Thumper Artillery Cannon Archer

[Daryk]

Inspired by the Archer variant discussion elsewhere on the board, I present this montrosity (for extra horror, only load Thermobaric ammo  ):

Code: [Select]

ARC-TAC

Mass: 70 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-F-E-D
Production Year: 3025
Dry Cost: 6,017,773 C-Bills
Total Cost: 6,037,773 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,153

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 280 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
    4  Medium Lasers
    2  Thumper Art. Cannons
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     107 points                7.00
Engine:             Fusion Engine                280                      16.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink             12                        2.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 HD
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 208                 13.00

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     22           33       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  10       
                                           L/R Torso     15           20       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  8         
                                             L/R Arm     11           20       
                                             L/R Leg     15           30       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser                                 RA        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 LA        3         1         1.00
Thumper Art. Cannon                          RT        5         7        10.00
(R) Medium Laser                             RT        3         1         1.00
Thumper Art. Cannon                          LT        5         7        10.00
(R) Medium Laser                             LT        3         1         1.00
@Thumper Cannon (40)                         CT        -         2         2.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 26

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 12
4          2       2       0       0      3     0   Structure:  6
Special Abilities: ARTTC, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA

[Empyrus]

Wait, Thermobaric ammo? Did IO really give the Artillery Cannons their first alternative ammo? (Standard artillery ammo options are not available to Artillery Cannons.) Mostly wondering because the damage values seem appropriate to artillery pieces, not Artillery Cannons.
EDIT Huh, yup, no doubt. They even got values in table section! Wow...

Anyway, amusing variant, though unfortunately Thumper Cannons kinda suck. Though i have admit they probably wipe out infantry nicely, or clear minefields or other stuff like that.

EDIT Make that "Thumper Cannons suck, except when loaded with Thermobarics".

[Daryk]

Even without Thermobarics, 5 points of AOE is murder on things that rely on speed to survive... 

10 points, and 5 points to all the surrounding hexes is the cherry on top... 

[ckosacranoid]

Even without Thermobarics, 5 points of AOE is murder on things that rely on speed to survive... 

10 points, and 5 points to all the surrounding hexes is the cherry on top... 

Nukes?

[Daryk]

Thermobarics aren't nukes... they just look like 'em from a distance... 

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Wait, Thermobaric ammo? Did IO really give the Artillery Cannons their first alternative ammo? (Standard artillery ammo options are not available to Artillery Cannons.) Mostly wondering because the damage values seem appropriate to artillery pieces, not Artillery Cannons.
EDIT Huh, yup, no doubt. They even got values in table section! Wow...

Anyway, amusing variant, though unfortunately Thumper Cannons kinda suck. Though i have admit they probably wipe out infantry nicely, or clear minefields or other stuff like that.

EDIT Make that "Thumper Cannons suck, except when loaded with Thermobarics".

Artillery Cannons can use Fuel-Air ammunition. It's fully legal. Fuel-Air munition in IO has Fuel-Air Shell for artillery cannons, as well as errata on TO don't forbid alternative ammunition for artillery cannons other than any alternative rounds on TO. Also, it increases damage output on artillery cannon to reasonable value as you said.

Nukes?

No, it's just fuel-air bomb. Although many people mislead it with nukes for mushroom cloud after its detonation, but such clouds are alway occured by big explosion.

Also, fuel-air bomb in Battletech universe is ridiculously powerful compared by real worlds; It is powerful than HE as well as also has the chance to insta-kill the infantries. The latter part is also correct in the real worlds, though, but in the real worlds fuel-air bomb has smaller killzone as well as very weak to almost ineffective against armored(and sealed) target.

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

By the way, can it use a Long Tom Cannon instead? It can use two Thumper Cannons, and it means it can swap two Thumpers for a Long Tom. It would be a walking nightmare.

Although critical slots of artillery cannons is almost punitive level for mechs already.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

By the way, can it use a Long Tom Cannon instead? It can use two Thumper Cannons, and it means it can swap two Thumpers for a Long Tom. It would be a walking nightmare.

Although critical slots of artillery cannons is almost punitive level for mechs already.

It can’t handle the heat that way or if it only slows down it would have to give up it’s backup weapons. Plus ammo goes down. Ends up a poor trade, and even In 3025 their are weapons that can get you at 20 hexes, and being 3/5 minimum isn’t gonna get you away from them the next turn

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Ah, I didn't check that Thumper Cannon only raise heat by 5. Then Thumper is the only reasonable solution.

[Daryk]

An LTAC will fit on an Orion, though... 

[Frabby]

Oh. Just cannons.
What you teally want at the end of the day, though, is a proper ArtilleryMech with real Thumpers.

[Daryk]

Oh sure... those are just 5 tons heavier each, and a few more crits.  Not going to fit very well on an Archer...

[Daryk]

Hmmm... it seems an LTAC WILL fit! 

Of course, it fits BETTER on an Orion... 

Code: [Select]

ARC-LTAC

Mass: 70 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-F-E-D
Production Year: 3025
Dry Cost: 6,310,173 C-Bills
Total Cost: 6,370,173 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,441

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 280 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
    1  Long Tom Art. Cannon
    2  Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     107 points                7.00
Engine:             Fusion Engine                280                      16.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink             13                        3.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 LL, 1 RL
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 208                 13.00

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     22           33       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  10       
                                           L/R Torso     15           20       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  8         
                                             L/R Arm     11           20       
                                             L/R Leg     15           30       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser                                 RA        3         1         1.00
Long Tom Art. Cannon                         LT/LA     20        7/8      20.00
Medium Laser                                 CT        3         1         1.00
@Long Tom Cannon (15)                        LT        -         3         3.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 25

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 14
4          2       2       2       0      3     1   Structure:  6
Special Abilities: ARTLTC, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Looks good, although heat management is a problem. Perhaps it is not a wise idea to taking a Long Tom Artillery Cannon. Only if DHS were available....

[Daryk]

DHS definitely make it easier, but it's no too bad, really.  You just have to have fire discipline.