Fourth Succession War: Skondia Part 1 - Situation

I'm taking a big step. I'm ready to host a battle, so most of my creative energies for the coming months will be focused on designing and hosting a large Battletech battle. Now, in Battletech, there are millions of potential battles—it’s implied in the name. Where do I start? Should I recreate a famous battle or make something completely from scratch? What factions should be involved and what size force should be represented? These are just some of the questions I’ve been pondering as of late.


I finally came to the conclusion that the battle I wanted to host was to be set in Battletech’s historical timeline, but not an important battle or at least one that regardless of who wins the engagement, it can fit nicely in the historical timeline. I also wanted to do a battle that could bring in many of my friends who use to play Battletech, but for one reason or another do not play anymore. So, I reasoned that a battle that did not incorporate anything with the clans or any advanced equipment was the way to go. I don’t want to intimidate them with too many new rules and I know they don’t know much of the history after the 4th Succession War. In fact, I remembered that many of my friends were quite excited when the NAIS: The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas 1 & 2 came out over 20 years ago.

So, I settled on representing one of the battles in those books, the battle for Skondia caught my eye. There was a small write-up outlining the attack and the outcome, but with little specific information between the initial assault and the final battle. This left a lot of room to play around with some of the small engagements in the campaign. So, the following is a teaser for this multi-post battle report and construction update (Approximately 15 posts) which I anticipate hosting in December. So without further ado, I give you the Battle for Skondia teaser and outline.

Situation:

During the 4th Succession War, the 14th Legion of Vega attacked the Lyran Commonwealth planet of Skondia in response to the Lyran attacks up and down the Lyran/Draconis border. Though minor in its scope, taking the world would allow the armed forces of the Draconis Combine to be within one jump of the very important Skye system. A system with a large population, lots of heavy industry, and is politically important to the Lyran Commonwealth. The Draconis Combine committed a single mech regiment because Skondia was only defended by five scattered militia infantry regiments and two battalions of mechs from the Skondia Mech Piloting Academy.

On September 16, 3029 the 14th’s first and second battalions dropped on the Skondian Militia’s military base and headquarters—Fort Eagle. The fort was defended by two infantry regiments of the Skondia Militia. The 14th wiped out the regiments nearly to the man in intense street fighting that took most of the first day. This delay did buy some time for elements of the 2nd Skondia Infantry Regiment and the best students and a couple of instructors of the Skondia Mech Piloting Academy to begin to prepare an ad hoc counter attack only a few kilometers from the fighting at Fort Eagle. They hoped to further delay and perhaps contain the 14th Legion of Vega. The following morning, after the destruction of the 1st and 3rd Skondia Infantry Regiments, the 14th began to regroup, repair, and fan-out to disrupt Skondian efforts to set up defensive lines. Charged with that task was the fresh 3rd battalion of the 14th Legion of Vega. It sent each of its three companies out to harass and prevent Skondian efforts to mount any counter attack.

Each of the 3rd Battalion’s companies encountered Lyran forces, but only Charlie Company met any real resistance. It discovered the elements of the 2nd Skondia Infantry Regiment and the Skondia Mech Piloting Academy preparing for a counter attack. The Skondian forces were organizing around one of the militia’s supply bases south of Fort Eagle along highway 189 and just beyond a narrow pass in the southern volcanic mountains.

Charlie Company was ordered to disrupt the counter attack, eliminate the vital communication link over the mountains, destroy the milita supply base, and drive off the defenders. The Legion of Vega’s 3rd Battalion Command lance closed to the site of resistance and stood-by incase Charlie Company needed assistance; in addition, Charlie Company was given substantial regimental artillery support.

The Skondia Militia and its mech support were ordered to defend the pass, eliminate the 14th’s probe, and have at least two lances left for a counter attack.