and Angus himto his final resting place. She then returned to Outreachrecruit additional personnel. With the salvage acquiredBorghese and their first completed contract under their belt,Black Thorns were in a favorable bargaining pOSition. As onthe few units with m9S,e 'Mechs than pilots, they could pick choose the people who would help them become a full-strencompany.

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BEWARE "HE "HORNS

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"HE BLACK "HORNS

SOME WERE EXPENDABLE-Excerpted from And I Get to Wear a Lase r? by

MechWarrior Hawg, Avalon Press, 3057Despite what some people tell you , riding in a DropShipacross half the known galaxy is pure hell. The boring, mindnumbing routine is enough to send the most seasoned veterans

in search of the silliest diversions. There's a reason for all thoseshipboard romances! 'Course, there were none of those on thetrip to Wolcott except for the one between the Captain and .. .the Captain.Rose and McCloud had been a couple al most from the da ythey met, even when they were kilometers apart. De sp ite theirbest efforts to stay away from each other, it was almost im possible to avoid each other on the ship. A DropShip's a smallplace, after all. Considering all the time they spent together, I'msurprised the twins didn't arrive months earlier. Not that I blamethem. If I'd had somebody at that point in my life, I'd have spentjust as much time with her.

In any event, O'Shea and I passed the time wi th "specialprojects," as we called them. Most of the st un ts we pu lled werepractical jokes, but we did manage to tap into the comm circuitand set up an audio carrier to the bridge so we always knewwhat was happening. McCloud would have pushed us both outof the airlock if she'd known , so we played it safe and tore thesystem down right after we got to Wolcott.To say the inbound trip was intense is like calling the Battle

of Tukayyid a small engagement. I was white-knuckled duringthe entire passage. The worst of it hit when we came out of thejump point near the planet. The Clanners had blockadedWolcott, and we arrived just as Clan aerospace fighters wereroaring in hot pursuit after a couple of outbound KuritaDropShips heading for the JumpShip we had arrived on. Rosetold me later that he'd had to face down the ISF agents on thebridge of the Bristol just to keep them from using our DropShipas bait to protect the JumpShip. I knew something had gonebad and was heading toward the bridge with my laser drawnwhen the situation resolved itself. I ended up sliding back to myroom to await the final leg of the trip. That trip's the only ti me Iwent around on a DropShip fully armed.

S I T ~ A T I O N : WOLCO T T,FEBRUARY 3 0 5 7

After the Gray Death Legion arrived on Borg hese to relievethe Black Thorns, Rose sent Rianna to Outreach to beginrecruiting and to look for a new contract. After accepting alucrative job on Wolcott, Rose realized tha t the Thorns wouldhave to travel through Clan-occ upied space to reach the planet.He assumed his Kurita employers had devised a safe way toget to and from Wolcott, but the danger of such o perationsdidn't really sink in until the Bristol was actually ma king the run .

34

The Kurita JumpShip Ellyohippus, carrying the BlaThorns aboard th e Bristol, entered the Wolcott system viapirate pOint. According to plan, the Bristol detached and begburning toward Wolcott as quickly as possible. With the Brissafely launched, the JumpShip needed 30 minutes to manavigational calculations and initiate the jump drive in orderleave the system. The plan called for the Ellyohippus to depbefore the Clans discovered its presence; if they detected tDropShip, it was to divert from its current heading so that tClan aerospace fighters could not use its course to vector inthe JumpShip. Unfortunately, the Ellyohippus arrived in-systejust as two DropShips were burning toward it from Wolcott wClan forces in hot pursuit. In hostile space, 30 minutes can felike an eternity ...GAME SET UP

Some Were Expendable is a BattleSpace scenario. Lout the BattleSpace mapsheets as shown.

DEFENDERThe Defender consists of the Kurita JumpShip Ellyoh.",Jpand three DropSh ips.

Inner Sphere ShipsInvader Class JumpShip Ellyohippus (modified to mount

lithiu m-fusion battery; this modification required the removala docking collar, reducing the vessel's DropShip Capacity to 2Union Class DropShip BristolOverlord Class DropShip KirinOverlord Class DropShip Elkford

DeploymentThe Ellyohippus and the Bristol begin in Hex 0307 on tleft-hand map. Both ships have a Velocity of O. The E/kford athe Kirin enter from the "east" edge of the right-hand mapTurn 1. Both these ships have a Velocity of .5.

ATTACKERThe Attacker is a group of four Clan OmniFighters, reprse nted by a single Squadron counter.

