[OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] THE BEGINNING OF THE END......

FREIE HANSESTADT Khan Scott gasped in the heat and silenced the alarm BREMEN again. This time he also overrode the automatic shutdown HANSEATIC LEAGUE system. Now is not the time to power down and cool off, he 12 OCTOBER 3140 thought. He toggled the comm to address the Elementals clinging to his OmniMech’s chest. “Star Captain Luko, deploy,” Magon Scott, Khan of Clan Goliath Scorpion, pulled back he said, voice reduced to a croak in the superheated air of on the controls. His Warhawk lurched to a stop. He lined up the cockpit. his targeting reticle on an enemy Banshee. Bracing himself Without acknowledging, the Point of Elementals dropped for the wash of heat, he triggered all four of his extended from their perches and landed on cushions of flame from range PPCs. Coruscating bolts, crackling like blue lightning their jump jets. They triggered a salvo of SRMs from the bulky in the smoke-filled air of Bremen, crossed the distance in packs mounted on their shoulders. Craters bloomed on the an instant. Bright traces burned themselves into his vision head and torso of the Banshee. It reeled and fell backwards. for an instant, and began to fade almost as quickly. One of Khan Scott’s seismic sensors registered the quaking of the his PPCs connected, flash-melting armor from the enemy BattleMech’s fall. ’Mech’s thick slab of torso armor. The other three struck The Elementals triggered their jump jets again, bounding the wall the Banshee stood behind. Armor plating slagged in ninety-meter leaps toward the cleared area of the wall. and dripped to the ferrocrete pavement, while the original Four more Points of Elementals, from the other ’Mechs in decorative bricks beneath the improvised armor exploded the Command Star of Scorpion Keshik, leaped over the wall outward due to catastrophic thermal expansion. The red along with Star Captain Luko. dust and debris made the city appear to be bleeding from Khan Scott allowed another grim smile to form on his wounds that surely would prove mortal. exhausted features. And so the end begins. Capturing the Waste heat flooded his cockpit. He sweated out the Council of Merchants will finally bring this war to an end. The worst of it, refused to heed the overheat alert blaring from Warhawk rocked under weapons fire from the right. Reverie his control panel. A slap silenced the alarm. Heat sinks interrupted, he pivoted and twisted his torso to identify the vented as much heat as they could before he threw his new threat. OmniMech back to full throttle. Swaying backward in his An ancient, armless Stalker fired another fusillade of seat from the sudden acceleration, Scott endured another missiles as the Scorpion Khan fought in vain to steady his burst of heat. Return fire from the Banshee’s pair of PPCs crosshairs on the Hansa ’Mech. Soon this will all be over, he ionized the air as they crackled through the space Khan told himself, squeezing the trigger yet again. Scott had just vacated. Scott grinned despite the sudden swelter. Then the Banshee’s class-10 autocannon thundered. Explosive shells stitched a pattern across the Warhawk’s legs. The mighty OmniMech tottered and stumbled. The Scorpion khan wrestled the controls as the gyro screamed within the torso below him. He righted the list and continued onward, cursing, “Stravag Hansa!” Three months had passed in the war for the Hanseatic League’s capital. But today will mark the turning point, he thought. Scott centered his crosshairs once more on the Banshee, just below its death’s-head cockpit. The leering skull mocked the invading Goliath Scorpion war- riors, belittled their efforts to pacify the world. Three Regional Defense Forces had stalled four Scorpion Gal- axies, plus the ad hoc galaxy culled from the Clan’s planetary garrison clusters. Fighting to hold the reticle still, as it wavered due to overheating sensors, he triggered his PPCs again. Two of them connected this time, carving channels through ablative armor. A sudden burst of red glowed at the heart of one of the new rents in the enemy ’Mech. Khan Scott smiled, knowing he had damaged the shielding of the Banshee’s fusion engine. More gouts of faux bloodSample erupted from the sheltering wall as the other two file coruscating bolts errantly struck lower than intended.

