Machine Gun Arrays

[whiteshadowzo]

       I was flipping thru TW and came upon MGA's. Confused on what they were I consulted TM. I understand that the linking mechanism is it's own separate equipment. It's listed as a +.5 in tonnage. What exactly does that mean? Is it an additional .5 tons added to each MG in the array or just .5 tons overall added to the entire array. If the latter is true, why not just list it as a .5t piece of equipment? ???

      Also, can someone explain to me what is the benefit for using an array. I would think rolling all the shots as one to-hit roll and then rolling cluster would make damage output and "number of hits made" drop as opposed to firing each gun separately.

[Fireangel]

.5 ton for the array, not individual MG

The benefit is the single hit location.

Me? I prefer rolling each hit separately; while I might miss a few shots, it's not an all-or-nothing deal.

[A. Lurker]

I suspect that the MGA is listed as "+.5" tons because just having an array and no MGs to go with it simply makes no sense -- it always adds to the weight of the MGs in it. Also, that extra half ton is for the entire array, not per MG.

The one advantage of arrays is that any hits they score with a given attack will automatically strike the same location, potentially increasing the chance to breach armor and/or score multiple crits there. There's really not much more to them than that.

[Stormfury]

The MGA adds .5 tons to the final froduct- so if you have four IS Machine Guns, that's 2 tons with the array bringing it up to 2.5 tons total.

I am personally unimpressed with MGAs as well; if you want Machine Guns, in place of the Array you can always add at least one more Machine Gun to the design, and it's not as though Machine Guns are exactly awesome weapons of doom any way.

The only potential benefit of the MGA is reaching 12 damage to a single location for the investment of 2.5 tons if Clan (4 Heavy Machine Guns and the Array) or 4.5 tons if Inner Sphere (again, 4 HMGs and the Array), which is the least investment of tonnage required to deliver just enough damage to take a head off in one hit.

Since it also requires the user to be within 2 hexes of the opponent and then to roll an 11 or 12 on the Cluster chart and then roll a 12 for location even if you do manage to hit, I'd prefer to mount a bank of Medium Lasers or increasing the size of other weapons the design carries in place of mounting an Array. I don't find it adds anything to the game or to designs using it, but there are players who will religiously adhere to the two-hex vorpal possibility over all other concerns, so YMMV.

[Fireangel]

Had a game where a player (upset at my PBI's wiping the floor with his forces... no biggie; his strategy and tactics were not too sound) decided to design a PBI-killing Doom Machine Of Doom ^TM; a HEAVILY armoured VTOL with two 4-HMG arrays (fire was out; burning down the town was not viable); Turn comes up where he swings in his DMOD^TM to one hex range from my TAG Support Laser (AKA BMR Laser) spotters... missing both shots; return fire resulted in multiple,  fatal, rotor hits.

[Jim1701]

MGA's are not the most effective systems out there but they are a lot of fun.  I had a custom design I used once for a free for all game that I called my MG fists of doom!  Getting 4 hits on an open location is really cool.   8)

[whiteshadowzo]

Thx for the replies. Yea I never really use machine guns. Just happened to catch my eye while thumbing thru. I'm more partial to MedLsr boats. Of course who isn't  ;D

[Fallen_Raven]

I'm more partial to MedLsr boats. Of course who isn't  ;D

I'm not a huge fan of the Medium Laser actually. While it's effective, it isn't all that interesting. Flavor of the unit and all that.

As for Machinegun Arrays, they do come in handy when you have alot of Anti-Infantry weapons that you want to be somewhat useful. Say you have 4 MGs on a Light 'Mech, by themselves they don't do much, but strap an Array to them and you get a light weight, short ranged, mutant hybrid of an LRM and an LBX. It isn't perfect, but it does provide an interesting way to  build units without going too high priced or high tech.

[Diamondshark]

What might be fun would be to pair these with an AC-20 of some form - punch a hole, then use called shots or a TC to critseek just that spot again, all for low heat.  Never tried it yet, though *goes on SSW to do SCIENCE!*

[Shijima_3085]

A few weeks back I made a sacrifice play to get a Bucaneer in behind a Saggitaire.  Thanks to the MGA, the heavy MGs linked in went through the same rear side torso.  Otherwise, the first would have dented armor and the rest probably elsewhere.  Yeah, the range on the MGs is very short but in urban or other confined area combat it can give some brutal short-range crit seeking.

[Demos]

It'd would be great if you link/unlink them for every shot as needed. Than I#d see them as a viable investment.
The whole "declare at the end of the turn, ..., MGA is swtiched on/off in the following turn" ruins it. Save a possible combo of 3 or 4 HMGs I prefer to fire my MGs unlinked.

I'm not a huge fan of the Medium Laser actually. While it's effective, it isn't all that interesting. Flavor of the unit and all that.

+1

[DarkISI]

If you want to see the real power of the MGA, you have to hit with it and then either roll a TAC or hit the head. Every hit is still its own hit. That means, you have multiple critical chances and multiple pilot hits, with a single MGA hit.

I managed both at some point. It is just fun, if your Locust 5T runs up to the enemy's Atlas, hit with a single MGA and puts the pilot to sleep for the remainder of the game with three pilot hits. Okay, fun for me... the other guy was fuming :D

[Dread Moores]

Huh. I didn't realize that was how they were handled for pilot hits and crits. That puts a whole new light on them.

[Pa Weasley]

An Arctic Cheetah E or Pirahna 4 can be a whole lot of fun as cleanup units in a non-zell game for that very reason.  }:)

[Weirdo]

This can also make them  pretty scary in an anti-tank role. Put an array or two on something fast, dash int close range on a tank, and crank open your MGAs on their side armor. They ain't going nowhere. [legal]

MGAs would also be devastating on aircraft for this same reason, but the slot limitations on fighters makes it very difficult to pull off. You have to either put and MGA in the nose and heavy guns in the wings, or vice versa, but once you've packed a decent MGA into a location, you're not really fitting anything else in there.

[Sabelkatten]

This can also make them  pretty scary in an anti-tank role. Put an array or two on something fast, dash int close range on a tank, and crank open your MGAs on their side armor. They ain't going nowhere. [legal]

Plain multiple mounts are much better. Rather than, say, 2 MG arrays (5 tons) that cause about 5 hits you get 10 hits. Of course the odds of getting an instant kill is smaller, but the odds of getting some crits are several times higher!

[Fireangel]

This can also make them  pretty scary in an anti-tank role. Put an array or two on something fast, dash int close range on a tank, and crank open your MGAs on their side armor. They ain't going nowhere. [legal]

Of course, if you miss the one or both rolls, you'll be kicking yourself that you don't have 3-6 more rolls to make up for the miss...  ;D

[DarkISI]

Of course, if you miss the one or both rolls, you'll be kicking yourself that you don't have 3-6 more rolls to make up for the miss...  ;D

True, but it works the other way around, too. If you hit with your first roll and miss all the others, you'll be kicking yourself :D
In the end, I think MGAs (at least the ones with 3 or 4 MGs linked to them), have their merit, as well as standard MGs. MGAs are very good weapons for light and fast units, able to get in close with a high enough movement modifier to not get ripped apart (Locust 5T and IIC 6 for example). They get better, once the target's armor is breached because you suddenly get the chance to land multiple critical rolls for a single hit and they are also very good at disabling pilots or landing TACs through lucky hits.
Using them on a slow 'Mech or a vehicle however... that way lies madness ;)

[NuclearBuddha]

Huh. I didn't realize that was how they were handled for pilot hits and crits. That puts a whole new light on them.

Same here.  I'm glad I learned that here and not during play.

[DarkISI]

Same here.  I'm glad I learned that here and not during play.

Learning by loosing is so much more fun  [whipit] ;)

[Martius]

What hempers the MGA most is that you need to roll on the cluster table for hits.

With a bad pilot I prefer unarrayed MGs because I get more cances to hit and with a good pilot chances are good I do more damage with unarrayed MGs as well.

MGAs are fun, but not very effective.

[NuclearBuddha]

What hempers the MGA most is that you need to roll on the cluster table for hits.

This is sorta my gripe with the new(er) UAC rules, too.

[Dread Moores]

Was there ever a time that UACs didn't roll on the cluster hit tables? At least as far back as Compendium: Rules of Warfare, that's how they were handled.

[Stormfury]

No, they've always been that way.

[NuclearBuddha]

Then it's been my misunderstanding, then.

[Fallen_Raven]

MGAs are fun, but not very effective.

Say that after taking 3 out of 4 heavy machinegun hits to the rear armor of an Odin. They work wonderfully, but they're definitely not an all purpose weapon.

[Diamondshark]

I found you could slap 2 arrays of 4 HMGs each on a Fire Moth, with 25 shots per MG.  2 point-blank potential headcappers (with up to 4 crit chances/head hits per shot), moving at 15-20 hexes per turn...  [brew]

[MadCapellan]

I think the best thing about MG Arrays is it allows you to turn a cluster of MGs into a real armor puncher that generate ZERO heat.  An MG array is the only weapon that will deal 12 damage for 0 heat at beyond 1 hex.