'Mech of the Week (2015-02-27): UM-R* UrbanMech & UrbanMech IIC

[misterpants]

Nah, just the top of the head kind of pops off, the balloon inflates, and after a couple of minutes the whole contraption just sort of... floats away... wherever the wind takes it... roll 1D6 to determine wind direction, another to determine wind speed...

Or a VTOL mode a la propeller rainbow-colored beanie. 

[SCC]

Interesting thing about the UrbanMech, if you bring back the MadMax like quite a few people want, it's one of the designs that are likely to be axed, personally I don't agree with the logic and it depends upon what is the factor that limits 'Mech production, but it does exist.

Sorry, it's just something that I've been thinking about a bit recently, and when I saw the topic

[Welshman]

Getting the AIV into the 3085 record sheets is probably one of my all time high points. When I learned about it I had to hunt ItsThePope down to find our more about it. While BT tries to keep from bringing the real world to often, this was one of those times we just had to. After all, it was canon the minute it was set on the Masters and Minions table.

 

[Giovanni Blasini]

The thing I like best about the Uam-AIV is that everyone gets access to it after the Jihad, including Periphery General.

Now if only "Free Taiw...St. Ives!" UM-L99 UrbanMech LAM got canonized...

[Welshman]

Now if only "Free Taiw...St. Ives!" UM-L99 UrbanMech LAM got canonized...

Not going to happen. Though I could have sworn we did something about the MG Urbie. Going to have to check on that.

[ItsTehPope]

Getting the AIV into the 3085 record sheets is probably one of my all time high points. When I learned about it I had to hunt ItsThePope down to find our more about it. While BT tries to keep from bringing the real world to often, this was one of those times we just had to. After all, it was canon the minute it was set on the Masters and Minions table.

Fun fact.  it actually never got onto a mapsheet that GenCon.  The RVN-3L did to spot to the Urbie, BUT the Urbie was safely sitting at HQ with its legs up on the console hitting the Big Red Button occasionally.  It was also never on the table to nuke the Kell Hounds...it was sitting at the CamoSpecs table, BLENDING IN for about 3 hours before we pointed out to them what the Urbie was doing and everyone was handed papers for how to handle Secondary Effects.

[Welshman]

Fun fact.  it actually never got onto a mapsheet that GenCon.  The RVN-3L did to spot to the Urbie, BUT the Urbie was safely sitting at HQ with its legs up on the console hitting the Big Red Button occasionally.  It was also never on the table to nuke the Kell Hounds...it was sitting at the CamoSpecs table, BLENDING IN for about 3 hours before we pointed out to them what the Urbie was doing and everyone was handed papers for how to handle Secondary Effects.

Don't start arguing with me, I put your bloody Mech in the TRO. :)

By "on the table" I did intend to mean in the artillery sense of the word. Even if the Long Tom is ten marshiest away, it is still part of the game.

You still get kudos for hiding it in plain sight.

[ItsTehPope]

Don't start arguing with me, I put your bloody Mech in the TRO. :)

By "on the table" I did intend to mean in the artillery sense of the word. Even if the Long Tom is ten marshiest away, it is still part of the game.

You still get kudos for hiding it in plain sight.

*hat tip*  Fair enough. 

[SCC]

Not going to happen. Though I could have sworn we did something about the MG Urbie. Going to have to check on that.

I'm pretty sure it's been stricken. There's no mention of it over on the MUL ( http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=UrbanMech ), MegaMek doesn't have it listed and all Sarna says is that 3050R says that the CC UM-R63 UrbanMech's where made by upgrading a version with MG's

[Welshman]

I'm pretty sure it's been stricken. There's no mention of it over on the MUL ( http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=UrbanMech ), MegaMek doesn't have it listed and all Sarna says is that 3050R says that the CC UM-R63 UrbanMech's where made by upgrading a version with MG's

Yes, I'm aware of all that back story.

Sorry, going to take this opportunity to point you to the left of the screen at the White/Grey Beemer. I was we (Catalyst) may do something about the MG Urbie.

