The Society's Ultra Top Secret Evil Volcano Lair IIC Z

[AlphaMirage]

I could see the Stone Lions using MagClamp Protos and more emphasis on regular ATMs, there is the Watchdog which is the ECM/AP but not C3 equipped version of the Nova gear. I don't see ER Pulses catching on however and imagine the iATMs were kept pretty close to the chest (and unfun in the tabletop game)

[pokefan548]

there is the Watchdog which is the ECM/AP but not C3 equipped version of the Nova gear.

Not quite, since Nova still overpowers basically anything. I'd imagine they'd develop ECM/AP suite(s) that are at least up to par with that, if only just in case someone decides to start using Nova again. It would also give them, at least for a time, an uncontested edge in shutting down C3, enemy ECM lances, stealth armor ambushes, and other well-known IS dezgra tactics.

I don't see ER Pulses catching on however

Yeah, me neither, but I figure if anyone might have a few left over it might be the Lions. I'd more expect them to give iHLs a whirl.

and imagine the iATMs were kept pretty close to the chest (and unfun in the tabletop game)

If memory serves, iATMs were one of the pieces of Society tech that the Lions were allowed to dissect (if memory serves under the agreement that they would share their results with the High Council and, by extension, the rest of the Clans). As for the balance, yeah, they were really rough against the Clans, but there's two factors that I think would temper them in the event of a Clan Invasion 2. First, IMP and IIW almost certainly wouldn't make a comeback; granted, they're not the reason everyone fears iATMs, but they still offer quite a lot in their ability to debilitate opponents. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is the relative prevalence of Angel ECM in the Inner Sphere by now—said ECM being able to turn Streak missiles into standard Cluster Hits-rolling plebs, without even the Artemis bonus of standard ATMs. Assuming the ECCM from the aforementioned hypothetical ECM suite doesn't cover the whole dadgum map, there is at least one huge counter to iATMs that can be reasonably reliably obtained by any IS faction. Throw in an AMS for good measure, and even HE iATMs can be dealt with fairly reasonably.

EDIT: Oh, and apparently RISC Viral Jammers, for as uncommon as they are, counter Nova, by the way.

[Crow]

I was trying to make an Erinyes design that was actually slightly useful. My first thought was give it an LRM1 and make it just fast enough (7/11) to stay out of trouble. The other thought would be to forego weapons entirely and give it only EDP armor, like a pint sized Basilisk Q2, but much cheaper. However, unlike the Basilisk Q, it probably won't survive multiple engagements. Could the Society rationalize using essentially suicide troops when Protomech pilots are so precious though?

[Maingunnery]

I was trying to make an Erinyes design that was actually slightly useful. My first thought was give it an LRM1 and make it just fast enough (7/11) to stay out of trouble. The other thought would be to forego weapons entirely and give it only EDP armor, like a pint sized Basilisk Q2, but much cheaper. However, unlike the Basilisk Q, it probably won't survive multiple engagements. Could the Society rationalize using essentially suicide troops when Protomech pilots are so precious though?

It might be something they would use for captured enemy troops that they have a score to settle with.

[Metallgewitter]

It might be something they would use for captured enemy troops that they have a score to settle with.

Or simply create "subhumans" they can throw at the enemy. You know like that example that one scientist created to show that quad Protomechs could work

[Crow]

Or simply create "subhumans" they can throw at the enemy. You know like that example that one scientist created to show that quad Protomechs could work

Pretty much. Find some ASF dropouts and pump them on meth and Feralize. They don't even need to be good pilots, because they would be performing melee attacks. An EDP Erinyes would be the cheapest way to get EDP effects on the field

[Crow]

Does anyone think that the Society had limited access to semi-guided LRMs? Perhaps as isorla from battling the IS Houses? Obviously for SLDF Brian Cache vehicles only

[AlphaMirage]

Does anyone think that the Society had limited access to semi-guided LRMs? Perhaps as isorla from battling the IS Houses? Obviously for SLDF Brian Cache vehicles only

There's not reason they couldn't have developed their own, there are multiple instances particularly the death of Ulrich Kerensky where TAG has drawn missile fire.

[JAMES_PRYDE]

Pretty much. Find some ASF dropouts and pump them on meth and Feralize. They don't even need to be good pilots, because they would be performing melee attacks. An EDP Erinyes would be the cheapest way to get EDP effects on the field

Hey don't knock the old girl, she was made to look bad, so Proto research would not continue, given 5 or 10 more tons, she would have made a great missile support for the Roc and future models

[Weirdo]

There's not reason they couldn't have developed their own, there are multiple instances particularly the death of Ulrich Kerensky where TAG has drawn missile fire.

Don't forget that TAG can designate for normal missiles too, albeit much less efficiently than with S-Gs.

To answer the original question though: I can see it. Probably not isorla, but black market trade is always a thing and there was nearly a decade of peace for merchants, free guilders, and dark caste to make connections with their spheroid equivalents. I would agree that it would be an extremely limited stock, though.

[Crow]

Basically, I've been toying with the idea of using a couple Uns of Flatbed LRM or Rotunda LRM vees and fire indirectly from behind cover. They could use either NARC or Semi-Guided ammo to facilitate this tactic. There are lots of potential TAG spotters but only a few NARC platforms (I only really like the Royal Zephyr). I suppose one could rationalize getting limited amounts of Semi-Guided ammo in much the same way that MagClamps were obtained via the Merchant Caste.