’Mech of the Week: TS-P1* Tsunami
The
Tsunami. The name conjures up the image of a wave crashing onto shore, destroying all in its path. The thought of a wave of these low-end mediums hitting a battle line makes me simultaneously chuckle and cringe.
Considered one of the flagship designs for OmniTech Industries, the
Tsunami was first introduced to me as the Morpheus’s little brother. As this was also the time when the local gaming group was under the gamemastership of a sick and twisted man (some would say a perfect GM), my first use of this design was alongside its “big brother†against rather unequal opposition (a
Hellhound and a
Goshawk) in open field conditions.
I don’t think he liked me much.
The box set model, the TS-P1
Tsunami premiered in the early 3050s. As the in-universe critics noted this model is a well-built but unimpressive machine. At least, unimpressive compared to some of its contemporaries in the arenas. Built around a standard engine, this model compares favorably with the
Clint, with which it shares a movement profile with. Including the six jump jets for rapid repositioning. Using standard armor at one point off maximum, the legs pass the Class-20 test (just), and the front torsos can withstand a Gauss slug without being breached.
For weapons, a medium laser and a machine gun are mounted in each side torso. One ton of ammunition was supplied for the machine guns, a little too much in my opinion, but not unusual for the era. The other weapon is one of the lone pieces of slightly more advanced tech placed on the design, a Streak 2 rack, again with a ton of ammo. All of the ammunition is stored in a CASEd torso, mitigating some of the dangers. The last piece of “standard†technology are the ten double heat sinks, giving the design enough heat dissipation to sustain an engine hit and still alpha. Add to it that all of the weaponry is in the torsos, leaving the hands free to pummel your opponent, allowing you to add in a few physical blows for when they shut off your guns.
This rugged design was so impressive that most of the stables rushed to but it, as well as some minor mercenary companies. Frankly even some of the more major merc companies should have been interested. Save for some being given the opportunity to test out other machines, or having their own much better caches of ’Mechs, they probably would.
Orders appear to have continued to pile up as more advanced technology showed up on Solaris. OmniTech decided that it was time to see what they could do to marry their flagship with this technology. The result was the TS-P1D. Some of the changes were good. The inclusion of triple-strength myomer is always a plus in my eyes. The Streak launcher was upgraded to a 4-shot model, the lasers were replaced by three extended-range models, and the machine guns were removed for twin Magshot Gauss rifles.
Now for the less-optimal decisions. Two of the jump jets were removed. This annoys me because I seem to have way too many numbers to remember as it is (some of our battles are truly massive). And while the armor has been made ferro-fibrous, the protection has been reduced, leaving only the center torso and legs capable of taking a Gauss rifle without flinching (much). At least they kept the CASE and standard engine. The placement of the Magshots also annoys me, as I am a bit of a melee enthusiast.
Still, it remains popular with mercs and stablemasters alike. Including the mercenary group that my local group has been assigned by our current gamemaster, the Fighting Intellectuals. Though, I do note our
Tsunami didn’t last that long (darn Blakist scum).
Using one of these machines is relatively simple: Keep moving and hit as hard as you can. Standing still, or not moving enough will end badly for you. Remember when you stop to take a breath, your opponent may well think it time to swat the gnat. Use cover to get close enough to get a couple blasts in, then get as far away quickly. If you have to get into melee, pick something that will a) not hit so hard back, and b) will go down under your blows. And avoid anything with a built-in melee weapon. This goes double for the TSM
Scarabus.If you can bring something to keep attention off you, so much the better. The aforementioned “big brother†isn’t a bad choice. A
Morpheus is bigger and almost certainly more intimidating. Though if he takes all the fire in the first few rounds, you might be up a certain creek without a paddle.
To fight one is also simple. Keep shooting until it dies. Pulse lasers are always a good idea. Targeting computers help. And precision ammo is perfect. If you can make him fall over, things will be much easier the next turn. Remember that most (if not all) of his weapons require him to come to you.
In the arenas things like
Hunchbacks and
Blitzkriegs can ruin his day. Outside, you can throw in things like the
Hollander II, and C3 networks. And of course if you can bring Clan to the party, do. Not everyone can get as lucky as I can.
Seems whenever someone stacks the deck against me, that’s when I starting stacking shots. Or rolling a lot of box-car locations... Not to mention successfully giving a
Goshawk a knee to the chin.
Told you my old GM didn’t like me.
