CURRENT FORMULA
Divided numbers are always rounded up. Situational Special Abilities are NOT added into the base value; they are only added to the Alpha Value if the relevant special rules and/or units are used; i.e. a Naginata would add +1 for each 'Mech linked into its C3 network including itself, a Sylph would add +1 if it used its BOMB, +1 for each special ammo type carried, etcetera.
When calculating Protomech AV, calculate each one separately based on its individual values; for example, a single Siren-3 would be 16 (5*2+1+2+2+1) and a Point would be AV 78.
Alpha Value = Movement+Offense+Defense+Special
Movement = 2*TMM
Defense = (2*Armor+Structure)
Offense = ([Sz if BM or IM]+Short+[Medium*2]+Long+Overheat/2)
Special = (1*# of AECM, AMS, AM, ARM, BH, CNARC, ECM, INARC, MEL, MAS, OVL, PRB, RCN, SNARC, TSM, TUR) + IF Value + HT Value + (2* ARTL damage) + (2 if STL) + (1 if IT)
Situational Special
+1 AV for each unit linked into a unit's C3M computer, including itself.
+1 AV to the OpFor total for each unit linked into a C3i network.
+2 AV for each unit linked into a unit's C3MBS computer.
+2 AV to the OpFor total for each unit linked into a C3iBS network.
+1 AV if carrying any alternate munitions.
+1 AV per BOMB point if using BOMB.
Following numbers are now current.
Introductory Boxed Set - Succession Wars Era
COM-2D Commando - 17
SDR-5V Spider - 19
JR7-D Jenner - 21
PNT-9R Panther - 21
ASN-21 Assassin - 21
CDA-2A Cicada - 19
CLNT-2-3T Clint - 22
HER-2S Hermes II - 22
WHT-1 Whitworth - 27
VND-1R Vindicator - 28
ENF-4R Enforcer - 27
HBK-4G Hunchback - 28
TBT-5N Trebuchet - 26
DV-6M Dervish - 31
DRG-1N Dragon - 31
QKD-4D Quickdraw - 32
CPLT-C1 Catapult - 34
JM6-S JagerMech - 27
GHR-5H Grasshopper - 39
AWS-8Q Awesome - 40
ZEU-6S Zeus - 36
CP-10-Z Cyclops - 36
BNC-3E Banshee - 38
AS7-D Atlas - 52
Third Edition Boxed Set - Succession Wars Era
LCT-1V Locust: 16
STG-3R Stinger: 16
WSP-1A Wasp: 16
PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk: 26
GRF-1N Griffin: 31
SHD-2H Shadow Hawk: 30
WVR-6R Wolverine: 30
RFL-3N Rifleman: 27
CRD-3R Crusader: 32
CRD-3L Crusader: 36
TDR-5S Thunderbolt: 36
TDR-5SE Thunderbolt: 37
ARC-2R Archer: 39
WHM-6R Warhammer: 33
MAD-3R Marauder: 35
BLR-1G Battlemaster: 40
Vehicles:
Savannah Master: 14
Scorpion: 12
Maxim: 25
Pegasus: 20
Shrek PPC Carrier: 26
Infantry/Battle Armor
Jump Laser Infantry Platoon: 14
Foot Laser Infantry Platoon: 10
Elemental (AP Gauss): 19
Inner Sphere Standard BA (SRM): 15
Clan Omnimech Prime versions:
Fire Moth: 21
Mist Lynx: 22
Kit Fox: 24
Adder: 29
Viper: 30
Ice Ferret: 31
Nova: 38
Stormcrow: 38
Mad Dog: 39
Hellbringer: 37
Summoner: 41
Timber Wolf: 49
Gargoyle: 36
Warhawk: 52
Executioner: 51
Dire Wolf: 56
[EDIT: The formulae below are no longer accurate, but the text of the post is left in to represent the 'evolution' of the system, as it were.]
So, as came up in another thread (and multiple times in other threads!) the Battle Value 2.0 system which is unwieldy and flawed (at best) for Battletech is almost entirely inappropriate for Alpha Strike. It's not just bad, it's horrendous.
But how best to evaluate an Alpha Strike unit?
I submit that it should be via the stats and the special abilities of each unit, to wit the basic four stats that all Battletech units need to be judged by: Movement, Defense, Offense, and Special. It should be easily calculable and self-evident to avoid the problems of BV.
The base amount of the Movement equation's portion should go off the highest TMM the unit can generate, as that IS the key part of a unit's movement - maneuvering is good, but can be accounted for as a part of this. Units which can jump should cost more, but not MUCH more - it only helps a unit move rather than adding to the TMM so maybe just a point if it has partial jump, or two if it has full jump. But what else should be judged? Should hover units cost more, or is the intrinsic vulnerability of a vehicle still balanced enough?
