Just finished binge-watching this entire series over the past three days. Absolutely fantastic production. I've watched a couple Battle Reports in the past, but since I don't actually play the tabletop game, there's only so much I can get out of them. But the campaign narrative you've weaved into this has got me totally invested in the fate of Blue Hole. I'm enjoying seeing how this story plays out more than several of the actual BattleTech novels I've read. ilClan era is so far beyond where I'm familiar with in the setting that I've no idea who either of the two factions are, but I feel like I'm getting to know the players just through their choices on the strategic level. Initially I was on the side of Jefe's Chupacabras & Alyina Mercantile League because I was so impressed with their use of Aerodyne DropShips to bring the fight where their opponent wasn't expecting it, but now I'm being won over by the way House Korbyn has been able to force the Clanners to be reactive instead of proactive. Vesper Marches look very much like they're in control at the moment. I love how you've integrated intelligence reports into the game as well to keep the two sides in the dark about the others' movements and objectives, both on a macro and micro level. Really, really great work. Can't wait for the next chapter to see how things play out.
I'm really grateful to have seen your community post about this! If it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't have become as I am now: glued to this series and eagerly awaiting the next report. So, thanks for bringing attention to it, and thanks to Wargamer Stories for bestowing the BattleTech community with this treasure of a series!
I've been following this series ever since I first discovered it a month back and I've gotta hand it to you lads, this is awesome. I've binged watch the previous episodes and my only wish is for more episodes. This channel, in comparison to other Battletech battle report channels, is to me what the MiniWargaming channel is to Warhammer but for Battletech. Keep up the good work! Looking forward to more episodes and hoping for more narrative driven battle report content from the Battletech TH-cam community.
Ooh yeah absolutely fantastic report as always! The production, the camerawork, an the succinctness is all always so enjoyable! The worst part is now I have to wait on the edge of my seat for the next episode! 😂
Was a little concerned about them putting their forces to far forward, but I was wrong. Another great battle report! Always look forward to this next one, and please thank everyone for doing these games/campaign!
I like how it clashes with the sci-fi setting... a mix of old and new... like this world was sort of neglected and forgotten until suddenly... the collapse of the occupation zone
Fantastic! I love this series so much!!! I've never played BattleTech, but this series has completely sold me. Keep up the amazing work!!! Btw Are you planning another episode of Cyberpunk COmbat Zone? I wanna see Maelstrom regain their glory after getting their ass beat by a bunch of kids.
Thanks! A new battle report will drop tomorrow and it includes a channel update on the Cyberpunk games. But here is the down-low... As for Cyberpunk, the players who were playing the campaign had to move away due to work. So, there will be some Cyberpunk battle reports, but I am not sure if the campaign can be revived by new players taking over the campaign... but there will at least be some battles down the road.
Nice touch with the damage blackjack jumping 😉 Also House Korbin be like "They can't know what we're doing if we don't know what we're doing either!". What is this strategy?😂
Well... That happened. Still, the Chupacabras definitely need more money. And probably a PR campaign. You know, I wonder how many conventional troops could fit in a couple of Aerodyne dropships. If they brought in infantry that way maybe they could properly hold South Azure.
Oh, here's the trick: When you get into the section of the VFX that you want, like Muzzle Flashes, deselect the "View Pro Content" (It is a tiny button just above the top left most VFX). That will remove the subscription only VFX. Once you have an account with them, you can download 5 non-pro content per 24 hrs. And, there is quite a lot non-pro to choose from... because I only used the free VFX. :) I hope that helps!
Bit of a random question, what is the significance of the 2 different styles of damage markers on the alpha strike cards. Sometimes they look like neat bullet holes in the middle of the armor dots and sometimes they look like small craters that completely cover the dots.
