Yesterday's Classic Battletech Game.and a review of Victory Comics

Well, I did promise to mention this...and frankly dear reader, I should have written this sooner. The game was held at a relatively new establishment called Victory Comics. Do not let the name fool you, it's planning to do more, a lot more.

The location is about 1 1/2 to 2 miles from the East Falls Church Metro. The location's nice, parking isn't too bad, and the location itself is airy, well lit (extremely so much to our very happy surprise). The owner is a nice, no drama guy who trusts his staff and the staff is knowledgeable and one even sat down and gamed with us for a short time.

I am planning on holding a DC Gamer's meeting there either the 17th or the 24th of April and I'm thinking this will probably be a switch from the library. It's very close to the bus lines from the metro, and the store closes at 9, so getting out of there isn't going to cause very much in the way of drama. Snacks and soda are sold for VERY reasonable rates on site and there are a few very good places to eat, Elevation Burger being one I highly recommend.

Selection of hobby materials is limited, for now, but the store owner and staff both told me that they do plan to get more stock in, depending on what people play. In short, I rather like this place, and I do plan to return as often as I can manage to get out there. The place has something FOR everybody.

Anyway, here's the address and POC information:

Victory Comics
586 S. Washington Street
Falls Church, VA
(703)241-9393
Ask for Jeff, he's the Big Kahuna there and a really nice guy.

Here are some pics of the gaming area to give you an idea of just how nice this place is.





As for the Battletech game, well it was a surrounded Jade Falcon unit being set upon by some Wobbies. Things went bad for the Falcons the first couple of turns. We had our Ryoken hit by a 'Mech taser...not fun, and our Stone Rhino taking a Heavy PPC to the head, hell of a way to get one's portrait taken, eh! And we had a Night Gyr down with an Engine and a Gyro hit. Well, things turned around, first, Blackstone nailed one of the offending bad guys with a series of AC/20 rounds from a Hunchback IIC...Hunchbacks in the city...never fun to deal with. And Blackstone proved why..He had two AC/20 carriers (the Hunchback and a Executioner), a Star of Elementals, and 4 Tyr Hovers. The Manei Dominei we found out, for all of their C3 advantage, which is not a good thing to begin with, don't do well in cities. And Blackstone is an artist with light units.

As for me, after losing the Stone Rhino, and facing down 2 100 tonners (An Archangel piloted by Beirith himself) and a Titan II, and a Raptor II. I collapsed the position as best as I could. I was under pressure on the other flank where I was using the left hand lower corner of the woodland map with the wooded hills as best as I could, but even with the cover I had, the shots were telling. But, the Clanners rallied and killed a Wraith the old fashioned way by coring a torso. We also crippled the Raptor II by the time we called the game. All agreed, as much as the Wobbies had lost two lighter 'Mechs to our one (An assault), neither side could claim a win. Yeah, we were shot up, I had engine hits GALORE, but the Wobbies were sporting a lot of 'Mechs with head hits and had taken a lot of missile fire from Elementals.

I learned a few things yesterday:

1. ECM is vital when going Wobbie hunting, don't leave home without it.

2. Faster Wobbies need to die first, they're going to spot for the C3 network and then you get the missile/PPC/VPL/god knows what at close range.

3. Wobbies have a tough time in close terrain, they're faster, but they don't pack JJs as much in the heavier designs, I know, they're Omnis..but take a look in the 3075 TRO sometime. They're very tight designs for the tonnage because all the bennies that make them hard to kill are very, very bulky. More often than not, you'll have the firepower advantage. Lesson to Wobbie players? Don't go ANYWHERE alone, just like the horror movies.

4. Wobbies die like everyone else in cities, and Elementals, like cats, may have most people believing they work well alone, but they work better in pairs..and SRM-20 on Wobbie 'Mechs that don't for some reason, usually pack AMS? Yeah, Clan players STILL have options.

These were hard won lessons, and I expect to learn more as I play them..but the number one thing, they're tougher to kill than any 'Mech you'll ever face. Big guns are a must shooting Wobbies..even the light ones..Pulses are also good party favors.