Author Topic: Recognition Guide: ilClan Discussion Part 5 - Comes With Everything You See Here  (Read 153307 times)

Liam's Ghost

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Despite my affinity for hot messes, if I were outfitting my troops I'd probably rather have the Stormcrow. The base chassis just gives me more options for configuring it to my needs.
Good news is the lab boys say the symptoms of asbestos poisoning show an immediate latency of 44.6 years. So if you're thirty or over you're laughing. Worst case scenario you miss out on a few rounds of canasta, plus you've forwarded the cause of science by three centuries. I punch those numbers into my calculator, it makes a happy face.

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Scotty

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If I'm found dead, the weight of Crusader record sheets is what killed me.
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Kansas City players, or people who are just passing through the area, come join us at the Geekery just off Shawnee Mission Parkway for BattleTech!  Current days are Tuesdays in the afternoon and evening.  I can't make every single week, but odds are pretty good that somebody will be there.

BrianDavion

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Despite my affinity for hot messes, if I were outfitting my troops I'd probably rather have the Stormcrow. The base chassis just gives me more options for configuring it to my needs.

the stormcrow is such a perfect mech it's just hard to top it.
The Suns will shine again

Valkerie

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If I'm found dead, the weight of Crusader record sheets is what killed me.
The Marauder didn't get you first?
There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.   -Machiavelli

Greetings, Mechwarrior!  You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against...Oops, wrong universe.  -unknown SLDF Recruiter

Because overkill is underrated my friend.  -John "Hannibal" Smith

Unit/Scheme of the Month Master Index

Liam's Ghost

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the stormcrow is such a perfect mech it's just hard to top it.

I will give the Stormwolf credit for being slightly faster than any Stormcrow could be, at least.

A very small amount of credit.

If I'm found dead, the weight of Crusader record sheets is what killed me.

I was so distracted at how hilarious some of the Crossbow configs were that I didn't even realize how many crusaders were in that volume.
Good news is the lab boys say the symptoms of asbestos poisoning show an immediate latency of 44.6 years. So if you're thirty or over you're laughing. Worst case scenario you miss out on a few rounds of canasta, plus you've forwarded the cause of science by three centuries. I punch those numbers into my calculator, it makes a happy face.

(indirect accessory to the) Slayer of Monitors!

Scotty

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the stormcrow is such a perfect mech it's just hard to top it.

The way to top the Stormcrow, the same way to top the Timber Wolf, is to design something that is more durable than it can ever hope to be.  Reinforced Structure, Hardened Armor, Ferro-Lamellor Armor, in some cases (not the Stormwolf's) Reflective Armor, Ballistic-Reinforced Armor, Armored components, Heavy Duty Gyros.  Those designs have already squeezed every spare half ton out of their chassis without putting vulnerability into it, but you can't (effectively, I know Modular Armor exists, it's bad) pod mount more durability.
Catalyst Demo Agent #679

Kansas City players, or people who are just passing through the area, come join us at the Geekery just off Shawnee Mission Parkway for BattleTech!  Current days are Tuesdays in the afternoon and evening.  I can't make every single week, but odds are pretty good that somebody will be there.

Scotty

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Clocking in at just under 7000 words, this ****** Banshee again Recognition Guide: IlClan Volume 17: the one I started way too late in the evening and holy shit look at how many record sheets there are.  It broke the character limit, so I'm sorry if something gets cut off here.

Panther PNT-14R: I like this 'Mech.  It has downsides, inarguably, but I like the take it has on the Panther.  First, we have the typical 4/6/4, but we also have a Supercharger in the center torso, mated to the standard fusion engine.  That makes this a relatively fast Panther and capable of putting up a +3 TMM on good turns.  We have an ER PPC and a Clan Streak SRM 4.  This is the only major downside here, it's not capable of forcing a PSR on its own.  The ammo is in the left torso, protected by CASE II.  Good stuff.  The star of the show is the armor, which is Ballistic Reinforced and there's as much of it as you can cram on this frame.  Max Ballistic-Reinforced is a lot, and it takes some serious punishment to put this Light 'Mech down.  We don' t have any other special defensive thrills, but that's honestly about as much as it needs.  We have 10 (Clan) doubles, which is actually necessary to make all of this fit in the 'Mech, and it costs 1291 BV.  I would normally call this too much for something that can' t force a PSR on its own, but that durability is next level for its size.  I'm going to slightly bend my rules for this one and call it a B

Wolfhound WLF-6S: If it weren't for the fact that every single weapon on this 'Mech ignores the Panther's special armor I would be screeching at the top of my lungs to have these two 'Mechs square off for your tables' "Intro to the Dark Ages" games.  This Wolfhound is 7/11, and for armament includes a Large Re-engineered Laser guided by AES, three ER Medium Lasers, and a Small X-Pulse Laser facing the rear.  It is exactly one point shy of max armor, in the rear center torso, and it has one point swapped from front torso to side torso on the side but is otherwise identical to the Panther's armor.  Eleven doubles means that there's actually heat to consider, but running and firing all forward guns generates +4 for the arguably perfect balance.  Leaving off one ER Medium will sink 1 heat, leaving off the Large RE-Laser instead will take you down to neutral in a single go.  In order to fit all this we have an IS XL, making it more vulnerable to the Panther than the Panther is to it, but the increased speed is a useful foil.  The BV is 1266, and I think that's an admirable place to be for this design.  The speed, and ability to force a PSR, makes me value this slightly more than the Panther in a duel, but both are good designs.  B+

Crossbow T: Okay.  Someone had to do a lot of work to make this version of the Crossbow work.  I don't begrudge that, but it's, uh, it's pretty bad.  We have two Clan ER Large Lasers, which is a good place to start, and then the whole config falls completely off the rails through no one's fault.  We have fourteen, count 'em, fourteen Improved One-Shot SRM 2s and two Improved One-Shot SRM 6s.  All things considered that adds up to 20 tubes per arm, just like the original.  I have a number of issues with this design, and most of it comes down to endurance.  You are fairly good at heat at a run with just the ER Larges (+2), but adding any significant number of SRMs is going to take that to the surface of the sun very quickly.  You can replace an ER Large with a collection of any 12 SRM tubes for the same heat efficiency or better, but the problem is you only get to do that three times and change.  Or if you're feeling really spicy you can dump all of your SRMs in one glorious sheet of smoke and flame to the tune of +14 heat running, which is a bit too much and also probably don't do that.  Once you finish with the exactly 40 SRMs you can fire, you're back to paired ER Larges only.  And a Light Active Probe, I guess.  This would be funny and hilarious on, say, a Fire Falcon, assuming the BV stayed relatively low.  The BV has not stayed relatively low here, clocking in at 1729.  Er.  Maybe next time, Crossbow T.  D

Crossbow E: This isn't a new config, but it's a very funny one.  We have sixteen (yes, sixteen) AP Gauss Rifles tied to a Targeting Computer and six tons of ammo.  This is enough damage to be reasonably fearsome, but at a short enough range that your competition is the Nova T and it wins that fight.  Taking critical damage to an arm is an exercise in testing your blood pressure, because if even one of those AP Gauss Rifles takes a hit you have a very real chance of losing your pilot to feedback outright, and the odds of taking that hit is high.  The torsos are also very light on critical slots, featuring one ton of ammo each, and that's something of a problem.  Once that crit is gone it's straight into the Center Torso.  This is actually not one of the most vulnerable configs to that, but it's still up there.  Heat isn't a problem worth mentioning, at least.  There are some glaring issues here but I don't think several of them can be meaningfully addressed without binning the entire concept, and there's some merit to it.  The BV is better at 1558, but it invites even more serious comparisons to the Nova T, which is not a good thing for this config.  C-

Crossbow F: This is probably my favorite Crossbow overall, but it doesn't escape free of major flaws either.  We have a pair of ER Medium Lasers and a pair of ATM 9s with a total of four tons of ammo.  Everything is in the arms, leaving a cavernous pair of side torsos with exactly nothing in them.  This represents a problem, with three full locations going to crits on the center torso immediately.  The heat is decent, +4 running alpha, and dropping a single ER Medium Laser puts you back down into cooling territory.  This is good, because the ATMs are your bread and butter, especially up close.  Damage output is high and at short range the HE ammo is enough to trigger a PSR per launcher on average cluster rolls.  Any combination of one launcher + any other gun will do it at mid range, too.  The BV is the highest so far at 1854, but this is also the most capable Crossbow so far.  C+

