’Mech of the Week: SA-RN* Ronin
Ronin. A masterless samurai. In some tales, they are considered dishonorable. In others, they are the heroes, avenging their fallen master before following him into the next life. Either way, a potent warrior who bears watching.
And the design bearing this name does not fall far from that description. Solaris Arms’ first medium-weight offering also attempts to look the part, from its head to the stylistic plates on the top of each arm.
Weighing in at 50 tons, the SA-RN
Ronin is built around an endo-steel frame, and uses standard plate to 89% of maximum. This allows for every front location (save the head) to withstand a Gauss Rifle slug without breeching (though the arms would be skinned), and the center and legs can withstand a Class-20 shot. The head armor is only eight points, which means a large pulse laser would get a crit check. The rear torsos can take a medium laser each, with the center withstanding a medium pulse.
Powering the design is a 250-rated extralight engine with ten integral double heat sinks. This gives the
Ronin comparable speed to the earlier
Crab. Weapons load consists of four Artemis-enabled SRM 4-racks, with two tons of ammunition stored in the CASEd left torso, a large pulse laser in the right arm, and a left arm-mounted claw.
The notable
Ronin from the Solaris Box Set was named “Mr. Chan,” and was piloted by a “Master Po.” He apparently was a master at using the close-range missile capabilities of this design and placed himself on the Top Twenty list. His death was due to a freakish ammunition explosion. (Freakish, because if he was in the ’Mech, shouldn’t the CASE have saved him?)
As technology advanced, Solaris Arms upgraded the design in order to keep up. The result is the SA-RN7 model. The changes are as follows: The SRM racks were removed to install two LRM 10 launchers, each with a ton of ammunition, as well as a pair of M-Pods, which art like shorter-range LRM blasts (roll on 15 chart at short, 10 at medium, and 5 at long). The CASE was removed to upgrade the armor to maximum, and install a head-mounted extended-range small. Now the side rear torsos can withstand medium pulse shots, and the center rear a large laser. Personally, I dislike the loss of the CASE. My MechWarriors are quite valuable, thank you very much.
How to use one depends only on the variant. The newer model has more long-range punch, and in-fact, if you get too close, loses the ability to use those missile racks efficiently. So, I would stand back and try to open a few holes in my opponents, before closing to let loose with the large pulse and the one-shot M-Pods.
The earlier model is much simpler. Be an ambush predator. Find an alley or other constricted, winding space, pop out from cover, blast your opponent with your large pulse laser, fire the SRM racks hoping to exploit any openings, and if he gets too close, rip his face off with the claw.
Fighting one is also simple. Keep out of the range of the early variant, and about four to five hexes from the newer. Hit him hard with things like Gauss Rifles and PPC fire. And if he falls down, make sure he doesn’t get back up. Alternatively, if he is acting like an ambush predator, make sure when he springs that ambush, he finds he misjudged his timing.
After all, if he pops up and peppers a
Berserker, odds are all he’s done is made the big guy angry.