1 [OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] INTRODUCTION......

elcome to the next in the series of Turning Points forces are provided only as a guideline, and players are campaign books, designed to give players the encouraged to use other forces at their option to attempt Wopportunity to fight in some of the landmark conflicts to rewrite history. This allows the players to pursue the of BattleTech’s tumultuous history. tracks with different forces as they desire. Players should The general information contained in the Atlas and feel free to balance the forces in each track as they see fit, Combatants sections gives players the tools needed to fight whether by battle value, tonnage, total number of units, or an infinite number of engagements in the Hanseatic Crusade, whatever else suits them. while the Tracks detail some of the more pivotal battles The Tracks section presents both Mission and Touchpoint between the Escorpión Imperio and the Hanseatic League. tracks set during the events listed. A general guideline for The Tracks section can also be used with stand-alone games how to begin fighting the historical campaign is included in set in the 3140 time frame. How to Use This Campaign. Each Mission track is reusable, The Atlas section presents a global overview and some and the Touchpoints cover several key battles that occurred quick facts about several important worlds visited in this during the campaign. For those playing the campaign, campaign. Included in this section are terrain tables broken events in each Mission or Touchpoint lead into the next, into various categories. These tables can be used as a random with damage carrying over. Players wishing to incorporate means to determine the maps used in the tracks or simply these tracks into their Chaos Campaign campaigns should as a guide to the types of terrain found on the worlds. This use the Warchest Points (WP) listed in the brackets. Optional section also contains a list of various additional terrain types, points are awarded only if the group achieves at least one environments, and other rules that can be used to enhance Objective while using the listed option. Objective points are the gameplay experience. All players should agree whether cumulative as they are achieved, unless otherwise noted. to use any or all of these features before play begins. The Annex section contains official Record Sheets for The Combatants section details the units that several new BattleMechs that took part in the Hanseatic participated in the conflict and can be used by players who Crusade: Snow Fox (Omni), Cazador, Surtur, Rhino, wish to add authenticity to their games. However, these and Tolva.

CREDITS...... Project Development: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift Special Thanks: Thanks to Ray for clearing the way to allow me BattleTech Line Developer: Ray Arrastia to focus on the Scorpion Empire and Hanseatic League. This is Writing: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift one of a suite of products intended to be mutually supportive in BattleTech Line Editor: Aaron Cahall advancing the story of this region of the Deep Periphery. I hope Editing: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift you enjoy reading this OTP as much as I enjoyed crafting it. Production Staff For more information about the nations covered in this OTP Cover Design and Map: Ray Arrastia, David Kerber and the peoples who have lived and died there, please see: Layout and New Artwork: David Kerber Handbook: Major Periphery States (HBMPS), Field Report: Periph- Record Sheets: Johannes Heidler, David Nawton ery (FRP), Objectives: Periphery (ObjP), and The Wars of Reaving Supplemental (WRS). Factchecking/Playtesting: Matthew Alexander, Ray Arrastia, Stephan Frabartolo, Joshua Franklin, William ©2020 The Topps Company Inc. All rights Reserved. Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade, Gauthier, Keith Hann, Johannes Heidler, Mike Miller, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech, and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks Elliotte Want, and Chris Wheeler. of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC.

STARSample LEAGUE SUCCESSION WARS CLAN INVASION CIVIL WAR JIHAD DARKfile AGE ILCLAN ®

2 [OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] ATLAS......

