Mountain of Miniatures: December 2025

My local gaming group is focusing on Battletech Alpha strike for our mecha gaming itch. I wanted to explore additional support elements available in AS such as infantry and artillery. I set up a scenario to test out these units out.

Situation: Tukayyid 3052

A Nova from Clan Wolf advances to clear a valley of Comguard defenders.

Clan Wolf: Skill 3
Warhawk Prime
Timber Wolf Pirme
Vulture Prime
Man ‘O War Prime
Nova Prime

Comguard: Skill 4
King Crab (001)
Battlemaster (3M)
Black Knight (6-KNT)
Flashman (7K)
Orion (K)
Crocket (5003-CM)
SRM infantry platoon x6 (hidden deployment)
Sniper Artillery x3 (off board - used Padilla point values)

The Battle:

The Wolves pushed into the valley. There was no zellbrigen given on Tukayyid and focus fire brought down one Comstar mech after another. Comstar retaliated in kind. The elementals often finished off enemy mechs the omnis had crippled.

"Incoming!" was screamed across the comm channels as the artillery rained down on the clanners. Much of it missed but it did prove deadly.

The King Crab performed a miracle of Blake mauling the Timberwolf with its dying salvo. The Orion crippled the Vulture and then was overwhelmed by Elementals. The Warhawk suffered a engine critical but keep firing until the heat shut it down. Exposed, it was brought down by the Black Knight. The Comstar infantry proved effective in spotting, ambushing, and providing just enough damage to worry the Clanners.

The Clan win condition was to have more Clan mechs in the Comstar deployment zone. On the last turn (six) there was one clan mech, the Man O' War, and one Comstar mech, the Crocket. These machines were striped and suffering critical damage. Each side poured all the firepower they could into the opposing target. Both of them survived the onslaught!

The Crocket survived five critical rolls as it was engulfed in elemental SRMs. The Man O' War had one internal structure left. But Comstar still had artillery and one remaining infantry hidden in the upper pass relaying target coordinates. The first shot missed, the second shot missed, the third shot did not. The Man O' War had fallen to the dezgra indirect fire and Comstar had won this engagement.

Once more into the Valley of Death!

The Flashman is Zapped 1st blood to Wolves

Ambush! "Where did these guys come from!"

More and more mechs fall

The Orion may have a problem

The end game

Thoughts:

I was worried the artillery would be unbalancing but it was not. It mostly missed and the scatter never hit another target. It did provide two crucial kills. But in reality if I had taken the points for additional ground units those assets would have been more effective.

The infantry proved invaluable on both sides. The elementals were a nightmare for Comstar. Focusing the Clan mechs meant they were free to advance and hurt the Comguard. They can be taken care of if you focus them, but you always have to make a that threat choice. The abstraction of AS means the elementals never run out of ammo giving them more power than they actually have in classic.

The game was enjoyable and I will be running this at my local store. I hope you enjoy the write up.