Crossbow G: Six Streak LRM 5s and four tons of ammo.  On top of that amount of ammo being reasonably described as gratuitous, it's once again all in the arms, leaving completely empty side torsos.  The heat is ice cold, -6 running, and you have none of the utility normally associated with multiple small LRM racks or multiple tons of LRM ammo.  You're capable of forcing PSRs, but the primary benefits of Streaks, that being not wasting heat or ammunition, are both themselves wasted on this set up.  The BV is 1725, within 5 points of the T, and honestly I feel like the T is a better pick with consistent 10 point hits at range, and the ability to actually utilize the BattleMechs' unique resource in heat to generate damage.  D

Crossbow J: This config tries to do something unique for the Crossbow.  We have nine ER Small Lasers (huge numbers of small guns is not the unique part), one Improved Heavy Large Laser, a Supercharger, and Talons.  Melee weapons are one of very few things that I'll tend to forgive the 5/8[10] movement curve for.  This size is perfect for it, too, getting to exactly 20 points of damage to force multiple PSRs with a single kick.  The ER Small Lasers are a significant source of damage, and it's not uncommon to force an opponent to make three separate PSRs with this 'Mech every turn.  That kicks ass.  There are downsides, though.  The side torsos are again barren.  The arms have lower arm actuators, which are a Crossbow staple but not helpful here, where you basically never want to be punching.  The heat load is... interesting, and is essentially a tale of two ranges.  1) Between 7 and 15 hexes, where you fire the iHLL and 2) Inside 6 hexes, where you fire all nine ER Smalls.  The heat burden is the same, and they even out to net zero running.  Firing the nine smalls is better in almost every circumstance once they get into range, because you only need to connect with four of them to force a PSR.  You can add a couple to the iHLL if you have especially heinous numbers between 5-6 hexes where the iHLL is more of an assured thing, but that seems unlikely to happen often on a 'Mech that really wants to get close.  The BV is 1839, and I think this is a Crossbow genuinely trying to innovate.  I respect it.  B-

Crossbow W: This and the F are the Crossbows that come closest to being "conventional" Omnis.  This one has an ER PPC, two LRM 10s with two tons of ammo, and a pair of Improved Heavy Medium Lasers.  That's a pretty decent punch.  The ER PPC and an extra double heat sink (total of 11) keep the torsos from being completely empty.  At range you can run and fire the ER PPC and both LRMs for +3, and drop one LRM for -1 for an intuitive pattern of 2-1-1-2-1-1-1.  Realistically you're not going to stay at range that long, and up close the iHMLs chime in while the LRMs stay engaged.  That puts your running heat at +2 and -2, letting you do 2-2-1-2-1 indefinitely, and the ER PPC can swap with the iHMLs as numbers dictate on the off turns.  In all cases you're comfortably capable of forcing a PSR.  The BV here is higher than any other so far at 2051, but it's also the most complete package of a functional 'Mech at all ranges than any other config here.  B-

Crusader CRD-3R (Crael): And we are officially into the thickest, meatiest part of this book.  And we start out on the least conventional Crusader ever printed as far as I can tell.  We have quad SRM 6s, which I'm all about, that have exactly one ton of ammo, which I am extremely not about.  We have a pair of Medium Lasers, and we have a pair of Machine Guns with a full ton of ammo (sorry, what?).  Rounding out the offense is a set of Claws.  Both tons of ammo are in the center torso.  The heat sink situation is 10 singles, meaning that firing more than three SRM 6s overheats you, which might actually make the ammo situation make a bit more sense.  It doesn't make it good, but it makes it make a bit more sense.  There's a standard engine here, and the design moves 4/6 with decent Crusader armor.  This is an ambush unit, and quite frankly I think if you're trying to use it in a conventional role it's essentially dead on arrival as an effective combatant.  The BV at 1204 is relatively low, but you pay for it by having a string of det-cord instead of a candle wick on this particular fast burning candle.  There's imagination here that's sadly unrealized in its time, but wow is it unrealized.  D

Crusader CRD-4BR:  This is a more sane version of the Crusader, but we're still testing the waters of what exactly "sane" means for Crusaders.  Here we have a pair of LRM 15s and a pair of Streak SRM 2s instead of the quad SRM 4s.  The LRMs have four tons of ammo (good) and the Streaks have one ton of ammo (good).  We also have paired Machine Guns with a ton of ammo (not good) and paired Medium Lasers (good).  The Streak ammo and the MG ammo is in the center torso (catastrophic) and both side torsos have two ammo bins and nothing else (DANGER!).  They are at very least protected by CASE and there's a Standard Engine, so while your pilot's brain isn't going to thank you, the 'Mech isn't going to be removed from play by one of the side torsos catching a bad crit.  For heat we have 10 doubles, which is enough to keep comfortably cool at any range, -8 for either long range or short range brackets.  There's a point at which you can fire every gun at right around 5-6 hexes and that's where you want to be, which will generate +2 heat running.  That will comfortably trigger PSRs in a variety of targets, and that level of offense is overall pretty good.  Getting to melee range is a downside for you compared to most of your opponents, and is something that I'd lean on avoiding but can be done in a pinch.  The BV at 1407 is pretty decent for an Standard Engine IS Heavy putting out this much damage, but it is fairly vulnerable to suddenly missing half the 'Mech at any given time.  Armor is okay not excellent, and overall the package is probably fine.  C

Crusader CRD-4D: This is like the Crusader 4BR version 0.5.  We have single heat sinks, 13 of them, and that's not good.  The LRMs have lost two tons of ammo, and the Machine Guns are gone (thank god).  In place of the energy weapons on the arms are Medium Pulse Lasers.  It avoids overheating at long range and at short range, but in the middle area around 5-6 hexes it overheats significantly.  Each side torso has a single ton of ammo and nothing else, and this time there's no CASE, making this 'Mech a deathtrap.  The center torso also still has ammo in it, not helping.  The BV is lower at 1309, but the odds of this 'Mech going up like a roman candle at the first opportunity does not have me enthusiastic about it.  D+

Crusader CRK-4K: This is... better?  We have LRM 10s and SRM 6s for the missiles now, and the Medium Pulse Lasers return.  Heat is now handled by 14 singles, which is going to work fine at long range, and fine inside 4 hexes, but at 5-6 you have some serious trade-offs to make.  The ammo bombs are less vulnerable here, with heat sinks protecting the previously alarmingly flammable side torsos, but there's still a ton of ammo in the center torso for the SRMs.  I strongly recommend staying at close-ish range and firing the SRMs at every single opportunity you have until that ammo is very gone.  The BV is 1268, and this is a sort of addition by subtraction.  Not only is the base variant arguably better, being cheaper is a good thing on top.  C-

Crusader CRD-5M: Ah, I see we're well and truly into the 3050 "Upgrades".  Despite my audible derision there, this one is better than it might have been.  The movement is improved to 4/6/4, and we have paired LRM 15s with two tons of ammo (not enough), paired Streak SRM 2s with a ton of ammo, paired Medium Laser, a Flamer (what?), a single Machine Gun (what?), and an AMS (more ammo?).  To fit all this the 5M breaks out an XL Engine, and then jams (almost) all of the ammo into the side torsos with CASE.  Good for campaigns, bad for games.  There are three tons in the left ammo that are likely to run dry, one ton in the left torso for the Streaks that will outlast the heat death of the sun, and a half ton in the right arm that will witness the birth of a new universe.  Itself, when it explodes.  All locations are reasonably padded, so it's not as bad as it could be.  Heat is handled by 13 doubles, which is incredibly oversinked.  Even on a jumping alpha where the AMS engages (which you should definitely probably not be doing to use this 'Mech accurately) and both Streaks lock you generate... +2.  A running alpha with the AMS triggering is neutral.  That tonnage would be really neat if it went straight into armor, which is pretty good everywhere except the legs.  BV is 1408 and that's acceptable but not great.  Risk of ammo explosion is down about 40% though, so I'll take it over most previous variants.  C