Previous damage is the crater looking bullet hole, and the animated bullet damage is current sustained damage. At one point, previous and newly sustained damage looked identical (except for the animation). But to show progressing damage, I changed the look of previous damage
A Strategic turn is played over several days via emails, text messages, phone calls, and a discord group call. I also use OwlBear Rodeo VTT to host the strategic map with all players present. The battles are played on a Saturday or Sunday and are filmed while the battles are taking place. The players place their movement markers, and then they film me moving the mechs. Here's some trivia: you will see the Chupacabra player's hand in one of the videos when an Urban mech kicked a car out of the way- that was the one time one of the players allowed me to film them... lol- They are very camera shy! Especially, since their bad tactical decisions are publicly broadcasted on TH-cam... Several weeks, and even months, will go by while I edit the videos
@@WargamerStories Thanks for the quick reply man! I'm loving the series so far and have been inspired to run something similar. When you guys play out a strategic turn, how does the timing of it all work out? Do you take everyone's input and then run everything all at once? Is there a ruleset I could look into for more details?
Depends. For larger battles, we use the full damage of Alpha Strike (full damage, 2 dice). But for smaller games (1-2 lances per side) we switch to multiple dice: 1D6 for a pilot (the only die that can be re-rolled) and then 1D6 for each point of damage based on range. Which method do you play and/or prefer?
I love the format of these battle reports, but I have one gripe. Because of the strategic level of the game, the players only really want to engage when they have overwhelming superiority. That means when they don't, they nearly always want to run away. As a game master, one way you could deal with this problem is to utilize more scenario types.
Right now, they are mostly playing stand up fights, or raids. But you can use the "chase" scenario to simulate a withdrawing force trying to avoid combat, or the "breakthrough" scenario to simulate a force trying to engage a reluctant enemy, or push through to their supply lines. In "chase" scenarios, one player starts on one edge of the board. They have to escape by reaching the other side. The enemy enters the board a few turns later, and must try to stop them escaping, or deal enough damage to eliminate them (50%). The felling force usually outnumbers the smaller, faster chasers, but get no points for destroying enemy mechs. In "breakthrough" scenarios a small force starts on the middle of the board. The enemy starts at one edge and must push through to the other edge with at least 60% of their forces. The winners get extra strategic points, the losers get a penalty. Some of these forces could be made up of "free" tanks or ultra green mechs from the militia or reserve forces which don't count as persistent tracked units, to encourage the players to be a little more aggressive in the tactics and keep the players hungry for victory.
We use a few scenarios from time to time. But players like to have "freedom of movement" (their words), in which they decide how to use their army to capture what they designated as objectives. The next video, I actually successfully convince the players to use a scenario... but then you know, players do what players wanna do. I like your idea of a "filler" force to sort of balance a force. That's something we could do with Infantry perhaps (which is something we are looking to include in another campaign). The players have reserves, but they use them as replacements for their designated maneuver units or as a garrison/ quick reaction force (like the urban mechs at the power plant).
I love this series so much, it's the only Battletech battlereport series with this high production value and your campaign system is amazing!
Just finished binge-watching this entire series over the past three days. Absolutely fantastic production.
I've watched a couple Battle Reports in the past, but since I don't actually play the tabletop game, there's only so much I can get out of them. But the campaign narrative you've weaved into this has got me totally invested in the fate of Blue Hole. I'm enjoying seeing how this story plays out more than several of the actual BattleTech novels I've read.
ilClan era is so far beyond where I'm familiar with in the setting that I've no idea who either of the two factions are, but I feel like I'm getting to know the players just through their choices on the strategic level. Initially I was on the side of Jefe's Chupacabras & Alyina Mercantile League because I was so impressed with their use of Aerodyne DropShips to bring the fight where their opponent wasn't expecting it, but now I'm being won over by the way House Korbyn has been able to force the Clanners to be reactive instead of proactive. Vesper Marches look very much like they're in control at the moment. I love how you've integrated intelligence reports into the game as well to keep the two sides in the dark about the others' movements and objectives, both on a macro and micro level.
Really, really great work. Can't wait for the next chapter to see how things play out.
I'm really grateful to have seen your community post about this! If it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't have become as I am now: glued to this series and eagerly awaiting the next report. So, thanks for bringing attention to it, and thanks to Wargamer Stories for bestowing the BattleTech community with this treasure of a series!
