Operation Accipiter
A Battletech: ilKhan's Eyes Only Campaign
I recently kicked off a Player vs. GameMaster Battletech campaign at my local store, focusing on the events in the Battletech sourcebook ilKhan’s Eyes Only. Initially we are playing through battles around Terra as the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces seeks to encircle the birthplace of humanity by conquering planets still held by Republic Remnants, Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon garrisons, and a few planets of the Draconis Combine.
This campaign allows players to earn experience points for completing objectives, both individually and as a group, in order to rank up in the CCAF. Doing so gives players perks useable in future missions, such as access to Battlefield Support Strikes and Assets, improved Mechwarrior skills, or Experimental ‘Mechs.
Last month, we played through the first scenario, a Prelude to Operation Accipiter proper I called “Peace Comes to Procyon". I underestimated interest and turn-out, and I ended up with 10 players, which I was not prepared for. Combined with a poor judgement call on how to handle the Command ‘Mech quirk when using a card-based initiative system, this resulted in my opFor getting completely stomped and all players gaining two ranks. Hopefully, lesson learned. I’ll be splitting groups of larger than 8 into two tables in the future and recruiting someone to be a guest GM, and nerfing my house-ruled Command ‘Mech for card-based initiative.
We are playing missions monthly, and I’ll post the details and mission documents here in case anyone else wishes to try to campaign, scenarios, or read the narrative mission briefs and after-action reports. For now, the overall campaign rules are below.
Operation Accipiter Campaign Rules
Overview
The Operation Accipiter Campaign is a series of scenarios for the Battletech tabletop wargame (with rules described in the Battletech: Battlemech Manual and other publications from Catalyst Game Labs) designed for Players vs. Gamemaster (GM) play. The campaign is set during the events of the year 3151 from June through November as the Capellan Confederation seeks to encircle an ilClan-held Terra. These events are described in Battletech: ilKhan’s Eyes Only, an ilClan era sourcebook published by Catalyst Game Labs.
Players in the campaign will play as Mechwarriors of the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces, though they will each take control of several such warriors in a variety of regiments across the Capellan expansion front, rather than controlling the same characters and units in each scenario. That said, players will track XP earned from missions, which will be used to determine their Rank in each scenario. Rank confers bonuses such as improved Gunnery and/or Piloting skills, Special Pilot Abilities, and access to Battlefield Support or experimental Battlemechs.
XP earned and specific Battlefield Support and Battlemech options will be detailed in scenarios released as part of the Colorado Battletech Operation Accipiter Campaign.
Campaign Outline
Below is an outline of the scenarios anticipated for the campaign, though this list is subject to revision as scenarios are drafted and published. Dates listed are approximate in-universe dates for the events of the scenarios.
Prelude
Feb 4th, Procyon - Peace Comes to Procyon
Chapter 1: Wave 1
June 10th, Alula Austalis - Knight Moves
June 18th, Deneb Kaitos - Loss Reports
July 20th, Rigil Kentarus - That Slow Tide
Interlude
June 11th, Chara - Silenced Howls*
Chapter 2: Raven Recon
July 10th, Bryant – Chokepoint
August 18th, Caph - Resting on Laurel's*
October 6th, Epsilon Eridani - Long Road to Victory
Chapter 3: Wave 2
August 6th, Chara - Shelter From The Storm
August 18th, Devil's Rock - Of Leagues & Empires
August 18th, Fomalhaut - A Perfect Encirclement
August 27th, Addicks - Blooding the Guard
Chapter 4: Wave 3
October 12th, Rigil Kentarus - Torch'em
October 14th, Errai - Cracked Mask
October 22nd, Epsilon Eridani - For My People
Chapter 5: Battle for Dieron
October 20th – Broadside*
October 28th - Death By A Thousand Cuts
November 22nd - Clean Sweep
Scenarios marked with an asterisk (*) involve Aerospace rules that some groups may find onerous. Some groups may consider removing these scenarios from the campaign.
Objectives, XP, and Rank
As players participate in scenarios of the campaign, they will earn XP as indicated in the scenario’s description. Some of this XP will come from completion of individual Objectives, and some will come from the accomplishments of the group of players participating in the scenario. The latter is referred to as Group XP and is often based on a ratio of completion of two Objectives or other metrics. For example, in the Prelude scenario, “Peace Comes to Procyon,” Group XP is awarded based on the ratio of 4th Liao Guards (player forces) Destroyed to the number of RAF Remnant ‘Mechs (GM forces) that are able to escape from the field before the end of the scenario.
