[a bit OT] Apocalypse Troll

I just finished reading an interesting book by David Weber (author of
the
Harrington books) called The Apocalypse Troll. It's spawn a very
interesting
DS2 scenario....

<MINOR SPOILER ALERT IN AIDE OF SCENARIO DISCUSSION - If you want to
read
the book, and I recommend it, perhaps avoid what follows like the
plague...>

There is a large battle near the end of the book where the humans try to
take out the Troll and his minions. The troll (a psychotic cyborg with a
bunch of telepathic powers and some limited high tech kit) has a band of
psyched up nasties with heavy 2007 issue firepower. The attackers are a
specially formed rapid reaction unit of the US Marine Corps. 

The battle occurs on a mountain. The troll has his fighter dug into the
mountain and his followers (900-1000 heavily armed troops) dug in with
some
advanced energy weapons and scan blockers set up around their campsite.
They
would (I think) have to be considered HIGH mission motivation due to
their
mental 'adjustments'. They are well equipped and well armed but they are
mostly a mix of green and a few regs - not having seen much real
fighting...
at least where the odds were at all fair. They are backed up by several
light combat mechs (10?) (automata) and at least 1 medium combat mech.
And
the trolls own combat chassis, a heavy combat mech. The defenders have
at
least one heavy energy gun (relative to human weapons) dismounted from
the
ship and installed. They also have a good supply of IAVRs and squad
heavy
weapons. They have limited night vision. The defenders have mortars too. 

The attackers, the US Marine Company, are really nearer a battalion.
Four
rifle platoons, very heavy in heavy weapons like Dragons and Predators
(GMS/P, GMS/L)? with two anti-tank platoons with TOWs. They gain
surprise
and can be considered a mix of regs/veterans/elite and are immune to
troll
manipulations. They are lead by good officers recruited from special
forces.
They are backed up by a mechanised force consisting of enough LAVIIIs to
carry the force, and also including SPGs, and TOW variants. 

They also have air support in the form of 23 F18s with strike ordinance
(LGBs, Mavericks, etc) and 1 with the Final Option (Nukes). The troll
must
not be allowed to escape the mountain - must be taken out by a weapon
system
(take at least a maverick or TOW minimum and more likely multiple
concurrent
hits...). The nuke will do the job if it can hit the troll before it
gets
lifted off (but the humans don't want to nuke the area in NC if they can
avoid it and they might want to capture the fighter). 

It'd make for an interesting DS2 scenario... as would the trolls
mind-influenced hordes or racists attacking a mid sized NC town and the
NG
and 82nd airborne trying to hold back the thousands... 

-----------------------------------------------------
alea iacta et pessimo	|  Thomas Barclay
resulto factura est	|  Software Specialist 
------------------------|  Defence Systems
ave, Caesar!		|  xwave solutions
te morituiri salutimas	|  www.xwavesolutions.com
			|  v: (613) 831 2018 x 3008
-----------------------------------------------------