KÖNIGSBERG LÜBECK Star Type (Recharge Time): G4V (185 hours) Star Type (Recharge Time): G6V (187 hours) Position in System: 4 Position in System: 5 Time to Jump Point: 7.96 days Time to Jump Point: 7.01 days Number of Satellites: 3 (Ottokar, Margravia, Albertina) Number of Satellites: 1 (Holstein) Surface Gravity: 1.03 Surface Gravity: 0.97 Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable) Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable) Equatorial Temperature: 25°C (Tropical) Equatorial Temperature: 26°C (Humid) Surface Water: 53 percent Surface Water: 47 percent Recharging Station: None Recharging Station: None HPG Class Type: None HPG Class Type: None Highest Native Life: Reptiles Highest Native Life: Fish Population: 39,468,000 (3140) Population: 61,200,000 (3140) Socio-Industrial Levels: C-B-C-B-B Socio-Industrial Levels: B-C-C-B-C

Königsberg is a fairly unremarkable world. The capital of Lübeck is one of the most developed worlds in the Hanseatic Brussels is heavily industrialized, while various mercantile League, and as one of the nation’s three “open” worlds, it has long interests fill the world’s five continents. These operations run been familiar to traders and tourists. Impressive mineralogical the gamut from manufacturing to mining to ore processing to resources, including germanium and silicon, make the world a agriculture. manufacturing hub. Lübeck has long been home to numerous powerful trading families, many of whom hold seats on the Council of Merchants. The Lübeck Military Academy was TOMALOV founded in 3116, enhancing the world’s profile. Many refer to Star Type (Recharge Time): G3V (184 hours) Lübeck as the League’s Second World, Bremen being the first. Position in System: 3 Time to Jump Point: 8.53 days Number of Satellites: None BRAUNSCHWEIG Surface Gravity: 1.11 Star Type (Recharge Time): G5V (186 hours) Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable) Position in System: 3 Equatorial Temperature: 30°C (Tropical) Time to Jump Point: 7.47 days Surface Water: 65 percent Number of Satellites: 1 (Wolf) Recharging Station: None Surface Gravity: 1.00 HPG Class Type: None Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable) Highest Native Life: Mammals Equatorial Temperature: 31°C (Tropical) Population: 41,300,000 (3140) Surface Water: 51 percent Socio-Industrial Levels: C-C-C-C-A Recharging Station: None HPG Class Type: None Tomalov is one of the breadbasket worlds of the Hanseatic Highest Native Life: Mammals League. Enormous agricultural concerns operate vast tracts on Population: 35,750,000 (3140) the world’s twelve small continents. The lack of axial tilt and Socio-Industrial Levels: B-C-B-B-C absence of any natural satellites ensure calm weather conditions, allowing crops to grow year-round. The continent of Tremonia Braunschweig is home to one of the League’s three military houses the largest population, including the capital city, Boruss. manufacturing centers, the others being on Antwerp and Falsterbo. The Lüneburg Vehicle Corporation is isolated in the city of Lüneburg where it is located. The factory, built at the turn of the century, is protected by a no-fly zone and heavy orbital patrols. Products include Zeus, Awesome, and Thunderbolt BattleMechs, and Demolisher tanks. Rumors persist that former Word of Blake scientists and engineers constructed the facility as part of a refuge pact with the Council of Merchants. The capital, Lockport, is home to the world’s primary spaceport and the world’s governing merchant council. Wildlife is hostile and profound. Strange semi-animal tree anemones and terrifying Samplepredatory beasts populate the wilderness.file

3 [OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] ATLAS......

