Best armor level for Medium BA

[LastChanceCav]

Pretty simple poll, just curious to see what other people building custom BA think.

Cheers,
LCC

[sillybrit]

Ooh, tough one, particularly for the IS. For me, optimum is 10 points, but sometimes I have to accept less than optimum to get the other equipment I want, with the IS standard (heh) of 9 points being my next go to.

Although not included in the poll, sub-7 point values aren't completely without merit, although this often depends upon other features such as a specialization that reduces direct combat, very long ranged weaponry or stealthy armor.

[worktroll]

Agreed; one can get a medium IS design with standard stealth and LRM-2 with 4 reloads. 5 points is sufficient to stop the first splash damage from killing the suit.

W.

[Prince of Darkness]

Ain't that easy, I'm afraid.

If it's a medium suit meant for the clan lines (like what the first suits were) then 7 points is adequate.

8 and 9 points would be for any Inner Sphere battles, as this allows for the suit to survive Large Laser/Pulse hits and still function, a definite bonus.

10 points is optimal, however a medium suit will have to drop much in the way of firepower and speed to do so.  But I have a design that is still effective despite that.

[Sabelkatten]

If you go all out you can fit an IS medium suit with a OS-SRM2, a LRR, 10 points (advanced) armor, jump 3, and still have 25 kg and 1 slot left for other stuff.

[Gray Jaguar]

Personal preferences tend towards the eight range because most of my medium designs are there really only to support Mech or Vehicles I've made custom.  As a result, they tend to get weighed down in electronics.

[Fallen_Raven]

I tend to like 9 points for IS suits, mostly because that one point doesn't help against anything heavier than a PPC. And if the PPCs are hitting, much less something bigger, I should have been somewhere else awhile ago.

I also find that more than 9 points starts to cut into payload to much for my tastes. Protecting something that cna't contribute to a fight is kinda silly.

[RunandFindOut]

Never more than 8.  If you need more than 8 you aren't using it right.  It's not supposed to act like a mech or vehicle, use the cash you save on more suits.

[Isanova]

I would say 6 points, unless you expect to be nearer the Clan border.

Whilst 10-point is great, it really cuts down on the utility of a design. I generally favor 1 - PA(L), 2 - Light, 6 - med, 10 - heavy, 12+ - for Assault.

[Prince of Darkness]

I would say 6 points, unless you expect to be nearer the Clan border.

Whilst 10-point is great, it really cuts down on the utility of a design. I generally favor 1 - PA(L), 2 - Light, 6 - med, 10 - heavy, 12+ - for Assault.

Wow,  not to judge, but that's way, WAY too low for... just about any of them.

6 Points for a medium is alright only if it's using some heavy form of stealth armor- standard or improved.  Basic is far too little.

[Isanova]

Wow,  not to judge, but that's way, WAY too low for... just about any of them.

6 Points for a medium is alright only if it's using some heavy form of stealth armor- standard or improved.  Basic is far too little.

I guess I prefer my BA to have more bite than armor. Being able to survive a ML, MPL or 3 SRMs is a good marker in my book. If the enemy is dedicating PPC/heavy AC/LL shots to killing my BA, that's a lot of firepower they aren't using towards my mechs.

Meanwhile, if that BA can double or triple their firepower, then that's a good tradeoff in my book. SOP would have any BA trooper (or unit in game rules) retreating once all their armor is blown off.

I do trend towards stealth if the fluff supports it, but as I like playing the weaker, less advanced factions I rarely permit myself to make anything beyond basic stealth unless it's a canon design.

[JPArbiter]

8 points is ideal cause a mech will have to start devoting primary weaponry to the squad, and are already at the "you have to want me dead." level  at that point you can also invest in camo or stealth armor systems, still carry a threatening main weapon and possibly some suppliments or battle claws.

that said, 10 points of armor should be used for suits mean to tango against 70 ton and up mechs.

[Sabelkatten]

If you're building a suit that's intended for short-range anti-armor action (i.e. leg attack/swarming or packing only range 3 (or less) weapons) then 10 standard armor seems like the best bet IMHO. If you're planning to fight a little farther away (MagShot FTW! ) then less armor but with some kind of stealth may well be a better choice.

[Isanova]

If you're building a suit that's intended for short-range anti-armor action (i.e. leg attack/swarming or packing only range 3 (or less) weapons) then 10 standard armor seems like the best bet IMHO. If you're planning to fight a little farther away (MagShot FTW! ) then less armor but with some kind of stealth may well be a better choice.

Why not 5points camo or stealth armor, so you can pounce on his mech from hiding, with magnetic gloves, ECM and as many tiny weapons (SL, MG, etc) as you can squeeze in? Since mechs cannot target BA currently attached / swarming them, and (IIRC) the drop-and-roll or brush-em-off attacks are divided into 5-point clusters like LRMs.

I don't believe in designing a BA specifically for swarming by and large, but if I did I would prioritize damage over survival. A bunch of toadies doing 3 points damage each on an Atlas is is frustrating, a bunch doing 9 points each is a terror.

[Sabelkatten]

Well, you can only fit two weapons in the arms. But Vibro-claws and other toys might up the damage a bit.

The reasons I want solid armor are because:
1) Ambushing is very unreliable - do you leave you BA out of the fight if no enemy happens to walk past them?
2) What if you miss and end up sitting in the target's hex with all his friends looking at you?
3) Light armor/heavy damage assuming swarming. Leg attacks are often more practical but doesn't use any weapons at all!
4) Unless you drop almost all armor you don't actually save all that much weight, especially if you have a clan suit or an IS suit with advanced armor.

10 points is also nice if someone points a lot of MLs at you - it takes 3 5-point clusters to kill one suit.