Author Topic: Recognition Guide: ilClan Discussion Part 5 - Comes With Everything You See Here  (Read 153304 times)

Weirdo

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My understanding is that MUL availability works this way:

Available to a faction: That faction has enough of said unit that you could find multiple formations that have multiple copies of that unit.

Not available to a faction: The faction does not have enough to meet the above. Mind you, most factions have armies large enough that this still leaves room for several examples on that mech, they're just spread out enough that no given regiment has more than one.  There is a bit of a judgement call to be made. For example, the Federated Commonwealth does not have access to the Mad Cat in both the Late Succession Wars and Clan Invasion eras. It's safe to assume that there's a fair handful of captured Mad Cats in the FedCom at the height of the Clan Invasion, but similarly safe to assume that the number of Mad Cats in the FedCom in the late Succession Wars is zero.

Unique: Nothing official had been said, but my gut impression is that this means that there are at most a lance or platoon's worth of this unit in existence.

Extinct: Rather than saying that zero examples of this unit exist, this is saying that it counts as the above definition of Not Available, but for all factions in this era. For example, Mackies were extinct for centuries until resurrected during the Jihad, but we still saw a couple thrown at the Black Widows during the 3rd Succession War, and the Smoke Jaguars had one on Huntress in the novel Freebirth. There could be several examples still floating around waiting for someone's plot to need it, but no one faction has enough of them to matter in the grand scheme of things.
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nckestrel

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The MUL faction pages for Unique and Extinct give definitions of what we mean by them.
http://www.masterunitlist.info/Faction/Details/3
Extinct faction:
Units that are listed as extinct for a given era have zero known, extant, functioning examples operating during that time.
Stocks contained in forgotten bunkers, non-functional museum or display pieces, carcasses in scrapyards, or any other situation in which the unit is not used by an active public or private military, or individual are not counted as a functioning example.

http://www.masterunitlist.info/Faction/Details/4
Unique faction:
Units listed as unique represent one-of-a-kind customs in addition to extraordinarily limited run prototypes, usually numbering fewer than one dozen produced.
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nckestrel

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My understanding is that MUL availability works this way:

Available to a faction: That faction has enough of said unit that you could find multiple formations that have multiple copies of that unit.

Not available to a faction: The faction does not have enough to meet the above. Mind you, most factions have armies large enough that this still leaves room for several examples on that mech, they're just spread out enough that no given regiment has more than one.  There is a bit of a judgement call to be made. For example, the Federated Commonwealth does not have access to the Mad Cat in both the Late Succession Wars and Clan Invasion eras. It's safe to assume that there's a fair handful of captured Mad Cats in the FedCom at the height of the Clan Invasion, but similarly safe to assume that the number of Mad Cats in the FedCom in the late Succession Wars is zero.

These are generally good definitions. 
Salvage in particular is tricky.  The MUL generally doesn't list random salvage possibilities unless a source specificially calls out that unit as being available in numbers (Ravens for Federated Suns after 4th SW for example), and when a significant component of the faction can't be represented without it (giving some Clan 'mech options for IS factions). Unique overrides the "multiple formations that have multiple copies".
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Greatclub

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We've got a page-point-whtever before the thread is closed, and Scotty still has two (or more, if he still feels like soaking up punishment) RecGuide reviews to go. We should probably let the thread die until he's done them unless we want the mods to start thread 6

Extinct probably also includes some hanger queens, but that crosses over into 'museum pieces.'

Sartris

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if it just sits somewhere not functional and isn't deployed then yeah

it's a very simple rubric

is it in active use by anyone?
yes --> not extinct
no --> extinct

i wrote the definition for extinct to include a number of examples that are often cited as evidence for not extinct and is not comprehensive. grandpa could have a tr-1 trooper in his garage as well. active use is the primary determinant for our definition in a canon context.

rascally writers and devs who introduce long-forgotten caches or poof factories into existence (pertinent to this product series) cannot be controlled or accounted for (my request for cattle prods has gone unfilled). until those parties decide do do something, extinct is completely unused.

once a poofing is complete, it was always that way. you're experiencing the mandela effect and should probably rest and hydrate for the remainder of the day

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Cache

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...introduced to full canon in Shrapnel 8, and they have exactly 12 of those. No more...
That got me looking. I just noticed the Shrapnel 8 record sheets have been uploaded to the site.

Arkansas Warrior

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We've got a page-point-whtever before the thread is closed, and Scotty still has two (or more, if he still feels like soaking up punishment) RecGuide reviews to go. We should probably let the thread die until he's done them unless we want the mods to start thread 6

Extinct probably also includes some hanger queens, but that crosses over into 'museum pieces.'
Meh, I don’t have any problem with a sixth thread.  Gives us plenty more room to talk, which is more or less what the forums are for.
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Moragion

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Noted about the MUL. My question came because I am thinking of creating a unit for 3145-ilClan Era, more precisely recreate the 1st Argyle Lancers as a unit formed by the nobles and people of Argyle as a gift unit to Julian. And I have the idea of the commander of the unit piloting a BL-18-KNT (i love this variant). I know I can say he got his hands on it in any way I want, but for the rest of the unit I would like a more realistic group of mechs (considering I will only use miniatures from the kickstarter). I made a list of mechs that should be available in the FS considering the faction, but I got the doubt about other models availability in the FS.

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3145 is Dark Age era. :)
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Sapphirus

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3145 is Dark Age era. :)

He was saying from 3145 to the IlClan Era ;)

Scotty

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We've got a page-point-whtever before the thread is closed, and Scotty still has two (or more, if he still feels like soaking up punishment) RecGuide reviews to go. We should probably let the thread die until he's done them unless we want the mods to start thread 6

Extinct probably also includes some hanger queens, but that crosses over into 'museum pieces.'