Crusader CRD-5S: This might be better than the 5M, jury is still out.  The LRM 15s are still here as are the SRM 6s, and the Medium Lasers, and the Flamer.  That's already a significant drop in overall ammo, and in the amount of time it takes to evacuate that ammo in the direction of the enemy.  Two tons LRM and one ton SRM are back to being in really unnecessarily exposed locations.  The LRM ammo constitutes the only eligible crits in the right torso (protected by CASE, so you only lose all but one Medium Laser and the SRMs), the SRM ammo is in the center (protected by CASE...?), and the left torso is totally empty to give your opponent that many more chances to hit the SRM ammo.  We're back to a Standard Engine, at least, which helps with all other durability concerns, but it might not help enough.  Heat is handled by 10 doubles, which is significantly better tuned to the weapons load.  At range you're still -8 with the LRMs at a run, which is fine considering it doesn't spend extra tonnage on heat sinks and you want to be burning through that ammo as fast as possible.  Up close the short range guns take you to a running -4, which is enough to add an LRM back in if the numbers are good, sink heat if you fired two of them last turn, or include the Flamer if you're desperate and/or feeling lucky.  There have definitely been worse heat balances.  Once the SRM ammo runs out you'll run ice cold forever, and once both ammos run out you'll be a perfectly serviceable kickbot with some Medium Laser and Flamer help.  not ideal, but better than exploding.  BV is 1446 and even after writing all that I'm not sure whether it's better or worse than the 5M, so it gets the same rating.  C

Crusader CRD-6D: If anything in this series is going to kill me it's this book.  I'm 14 sheets in and I have 18 to go.  Have mercy.  This sheet doesn't help by being genuinely interesting either.  First, have a typical Crusader armament of two LRM 10s with two tons of ammo, two SRM 6s with one ton of ammo, and two Medium Lasers.  Where things get interesting is that it moves 5/8/4.  The LRM ammo is split between both side torsos and protected by CASE with an XL Engine, because of it course it is.  The SRM 6 ammo is in the center torso and protected by CASE, because of course it is.  If there's one thing that I wish would just get retconned forever, it'd either be making CT CASE matter in the slightest, or it'd be removing it from record sheets that have it.  Genuinely, literally no point besides wasting tonnage.  The center torso will still have been destroyed by an ammo explosion.  Your pilot will still be dead.  Your 'Mech will still not be salvageable.  Fourteen doubles is a cartoonishly large amount of heat sinks, capable of handling all weapons fired simultaneously while jumping for -2 heat.  Oy.  It's not bad and the extra speed is an interesting wrinkle, but there are several just bad decisions made here that could be improved multiple ways.  Trade the CASE and the extra double for a jump jet, maybe?  At least that would take care of two really weird decisions at a time.  BV here is 1498 and the extra speed probably makes that a bit worth it but the bad decisions stick with me and I can't seriously recommend it as a good unit.  C

Crusader CRD-6T: ... Okay.  Yeah.  I can get behind this.  We have a 5/8/5 Crusader with twelve Medium Lasers and 17 double heat sinks.  That's enough that running and firing all 12 of them takes us to +4 heat.  There's also a C3 Slave, and a pair of Flamers.  The Flamers I can take or leave, honestly.  There's also improved leg armor for the first time, which I'm here for.  The BV is by far the highest it's been at 1890, but you're also putting out more damage than most other Heavies in your price range, IS or Clan, at 60 points and doing it with heat efficiency.  C3 is a tough thing to get right, and honestly while I think that this works well as a the mid-short range brawler, it benefits from not being the closest unit to the target.  It's very hard to evaluate C3 units in low BV games, which is my primary experience.  This one is fast enough and dangerous enough to justify its price tag prior to C3 BV modification though, even with the IS XL.  There's also no ammo to explode, finally dodging the worst thing about most Crusaders.  B-

Crusader CRD-7D: Hell yeah, here's something interesting.  We have an XL Engine to go 5/8.  We have a Compact Gyro to open up a bunch of space in the center torso.  Then we stuff it full of ammo.  Wait, what?  Oh, nevermind, there's CASE II here, still interesting.  Guns on this 'Mech are four Medium Re-engineered Lasers, four MML 3s with two tons of ammo to mix and match your LRM and SRM needs, a Small X-Pulse Laser for some reason, and an AMS with a ton of ammo.  All of the ammo is in the CT.  We also have a Supercharger, which I am prepared to overlook in this case thanks to the rest of the weapons that I really like.  The BV is also manageable at 1681, and not stratospheric like it tends to be for 5/8[10] units.  Fifteen doubles is the perfect number of heat sinks for this weapons load, taking us to +4 at a run for all Medium and MML weapons.  The AMS is a little awkward, but we're fast enough to maintain +3 TMM even with heat penalty thanks to the Supercharger, the one genuine nod I'm prepared to give it.  The plan for this one is get in close and hunt targets opportunistically.  I would avoid melee, but getting within three hexes is a good idea.  Armor is the 6T standard, which I approve of.  Overall I think this is a well designed version of the Crusader, and worth taking on its own merit as a good design.  B

Crusader CRD-7M: This is also an interesting one for a couple reaons.  First, we have mixed and paired Streak SRM 4s and MML 7s.  That's a lot of short range ordnance but each serve distinct purposes.  The MMLs also have Artemis IV, which makes the Streak aspect of the SRM 4s a lot more sensible, since it's the same amount of tonnage but the Streaks are just better.  The MMLs have four tons of ammo to mix and match, including Infernos if necessary, which makes the distinction from Streaks even more meaningful.  I don't often approve of mixing multiple types of the same general launcher, but this is an exception and innovative at that.  Speed is back down to 4/6/4, and we have an XL Engine and XL Gyro.  Remaining guns include two Light PPCs which result in average rolls causing a PSR at range (good!), and an AMS.  All six tons of ammo are split between both side torsos, protected by CASE II each.  Ten doubles means that running and firing all long range guns is heat neutral, adding the AMS is +1.  Jumping is +3.  At short range, if both Streaks lock we have -3 heat on a run with the AMS, or -1 jumping.  Add a Light PPC to your own taste if the numbers are good.  Armor is back down a bit, which is a shame, but it's still high enough to be reasonable.  Overall I really like the weapons on this version, and the BV at 1502 is very reasonable.  B

Crusader CRD-7M2: Unlike the Archer 4M and 4M2, the Crusader 7M2 is not an improvement on the 7M.  We lose the Streaks and the Light PPCs to fit Large Lasers instead.  We also add a single Machine Gun with a half ton of ammo, for reasons unknown to me.  Ammo is still divided between both side torsos and protected by CASE II.  This is the first Crusader to have no guns in the legs that I've looked at, I think.  We have 12 doubles now, which will handle all the guns at a run for +3 with the AMS triggering, or +5 if jumping and AMS triggering.  That's not bad, but I feel like the offensive capability is down fairly severely here.  The BV is down to 1434, and while I like the M better this still isn't badC+

Crusader CRD-8R: Now we're getting somewhere.  Much like the Crusader 7M, there's a fun innovation here I didn't talk about last time.  We have two Streak SRM 6s in the legs, with two tons of ammo.  We have two LRM 15s with Artemis IV in the arms, including three tons of ammo.  We have a pair of Machine Guns (eehhhhh) and a pair of ER Medium Lasers.  A total of five tons of ammo, all in the side torsos, all protected by CASE II.  Speed is back down to 4/6 with no jump jets.  IS XL Engine and XL Gyro also make a return.  The armor is better than ever.  Ten doubles is running a little ragged against these guns, but you are able to fire both LRMs without any issue whatsoever, and up close you can fire both ER Mediums and both Streak SRM 6s while being heat neutral at a run if both lock.  If you're playing the dangerous game, you can fire all guns and go up to +10 if both Streaks locked.  If both did lock, though, you've triggered a PSR at minimum, and you can recoup your heat after.  The fun innovative thing here is having both Streaks in the legs.  The rules for kicking disqualify a kick from happening if weapons in the legs fire.  Streaks don't fire if they don't achieve lock.  If you hit with a Streak, you do 12 damage.  If you hit with both you do 24.  If you hit with neither, you can make a 13 point kick.  You can tape down the trigger and it only "hurts" you if it doesn't actually hurt you.  Neat.  BV is 1600, which is entirely fair for something that puts out this much damage.  B+

