Author Topic: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther  (Read 30027 times)

Empyrus

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #60 on: 13 August 2017, 18:20:00 »
There are some unusual designations in BTU. Take the Marauder and Marauder II, both of which use MAD though neither shares second part of the designation. And there are few 'Mechs that are identical but have two designations (eg Victor 9D/K) due to production place/nation. And finally, there are some with messed up designations due to IRL causes, for example Griffin 2N2 (PPC) predating 2N (ERPPC) (in this case, the non-ERPPC version was added afterwards).
But i don't think there are any canonical cases of two different variants sharing one designation.

Maelwys

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #61 on: 13 August 2017, 18:40:04 »
Which is somewhat weird, because the writeups mention "Star League pilots discovered early on that the Panther was well-suited for the dirty tactics required in city fighting The 'Mech can move easily through the more restricted spaces of the city while its PPC gives it the chance of disabling all but...."

So unless you take "Star League pilots" to mean "Kurita Star League-era pilots" then the Star League pilots were using the PPC version...

I used to think that the Panther was a Star League design, and it became a Kurita design simply because they inherited the factories, now it seems like the DC liked the design alot even before they took the factories.

Kidd

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #62 on: 14 August 2017, 00:22:41 »
FM SLDF gives the PNT-8Z a line in Regular Division RATs, and mentions it in use by recon and skitmish units and by one unit as an infantry support Mech. The 8Z's shortcomings were highlighted in the Hidden Wars prior to the Amaris conflict, especially in 1 action on the LA-DC border. The PNT-9R quickly supplanted the 8Z thereafter, and the Panther is mentioned in Field Report 2765 DC as a common Mech with both models getting 1 RAT line each. So it is likely to have seen significant use in SLDF and DCMS units' hands during the Star League civil war.

Liam's Ghost

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #63 on: 14 August 2017, 00:40:08 »
The master unit list gives the 8Z panther to the Lyrans, Capellans, Taurians, Hegemony, and Rim Worlds in addition to the Star League and Combine during the Star League era. It got around.

The 9R is Combine exclusive until the succession wars.

Another hypothetical way to possibly merge our disparate accounts of Star League panthers might be that the PPC armed Star League panther suffered from delays like scope creep, engineering problems, or bureaucratic  snafus that kept it from reaching production before the periphery uprising and Amaris Coup changed priorities.
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SteelRaven

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #64 on: 14 August 2017, 01:17:47 »
... makes me wounder if we should have gotten a Panther IIC vs the Great Wyrm :P
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wantec

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #65 on: 14 August 2017, 06:52:34 »
Is anyone else surprised we never had a Heavy PPC Panther? Especially with the WoB refits, that seems like something that would have been experimented with at some point some time. It probably wouldn't have been great though.
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Empyrus

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #66 on: 14 August 2017, 08:11:50 »
Is anyone else surprised we never had a Heavy PPC Panther? Especially with the WoB refits, that seems like something that would have been experimented with at some point some time. It probably wouldn't have been great though.
Its called the Wight :/

Tai Dai Cultist

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #67 on: 14 August 2017, 09:31:08 »
Its called the Wight :/

Pretty much.  It's got the same position on the Panther lineage as the Dragon II does on the Dragon family tree.

wantec

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #68 on: 14 August 2017, 10:33:33 »
Its called the Wight :/
I know that, but still a Panther in name and with the more common 4/6 speed.
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Wrangler

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #69 on: 14 August 2017, 10:38:10 »
I know that, but still a Panther in name and with the more common 4/6 speed.
I think the Wight was correcting a wrong.  The improving speed.  It is still related to the machine.
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #70 on: 14 August 2017, 14:29:08 »
The thing I don't get on the Wight is that, while the torso very much looks like a Panther torso, its head no longer does, and its limbs have just gotten utterly weird.
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Wrangler

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #71 on: 14 August 2017, 15:02:56 »
I think the Wight stuff is all fluff to be honest. It could completely be redesigned with different components and we'd never know.
Anyways, it was a joint-project with the Lyrans, so why taint a storied BattleMech design like Panther by having one made by Frienemies the Lyrans?
« Last Edit: 23 October 2017, 14:02:52 by Wrangler »
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Empyrus

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #72 on: 14 August 2017, 15:12:09 »
The thing I don't get on the Wight is that, while the torso very much looks like a Panther torso, its head no longer does, and its limbs have just gotten utterly weird.

Yeah, well, there are many 'Mechs in BT that are supposedly based on others yet lack any kind of connection visually. Guess chassis are flexible...

SteelRaven

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #73 on: 14 August 2017, 23:12:00 »
The torso defiantly has some resemblance to the Panther, the limbs and head is partly why it's called the Wight and not the Panther II.
   