I have no strong feelings about the Raijin, which has made this one drag pretty bad.
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Recognition Guide: IlClan Volume 23

Nexus NXS1-A: It took me a second to figure out how I felt about this variant.  One the one hand, this is an absurd number of guns.  A Medium Laser, two Medium Pulse Lasers, two Small Lasers, and an AMS.  That is what we call in the business "Enough Gun".  The problem is how it gets enough gun.  Movement is okay for a 25 tonner, 7/11, but the inclusion of only four jump jets strikes me as a bad compromise.  Those two tons are badly needed elsewhere, because the armor on this thing is pathetic.  And I meant that both in absolute terms, and in relative terms for a 25 ton 'Mech.  When something has pathetic armor for a 25 ton 'Mech there is a problem.  Thirty five points of armor on the entire 'Mech, less than half of the total amount possible.   Less than structure on every location except the Head, which has a whopping four points.  Ten doubles have no issue with the heat (jumping -2), for all the good it does you.  I'd say you wouldn't catch me dead in one of these things, but if I ever had to bring one that's exactly what I'd be: dead.  A relatively low BV of 643 for its guns is not enough to fix the catastrophic durability issues where 10 points is enough to remove every single location that isn't the center torso.  F

Nexus NXS1-B: This is much better.  The movement is still odd but it's up to 7/11/5 and there is no longer a negative TMM modifier decision involved in picking a movement type.  Weapons have been replaced with two ER Medium Lasers, an ER Small Laser, and a C3i computer.  Saved tonnage went directly into the armor, with the B rocking if not max then at least close enough that I had to double check real quick to make sure it wasn't.  Head armor is still a problem at 7 points, putting it in headcap range for 10 point hits.  Everything else is better if not great, with only arms being threatened by a 10 point hit and even then that only takes them exactly rather than taking the arm and all the armor off the torso as a parting gift.  Ten doubles still doesn't struggle with heat (jumping -3).  The BV is surprisingly stable for such a glow-up, to 715.  This doesn't make a half-bad C3i spotter, though we haven't spoken in detail about C3 at any point.  It's not my preferred brand of spotter but it's fast enough to be flexible with its position and its cheap enough not to inflate the BV of the whole force unnecessarily.  This is much better.  C+

Nexus NXS1-C: The C is halfway in between the A and the B, which puts it distinctly further on the bad side of things, but it has some use.  Mobility is back to the weird 7/11/4 profile.  Weapons consist of a Medium Re-engineered Laser, two Medium Lasers, two Small X-Pulse Lasers, and the AMS.  This is somehow Even More Gun than the A had, but in this case the armor is at least slightly better.  I say "slightly" because we're only barely past the 50% mark.  This is enough to keep 10 point hits from mission killing the 'Mech, but the head is still vulnerable to 10 point headcaps.  It's not a catastrophic loss of durability like the A but it's still notable.  Making room for all of this is the inclusion of a Light Fusion Engine and XL Gyro where the previous two variants were both standard.  The AMS ammo also has CASE this time.  This is less durable than if it did have a Standard Engine, but overall if you're losing a torso it's time to leave anyway and at least this one might be able to do it under its own power.  Heat can now actually be noticed, with a jumping alpha with all weapons putting up +3 heat if the AMS triggers, +2 if it does not.  This is manageable, and I don't find issue with it.  BV has jumped to 804, and I'm honestly on the fence whether I'd prefer this to the B entirely because I'm personally more likely to use More Gun than I am to use C3i.  C

Star Python: The Star Python fixes some of what's wrong with the A, but it doesn't fix everything.  The 7/11/4 movement profile is still here and still as questionably helpful as before.  This time the weapons are significantly improved by dint of being Clan tech, with an Improved Heavy Medium Laser, two ER Medium Lasers, two ER Micro Lasers, and an AMS.  We're back to standard engine and gyro, and this time there's Clan CASE protecting the AMS ammo, so this 'Mech can continue fighting even if the torso takes an ammo hit.  It's also by far the most dangerous offensively that we've seen so far, capable of forcing PSRs as long as the assorted Medium Lasers hit.  Armor is back up to the B's level of 'good' protection, and this time the added bonus is that it's Reflective armor.  That's a big bonus to anyone afraid of getting shot down while closing against units with pulse lasers.  It's less of a bonus if you were hoping that this stayed cheap.  BV has jumped up to 1264, which puts it competing directly with some absolute gems in the same price range and unit role, and I think it comes out lacking compared to some of them.  Not being Best In Role isn't the mark of a bad 'Mech, though, and I can see taking this one on occasion.  B-

Fujin RJN-301-F: I have little to no attachment to the Raijin, and had very little idea what it even was before this volume came out except as a page on the MUL that had a silhouette for a picture.  This particular version is 6/9/6, putting it right in the middle of the possible mobility curve for a 50 ton 'Mech.  With that mobility it brings three ER Medium Lasers, a Streak SRM 6, and an ER PPC, plus an Improved One-shot SRM 2 that I'm going to forget forever after the end of this sentence.  The Streaks have one ton of ammo in the left torso, protected by CASE II.  Most of the weapons are on the left side of this 'Mech, while the right arm is cavernously empty, so I feel like there might be something worth saying about trying to get shots to come in against your right side if possible.  This is all protected by a good-but-not-maximum amount of Ballistic-Reinforced armor, making it significantly more durable than it looks like at first glance.  To make all of this fit means an XL Engine, but honestly this feels like an excellent package built well.  Ten doubles struggle with the heat load if you try to fire everything, but there's a clear bracket here where the ER PPC fires at range, and the ER Mediums switch out for it up close.  I think I would continue to use the ER PPC unless it's really important until you get within 8 hexes, and the Streak can be added on pure-bonus hit numbers starting at 9 in case you get lucky and they go off.  Movement heat only comes up if you jump at long range (+1), and potentially if you jump at short range (+1; +5 if the Streaks lock).  BV for the package comes to 1770, and I can see paying that for something that's as durable as this is even when it doesn't look like it even if it could stand to come down a bit.  B-

