Grasshopper GHR-WU

[Black_Knyght]

Some time ago I posted the following ( http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=52595.msg1213967#msg1213967 ) when one of our group's players wanted to upgrade/customized her ride in-campaign using salvaged equipment and technologies.

She was quite happy with the outcome, and has brutally savaged and slain more than a few enemy mechs and vehicles with her resulting monstrosity.

At least she had been, until two weeks ago...

A harassment raid by her battalion against a backwater Jade Falcon garrison went horribly wrong for her Battle Lance.  After getting a bit too ambitious (which she's prone to doing), she and her Charger CGR-WU ended up in an unfortunate encounter with an angry Warhawk Prime that resulted in her mech's gyro, right arm, and both legs being wrecked and/or destroyed. Luckily for her she managed to eject and  the Warhawk Prime was driven off. She was then saved by a nearby friendly while another friendly managed to salvage her mech's hatchet by carrying off the Charger's separated arm.

Which brings me to the Grasshopper.

One of only a few battlemechs available to her after the loss of her Charger, she used her considerable resources and Battalion salvage to upgrade/customize the Grasshopper as shown below.

NOTE: This battlemech has NOT been optimized to it's fullest potential within the rules! It has simply been modified over time to the player's specifications as a replacement for her lost Charger, using the resources, materials, and equipment that were available to her and the Battalion at the time.

Grasshopper GHR-WU

Code: [Select]

Grasshopper GHR-WU
Mixed Tech (Base IS) Heavy Battlemech
70 tons 
BV: 2,196
Cost: 13,924,473 C-bills

Movement: 4/6/4
Engine: 280 XL (Clan)
Heat Sinks: 19 [38] (Clan)
Cockpit: Small Cockpit
Gyro: Standard Gyro

Internal: 107
Armor: 203/217 (Light Ferro-Fibrous)
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso               22       32
Center Torso (rear)                 10
Right Torso                15       23
Right Torso (rear)                   7
Left Torso                 15       23
Left Torso (rear)                    7
Right Arm                  11       21
Left Arm                   11       21
Right Leg                  15       25
Left Leg                   15       25

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
ER Large Laser (Clan)           RA    12
ER Large Laser (Clan)           LA    12
ER Large Laser (Clan)           RT    12
ER Large Laser (Clan)           LT    12
SRM 6 (IS)                      HD     4

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
SRM 6 Ammo (IS)                 RT   15

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Hatchet                         RA

[Tymers Realm]

Um....

I realize it's not 'optimized', as you put it. But I was just working it in SSW, and as stated, it's 8 tons over.
It looks like you have enough Crits for everything.

Just saying...

[Sockmonkey]

Um....

I realize it's not 'optimized', as you put it. But I was just working it in SSW, and as stated, it's 8 tons over.
It looks like you have enough Crits for everything.

Just saying...

You must not have factored in the clan XL engine.

[Black_Knyght]

Odd, in my MML it comes out zeroed.

[Tymers Realm]

Well here's how it looks in SSW's TRO format:

Code: [Select]

Grasshopper GHR-WU

Mass: 70 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: X/X-X-X-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 13,708,573 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,284

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 280 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
    Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: Unknown Light Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    4  (CL) Large Pulse Lasers
    1  (IS) SRM-6
    1  Hatchet
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     107 points                7.00
Engine:             XL Engine                    280                       8.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 4 Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 2 LL, 2 RL                                         4.00
Heat Sinks:         (CL) Double Heat Sink        19(38)                    9.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 3 LT, 2 RT, 3 LA
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Small                                                  2.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Light Ferro-Fibrous          AV - 203                 12.00
    Armor Locations: 2 CT, 2 LT, 3 RT

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     22           32       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  10       
                                           L/R Torso     15           23       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  7         
                                             L/R Arm     11           21       
                                             L/R Leg     15           25       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(IS) SRM-6                                   HD        4         2         3.00
(CL) Large Pulse Laser                       RT        10        2         6.00
(CL) Large Pulse Laser                       LT        10        2         6.00
(CL) Large Pulse Laser                       RA        10        2         6.00
Hatchet                                      RA        -         5         5.00
(CL) Large Pulse Laser                       LA        10        2         6.00
@SRM-6 (15)                                  RT        -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 1

