Mech of the Week 3145 Preview: AGT-1A AgroteraDeveloped by the Magistracy of Canopus, it's probably no surprise that they would choose to name one of their newest domestically-designed BattleMechs after an epithet of Artemis, the Greek goddess of among other things the hunt, the wilderness, and wild animals. In this role, she was an important divinity to hunters in the Attica region including Athens but she was worshiped more widely under the name, including at Sparta and Aigera. The
Agrotera was introduced in the early 32nd century and based on the PXH-4W
Phoenix Hawk whose production facilities the Taurians and Canopians captured toward the end of the Jihad. Quite a bit of the
Phoenix Hawk's lines can be seen in its child, especially the powerful thrusters on the rear and the design of the forward torso plate. We know the
Agrotera has been sold to the Capellans but who else might be listening to Majesty Metals and Manufacturing's marketing blurbs about being a flexible, ammo-independent medium will have to wait on the MUL being updated for the
Agrotera.
The
Agrotera hews quite a bit closer to the classic PXH-1 design than its older siblings the
Bloodhound and
Phoenix Hawk IIC. For one thing, it's still a medium ‘Mech, although Canopian engineers reinforced the design so it put about five tons, and a Rawlings 300 XLFE lets it match a classic
Phoenix Hawk step for step. For another, it still jumps, 180 meters from the jets alone, with additional mobility conveyed by the partial wing on the
Agrotera's back. By default, that's sufficient to offer 240 meters, 8 full hexes, but it varies depending on atmospheric pressure. 10 double heat sinks run just a bit short sometimes but the additional cooling (3 points in standard atmospheres) offsets the problem to a degree. The huge jump mobility means you can always duck out if heat's becoming a problem. I'm not overly fond of XL gyros - they're not as vulnerable as XL engines, maybe, but the benefit is a lot smaller, too, and most ‘Mechs can eat the heat from a freak engine hit a hell of a lot better than they can weather the PSR penalty from a gyro hit in my opinion. Of course, I've got a long history of my MechWarriors being unable to walk a straight line without tripping over their ‘Mech's giant metal feet, so take that opinion with a grain of salt. The armor is a damn sight thicker than a classic
Pixie's, too. An 18/23/18 spread across the front torso with 5/6/5 on the back makes it a solid level for a ‘Mech this size, and the arms are maxed out at 16 points. The real thin point is the 18 points on the legs. Where you really see the similarity to a
Phoenix Hawk is the weapons load, although it's mirrored - PXH-1s keep their large laser on the right arm but here, the long-range gun is a Ceres Arms Smasher ER PPC on the left. Exactly why MM&M chose the Ceres weapon instead of their own Majesty Metals Royal Flush carried by the
Penthesilea isn't elucidated in the TRO. It makes a little more sense when you remember that CMI has had a plant on Lockton since at least the Jihad - it's currently building
Gùns among other things. What makes that ER PPC really special is the actuator enhancement system that's also mounted in the left arm, giving it the same accuracy boost as a targeting computer although not the ability to target individual locations. An array of Diverse Optics pulse lasers provides close-in firepower. Each torso has a small pulse laser, matching the PXH-1's anti-infantry firepower but increasing accuracy. While hitting infantry platoons frequently isn't that difficult - they don't move that fast - if you're up close and personal with leg troopers (which you are - remember, most infantry platoons can hit you at SPL range), you probably want to get rid of them quickly, so increased odds of hitting the target are always helpful. A 37V medium VSPL and standard medium pulse laser share the right arm. Medium VSPLs are, in my opinion, the most useful member of the family - up close, they're equal to an LPL, and the range is reasonable enough. I'm not sure I wouldn't have preferred, say, two medium X-pulses and two more heat sinks (they'll fit in the engine, which is a good thing since there's nowhere else to put them), the weapons work and up close, they're going to be good for countering the hit jumping will inflict on your accuracy. Finally, there's TAG, which can be the single most dangerous thing on any BattleMech if you use it right.
If you can use a classic
Phoenix Hawk successfully, you can use an
Agrotera. In a lot of ways, it's "just" an improved
Phoenix Hawk, not a terribly different 'Mech. In my opinion, the
Agrotera is not the most malevolent piece of hardware in the TRO - for one thing, it's in the same book as the
Tian Zong, which is right up there with the PLG-4Z on the scale of Capellan Dickery - but it's a good, solid medium skirmisher, scout hunter, and heavy recon unit that integrates advanced technology with classic medium BattleMech concepts and a proud history of service. The jump jets are very handy but don't overdo it - ultimately, the idea is to kill the enemy, not bounce around like a Mexican jumping bean. Get into position and use your weapons' accuracy and the diversity of ranges to your advantage and don't be afraid to call on your friends' and their laser-guided weaponry. You're probably a Capellan, someone who's working from their tactical playbook, or a merc. Whichever it is, playing fair is for the other guy. You're here to
win.
Punching out an
Agrotera is a little easier said than done. Their armor is fairly thick for their size, they're agile, and there's no convenient ammo to blow up. High accuracy weapons will help. Other than that, try to focus on one side or the other to exploit the XLFE and keep hammering on the
Agrotera. Unlike some TAG spotters, these 'Mechs are still pretty dangerous if there's no TAG-enhanced munitions available, so don't ignore them. Getting an ER PPC and a medium VSPL up the backside stings.
References: As usual with these previews, we're way out in front, so here's an image of the
Agrotera in all her glory:
