Protomech artillery?

[Charistoph]

Indirect with artillery at range 18+ is +7 to hit.  Indirect at range 17 or less uses the direct fire rules plus indirect, has no time in flight, and is +4 to hit base still per direct fire.

Funny how it doesn't actually say to use the Direct Fire rules nor other Indirect Fire rules that LRMs use in that section.  When someone tells me to use Indirect rules and I'm using Artillery, I don't think LRMs, I think Artillery.  Therefore +7 modifier.

[Daryk]

The quote in question.

Ah, I remember that post.  What I don't remember is actual errata yet... ;)

[DevianID]

Funny how it doesn't actually say to use the Direct Fire rules nor other Indirect Fire rules that LRMs use in that section.  When someone tells me to use Indirect rules and I'm using Artillery, I don't think LRMs, I think Artillery.  Therefore +7 modifier.

Yeah, I understand the confusion.  And I would write the rules differently, and also up the BV cost and lower the damage of thumper/sniper/longtom to the 'correct' 5/10/20 values of pre tac ops, as that is what their BV was based off (or, I would triple the corrected thumper cost cause its doing 3x the damage of the BV its paying for).  But I dont write the rules, I just go by the errata and such, so until then its +4 for any and all artillery attacks at 17 hexes or less, per the people who do make the rules and stated its +4 for 17 hexes or less, and +7 for any time in flight artillery attack.

[Wrangler]

Well, maybe something can be arranged. I like the idea at least a vehicle mounted mortar of some kind being able to be mounted. They wouldn't do damage to a battlemech type of a armor but it be useful softening up infantry formations.

Guys, don't roast me I don't have my books but I do know that man type mortars and stuff like that would be light enough to be mounted on a battle like they're not in the tonnage scale versus lesser than that

[Daryk]

I think they cranked up the damage on the artillery systems due to changing how splash damage degrades.  Of course, then they introduced BA tubes and forgot all about that.

[DevianID]

I think they cranked up the damage on the artillery systems due to changing how splash damage degrades.  Of course, then they introduced BA tubes and forgot all about that.

Cranking the damage up to fit the new splash rules halfheartedly makes sense, but when they tripled the damage they didn't triple the BV lol.  From an outside observer it looks like the damage change was a last minute change, and yeah the damage dropoff didn't stick based on the BA tube.  Ironically, they could have not put the /1, and just say 'use the splash rules per normal if more then 4 BA tubes hit and thus deal more then 10 damage.'

[Daryk]

That would have made more sense to me at least.

[I am Belch II]

It would be nice to see some protomech art, or something that can support without the cost of a larger tank or battlemech

[glitterboy2098]

Well, maybe something can be arranged. I like the idea at least a vehicle mounted mortar of some kind being able to be mounted. They wouldn't do damage to a battlemech type of a armor but it be useful softening up infantry formations.

Guys, don't roast me I don't have my books but I do know that man type mortars and stuff like that would be light enough to be mounted on a battle like they're not in the tonnage scale versus lesser than that

mechmortars exist. as a battlemech weapon, and nominally a missile weapon rather than artillery (even if it's probably more a ballistic weapon by how it works), you should be able to fit one on a Proto. needs protomech mounted mass and shots per kg, but would fill the role of indirect fire weapon. and it has some AoE munition types.

[AlphaMirage]

Mech Mortars (despite not being a ballistic weapon, cowards CGL I want them as field guns) are exceptional choices as glitterboy said. They are super effective against Battle Armor and other conventional forces due to Airburst ammo targeting all units in a hex. Not great at doing damage to Mechs or Tanks but they do crit tanks effectively with Anti-Armor ammo and other protos can handle Mechs

[glitterboy2098]

sadly mechmortars aren't one of the options that currently have stats for mounting on proto's. though they make a lot of sense.

[Charistoph]

Probably could just look at what the equivalent LRM is, honestly.  They tend to match up pretty closely.

But like Obeedah stuff, it may not be 100% legal, or supported by any 'Mech-building program.

[YingJanshi]

I find the idea of ProtoMech artillery hilarious. The thing would just be a rack of missiles with arms and legs and a pod for the pilot.

"I must...become the artillery".

So basically a Proto version of the Yeoman?