Okay, so it's judgement time. There's a total of 11 entries, and I'll make comments on each as I go:
Sabelkatten: Tweenie TW-I1 - 20t, 5/8/0, 69 armor, 10 HS, 3 LRM-5(2t), ERML. $1,375,000(=3x for $5M).
A nice little mech, and the only one to be cheap enough to deploy in multiples. Slower than many of the units it'd be likely to support, but that can be okay in a fire support role. (Note: Sabelkatten actually made four entries, but since I said one per person, I'm ignoring the others.)
casperionx: Cheap Fire Support - 50t, 5/8/0, 168 armor, 20 HS, LRM-20(3t, CASE), 2 ML, SL, C3 Slave, Guardian ECM. $4,991,375.
Not the most imaginative name, but the mobility fits well with its likely compatriots, and C3 systems are always really nice when you're sitting at long range. The punch is a bit light for its weight, but otherwise not bad at all.
Andras: Swayback SWBK-2LRM - 50t, 4/6/4, 152 armor, 20 HS, 2 Artemis LRM-15(4t, CASE), 2 ML. $4,274,500.
Probably the most straightforward design submitted, it does its job pretty straightforwardly. Probably best in rough terrain, between the indirect fire and the jump jets. I'm not a fan of Narc ammo in an Artemis-equipped mech, though - maybe one ton, but two is excessive. If I'm loading a second ton of specialty ammo, it should probably be frag, or maybe Thunder. (Fortunately, ammo loadout doesn't need to be locked down in the design, so this is quibbling)
fallen: Mysore MYE-1 - 35t, 6/9/0, 48 armor, 10 HS, 2 LRM-5(1t), Prototype ML. $2,589,300.
Obviously weak by the standards of the other units, but given the Age of War tech that's fine. From my knowledge of AoW tech, this seems to fit the era pretty well. Shame it couldn't be a hundred grand cheaper, though.
Liam's Ghost: Basilisk BSL-1K - 50t, 4/6/0, 152 armor, 20 HS, Long Tom Cannon(3t, CASE), 2 ERML. $4,619,500.
Interesting. A weapon you don't see much, but it has LRM-style range, and it packs a real punch. Against grouped enemies, this can be nasty. A touch slower than most mechs of its size, but again that's not a huge problem in fire support.
Daryk: Arturion CN9-TH - 50t, 4/6/4, 168 armor, 10 HS, Thumper(2t), 2 ML. $3,481,000.
Putting arty on a Mech frame, with all the usual features of a Mech designed for close-in combat, seems over-engineered to me. It falls a bit between two stools - you could have the same Thumper and similar mobility and armour in an ICE vehicle for less than a quarter of the cost, and if something gets in close, 2x ML won't do much. I see the appeal, in some ways, but I'm not sure it'd work well.
Nightsong: Hoopak HPK-1X - 45t, 5/8/0, 138 armor, 20 HS, LRM-20(4t, CASE), 2 ERML, C3 Slave. $4,379,290.
Very similar to the "Cheap Fire Support" - somewhat cheaper, at the cost of no ECM. The ammo bins are surprisingly deep as well - this is one of the few LRM-20 designs where I could happily dedicate ammo to things other than the basic rounds guilt-free, but of course that does limit the secondary weapons some(a third ERML might be more powerful than the last ton of ammo, for one). These are close.
Sharpnel: Trebuchet TBT-5G - 50t, 5/8/0, 144 armor, 20 HS, 2 Clan LRM-20(6t, CASE), 3 IS ERML. $4,961,000.
Mixed-tech designs always feel a little bit cheesy, but in this case it's strictly worse than a pure Clantech design would be, so I won't judge it too harshly. Other than that, though, this is a pretty good all-arounder mech. Good mobility, very good firepower for the challenge, and solid ammo and overall protection.
Wildonion: Arquebus ARQ-1A - 45t, 6/9/6, 153 armor, 20 HS, Artemis LRM-20(3t, CASE), 2 ERML. $4,883,890.
The fastest entry in the contest, and it packs decent firepower too. You could have a lot of fun kiting in this mech.
Speedbump: Atatl ATL-1A - 50t, 4/6/4, 169 armor, 26 HS, PLL, 8 LRM-5(6t). $4,181,500.
The Clan PLL may be the single best all-around weapon in the whole of BT, but that does leave it with a slight whiff of cheese. Still, use it if you've got it. The LRM-5s are an interesting choice, because the weight you save on the launchers you lose on the heat sinks, but it does spread out the damage a bit more, and minimize the effects of luck. I tend to think the larger launchers are a bit more realistic, but not so strongly so that I'll turn my nose up at this.
Feign: Spook - 50t, 2/3/0, 48 BAR-5 armor, 12 HS, 2 Thumper(2t). $2,942,500.
Props for being the only one to include any substantial fluff, but weird Blakist troll tech is not usually my scene. (*cough*
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!) I don't think it would be all that effective in most contexts, but it's sure evil.
ResultsA lot of good entries overall. I'm somewhat surprised to see so little direct-fire weaponry - not a single AC/5 or PPC or Gauss in the whole collection - but that's fine. Still, I need to pick winners, so without further ado...
Third Place: Nightsong's
Hoopak HPK-1X. It was close between this and the Cheap Fire Support, but it felt like saving 600,000 C-bills was a better choice for this challenge than the ECM, and the use of a real name(even if it's one where I don't get the reference) helps too.
Second Place: Wildonion's
Arquebus ARQ-1A. This one feels like it suits some more interesting play styles than most others with the 6/9/6 move, and it still does the job well.
First Place: Liam's Ghost's
Basilisk BSL-1K. The thought of this thing lobbing shells into a melee makes me happy, and it'll leave a real mess when it does. Needs to be used carefully, but I can see it being really rewarding, and singlehandedly changing enemy strategies in the process.
Feel free to keep making submissions, but they won't be judged. I'll post the next contest in a couple days, depending when I have time.
