Game Night - Blood in the Killing Fields

🕑 8 min read

It's Game Night! Welcome to today’s BattleTech battle report, where giant stompy robots settle disputes the civilized way: with autocannons, overheated reactors, and extremely questionable tactical decisions. Grab your neurohelmet and a cup of coolant, because what follows is a masterclass in why standing still in an 80t war machine is almost always a terrible idea.

Firstly, if you have not played BattleTech before, here is an insta-summary for you.

BattleTech is a tabletop wargame of futuristic armored combat where players command towering BattleMechs, vehicles, and aerospace units in tactically rich, turn-based battles. Set in a gritty feudal sci-fi universe, it emphasizes heat management, positioning, and damage systems over fast-paced dice-chucking, making every decision matter. Let's begin!!

Opponents: David versus Goliath (me)

Battle Rating: 5,000 points

The exercise dropped us into an infamous stretch of training ground known simply as the Killing Fields - a wide, muddy basin scarred by old shell craters, ringed by trees and jagged cliff faces. At its heart lay a deep, dark central lake, churned into a sucking mire by centuries of heavy metal footsteps.

This was open ground, dangerous ground. Whoever controlled the centre would dominate the fight - but linger too long, and the lake or surrounding cliffs would happily claim another Mech.

📋Force Selection📋

David had first pick from the eight Mechs in the BattleTech: Armoured Combat boxed set, and he made no hesitation in choosing a brutally efficient trio:

Wolverine 55t
Griffin 55t
Thunderbolt 65t

A fast, flexible medium-heavy lance, with jump jets, solid armour, and weapons suited to every range. Looking at the map - hexed, wide, and open - I was immediately concerned. These machines were built to dance across terrain like this.

I answered with a less conventional force:

Awesome 80t
Catapult 65t
Locust 20t

Other options included a Shadow Hawk, Commando, or even a Battlemaster, but in the end I committed to a risky plan: long-range punishment first, survival later.

The idea was simple (and terrifying):

• The Awesome would anchor the Killing Fields, dominating the centre with triple PPCs.
• The Catapult would take a high ridge and rain LRMs across the mud.
• The Locust would do what Locusts do best - sprint, harass, distract… and probably die.

If things went well, I might cripple one or two of David’s Mechs before the inevitable close-range brawl. If things went badly… well, the lake had room for more wreckage.

🏁Deployment & First Movements (Round 1)🏁

I lost initiative and was forced to deploy first.

The Catapult climbed into a wooded rise near the edge of the map, overlooking the Killing Fields.

The Awesome advanced cautiously into partial cover near the centre - close enough to project power, but not fully exposed.

The Locust bolted forward, skimming the mud toward David’s Griffin in an obvious attempt to draw fire.

David didn’t bite 😬

The Thunderbolt lumbered up a distant hill, trees cracking under its weight as it sought firing lanes.

The Griffin vaulted clean across a plateau and landed near the lake’s edge, weapons already tracking my Awesome.

Then came the real problem: the Wolverine.

Jump jets flared, and the Wolverine closed the distance aggressively, angling straight toward my Catapult. Its armour, AC/5, and SRMs made it a terrifying close-range threat - and suddenly I had a two-front problem.

😱The Killing Fields Ignite (Round 2)😱

The Locust broke off and sprinted back toward cover, mud spraying as fire finally erupted across the basin.

My Catapult landed some early LRM hits on the Thunderbolt, but panicked under pressure - its medium lasers snapping uselessly at the fast-closing Wolverine.

David’s response was cold and efficient.

A single command came through his lance, and every gun turned on the Awesome.

LRMs, autocannon fire, large lasers - the centre of the Killing Fields lit up as my big machine absorbed a punishing volley. Strangely, almost all of it tore into the arms.

The Awesome answered.

One PPC lanced out and smashed into the Wolverine’s leg, and the look on David’s face said it all - a sudden realisation that this wasn’t just a slow target.

Three PPCs demand respect.

🫠Surrounded in the Mud (Round 3)🫠

By Round 3, I had lost initiative again - and things were looking grim.

The Awesome was nearly encircled in the open basin, with only scraps of cover. If I stayed put, I risked losing PPCs or worse. I made the call to reposition the Catapult, jumping it to the far edge of the map and focusing fire on the Thunderbolt, now struggling through trees on a distant ridge.

The Awesome pushed deeper into cover, PPCs tracking the Wolverine, hoping to force it back for just one round of breathing room.

David, of course, had other plans.

The Griffin leapt clean over the lake, landing directly behind the Awesome - perfectly positioned, and completely outside my firing arcs.

My Locust, now suddenly alone, edged toward the Griffin’s rear, looking for any opening.

The Wolverine took its time. After a long pause, it vaulted onto a ridge overlooking the Killing Fields, lining up the Awesome like a prize target.

The field erupted again.

LRMs slammed into the Thunderbolt.

The Griffin struggled to stabilise after its jump and only landed a single large laser - once again into an arm.

The Locust, of all things, lit up the Griffin with a full laser volley. Every shot hit. Minimal damage, but morale soared. 

Then came the Wolverine - SRMs chewing armour, and an autocannon shot that… missed.

The Awesome survived another round.

😏The Trap (Round 4)😏

Round 4 - the final round before we called it a night.

Once again, David won initiative.

With no other option, I committed to a desperate plan. The Awesome rotated to face the Wolverine, deliberately exposing its rear to the Thunderbolt. The bait was set.

As hoped, the Griffin jumped again, landing behind the Awesome for a second time - exactly where I wanted it.

The Catapult held position, switching targeting to the Griffin.

The Thunderbolt stepped forward, weapons locking on.

Then the trap snapped shut. 

The Locust screamed across the mud, charging the Griffin at full speed - a reckless, glorious attack
aimed at driving it straight into the lake.

David realised instantly what was happening.

The Wolverine chose to stand its ground, trusting its armour and guns to finish the Awesome.

💥Final Exchange💥

Fire rained across the basin one last time.

The Catapult’s LRMs smashed into the Griffin’s torso.

The Thunderbolt poured everything into the Awesome - but only light hits landed.

Then the Awesome fired back.

Three PPCs. Short range. No cover.

One hit. Two misses.

The table went silent.

The Wolverine returned fire - again, only a single autocannon shot struck home, barely scratching paint.

Then came the charge.

The Locust hit like a freight train, slamming into the Griffin’s rear and driving it bodily into the lake. Armour collapsed, the cockpit rang, and the Griffin smashed down on its side in the water, barely keeping its pilot conscious.

That was the end.

🤝Aftermath🤝

The Killing Fields claimed no wrecks that day - but it came close.

This was my first game of BattleTech in over 25 years, and David’s first ever Classic BattleTech game in person. We absolutely made a few rules mistakes (the AC/5 will haunt us forever), but none of that dampened the experience.

Mud, water, jumps, desperate gambits, and one heroic Locust - everything BattleTech should be.

We’ll be back in the Killing Fields soon.

Thanks for reading.

::End Communication::