DAY 45 - new mechwarriors join your team. Cyclops available.

You can fiddle around with light mech combinations for this mission, but I have never truly missed the sensor abilities of the Raven or even the Anubis here, and prefer to go with a heavy, fast mech with jets - the good Doctor, of course, a quite-nasty Lao Hu mod (see it in the Mech Bay). I put Longshot in it because she needs the piloting points to achieve Ace and get her Sharpshooter skill.

On Drop, head North to the Meeting Hall, and smack the Razorback who tries to get in your way. You'll receive a number of Primary and Secondary objectives. Your first target should be SecObA - the Sensor controls (or you can take them first, then return to the Meeting Hall).

Invite some Attack Choppers to a barbeque

Head back South then turn sharply to the East when you see the opening in the trees. You'll come out right in front of the forward turrets. Some Centipedes will try to obstruct you. Destroy them and take control of the turrets. Bearing right, run forward and grab the Sensor controls, which will trigger an assault by several Attack Choppers, LRM carriers and ground units. Your captured turrets come in handy here, as does that big, beautiful fuel tank. Take care of business, then capture the Repair Bay.

Now that you have sensors, life becomes much easier, at least on the East side of the river, as you watch the enemy units make their rounds. But since you are in good shape now, go West, young Mechwarrior! Behind the Repair Bay area, the river narrows to a neck just barely jumpable - you'll have to wade into the shadows to do it and fiddle around with landing spaces until you get an OK from the cursor.

You'll have to wade and fiddle to make the jump across

Then jump across, and head North along the shore to the bridge. Capture both sets of bridge turrets, West and East, to prevent any nosy groundhogs from coming to ruin your surprise party. You may run into the Hollander who comes from the Northeast to investigate.

Shhh! We're hunting wabbits uh huhuhuhuh!

Here's where the fun part of this mission begins. A little North and East of you is the lowest level of the mountain's defenses. Run towards the mountain, and as soon as you are in range, jump and capture the lower turret controls. But don't stop there! Jump again, up one level to the big power generator. You'll start getting sensor pings so look around carefully... if it's clear, jump up again, to Orbital Gun Beta. Then again, to the top turret installation.

Leapin' Lizards!!!

Somewhere during this process you'll find out what those sensor pings were announcing: a Hunchback on guard. By playing hopscotch between the levels here, you can keep the Hunchback running after you... and right into his own turrets! Ooh ho ho it's just so fun! When you're done playing with the unfortunate idiot, destroy the Orbital Gun. If you need to, hop across the river back to your Repair Bay, then return.

This Base has to go; it coveres your Extract Zone

Then head North towards the second installation on this side of the river. This one has a better defense force: A Hollander, a Fire Ant and a few Hetzers and LRMs. If you were in bad shape after the last sortie, you'd be wise to go across the river and heal up now. If you managed to finesse the hopscotch game with the Hunchback, you should take this Northern installation, which includes another Repair Bay to patch you up again. You need to do it anyway; this installation covers your Extract Zone.

Orbital Gun Gamma

North of this installation is a small land bridge across the water. Take it, and swing around to the East, behind the small hill, avoiding the turret fire and blowing away the Razorback that tries to stop you. Continue on your course and you'll come upon a highway bridge across to the Orbital Gun Gamma island. A pair of Attack Choppers will try to stop you. Fat chance. Kill them and the OG.

Your captured sensors come in handy, allowing you to see where the patrols on the East side of the river are. Wait for an opportune moment, then leapfrog islands until you hit the Eastern shore. Head up North to the SecOb C, the Relay Station and capture it. There are two autocannon turrets guarding it, and I've never found the generator or controls for them, so beware, and kill them or stay out of their range. During this operation, you may be accosted by some Scimitars, Hetzers or even a Razorback, all part of the circling patrols.

Once you've taken the Relay Station, slip into the woods North of your position and head East. Watch the sensor contacts moving along the road and plink Centipedes and Hetzers as they come. One of those contacts will be Mobile Orbital Gun Omega (try watching for falling trees). It isn't armed and can't harm you, so get close and melt it down. It may be accompanied, depending on your previous encounters.

Approach Base Alpha from the Northwest

By now, you're probably somewhere North of Op Point #2, the Orbital Gun Alpha. Either sit here and knock off the ground units that keep patroling their loop, or take a run at the Northern turret controls. If you capture them, you'll awaken a Hunchback. He should be no problem with the ammo piles lying around and your captured turrets. Then kill the Gun and capture the third Repair Bay after disarming the rest of the turrets by grabbing the controls. Repair up.

Those old-fashioned perms can be murder....

Now head back West through the trees to SecOb #B, the Fuel Tank Depot. Shoot at the Hetzers, Scimitars and Centipedes that keep coming down the road til you get 'em all to complete SecOb #D, Destroy All Enemy Units. Then ice the fuel tanks; whee!

Tsk tsk, looks like another industrial accident

Head back West, hopping across the water and Extract.

Next Op