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Well, with Steel Core gone, I restarted with Steel Knights. Still not having a lot of luck, but I am hanging in there and at least achieving draws. Two battles completed, two draws. In both cases not exactly sure why the enemy didn't just plow me under. Still, I'm having a lot of fun, and that is all that matters.

Campaign 1
6 Missions
Terran Maps

Mission 1
Huge Map
18% River 18% Woods 15% Hills
Fog of War ON

Human Team (Rookie Skill)
Gabriella/Club (Recon) (L)
Conrad/Banzai (Recon)
O'ren/Rapier (Recon)
Doria/Porcupine (Recon)
160t

Opposing Team (Green Skill)
Electra/Raptor (Light) (L)
Mr. D/Attila (Light)
Tiger 1/Guillotine (Light)
210t

Results:
362 Conrad Safely Ejects from Banzai after losing RT and LL, Titan Disabled
386 Doria Safely Ejects from Porcupine after losing LL
390 Mr D Ejected from Attila, most likely due to low internals on CT and LOT
390 Draw offered and accepted

Notes:
The Guillotine never entered into combat. Add in the fact that I only targetted the Attila, that means that if a Draw had not been offered I would have been facing two undamaged Lights vs two undamaged Recons.

Money
$038007 Starting Funds
+$000000 Salvage
+$000000 Bounty
+$150000 Payment
-------
$288007 Subtotal
-$024938 Upkeep
-$069783 Repairs
-------
$093286 Ending Funds

Mission 2
Medium Map
21% River 17% Woods 24% Hills

Human Team (Rookie Skill)
Gabriella/Club (Recon) (L)
Conrad/Banzai (Recon)
O'ren/Rapier (Recon)
Doria/Porcupine (Recon)
160t

Opposing Team (Rookie Skill)
Killer/Shadow (Recon)
Basher/Pack Hunter (Recon)
Alphonso/Fireball (Recon)
Lady/Savage (Light) (L)
Hunter/Swift Death (Recon)
230t

Results:
202 Hunter on Swift Death Titan Disabled LT RL Destroyed
263 Killer Ejects from Shadow, misses his Eject roll, and dies.
300 With the CT nearly destroyed, Doria Ejects from Porcupine, losing 19 HPs.
328 Before she can Eject, O'ren dies when the Rapier's head is ripped off.
328 A Draw is offered, and accepted.

Notes:
I have no idea why the enemy offered me a draw here. I had an untouched Club and a Banzai missing its RT vs. a untouched Fireball, a Savage that had breached armour, and a lightly damaged Pack Hunter. Also, yet again, an enemy Titan, the Fireball, lagged so far behind its team mates it never got into the battle. Just as well, I hate fighting flamethrower Titans.

Money
$093286 Starting Funds
+$000000 Salvage
+$012000 Bounty
+$125000 Payment
_______
$240286
-$022093 Upkeep
-$086416 Repairs
-$025000 New Hire
-------
$096777 Ending Funds

Next two battles t'morrow. Gotta get some sleep.
Wish there was a more structured random mission structure, sort of like Mechwarrior 4 Mercenaries...

I would avoid getting a fourth jock so early on. I prefer having the Leader rise up a few ranks first for the extra recruit stat bonus

Well, if things keep going the way they are going I'll get plenty of chances to use my leadership bonus. Two casualties in four games, bleh. On the bright side, I've managed to level 2 of my Jocks to green now, and salvage a Guru. Of course it cost me a Porcupine to do that, and the Jock that was riding in it when it blew the hell up.
Here is the AAR of the last two battles, both victories this time:

Mission 3
Small Map
14% River 31% Woods 20% Hills

Human Team (Rookie Skill)
Gabriella/Club (Recon) (L)
Conrad/Banzai (Recon)
Ginger/Rapier (Recon)
Doria/Porcupine (Recon)
160t

Opposing Team (Rookie Skill)
Birdy/Club (Recon) (L)
Queen/Dart (Recon)
Ares/Penetrator (Light)
150t

Results:
189 Conrad gets his first kill, taking out Queen's Dart by destroying the RT and the Engine. No explosion, thank goodness.
316 Gabriella gets her first kill by ripping off the head of Ares' Penetrator. One enemy Titan left, and all four of mine are still standing.
326 Conrad disables the LoT of Birdy's Club. This game is mine. Now to get a few scans in before disabling it.
331 Or not. Birdy Ejects, and Steel Knights have their first victory! Plus, Conrad is promoted to Green Rank!