Raijin RJN-101-A: Crazily enough I think I actually like this version better?  Movement speed is the same, and armor is worse by virtue of having less tonnage devoted to it and not being Ballistic-Reinforced, but the weapons are more my speed.  Three Medium Pulse Lasers, an SRM 6, an ER PPC, and a Streak SRM 2.  Heat sinks are the same base 10 doubles, meaning that heat considerations for the long range bracket are identical to before, but now there's an even more clearly delineated bracket.  At close range all three MPLs, the SRM 6, and the Streak SRM 2 will be heat neutral on a run if the Streak locks, and the Streak can be dropped while jumping for an intuitive +4 heat.  The biggest downsides by far are the lack of CASE on the ammo.  BV is significantly lower at 1350, part of why I tend to like this better than the 301-F.  Overall this feels like an Uziel 2S that traded one PPC for brace of MPLs, and I'm a big fan of the Uziel 2S.  B

Raijin RJN-101-B: The 101-B is another entry in the "this is just an Uziel with extra steps" but this time it's the Uziel 3S, the extra steps involve replacing the LB-2X with an ER PPC, and there was much rejoicing.  Armor and mobility are the same as the 101-A, and weapons are now a Large Pulse Laser, two Medium Lasers, two Flamers, an ER PPC, and an Active Probe.  Technically we're short one SRM 6 from the Uziel 3S, but the rest of the secondary weapons are generally improved.  Ten doubles still results in the same long range bracket as the previous two, while the short range bracket has gotten much more interesting.  The Large Pulse and both Medium Lasers at a jump is +2, at a run is -2.  Including the Flamers instead of jumping is +4, meaning that a repeatable firing patters is All -> LPL/MLs -> LPL/MLs -> All.  That's reasonably consistent output at close range, and while it fails to force a PSR it's very accurate.  One good numbers, the ER PPC and both Mediums can be fired instead for +3 while running, meaning that if a PSR is necessary or you catch a bigger target napping you can go for the knockdown still.  At 1383 BV I prefer the 101-A by a substantial margin, but this isn't terrible.  The fact that there's no more ammo to explode is a good plus.  C

Raijin RJN-101-C: This is the point at which I'm officially tired of Raijin variants, but there are still two more after this one.  The 101-C is similar to the Nexus 1-C in that it's a C3i 'Mech.  This time the weapons include three ER Mediums, a Streak SRM 6, and a Large Pulse Laser.  These weapons are all relatively short range and make it very clear that this is a close range spotter first.  The armor reflects this, having been improved to nearly max coverage over the 101-A and 101-B.  There is no CASE on the ammo but this is an XL Engine 'Mech, so that would only matter for campaigns anyway - an explosion would be just as dead in a one-off fight.  The removal of the ER PPC means that the heat sinks on this are woefully underprepared for what's expected of them.  The base 10 doubles struggle to handle heat from weapons with similar optimum ranges.  I can identify a couple useful individual groups, but finding a consistent pattern is rough.  Firing the Large Pulse, one ER Medium, and the Streak SRM 6 at a run is +1 if the Streak locks and -3 if it doesn't.  If the numbers are excellent then firing all three ER Mediums and the Streak SRM 6 is likewise +1 if the Streak locks and -3 if it doesn't, but the accuracy of the Large Pulse means that this is really only a practically better option at exactly range 4, range 8, or if the numbers are so low on the ER Mediums that the pulse accuracy is wasted.  In all cases, relying on the Streak not locking (or not being declared) means that it's a little bit too dependent on luck to be reliable.  Forcing PSRs isn't particularly difficult, at least, if most weapons connect.  Jumping and firing the Large Pulse and Streak 6 is probably the most obvious identifiable Good Idea, which benefits from the natural accuracy of the pulse laser and the Streak's efficient nature - if the Streak locks and the pulse hits, that's a PSR and it's at net zero heat.  If the Streak fails to lock it's -4 heat.  It feels like an easy trap to fall into to be doing that every turn and essentially wasting the ER Mediums, but that largely depends on whether you're using the 'Mech as a C3 spotter where its own offensive contribution is less important than its survival.  BV is 1389, and if given a choice between this and any other variant of the Raijin so far I'd probably go with the 301-F but it can be useful for C3 formations.  I don't hate it.  C

Raijin RJN-101-X: I have to admit, I had to check sarna to be sure I wasn't missing something here.  The only changes from the 101-A are that the SRM 6 is a one-shot, and there's CASE on the Streak SRM 2 ammo torso.  This is not a good trade.  BV is 1302, and that's not a good trade to be made for the BV, either.  You should never take this over the 101-A unless campaign survivability overrides every single other thing you might care about.  F

Raijin RJN-301-B: This variant has the good armor that we most recently saw on the 101-C, but this one lacks a big gun of any kind.  Instead we have the normal three ER Medium Lasers, an SRM 6, an SRM 2, and an iNarc.  The iNarc has three tons of ammo, the SRMs have two.  CASE II protects all ammo in both torsos.  This is an excellent example of where splitting the SRMs into 6 and 2 is just worse in every way than into two fours, where one ton of ammo would have worked fine.  This variant is the first so far to include an extra heat sink, bringing the total up to 11 doubles.  This allows it to run and fire all weapons at +1, or jump and fire the ER Mediums and SRM 6 at +3.  I think this is arguably a bit oversinked, and having the base 10 would have been better.  With BV at 1365, I have never been a fan of Narc or iNarc and don't really like the rest of the package here.  C-

