Bombast Laser?

[Black_Knyght]

I was recently looking over the Bombast Laser, and I have to ask - Is this weapon actually worth the effort of adding, or is it just another on the list of lemons?

[Luciora]

Makes sense for a video game.  Tabletop,  not so much.

[Sharkapult]

It has a niche in that it can be used to dial in heat for TSM perfectly. But I can't really see using it much otherwise.

[Luciora]

I'd rather have a battery of 4 torso mounted small lasers for that purpose of dialing in heat.

It has a niche in that it can be used to dial in heat for TSM perfectly. But I can't really see using it much otherwise.

[Firesprocket]

I'd rather have a battery of 4 torso mounted small lasers for that purpose of dialing in heat.

Just as effective, if not more so, is using the optional dial back rules from Tac Ops.  If you are going have the option of playing with a Bombast laser, you are better off playing those rules instead for TSM management.

[YingJanshi]

I was recently looking over the Bombast Laser, and I have to ask - Is this weapon actually worth the effort of adding, or is it just another on the list of lemons?

What Luciora said. It was a weapon that originated in MechWarrior 4. It worked in that the longer you charged it up, the more damage it did (along with the more heat it gave you).

In a real time video game, it was an alright weapon. It just didn't translate well into a 10 second per turn board game.

[marauder648]

I'd say its a lemon, possibly one of the worst weapons in the game.  Due to the penalty to hit if you charge it up, you're more likely to miss your shot and just dial up your heat.  Thats fine on something with TSM, but there are far better ways to do this. 
Sure at full charge it can be a head capper, but you've got +4 to hit, and even at short range, good luck with that. 

[Luciora]

I maintain that MS felt a need to put their mark in the universe and appeal to arcade gamers with a weapon that appeals to them,  if the mechs weren't enough.

That meant canonizing a video game power-up gun, which needed some kind of in-game way to represent.

No other licenced Battletech game has canonized a game only weapon.  Mechcommander Desparate Measures adds a Railgun which was fluffed as a Star League era weapon available to the Clans and the IS.  There currently is no tabletop analogue for it that matches the description or comes close to the tonnage possibility.  (The formula works out to be weapon tonnage plus 1 ton of ammo per need and weight of heat sinks to cover heat generated - yes, some weapons have DHS built in)

[cray]

I was asked to make the TacOps bombast laser a deliberately goofy weapon, an arena weapon that was showy but impractical outside of an arena. I think that describes the end result.

[Sartris]

in the neverending war between mechs and cities, it gives buildings half a fighting chance  ;D