Crusader CRD-9BR: This is labeled the Crusader 9BR but it feels a lot more like the (Crael).  We have four Medium Lasers in the legs, two Medium Pulse Lasers in the torsos, a Small Laser in the head, and two LRM 10s in the arms.  We also have Claws in the arms, but this time we have TSM.  There's an XXL Engine that takes us to 5/8 normally and 6/9 once the heat kicks in, and we definitely have the sinks to kick it in.  Thirteen doubles to be exact.  Remember that running with an XXL generates 6 heat, so in order to get to +9 you need to add another 29 heat, which we can do exactly with every gun.  Once that happens you can drop the LRM 10s and the Small Lasers, and instead fire every non-arm mounted weapon to leave the arms open for Claw attacks.  Really well designed.  The armor is less than I want it to be, and there's a single ton of ammo for the LRMs in the right torso, but it's protected by CASE II.  It can be difficult to put together an effective TSM fueled machine, and I think this does a fairly good job for it.  The BV at 1615 is low enough that it's worth considering a pilot upgrade without being out of hand, and the TSM fueled kicks, if necessary, or if you want to actually cool down for a turn, will still trigger two PSRs.  A bit fragile thanks to the engine, but overall a nice change of pace.  B-

Crusader CRD-9R: Another XXL, and another 'Mech designed with a deceptively good heat curve.  We have paired LRM 15s and Light PPCs, and also paired SRM 6s in the legs and Machine Guns in the arms.  Total ammo is two tons LRM, half ton Machine Gun, one ton SRM, all of which goes in the right torso protected by CASE II.  At long range you fire both LRM 15s and both Light PPCs at a run and are heat neutral (remember that 6 heat from running with an XXL).  At short range you add an SRM 6, or you drop whichever long range weapon has the worse numbers for both of them.  Mixing and matching weapons to tune heat is normally difficult with only 4 and 5 heat weapons, but this manages well enough, if a bit slowly.  BV is 1612, and this is a much more conventional choice than the 9BR.  I think it's much easier to use, too, so it gets the slight nod.  B

Crusader CRD-10S: This is a fully Clantech Crusader.  Hell yeah.  We have the Streak SRM 6s in the legs that I pointed out with enthusiasm earlier, fed by two tons of ammo.  We have two Clan LRM 15s with Artemis IV, meaning no more pesky minimum ranges.  Four tons of ammo this time.  We have two ER Medium Pulse Lasers, which are exciting developments and match up fantastically with the LRM range brackets to start engaging at 14 hexes.  We have a pair of Heavy Machine Guns that I'm going to henceforth don't actually exist.  All of this ammo is split between torsos, where we have a Clan XL Engine and built in Clan CASE.  That's the good shit.  We also have Clan doubles, with one riding shotgun in the center torso and a total of 14 on the design.  It also moves 5/8, because the last thing the Crossbow needed was a comparison to another 5/8 65 ton Clan 'Mech in this book.  Spoiler alert: it doesn't look good for the Crossbow.  Heat is a breeze, with -4 heat at 14 hexes and a run, and +4 heat if all weapons that can generate heat successfully fire.  If that happens just don't fire the Streaks next turn and go on your merry way.  Excellent.  Armor is the better version of the Crusader patterns we've seen so far.  BV is very high for a Crusader, at 2264, but this is also far and away, with no real comparison, the best Crusader in this book.  It's not close.  This is genuinely a good Clan Heavy 'Mech and aside from the HMGs I would be hard pressed to make any changes here.  Very good stuff.  A+

Banshee BNC-12S: This 'Mech comes one point of heat away from perfection.  I don't say that lightly.  We have paired ER PPCs, a Gauss Rifle (two tons of ammo), an SRM 6 (one ton of ammo), four Clan ER Medium Lasers, and two Clan ER Small Lasers.  That's a lot of gun.  The Gauss and the SRM 6 ammo are both in the left torso, protected by CASE.  It also moves 4/6 with a Clan XL, putting it in the same speed and weight class as the Zeus 11S that I really really like.  The differences here are that the armor is appropriately beefier and as far as I'm able to tell is only a handful of points (five) away from maximum coverage.  Where we come heartbreakingly close to being perfect is that firing both ER PPCs and the Gauss Rifle at a run comes to +5 heat thanks to 14 doubles.  You can walk, sure, and I do actually recommend that, but not being able to get that +2 TMM at a walk is a devastating disappointment.  The rest of the weapons are beautiful.  At closer range you can fire all four ER Medium Lasers, the SRM 6, and the Gauss at a run for -1, or add ER Smalls to taste up to +3.  The BV at 2562 is very good for a huge brick of an Assault that moves fast and does a shitload of damage.  Top marks, and tragically short of being the best Assault 'Mech in the series so far.  S-
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Amarok: Because 5/8[10] was apparently not exotic enough to be really aggravating.  The Amarok is a 100 tonner that moves 4/5[7] thanks to Hardened armor and a Supercharger.  It has a Clan XL Engine, a Clan RAC/5 with two tons of ammo (which is arguably not enough), two Streak SRM 6s with one ton of ammo, an ER PPC with a Capacitor, and a Large Pulse Laser.  There's some good and some bad here.  The Hardened Armor I really dislike especially in this implementation.  Specifically, we have Hardened Armor that is less than half the total possible coverage of the design, essentially trading the biggest advantage of the Hardened Armor system in exchange for losing a run MP to hit a bad TMM break, some help on not taking as many PSRs due to damage, and I guess some benefit against TACs.  This triggers almost every single one of my "wasted potential" alarms.  The one small benefit is that the heat is fairly generous.  At range you're looking at pretty much neutral, maybe a bit of an MP penalty if you're going full bore with the RAC and using the Capacitor at the same time.  I don't really recommend doing that, by the way, but the option is available.  That heat MP isn't crippling but it's not a good break either, dropping you from 4/5[7] to 3/4[5] and making TMMs harder to maintain than they already are.  Compare to the Banshee 12S, which is very nearly as toughly armored, has very similar output at long range, and blows the short range output of the Amarok out of the water.  For this similarity, the Amarok costs 3185 BV, thanks in large part to the bad TMM break.  Here's another bad break for you, buddy.  D

Amarok 2: The armor situation is identical to the Standard, which means we're already starting off poorly.  The guns here are genuinely better though, with a Streak LRM 20, a Large Pulse Laser, three ER Medium Lasers, an Improved Heavy Large Laser, and two AP Gauss Rifles.  That's an appropriate amount of gun for this 'Mech.  Everything explosive is jammed into the side torsos and protected by CASE II, which I appreciate.  The speed has gotten even wackier, and this time I actually can take a moment to appreciate some moderate innovation.  This 100 tonner runs 9 hexes thanks to both MASC and a Supercharger.  That's not enough to get it to the next TMM (mercifully), and it's finally enough to actually benefit from the +3 TMM it can get.  If I'm going to dislike this 'Mech it will be on the armor and potentially the heat curve, coming up next.  Sixteen Clan doubles is almost perfect for the mid/long range guns.  You can fire all of the long range guns and all of the ER Mediums for +1 heat at a run, or you can swap out the Streak LRM 20 and Large Pulse up close for +3 heat at a run.  The AP Gauss at much short range can add or subtract heat as preferred to keep it right where you want it.  I'll be completely honest, going into this variant sight unseen I was prepared to hate the guns and heat.  I am pleasantly surprised it is as effective as it is.  The downside, again, is the cost.  We're looking at 3351 for this, and I just cannot get over the missed armor opportunities.  This is not a bad 'Mech, as much as I want it to be, but it's not a great one either.  C+