Lancelot LNC25-09: Thank god, we're finally done with Raijins.  What we run into immediately is, uh, pretty good.  The 25-09 is a speedy heavy, going 6/9 with no jump.  It manages that using an Inner Sphere XL Engine.  Weapons consist of a pair of Clan ER Large Lasers for significant reach, a Clan Medium Pulse Laser, and an Inner Sphere Plasma Rifle with two tons of ammo.  I'm completely sold by this weapon combination.  Fifteen doubles is not quite enough, and firing all three big guns is +6 at a run.  Firing both ER Large Lasers and the MPL, however, is exactly heat neutral, making me think that the Plasma Rifle is largely a toolkit weapon for making infantry regret existing, inflicting extra hits on vehicles, or punishing a target prone to overheating.  The range bands favor using the MPL in a lot of places, too.  When you are going to use the Plasma, I think I would probably end up dropping an ER Large Laser for it when the utility options are needed.  Durability is high despite the IS XL, with max armor in every location.  The BV is 2099, which feels about right for something fast with these guns, good armor but an internal durability flaw, and the ability if not the desire to accept heat based movement penalties.  B+

Rifleman IIC: Four Large Pulse Lasers, an Active Probe, an ER Small Lasers.  3/5/3.  Max armor, standard engine.  Heat sinks to make all four LPLs at a run +4, standing still +2, and you can just drop one every third turn to stay neutral.  Yawn.  BV at 2307 is good if you're not getting put up against an opponent that demands mobility, but when is that ever going to matter, you can flip your arms.  This is one of the most boring 'Mechs ever designed and I'm happy to leave it at home.  It's good, of course, I just don't like it.  B+

Rifleman IIC 2: This one, it's not so good.  Four Ultra AC/2s is pretty bad.  Incapable of forcing a PSR, slightly faster at 4/6/3 but not any harder to hit.  Six tons of ammo split between two cavernously empty side torsos.  It even cost some armor to make this all fit, a total of three point scraped off the front and back center torso.  Even being in the basement BV wise for something this durable at 1345 is not enough to make me ever want to use one.  If you really, absolutely have to field a bunch of UAC/2s the Bane is right there.  F

Rifleman IIC 9: This is... better than the Standard, in the sense that it is definitely more interesting.  The movement curve is the same 3/5/3, but the weapons have been replaced with four ER Large Lasers and a Targeting Computer.  This makes them meaningfully more accurate at 7-8 hexes, 15 hexes, and 21-25 hexes.  Heat sinks struggle to keep up with 20 doubles only sinking 40 heat, and causing +8 overheat when standing still.  This is just barely too much to be a good idea.  Fortunately, the designers thought of that, and there are two Coolant Pods included.  This allows the 9 to accept a moderate hit penalty every other turn but maintain full firing patterns for four turns stationary, generating +8, -4, -4, +8 thanks to the Coolant pods.  After that you have to start dropping some lasers to avoid getting bad penalties, likely falling into a 4-3-3 pattern.  Why would you bother to use this over the Standard?  Maximum Reflective Armor makes it an incredibly tough nut to crack and very likely to absolutely eviscerate a Standard in a direct combat.  The BV reflects its improved capabilities with a price tag of 2794, which is way too high for me to want to use a 65 ton 'Mech.  Overall I think this is significantly more interesting than the Standard, and I'm more likely to use one, but it's not quite the same level of point-and-click stupid simple, and it's possible to get into trouble with it that the Standard just can't.  B

Rifleman IIC 10: For a brief moment I thought that the UAC/2 toting 2 would be the worst variant, but I forgot this existed.  Four Protomech AC/8s and eight tons of ammo, split evenly between torsos and protected by CASE II each.  A Supercharger also goes in the center torso.  Why did I bother specifying?  Because this version not only goes 4/6[8]/4, but in order to do that it had to go to an XL Engine!  The armor is still good, but holy crap is it bad to have a bunch of weapons with a 10 hex range that do less than 10 damage.  Just ask how anything with an Inner Sphere Large Pulse Laser feels.  The trade-off here is that you're less likely to overheat, but that if you spring for Precision Ammo to at least feel like you have pulse lasers you got the bad versions.  BV is 1587 and you could not make me take this if you paid me that back for free on a later game of my choosing.  F

Guillotine GLT-7M: Right off the bat, everyone knows Guillotines go 4/6/4 and this is no exception.  Standard Engine and Gyro keep things simple.  Weapons are an ER PPC with Capacitor, two Light PPCs, two ER Medium Lasers, and a Streak SRM 6.  I dislike IS ER PPCs with Capacitors less than I do Clan ones, because they finally get up to the headcap threshold.  I don't necessarily want to be there, given what it does to BV most times, but it's a meaningful threshold and I think it has more impact than getting to automatic PSR for a Clan or Heavy.  There's one ton of ammo for the Streak in the left torso, protected by CASE II.  Armor is lacking in the legs, and is oddly rear-heavy on the center, but otherwise is fine.  Sixteen doubles handle the heat load acceptably well, with neutral on a run when firing the charged ER PPC and both Light PPCs, or +2 on a jump.  When not charged, long range at a run is -5, and when charging but not firing, long range at a run is -15.  Up close the pattern gets a bit more interesting, with the paired Light PPCs, ER Medium Lasers, and Streak chiming in at a total of -6 at a run, or -1 if you're charging the Capacitor.  This is where I think this Guillotine is most interesting.  Being neutral on a run at long range is arguably a bit oversinked, but up close the firing pattern is more clearly built to use the Capacitor.  Assuming you're within 9 hexes range, you charge the Capacitor and fire everything for between -5 and -1 depending on if the Streaks fire.  Next turn you fire the charged ER PPC, both ER Mediums or the Light PPCs depending on what you're in the best range for, and the Streaks.  If the Streaks fail to lock you generate 28 heat and are -2 on a run, if they do lock you generate 32 heat and are +2 while running.  Since it's unlikely the Streaks lock every turn, you should manage to stay neutral.  This is arguably the most natural feeling pattern of any 'Mech with a Capacitor in the Recognition Guides so far, and I think that it illuminates one of the biggest problems with Capacitors in general.  It's very difficult to build a heat curve on a 'Mech that seamlessly accepts a turn with a 15 point gap in heat generation.  Most 'Mechs don't even bother to try.  The Guillotine is the only one that I'd call good so far.  BV is 1877 feels about right, though the leg armor means that this is not a heavy you should be trying to close to melee range with.  B