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SOME WERE EXPENDABLESabutai, 2 Jenglz)Value: 6 Safe Thrust: 6t Sinks : 41 Maximum Thrust: 9

Range ValuesType Heat S M L E

12 3 2 2 0Mixed 22 3 3 2 0Mixed 22 3 3 2 04 0 0

The Clan aerospace fighters enter from the "east" edgeright-hand map in Turn 2. The fighters have a

9.

A T T A C K E R V I C T O R Y T A B L E

JumpShip destroyed. 2 DropShips destroyed Decisive VictoryStrategic Victory1 DropShip destroyed, 1 DropShipand the JumpShip damaged Marginal VictoryPyrrhic VictoryDropShip destroyed

O R Y C O N D I T I O N SThe Clan fighters win the scenario under the following

The Inner Sphere wins under the following conditions:

D E F E N D E R V I C T O R Y TABLE

All Inner Sphere vesselsexit mapsheetsJumpShip and 2 DropShipsexit mapsheetsJumpShip and 1 DropShipexit mapsheets

JumpShip exits mapsheets

R U L E S

Decisive VictoryStrategic VictoryMarginal VictoryPyrrhic Victory

1. The Elkford and the Kirin burn toward the JumpShipthe Bristol burns away from it, the two ships attempting toEllyohippus and dock before the JumpShip is. The Clan fighters enter the com

in pursuit of the DropShips leaving Wolcott in Turn 2.2. The Bristol tries to get past the fighters and off the

35

3. The Ellyohippus leaves the mapsheets in Turn 7 or assoon as it is attacked, whichever comes first. It will use its lithi-um-fusion batteries to jump. The sail is not deployed during theencounter.A F T E R M A T H

The ISF agents required to be aboard every ship enteringthe Wolcott system attempted to change the Bristofs trajectoryso that it would draw the Clans' fire and thus save both KuritaDropShips, but Rose and McCloud stopped them-at gunpoint.The Kirin made it safely to the Ellyohippus, but the Clan fightersdestroyed the luckless Elkford. The furious ISF agents laterclaimed that McCloud's refusal to change course vectors costthe Elkford its life. Acting on their report, the planetary liaisonruled that the Bristofs captain was a loose cannon and bannedthe DropShip from participating in any Black Thorns operationsduring the tenure of the unit's employment on Wolcott.

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.,HE BLACK .,HORNSRISE A N D S H I N E

-Excerpted from And I Get to Wear a Laser? byMechWarrior Hawg, Avalon Press, 3057

Despite what anyone else may say, we were all surprisedwhen the Captain and Jamshid emerged from the swamp like apair of bog monsters and began firing. We should have expected that kind of action from Rose, but he always found ways tokeep us on our toes even when we were expecting the unusual.Got to be kind of aggravating, actually.

As it turned out, our swamp practice didn't do us muchgood in some ways-our next mission took us to a planet ofrolling hills, forests, and rocky outcroppings. It taught us a lotbesides handling the terrain, though. We learned plenty aboutteamwork in those swamps, and we got to know the new kids inthe unit. We came to thank the gods for that soon enough.

Even though our actual baptism of fire wouldn't hit us foranother couple of months, in that training ambush we saw thefirst glimmer of the spirit of the Black Thorns. Lasers firing ,computers whining and lights flashing, the entire company figured out what was going on, then turned the tables on theambushers and carried the attack to them. We lost theengagement, but we gained the upper hand for battles in thefuture. Little did we know how important that lesson would bein the months to come.

S IT UAT ION: W O L C O T T .F E B R U A R Y 3 0 5 7

After unpacking equipment and working out the positioning of the 'Mechs, Rose and new recruit Jamshid AI-Kalibi leftthe Thorns' base, ostensibly for a meeting with the Kurita liaison. In fact, Rose intended to launch a surprise "attack" on hisown unit to test their reactions. Rose left instructions forEsmerelda to lead the remaining Thorns on a shakedown runin their newly acquired training area. After checking the dutyrosters, Rose and Jamshid climbed into their 'Mechs andstarted out toward town, doubling back to set up the ambushas soon as they dared. An hour or so later, Esmerelda and thebulk of the Black Thorns entered the swamp in which Roseand Jamshid lay hidden.G A M E SI=TUP

Layout the BattleTech maps as shown, using the twoDesert Hills maps in BattleTech Map Set 2. Alternatively, players may use one Desert Hills map and a standard BattleTechmixed-terrai

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