(slightly Early) Mech of the Week - FNR-XX Fafnir.

[Empyrus]

As for the U, you guys do realize that putting the Ultras in the arms gives the Fafnir a wider firing arc, right?

Doesn't matter, ruins the aesthetic of big guns in the torso.

[Weirdo]

That's right, this thread is only about mechs with huge...

...tracts of gun. 8)

[SteelRaven]

Admittedly, the U would make more sense on a King Crab considering it that has always had a big bore gun on each arm (how we ended up with the 009 is for another topic) but it ended up on the other Lyran 100 toner for reasons. I guess you can always scratch out Fafnir and write in King Crab if it makes you that uncomfortable.   

I mean, a King Crab can do allot but it will never pack Dual HGRs unless you make one into a Fafnir  8)

[UnLimiTeD]

Needs a superheavy version. Besides, regarding the aesthetics, the U could just look like someone removed the stubby arms and instead made the sidetorsos movable.
I mean, there's mechs with visible rocketpods that may be part of either the arms or the side torso depending on the authors whim, so visuals aren't always .... visuals.

[SteelRaven]

A super heavy would be a totally different mech, Might as well just slap a pair of Heavy Gauss on a Orca

As for the visuals for the U, I would imagine it would look more like the Sagittaire proportionally (Ultra 20 are still smaller than HGR)

I could try sketching one but I would never bash one, would require some re-sculpting or being very cleaver with a proxy.   

[Sabelkatten]

For an AC/20 variant LB20s would have made more sense - they're to big to fit in the arms anyway. Would probably have to rebuild it without the ES to fit everything in, thought...

[mbear]

I'd like to play one where an AFFS unit ripped out the heavy gauss rifles and swapped in RAC/5s. I think it'd do pretty well in defensive duties as the DCMS/CCAF sticks their face into a buzzsaw. Just completed the record sheet for it. Quad RAC/5s and a stupid amount of ammo (two tons per RAC). And it's still faster than an Annihilator!

[Empyrus]

I'd like to play one where an AFFS unit ripped out the heavy gauss rifles and swapped in RAC/5s. I think it'd do pretty well in defensive duties as the DCMS/CCAF sticks their face into a buzzsaw. Just completed the record sheet for it. Quad RAC/5s and a stupid amount of ammo (two tons per RAC). And it's still faster than an Annihilator!

Unless one janks the secondary weaponry in addition to the Guardian ECM, you need to use an XL Gyro, or a Small Cockpit and reduction in armor. And even then, it will be lacking in heat management if going full rate of fire (4 shots per gun is manageable).
(Would have hilarious Alpha Strike short-med firepower, since the BattleForce calculations SSW does are pretty close, we'd be looking at 6/6/0 OV4...)

[Arkansas Warrior]

The glorious roar like a company of angry ForestryMechs would deafen everyone within five hundred meters, and announce to everyone within five klicks that a RACnir was on the field.  (As opposed to the normal Fafnir, whose broadside sounds like the very bells of Hell, tolling to announce the entry of new souls)

[Phobos]

Unless one janks the secondary weaponry in addition to the Guardian ECM, you need to use an XL Gyro, or a Small Cockpit and reduction in armor. And even then, it will be lacking in heat management if going full rate of fire (4 shots per gun is manageable).
(Would have hilarious Alpha Strike short-med firepower, since the BattleForce calculations SSW does are pretty close, we'd be looking at 6/6/0 OV4...)

It's reasonably doable with CASE IIed 50 shots per gun and full armor, but you'd be building an entirely new Mech essentially. But then, arguably the Fafnir U is an entirely new Mech as well, so there is a precedent.

[mbear]

It's reasonably doable with CASE IIed 50 shots per gun and full armor, but you'd be building an entirely new Mech essentially. But then, arguably the Fafnir U is an entirely new Mech as well, so there is a precedent.

Yes, the Fafnir U is the chassis I used. 1 RAC in each arm and side torso. And yes, I think I did rip out the electronics as well. Although adding a C3 slave might be fun.

(I don't have the sheet with me at the moment otherwise I'd link it up in Fan designs.)

[wantec]

In Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, the Fafnir is described as "the salvaged custom" Fafnir of Peter Steiner-Davion. My best guess is that it was either a stock HGR Fafnir, or it had some minor modifications originally, but at some point lost the side torso, necessitating the rework with the rockets and all.

