Author Topic: Rotary AC's  (Read 9436 times)

Men Shen

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Rotary AC's
« on: 26 March 2017, 07:18:10 »
Can someone please explain how the rules for rotary AC's work. I'm having a hard time figuring out the modifiers for multiple shots. I really like that new Lao Hu variant with the rotary AC 5 but I'm not knowledgeable in the rules and the books don't spell it out as clear as I'd like. Thanks.

Men Shen

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #1 on: 26 March 2017, 07:34:29 »
Is this the way it works. No modifier for multiple shots but the the chance of a jam goes up. Like it jams on a 2 for 2 or 3 shots, and jams on a 3 for 4 or 5 shots and jams on a 4 for 6 shots. Is this correct.

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #2 on: 26 March 2017, 07:40:54 »
Yes.
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Men Shen

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #3 on: 26 March 2017, 07:54:13 »
Thanks for the clarification. For some reason I thought there was a targeting modifier for multiple shots. Now that I know what the deal is it makes using this weapon more appealing.

Charistoph

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #4 on: 26 March 2017, 17:22:52 »
If I may ask, how do you all feel the RAC/2 compares with the Ultra AC-5 or the RAC-5 compares withe Ultra AC-10?
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Iron Mongoose

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #5 on: 26 March 2017, 20:50:37 »
The RAC2 is pretty poorly regarded. Its ok as a crit seeker backing up bigger guns on bigger techs; a SRM6 with twice the range at thrice the weight.  The RAC5 can actually do some real damage, and many quite like it, though I've never particularly cared for it.  Given your alternative, I'd have the UAC10, since I value range from my big guns, and the damage has less variability (though tragically not none). The Ultra 5, by contrast, I like just as little as the RAC2; I'd leave both at home given a chance.
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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #6 on: 26 March 2017, 22:54:37 »
If I may ask, how do you all feel the RAC/2 compares with the Ultra AC-5 or the RAC-5 compares withe Ultra AC-10?

As IM said, the RAC-2 makes for a decent "SRM6" rack w/ double range.
Its not a bad swap for an AC5 if your doing a field refit on some L1 mech.
The Ultra-5 has okay use for Field Gun infantry since you can fit 3 of them to a 28 man platoon.

The RAC5 & Ultra-10 are both Ok, not great, but ok weapons.
At 12 & 15 (ammo) tons for a solid sized loadout they are not light, but still come in less than the 17 for a Gauss.
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Karimancer

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #7 on: 27 March 2017, 06:41:44 »
On a lark, I built an assault Mech with 4 RAC/2s, some back up lasers and an asston of ammo then used it in a few games to see how it would do. It eats vehicles and aircraft like candy, but other Mechs beat it up and take its lunch money.

Colt Ward

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #8 on: 27 March 2017, 20:55:01 »
IMO, if a medium design has the heat (and most UAC/5 do) then you are better off with a Plasma Rifle.  My favorite example is the Wolverine 7D, replace the UAC with a Plasma with the same number of shots and you get 2 free tons with less explosive chance.  Odds are if you can do that sort of thing in a campaign you are also swapping to DHS which just make it cool running again.
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JenniferinaMAD

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #9 on: 27 March 2017, 22:14:09 »
RACs have the small advantage of being able to fine tune the heat curve for TSM machines, and unlike small laser braces can deal some damage out to some range while doing so.

Dayton3

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #10 on: 28 March 2017, 17:38:58 »
On a lark, I built an assault Mech with 4 RAC/2s, some back up lasers and an asston of ammo then used it in a few games to see how it would do. It eats vehicles and aircraft like candy, but other Mechs beat it up and take its lunch money.

Isn't that a common characteristic in combat of 'mechs armed with large numbers of light autocannon?

IIRC there is some of the fluff on one of the Annihilator variants that mounts 10 AC-2s that it "tears apart 100 ton tanks in seconds".

Firesprocket

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #11 on: 28 March 2017, 22:51:20 »
There is an Annhilator with 8 LAC-2s.  I would not say that is overly impressive.  There is also the Kraken (or Bane if you prefer) that carries 10 Ultra-2s.  Its range is pretty impressive, but the damage output is somewhat lacking.  Though if you are going for spray and golden BBs, there isn't much else you are going to find with the same range.

mbear

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #12 on: 29 March 2017, 08:38:16 »
Isn't that a common characteristic in combat of 'mechs armed with large numbers of light autocannon?

IIRC there is some of the fluff on one of the Annihilator variants that mounts 10 AC-2s that it "tears apart 100 ton tanks in seconds".

In my limited experience yes. I have a custom Fafnir variant with RAC/5s, and it's good for chewing up infantry, vehicles, and aerofighters; It's also really good at critseeking on 'Mechs with holes in their armor. But in a straight up fight with another 'Mech it tends to be...less effective. It just doesn't have a huge knockdown punch.
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Karimancer

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #13 on: 29 March 2017, 09:02:01 »
I actually tried using my RAC/2 Mech in groups once or twice. And while a lance of them could pretty rapidly sandblast a single Mech into oblivion that Mech's friends could wreak holy hell on the RAC-boats.

In the end, I decided the Quad RAC Partisan was better and more cost effective and scrapped the whole thing.