FALSTERBO MAPSHEETS Star Type (Recharge Time): K3V (194 hours) The following tables represent the categories of terrain that Position in System: 4 can be found on the battlefields of the Hanseatic Crusade. Time to Jump Point: 4.62 days Players using mapsheets may either select a map from the Number of Satellites: None (Ring System) appropriate table or randomly determine which map to use, Surface Gravity: 1.09 unless otherwise specified. Note also that the various MapPacks Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable) may be used to alter the terrain of individual mapsheets as players Equatorial Temperature: 12°C (Cold) deem appropriate. MS = Map Set, MSC = Map Set Compilation, Surface Water: 23 percent BT = Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set. Players using terrain Recharging Station: None should use the Terrain Table as a guideline for setting up terrain HPG Class Type: None appropriate to the world their battle is taking place on. Note Highest Native Life: Fish for Alpha Strike players: Some tracks note distances in hexes. Population: 6,045,000 (3140) Multiply hexes by 2 to get inches. Convert to centimeters by Socio-Industrial Levels: B-C-B-B-D multiplying the number of inches by 2.5 (see p. 24, Alpha Strike: Commander’s Edition). An icy world far from its parent star, Falsterbo houses the nation’s third military manufacturing center. Products include Thrush aerospace fighters; Overlord DropShips; Inner Sphere TERRAIN TABLES Standard, Infiltrator, and Purifier battlesuits (the latter two in BREMEN, BRAUNSCHWEIG, LÜBECK, KÖNIGSBERG limited quantities); and UrbanMech and Banshee BattleMechs. Note: See below for Special Rules for individual worlds. Security is enhanced by the small population and distance from 2D6 Result Map the nation’s borders. The HDF Manufacturing factory complex is known only to the Council of Merchants and the planetary 2 CityTech (MS2, MSC1) populace. The local militia was outfitted with brand new 3 City (Hills/Residential) #2 (MS3, MSC1) BattleMechs from the factory, as were the mercenaries hired to 4 Military Base #1 (MS7) protect the installation. 5 Drop Port #1 (MS7) 6 City (Residential) (MS6, MSC2) 7 City Street Grid/Park #2 (MS4, MSC1) BREMEN 8 City (Suburbs) (MS6, MSC2) Star Type (Recharge Time): G3V (184 hours) 9 Drop Port #2 (MS7) Position in System: 4 Time to Jump Point: 8.53 days TERRRAIN URBNAN 10 Military Base #2 (MS7) Number of Satellites: 1 (Bremerhaven) 11 City (Downtown) (MS6, MSC2) Surface Gravity: 1.09 12 City Street Grid/Park #1 (MS4, MSC1) Atmospheric Pressure: Standard (Breathable) Equatorial Temperature: 28°C (Temperate) TOMALOV Surface Water: 70 percent Note: See below for Special Rules. Recharging Station: None 1D6 Result Map HPG Class Type: None 1 City (Suburbs) (MS6, MSC2) Highest Native Life: Avian 2 Rolling Hills #1 (MS3, MSC1) Population: 172,800,000 (3140) 3 Open Terrain #2 (MS5, MSC1) Socio-Industrial Levels: C-C-D-C-B 4 Open Terrain #1 (MS5, MSC1)

WILDERNESS 5 Rolling Hills #2 (MS3, MSC1) Bremen is the capital of the Hanseatic League. The Council of Merchants headquarters is in the capital, Freie Hansestadt, 6 Scattered Woods (MS2, MSC1) on the heavily-urbanized continent Hansa. The continent Kreuznach is fully agrarian, and Weser is a natural haven used for FALSTERBO recreation by the world’s wealthiest merchants. Note: See below for Special Rules. 1D6 Result Map 1 City (Suburbs) (MS6, MSC 2) 2 CityTech (MS2, MSC 1) 3 Moonscape #1 (MS5, MSC 1)

ARCTIC 4 Large Lakes #1 (MS4, MSC 1) 5 Moonscape #2 (MS5, MSC 1) Sample6 BattleTechfile (MS2, MSC 1)

4 [OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] ATLAS......

OPTIONAL RULES If all players agree, the following particular effects may be Terrain Conditions used to add specific aspects to the battles played out on various Bug Storm (Tomalov) (see p. 38, TO:AR) worlds of the Hanseatic League. Deep Snow (Falsterbo) (see p. 39, TO:AR) Ice (Falsterbo) (see p. 48, TO:AR) Base Terrain Types Thin Snow (Falsterbo) (see p. 50, TO:AR) Heavy Industrial Zone (Braunschweig, Falsterbo, Lübeck) (see p. 29, TO:AR) Weather Conditions Moonless Night (Tomalov) (see p. 56, TO:AR) Terrain Modifications Snow, any type (Falsterbo) (see p. 58, TO:AR) Black Ice (Falsterbo) (see p. 38, TO:AR) Planted Fields (Tomalov) (see p. 36, TO:AR) Sheer Cliffs (Braunschweig) (see p. 37, TO:AR)

Sample file

5 [OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: HANSEATIC CRUSADE] RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLE......

RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLE: HANSEATIC CRUSADE, 3140-3141 The Random Assignment Tables are meant to be used by players wishing to determine their forces randomly, or help them determine the likely equipment used by each side during the campaign. Players are not required to use these tables, especially when using player group units. To assign random pilot skills, see the appropriate tables in Total Warfare (see p. 273, TW).

ESCORPIÓN IMPERIO

2D6 Alpha Galaxy Hellion Galaxy Tau Galaxy Mu Galaxy 2 Kingfisher [90] Viper [40] Stormcrow [55] Turkina [95] 3 Dire Wolf [100] Kit Fox [30] Ebon Jaguar [65] Warhawk [85] 4 Ice Ferret [45] Stormcrow [55] Rhino [50] Ebon Jaguar [65] 5 Night Gyr [75] Ice Ferret [45] Fire Scorpion [65] Stormcrow [55] 6 Adder [35] Tolva [40] Nova [50] Battle Cobra [40] 7 Hellbringer [65] Hellion [30] Snow Fox (Omni) [20] Adder [35] 8 Summoner [70] Snow Fox (Omni) [20] Hellbringer [65] Ice Ferret [45]

BATTLEMECHS 9 Mad Dog [60] Cazador [35] Timber Wolf [75] Mad Dog [60] 10 Nova [50] Great Wyrm [45] Pouncer [40] Timber Wolf [75] 11 Timber Wolf [75] Incubus [30] Summoner [70] Thunder Stallion [85] 12 Warhawk [85] Phantom [40] Thunder Stallion [85] Executioner [95]

2D6 Seeker Galaxy Omega Galaxy PGCs/Grunt Galaxy Escorpión Imperio 2 CRB-27b Crab [50] Naga [80] Horned Owl [35] Alacorn Heavy Tank [95] 3 BL-6b-KNT Black Knight [75] Bowman [70] Shadow Hawk IIC [45] Ishtar Heavy Fire Support Tank [65] 4 Mist Lynx [25] Rhino [50] Griffin IIC [40] Donar Assault Helicopter [21] 5 Hellbringer [65] Glass Spider 2 [60] Hunchback IIC [50] Tyr Infantry Support Tank [45] 6 Timber Wolf [75] Cazador [35] Tolva [40] Hephaestus Scout Tank [35] 7 Ice Ferret [45] Horned Owl [35] Cazador [35] Epona Pursuit Tank [50]

8 Nova [50] Rifleman IIC [65] Conjurer [50] VEHICLES Bellona Hover Tank [45]

BATTLEMECHS 9 Kit Fox [30] Tolva [40] Great Wyrm [45] Balac Strike VTOL [25] 10 FLS-8K Flashman [75] Bane 2 [100] Piranha [25] Zephyr Hovertank [40] 11 KGC-000b King Crab [100] Black Python [75] Jenner IIC [35] Athena Combat Vehicle [75] 12 MON-66b Mongoose [25] Stone Rhino 2 [100] Kodiak [100] Mars Assault Vehicle [100]

2D6 Escorpión Imperio 1D6 Escorpión Imperio Escorpión Imperio 2 Xerxes [85] 1 Afreet [1000] Broadsword 3 Turk [50] 2 Undine (Upgrade) [1000] Confederate 4 Visigoth [60] 3 Elemental [1000] Overlord-C 5 Bashkir [20] 4 Elemental [1000] Union-C 6 Batu [40] 5 Gnome [1500] Sassanid 7 Sulla [45] 6 Corona [1500] Carrier 8 Avar [35] DROPSHIPS AEROSPACE 9 Jagatai [70] BATTLE ARMOR BATTLE 10 Sabutai [75] 11 Ammon [65] Sample12 Hydaspes [95] file

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