How do you field your protomechs?

[Drewbacca]

I was wondering if it was more common to field mixed points, mixed stars with points consisting of one type of mech or whole stars that consist of a single design.

[Colt Ward]

Depends on the reason I am fielding Protos . . . if its a capture the flag game, where I need sensors to find the enemy HQ w/ the flag?  I have run pure Satyr 1 to quickly sweep the 1x2 board (2nd Martial Olympiad).  Last time I needed the sensors I mixed three Roc 3 & 2 Satyr- but I also had a mech with AP, so the Satyr were to supplement the Hellion while grabbing the flag.  Honestly, open field its pretty hard to argue with a mixed Roc point- 1s & 3s.  Wish we had a Roc 2b that had Improved HML- but I wish that for the H Omni configurations too.

If I was using them where they excelled- urban warfare- I would definitely want mixed points to put on the line.  Such as mixing Hydra 1 & 4, Roc 4, Gorgon 3 & 4, Minotaur 1 & P2, or Tritons- the low speed does not matter as much since they will be ambushing from close range in the buildings.  I would want a mixed point so I could get the ERSL & SHLs with SRMs to go crit seeking . . . AP Gauss or MGs to mow down infantry.  The SRMs also work for burning vehicles or BA if you want to pack some inferno salvos.

Now to be fair, I have not used much of the 2nd Gen or the Ultra heavies- the faction I use Protos with does not have access to many of them.

[Kojak]

The times I've used them have been in the context of very large engagments, so it's always been in Star-sized portions or more, with single-type Points or even single-type Stars being the norm. But then I run a Hell's Horses Galaxy and sometimes engage in Cluster-on-Cluster-sized fights, so I can't imagine my experiences are particularly normative.

[truetanker]

You need to think more abstract Kojak. Try using more Strong ( 7 ) and Reinforced ( 8 ) Stars in your next game!

I played a game with and won against some Falcons using a 3130 Horse unit of mine.

Fielding a Nova Binary containing a Understrength Star of 4 Points of BA, and boosting to a Fortified Star of 6, 3 Points of Mech, a Tank Point of vehicles ( 2 ) and then supporting these with 2 Points of Protos ( 10 ).

I showed him what the numbers meant. 10 vs. 10. Nothing more, nothing lost.

Roc 1, Roc 4, 3x Hydra 3 makes one helluva Godsmack Point if I say so... ECM and 3 LRM-6 plus a ERM? All that jump 5/8/5... yes please!

TT

Abstract formula is awesome!

[glitterboy2098]

i've mostly fielded them as part of mixed stars.. usually 4 mechs and 5 proto's.
partly this is due to me only have 3 points worth total though. if/when i can get another couple of points, i definitely would consider full stars.

[GreekFire]

I think your ProtoMech points will vary depending on the rest of your force composition. You want to compliment what the rest of your force already brings to the table, without going overkill.

Say you already have one big, bad holepunching 'Mech with Gauss Rifles and ERPPCs. Back that up with some ProtoMechs with SRMs for some critseeking, and bring some Inferno rounds as well for anti-infantry or anti-ProtoMech duty.

Then maybe grab something with good LRM durability to lay down some smoke rounds or something, and something else with ECM or an Active Probe depending on the ruleset you're playing with. Then you can end up with a mixed ProtoMech point of, say:

-One Hippogriff (smoke support, anti-tank work)
-Two Orcs (inferno support, anti-infantry, anti-BA, anti-ProtoMech)
-Two Minotaurs (bodyguard duty, direct fire-support)

Replace the ProtoMechs as needed for ECM (Roc 4), an Active Probe (Satyr), or TAG (Satyr 4). And on a larger scale (say, Cluster size like Kojak), instead of fielding mixed Points, you can field pure ones to achieve pretty much the same result.

[Weirdo]

Protos can split up ammo types by individual salvo, right? That gives you a lot of flexibility compared to...almost anything, really.

[GreekFire]

Protos can split up ammo types by individual salvo, right? That gives you a lot of flexibility compared to...almost anything, really.

Absolutely. It's what makes the SRM and LRM ProtoMechs so amazingly powerful.

[Weirdo]

Hojeez, the options you have when fielding an Orc, with all that ammo for SRM-1s...

[Fallen_Raven]

Hojeez, the options you have when fielding an Orc, with all that ammo for SRM-1s...

Extra bonus, you can mix Infernos and standard rounds in a single volley. Great for keeping 'mechs toasty while breaking things!

[Crow]

I never use mixed points unless I'm using <10 Protos. Of course, I'm a heavy Proto user, so I would just as soon field a Star composed of Points of homogeneous designs. Non-homogeneous Proto points with mixed rates of movement anger me.

[Sjhernan3060]

Extra bonus, you can mix Infernos and standard rounds in a single volley. Great for keeping 'mechs toasty while breaking things!

Wow good to know!

[Kit deSummersville]

After I used a Star of Svartalfa 2s they stopped letting me have nice things....

[Fallen_Raven]

Wow good to know!

Please note that trick works with the Orc because it has 4 separate launchers. Each one can fire a different ammo type. Protomechs can't mix different ammo into a single launcher for a shot. Apologies if I caused confusion or got hopes up.

[Foxx Ital]

Sneaky beakies they are. I have a good albatross egg story with them.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

After I used a Star of Svartalfa 2s they stopped letting me have nice things....

I'm surprised they let you in the first place.

Man, my group never wants to play with Protos.  I really need to start playing more games with them.