The 'Mechs that never see use in your games

[wantec]

Well, there is that Rifleman....

The -4D, -5D, -7X, or -8X?

[Kit deSummersville]

The -4D, -5D, -7X, or -8X?

The 4D, which would be warm if DHS had been a thing for it in 3021. PNT-10Ks actually feel bad for it in combat and have been known to offer it coolant.

[Mattlov]

The 4D, which would be warm if DHS had been a thing for it in 3021. PNT-10Ks actually feel bad for it in combat and have been known to offer it coolant.

That is an amazing line.   ;D

[Ruger]

That is an amazing line.   ;D

Yeah, I can imagine the Rifleman's comeback...

"You ever managed to pick up any other 'Mechs with that line?"

 ;D

Ruger

[garhkal]

Well yes, there is that little detail (Who'd have guessed that a Charger could charge?), but a much less safe option in most cases.  A charge attack carries a higher to-hit number, and the penalties for missing are more dangerous, plus you take damage even if you succeed.  Besides, casually strolling up and kicking them is a much more "dignified"  and controllable way of expressing your discontent at their political views than by running into them, soiling your immaculate paint scheme, and scattering damage all over the place.

And you can't fire any weapons when charging, which i have never understood..

[House Davie Merc]

Shadowhawk .

Yup . One of the early icons of the game .

Until the reseen RAC/5 version they would never
hit the game table unless they were rolled on a RAT or
somebody was forced to take one .

For the weight or BV points there just always seems to be a
better option in 3025 era games . The D variant is one of the worst in the game
and while the K is more usable the Griffin is usually better .

The 4D, which would be warm if DHS had been a thing for it in 3021. PNT-10Ks actually feel bad for it in combat and have been known to offer it coolant.

  The 4D actually shows up in our games from time to time .
Flipping arms makes it useful for discouraging back attacks .
It's one of the lightest and lowest  BV cost designs with twin PPCs .

[JadeHellbringer]

The 4D, which would be warm if DHS had been a thing for it in 3021. PNT-10Ks actually feel bad for it in combat and have been known to offer it coolant.

RiflePuddle.

[Don Lunardi]

RiflePuddle.

I played around with a hypothetical Marik -4M model that just went for Quad LLs backed up by 19 SHS.  Actually, if you use it as an AA platform with a turn to cool down between passes, its not too bad (thou its arguable that retaining the AC/5s would be better for such if you're using Flak rounds).  Against ground targets, could get off a couple full Alpha strikes before baking itself into a likely shutdown, which is more than the RiflePuddle -4D can manage.

Admittedly never used the base Rifleman much, except when I was first learning the game and the person teaching me gave me one to use while he took a "comparable Heavy 'Mech" to face me...a Warhammer. ???  In retrospect it should have been an easy Newb stomping for him, until I Golden BB'd the Whammy.  Ever since then, learned not to underestimate the humble Rifleman  >:D

Don't even get me started on the Rifleman IIC though.  Played a campaign game where a pair of those were rolled as part of the OPFOR I was facing.  4x CLPLs each be like Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow....

[CampaignAnon]

Shockingly for how often I played the Word, I don't use the White or Blue Flames, the Gurkha, Tessen, Lightray (SO MANY KNEEEEEEEEES), or some of the other Blakist staples. Possibly because I like C3i, and ECCM is required to make that at all useful on my table. And now that I think about it, I've used the Excalibur a sum total of twice, possibly because I like having at least some sort of backup laser. Oddly, both times I played a losing RWA force. I wonder if it's a sign...

[pensiveswetness]

Shockingly for how often I played the Word, I don't use the White or Blue Flames, the Gurkha, Tessen, Lightray (SO MANY KNEEEEEEEEES), or some of the other Blakist staples. Possibly because I like C3i, and ECCM is required to make that at all useful on my table. And now that I think about it, I've used the Excalibur a sum total of twice, possibly because I like having at least some sort of backup laser. Oddly, both times I played a losing RWA force. I wonder if it's a sign...

I just played a Blue Flame this last session with my wife. She turned it into a White Flame by the end of play :D

[Kit deSummersville]

Oh, as recently mentioned in another thread, the Hoplite. Hey, let's make a slower, non-jumping, more ammo dependent Griffin with less missiles. Yay!

[klarg1]

The older the TRO, the more likely I have used a mech from it. I don't think there is any mech from 3025 that did not appear in my games on either side.
But if I look at the latest early Jihad Era game, maybe only 10-15% of mechs were from that era.

By Mech I mean a specific chassis, not just a specific model.

That makes sense.

I mean, with the progress of time, we have come up with a crazy huge number of 'mech chassis, without even discussing individual variants.

I *think* I've used everything from the original 3025 at least once, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm probably close on 2750, and the few add-ons from 3050 as well, but I'd have to ponder it.

It's been a lot of years of Battletech.  :o

[JadeHellbringer]

For me, it's similar- most anything up through about 3060 I've used at least once or twice, most of '67 I'd say... beyond that, my Battletech has been limited (I haven't played since early fall of 2016 beyond occasional Megamek games against the bot), so most Jihad and beyond tech is spotty on whether I've tried it or not. Lack of opportunity more than lack of interest.

[Thatguybil]

Grand Titan
Never liked mechs with OS weapons.

[Col Toda]

It just occurred to me . How often anyone seen the Charger ? I have seen the opposition force use one twice in 30 years and after the battle it is stripped for parts for Hatamoto mechs which use the same chassis . One instance we captured one intact and salvaged it rather than field it . Has anyone noticed the same thing ? But  I stand by my original statement that the Mauler is not even valued as scrape where the Charger is looked upon as spare Hatamoto parts and has a high inherent value.

[JadeHellbringer]

It just occurred to me . How often anyone seen the Charger ? I have seen the opposition force use one twice in 30 years and after the battle it is stripped for parts for Hatamoto mechs which use the same chassis . One instance we captured one intact and salvaged it rather than field it . Has anyone noticed the same thing ? But  I stand by my original statement that the Mauler is not even valued as scrape where the Charger is looked upon as spare Hatamoto parts and has a high inherent value.

The 1A1? No, other than for humor. But other versions... man, you don't forget the first time you go up against a 1A5, let's just say that. Later versions like the 3K can get pretty fun too, but in 3025-era play a 1A5 is a really unfortunate opponent to stumble across in close quarters. Where you expect small lasers, you get a whole fistful of bad-freaking-day.

[Feenix74]

I have field a Charger-1A1. The RAT and the dice were unkind that day but I had fun with it.

The maps were a urban area (also randomly selected) and I gave my opponent a brown underpants moment when I cornered one of his medium mechs by charging through a building to leave him nowhere to run or hide from the "hulk smash".

[Sartris]

The 1A1? No, other than for humor. But other versions... man, you don't forget the first time you go up against a 1A5, let's just say that. Later versions like the 3K can get pretty fun too, but in 3025-era play a 1A5 is a really unfortunate opponent to stumble across in close quarters. Where you expect small lasers, you get a whole fistful of bad-freaking-day.

I love the 1A5 but my favorite Charger is the 3Kr with JJs, TC, a sword, and TSM.

[Hellraiser]

What do you have sitting around you haven't used in a forever and a half?  Any reason why?

If I own the mini, I probably use it every few years. 
That said, there are a boatload of mini's I don't own.
Pretty much if its from TRO3055 or later & isn't a FC based design, I probably don't have it.


My collection probably has a lance each Catapults, Archers, & Trebuchets in it, but not a single Apollo, etc etc.
I think my TRO:3055 IS collection probably only consists of Wraith, Penetrator, & Gunslinger, with a possible Falconer or Berzerker thrown in.  But those 5 would be it.

[Feign]

Grand Titan
Never liked mechs with OS weapons.

One of my friends used a Grand Titan in a mercenaries campaign specifically because it looks like Optimus Prime.  If there has ever been a mech less suitable for a Merc company, I'm unaware of it.

As for mechs I've never seen used on the table, the Imp comes immediately to mind.  It's a shame, since almost every variant of the Imp seems like a very solid design on paper.

[Kovax]

It just occurred to me . How often anyone seen the Charger ?

I had this to say about the Charger 1A1 earlier in the thread:

What's not to like about it?  It's actually a pretty decent Medium 'Mech, except that it happens to weigh 80 tons.  Anything within its 8 hex movement range is at risk of a 16 point kick or a pair of 8 point punches, so the pathetic weapons selection is nearly irrelevant.  Put one on the table and other players joke about it and wonder what you were thinking.....except for the few who remember the LAST time it appeared and start to back away from it.

While it's not something that I'd go out of my way to field, it's a perfectly viable choice for the BV, just not on a tonnage or cost basis.  Don't underestimate its physical combat capabilities.  In terms of both armor and movement, it falls squarely into the Medium 'Mech category; the pathetic weapons suite is counterbalanced by the higher physical attack damage.  Treat it as a 40 ton design with point-blank weapons and "always active" TSM, and it's not bad; you just have to ignore the fact that it weighs 80 tons.