Group XP is awarded to all players that participated in the scenario, but is also tracked cumulatively over the course of the campaign, and determines the overall success of the Operation.
In the event that available time prevents completion of scenarios as described in the scenario’s rules for Ending the Scenario, the GM is encouraged to use their judgement to determine if players would have, with high likelihood, imminently completed an Objective before the proper end of the scenario. This judgement should leverage Battletech rules wherever possible. For example, though the Group XP awarded in “Peace Comes to Procyon” is dependent upon the number of RAF Remnant ‘Mechs that were able to escape from the field, in the event that the scenario is cut short due to time constraints, an RAF Remnant ‘Mech reduced to a Walk MP of 2 due to critical damage to the legs, and with a Gyro hit, 7 hexes away from the map edge, with two turns remaining, should be deemed not to have been able to escape. Conversely, if that ‘Mech were largely undamaged, with rear armor remaining, a Walk MP of 6, and no 4th Liao Guards ‘Mechs with line of sight to its likely path of escape, it is reasonable for the GM to predict that ‘Mech would have escaped prior to the end of the scenario.
When referencing the above table, bear in mind that additional Optional Benefits such as Experimental ‘Mechs or other unique Optional Benefits may be available in the scenario. Specific types of BSP Assets or Strikes may also be limited by the scenario. Additionally, a specific Optional Benefit may only be taken once.
SPAs, or Special Pilot Abilities, and the points cost of each are described in Battletech: Campaign Operations. SPAs may be restricted by the GM, especially if they are anticipated to trivialize components of the scenario to be played.
Some scenarios may involve players taking control of Mechwarriors from the Capellan Warrior Houses or Capellan Naval forces. Equivalent ranks, as well as the common equivalent rank as compared to other Inner Sphere forces are listed in the table below.
Nominations & Awards
At the end of each scenario, in addition to determining and recording XP rewards for each player, the GM should poll the participating players for award nominations. Players may nominate each other for awards by providing a short description of the player’s actions which warrant the specific award, as detailed below. Photographic evidence of merit-worthy actions will also be helpful during the award ceremony, as well as notation if the award is posthumous in the case that the player’s unit was destroyed in the action.
After each Chapter of the campaign, the GM should hold an award ceremony wherein they remind the collective players of the nominations made throughout the Chapter. Players then vote for the most deserving recipient for each award. The vote winners then receive the awards on their records (and a physical token of some sort would also be nice) along with 5 bonus XP.
If there are no nominations for a given award, it may either be elided, or replaced with a second recipient for another award with many nominees.
Please note that in addition to the criteria listed for the awards below, the recipient should show a general spirit of Capellan duty and loyalty to the People of the Confederation and Greater Humanity as espoused in the Korvin Doctrine.
The Grand Cordon of Merit
This award was bestowed on those who had acted above and beyond the normal demands of duty in the defense of the Confederation. In campaign terms, the nominee should have contributed greatly to putting together or enacting a plan to achieve victory.
The Liao Sunburst of Gallantry
This award was a relatively common military decoration and was given to those who had demonstrated heroism under fire. In battle the nominee should have performed an impressive display of direct combat prowess (or luck) by defeating or destroying enemy units.
The Order of the Legion of Liao
To be eligible for membership in the Order of the Legion of Liao a potential recipient had to be nominated by either local nobility or a commanding officer for unique self-sacrifice in the defense of the Confederation. The nominee should have sacrificed themselves and their own glory for the mission or to save other players’ units.
If a player has received two awards previously and is nominated for a third, they may instead be eligible for a special award, at the GM’s discretion. This discretion, per the details of the award below, should include a “Maskirovka interview” to ensure that the player understands the tenets of Capellan political thought as outlined in the Sarna Mandate, Korvin Doctrine, and Lorix Order, though the player should of course be allowed a period to study the relevant documents to prepare for their interview. (Please bear in mind that this is in the interest of enjoyable roleplay for a fictional setting and is not intended to be onerous, upsetting, grueling, or in earnest!)
The Cluster of Conspicuous Heroism
To qualify for the Cluster of Conspicuous Heroism a warrior must have displayed extreme bravery under fire in aid of their comrades, and both the CCAF and Maskirovka conducted a background check to confirm that potential recipients are worthy.
Finally, at the end of the campaign, players should make nominations and vote for the player who showed the most dutiful loyalty to the Capellan Confederation to award with:
The Baton of Illustrious Service
The most prestigious of the military decorations available to those in the Capellan Confederation, the Baton of Illustrious Service was used to recognize those who have served the interests of House Liao, either under extreme risk or extreme hardship, and who had done so to an extent far beyond the normal call of duty.