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 23
4j         5       5       5       0      3     1   Structure:  4
Special Abilities: MEL, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA

And as I'm looking at it:

Code: [Select]

IS:              7.0 tons
Engine:          8.0 tons
Cockpit & Gyro:  5.0 tons
Heat Sinks:      9.0 Tons
Jump Jets:       4.0 tons
Armor:          12.0 tons
Weapons:        33.0 tons
Total:          78.0 tons

Does that help?

[Black_Knyght]

Weird.

MML shows the exact same numbers for a zeroed tonnage and a different BV. Something's wrong somewhere, but I'll be damned if I know which one. LOL

[Tymers Realm]

I think SSW's means of calculating BV is off somewhere.
The basic numbers are correct usually, but the actual formulation is messed up. And I doubt it'll be corrected anytime soon.

Actually, I just built it in MML as well. I'm on ver. 0.1.11 of MML and have the same overtonnage and BV values I get in SSW
78.0/70.0 tons and a BV of 2284

[misterpants]

OP is using (C)ERLLs, not (C)LPLs.

[Tymers Realm]

OP is using (C)ERLLs, not (C)LPLs.

Ok...
My bad. That's what I get for trying to figure something out when I should of been getting to bed.

Sorry...

[Black_Knyght]

Doh !!!  [drool]


That makes TWO of us, since I missed that mistake in your efforts too... :o

[Col Toda]

Outside of Solaris VII maintaining this outside of the Clan invasion ERA would be tough . Effective looking though.

[Black_Knyght]

Not one of my favorite designs, but Jiang has a thing for her "Cleaver/Machete/Hatchet" and loves using it in the games to cleave enemy cockpits. She was crushed when her Charger was destroyed (bad idea trying to one-on-one rush an angry Warhawk Prime), and although she's using this Grasshopper she plans to get a better replacement when she can.

I was just wondering what folks here thought of this rather...strange...custom monstrosity?  ;) :D

[Firesprocket]

I was just wondering what folks here thought of this rather...strange...custom monstrosity?  ;) :D

Except for the hatchet, seems perfectly fine to me.  I just find the majority of melee weapons a waste.

[grimlock1]

Small cockpit on a melee mech is an interesting choice.

[Sabelkatten]

Well, a melee specialist pilot is likely to have a very good piloting skill and thus most likely to be able to handle a small cockpit.

[Black_Knyght]

Well, a melee specialist pilot is likely to have a very good piloting skill and thus most likely to be able to handle a small cockpit.

She and the group discussed that a bit, and apparently came to a consensus that a small cockpit on the Grasshopper seemed an obvious choice, given to look of both the TRO art and the miniature.

Also, in this particular case the player's character,Clarisse Wu - a.k.a Madame Woe, has risen to an elite level pilot with a veteran level gunnery skill.  8)

Jiang poured her skill points into piloting just so she could make DFA and Hatchet attacks! It's kind of become her trade-mark thing in our long-running campaigns. >:D

But then thinking about it I guess each of our group kind of has their own thing, myself included... :P

[misterpants]

How are the massed ERLLs working out? Typically when I see lots of Clan ERLLs I think sniper.

[grimlock1]

Well, a melee specialist pilot is likely to have a very good piloting skill and thus most likely to be able to handle a small cockpit.

I just noticed something in the Misconceptions chapter of BMM.  Physical attacks use Piloting Skill as the base THN, but they are not PSR's.  Page 130, item 10 uses small cockpits and physical attacks as a specific example.

So that small cockpit won't be an issue until the pilot is trying to keep her feet after a kick.

[Black_Knyght]

How are the massed ERLLs working out? Typically when I see lots of Clan ERLLs I think sniper.

So far pretty well for Jiang. She still tends to "get up close and personal", so her ranged numbers always give her fairly easy hits with them. And they work well until she can get close too.