Not a promise mind you. Just that I'm looking into it and can do something about it.

[Giovanni Blasini]

The MUL also has the UM-R50 UrbanMech, with an intro date of 2978:

http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/5328/urbanmech-um-r50

Information is heavily missing on this one, but I assumed it was a placeholder for either the armless version or the MG version.

[SCC]

I'm pretty sure the R50 is the original prototype that had no arms

[Empyrus]

How would that work in gameplay?
Would the arms just be empty and the weapons located in torsos? And the thing would have No Arms quirk?

[UnLimiTeD]

I assume so.
Did the "No arms" quirk even exist back then?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Quirks are a recent addition to the game (in StratOps), but IIRC there were Maxtech rules for constructing a mech without arms.

[SCC]

Sigh, the original UrbanMech write up in TRO:3025 mentioned a prototype that lacked arms

[Giovanni Blasini]

I'm pretty sure the R50 is the original prototype that had no arms

With an introduction date three hundred years after the UM-R60? ???

[Liam's Ghost]

Hmm... maybe it's a late succession wars appearance of Retrotech. Maybe even an ICE urbie given a lower model number to account for its general inferiority. I mean, the 60 Fusion engine isn't something that's in high demand outside the urbanmech, so supplies of spare engines couldn't have been great during the worst part of the succession wars.

(note I have no evidence of this, nothing but pure speculation).

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

LG, you've now got me thinking of an Urbanmech with a coal-powered steam engine.

[Empyrus]

SteamPunk UrbanMech, eh?
(There are quite a lot of SteamPunk Star Wars vehicles, including the AT-ST walker with one big cannon... kind of resembles this hypothetical SteamUrbie. Kind of.)

[Liam's Ghost]

LG, you've now got me thinking of an Urbanmech with a coal-powered steam engine.

The fact that the urbanmech bares more than a passing resemblance to a boiler on legs probably helps.

[Giovanni Blasini]

A true RetroTech Urbie would use a 75-rating engine to go 2/3/2, and would have 18 tons for armor and weapons after the basics and jump jets.  Matching the R60L takes 6 tons of armor, while matching the standard R60 takes 9 tons.

For ICE power, current rules prohibit that on BattleMechs, as I recall, so now we're talking IndustrialMech Urbie.  A 60 ICE is 3 tons, so now you're at 13 tons base without environmental sealing, or 16 tons with it, moving 2/3/0.  Upping it to 3/5/0 to compensate for the lack of jump jets puts you at 16-19?tons base.  Neither comes with heat sinks.

[Liam's Ghost]

Advanced level rules allow for ICE on battlemechs.

[glitterboy2098]

nah, fuelcell is the way to go. a 2/3 fuelcell engine pretty much replaces the SFE and JJ's of the R60.. if you really want a lowertech version, swap the AC10 for a heavy rifle and 12 shots, and the small Laser for a MG and half a ton of ammo. that leaves you enough tonnage to fit a couple heatsinks over the FCE's integral ones that you can walk and fire at the same time.

[A. Lurker]

Clearly, some people will only be happy once there are finally rules for equipping their UrbanMechs with stylish 'Mech-sized muzzle-loaders and nice hats. ;)

[UnLimiTeD]

For a muzzle loader, use a OS Thunderbolt and a backpack with extra missiles.
Sides, i really like that steam engine.

[Maingunnery]

Clearly, some people will only be happy once there are finally rules for equipping their UrbanMechs with stylish 'Mech-sized muzzle-loaders and nice hats. ;)

And rifle cannons.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Rifle cannons, XTRO:1945 weapons, and ICE engines are Dieselpunk.

Steam engines and muzzleloaders are Steampunk.

There's room for both kinds of Urbies, along with RetroTech and the various canon ones. ;)

[Arkansas Warrior]

Do steam-Urbie's jump jets use steam for reaction mass?  Because that would be amazing.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

They have piston-powered mechanical jumpers!