This channel is addictive! I have to admire the amount of work that must go into this presentation!
Glad you enjoy it!
Wake up, Babe! Another battle report just dropped!!
God damn. Not sure what to say. But I am most definitely looking forward to the next episode.
Best series ever.
My absolute favorite Battletech batrep series in a long long time. Many thanks to you and your players for sharing.
Can’t wait for the next episode! 👍
This channel never disappoints me.
This series of battles and its narrative style makes it super fun to watch!
I love the smell of Battletech in the morning!
Go Chupacabras!
I've been following this series ever since I first discovered it a month back and I've gotta hand it to you lads, this is awesome. I've binged watch the previous episodes and my only wish is for more episodes. This channel, in comparison to other Battletech battle report channels, is to me what the MiniWargaming channel is to Warhammer but for Battletech.
Keep up the good work! Looking forward to more episodes and hoping for more narrative driven battle report content from the Battletech TH-cam community.
Thanks for the awesome compliment! And I am glad you found us and enjoying the campaign!
Just re binge watched them all yesterday! It was a premonition!
Heck yeah! looking forward to more!
Ooh yeah absolutely fantastic report as always! The production, the camerawork, an the succinctness is all always so enjoyable! The worst part is now I have to wait on the edge of my seat for the next episode! 😂
I been waiting for the next video eagerly.😊
Fantastic, wish these episodes came faster.
I love this series so much hope another campaign happens after this . Team HOUSE
Was a little concerned about them putting their forces to far forward, but I was wrong. Another great battle report! Always look forward to this next one, and please thank everyone for doing these games/campaign!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
nooooo, i binge watched through this and i need to know how it continues!
awesome content so far!
I love the Elder Scrolls Oblvion style houses
I like how it clashes with the sci-fi setting... a mix of old and new... like this world was sort of neglected and forgotten until suddenly... the collapse of the occupation zone
Aw yes, it's WGS! It's the bigger stakes the narrative campaign creates that makes every report special.
Thanks- it's hard work, but a lot of fun too!
Fantastic! I love this series so much!!! I've never played BattleTech, but this series has completely sold me. Keep up the amazing work!!!
Btw Are you planning another episode of Cyberpunk COmbat Zone? I wanna see Maelstrom regain their glory after getting their ass beat by a bunch of kids.
Thanks! A new battle report will drop tomorrow and it includes a channel update on the Cyberpunk games. But here is the down-low... As for Cyberpunk, the players who were playing the campaign had to move away due to work. So, there will be some Cyberpunk battle reports, but I am not sure if the campaign can be revived by new players taking over the campaign... but there will at least be some battles down the road.
@@WargamerStories Yeesh sad to hear that, I really enjoyed the last two episodes as a Cyberpunk Red fan myself. Hopefully you work something out.
Love the series bud! Keep up the great work, and thank you!
Nice touch with the damage blackjack jumping 😉
Also House Korbin be like "They can't know what we're doing if we don't know what we're doing either!". What is this strategy?😂
Thanks! Sometimes, miniatures don't want to cooperate- so I make do :D LOL! That is a very accurate portrayal of HK's strategy!
Nice, this is going to be cast to my big screen!
Great battle report :)
Been waiting for this! Wooo!
That terrible feeling when the binge watching comes to an end... Next episode is how long away?? Oh boy. 😮
It's in the works :)
Huzzah! New report!
Well... That happened. Still, the Chupacabras definitely need more money. And probably a PR campaign. You know, I wonder how many conventional troops could fit in a couple of Aerodyne dropships. If they brought in infantry that way maybe they could properly hold South Azure.
Where do you get the special effects from? They're spot-on.
Thanks! I get the VFX mainly from Production Crate. They have quite a large selection of free VFX to download and try out with any video editor.
@@WargamerStories I couldn't find anything for free on their site. Every download link goes to the membership page. But thanks for the info.