Nova Cat T: I honestly forgot the Nova Cat was in this book when I started today.  And shame on me for it, I love the Nova Cat.  The T isn't my favorite config, but it is definitely trying for a different tag on the Nova Cat than the Prime and I can't fault it for that.  Weapons are three Large Pulse Lasers and two ER PPCs, plus a Supercharger.  Eighteen total double heat sinks are not nearly enough to fire any of that reliably, and the most efficient group of weapons is almost always going to be three Large Pulse Lasers until the thing you're shooting at is so crippled and immobile that the pulse bonus isn't worth it anymore, at which point you switch to two ER PPCs to put it out of its misery a bit faster.  Technically I think the actual most damage efficient pattern is two LPLs and one ER PPC for +1 at a run, so at no point is the paired ER PPC option actually going to be your best option unless you're so hopelessly outclassed that headshots are the only thing you can use to level the playing field.  At that point, you're probably already losing or have already lost but it's fun to dream.  BV is 2855 likely thanks to the Supercharger, which is fun for getting an extra TMM but not particularly essential for such a long range and accurate sniper.  It's pretty middle of the pack as far as Nova Cats go, in my book.  B

Nova Cat E: Four ATM 9s, eight tons of ATM 9 ammo, and a Large Pulse Laser.  This is probably the best Nova Cat purely from the perspective of "I will do as much damage as is humanly possible to this one target", because each ATM 9 that hits with HE ammo averages 21 damage, putting this one well north of 80 possible in a single turn.  Even at mid range with standard ammo, it's looking at 60+ with the Large Pulse Laser.  Heat can be a bit dodgy, with 15 doubles able to handle the ATMs perfectly well while running (-4), but unable to handle the Large Pulse at speed without suffering penalties (+6).  It's likely better to be firing three ATMs and the Large Pulse on most turns, for exactly heat neutral at a run, and either swapping to four ATMs or adding them all to the LPL on turns where you have exceptionally good numbers to guarantee a kill.  Each launcher has 14 turns worth of ammo at full bore, and you can pick and choose the best ammo loadout for you.  Flexible, dangerous at all ranges, with that normal Nova Cat durability.  The ATM arms can also flip, a nasty surprise for anyone trying to get behind it.  The pulse laser is in the right torso and has a more limited firing arc, but is still broadly useful.  Overall an excellent use of ATMs, which are some of my favorite weapons.  The BV is lower than I'd have expected at 2191, which makes this a budget choice among Nova Cat configs that doesn't sacrifice much. A

Nova Cat F: This is by far my least favorite Nova Cat for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with what goes into it.  Weapons are three Medium Pulse Lasers and two Large Pulse Lasers tied to a Targeting Computer, backed up by an ECM Suite.  Fourteen double heat sinks handle the LPLs and two MPLs at a jump for +3 heat, or three MPLs and one LPL at -3.  This configuration of this 'Mech has by itself convinced an entire generation of players that jumpy pulse boats are the best thing in the game, and it drives me insane every time I see it come up.  Do not get me wrong: this is a good 'Mech.  But what it is very good at it is being the last 'Mech standing in a furball.  It has durability and maneuverability, but objectively speaking its offensive output is anemic compared to its peers - hell, compared to the E config we just went over.  Longtime residents of the forums may remember (and it gets brought up at least twice a year in other topics) the story of the last Trial of Bloodright Grand Melee where players were allowed to pick their 'Mechs, and how a majority (not just 'more than any other 'Mech', but an outright majority) of players picked the Nova Cat F, because it turns out that a game where the objective is to be the last 'Mech standing is best served by a 'Mech that is good at being the last 'Mech standing, especially when that decision wasn't balanced by BV but rather the skill of the pilot was determined by weight class.  That one instance of that one event has become the spotlight example of why player-picked forces aren't featured in any major convention event for over a decade and I hate it.  In a BV balanced world the price-tag of 2706 is extremely high for something with its offensive output, and you can see an excellent example of something that would eat its lunch in a head to head game in the Marauder IIC 10 back in volume 6 at only barely more BV (2877).  If I were awarding ratings based on how deeply a 'Mech has inflicted a blow on things I care about, this config would get the only G ever given.  In a more objectively lens, it's definitely actually a good 'Mech, though not nearly as good as you'd hear from someone else.  A-

