The “Knights of the Sphere” Alpha Strike tournament was played out on Saturday the 14th; a dozen players attended from multiple clubs to play Battletech: Alpha Strike and compete for their chosen great house!
The day was a great success, with the player pool filled with our very own Monday Knights, several members from NWA, Mini Myths, and Warplings. It was great to see people from a diverse set of clubs come down to play together and get to meet new people.
The Tournament itself was played over three rounds, with scenarios that emphasize speed and mid-field presence for the first two rounds and the final round emphasizing firepower and survivability.
It was interesting to see the varied approaches players had taken to building their forces with 400PV at their disposal along with force-building rules offering Lance Formation bonuses and Commander SPA’s. Alongside the prominent Battletech Mechs, the appearance of Battle Armour and Combat Vehicles got a nice showing on the day to give that combined arms feel that Alpha Strike excels at.
Some highlights from the day included:
- The venerable icon of the franchise, the Atlas, fielded in a wide variety of liveries and configurations, including the surprising Stealth Atlas, which caught just about everyone off-guard.
- A Nova Prime screamed into the front lines, deposited a squad of Gnome battle armour, and delivered a devastating 14-damage attack at the opponent. I’m sure a few people will be noting down the battle armour for later.
- Poor Ed taking not one, not two, but three criticals rolling Box-Cars and destroying three mechs in a row. What a way to go out in your final round.
The day drew to a close after much heavy-metal mayhem, dice rolling, and friendly banter over drinks. Finally, winners were declared, and a house was announced victorious.
House Competition
The house score was the average score of all representing players.
Liao came in last place due to zero representation (maybe next time)
Davion came in 4th place, with a score of 34.5
Marik came in 3rd place, with a score of 42
Steiner had a strong performance, coming a close 2nd on 50.75
And our Crowned winner of the Inner Sphere…
Kurita on a score of 54! Glory to the Draconis Combine!
Individual awards
First overall – Andrew O
Second overall – Wal
Third overall – Andrew B
“At least we got to go home” was awarded to Luke, for having the most survivors despite finishing in the bottom half of the draw.
“But at what cost” was awarded to Andrew B, for finishing in the top half of the draw but with the least survivors.
Best Sport, was awarded to Ed, based on nominations from other players.
The full standings can be found below.
| Player | Wins | Objective Score | Surviving PV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew O | 3 | 80 | 901 |
| Wal | 3 | 48 | 889 |
| Andrew B | 2 | 61 | 557 |
| Tyler | 2 | 54 | 880 |
| Chaedi | 2 | 52 | 960 |
| Steve | 2 | 45 | 890 |
| Ed | 1 | 63 | 648 |
| Darren | 1 | 45 | 785 |
| Mat | 1 | 43 | 784 |
| Roan | 1 | 21 | 684 |
| Luke | 0 | 24 | 898 |
| Emil | 0 | 24 | 768 |
Sponsor
I would also like to give a massive thank you to Mitch from Milsims Games for sponsoring this tournament with Battletech Salvage Boxes for prizes, which fit snuggly inside each trophy.
Please check them out for all your Battletech and general wargaming needs.
Final Word
This was both the club’s first Alpha Strike tournament and my first time putting on the Tournament Organiser hat, made easier with all the support from players on the day.
I’d also like to say thank you to all the players who decided to spend their weekend by coming down to play, especially those who travelled from the other side of Melbourne. Additionally, a thank you to all the Monday Knights, and NWA members that assisted in play-testing the scenarios included in the pack on the day.
I hope to organise Alpha Strike events in the future, but until then, you can keep an eye out on our socials for our home-grown Classic Battletech Auction Tournament, along with events from our neighbouring clubs.
Additional Photos from the day:
