Talk to me about retractable blades

[mbear]

These strike me as a complete waste of tonnage. They just don't make sense to me. What are some circumstances where they're useful?

[Fat Guy]

-2 to punch. Most people don't punch much anymore since Total Warfare made it more difficult. With the blade, the punch and kick now need the same numbers.

[Sartris]

There's also that optional rule - if you have the blade retracted, you can deploy it on a successful punch and force a critical roll

[Iceweb]

If your not kicking you need a skilled pilot to make it worth using a weapon. 
The retractable blade needs the optional rule to let it force crits. 
Also like any physical weapon you want TSM to up the damage which means you need a specialized mech. 
I guess a case could be made to using AES instead to connect more since in some sense a retractable blade doesn't care about the damage it does to get a crit. 

If your pilot is good enough I like paring the blade with a claw in the other hand since you want to be punching on both arms. 
If you can get behind an enemy mech you have a good chance of the punch table giving you a good location to hit so save your punchy mech for last and make sure they are fast/mobile. 

[Liam's Ghost]

They're industrial tools re-purposed for combat, so actual utility compared to real weapons is limited.

They offer the same modifier as kicking, but aren't limited to damaging the legs of your opponent, which might have occasional value. The optional piercing rule would be their biggest advantage.

They might have more esoteric advantages in universe. As industrial tools they might be easier for questionable groups to obtain. There's also the coolness factor.

-2 to punch. Most people don't punch much anymore since Total Warfare made it more difficult. With the blade, the punch and kick now need the same numbers.

The retractable blade hits on the full body table normally. To resolve on the punch table imposes an additional +4 penalty, making it harder to hit than a punch.

[pensiveswetness]

Which is better than the Punch Table because that lovely '2' or '12' roll. add that the previously mentioned Extra Critical roll Option and you have the potential of 6 crits to a Torso Location. HOLY crap if your target is a Torso-Cockpit user.

[Death by Lasers]

  I tend to find retractable blades to be inferior to kicks in most situations under the standard rules.  However, the Tac Ops optional rule that allows you to punch with a chance of critical hit actually makes them pretty useful.

[Cryhavok101]

A light mech punching the center torso of an atlas and destroying it outright with an engine crit due to the weapon's optional rule. The crits they can force let smaller things punch above their weight, so to speak.

And yes, I have had that happen in a game. Atlas pilot was pissed.

[Col Toda]

It is an internal security weapon should a WoB pilot break conditioning with none buffered VDNI implant every possible critical becomes a pilot hit so has a chance to render him unconscious or mech inoperable with every hit with a retractable blade. Buffered VDNI and and improved indoctrination methods made the weapon less useful for that purpose but by then it was installed in a lot of Mechs .

[SCC]

Which is better than the Punch Table because that lovely '2' or '12' roll. add that the previously mentioned Extra Critical roll Option and you have the potential of 6 crits to a Torso Location. HOLY crap if your target is a Torso-Cockpit user.

That  Extra Critical roll Option is based if a punch, you make a normal punch attack and if you hit you can extend the blade for a crit.

[mbear]

Someone mentioned they were repurposed industrial equipment. What role did they have there? A 'Mech sized machete for getting through jungles? Punching a giant cow? An accessory for the Jets or Sharks in a production of West Side Story with 'Mechs?

[Weirdo]

Probably the first two on explorer mechs and ranchers dealing with megafauna/megaflora. The third happened as soon as a cast's worth of these mechs were ever gathered in one place.

[Kit deSummersville]

Its a giant utility blade for a 'Mech. You use it when you need a giant blade, kind of like I use my knife for a whole mess of uses.

[pheonixstorm]

I have used it on Assassin refits for headhunting. Works wonders most times until the blade breaks. That is the downside of the optional rule. So long as you can backstab and get that crit in though... }:)