Author Topic: Talk to me about...The Athena  (Read 2412 times)

Southern Coyote

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Talk to me about...The Athena
« on: 22 July 2012, 22:16:02 »
On paper, this Hells Horses staple looks like a solid design.  But I've been burned before. 

So, before I get my heart set on some shiny new tanks, let's talk about this design.

How does the Athena handle?

Jellico

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #1 on: 22 July 2012, 23:02:18 »
Fire support. Not a MBT.

Ghostbear_Gurdel

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #2 on: 23 July 2012, 00:19:42 »
I played a game with a point of Athena's playing fire support for a mixed arms star. They parked in the backfield and sent Gauss slugs downrange all game long. They survived longer than the Marauder IIC I shoved in the enemy's face to play decoy... I feel they account well for themselves as long as you use them as intended, as direct fire support.
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Maelwys

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #3 on: 23 July 2012, 00:23:35 »
It works really well in Hell's Horses units.

What you've got to realize about the original Athena is that its the typical glass cannon that most Clan vehicles are. Fortunately, when you use it with the Hell's Horses combined arms units, your opponent usually has something that's more important for him to shoot at than the Athena (like a Hellstar in his face).

With that in mind, the original's strengths are obvious. Twin Gauss rifles with a targeting computer, with twin ERMLs and MGs, and a LRM10. The Gauss rifles and LRM10 can fire forward, while the ERMLs and MGs are turreted so you can keep track of units trying to flank you. The MGs give you the ability to keep infantry off of you (and in eras when not all designs were made with TW rules in mind). Even the ammo count for the GR is pretty good.

The downsides are equally obvious. The Gauss Rifles ONLY fire forward, so you need to hang back, and of the design has Clan vehicle levels of armor. The BV is hefty as well.

Keep the Athena in the background, lobbing in GR and LRM shots, and you should be fine. With `Mechs up front pushing in, your opponent is going to have a hard time dealing with the Athena.

The HAG variant is...well, pretty much just more of what the original is. The GR's have been upgraded to HAG30s, doubling the potential damage (You lose the solid hits, but the amount of hits makes up for it IMO). You can also use the HAGs to deal with aerospace or VTOLs. The ERMLs remain the same, while the MGs have been replaced by APGRs, letting you hit at 3 times the range. The targeting computer remains, and you've got an ECM suite to hamper your enemies, either through cutting off their advanced electronics, or by making it harder for them to hit via ghost targets.

The downsides are somewhat similar. The BV of the HAG variant is well into the Clan Assault `Mech range. The HAGs have smaller ammo endurance than the original GRs (12 compared to 16). The HAG's are fixed forward.

Like the original, its a good, hard hitting design. If its worth 2400 BV is something that's up to you. Just realize the main limitations is that its guns are fixed forward, and keep in back where it won't get swarmed, and it will send in shots all day long.

For what its worth, most of the Hell's Horses designs are solid. I think the only ones that people question are the the odd XTRO designs and the "upgraded" Enyo from TRO:Prototypes. :)

Ian Sharpe

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #4 on: 23 July 2012, 08:58:42 »
Useful working with lighter, faster designs.  Hang back, find some trees or go hull down, and let the gauss fly.  Eager to try out the HAG model.  The Hachiman is a great pairing, while the Oro makes a good bodyguard and can still lay some 10 point hits down range. 

Southern Coyote

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #5 on: 23 July 2012, 09:05:30 »
Alright, you've convinced me.  I'm getting some Athenas. 

lowrolling

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #6 on: 26 July 2012, 15:45:39 »
For added misery, deploy some Elemental bodyguards.
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Maelwys

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #7 on: 26 July 2012, 22:33:45 »
Or the LRM Gnome. It lets the bodyguards take shots at the same range as the Athena, adding a bit of misery.

Southern Coyote

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #8 on: 27 July 2012, 19:37:25 »
Actually, I was going to pair it with a Hellstar and a point of Gorgons.

daeceg

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #9 on: 28 July 2012, 02:27:44 »
I've had to deal with Athenas...ouch...

The T-comped Gauss Rifles make life...interesting...
Call shots on weak locations, or just make light mech life expectancies drop substantially. 

Fighting against?  Terrain, indirect fire...infernos if you are willing to sacrifice-bunt a light Mech.

My favorite thing about the Athena is that when it gets immobilized, I still have enough range to contribute.

Iron Mongoose

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Re: Talk to me about...The Athena
« Reply #10 on: 28 July 2012, 17:14:48 »
The Athena is a very powerful tank, and can't be easily discounted.

The problem that I tend to see for it is that its disperportionatly frail, even for an ultra long ranged sniper.  Usualy, a high end Clan force of the sort that high end Hell's Horses clusters fight against will have a long ranged heavy or assualt with a good pilot that can devote a turn or two to brining the Athena down. 

The other key problem is that by most ballancing systems (though not by the Clans' point system) they're very poor value.  BV is to the moon, and you deploy two per point, so you either have to match the point up against two pretty solid mechs, or one ultra high end mech with a good pilot.  Given the Athena's week armor, it struggles to beat either of thouse match ups, even if it can give a very respectable showing.

They're not bad.  Infact, they're pretty good.  But, the nature of Clan tactics and rules, and their low armor, prevents them from being super excelent.
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