Notes:
Again, the enemy arrived piecmeal. This allowed me to swarm the Dart 4 on 1 and disable it in about 30 seconds of combined barrage. The Club and Penetrator arrived shortly thereafter, and I pounced on them two on 1. Came out with light damage, outside of Conrad. This marks his 3rd battle he has lost the RT on the Banzai...
My first victory, woot.

Money:
$096777 Starting Funds
+$058404 Salvage
+$012000 Bounty
+$125000 Payment
-------
$292181 Subtotal
-$029050 Upkeep
-$062091 Repairs
-------
$201040 Ending Funds

Mission 4
Medium Map
28% River 20% Woods 31% Hills

Human Team (Rookie Skill)
Gabriella/Club (Recon) (L)
Conrad/Banzai (Recon)
Ginger/Rapier (Recon)
Doria/Porcupine (Recon)
160t

Opposing Team (Rookie Skill)
The Nun/Guru (Recon)
Wild Bill/Lancer (Recon)
Raptor/Thorn (Recon) (L)
Hank/Pike (Recon)
160t

Results:
203 With the Banzai's HD armour gone, Conrad Ejects from the Banzai, and severely screws up the Eject roll, losing 68 HPs.
219 Raptor on Thorn loses his LT and falls. The fall damages the RT, detonating ammo. The resulting ammo explosion takes out the RT and CT. It is not disabled, but it can be safely ignored.
253 Wild Bill fails a Piloting Skill roll to stand. The fall disables the LoT. With the RA and LT also disabled, this Titan can be safely ignored as well. Only a Guru and a Pike left. Ginger and Doria have already started to pound on the Guru, Gabriella will go after the Pike.
261 Disaster. The Guru Teslas the Porcupines's CT, destroying it, and causing an engine explosion. Doria is dead.
262 In the aftermath of the explosion, a draw is offered. Angered by the loss of my Jock, I refuse.
279 Apparantly being at ground zero of an engine explosion was too much for the Guru. The Nun ejects. Only the Pike is left to face my Rapier and Club. The Rapier is battered and overheated, so the Club will have to do much of the work.
294 Wild Bill ejects from the disabled Lancer.
403 The Pike's LL gets ripped off, tumbling it to the ground for the last time. This game is all over but the shouting.
403 Sure enough, Victory is mine. As an added bonus, I manage to salvage the Guru that killed Doria and destroyed her Titan. Also Gabriella is promoted to Green rank, moving the entire squad up to Green Rank.

Notes:
This time the enemy stuck together, which made for a much tougher fight. On the bright side, Conrad did not lose his Titan's RT this time, mostly because he took a severe beating to the HD armor first. One oddity, once the Guru ejected, the Pike seemed to give up. I got punched only once more, after that the Pike made no more attacks, nor did it try to move. It still took me quite some time to disable it, mostly because the Rapier was tore up from the engine explosion, and the Club had taken some nasty Head hits, dropping Gabriella's health dangerously low. Definitely a bittersweet victory. On one hand, the Guru is a better Titan than the Porcupine. On the other, I would have much rather not have lost the Jock to replace it... This is the Steel Knight's second casualty in just 4 games. A trend that I sincerely hope will not continue.

Money:
$201040 Starting Funds
+$009851 Salvage
+$000000 Bounty
+$125000 Payment
-------
$335891
-$027498 Upkeep
-$025000 New Hire
-$088320 Repairs
-------
$195073 Ending Funds

The only problem is that a Guru takes both Cannons, Energy Weapons and a side of Close Combat to live up to its potential, while the Porcupine is pretty much a straight Unguided Missile AT with a dash of HtH as necessary. It seems kind of early for any of your jocks to have optimized all of those skills.

Actually, a good Energy skill is all that is required. MG's have a +% to hit, so that skill can bbe fairly low and still get by. My problem with the Porcupine is that it is a support Titan. It tends to sandpaper armor off a Titan instead of punching through. Nothing wrong with that, it is just at this moment, I need the punch of a Tesla more than the spread damage of multiple SRM's.

You actually use the Guru's machine guns?

You got to use something while waiting for the TB to recharge... Fists and MGs don't make a bad combination since any rookie jock is going to need to close to an enemy's hex to have much luck with the TB.