[Iron Mongoose]

I did have an opponent take a Charger 1A1 against me in a competitive game.  His thought was, since I had a lighter force, to use it for its powerful physical attacks to try and push my smaller mechs around.  But, he didn't realize I'd take an all jumping force, so the ground bound Charger couldn't get into contact enough to get the job done.

Other than that once, I've only seen the 1A1 as a goof.

How about the Urbie?  It gets a lot of love on the boards, but I can't think of seeing on in a competitive game.  Sure, they've got surprising power for a light mech and they're just comical for their looks and sloth, but they're so tactically limited that I don't know who actually follows through on all the love and actually takes one.

[JadeHellbringer]

How about the Urbie?  It gets a lot of love on the boards, but I can't think of seeing on in a competitive game.  Sure, they've got surprising power for a light mech and they're just comical for their looks and sloth, but they're so tactically limited that I don't know who actually follows through on all the love and actually takes one.

On a few occasions, actually. Dirt-cheap in BV, which is great. The key is to not think of it as a Battlemech in the traditional sense- it's not. It's a mobile (even jump-capable!) turret emplacement, and on 30 tons it's hard to find a better way to move a heavy weapon into position in bad terrain. And it's house money- if you lose it, you lost an Urbanmech, whatever. The R63's LBX is a great upgrade, too- now I have a mobile AA gun position to park wherever I'd rather enemy air assets not go. (The pulse laser added on is nice in case of infantry too, though I admit I'd have been just as happy with more ammo for the main gun).

I couldn't be a bigger fan if I tried. They regularly are part of defensive forces for me.

[Iron Mongoose]

Guess it's been too long since we played (on that note, over the past 12 years or so, have we ever actually had a proper game?)

[JadeHellbringer]

Guess it's been too long since we played (on that note, over the past 12 years or so, have we ever actually had a proper game?)

I don't think so- after a few crappy experiences here I kind of stopped doing MM games with forum-goers for the most part, and only have been taking part in monthly games in Baltimore up until last fall (not even doing those now). My Battletech experience has dwindled to painting the occasional miniature, doing a game against the bot in the background while working at home, and what I do here on the forums.  :-\

[House Davie Merc]

It just occurred to me . How often anyone seen the Charger ? I have seen the opposition force use one twice in 30 years and after the battle it is stripped for parts for Hatamoto mechs which use the same chassis . One instance we captured one intact and salvaged it rather than field it . Has anyone noticed the same thing ? But  I stand by my original statement that the Mauler is not even valued as scrape where the Charger is looked upon as spare Hatamoto parts and has a high inherent value.

I've gamed with 2 different players that fielded the 1A1 once in a while .

Both would run it at full speed all the time and take full advantage of any terrain
to get it into physical attack range . While everyone else was maneuvering into
favorable positions they would just run in and get in you're face .
It made for some interesting games .
You'd think taking out a Charger with a Hunchback would be easy-until
you loose initiative for a couple rounds in a row .
BTW-Win a charger closes with a Whammy on the same level the Whammy
often looses quickly .

I don't think so- after a few crappy experiences here I kind of stopped doing MM games with forum-goers for the most part, and only have been taking part in monthly games in Baltimore up until last fall (not even doing those now). My Battletech experience has dwindled to painting the occasional miniature, doing a game against the bot in the background while working at home, and what I do here on the forums.  :-\

If you're ever going through southern PA send me an IM .
Most of the local players have moved away or are busy with family .
My little boy keeps me to busy to match schedules .
I'd be happy to bring my 3D terrain and set up a great
looking board for you to school me on  3025 style .

[sadlerbw]

The bug mechs don't see much use for me. They don't look all that bad, but I don't own any of the unseen minis so my only options are reseen or proxying in stuff like the primitive wasp or the stinger IIC. I actually like both of those minis, but I just tend to ignore the classic 20T trio. Of the three, I use the Locust far more often, but oddly I dislike its current minis the most. I did just buy one of the new IWM Wasp minis though, so maybe it will be more than a shelf queen. I'll use a wide variety of ugly or terrible mechs, but the Stinger and Wasp are two I seem to avoid as often as possible.

[Kojak]

I can say with confidence that I've never used a Targe and almost certainly never will.

[Mattlov]

I can say with confidence that I've never used a Targe and almost certainly never will.

I don't even own one in metal.

[Nastyogre]

Agreed.  The original Rifleman is just too poorly designed. 

I generally do not use the 20 tonners as for the speed there are better units or a hovertank can do the job better. 

I never use the Urbanmech.

RFL, JM-6 and Urbie all have their place on my table. 3025 just doesn't have that many good mechs. It becomes boring to run the same half dozen optimized units.