Amarok 3: Ah, there's the version I wanted to hate.  Imagine you build a very fast very big 'Mech.  A 100 tonner that runs at least 7 hexes, sometimes 9.  You want to be able to charge with it, just once, to see what happens.  How do you modify it to do that?  If your answer was "rip out all of the speed boosts for Spikes", congratulations, you may have designed the Amarok 3.  Spikes have a secondary characteristic that reduces incoming melee damage, which I can't ignore, but it's just so much of a missed opportunity to have the speed, and then for the variant with the Spikes on it to ditch it entirely.  It hurts.  We also have a good chunk of additional hardened armor that goes almost entirely to the arms and side torsos, for reasons that confuse and frighten me with their dark logic.  The legs are left comparably light at 22 points (effectively 44, but compared to 31/62 on the arms).  The guns here are okay, if not genuinely good.  We have an LRM 20 with Artemis V and two tons of ammo.  On something this tough I would want more than that, but that's a decision with no objective answer.  There's also a HAG/20, likewise 2 tons of ammo, likewise I'd rather have more than that.  Both sets of explosive things are protected by CASE II.  There are also seven Small Pulse Lasers in the arms for when your opponent is getting right up on you and you need to do some damage point blank.  Heat is ice cold at range, at -8, and when you're at point blank all of the Small Pulse Lasers plus the HAG/20 are +2 at a run, or if you need to avoid minimum range the LRM 20 will take you to +4 at a net -3 to hit.  Having the option is a good thing.  The BV here has fallen to being almost good at 2675.  The design choices that went into this 'Mech don't make a whole lot of sense to me, overall, but this one is one of the cases of "different, not better" for several of them.  Not the armor though, I'm going to call that a flaw until we get one with a more even distribution.  Of all the Amaroks, this is the one you'll see me playing with the least distasteful grimaces. B-

Bane: Everyone has heard Hellbie's dice story at this point.  It's funny as hell, you will jam several UAC/2s, it doesn't do enough damage, but it's really cheap and a lot of armor.  C

Bane 2: This is my kind of 'Mech.  We have four Ultra AC/10s with 14 tons (no, that's not a typo) of ammo.  There are also four Machine Guns here that tragically are not more UAC ammo.  This version gets toasty unless you're willing to stand still to use it.  Which honestly, with four UAC/10s, I might be tempted.  That's a lot of damage, good lord.  BV at 2502 is much higher, but if you told me that this was "only" 25% more effective than the Standard I'd laugh at you.  B

Bane 3: Everyone has heard about this 'Mech with eight LRM 15s and 16 tons of ammo.  There's technically a One-Shot Streak SRM 4 but I don't think anyone cares.  Nineteen doubles means you can fire all of your LRMs at a run and only hit +4.  Terrifying.  BV at 2941 is worth every point.  This is one of those 'Mechs that is phenomenally well optimized, and also one of those that I think is actually not as interesting for it.  That may sound a little hypocritical after today's slightly heated discussion, but this is a pretty much perfect example of something being so one-dimensional that all nuance is gone.  This doesn't need a flaw, so much as it needs a reason to do anything but stand still and provide mobile shade to one enemy at a time.  B

Bane 5: Abort!  Abort!  Too much flaw!  Four Clan RAC/2s is, uh, not worth 2554 BV in any universe.  There are other guns here, they don't make up for it. F

Bane 6: 10 Protomech AC/2s, 4 ER Medium Lasers, a Targeting Computer, and an ECM Suite.  I don't like this many PAC/2s.  It's probably better than the UAC/2 Standard variant, and the ER Mediums are way better, but you lose a lot of range, and you have a lot of ammo that you really don't need.  Twenty four turns of shooting is a little unreasonable for this many guns.  All of it is protected by CASE II at least.  At 2339 BV the ER Mediums make it better than the Standard in their own right.  C+

Bane 7: I was about to say something nice about this variant and then I saw the price tag.  Two HAG/40s with enough ammo is a big boomstick, there's also a Large Pulse Laser and four ER Mediums.  That said, I don't think any 'Mech in the game is worth 3740 BV, and this hasn't convinced me.  I won't be using it.  D

'Mechs by rating:

F: 1
D: 6
C: 11
B: 13
A: 1
S: 1

Cumulative 'Mechs by rating (series):

F: 28
D: 64
C: 120
B: 122
A: 72
S: 12
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BrianDavion

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I actually looked at the crossbow T earlier myself and yeah it was a DEF "WTF" moment for me. I get that the T configs are WYSIWYG configs but surely there are ways they coulda done it without the nutso config. heck just take the prime, drop the artimis IV and add a pair of ER medium lasers... or for a "weakness" version drop the artimis IV, a ton of ammo and add medium pulse lasers... but jeesus...
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Liam's Ghost

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Can we all just take a moment to consider how long it took for the Crusader to stop being an obvious danger to itself? Decades, man!

It's always hard to see them grow up and be responsible with their ammo placement, you know?

I actually looked at the crossbow T earlier myself and yeah it was a DEF "WTF" moment for me. I get that the T configs are WYSIWYG configs but surely there are ways they coulda done it without the nutso config. heck just take the prime, drop the artimis IV and add a pair of ER medium lasers... or for a "weakness" version drop the artimis IV, a ton of ammo and add medium pulse lasers... but jeesus...

The Crossbow T feels like the Nova T's more ridiculous bigger brother, in that both of them would be better off if they could bring themselves to use lowly Inner Sphere weapons. Standard medium lasers for the Nova T, and rocket launchers for the Crossbow.

But no, Momma never raised no Dezgra...

(Also a shame, the Raven Alliance never took up building the Crossbow. it feels like it would be a good omnimech for the Periphery.)
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StCptMara

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TI-T-N13M Grand Titan has armored hips (and upper legs, and lower legs, and feet).  Don't think there are any others except maybe in one of the XTROs.

*Spocks* And where may I find this Grand Titan's sheet?
"Victory or Debt!"- The Battlecry of Mercenaries everywhere

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Templar87

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*Spocks* And where may I find this Grand Titan's sheet?


RS 3145 NTNU (or, presumably, the compilation TRO 3145).
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StCptMara

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RS 3145 NTNU (or, presumably, the compilation TRO 3145).

Thank you *looks, jaw drops, backs away slowly* So, um, who built that sleeper hit that my group will likely only ever let me use once? I think I owe that person their choice of a drink if I ever meet them at GenCon...
"Victory or Debt!"- The Battlecry of Mercenaries everywhere

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Reality and Battletech go hand in hand like a drug induced hallucination and engineering a fusion reactor ;-)

mbear

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double-checking my count, i appear to have erred somewhere the first time - there are only a mere 594 sheets.

Sartis, you were 10% off? That's nothing at all.
Be the Loremaster:

Battletech transport rules take a very feline approach to moving troops in a combat zone: If they fits, they ships.

You bought the box set and are ready to expand your BT experience. Now what? (Thanks Sartis!)

ANS Kamas P81

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Sartis, you were 10% off? That's nothing at all.
Only 1%!  Accuracy is good.

Crossbow E: This isn't a new config, but it's a very funny one.  We have sixteen (yes, sixteen) AP Gauss Rifles tied to a Targeting Computer and six tons of ammo.
I've been calling this one the Popcorn Crossbow ever since it was released.  Each APGR that gets hit can generate more crits, which hit more APGRs, and it won't take long before your pilot is jello and there's gun bits shooting out of the big drum-arm...rather like popcorn spilling over a kettle.

Colt Ward

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I would argue that JJs should only be fixed and not be poddable...

I understand your point from a logic angle, and with all the other magic in BT engineering it is not something I feel strongly either way about.  BUT once the meta/rule is that JJs are pod-able they should never have been fixed again in designs.  IIRC it was a change when they rolled in IJJ . . . it unfortunately leaves some of the original Omnis out since they never retro'd their jets being podded.  Honestly, the Viper and Executioner would give some very interesting offerings if they could mount the IJJ.

The way to top the Stormcrow, the same way to top the Timber Wolf, is to design something that is more durable than it can ever hope to be.  Reinforced Structure, Hardened Armor, Ferro-Lamellor Armor, in some cases (not the Stormwolf's) Reflective Armor, Ballistic-Reinforced Armor, Armored components, Heavy Duty Gyros.  Those designs have already squeezed every spare half ton out of their chassis without putting vulnerability into it, but you can't (effectively, I know Modular Armor exists, it's bad) pod mount more durability.