Nova Cat G: The G config is an excellent rebuttal to my review above, where the only question asked is "What if you wanted to kill every single pilot to ever use this?".  Three LRM 20s with Artemis IV are fed by five tons of ammo.  The launchers are split two in the right arm and one in the left, while the ammo is split two in the right torso and three in the left arm.  That's not how I'd have done it but it definitely means you use the arm ammo first just in case.  The rest of the weapons are eight AP Gauss Rifles split four to each torso, and an ER Large Laser in the left torso.  An ECM Suite and Targeting Computer round out the rest of the weapons.  This many AP Gauss, plus having explosive crits in a third location, means that the expected result when piloting this deathtrap is pilot death.  Fourteen doubles handle the heat load with just a little thinking required.  Firing all three big LRM launchers is 18 heat, plus two for walking, plus all eight AP Gauss is net heat neutral.  Firing all three LRMs and the ER Large plus running is net +4.  Alternating 3:1 and 3:0 to keep heat neutral at range is a good plan, and dropping the laser for every AP Gauss you can fire once they're hitting on decent numbers (6 and closer) is just as good.  You can also swap down as many AP Gauss as necessary to deal with unexpected blips in heat, like when you have to stand up because your pilot blew two of them and passed out then fell over, and now the battle is almost over and you're just waking back up and that stand up attempt generates an extra point of heat.  You know, common stuff like that.  At 2522 the BV seems reasonable for that level of offensive power, but I'll be honest I don't think it's really worth it for a 'Mech that's going to rapidly take itself out of the fight without ever having actually been destroyed.  C

Nova Cat H: Now this one I like.  Two Improved Heavy Large Lasers, an LB-20X with four tons of ammo, and a Medium Pulse Laser.  There's also a Supercharger in the right torso, along with three Coolant Pods.  This config also has a ridiculous number of explosive crits distributed throughout, but several of them you can at least render inert fairly quickly if you're playing as intended.  Nineteen doubles are woefully inadequate to handle that heat on full blast, but that's what the Coolant Pods are for.  The two iHLLs by themselves at a run are heat neutral, or up to +4 with the MPL.  That's decent by itself, but adding the LB-20X makes things a little spicy up to +10.  A Coolant Pod will handle that and then some, even during a running alpha strike this config is looking at (-9).  I think personally I'd take the first turn of the major engagement without shooting the LB-20, and instead just build up to +4, then engage the supercharger the next turn for a good angle and hold down the trigger.  That will still zero out the heat.  Other options are to fire the LB-20X instead of the MPL on the first engagement turn, and use the Supercharger to maintain 6 run MP through the penalty, then engage the Coolant Pod on the second turn.  Either way, I don't think you use the Coolant Pods every time you push the "all guns" button.  Once the Coolant Pods run out, your priority should switch to whichever guns have your best numbers, and if you have equal numbers you fire the LB-20X instead of one of the iHLLs to comfortably maintain heat below the red line.  BV for this is 2452, and while it's more difficult to get use out of this config due to the short range and small number of very high damage guns, I think it has a place if you have other units to distract its approach until it's too late to get away.  B

Nova Cat M: This is a similar beast to the H in a number of ways.  Well.  One way.  There's a big LB-20X present on both, but then the M doubles down and makes it two LB-20X, both in arms that can flip.  The rest of the armament is a Streak SRM 6 and a Large Pulse Laser, because the thing you need more of with paired LB-20Xs is critseeking.  Four tons of LBX ammo is more reasonable than the four tons in the H, and the Streak has one ton of ammo too.  The ammo is split between the torsos, and none are protected by CASE II due to the time this was originally created during the Jihad.  I didn't realize prior to this config that the Nova Cat could carry as few as 11 doubles, and there are some (non-critical) heat concerns to be aware of.  The LBXs plus Large Pulse are +2 at a run, and if the Streaks lock you're up to +6 taking movement penalties.  Ideally I think that the play here is to fire the three big guns on the first couple turns, and swap the streaks in for an LB-20X if and only if you need to sink heat (neutral if they lock, -4 if they don't).  They strike me as a way to cool down, in an active sense, rather than something you can toss on unthinkingly.  It's a neat dynamic and one that I'm interested seeing on 'Mechs that are less already all-in on critseeking whenever they feel like it.  BV is surprisingly cheap at 2024, and this is very easily one of the better Nova Cats on that ground alone if you're willing to have to weather a turn or two of fire in order to get to face-smashing range.  A
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Grand Crusader CRN-D-01: Like the Raijin I have absolutely no connection to the Grand Crusader as presented in this book outside of a silhouette on the MUL.  That said, what we have here is rough for the first go.  Paired Inner Sphere Large Pulse Lasers, Medium Pulse Lasers, and LRM 20s with Artemis IV, plus an AMS.  The LRM 20s are great, the rest of it suffers badly from the slow speed of 3/5.  It took an XL Engine to get to that in the first place, so durability is already not as great as it could be.  Adding to that, there are three tons of LRM ammo with no protection in the side torsos, and two tons of AMS ammo in the center torso.  That's a lot of places where things can just suddenly explode and your 'Mech is gone.  CASE wouldn't help in one-off games, but it's still rough.  Armor is a bright spot with fully maxed armor in all locations, heavy enough on the back to shrug off 10 points on the side and 15 on the center.  Heat is... all over the place, handled by 10 doubles.  At range, the LRM 20s at a run are net -6, while up close the two Large Pulse Lasers alone are +2 at a run.  In that sense it's a genuine bracket 'Mech, but the inability to use all of the pulse lasers simultaneously (the preferred progression is definitely 2x LPL -> 1x LPL and 2x MPL to be heat neutral) is rough on a 'Mech that already suffers from being somewhat anemic.  It's not much of a stretch to say that an Archer 4M is comparably effective to this at most ranges, but is faster and doesn't rely on a fragile XL to get there.  BV is okay at 1758, there's a lot of armor to chew through here that can help if your opponent doesn't get lucky and get to the ammo first.  It strikes me as the kind of 'Mech that plays well on a larger engagement, the kind that no one sane or with a day job tries to play that covers 20 mapsheets and sees battalions on each side, so you can just hang back and lob LRMs literally all day before wading in with pulse lasers when those run out.  In a smaller scale game, it's a lot of vulnerability waiting to circumvent all that hard work that went into the armor.  C

Grand Crusader GRN-D-01-X: The limit on hyphens has been reached, no more are allowed to be used in 'Mech names.  There was some errata to this variant, which removed the head mounted Medium Laser, but even without that this one is faster (4/6) and still has an ER Large Laser, four Medium Lasers (down from five), and a pair of LRM 20s with Artemis IV.  The unique thing about this one is that the LRMs are in shoulder turrets, meaning they're able to fire in any direction independently.  Think of it like a super-torso twist for the weapons in the game that least needed that.  The torsos are now down to a total of four ammo bombs instead of eight as a result, though, so this is a net positive either way.  Armor is still max and in the same configuration, and the heat situation has been improved to 14 doubles.  This means running and firing the LRMs and the ER Large is +2, while up close the LRM 20s can be swapped for all four Medium Lasers for the same math.  I'd personally drop the ER Large when the heat gets to be an imminent concern, but you can also drop an LRM if you'd prefer to save ammo.  Up close, individual medium lasers let you tune, if imprecisely, the heat to where you want it to be.  The BV went up, and deserved to, to 1895.  With the significantly reduced risk of exploding, and the ability to make that risk completely zero much faster than the D-01, this is definitely a better variant.  B-

Grand Crusader GRN-D-02: This is the variant for the player who agreed with me about the problems with the D-01, and extremely did not agree with me on how to fix it.  The Medium Pulse Lasers are gone, as is the AMS, and in their place are a pair  of LRM 5s that also have Artemis IV.  A heat sink had to be removed in order to fit this change.  The LRM 5 ammo was put in the center torso, correcting the issue of AMS ammo in the center torso to easily explode by putting the single slowest draining ton of ammo the 'Mech still has left in its place.  At range the heat is now exactly neutral on a run, while up close we now overheat by two when firing the Large Pulse Lasers, but now there are no MPLs to join in or swap out up close.  This is... better, I think?  But it's very close to not being better at all.  At least, that's what I thought until I saw that the armor got lighter by half a ton, and now it's definitely not better.  The BV has actually dropped to 1702, somehow, and while I'd still take the D-01 over it I can see it being used sometimes.  C

Grand Crusader GRN-D-02-B: Critical hyphen levels again.  This is at least a genuine improvement on the D-02, swapping the Large Pulse Lasers and attendant LRM 5s with Artemis IV for a pair of ER Large Lasers and a pair of Medium Pulse Lasers.  Then they had to go and put the AMS back in and put its ammo in the center torso again.  Ammo bomb count: 5.  Heat sinks are back to 11 doubles, which would have put us back to frigid at long range but now we have ER Large Lasers.  That many DHS struggle with just the ER Larges, +4 at a run, and it's practically impossible to find a good time to use all of your long range weapons at once, since +14 at a run is what is described in the business as A Bad Idea.  Swapping one ER Large for both LRM 20s will get you closer, at least.  Up close, the Medium Pulse Lasers absolutely take over for one ER Large Laser as soon as they're in range, but overall there isn't a firing pattern that plays genuinely well with these weapons.  At least the AMS going off won't absolutely wreck your movement speed.  BV is up to 1937 and I cannot say that I would rather use this than any other variant except maybe the D-01.  C

Star Crusader Prime: Much like the Star Python, this is the Clan version of what used to be called the Grand Crusader.  And unlike the Grand Crusaders we've seen so far, this thing is nasty.  The base chassis is a max armor 80 tonner with Endo and Ferro plus an XL Engine for a cavernous 42 tons of podspace.  The Prime puts this to use similarly to the D-01, but faster (4/6/3), with Streak LRM 20s in the torsos, paired (Clan ER instead of Pulse) Large and Medium lasers in the arms, and an AMS in the head.  This time there's also a Targeting Computer.  CASE II protects all four tons of Streak ammo, and there's that damnable ton of AMS ammo in the center torso again.  I get that the intent was to be similar to the Grand Crusader, but can we stop making this unambiguous and inarguable mistake?  Heat is handled by 13 doubles, which is to say that you have both ER Larges at a run while being heat neutral.  It's possible but not particularly advisable to toss in the Streak LRM 20s, on the assumption that if you've hit with them you've scored 20 points of damage to handle any downsides you might suffer as a result.  Going up to +12 isn't pleasant, but it's not life threatening under most circumstances either, and it means you've done at least 40 points of damage to the target barring AMS or partial cover.  I can see the use.  Up close the answer for heat and damage efficiency is 100% the Streaks and the ER Mediums.  In the event you need the accuracy from the targeting computer, one ER Large and two ER Mediums isn't optimal but it will get you there and sink a bit of heat to boot.  The biggest downside is the BV pricetag, which is a gargantuan 3325 and I don't think it justifies that at all.  I'd play this if it was closer to 2800, and I'm genuinely not sure what caused it to spike through the roof the way it did.  As is it's usable but it's not good due almost entirely to the cost.  C

Star Crusader A: This is more like it.  Improved Jump Jets are used to move 4/6/6, and weapons include a Gauss Rifle with two tons of ammo, an ER PPC, two Medium Pulse Lasers, and a Streak SRM 6 with a ton of ammo.  This time the ammo in the center torso is Gauss ammo, which is the best possible use for Gauss ammo.  The Streak ammo is in the left torso protected by CASE II.  This is head and shoulders better than the Prime, while still retaining the ability to put 30+ points of damage downrange and including better close-in guns.  Heat is a non-issue at range, with 19 generated against 28 sinked when jumping and firing the two big guns.  Up close, a jumping alpha is -1 if the Streak fails to lock and +3 if it does, or -2/+2 at a run.  One Medium Pulse Laser either way is plenty to put heat back to neutral if necessary.  BV is much, much more reasonable at 2904, which is a point I'm comfortable saying it's genuinely very good.  A

