Design Challenge: Lowest Bidder!!!

[Cannonshop]

Request for Proposal:  Inexpensive, but effective, Battle Armor design.

Requirements:  Effective combat power against both capital weapons (Tanks, 'mechs, and emplacements) and infantry/guerilla forces.

Must. Be. Cheap.  this armor is to be a mass-production item for mass-issue to large formations as an enhancement for line infantry and mechanized formations expected to deploy to a variety of hostile potential environments.  The primary purpose is to act as a heavy-weapons enhancement to Mechanized infantry or as infantry support for Battlemech and Armored units in open field warfare.  The purchasing government(s) have strict budgetary limitations for equipment, but lavish budgetary excess for training and recruitment of personnel.  (basically, it's possible that we can recruit more suit-troops than we can, at present, equip.)

The lowest C-bill cost to BV(2) ratio wins this outright.

[Maingunnery]

My first shot:

        Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout
                            VALIDATED

Type/Model:    Cheapskate Battle Armor 
Tech/Era:      Inner Sphere / 3067 / CBT Rules
Chassis Type:  Humanoid
Weight Class:  Light Battle Armor (401 - 750 kg)
Rules:         Level 2, Standard design

Ground Speed:  10,8 km/h
Armor Type:    Standard

------------------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model:    Cheapskate Battle Armor
Equipment:                                          Slots    Mass
Chassis Type:  Light Class Humanoid                   0       100
Motive System: Ground Movement (1 MP)                 0         0
Armor Type:    6 Points Standard                      0       300

Manipulators:
  Left Arm:    Armored Glove                          0         0
  Right Arm:   Armored Glove                          0         0

Weapons and Equipment                Loc     Shots  Slots    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Recoilless Rifle               LA        20     2       175
  (with High-Explosive Ammo)
Light Recoilless Rifle               RA        20     2       175
  (with High-Explosive Ammo)
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                               4       750
Slots & Mass Left:                                    4         0

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:     267.800 C-Bills, Including Trooper
                Training Costs of 150.000 C-bills
Battle Value:   39 (156 for 4)  Weapon Value: 22 (Ratio=,56)
Cost per BV:    3.020,51 (w/o Trooper Training costs)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 2   MRDmg = 0   LRDmg = 0
Mechanized:     Can travel on OmniMechs and OmniVehicles
Attacks:        Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks
BattleForce2:   Class: IB   MP: 1   Armor/Structure: 2 / 0
                Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/-   Overheat: 0
                Point Value: 2    Specials: mec, car4


                Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor

[Daryk]

I'm going to have to give this one some serious thought... Fortunately I have a three-day weekend ahead of me...  >:D

[Sharpnel]

Tagged for future reference

[Sabelkatten]

If you put a TAG or C3 unit on a BA you can arguably get the cost/BV down to almost zero... Make it the last unit in a C3-linked assault mech company and it can cost you more than 1,500 BV if I got my numbers right. ;)

[Cavgunner]

Capital weapons?  Gonna be hard to build a BA that can fight a Warship.

[Daryk]

Ok, going with "Edge of Tomorrow" style: extremely light on the armor, heavy on the firepower (assuming I've hand jammed everything correctly):

Code: [Select]

Type/Model:    Kimmel Battle Armor
Tech/Era:      Inner Sphere / 3067 / CBT Rules
Chassis Type:  Humanoid
Weight Class:  Light Battle Armor (401 - 750 kg)

Ground Speed:  10,8 km/h
Armor Type:    Standard

------------------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model:    Kimmel Battle Armor
Equipment:                                          Slots    Mass (kg)
Chassis Type:  Light Class Humanoid                   0       100
Motive System: Ground Movement (1 MP)                 0         0
Armor Type:    1 Point Standard                       0        50

Manipulators:
  Left Arm:    Armored Glove                          0         0
  Right Arm:   Armored Glove                          0         0

Weapons and Equipment                Loc     Shots  Slots    Mass (kg)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Recoilless Rifle               Body      20     2       175
  (with High-Explosive Ammo)
Light Recoilless Rifle               Body      20     2       175
  (with High-Explosive Ammo)
Light Recoilless Rifle               LA        20     2       175
  (with High-Explosive Ammo)
Light Machine Gun                    RA        20     1        75
  (with Conventional Ammo)
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                               7       750
Slots & Mass Left:                                    1         0

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:     219,000 C-Bills, Including Trooper Training Costs of 150,000 C-bills
Battle Value:   48 (432 for 6)
Cost per BV:    1,437.5 (without Trooper Training costs)
Mechanized:     Can travel on OmniMechs and OmniVehicles
Attacks:        Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks


[Maingunnery]

That will fit, also nicely done.
If you really need to get costs down further you can switch to 'none' manipulators (even armored gloves cost money).

[Daryk]

True, but then you lose the BV from being able to swarm and such (which is why I stuck with Light).  BV-wise, there seems to be no comparison between defense and offense.  It just doesn't pay to make these things survivable!  >:D