Bang for Buck

[Azakael]

So I'm adding to my Brotherhood of Outreach force. I have two Mechwarriors to get a ride for. Both are regular pilots, and will be backing up my 3/3 Locust 1E in my next mission, Stirring the Anthill. Expected OPFOR are Elite Pilots in DCMS or Nova Cat 'Mechs. They will be 150% of my BV and have to include at least a single Ocelot.
My original plan was to bring two more Light 'Mechs, a 35 ton Intro Rules and a 35 ton Standard Rules. But I'm beginning to rethink that.
My force restriction is: Nothing post 3069. Must be on the MUL. No Customs. Must have Mercenary or Inner Sphere General availability.
Budget is:
20 ton, 85 ton both Introtech
20 ton Intro, 40 ton Standard
25 ton, 80 ton Intro
25 ton Intro, 40 ton Standard
30 ton, 75 ton Intro
30 ton Intro, 35 ton Standard
35 ton, 70 ton Intro
35 ton Intro, 35 ton Standard
40 ton, 65 ton Intro
45 ton, 60 ton Intro
50 ton, 55 ton Intro

Additionally, at some point my full command will be back together, and these will filter into the existing force to start creating formal lances: Griffin 3M, Gallowglas 1GLS, Watchman 4M, Bushwacker S2, Wraith TR1, and Perseus P1.

I need something that can take a punch to possibly distract from the Locust (and friend?) backstabbing. There will be some Vehicle support in Drillsons and maybe Battle Armor on Bandit. And the mission will be in deep snow.

My initial thought was an Intro Grasshopper with an Intro Panther. Snipe with Panther, Tank with Hopper, and Backstab with Locust (And Drillsons.) I'm beginning to have doubts though. Any other suggestions would be nice.

[Frogfoot]

Grasshopper is what sprang to mind for me too. There's also the Guillotine which has a similar role. For light mechs you could take the JR7-F Jenner or a WLF-1B Wolfhound.


That next battle sounds HARD though. Elite Clan pilots with 150% of your BV? Holy crackers. Though if the piloting skill is included in the BV that might not be so bad. You might only be facing two mechs that way - but still, it sounds HARD.

[Saint]

I'm setting up for a campaign with similar restrictions.  I picked a Sentinel KA and A Tbolt 5SE, both intro and good troopers.

Th Sentinel swaps the AC5 for a Large Laser,heat sinks, and max armor.

The Tbolt will act much like the Grasshopper, but with a little more ranged punch.

[Kovax]

The T-Bolt sounds like a good selection: a little bit of everything, except a LOT of armor, and should "tank" about as well as a GHR for 5 less tons.  The only thing you're giving up is jump jets and a ML, and getting far better LRM support, twin MGs for anti-infantry use, and the potential to pack Infernos for additional fun and games.

If you've already got a Wraith in the rest of the command, you don't need another backstabber in the long haul, even if it might help in the current battle.  Consider a basic WTH-1, or if you want to add yet another backstab design, a HER-2M, both at 40t.

[Sharkapult]

And the mission will be in deep snow.

Deep snow restricts ground movement, if I recall correctly. It adds 1 to move though any hex. So a clear hex requires 2 mp, etc.

Take jumping mechs or armor slabs. You said you are facing elite clan pilots? Practice your "gobble gobble" cause this one looks like a turkey shoot.

[Dayton3]

based on the thread title I  figured this was about the sex lives of deer.

[Iron Mongoose]

Against elite clan pilots, light mechs are likely to prove ineffective, since they just won't miss enough.

I'd think about taking something big and nasty, like an Awesome.  Your enemy won't miss it, but it should be able to soak up the damage for a while, and even at 150% your BV, with such great pilots if they use Nova Cat mechs they'll likely be small and fast, so they shouldn't be able to bring you down too fast (the Awesome's out of control rear armor rules back shots out).  Then, maybe you might be able to get a Commando or something.

Alternitively, if you want to go with a new tech light, the Venom would be good, since it will help even the disparity in skill levels with it's pulse lasers (make sure to take one with DHS).  Pair it with a Spider if you need to keep that 8/12+ movement, or a Jenner F if 7/11 is enough, or depending on the map a Wolfhound or even a Panther.

[Giovanni Blasini]

What about another LCT-1E and a STK-3F Stalker?

[Azakael]

Deep snow restricts ground movement, if I recall correctly. It adds 1 to move though any hex. So a clear hex requires 2 mp, etc.

Take jumping mechs or armor slabs. You said you are facing elite clan pilots? Practice your "gobble gobble" cause this one looks like a turkey shoot.

Well, I'm to blame. I chose to take the scenario. I blame the authors behind Total Chaos.

