A surprising Urbanmech variant

[Black_Knyght]

Some friends and I played a quick game of Battletech tonight, and one used a custom Urbanmech design to surprisingly great effect.

He's eager to see what others think of his design, and asked that I post it here for other's thought on it. I'm posting it, but I warned him that the feedback won't likely be as positive as he hopes.


UrbanMech UM-B63-X
 

UrbanMech UM-B63-X
IS experimental Light Battlemech
30 tons 
BV: 927
Cost: 4,123,925 C-bills

Movement: 4/6/4
Engine: 120 XL
Heat Sinks: 10 [20]
Gyro: Standard Gyro

Internal: 51 (Composite)
Armor: 89/105 (Ferro-Fibrous)
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso               10       15
Center Torso (rear)                  3
Right Torso                 7       11
Right Torso (rear)                   2
Left Torso                  7       11
Left Torso (rear)                    2
Right Arm                   5        8
Left Arm                    5        8
Right Leg                   7       10
Left Leg                    7       10

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Snub-Nose PPC                   RA    10
Snub-Nose PPC                   LA    10
ER Small Laser                  CT     2

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
PPC Capacitor                   RA
PPC Capacitor                   LA

[Liam's Ghost]

I have a moral objection to urbanmechs moving that fast, unless they do so through some sort of silly gimmick. Giant springs in the legs (mechanical jump boosters)? Absolutely. The Urbie LAM? Haha, yes. This boring "it just goes faster"? Boo.

( :D )

With that out of the way... as a practical design, well it could stand to have some improvements. I probably wouldn't have gone with capacitors, no matter how hilarious it would be to run into two of them in a dark alley. Not if it meant I also had to accept composite structure. Though I wonder how much of a problem composite structure is on a mech this small. Once the armor is gone you'd better think about getting out either way.

It seems a highly specialized design, very much the urban fighter the name suggests (without nearly as much silliness as you would expect from the name). It looks fun.

[Black_Knyght]

I certainly get the "wrongness" of an Urbanmech moving that way. Caught me by surprise to be honest  ;)

Tim's logic in utilizing the composite structure was surprisingly sound to me too, as he figured in a mech that small once you lost armor you were screwed anyway. If the composite structure freed up usable tonnage that the risk was worth the gain.

He even jokingly called it his "Urbanhammer" (LOL)

[Firesprocket]

The idea is sound.  While the designed concedes to the inferiority of the construction materials, I'd suggest swapping out one BB for another. Swap the XL engine for an XL gyro and  a small cockpit.  It would take a hair longer to kill.

[Col Toda]

Nice I would lose one Snub Nosed PPC and and a small laser and replace it with large Variable Pulse Laser . Add a Small Cockpit and a heat sink . Very nice as is but
My idea makes jump and attack more doable . Heat balance prevents too much alteration to the design . Does it have enough crit space for Heavy Ferro Fibrous ? It does not have the heat dissipation to use the Capacitors at best use , armor and a heat sink would be a better use of the 2 tons.

[Daryk]

If it drops back to 3/5/3, it can fit 6 tons of Light Ferro and Endo-Steel with the two Snub-Nosed PPCs and capacitors for a bit over half the price of the XL version.  The ER Small would require dropping a half ton of armor.

[Col Toda]

That breaks a lot hard and soft design guidelines . 2 PPC Capacitors with only 10 double heat sinks forces alternating fire you are always better off firing 2 PPC's a turn without capacitors . It also tempts  you to run very hot by firing both. If you can afford the space for endosteel and light ferro fibrous you can afford the space for composite and heavy ferro fibrous armor . Depending on ERA heavy ferro fibrous armor becomes common , light ferro fibrous always remains rare so you generally cannot salvage much ir any from a battlefield . Starting after 3075 heavy ferro fibrous is used by militia units . After 3085 Combat vehicles  use of it really picks up . The urban mech is almost universally a rear area militia unit . Black Knight made a nice under 5 million C Bill militia unit worth fielding . That by itself is worthy of real attention and consideration . No militia unit is going to want MASC , Supercharger, PPC Capacitors , or Radical Heat Sink in any of it's units because it guarantees the destruction or damage of expensive systems .  The original design is fine but the Snub Nosed PPC is such a late development that in about 20 years after that model my suggestion would be viable . As long as the price tag stays in the 5 million ballpark so it's loss can be absorbed by a planetary militia's budget easily it Belongs here . 2 words Play Test.

[Sockmonkey]

If we need to go for both cheap and silly...

Code: [Select]

IRON TURKEY

Mass: 30 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: All Eras (non-canon)
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/D-F-D-A
Production Year: 0
Cost: 1,856,400 C-Bills
Battle Value: 838

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 90 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
    Jump Capacity: 90 meters (150 meters)
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    2  Large Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      51 points                3.00
Engine:             Fusion Engine                 90                       3.00
    Walking MP: 3
    Running MP: 5
    Jumping MP: 3 (5) Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT                                   1.50
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             10(23)                    0.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 2 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               1.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Ferro-Fibrous                AV - 105                  6.00
    Armor Locations: 1 HD, 1 CT, 3 LT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     10           15       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  5         
                                           L/R Torso     7            11       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  3         
                                             L/R Arm     5            10       
                                             L/R Leg     7            14       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partial Wing                                 LT/RT     -         4/4       2.50
Large Laser                                  RA        8         2         5.00
Large Laser                                  LA        8         2         5.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 1

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      4    Points: 8
3/5j       2       2       0       0      1     0   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
Standard engine and frame with some fancy bits tacked on.

[packhntr]

Urbies are to go no faster then 3/5/x and have to have the prerequisite small laser....either a standard, pulse or er model and clan versions are allowed.  All other weapon/armor/I.S. combinations are allowed.   Deviations from this makes said mech no longer a Urbie.      :P ^-^