Design Review Board - Grasshopper GHR-7H

[Black_Knyght]

Up for general consideration, thoughts, and design review - a early Jihad-era Grasshopper variant armed with four large lasers and infernos


Grasshopper GHR-7H

Code: [Select]

Grasshopper GHR-7H
IS Heavy Battlemech
70 tons 
BV: 1,599
Cost: 13,185,823 C-bills

Movement: 4/6/4
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 18 [36]
Gyro: Standard Gyro

Internal: 107
Armor: 216/217
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso               22       35
Center Torso (rear)                  8
Right Torso                15       25
Right Torso (rear)                   5
Left Torso                 15       25
Left Torso (rear)                    5
Right Arm                  11       22
Left Arm                   11       22
Right Leg                  15       30
Left Leg                   15       30

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Large Laser                     RA     8
Large Laser                     RT     8
Large Laser                     LT     8
Large Laser                     LA     8
SRM 4                           HD     3

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
SRM 4 Inferno Ammo              RT    25

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
CASE                            RT

[Tyler Jorgensson]

I like with the only exception being the SRM launcher and even then I can only find enough crits to replace with a Light PPC : I'd do it personally but..... ehhh

Beautiful upgrade

[packhntr]

I like it, but something is "odd".  Not certain what.  You kept the overall look (missiles in the head) and significantly improved the firepower while remaining heat neutral. Feels like an Awesome. But moved better.  I like the use of standard large lasers.  Great range increments with acceptable heat and damage.  It just seems kinda "blah".  Not certain why.

[Black_Knyght]

Works pretty well in game play, especially against a particular player who dismissed the Grasshopper as any real threat at first sight.  ;)


He called the Grasshopper a "Joke Heavy", then his Warhammer got properly ambushed by it and dissected. And the infernos were a nicely nasty touch too!

[packhntr]

Works pretty well in game play, especially against a particular player who dismissed the Grasshopper as any real threat at first sight.  ;)


He called the Grasshopper a "Joke Heavy", then his Warhammer got properly ambushed by it and dissected. And the infernos were a nicely nasty touch too!

Dismissing anything with heavy armor and a quartet of Large Lasers is a mistake you only make once.  The only thing more dangerous is a quartet of PPC's. (or HPPC's).  Nonetheless, this is a solid design.

[Cryhavok101]

The only thing more dangerous is a quartet of PPC's. (or HPPC's).

If this had 4 more tons from somewhere, it could switch those four large lasers for Snub-nosed PPCs.

[Black_Knyght]

Dismissing anything with heavy armor and a quartet of Large Lasers is a mistake you only make once.  The only thing more dangerous is a quartet of PPC's. (or HPPC's).  Nonetheless, this is a solid design.

Agreed!

Vittorio dismissed it out of hand because, in HIS words, there's never been a decent Grasshopper variant. He loves his Marik Whammie and is convinced of it's superiority. Even after I beat him with my 'Hopper he insists it was just a lucky fluke  ;D

Oddly enough the one question everyone I game with asks is "why no secondary weapons?"  -  Because THIS version doesn't need them!
 

[packhntr]

If this had 4 more tons from somewhere, it could switch those four large lasers for Snub-nosed PPCs.

I would almost consider LPPC's with caps.  And a switch to Endo.

[Nightsong]

Agreed!

Vittorio dismissed it out of hand because, in HIS words, there's never been a decent Grasshopper variant. He loves his Marik Whammie and is convinced of it's superiority. Even after I beat him with my 'Hopper he insists it was just a lucky fluke  ;D

Oddly enough the one question everyone I game with asks is "why no secondary weapons?"  -  Because THIS version doesn't need them!

(Glares from the cockpit of my -5N) them's fightin' words!  :D

[Firesprocket]

I like it, but something is "odd".

It is probably the speed of the Grasshopper and the fact it has an XL engine.  The GHR-7K has similar range with 2 Snubs and 2 LPPCs and carries an additional laser and electronics instead of the SRM launcher.  While I like infernos, I don't think they add much to the design.  The 7K uses endo steel in order to save the weight.  You could do the same thing with BK's design and get the same weapons, just minus the SRM and a heat sink or two.  Small drop in armor.