Right now, I'm actually leaning towards the Whitworth (Voluntarily taking a "Worthless"... man... desperation...)/ Thunderbolt.

[Sharkapult]

Well, I'm to blame. I chose to take the scenario. I blame the authors behind Total Chaos.

Right now, I'm actually leaning towards the Whitworth (Voluntarily taking a "Worthless"... man... desperation...)/ Thunderbolt.

That's not a bad choice, Nova Cat Mechs are usually long ranged (ERLL EVERYWHERE!)  and the Whitworth has a lot of armor for it's size and has serious reach. You aren't wasting tonnage on an engine you can't use and it jumps,so it'll cover ground quickly.
The Thunderbolt just... Won't... Die... So it'll absorb a ton of damage.
Don't expect the LCT or other non jumper light Mechs to last past round 2. 25 hex reach of the ERLL with the slower movement forced by conditions means they won't be difficult to hit.
Good luck!

[Azakael]

Don't expect the LCT or other non jumper light Mechs to last past round 2. 25 hex reach of the ERLL with the slower movement forced by conditions means they won't be difficult to hit.
Good luck!

Thanks! Due to snow, the LCT might just sit her butt home, while I bring Mr. Drillson(s).

[Sharkapult]

Thanks! Due to snow, the LCT might just sit her butt home, while I bring Mr. Drillson(s).

Snow won't slow down the hovercraft, that's a very savvy choice in my opinion.

[Mattlov]

I'd run 2 Regulators and 3 Savannah Masters just for funsies.  The snow will hamper them, and they are fast enough that you can keep the Regulators at range AND speed, allowing you to try to defeat them.

[Iron Mongoose]

Oh, if you can get Regulators, do it.  Honestly, one of the units in the game that I fear more than any other.

[Frogfoot]

A standard Ocelot with an Elite Clan pilot is going to be 3223 BV.  A Grasshopper + Panther with Regular IS pilots are going to be ~2250 BV, depending on what Introtech variants you're using. Add in your Locust 1E and that's going to come in at roughly ~3150 BV. 150% of that is ~4700 BV.

That doesn't leave much for the Nova Cats to have a second Elite unit, considering that Elite bloats the cost by almost 3x as much. Even an Elite Urbie IIC is nearly 1800 BV. Looks to me like you might just be facing 2 Light mechs, one of which will be the Ocelot and the other some Star League or DCMS trash, or else you'll be up against the Ocelot and a couple of Battle Armour points or tanks.

[Hellraiser]

I have two Mechwarriors to get a ride for. Both are regular pilots, and will be backing up my 3/3 Locust 1E in my next mission, Stirring the Anthill. Expected OPFOR are Elite Pilots in DCMS or Nova Cat 'Mechs. They will be 150% of my BV and have to include at least a single Ocelot.
My original plan was to bring two more Light 'Mechs, a 35 ton Intro Rules and a 35 ton Standard Rules. But I'm beginning to rethink that.

Budget is:   ............ 

So as I'm reading it its 2 mechs totaling 105 tons of IntroTech with Standard Tech being worth 2x as much as Intro. 
I have a GM that does a very similar type set up.

My initial thought was an Intro Grasshopper with an Intro Panther. Snipe with Panther, Tank with Hopper, and Backstab with Locust (And Drillsons.) I'm beginning to have doubts though. Any other suggestions would be nice.

Leave the Locust at home this mission.
The Deep Snow is going to ruin its mobility & the supped up warrior inside is just giving the enemy more BV to play with.

That Ocelot has 3x 15 Hex guns & the HS to use them all day so your going to want something to be able to respond to that & the speed to keep in range of the Ocelot.

My initial thought is to go Griffin-1S & Enforcer-4R w/ Precision Ammo.
That gives you jumpjets, decent armor, & a "pulse weapon to 15 hexes to counter that ocelot"

Back them up w/ Hovers & you might stand a chance against the DC/NC force.

[Azakael]

Yeah, at this point: Locust is staying home.

We're using the Chaos Campaign system, with support points, so that's exactly how the costs work. The scenario in question is "Stirring the Anthill" from Total Chaos.

Sadly, the Regulator and Savannah Master option is not there. As funny as that would be. I don't have the resources to pick them up.

So I might be considering the Thudbutt and Whitworth, backed up with a pair of Drillsons for the backstab that would normally be the Locust's job. That would give him a total BV of 6371 (One of the Drillsons is a 4/6.)

Edit: Add in the price and a half of a 4-man Kage squad. Which I don't remember off-hand.

[truetanker]

Edit: Add in the price and a half of a 4-man Kage squad. Which I don't remember off-hand.

About 20 Tag, 22 Mg / Flamer and 24 Laser

Times 1.5

30, 33, 36 respectfully​.

TT