Manei Domini - Jihad Hot Spots 3072 cover
Although the 'Mech jockeys and their neurohelmets may say otherwise, I always considered Battle Armor to be the epitome of man-machine integration in the BattleTech universe, but then along came the Master and his horde of fanatics. Much to the joy of street sammie fans who've crossed over from Shadowrun, with the Manei Domini we finally got useful - and it must be said, powerful - cybernetics that enhance the performance of Mechwarriors down to infantrymen, including the saintly and studly Battle Armor troopers.
Simple rules for Manei Domini were first introduced in Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, granting every augmented Battle Armor trooper an extra point of "armor" and the ability to link to a C3I network. Those rules do not allow for any customization, nor do they add any BV cost, and so shouldn't really be used when Jihad Hot Spots 3072 is available to provide the full rules for Manei Domini.
I won't go into all the minutae of Manei Domini, instead this article will only consist of a general overview and discussion of the specific cyberware that can combine with Battle Armor, and for further detail you should read Jihad Hot Spots 3072. One issue to consider with Battle Armor is that not all the troopers in a unit need to be Manei Domini for the unit to enjoy the benefits of certain cyberware. In cases where the cyberware effects isn't tracked on an individual level or requires the entire unit to be equipped, only two-thirds of the troopers need have the required implants. Note that as a unit takes damage the effects of cyberware remain unchanged, so do not worry about tracking which troopers are killed.
As the saying goes there ain't no such thing as a free lunch, and the cyberware can come with a hefty cost, with a multiplier applied to the Battle Armor unit's Battle Value. Every implant comes with a level to represent the complexity and effectiveness of the cyberware, and it is this level that is used to calculate the BV multiplier. The formula for the multiplier is 0.75 plus the highest implant level divided by 4, and with a maximum level of 5 this means that an appropriately equipped Battle Armor unit can double its BV cost, although a multiplier of 1.5 or 1.75 is more typical.
Not all Manei Domini are equal, and depending upon their experience rating there are limits as to how many implants they may have and the maximum level of those implants. Jihad Hot Spots 3072 associates each Manei Domini grade with a Word of Blake rank, such as those rated Omnicron being ranked as Precentor, but there are examples of Manei Domini with different ranks than their cyberware rating would imply. Only those Manei Domini rated as Omnicron may be implanted with level 5 cyberware, while level 4 requires the recipient to be at least a Tau rating, with Omega grade limited to level 3 or lower. All Manei Domini can be implanted with level 2 hardware, the minimum level that is effective in the BattleTech tactical game.
Manei Domini are also grouped into distinct classes, with each intended for a specific role. Technically any class can be a Battle Armor trooper provided that they have the required skills and physical characteristics, but many will be from the Banshee or Zombie classes, intended primarily for defense and assault respectively.
The various types of cyberware that can effect Battle Armor usage in the BattleTech tactical game will now be described, starting with the only implant that requires the entire unit to be so equipped, that somewhat ironically is perhaps the least useful for the majority of scenarios.
Filtration Lung Implants (Level 3): As the name suggests, these implants filter the air the trooper breathes, thus protecting the trooper from the effects of Tainted and Toxic atmospheres (see Tactical Operations p56) and chemical weapons. Given that most Battle Armor are environmentally sealed, this implant is only of any use when the trooper is wearing unsealed Exoskeletons or when damage is taken in Toxic atmospheres. For unsealed suits, the extra damage from Tainted/Poisonous atmospheres and the effects of non-lethal gas weapons such as tear gas (see Tactical Operations p372) can be ignored. Only half damage is suffered from Caustic, Radioactive or Flammable Tainted atmospheres and Toxic atmospheres are treated as if they're only Tainted, while lethal chemical attacks are treated as a Tainted/Poisonous atmosphere. While useful in the right circumstances, those circumstances are unlikely to be encountered in the majority of scenarios, so this in an implant that you can usually safely forget about.
Maelwys: This is kind of an interesting implant, even in sealed Battle Armor. The Filtration Implant lets you act as if the Toxic atmosphere is only Tainted, and the majority of Tainted atmospheres don't have penalties for sealed BA. So while your opponent is rolling for to see if a suit dies each time he takes a hit, you're acting as if everything is normal. The next two implants provide bonuses on a per suit basis, requiring neither the two-thirds threshold nor that all troopers be so equipped. Both are considered full-body modifications and require at least a Tau-rated senior grade Adept, which can be considered among the elite of the already elite Manei Domini. Interestingly, Jihad Hot Spots 3072 mentions that these implants are also used by "special field operatives in certain Inner Sphere intelligence agencies", which means that there could be Rabid Foxes sneaking around in Infiltrator Mk IIs or Death Commandos in Fa Shihs, for example, that also enjoy the benefits of this hardware.
Myomer Full-Body Implants/Dermal Myomer Armor (Level 4): This is a simple enhancement that allows the trooper to withstand an extra point of damage before dying. Dermal Myomer Armor can be incredibly useful for many Battle Armor designs, enabling them to survive weapons that would otherwise destroy the suit and its trooper. For example, if a Manei Domini with the armor implant happened to be using an IS Standard, they would be able to survive a PPC hit that would normally be a killing shot. To track which troopers in a unit are effected by Dermal Myomer Armor just mark the record sheet in some way to highlight the appropriate suits.
