Proud Bull Rising Part 5

2824

With seven colonies now established and growing, construction is started on new production plants to build the Crosscut and Dig King Industrial Mechs in the Sterope and Grossbach Systems. The lines on Sterope are planned go live in 2826 and the lines on Grossbach in 2827. Both plants will continue to expand until each has four production lines of each of the two industrial mechs. In addition to helping growth on Taurian worlds and new colonies, it is planned to have a steady number to be exported to the Outworlds Alliance, the Magistracy of Canopus, and the various independent worlds in the area.

With the agriculture sector booming within Taurian space, a number of inner sphere traders start to appear for runs between Concordate worlds and highly populated Inner Sphere worlds. In return these traders bring manufactured goods and specialist equipment such as electronics to the Concordat in exchange. Davion, Liao, and even Marik traders become a more common sight over time. While these outsiders are viewed with caution and suspicion, the Concordat does not pass up the opportunities this represents.

A number of former engineers from Lycomb-Davion IntroTech's Demeter plant, which had been largely destroyed by Capellan forces in the First Succession War, approach the Taurian Ministry of Trade and Colonization about immigrating and starting up a new company to build various electronic equipment. After a few months of negotiation, approval and government backed loans are given to the new company, Taurian Technologies Limited, to begin construction of manufacturing plants on the world of New Vandenburg.

The Taurian Ministry of Intelligence slips a small team into the Capellan Confederacy using the agent that they had turned. This contact helps provide them with covers and new backgrounds as they travel to Capella System. Here they manage to get hired on at the Rashpur-Owens Incorporated shipyard. The agents do nothing the first several years at the plant other than merely becoming seen as skilled and valuable workers at the shipyard. Two are parts of teams working on the actual assembly of jumpship parts, one works on the line producing the drive systems, while the last works in the main office complex.

2825

A farmer on the Taurian world of Celano, one of the new colonies, discovers the remains of a Star League storehouse which among various equipment, weapons, and vehicles, contains a number of Maultier Hover APC's. These are deemed easiest to reproduce and by 2827 are in production at the Taurus Territorial Systems plant on Sterope. Numerous LosTech infantry laser rifles are found as well which are found to be able to be reproduced. Facilities to produce these are made at the TTI factories on Taurus and the Vandenburg Mechanized Industries (VMI) factories on New Vandenburg.

The Quikcell plant on New Vandenburg begin to build lines for the construction of the Scorpion Light Tank. This vehicle, while fairly new, is proving to be quite popular especially with militias due to its easy of maintainance and its low price compared to other options. By 2829 Quikcell will have five total lines constructing this vehicle. Sales are brisk for runs of the tank with the TDF militia units, mercenaries, the Magistracy of Canopus, and the Outworlds Alliance all being customers.

The Taurian Ministry of Education receives extra funding to begin building up the schools on the new colony worlds and reclaimed worlds. One of the issues found are that many of the refugees from the Inner Sphere worlds who had fled to the Periphery worlds had widely varied education as well as a high percent of under educated youth due to the upheaval of the Succession War. In addition to new schools, programs for adult education opportunities are also pursued which greatly opens the possibilities of these immigrants and further binds them to the Concordat as a whole.

Proud Bull Rising Part 4

2822

The Protector and her representatives works out a deal with Quikcell company using the safe location of a new plant within the Concordat away from the battles between the Inner Sphere major houses as well as the numerous periphery customers as incentives. The Quikcell Company begins construction of a large manufacturing facility in the New Vandenburg System. LRM and SRM Carriers, Hetzers, and Pegasus Scout Hover Tanks each get a pair of production lined in the initial contruction of the facility. Production is planned to begin for all four in 2825. The high level of patriotism and the pride that the average Taurian citizen holds for the military is projected to prevent much of the poor quality control that is associated with most Quikcell plants. Half of all production from the plant is slated for export to the Outworlds Alliance and various mercenary groups.

On the world of Hanseta, one of the engineer/survey forces make a discovery. A crashed Colossus-class dropship from the Reunification War is found down in a valley mostly covered with forest undergrowth. Almost three lances of mechs were able to be recovered including a Mongoose, several Crabs, a few Kintaros, and the two biggest prizes, a Flashman and a Black Knight. Two companies worth of vehicles were also recovered consisting of a few each of Marksman artillery tanks and Alacorn heavy tanks, but most of the vehicles are Galleon light tanks. This material is used to assist in the rebuilding of the units decimated in the war with the Canopians.

Three uncontracted mercenary units are signed to assist in dealing with pirate raids and attacks along the Concordat borders. The Cardinal Sins, a medium weight mech regiment, the Black Band Legion, a heavy weight mech regiment, and the Blackhearts, a medium weight mech regiment. The Blackhearts with their former SLDF Special Forces background make them especially adept at pirate hunting patrols. In addition to garrison and anti-pirate duties, the units are also used to train the local militia forces.

2823

With the drop off in refugees finally being seen, Taurian officials begin to quietly visit Federated Suns Outback worlds located near the Concordat border. These officials are able to take advantage of the fact that these Outback worlds are largely ignored and not invested in by the Davions who are forced to focus more on their industrialized coreward worlds after the destruction of the First Succession War. They are able to recruit disgruntled and struggling, yet hard working, families and individuals from these worlds to immigrate to the new Taurian colonies. With their focus on their interior and border worlds rather than the Outback regions, the Federated Suns do not notice these events for some years.