Star Crusader B: The B config is trying to emulate the original D-01, by having 24 turns of HAG/20 ammo.  Eight full tons of it fit into every nook and cranny, fueling a pair of HAG/20s with a couple Large Pulse Lasers tacked on for help and an ER Small Laser in the head.  That might be a little bit too much ammo, but at least it doesn't explode.  With 14 doubles, running and firing all four big guns is +2, which is honestly pretty good.  It's easy to alternate firing HAGs (even though you don't need to for ammo purposes) 2-1 to stay neutral indefinitely at range.  There's not really any time you'll want to be close enough to use the ER Small Laser consistently, or have the spare heat to use it if you do, outside of point blank and the HAG minimums are too much.  The BV is attractive at 2565, and I can see using this as a decent fire support unit.  There are others that I'd go to before that, and the HAGs being in the torsos rather than the arms is a blow for durability, so it's not all perfect, but it's definitely serviceable and I'd be happy to use one if it was given to me.  B

Katana CRK-5006-1: This variant has CASE II, and there was much rejoicing.  Sorry, where was I?  Oh, right, Katana.  This 'Mech moves 3/5/5, and brings with it to the table a Gauss Rifle with three tons of ammo, two Light PPCs, two ER Medium Lasers, and two Streak SRM 6s with two tons of ammo.  That is a lot of gun, and a lot of jump for something this size, and you pay for it in the armor department with barely 75% of maximum and no special armor to speak of.  It's a shame, really, because I'd have paid dearly for a version of this 'Mech that is exactly this, except it has standard jump jets and the saved tonnage went into armor.  Ah well.  The good news is that most of the armor is concentrated where it's vital, in the torsos.  The arms and legs are a bit skimpy, but with the extra maneuverability it may be worth going for partial cover to try and mitigate that weakness.  Heat can actually be a bit of a problem, but it takes effort to make it one.  Firing all non-Streak guns at a run is +3 heat, at a jump it's +4.  If one Streak locks it's +7/8, if two lock it's +11/12.  For 'Mechs with conventional jump ranges that would be a problem, but it's much easier for the 5006-1 to disengage with a long jump for an assault 'Mech and cool down for a turn.  Alternately, swap in a Streak for your choice of Light PPC (under minimums) or ER Mediums (bad numbers) and enjoy the fact that you'll either be sinking heat or you'll be putting out PSRs.  Overall the package is a decent one and I'm a fan of the 'Mech in general.  The BV at 2363 is writing some checks that its overall durability can't cash, but it could definitely be worse, and it is definitely and improvement over the classic Crocketts of old.  B-

F: 4
D: none
C: 10
B: 12
A: 4
S: none

Cumulative 'Mechs by rating (series):

F: 35
D: 79
C: 163
B: 175
A: 96
S: 17
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MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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I really wish that Katana dumped a ton of Streak ammo for more armor.
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I think the Fujin might pair nicely in a Striker lance with the new Jenner.

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I really wish that Katana dumped a ton of Streak ammo for more armor.
Agreed. One ton should be enough, using the Streaks only when necessary to close the deal

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If they had like 4 "big" Streak launchers with intend Macross massacring their opponent, i could see it.  I'd rather have the additional armor too.
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I have been copying and pasting Scotty's reviews into a word document for easier quick reference and review for my own purposes but interesting little data point. 

As of right now Scotty's reviews with only one book left to do is around 133 pages long.  That's a lot of writing
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MarauderD

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I have been copying and pasting Scotty's reviews into a word document for easier quick reference and review for my own purposes but interesting little data point. 

As of right now Scotty's reviews with only one book left to do is around 133 pages long.  That's a lot of writing

Wow--I can say I've really enjoyed it, but 133 pages is a shocking amount of work.  Thanks Scotty!  Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Volume 24. 

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If you are interested the Grand Crusader turrets are a call back to the original FM Comstar Grand Crusader where the back structures were missile turrets.

MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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Been thinking about Scotty's review of Rec Guide 24 if/when they get it done.

Given the size of 24, will Scotty be able to cover everything with three posts, or will it take them at least four?
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Scotty

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I am declaring a Trial of Grievance against MoneyLovinOgre4Hire for attempting to speak that evil into existence
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MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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I will defend myself with every mini and action figure in my living room.
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I'm interested in the lesson in cartography that comes from reviewing so many Atlases.

Scotty

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I'm interested in the lesson in cartography that comes from reviewing so many Atlases.

You have also just made the list
Catalyst Demo Agent #679

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Scotty

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The actual evil in this volume is both the Elemental III and the Skinwalker, because it means I have to explain both how battle armor work and also how Interface Cockpits work and god dammit
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MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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Even though this version of the Skinwalker doesn't use an Interface Cockpit?
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Even though this version of the Skinwalker doesn't use an Interface Cockpit?

It does.
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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This version of the Skinwalker doesn't use TSM.  That's the thing that's different between this and the XP.

That, and the configs on this one don't suck.  Usually.
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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.

MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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So it does.  For some reason I thought that they'd dropped it for this version, probably because it's not BMM tech.
Warning: this post may contain sarcasm.

"I think I've just had another near-Rincewind experience," Death, The Color of Magic

"When in doubt, C4." Jamie Hyneman

 

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