Myomer Full-Body Implants/Triple-Strength Myomers (Level 4): A more offensive-minded implant, this one inflicts +1 damage point per suit at range 0, including Anti-'Mech and anti-infantry attacks. So a unit with three Triple-Strength Myomer implanted troopers will get a three point damage boost. Given that the implant rules don't say anything to the contrary it should be assumed that the suit must still capable of the appropriate attack when enhancing melee attacks, so only Medium or lighter suits with the appropriate manipulators can make Anti-'Mech attacks, while only those with Vibro-Claws can make anti-infantry attacks. Any damage boost is nice, but given that Anti-'Mech attacks primarily rely upon the critical hit check that they generate, some players may prefer to select another enhancement if having to chose between the Triple-Strength Myomers and another.
All the remaining implants require that at least two-thirds of the unit are equipped with the implant for there to be any effect.
Pain Shunt (Level 2): Another simple implant, units with enough Pain Shunts suffer only half damage from fire-based weapons. Although not explicitly stated, this presumably means that it would require six Infernos to kill a suit rather than the standard three.
Multi-Modal Cybernetic Eye or Ear Implants (Level 3): To provide any benefit for Battle Armor units, these implants have to be combined with one of the Vehicular Direct Neural Interface implants and/or either the standard and Boosted Transmitter, Receiver or Communications Implants noted below. When combined with VDNI, this gives the unit the equivilant of a 2-hex Active Probe and in the case of suits already equipped with an Active Probe, the range is increased by one hex. The effect when combined with standard and Boosted Transmitter, Receiver or Communications Implants is detailed below.
Enhanced Multi-Modal Cybernetic Eye or Ear Implants (Level 5): These have an identical effect as the Multi-Modal Cybernetic Eye or Ear Implants noted above, except that if the Battle Armor is already equipped with an Active Probe, the range is increased by two hexes.
Transmitter, Receiver or Communications Implants (Level 2): When the trooper is also equipped with at least one standard or Enhanced Multi-Modal Cybernetic Eye or Ear Implant, the combination provides a one-time +1 Initiative bonus. This bonus doesn't stack, so even if the Manei Domini force has multiple units with this cyberware effect only a single bonus applies.
Boosted Transmitter, Receiver or Communications Implants (Level 4): These are enhanced versions of the above communication implants, and not only provide the same Initiative bonus when combined with a sensory implant, but also act as a C3I node.
Vehicular Direct Neural Interface (Level 3): This implant provides a -1 modifier to Gunnery and Piloting rolls, with the Piloting skill the equivilant of the Anti-'Mech skill. Because Battle Armor have no "internal structure" as such, normally any hit that penetrates the armor kills the trooper, so the negative effects of VDNI do not need to be considered. Arguably, an exception to this is when the VDNI is combined with Dermal Myomer Armor, which effectively adds a second point of "internal structure". Assuming you use this interpretation, then in this case even a single point of damage penetrating the Battle Armor can still kill the trooper on a 8+ unless also implanted with a Pain Shunt, but it's best to make sure all players at the table are going to accept that.
Buffered Vehicular Direct Neural Interface (Level 5): Although an enhanced version of the the basic VDNI system, this implant is somewhat less effective for Battle Armor, providing only a Gunnery modifier, although it does avoid the need of a Pain Shunt to avoid the damage effect noted under the basic VDNI entry.
Once a Manei Domini reaches Tau rating, they can be implanted with five systems up to Level 4, which presents a slightly tricky dilemma given that there are six worthwhile implants available, and for the Wraith (infiltration) and Zombie (assault) classes they must have an implant that's not among those six. Assuming one of the other Manei Domini classes, I would suggest that the sensor and Boosted communication implants should always be chosen given that you receive multiple benefits from the synergy of the two implants. The skill boost provided by VDNI is so useful that it's also all but mandatory in my opinion, even without the Active Probe effect provided by combining it with the sensors, so arguably the only question is which pair to take between the Pain Shunt and the two Myomer Full-Body Implants. Personally, I'd opt for the Pain Shunt and Dermal Myomer Armor, preferring the extra survivability over inflicting more damage at point blank range.
At the heady heights of Delta-rated Manei Domini this issue is no longer a problem for the Semi-Precentors who achieve this seniority. Able to implant up to seven cybernetic systems, even Wraiths and Zombies can get all the worthwhile upgrades, missing out only on the somewhat dubious value of the Filtration Lung Implants, while the other classes could also squeeze the filters in alongside the more useful hardware.
Despite all the abilities of these impressive implants, the effectiveness of Manei Domini Battle Armor units still depends heavily upon the suits themselves. The cyberware is just a force multiplier rather than being a dominant factor by itself, and while powerful, it's perhaps lucky for the Inner Sphere that ultimately they're still just Battle Armor and thus of limited strength when compared to other battlefield units.
Next up:
- Shedu
- Tengu
- Nephilim
- Se'irim
ADDENDUM: My apologies for a very much delayed return to Battle Armor of the Week; unfortunately my laptop died plus I had a family emergency. For the Demon series of articles, we have a guest reviewer to assist me alongside jymset, with Maelwys providing his much appreciated experience and observations regarding the Blakists and Manei Domini with respect to Battle Armor operations. This week's articles are slightly different from what I'd originally intended to post, but I lost those originals when my hard drive crashed, so my apologies to jymset and Maelwys if my reconstructions don't cover every comment they raised.