Which is interesting b/c that was what rolled out the Savage Wolf- better armor though more trouble with the engine.  While the Timber Wolf was more of a energy/missile mech, and due to crit placement & pod space giving it the big gun was not a efficient use of the space, the Savage Wolf due to the extra engine heat is more towards the missile spectrum.

The Wulfen is also a sort of upgrade of the Fire Moth, increasing the survivability of the light speedster.
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worktroll

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Thank you *looks, jaw drops, backs away slowly* So, um, who built that sleeper hit that my group will likely only ever let me use once? I think I owe that person their choice of a drink if I ever meet them at GenCon...

Blame Welshman. It's the Al-Hawad version  designed to keep a crazy CO alive.
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MarauderD

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Crusader 7D reminds me of the new Thug:  12 MML tubes and some short ranged energy backing it up.  The Thug has the special armor, the Crud has the special energy weapons. 

mbear

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Only 1%!  Accuracy is good.

Right! I was testing you! Congratulations, you passed. Go ahead and take an extra lunch hour.

Seriously though I think the Crusader Crael was the personal refit of a Solaris VII warrior. In an arena context, that short range and low ammo makes more sense than using it in an open field.

Is the Crusader-4BR set in the 3040's? Because I could understand the weirdness if it was something like an NAIS or FWLM test bed of recovered technology. Edit: No it's Clan Invasion era. Weird.

Edit 2:
TI-T-N13M Grand Titan has armored hips (and upper legs, and lower legs, and feet).  Don't think there are any others except maybe in one of the XTROs.

The Banshee -11X from XTRO: Steiner and Devastator MUSE EARTH from XTRO:Davion both have armored shoulders and hips.

Scotty, are you looking at only the record sheets or are you including the information from the RG writeups? I only ask because the Amarok 3, for example, is said to have the spikes to provide additional protection from Death From Above attacks. Does that alter your opinion?
« Last Edit: 25 January 2022, 12:45:53 by mbear »
Be the Loremaster:

Battletech transport rules take a very feline approach to moving troops in a combat zone: If they fits, they ships.

You bought the box set and are ready to expand your BT experience. Now what? (Thanks Sartis!)

Scotty

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Record sheets only, but I believe I mention that spikes reduce incoming melee damage.  I wasn't about to start lecturing on a new piece of equipment at 2 am and 7000 words in, though.
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MarauderD

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I forget and am at work.  Are there special rules for HMG that make them worse than machine guns for dealing with infantry and BattleArmor?

Kerfuffin(925)

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I forget and am at work.  Are there special rules for HMG that make them worse than machine guns for dealing with infantry and BattleArmor?

Just it’s poor range
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mbear

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Record sheets only, but I believe I mention that spikes reduce incoming melee damage.  I wasn't about to start lecturing on a new piece of equipment at 2 am and 7000 words in, though.

I totally understand. You wanted to wait until 4 AM and you were 14,000 words in, right? ;)
Be the Loremaster:

Battletech transport rules take a very feline approach to moving troops in a combat zone: If they fits, they ships.

You bought the box set and are ready to expand your BT experience. Now what? (Thanks Sartis!)

five_corparty

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Edit 2:
The Banshee -11X from XTRO: Steiner

man, took that once on a lark.  Absolutely useless, but 100% UNKILLIABLE.  Got shot at all afternoon, took every hit, because, well, SLOW, and they'd only gnawed off, like, one section of armor!

(oh, and I can't remember what- it might have BEEN the hip!- but one of those lucky-BB Snake-eyes managed to crit something and I said, "ok, armored," and their face FELL. :-) ha ha ha

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Is the Crusader-4BR set in the 3040's? Because I could understand the weirdness if it was something like an NAIS or FWLM test bed of recovered technology. Edit: No it's Clan Invasion era. Weird.
Doesn't the Crusader 4BR come from the original Mercenaries Handbook? I think it was presented as the signature Mech / refit for the example Merc unit. In that context (low-price refit) it's decent enough. But I could be completely off, it's been ages since I last looked at that book.
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Fat Guy

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Doesn't the Crusader 4BR come from the original Mercenaries Handbook? I think it was presented as the signature Mech / refit for the example Merc unit. In that context (low-price refit) it's decent enough. But I could be completely off, it's been ages since I last looked at that book.


That's where it's from. An upgrade offered by Bander BattleMechs, makers of the Bandersnatch.
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Liam's Ghost

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Doesn't the Crusader 4BR come from the original Mercenaries Handbook? I think it was presented as the signature Mech / refit for the example Merc unit. In that context (low-price refit) it's decent enough. But I could be completely off, it's been ages since I last looked at that book.

It does indeed appear in the (actually second) mercenaries handbook.

It's also probably my favorite crusader. Not necessarily the best, but fluffy. It's a clean maintenance level refit of a stock 3R that mitigates many of the problems the original had without outright getting rid of them. You could even say it builds on what Davion and Kurita were doing with their own 4 series refits. Adding to what worked without going full XL engine, while also focusing on one task and doing it competently (fire support) rather than trying to do all the things, which historically left the Crusader unable to do any of them for very long. 
Good news is the lab boys say the symptoms of asbestos poisoning show an immediate latency of 44.6 years. So if you're thirty or over you're laughing. Worst case scenario you miss out on a few rounds of canasta, plus you've forwarded the cause of science by three centuries. I punch those numbers into my calculator, it makes a happy face.

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Gorgon

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Thank's guys, glad to know that my memory still works.
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It is unfortunate it has SSRM2s, but due to the rules of the time it is understandable.

I really wish we had gotten more of that sort of thing, because a lot of mercs would have been buying improvements that basically threw in DHS, UAC/5, ERPPCs, and LB-10X without going to the length of the big internal changes.  With the later rule change about FF being easier to replace on a design, that would have been something being done as well.  Big mech shops on Outreach, Galatea, and Solaris VII would have had a catalogue of changes IMO, just like any other customization type business.
Colt Ward
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Scotty

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Recognition Guide: IlClan Volume 18:

Jenner JR7-N: Unlike most Jenners, this one three features that set it apart from Succession Wars staples like the JR7-F and JR7-D.  First, it has full jump jets for a 7/11/7 profile.  Second, it has excellent armor.  Third, it has all the guns and heat sinks it could want.  Gone are the days of trivially overheating and being forced to jump away every other turn just to keep up a decent TMM.  There are four ER Medium Lasers and an SRM 4 with one ton of ammo (protected by CASE II), plus a Beagle Active Probe.  In order to make this all fit, we have an XL Engine and Heavy Ferro Fibrous armor.  A total of 11 double heat sinks means that firing all guns at a run is +3 heat, which is entirely reasonable.  Jumping and firing all guns is instead +8 heat, which can rough but the ability to maintain a +4 TMM while jumping means it's acceptable.  Drop a single ER Medium from the normal cadence for -2 heat, and you get a comfortable pattern including the SRM 4 at all times in 4-3-4-3-3, assuming you're in range every turn.  A single turn off here and there to cool off or avoid unwanted attention is not a bad idea.  BV is 1233, which can be high for an XL engined Light, but I think here it's justifiable.  Solid and relatively unflashy.  A very good foil for the Wolfhound last volume and partner for the Panther.  B+

Jenner IIC: The comparison to the JR7-N is a very bad one, but this would have been a significantly better comparison to the original Jenners.  We have paired SRM 6s and a Streak SRM 4, which is technically more damage but in practice is unlikely to be.  It's faster, at 9/14/7, and it has a Clan XL instead of an IS XL.  Two tons of SRM 6 ammo are split between side torsos, and the Streak ammo is in the right.  Clan CASE protects both.  The armor is where things go fully off the rails.  Each arm only has three points of armor, and a 10 point hit shears it entirely off.  The side torso has six total points forward and can be removed with a single 15 point hit.  The Center Torso has 13 points forward and 7 rear in some kind of sick joke.  The extreme lack of durability on display means the BV is only 1047 and frankly I'd rather have an original Succession Wars Jenner at that point, good lord.  At least heat isn't a problem.  D

Jenner IIC 2: This is better, in the sense that it's better to stay at long range when your 'Mech is made of tissue paper.  It is certainly not a better 'Mech.  We have an ER Large Laser, an LRM 5, and for reasons defying comprehension a Small Pulse Laser.  The jump jets have been upped to 9, meaning a maximum distance jump and your long range guns is +3 heat.  This is probably fine because you can just jump 9 until the heat death of the universe, but it's impressive on a 'Mech with double heat sinks to be able to overheat like that with an ER Large Laser.  The armor is not improved.  This makes the increased BV at 1406 and instant no sell from me.  D

Jenner IIC 3: Hey that thing I just said about it being better to stay at range?  This one didn't listen.  We have four Small Pulse Lasers and a Narc with two tons of ammo, and it's back down to 9/14/7 too.  The armor has not improved.  The BV is much lower at 788, but this is still terrible except now you have to get to within 6 hexes to meaningfully contribute.  Oof.  There are Wasps I would rather have than this, just on an individual quality level.  F

Jenner IIC 5: This version fixes the lack of damage problem, I guess.  Still 9/14/7, still godawful armor, but this time it has four Improved Heavy Medium Lasers to actually do significant damage with.  Also along are a Light Active Probe and an SRM 6 with a ton of ammo in the right torso.  Only 11 doubles means that firing all of the iHMLs at a run is +8 heat, which is a fine return back to the hit and run style of the original JR7-D.  Including the SRM makes it +12, which is right around the maximum I'm comfortable with generating that doesn't leave you completely high and dry.  I'd be much more inclined to push the heat scale if it wasn't trivially easy to cause engine hits, though admittedly if you're taking engine hits it probably means you've lost a couple guns anyway.  A land of contrasts, I suppose.  The BV is assuming that you'll be able to continue with the iHMLs at full tilt indefinitely at 1440.  It's better, still bad.  D+

Enforcer ENF-5R: This is a solid, no frills upgrade to a solid, no frills 'Mech.  It's 50 tons, has one Large Re-engineered Laser, one LB-10X with two tons of ammo (solid improvement on the 4R), and an ER Small Laser.  It struggles to cause a PSR, but the guns both have niches outside of merely doing damage that I can appreciate even if it won't come up every game.  Movement is 4/6/4, and the armor is not max but it's close enough I can't complain.  It's powered by a Light Fusion Engine, and the two tons of ammo in the right torso are protected by CASE II.  The only gun you lose in the event of a right torso loss is the corresponding autocannon, so good job compartmentalizing the weapons a bit.  Heat isn't a concern until you've taken multiple engine hits and somehow lost no weapons.  BV is 1192, and in my book this is a pretty solid use of it.  It's a neat contrast to the Sentinel 6S, which is faster but less well protected.  I can see wanting to use both.  B

Eris ERS-2H: I like this 'Mech.  Very Wolverine feeling, which was intentional.  It moves 5/8/5 with an XL Engine, and wields a Heavy PPC, two ER Mediums, and a Streak SRM 6 with one ton of ammo, protected by CASE II.  Fourteen doubles is enough that we can run and fire all weapons at +3 if the Streak locks, or -1 if it doesn't.  Jumping brings that up to +6 or +2, and you can always jump and leave an ER Medium off to try to sink heat.  Armor is good, once again not max but close enough, and BV is 1674.  Considering that you have a headcapper and the mobility to exploit it, that seems fair.  Not super flashy, at least not this variant, but worth playing with. B

Eris ERS-2N: This is the ambitious version.  There's a Partial Wing augmenting the jump distance, up to 5/8/7, which is a very good point to reach.  Armament is a Snub-Nose PPC, good for exploiting the very long short range bracket with long jumps, as well as two MML 5s that are flexible enough to pick whatever your best numbers are at any given time.  There are also three Small X-Pulse Lasers for when you end up very close.  Causing a PSR requires at least one missile rack to hit, but it's entirely possible to manage.  Two tons of MML ammo are protected by CASE II, one in each torso.  Jumping and firing all longer ranged weapons is -2 thanks to the heat bonus from the Partial Wing and the fact that the two bonus Jump MP don't generate additional heat.  Adding the three SXPLs is up to +7, but with that jump speed it's not easy to slip away from basically any target.  Armor is identical to the 2H.  This variant is less bluntly powerful, but is significantly more flexible.  BV at 1400 is an improvement, and I think I'd take this one more often than not.  B+

Eris ERS-3R: This variant is very funny.  We have three ER Medium Lasers, TAG, Angel ECM, we still have the Partial Wing for 5/8/7, and then we also have 14 Rocket Launcher 10s.  I'm torn on how to use this correctly, but I think the "ideal" option is to jump and fire ER Medium Lasers, plus one RL 10 at a time.  This keeps you heat neutral exactly, and is going to trigger on average a PSR if all weapons connect.  Alternately, you can line up a good run, and then dump seven RL 10s while heat neutral.  Depends on if you've got the numbers you're looking for, I suppose.  BV is very high at 1868, and I think this is at least partially overvaluing the possibility of a massive alpha strike, but you do always have that option in your back pocket.  Originality is very high, quality lags a bit behind but isn't terrible.  C+

Wolverine WVR-7D: And now it's time for my daily penance.  The Wolverine 7D is the first Wolverine sheet in the book of many.  This one commits one of the cardinal sins of 'Mech design by going to the 5/8[10]/5 speed.  Weapons are an Ultra AC/5, an SRM 6, and a Medium Pulse Laser.  On average cluster results, this struggles to trigger a PSR.  That's not ideal.  Armor is very good, but it's protecting an XL Engine to free up all this tonnage.  The BV at 1314 isn't as terrible as it could be, but this variant is very anemic in terms of its ability to inflict damage, while the BV is boosted too high by the MASC.  Not great, but not garbage either.  This is the kind of 'Mech where someone in the next few posts is going to say "I love the Wolverine 7D!" and talk about how it did really well for them in a game once.  C

Wolverine WVR-7K: Large Pulse Laser, Medium Pulse Laser, Small Pulse Laser, and two SRM 6s.  This is much more capable of generating a PSR even on absolutely abysmal cluster rolls.  Armor is as good or better than the 7D.  Speed is slower on account of no MASC.  Heat is very doable at a neutral running alpha, and +3 for jumping, including the SPL.  Might even be a bit oversinked.  There's an IS XL here with ammo in both torsos, which I'm not a huge fan of, but you can burn the ammo relatively quickly and the offense is appreciably higher for it.  BV at 1331 is very comparable to the 7D, and this is just better.  Range is the primary drawback to this variant, but once it gets there it will do a good job of making someone hurt.  B

Wolverine WVR-7M: Two ER Large Lasers, two Medium Pulse Lasers, and an SRM 6 with one ton of ammo.  This is roughly comparable in damage to the 7K, though at a longer range.  The heat is problematic, though, at +2 running just with the ER Larges.  You can drop one for the SRM 6 and paired MPLs up close, but this puts you fairly below the 7K in terms of sustained damage.  We also have MASC showing up again.  MASC is the biggest downside here, with the 5/8[10]/5 movement boosting the BV up to 1673.  This is not 340 BV better than the 7K, not even close.  Armor has also taken a big hit and is no longer near max.  Skip.  C-

Wolverine WVR-7M2: Swapping both ER Larges for a Heavy PPC makes this a significantly better design.  Damage is similar, heat is exceptionally better, to the extent you can now run and fire all guns for +5 heat.  That's still not quite ideal, and the armor and speed have not gotten better.  Dropping MASC for one more heat sink and some armor would do this 'Mech good, but it hasn't happened.  BV is up further to 1752, and while this is more worth it than the 7M, it's still not really worth it.  C

Wolverine WVR-9R: Okay, this is getting better.  This variant is back to 5/8/5, and is better for it, and the weapons are now an Ultra AC/10 with two tons of ammo, a Streak SRM 6 with a tone of ammo, and an ER Medium Laser.  All ammo is in the left torso protected by CASE, not that it matters with an IS XL Engine.  No extra tonnage is spent on heat sinks, leaving a -1 at a run or +2 at a jump.  Armor is improved, and is back up to near max though it's still not quite there.  Much better overall.  Double bonus, the BV has dropped to 1481, which makes it a more palatable choice for sure.  We're back to having a genuinely worthwhile medium cavalry 'Mech.  B