Oh, here's the trick: When you get into the section of the VFX that you want, like Muzzle Flashes, deselect the "View Pro Content" (It is a tiny button just above the top left most VFX). That will remove the subscription only VFX. Once you have an account with them, you can download 5 non-pro content per 24 hrs. And, there is quite a lot non-pro to choose from... because I only used the free VFX. :) I hope that helps!
Bit of a random question, what is the significance of the 2 different styles of damage markers on the alpha strike cards. Sometimes they look like neat bullet holes in the middle of the armor dots and sometimes they look like small craters that completely cover the dots.
Previous damage is the crater looking bullet hole, and the animated bullet damage is current sustained damage. At one point, previous and newly sustained damage looked identical (except for the animation). But to show progressing damage, I changed the look of previous damage
@@WargamerStories Oh ok, that makes sense.
How do you guys play out the strategic turn? Is it all off the table? Are your battles also off table?
A Strategic turn is played over several days via emails, text messages, phone calls, and a discord group call. I also use OwlBear Rodeo VTT to host the strategic map with all players present. The battles are played on a Saturday or Sunday and are filmed while the battles are taking place. The players place their movement markers, and then they film me moving the mechs. Here's some trivia: you will see the Chupacabra player's hand in one of the videos when an Urban mech kicked a car out of the way- that was the one time one of the players allowed me to film them... lol- They are very camera shy! Especially, since their bad tactical decisions are publicly broadcasted on TH-cam... Several weeks, and even months, will go by while I edit the videos
@@WargamerStories Thanks for the quick reply man! I'm loving the series so far and have been inspired to run something similar.
When you guys play out a strategic turn, how does the timing of it all work out? Do you take everyone's input and then run everything all at once? Is there a ruleset I could look into for more details?
Nice, btw what fire and damage rules do u use? Full damage with two dice or do they roll for each point of damage?
Depends. For larger battles, we use the full damage of Alpha Strike (full damage, 2 dice). But for smaller games (1-2 lances per side) we switch to multiple dice: 1D6 for a pilot (the only die that can be re-rolled) and then 1D6 for each point of damage based on range. Which method do you play and/or prefer?
@@WargamerStories the pilot method or individual dice per point.
So are you going to ask the rank-and-file soldiers what they think of the war, the destroyed buildings, and the missed airstrikes?
I wonder what they would say. What do you think they would say?
@@WargamerStories "Why did they let Bosch go? Why did we destroy that cargo?! I can live with being a pawn if the game makes sense!"
I love the format of these battle reports, but I have one gripe.
Because of the strategic level of the game, the players only really want to engage when they have overwhelming superiority. That means when they don't, they nearly always want to run away.
As a game master, one way you could deal with this problem is to utilize more scenario types.
Right now, they are mostly playing stand up fights, or raids. But you can use the "chase" scenario to simulate a withdrawing force trying to avoid combat, or the "breakthrough" scenario to simulate a force trying to engage a reluctant enemy, or push through to their supply lines.
In "chase" scenarios, one player starts on one edge of the board. They have to escape by reaching the other side. The enemy enters the board a few turns later, and must try to stop them escaping, or deal enough damage to eliminate them (50%). The felling force usually outnumbers the smaller, faster chasers, but get no points for destroying enemy mechs.
In "breakthrough" scenarios a small force starts on the middle of the board. The enemy starts at one edge and must push through to the other edge with at least 60% of their forces.
The winners get extra strategic points, the losers get a penalty.
Some of these forces could be made up of "free" tanks or ultra green mechs from the militia or reserve forces which don't count as persistent tracked units, to encourage the players to be a little more aggressive in the tactics and keep the players hungry for victory.
We use a few scenarios from time to time. But players like to have "freedom of movement" (their words), in which they decide how to use their army to capture what they designated as objectives. The next video, I actually successfully convince the players to use a scenario... but then you know, players do what players wanna do. I like your idea of a "filler" force to sort of balance a force. That's something we could do with Infantry perhaps (which is something we are looking to include in another campaign). The players have reserves, but they use them as replacements for their designated maneuver units or as a garrison/ quick reaction force (like the urban mechs at the power plant).
@@WargamerStories I look forward to the next video. :)
IT'S A TRAP!