Movement = (TMM+[1 IF partial jump, 2 IF full jump])
Now, for Defense. It seems as though the ACTUAL armor points are more important than structure, because once you get down to structure the real damage starts happening, but how to account for that? Plus, in previous iterations the cost for lighter units was disproportionately high compared to bigger units with more armor. Items like AMS will be covered under Special. So, in this formula, I think that the formula for Defense should be:
Defense = (2*Armor+Structure)
Offense should take into account all weapons used in direct damage, I think: AC, LRM, and Melee as well. Should Indirect be included here, or in Special? However, Overheat value is VERY important, so it should be included in the formula as well.
Offense = (Melee+Short+Medium+Long+[Special short+medium+long*#Special modes]+Overheat)
Sheesh, is there a more elegant way to represent that formula? It's been almost ten years since my last algebra class and I'm not sure I'm expressing it in the clearest way.
Special is... special, and where it gets complicated. Most of the extras should be evaluated as just +1 point - like AMS, ENE, Mimetic, etcetera - to keep the formula as simple as possible. However, there are some abilities which are stronger versions, like Angel ECM versus regular ECM, so dividing them into Basic and Expanded Abilities, with Expanded abilities worth +2 points seems sensible.
IF should just add its damage to the total cost of the unit, so IF2 should be +2 points - it's handy, but not game breaking.
C3, by itself, should cost NOTHING IMHO. Its cost should be added to the C3M unit, because without that the C3 affects nothing. Adding 1 point to the cost of the C3M unit for each C3 slave/master attached to it should work, including itself! KISS, after all - Keep It Simple, Stupid - and C3 doesn't have the huge impact it does in ordinary BT games. That way, if you destroy the C3M, you get the points for destroying the network.
But how to cover the cost of C3i, which has no master unit but provides the same benefit? I think that just adding 1 point for each unit in the network to the total cost of the force would be fair. For Boosted systems, that can't be meddled with thanks to ECM, 2 points per slave unit linked or C3i unit linked should be adequate.
Artillery is a tricky beast to judge, particularly because it's possible to 'use' it without it even BEING on the battlefield! On the other hand, making it too expensive will just mean no one takes it, and that's no good either; it's strong, but it's not BROKEN. I think that, for units deployed on the table, it should be treated as IF weaponry - it adds its total damage to the cost of the unit.
For being deployed off-table, I think a bit of esoteric math might be called for. Rather than paying the cost of the unit itself, perhaps multiply the damage done by the amount of mapsheets between the artillery unit and the battlefield, with rules for sending units 'off-map' to disrupt or destroy said artillery? That way, off-map artillery is covered while still being semi-vulnerable. Discussions of those rules should be in another discussion, and needs testing.
So, the Special formula would be...
Special=(1*#Basic Abilities)+(2*#Expanded Abilities)+IF Value+(1*#C3 units networked)+(2*#C3BS units Networked)+ART Value
Now, let's see the whole thing together.
Movement = (TMM+[1 IF partial jump, 2 IF full jump])
Defense = (2*Armor+Structure)
Offense = (Melee+Short+Medium+Long+[Special short+medium+long*#Special modes]+Overheat)
Special=(1*#Basic Abilities)+(2*#Expanded Abilities)+IF Value+(1*#C3 units networked)+(2*#C3BS units networked)+ART Value
Let's test it out with my classic comparison, LCT-1V versus Timber Wolf Prime.
LCT-1V... Movement = 3 = (max TMM of +3), Defense = 6 = (2*2+2), Offense = 3 = (1+1+1+0), Special = 0 (nuffin there!). Added up, that makes an LCT-1V worth 12 points.
Timber Wolf Prime... Movement = 2 = (max TMM+2), Defense = 20 (2*8+4), Offense = 16 = (3+4+3+2+(1+1+1*1)+1), Special = 3 (CASE, OMNI, and IF1). That adds up to... 41. Huh. In terms of Alpha Strike, (NOT Battletech!) are 4 Locusts (give or take!) equal to a Timber Wolf Prime? For some reason, that doesn't exactly feel off to me. They could certainly close with a single Timby and circle it to fire at the rear...
It might not be perfect, but it feels 'better', more organic, than using the BV system, where it says that 1 Timber Wolf Prime equals 7 LCT-1Vs, and that's a matchup where they tear the Timby to pieces - while losing half their number, it's true, but it's not a 'fair' matchup.
Anyway, I'm gonna post this, and think about it some more.