So, me and some friends are working on a BattleTech AU. One of the things that happens is that the Fourth Succession War ends in the decisive formation of a Second Star League in 3031.
As the Second SLDF is getting on its feet, enjoying the benefits of the old SLDF tech ComStar gave them when it handed over most of the ComGuards, they began restarting the production of many old SLDF mechs and vehicles and by the 3040s, had began the preliminary orders for the old Royal variants of many of them.
However, the Second SLDF also has greatly benefited from post-Star League era designs with the Armored Regiments and Brigades loving the Patton Heavy Tank due to its excellent firepower, armor, and decent mobility and thus Armored Command requests Defiance Industries develop a Royal variant for Royal Armored Units in the late 3040s just before the Clan Invasion (long story, they were offended that the Inner Sphere formed a Star League that wasn't their rose colored propagandized vision).
So, what would such a Royal Patton look like?
Royals are generally "What it was but MORE".
IOW not swapping ballistic for energy, but instead swapping in better ballistics and better energy, or different energy, and usually an armor or engine (or both) upgrade, or an upgrade to install supporting cast systems like Active Probes, ECM, or C3 links.
so let's consider what a Patton is
for.
It's a main battle tank intended to support 'mechs. It's not a replacement for battlemechs and it's not (with the base model using an AC/10 and LRM combo) a static fortification (though the armor fraction is pretty good.)
So, what would make a Patton
MORE of a patton?
Okay, I'm going to piss off a lot of energy fans here.
First we'll go with the basic swaps:
AC/10 to LBX-10. The base warload of the Patton tank already carries two tons of AC/10 ammo, so a Royal doesn't need to do more than make that second ton cluster, and in doing so, you've just increased the tank's versatility, particularly in combined arms environments in support of 'mech forces.
Now, you've got a fusion engine, and the typical gut reaction of most players min/maxing is to swap for an energy primary (or add a second energy primary). However, in this case, that's kind of counterproductive to the role. If you're going to swap energy for energy, trading out the flamer for a coax-mounted Small Pulse makes more sense. Y es, you can't light fires with it, but then, this is a ROYAL unit, and needs hi-tek somethings.
Engine swap for an XL is kind of standard for Royal variants, and doesn't significantly reduce the tank's survival (unlike on a 'mech, you don't gain vulnerability with an XL engine)
This lets you either increase the speed (which is useful in the escort/screening role with heavy units and lets you have a prayer of keeping up with most medium and heavy 'mechs) or you can fiddle with the warload (C3 computers, Active Probes for urban fighting, that sort of thing.)
final swap is standard plate for Ferro-Fibrous.
Loose tonnage after the conversions can go to armor quantity, or ammunition load, or to add an AMS to extend the tank's survival.
You don't get 'forever ammunition endurance' but you DO get a tank that will dust most other tanks, infantry forces, and present a serious threat to ASF, VTOL, and Battlesuit formations for as long as teh ammo holds out. The base Patton's LRM rack is really useless for anything but smoke or Thunder-Aug fields
anyway-it's not the primary weapon and if you're using the tank right, your concern is less about having lots of secondary weapons when you have versatile primaries in place instead.
Notably, nobody built a Canon Patton with an LBX-the 3050 upgrade uses an Ultra, which makes it a slow moving T.D. without the crit potential or AAA capability.
Noting that the LBX-10 is one ton lighter, I'd also add a TAG mounted coaxially on the turret. This gives you a tank that is a strong supplement for your heavy 'mech units, one that is much better AS a support design instead of trying to be the star of the show.
Ideally, you'd have a lance of these escorting a lance of 4/6 or 3/5 heavy or assault 'mechs, the Pattons working the job of 'bodyguarding' the assaults against things like anti'mech infantry, helicopter gunships, hovertank sweeps and aerospace strikes, so that the assault 'mechs can concentrate on killing other 'mechs and reducing fortifications.
If you DO go with the TAG option, this also lets the tanks act as forward spotters for back-line artillery units armed with Arrow IV, acting as a massive supplement to the 'mech units by having a close-range protective spotter for danger close fire missions to protect your advancing line (Protective Fires or Walking fire).