Wolverine WVR-10D: 5/8[10]/5 is back, to my irritation.  The guns now are a Rotary AC/5 and three tons of ammo, a Streak SRM 6 and one ton of ammo, and a Medium X-Pulse Laser.  Ammo is all protected by CASE II, and we have a Supercharger instead of MASC which saves some vital tonnage.  Armor is now genuinely max.  The 10 base doubles handle all the heat you could want, and at highest efficient RAC output you are heat neutral while jumping if the Streaks lock.  All of this combines to a 'Mech that is individually capable, but way too expensive at 1925.  I want to like it, but in order to actually like it this needs to be at least 200 points cheaper.  As is it's not going to be one of my go tos.  C

Wolverine WVR-10R: This Wolverine makes the bold choice to go to 6/9[12]/6.  It's expensive, sure, but it's less cripplingly expensive than having the +4 TMM BV modifier but not being able to reach it.  Armament is a Snub-Nose PPC, a Streak SRM 6, and an ER Medium Laser.  Also showing up is a Targeting Computer to make it more accurate.  I approve of this decision, especially on something like a snubbie that's going to have good numbers out to 9 hexes.  Armor is still max, and heat sinks will get you to +1 at a run if the Streaks lock, and +5 at a jump also if the Streaks lock.  That's a better proposition than most times it comes up, though, since if you have trigger a streak lock while jumping it was probably at either a very hard target that you really wanted to hit, or you had excellent numbers and you probably hit with something else, too.  There's still an IS XL, which means it's ultimately vulnerable to side-torso loss, but the only ammo is protected by CASE II.  The BV is down to 1791, and this is pretty much exactly what would have needed to be different for me to want to use it.  It's still a bit on the expensive side, but it's not egregiously so.  B

Wolverine WVR-10V2: This Wolverine is 6/9/6 with a single Gauss Rifle and three tons of ammo and an ER Medium Laser.  I'll be honestly I kind of really like it.  The BV is high at 1747, but you have the ability to force PSRs, a headcapper, good speed, very nearly max armor, and the heat might as well be non-existent.  It could be improved, but it's pretty good as is.  B

Wolverine WVR-11M: Begone from my sight, 5/8[10]/5!  Haunt me no longer!  Aside from that this is a fine variant.  A Heavy PPC, Medium X-Pulse Laser, and SRM 6 combine effectively around six hexes to force PSRs basically at a whim.  Twelve doubles means it can run hot, but you have a +3 while running and +5 if you felt the need to fire all guns while jumping.  The ammo is protected by CASE II.  Armor is a quarter step down from the previous few Wolverines, but is still fine, good even.  BV at 1778 is higher than the 10V2, but they're pretty conceptually close in terms of capability and utilization.  The 10V2 is simpler and easier, though, and I think that gets the nod as the better 'Mech.  B-

Victor VTR-12D: And now we transition straight to a very good Assault 'Mech.  This Victor is 4/6/4, as Victors are, and has a Gauss Rifle, two Medium Re-engineered Lasers (always a personal favorite), and an SRM 4, plus a Targeting Computer.  The Gauss has two tons of ammo, the SRM 4s a single tone.  The Gauss is not protected by CASE, but the SRM ammo is protected by CASE II.  Letting it go this fast is a Light Fusion Engine with the unexpected inclusion of a Heavy Duty Gyro.  Ten doubles is enough to handle all heat at a run.  Armor is acceptable at around 80% of what the frame can handle, and overall at 1935 BV this is a quality brick that puts out quality damage.  Forcing a PSR at range is difficult, but inside 9 hexes you have a Gauss and functionally two Medium Pulse Lasers that happen to also ignore specialty armor like Reflective.  I like it.  A-

Kingfisher T: The original Kingfisher is a good design, and this isn't really an exception.  There are a Streak SRM 6 and Streak LRM 10 with a ton of ammo each, an Improved Heavy Large Laser, four ER Medium Lasers, an Improved Heavy Small Laser and a Targeting Computer.  Everything explosive (left arm, right arm, left torso) is protected by CASE II.  Firing all weapons that are range 5/10/15 generates only movement heat, which is an inelegant but effective standard to measure by.  The iHSL I will probably never use, and the Streaks can be used opportunitisticly depending at the range you're at.  Answers outside of 15 hexes are extremely limited, but at 4/6 this is fast enough (not fast, just fast enough) to make that less of a problem.  There are no problems from a damage standpoint here, neither are there from an armor standpoing, with the Kingfisher main chassis being fully max armored.  At 2637 it's expensive, but you're paying Clantech Assault Omni prices for a Clantech Assault Omni.  It's good.  B+

Kingfisher F: I think this is arguably a better config than the T.  There is a HAG/30 with three tons of ammo, which is probably not enough but is enough to at least contribute for a while.  Joining it is an ER Large Laser, between them they trigger a PSR on basically everything.  Up closer are three ER Mediums, and there's also an ECM Suit here.  Seventeen doubles is ludicrously oversinked at range, but up close and firing all guns it generates +1 on a run.  This is designed to get up relatively close and tape down the triggers until the ammo runs out, or you drop one ER Medium to reset the cooling briefly.  Nothing finesse about it.  BV at 2568 is cheaper than the T, which informs my preference for it.  A-

Kingfisher G: Superchargers on 4/6 'Mechs I like a lot more than I do speed boosts on 5/8 'Mechs.  This affords a level of capability that otherwise doesn't exist and can't be trivially given to Omnis once they've been designed.  The rest of this config is a massive LB-20X, plus an SRM 6, three Improved Heavy Medium Lasers, and two ER Small Lasers.  Having a maximum range of 12 hexes is mildly problematic, and having only two tons of ammo likewise.  That said, once you get to 12 hexes, and on most maps you will, this is a holy terror that does a shitload of damage.  iHMLs are one of the most efficient weapons in the game for that capability.  Seventeen doubles puts this 'Mech at a +3 running alpha, and you can choose whether to drop an iHML and go instantly back to zero, or drop the SRMs or ER Smalls to go back down slowly.  BV at 2319 is reflective of the fact that you're going to take fire before joining the fight, but I think this is a worthwhile trade-off, especially if you have threats that can force attention splits.  B+

Kingfisher I: A Gauss Rifle with two tons of ammo and two Improved Heavy Large Lasers.  Running and firing all guns is +1 heat thanks to the 19 doubles.  Simple.  Elegant.  Brutal.  Cheap.  This runs you 2348 BV and it's worth every point.  The guns are all in the arms, which also makes it an excellent Omni to use with mechanized battle armor.  A

Kingfisher X: For long range, this config has an ER PPC and an LRM 15 with Artemis V.  At mid range, there are a pair of ER Medium Pulse Lasers.  At short range, three Improved Heavy Medium Lasers.  All of the energy weapons are linked to a Targeting Computer.  Seventeen doubles handles the long range heat without even noticing at -12.  Once the ER Medium Pulses are engaged the design is heat netural on a run.  At close range, swap the two long range guns for all three iHMLs depending on numbers.  Well designed brackets, though it could stand do a little more at long range.  The LRMs have two tons of ammo protected by Clan CASE in the arms, and the iHMLs are likewise only protected by Clan CASE.  The BV here is a touch high at 2761.  Compare fairly directly to the Banshee 12S from the previous volume, and while the Banshee does have a Clan XL and this has a Standard engine, they are comparable and match up well.  I'd take the Banshee most times due to BV considerations, but this is a strong and capable config.  There's also an ECM Suite, which can definitely help.  A+

'Mechs by rating:

F: 1
D: 3
C: 5
B: 12
A: 3
S: none

Cumulative 'Mechs by rating (series):

F: 29
D: 67
C: 124
B: 134
A: 73
S: 12

At some point I appear to have gotten slightly off in my cumulative numbers.  I've fixed them here.
« Last Edit: 26 January 2022, 14:50:38 by Scotty »
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