Col Toda

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #14 on: 31 March 2017, 06:49:33 »
The best RAC/5 platform I have seen is a Shiltron E or F ? : 2 RAC/5s and a C3 Master a militia that adds 3 Wights with a slave replacing a medium laser makes for a nasty combination.
« Last Edit: 31 March 2017, 12:50:54 by Col Toda »

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #15 on: 01 April 2017, 01:04:27 »
Ajax A.  3 RAC/5s in a turret with a C3 slave.  if you correctly, it is absolutely filthy.

Col Toda

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #16 on: 02 April 2017, 08:49:00 »
I just described a possible 3075 militia defense lance . The Wight light mechs with a heavy PPC putting big wholes in the enemy armor and the Shiltron using the crit seeking RAC/5s . Replacing the Wights with Ajax A tanks is only good against infantry,battle armor,and proto mechs . Having a lance with 11 RAC/5s  shoots off about 3 tons of ammo every weapon phase so  unless you are shooting at the aforementioned targets and killing everything you hit just the amno cost vs efficacy is very high. It would have lackluster performance against fast tanks or heavy mechs.

Dayton3

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #17 on: 02 April 2017, 09:38:46 »
In the Battletech Universe,   unless you're facing a Clan unit,  isn't a straight up "mech vs. mech" battle something commanders instinctively try to avoid?    If that is the case,  doesn't it make lots of sense to go heavy with lots of light, long range autocannons as you can use them effectively against vehicles,  aerospace fighters,  elementals,  protomechs, infantry, and pretty much everything aside from 'mechs of comparable tonnage.?

JenniferinaMAD

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #18 on: 02 April 2017, 16:25:26 »
In the Battletech Universe,   unless you're facing a Clan unit,  isn't a straight up "mech vs. mech" battle something commanders instinctively try to avoid?    If that is the case,  doesn't it make lots of sense to go heavy with lots of light, long range autocannons as you can use them effectively against vehicles,  aerospace fighters,  elementals,  protomechs, infantry, and pretty much everything aside from 'mechs of comparable tonnage.?

That might be logical in the real world, but Battletech exists to facilitate mecha battles. The same twisting to reality that makes mechas viable combat units in the first place is also applied to military tactics to ensure mecha fights are frequent and exciting.

Firesprocket

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #19 on: 02 April 2017, 17:33:22 »
I just described a possible 3075 militia defense lance....

That is great and all, but I wasn't commenting on your unit.  While I agree with your assessment of your unit, I'm not wild about exposing my own C3 Master to return fire as a matter of preference.

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #20 on: 04 April 2017, 07:50:28 »
I actually tried using my RAC/2 Mech in groups once or twice. And while a lance of them could pretty rapidly sandblast a single Mech into oblivion that Mech's friends could wreak holy hell on the RAC-boats.

In the end, I decided the Quad RAC Partisan was better and more cost effective and scrapped the whole thing.

I'm looking at modifying some Zhukovs myself. :)
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pheonixstorm

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #21 on: 04 April 2017, 08:30:03 »
The best RAC platform is infantry. No explosion chance and no chance of jamming. Stick a pair of RAC platoons in a fortified position or in Ultra Heavy Woods and you can buzz from a distance till the bins go dry. Works especially well with RAC/2 since you can fire for a much longer time. Don't recall the tonnage of the RAC/2 but you would have a minimum of 3 and could fire a full 6 shot for roughly seven rounds. Same or multiple targets, doesn't matter.

Kit deSummersville

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #22 on: 04 April 2017, 12:16:54 »
How much ammo do you get for field guns? That might have a big impact on infantry's ability to use them effectively.
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Firesprocket

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #23 on: 04 April 2017, 22:16:02 »
Per Tac Ops:

Each Field Gun receives a 1 ton of ammunition, which must be tracked during gameplay.

Further:

Ultra and Rotary Autocannon Field Guns are immune to jamming or fi re control failure eff ects, and LB-X Autocannon Field Guns must always use
cluster munitions. Gauss-based Field Guns are immune to weapon explosion eff ects.

So roughly 8 turns before a reduced mode of fire and ammo runs out.  Not particularly bad considering actual combat time.

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #24 on: 05 April 2017, 11:00:56 »
Yeah, that'd work with the RAC/2 but the RAC/5 would only be for disposable infantry....
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pheonixstorm

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #25 on: 05 April 2017, 12:45:25 »
If I remember correctly once the ammo runs out you can ditch the guns, so 3 rounds on full fire and 1 round of full fire from one gun or just ditch them after 3 rounds.

Motorized RAC/2 though with no movement restrictions... nice SRM 6 action at extreme ranges most units can't touch. Provided you have some skilled infantry.

Sir Chaos

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #26 on: 06 April 2017, 12:30:37 »
Yeah, that'd work with the RAC/2 but the RAC/5 would only be for disposable infantry....

All infantry are disposable.
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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #27 on: 06 April 2017, 12:56:31 »
Make sure and use a radio when you tell them that.
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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #28 on: 06 April 2017, 13:53:33 »
All infantry are disposable.

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Re: Rotary AC's
« Reply #29 on: 06 April 2017, 14:38:51 »
While some infantry may sing "Ours is not to wonder why, ours is to do and die", his sing, "Ours is not to plan and think, ours is to be an initiative sink."

 :D
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