You can also go full out and take the XL and the ES and get to 5/8/5, have 4 LLasers and just a hair under max armor.  The closest comparison I can draw to his machine is the old Tech Factory Rifleman.

Rifleman RFL-4L

Mass: 60 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3071
Cost: 11,247,200 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,629

Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 300 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
    4  Large Lasers
    1  Medium Laser
    2  Small Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel                    99 points                3.00
    Internal Locations: 3 LT, 2 RT, 3 LA, 2 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL
Engine:             XL Fusion Engine             300                       9.50
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             17(34)                    7.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 2 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 200                 12.50

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     20           31       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  8         
                                           L/R Torso     14           21       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  7         
                                             L/R Arm     10           20       
                                             L/R Leg     14           28       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Large Lasers                               RA        16        4        10.00
2 Large Lasers                               LA        16        4        10.00
2 Small Lasers                               CT        2         2         1.00
Medium Laser                                 HD        3         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 5

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 16
5          5       4       0       0      3     0   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA

When large lasers are your primary weapon then you want to get in as close as you can as fast as  you can.  The Grasshopper will have a benefit in broken terrain.  In an open area battlefield, it should drop off in its effectiveness.

[Black_Knyght]

The SRM Infernos started out a nod to the original design's head-mounted missiles, but the more I use it the more I realize the infernos are a nice addition.

This 'Hopper has decent mobility and lacks a heat problem, and has enough firepower to force other mechs to up their weapons usage to try to counter it. This also ups their heat scale, and a well timed Inferno volley has proven to be a nasty surprise more than once in our game-play.

While I haven't heard it compared to a Rifleman before, there's been a couple of in-game references comparing it to the HiTR Charger oddly enough.

[Black_Knyght]

A quick note - Had a player use this today as part of an Attack Lance. He created a minor, but reasonable, variant for it I thought I'd mention here.

Jerry asked in he could swap out the SRM-4 for an LRM-5 and Thunder ammo before the game started. GM okay'd PRE-game changes, and it made for a few interesting surprises. Even managed to immobilize two different Von Luckners because of it!

[Black_Knyght]

You can also go full out and take the XL and the ES and get to 5/8/5, have 4 LLasers and just a hair under max armor.

You lose 32 points of armor and the SRM's, but BV does jump from 1599 to 1737.

[Col Toda]

Nice designs . I would love to someday see a Grasshopper 2 C someday as it is a iconic mech . It my first mech in the Stoned Ponies game I was in , in the 80s  .

[Sharpnel]

I went JIhad-era mad with this version of the Grasshopper. First, swap in an XL engine, light ferro-fibrous armor, improved jump jets and DHS. Next, swap the large and medium laser for a Snub-nose and Light PPCs, respectively. Fourteen DHS handle much of the heat and then add TAG and an ECM suite for added battlefield versatility.

Code: [Select]

Grasshopper GHR-6P

Mass: 70 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 16,060,523 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,799

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: 180 meters
Armor: Unknown Light Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    1  Snub-Nose PPC
    4  Light PPCs
    1  Guardian ECM Suite
    1  TAG
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 Fusion Engine             280                       8.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 6 Improved
    Jump Jet Locations: 2 LT, 2 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL                            12.00
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             14(28)                    4.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Light Ferro-Fibrous          AV - 212                 12.50
    Armor Locations: 1 RT, 3 LA, 3 RA

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     22           31       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  12       
                                           L/R Torso     15           22       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  8         
                                             L/R Arm     11           22       
                                             L/R Leg     15           28       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAG                                          HD        0         1         1.00
Snub-Nose PPC                                CT        10        2         6.00
Light PPC                                    RT        5         2         3.00
Guardian ECM Suite                           RT        0         2         1.50
Light PPC                                    LT        5         2         3.00
Light PPC                                    RA        5         2         3.00
Light PPC                                    LA        5         2         3.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 0

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 18
4/6j       3       3       2       0      3     0   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: ECM, TAG, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA



[Black_Knyght]

Nice designs . I would love to someday see a Grasshopper 2 C someday as it is a iconic mech . It my first mech in the Stoned Ponies game I was in , in the 80s  .

Something like THIS maybe?  ;D ;)

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=53369.msg1230416#msg1230416