Author Topic: Repost: Mech of the Week: BWP-* Ymir  (Read 6190 times)

Kit deSummersville

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Repost: Mech of the Week: BWP-* Ymir
« on: 26 January 2011, 19:47:15 »
Hey, how’d an author get in here?

Never you mind, let’s go back in time…back to an era where, until recently, the large laser was the weapon that could kill you in one shot and everyone’s fighting vehicles lacked limbs. Your buddies are assaulting your hated enemies in your top-of-the-line Agustus when suddenly you come across a lance of fearsome walking monstrosities. The walking part is creepy, but you fire all three autocannons at them. They return fire with their autocannons and five-tube launchers. Both of you are losing some armor from the pot shots, but your unit is slowing down as your treads get ripped up. Sensors are shot out and your shots aren’t landing as well. Those tanks that can pull back do, but now the enemy is firing heavy lasers, killing the immobile tanks and they just keep on coming, not slowed a bit and flames pour out of their right arms. Finally you surrender as almost three dozen short range missiles start to rain down from this mere enemy lance, you hope your fatigues are dark enough to hide the wetness as you exit the abused Agustus.

That’s the Ymir at its height; a towering mass of fear that could cripple the enemy’s armored forces. But like Tommy Tutone, that heyday was far too brief. The first homegrown design of the Lyran Commonwealth after stealing the plans for the Mackie, the Ymir was supposed to be an improvement. Ten tons lighter than its progenitor, it dropped almost three tons of much needed armor. Though both mounted a large laser and an autocannon, the Ymir traded in a PPC for two LMR-5s, a pair of vehicular flamers and a quartet of SRM-2s while downgrading the autocannon to a class 2(I know it doesn’t match the RS, but trust me, I know a guy who knows these things). Sadly, the large mix of weaponry was less effective as well, lacking the big punch that was needed in BattleMech warfare. Of course, the designers were used to tank battles where mobility could be easily lost to firepower. Luckily for the Ymir at the time, it was often the only kid on the block, the Commonwealth having a jump on all but the Hegemony.

Times changed and both the Ymir and the Commonwealth lost their edge. A redesign was called for, and the Ymir got stripped down and rebuilt as an all new machine of death. Or not. Really, all they did was drop the flamers for a small laser, upgrade the primitive components to modern (losing both armor weight and 17 points), boost the AC to a 5 and upping the speed to 4/6. I know, whoop-de-freaking-do. It fit with the Banshees and Cyclopses of the time but didn’t fare much better than much lighter Warhammers and Archers. The armor layout wasn’t the best, either. The side torsos were 17/6, I don’t think 5 was much better than 6 back in those days, thought I guess and AC or ML hit would still leave one point so you could duck into a lake or something. Given the ammo there, shaving some of those 23 points off the legs for the torsos might be beneficial.

Next came a simplifying of the design, dropping all the weapons for a pair of PPCs, SRM-6 and an LRM-10. Now there is some hitting power! If only the heat sinks had been bumped up as well. The progression of eight more points of armor followed, nice but hardly overwhelming. With some juggling, it was an improvement but it was starting to vanish when in the waning years of the Star League the Lyrans dumped some cash into upgrading their baby with the best equipment around. Well, some of it. The missile launchers got upgraded with Artemis IV while the PPCs were swapped with large lasers, allowing the addition of the Artemis, a medium laser and 8 16 points of armor. Oh those tricky Lyrans. They even got double heatsinks. Oh did they get double heatsinks. Much like the Vinidcator of 3050, it had more than it could dream of using. A better option would have been to keep the PPCs and use 4 heatsinks to allow the other upgrades. Dissipating 24 heat would have been very doable for this machine.

So, this is the end my friend. No new design, the Ymir has died out except for the rare survivor. Throughout it all it never varied from one ton of ammo for each weapon except for the vehicular flamers. While not Zeus-low, the missiles could be gone in a mere dozen turns or so. That may be long enough for today’s XL, GR, MPL battlefield, but back in the era of old farts the Ymir probably would have seen most of its ammo bins run dry if it made it through the battle. With the armor of a heavy ‘Mech, however, this wasn’t always assured.

What to do with a Ymir? Well, these days use it to crit the snot out of vehicles. Barring that, or back in the 30th century, let it be a closer, picking up the kills for Warhammers, Marauders and Awesomes as they punch the holes in the enemy. As the centerpiece, however, you have two poor choices, should you stay or should you go? Staying at long range results in a big ‘Mech with slightly more firepower than a Shadowhawk. Close in to get the large laser, SRMs and physicals into the picture and do some more damage and suddenly you attract a lot more fire than you can withstand. The armor placement isn’t bad, but it could be better. Only 17 points on the side torsos with the ammo back there is dangerous to a pair of PPCs or the odd AC/20. Luckily in the earlier models all those launchers provide some protection while the arm mounted ammo has eight slots of guns and actuators to insulate it. Even the heatsinks are up in the torso to protect the ammo, though a detriment to the common wading practices of the 3rd Succession War.

How to kill a Ymir? Well, backshots are great, with only six in each side and eight down the middle, it can easily be crippled with a shot or two. Infernos are another option, with all that explody ammo and so few heatsinks. Another great possibility is just using some fast movers to harass it until it runs out of ammo. With less firepower (and only a little more armor) than a Phoenix Hawk at that point it will probably retire from the field.

How would I do it? Well, I won’t address the modern era, because if I get a chance, I just might. The art is great even if the stats say “meh”. But back in 3025, short of a Banshee-esque overhaul, I’d do what everyone else did with an AC/5 design back then, drop it for a PPC. Add in two more heat sinks and a ton of armor and you’ve got a brand-new brother to the Zeus-5T. Much like that pretty girl in gym class, the Ymir is fun to look at, has some great stories but just doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table where it really matters.
« Last Edit: 30 January 2011, 12:10:39 by kit_desummersville »
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Grantwhy

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Re: Mech of the Week: BWP-* Ymir
« Reply #1 on: 26 January 2011, 23:24:36 »
What to do with a Ymir? Well, these days use it to crit the snot out of vehicles. Barring that, or back in the 30th century, let it be a closer, picking up the kills for Warhammers, Marauders and Awesomes as they punch the holes in the enemy.

or wait until Historical: Reunification Wars to come out and see if we can use it in the 26th century?


actually, there are probably quite a few 'extinct' designs around that could see the light of day / be used in games from that era/campaign  ???.
(the XTRO:Primitives books might be extra handy to have around? :) )
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