« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Spare Half Ton  (Read 2187 times)

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2962
Spare Half Ton
« on: 17 November 2018, 09:10:40 »
What is the best use of a half ton .
Light TAG : Recon Camera : the other half ton of machine gun ammo or a search light ?  This is of course exclueding just more armor as the obvious choice . What is your best choice ?
Logged

Robroy

  • Lieutenant
  • *
  • Posts: 1064
  • Not named, but not gone. Maybe.
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #1 on: 17 November 2018, 09:37:57 »
Case. I like trying to keep my armor crews around.
Logged

Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way (Tao) to survival or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed"-Sun Tzu

"Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence"-Sun Tzu

Daryk

  • Lieutenant General
  • *
  • Posts: 37342
  • The Double Deuce II/II-σ
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #2 on: 17 November 2018, 10:42:33 »
My money is on the Recon Camera.
Logged

KaiserDunk

  • Master Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 255
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #3 on: 18 November 2018, 19:19:44 »
Depends on the era; for the Succession Wars, then the Recon Camera or extra armor.   For Star League or Clan Invasion, then maybe CASE or extra armor.   In all eras, like you said, the best default option would be more armor.
Logged

Liam's Ghost

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 7913
  • Miss Chitty finds your honor rules quaint.
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #4 on: 18 November 2018, 19:22:48 »
Insufficient context.

Bigger vehicles benefit more from CASE.

Smaller vehicles may benefit more from light TAG or a recon camera, depending on what they're supporting.

If you've got more than one machine gun and are itching to try out rapid fire machine gun rules, more ammo might actually be practical.

When in doubt, more armor.
Logged
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!

Hellraiser

  • Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 13080
  • Cry Havoc and Unleash the Gods of Fiat.
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #5 on: 18 November 2018, 20:36:06 »
Quote from: Col Toda on 17 November 2018, 09:10:40
What is the best use of a half ton .
Light TAG : Recon Camera : the other half ton of machine gun ammo or a search light ?  This is of course exclueding just more armor as the obvious choice . What is your best choice ?

Is there such a think as IS Light Tag yet?

Light TAG was invented for Proto Mechs & last I knew it was still Clan Only.

IS has BA TAG but its not mountable on Mechs/Vees.

« Last Edit: 19 November 2018, 00:51:59 by Hellraiser »
Logged
3041: General Lance Hawkins: The Equalizers
3053: Star Colonel Rexor Kerensky: The Silver Wolves
"I don't shoot Urbanmechs, I walk up, stomp on their foot, wait for the head to pop open & drop in a hand grenade (or Elemental)" - Joel47
Against mechs, infantry have two options: Run screaming from Godzilla, or giggle under your breath as the arrogant fools blunder into your trap. - Weirdo

The_Caveman

  • Lieutenant
  • *
  • Posts: 1246
  • A Living Fossil
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #6 on: 18 November 2018, 20:59:05 »
I like Remote Sensor Dispensers, myself.
Logged
Half the fun of BattleTech is the mental gymnastics required to scientifically rationalize design choices made decades ago entirely based on the Rule of Cool.

The other half is a first-turn AC/2 shot TAC to your gyro that causes your Atlas to fall and smash its own cockpit... wait, I said fun didn't I?

Daryk

  • Lieutenant General
  • *
  • Posts: 37342
  • The Double Deuce II/II-σ
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #7 on: 18 November 2018, 21:03:49 »
If the OP had put those on the list, I'd have had a harder time making a decision... :)
Logged

Atarlost

  • Warrant Officer
  • *
  • Posts: 559
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #8 on: 19 November 2018, 02:44:37 »
Armor, a machinegun, or an AMS. 

If the design benefits from CASE and is for an era where it's available it should already have CASE before I'm calling half tons extra.  If the role calls for a recon camera, same.  Searchlights are quirk quality and not normally worth a half ton.  Light TAG is SLDF deserter kit and I very rarely deign to design for those factions. 

But if I'm already carrying machinegun or AMS ammo sticking a second (or third or whatever) machinegun or AMS on another facing may be better than 8 or 9 points of armor. 

Otherwise, armor is the only real option. 

If it's an omnivehicle that I'm not designing fresh so I can tweak the armor and it has an odd half ton of podspace I'd be inclined to try to shave a ton off my config and put on ECM.  Or if the odd half ton comes from ECM my inclination would be to start with ECM and AMS or ECM and BAP and design the configuration around them. 
Logged

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2962
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #9 on: 19 November 2018, 21:17:13 »
Surprised at no one yet meantioned Clan iOS SRM I think iOS SRM 2 is 1/4 ton . I like the remote sensor suggestion . Did not occur to me because I deliberately field it : not include it in an ad hoc manner. I tend to field a Naganata in my LZ with the Artemis IV FCS replaced with a comand Console so that one mech with a C3 Master and Command Console can monitor 8 remote sensors all by itself . Truly a worthy inclusion as is CASE. As for Inner Sphere Light TAG , because it exists as both infantry Support And Battle Armor there should be no reason not to include it .  Just treat it as Mixed Tech if you must . Some Combat Vehicles have proto mech Autocannons as such so the precedent is there . The only difference that it is clear the Inner Sphere manufacturers already have the technical expertise to make light TAG. 
« Last Edit: 19 November 2018, 21:31:18 by Col Toda »
Logged

tomaddamz

  • Master Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 280
  • EVERYBODY NEEDS AN EVIL PLAN
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #10 on: 25 November 2018, 22:16:47 »
Surprised no one mentioned Vehicular Grenade Launchers or RL-10s.  RL-10s are cheep and cheerful, VGLs can let you make terrain.  Kinda dependent on vehicle type as well ( fast WiGE and hover I'd go RL-10, slower "Mobile Pillbox" I thing VGL.
Logged
Saying that because the equipment isn't up-to-the-minute, bleeding-edge tech therefore not a threat is like saying an M2 Browning isn't dangerous to modern infantry because it is 100 years old.

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2962
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #11 on: 03 December 2018, 04:57:13 »
Thanks to all . Very productive posts for a question that benifeted by other people's perspectives and experience .
Logged

maxcarrion

  • Warrant Officer
  • *
  • Posts: 409
Re: Spare Half Ton
« Reply #12 on: 10 December 2018, 09:46:00 »
Very much depends on what you're putting it on.

An MBT with 1 MG and 1/2 ton of ammo will benefit from a 2nd MG

A recon VTOL may already have a BAP and TAG but might benefit from remote sensors

A lowtech APC might find a searchlight useful for their poorly equipped infantry

An ultralight SFE hover with an ML as it's primary armament might like an SL or ERSL to increase its punch
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
 

Register