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Valtech

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #74 on: 19 August 2017, 23:21:32 »
Someone else beat me to the Russian T-34 tank analogy and I think its a good one for the PNT-9R Panther in DCMS service.
You have enough inventory to use these things by the lance...quantity makes up for the slower speed and any armament
issues. You can accept attrition with these units because you have MORE of these units available... 

I liked the look of the Plastech Panthers (cheep enough to buy two boxes !) and used them in Lance strength units whenever
possible. Its the way of the Dragon...8)
« Last Edit: 19 August 2017, 23:26:55 by Valtech »

Demon55

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #75 on: 23 August 2017, 23:14:28 »
I have always loved the PNT-9R just a good little backup for something heavier that goes 4/6/x.

grimlock1

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #76 on: 23 October 2017, 02:09:24 »
That lineage chart is superb addition.

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #77 on: 03 November 2017, 01:43:04 »
Just building an Order Lance of Panthers for a Civil-War era Legion of Vega unit, and I came across the MWO PNT-10P version.

Short form, built on a PNT-10K chassis, it trades the PPC & SRM-4 for two AC-2s and an SRM-2. 10 DHS, and a 175-rated engine. With 5/8/5 move, three tons of ammo (two for the ACs), it's ... pretty aenemic. I can build it under TM rules, but with only one ton of AC ammo.

But it'll be a fun conversion. If the LAG version ever gets stats, though, pick it ...
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #78 on: 03 November 2017, 02:22:54 »
Wow, that does sound pretty anemic.

Just played the PNT-14S for the first time this week, and OMG did I love it.
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Kidd

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #79 on: 03 November 2017, 02:58:17 »
Just played the PNT-14S for the first time this week, and OMG did I love it.
How was it like?

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #80 on: 03 November 2017, 03:09:59 »
How was it like?

Jumpy. Seriously jumpy.  Single heat sinks hurt it not at all, and a decent enough pilot offsets the small cockpit.
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Kidd

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #81 on: 03 November 2017, 03:12:43 »
Jumpy. Seriously jumpy.  Single heat sinks hurt it not at all, and a decent enough pilot offsets the small cockpit.
A mere 10-point sting (discounting the rockets), even if it is a Snubby, doesn't charm me much. Its like IJJ-variants were deliberately nerfed... oh wait  ::)

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #82 on: 03 November 2017, 03:20:59 »
A mere 10-point sting (discounting the rockets), even if it is a Snubby, doesn't charm me much. Its like IJJ-variants were deliberately nerfed... oh wait  ::)

It's the 10-hex short range that makes the weapon.  Between that and a six-hex jump, it makes for a really fun 'Mech.
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Kidd

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #83 on: 03 November 2017, 03:38:53 »
It's the 10-hex short range that makes the weapon.  Between that and a six-hex jump, it makes for a really fun 'Mech.
would it really have been too much to ask for double heat sinks and a couple of Medium X-pulse lasers...

Maelwys

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #84 on: 03 November 2017, 13:47:35 »
would it really have been too much to ask for double heat sinks and a couple of Medium X-pulse lasers...

Probably. The 14S (Why that designation?) seems to be a refit of 10Ks rather than something that's built from scratch, even if its kind of pushing the boundaries (no clue what swapping jump jets and cockpit would be in terms of refit levels). And I also suspect that it would be too effective if it was reduced to 10 DHS.

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #85 on: 11 November 2017, 21:56:03 »
Is anyone else surprised we never had a Heavy PPC Panther? Especially with the WoB refits, that seems like something that would have been experimented with at some point some time. It probably wouldn't have been great though.
Honestly its a bit small for one.
Better an option for the Grand Dragon.
Now that said, since its known as a city fighter, I feel like a Plasma Rifle version would have been great for handling pesky conventional units.
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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #86 on: 12 November 2017, 13:36:48 »
The 13K has a plasma rifle.  Only 1 ton of ammo though.  Easy fix if you take off one of the IJJs for additional ammo.

MarauderD

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #87 on: 23 April 2020, 11:03:40 »
OP had a cool Panther lineage chart that I wanted to take a look at, and now I don't quite see it.  Does anyone know where it went?

Empyrus

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #88 on: 23 April 2020, 11:27:27 »
Unless Kidd will rehost and repost the chart, it's gone. Suggest PMing Kidd about the chart.

MarauderD

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Re: Mech of the Week: PNT-** Panther
« Reply #89 on: 23 April 2020, 14:20:56 »
Unless Kidd will rehost and repost the chart, it's gone. Suggest PMing Kidd about the chart.

Thanks for the suggestion, I should have thought of that.  Done.

 

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