[marauder648]

For a RACNir how about a RAC-5 in each side torso and a RAC-2 in each arm, that allows her to at least reach out beyond 18 hexes.

[UnLimiTeD]

Peters Fafnir goes to show that with suffient ranged base weapons, spending some tonnage on oneshot weapons can actually pay off. As such, definitely in favour of that one, and it has fluff, too. Though it might have actually been better if it was based on the X.

[Caedis Animus]

The Fafnir series has been one of my favorite units since the day I started playing Battletech, and I've tried fielding one whenever my opponents would let me.

The 6U, my personal favorite, actually lags behind other variants in terms of overall effectiveness. The unit moves too slow to garner a good TMM; The Light Fusion Engine combined with explosive ammo results in undue fragility; And the Light PPCs are not effective enough as backup weaponry on the machine, although they may deter lighter units. While the unit excels at close range city or forest fighting, even with the lack of fists, it is very much a victim of environment, and suffers in anywhere with more open firing lines.

That being said, the 5WB is far more practical in comparison. That machine is just terrifying.

[mbear]

For a RACNir how about a RAC-5 in each side torso and a RAC-2 in each arm, that allows her to at least reach out beyond 18 hexes.

That's a good idea. I was thinking of it as a dedicated defense unit like the Pillager Anvil: Stick around the base to provide close range fire support. Or an "AFFS UrbanMech": Big and slow, but boy does it hurt when you get close. Imagine how some of the fighting for New Avalon would've gone if one of these had been available.

And the heat issue alluded to above only applies if you go full-bore on the RACs, and there are enough heat sinks to dump that heat, leaving you with only movement heat. If you reduce two of the RACs to 5 shot bursts, you can sink heat from running and weapons fire completely.

[Kit deSummersville]

For a RACNir how about a RAC-5 in each side torso and a RAC-2 in each arm, that allows her to at least reach out beyond 18 hexes.

It's like a JagerMech on meth.

[kuttsinister7]

 

I love this monster

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Tried the WB variant today.

It's a murder machine.

Killed an undamaged Hi Drone Carrier in one round by plasmaing through its side.  Dropped an infantry platoon from 28 troopers to 5.  Ripped apart a Starslayer and a Thunderbolt.

Good times.

[Caedis Animus]

Tried the WB variant today.

It's a murder machine.

Killed an undamaged Hi Drone Carrier in one round by plasmaing through its side.  Dropped an infantry platoon from 28 troopers to 5.  Ripped apart a Starslayer and a Thunderbolt.

Good times.

Ironically, the least Fafnir-like variants of Fafnir are the best models. The 6U and 5WB are both extremely effective machines despite moving in different directions.

That, and the 6U is basically an actual King Crab in a time where all the King Crabs kind of suck.

[glitterboy2098]

Slapping a bunch of light Gauss Rifles on a Fafnir seems like a wast, like a Gausszilla knock off.

As for the U, you guys do realize that putting the Ultras in the arms gives the Fafnir a wider firing arc, right?

IIRC, since the guns are split between arms and torso, you'd be required to use the torso arcs for them. a weapon with split location critical's uses the most restrictive arc of the two locations.

[Scotty]

That's correct.

[Caedis Animus]

IIRC, since the guns are split between arms and torso, you'd be required to use the torso arcs for them. a weapon with split location critical's uses the most restrictive arc of the two locations.

Except the 6U's Autocannons aren't split location, so that rule doesn't really apply to this situation. If they were LBXs, that would be a different story.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

And that means it can arm-flip.

The main downside of the 5WB is that it just doesn't have the crushing devastation that the other variants do.  It's a much more effective variant against non-mechs than the others but there's just something about the smashing damage that you get from (i)HGRs and Ultra 20s.

Also, I noticed in the article that it lists the 5WB as having 4 tons of ammo, but it actually has 5- there's one in the head.

[Firesprocket]

Also, I noticed in the article that it lists the 5WB as having 4 tons of ammo, but it actually has 5- there's one in the head.

I have used this version a few times now and never realized there was that 5th ton was sitting there until you pointed it out.  I've never had one live long enough though to get that close to consuming my ammo.    Usually I'd get few shots off and anything around me would either melt or get out of the way.  The next few turns after that usually involve quite literally all of my opponent's long range fire going into my Fafnir  :'(