Using loans backed by the Taurian Ministry of Trade and Colonization, Taurus Majoris Mining begins construction on a new major facility in the Sterope System. The new production complex is expected to be opened by 2825 and producing armor for defense industries by 2826. Much of the product produced by TMM from the asteroid belt will be used on Sterope by the TTI and SDI facilities. The normalization of relations with the Canopians leads to an increase of trade back to levels seen before the Taurian-Canopian War.

The Lazy Eights, a medium weight mercenary battalion, are hired out of Davion service where they had been used for garrison duty throughout the First Succession War. At roughly half strength operationally, the TDF deployed them to Sterope to defend the factory complex there as well as act as a training force for the local militia. As part of their pay for the first several years, the unit is given discounted rates to purchase replacement mechs from the TTI lines they are protecting.

The King's Wild Cards finish rebuilding their 2nd Battalion which is then deployed to the Gangtok System. They renew their contract and continue to receive discounted rates on purchasing replacement mechs from Taurian factories. Their duties continue to include both garrison and militia training. Two lances worth of Cyrano VTOLs are added to the King's Wild Cards' TOE to give them even more flexibility.

That's all for this installment and I'll see you next time!

Still Raising Another Eridani Light Horse Regiment

So after the first two test models from the previous post, I really didn't fully like the outcome I achieved. The Citadel Contrast Creed Camo came out looking like the algae build up in a dirty aquarium filter. This second pair of models I switched out the Creed Camo for Vallejo Russian Green. I also switched the Vallejo Flat Red for the deeper Vallejo Dark Red and the Vallejo Oiled Steel for Vallejo Game Color Metallic. The final change I made was Tamiya Flat Brown for the sides of the base instead of the Vallejo Woodgrain. For all of these paints, I used a new Army Painter Wet Palette instead of the trial homemade ones I used previously. I did the same basing and first layer coats as before. I also tried something new for me in a more intricate layer of detailing by edging the cockpit panels of the mechs.

All in all I am much happier with the results this time around. The following picture is a comparison shot showing from left to right a Zeus from my old ELH regiment, the first trial attempt for new ELH Thunderbolt, and then the new attempt for new ELH Catapult that has received a light Nuln Oil wash after the previous picture above. I can definitely see the improvements from my old ELH massively batch painted to minimum standards and my new results and I definitely like the Catapult's results over the Thunderbolt's though I now need to look into striping down the two Thunderbolts.

All in all I am pleased with how it's looking so far and I think I am happy with the final results of the Catapults. I think this will be the "final" color scheme though I'm open to ideas and suggestions before finally locking it down and starting up on going through the rest of the models I already have for the 151st Light Horse Regiment. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you all next time!

When Ghost Bears Maul

So this past Friday I managed to get back up to the Outpost for another game of classic Battletech with Cheef. I was fielding most of a star of my Clan Ghost Bear while he had some Draconis Combine troops. With the points cap I had 4 mechs to his 4 mechs with my fifth star member being stuck back at the dropship on guard duty. I fielded a Kingfisher (C variant), a Nova Cat (A variant), a Bearcub 2, and a Pirahna. He was fielding a Rifleman, a Dragon, a Cyclops, and a Hunchback.

This was definitely more of a balanced game than our previous outing as my dice were more normal in their rolls while his rolls actually were willing to score some hits this time. Seeing as that set of dice rolls normally when he's been playing with Frankie in Alpha Strike, I am starting to think they only work well when Frankie is there to use them. I tried to keep my deployment to one side of the map, especially since he started looping his Dragon the long way around the central city section we were fighting in. I ended up with the Pirahna looping behind the Dragon and spending several turns wearing it down while my other forces dealt with his other units.

The Bear Cub was the first to die but between its up close SRM and medium laser fire combined with the Nova Cat's ER Large Lasers, and the heavy fire from the Kingfisher, the Cyclops took a lot of damage and was in a rough way fairly early. In exchange for heavy damage to my Kingfisher, the Cyclops and Hunchback were both killed off on the same turn though some of this was I was lucky on a lot of my shots landing repeatedly in the same location.

In the late game my Kingfisher was getting close to dying from cockpit damage as the LBX AC-5s on the Rifleman kept landing at least one point of damage on the cockpit each time it shot. Indeed, the Kingfisher was down to just one point of armor on the cockpit at the end of the game. At this point I had the Pirahna use its speed to disengage from the Dragon and loop back around to harass the Rifleman with the Kingfisher while the Nova Cat dealt with the Dragon.

At this point the pilot of the Rifleman seems to be from the former Rasalhague region of the Draconis Combine because he was turning his mech into a walking sauna. It actually got to the point that the mech shutdown due to overheating which was a first for both of us in a game. Due to the number of heatsinks it was going to be 2 turns minimum before he could restart the Rifleman which was when Cheef called it a game. I'd have been able to finish off the Rifleman between the Kingfisher and the Pirahna while the Nova Cat held off the Dragon or teamed up the Kingfisher and Nova Cat to deal with the Dragon while the Pirahna kicked and machine gunned the downed Rifleman. So all in all it was a good outing for the clans and it was nice to finally get them back on the table after a long long time for them. It was a fun game as always and I'm looking forward to the next one.