Would you sell the Argo?

[Colt Ward]

You are the mercenary commander of a unit that hails from the Periphery, Darius Olivere is the business manager/XO . . . and as part of your payment for services the Magistry & Aurigan Coalition have left you with the unique dropship called the Argo.  A one of a kind relic of the Star League that you have a engineer and technical genius (Morgan Kell says!) that can keep it operating without requiring too many custom parts.  The Argo has all sorts of benefits for your command, from better repair facilities for mechs than would commonly be found on any military transport on the general market to crew accommodations (if you paid to have them all fixed).  Unlike a lot of other dropships on the general market, it also has quite a bit of cargo space to support your operations and personnel.

But would you keep it, sell it, or trade it?  Its one of a kind, its value is literally whatever you say . . . but how much would it cost you to duplicate its abilities in a more conventional dropship (or more likely, dropships) and could you maintain control of your now small fleet (Leopard & 1 or 2 other DS)?

[Empyrus]

I would absolutely sell it. There's gonna be someone who will pay a lot for a piece of LosTech. I would have massively hard time keeping it up an running anyway.
Hell, i suspect someone might throw a normal DropShip in trade in addition to money.

[Crackerb0x]

I would sell it in a heartbeat. I suspect that if I were to keep it, eventually a house nobel would hear that i have and come to take it by force, as would be a problem with most LosTech during the SWs. Rather have money than trouble in this instance.

[Adrian Gideon]

Yes.

[Robroy]

Duplicate its abilities in something like a Mule, then sell it. In fact I made up a Argo variant Mule in HMA. I think it can out pretty good, When I work out the fluff I will post it eventually in the fan design section.

[Maingunnery]

Duplicate its abilities in something like a Mule, then sell it. In fact I made up a Argo variant Mule in HMA. I think it can out pretty good, When I work out the fluff I will post it eventually in the fan design section.

Pretty much this. I see little need for its collar linking technology and if the rest can be replicated with a mule than that would be perfect.

[glitterboy2098]

honestly i'm surprised Comstar didn't pull a Vandenberg White Wings on the Argo.

[Giovanni Blasini]

A lot depends on how big a merc unit you are, and how deep your pockets are.  I'd personally want to keep it, but...

Bearing in mind I don't have the sourcebook yet, and therefore can only go from what I've seen in the computer game, one problem you're going to have is spare parts: the Argo is essentially a unique DropShip, which shares spare parts with no other DropShip in the Inner Sphere.  The closest comparison in size is the Behemoth, and I don't think they both use the Sunburst M-200L Megadrive drive system - the game gives the impression a repaired Argo can manage 4/6.  Is that actually the case?  If not, and it's really only a 2/3 or 3/5 ship, then that does open up the possibility of using the Behemoth's drive system as an alternative source of parts.

In terms of dupicating its capabilities, I'm not so much worried about the docking collar linking technology, either: it's essentially a breakthrough idea that failed to actually work, and doesn't really give you any significant benefits.  What's a huge deal for the Argo are the grav decks, which no other DropShip in the canon have.

As for another power taking it from you, if it's really as much a civilian exploration DropShip as the fluff I've seen so far indicates, I don't know that there's really any danger of that.  The Star League failed to capitalize on its revolutionary technology, like the Mammoth or Behemoth it's basically a civilian ship, and while it's purported to have better repair and refit facilities than other military ships, are they really that much better, or are they better than what your typical merc has in a Leopard class?

I suspect that most large military outfits would be better served by a Union or Overlord, which is better able to deploy the 'Mechs it carries, something an Argo would struggle to do, and both of which could, unlike the Argo, support 'Mechs in the field, on the ground, rather than requiring a second DropShip to load them up and fly them up to the Argo to unload them in microgravity for repair aboard the bigger DropShip.

With that said, there are two groups who, in the era the Argo was found, would really benefit from its features: ComStar's Explorer Corps, and Interstellar Expeditions.  Their mission profile allows the Argo to actually do what it was designed to do, and serve as a mobile command post and field base for exploratory expeditions.  Since that's well inside my own cup of tea, I'd probably keep it and go Lostech prospecting, but for most merc units, it's not as practical a ship, and they may be better off selling it.

honestly i'm surprised Comstar didn't pull a Vandenberg White Wings on the Argo.

There's really not that much advanced tech on there that tips the balance of power in the Inner Sphere or Periphery.  I still question whether its repair and refit facilities are really that much superior to an Overlord or similar ship, its unique docking collar chaining feature appears to be a dead-end curiosity rather than a major breakthrough, and its other unique feature, grav decks on a DropShip, aren't earth-shattering in their utility either.

[Colt Ward]

RE- Vandenburg White Wings

There's really not that much advanced tech on there that tips the balance of power in the Inner Sphere or Periphery.  I still question whether its repair and refit facilities are really that much superior to an Overlord or similar ship, its unique docking collar chaining feature appears to be a dead-end curiosity rather than a major breakthrough, and its other unique feature, grav decks on a DropShip, aren't earth-shattering in their utility either.

Interesting idea . . . in fact, it could be used as a ROM counter-example . . . Star League tech was a bunch of failures, no need to pursue it . . .

[Garrand]

If I had it, & I could get a good price, sure. The biggest advantage is the drop collars; the grav deck is a marginally useful feature only if you plan to be spaceborn & not under drive for extended periods of time. BUT both of these features make it very useful for exploration & planetary survey. I could see a jumper with one of these attached with an attendant smaller dropship attached jump into a system & leave the Argo parked for several weeks/months. The grav deck ensures the crew will stay comfortable & the drop collar means you have something to fly around with while surveying the system or planet. If the Succession Wars never happened & the SL remained, I could see fleets of these supporting SL colonization efforts. As it is, its value militarily is somewhat limited & better done by more conventional droppers. Its a niche design.

Damon

[Sartris]

Yes.

I found the comstar plant

[Azakael]

Without the benefit of omniscience? It depends on how well my mercenaries are doing. If they are doing well, and able to upkeep it? Keep it. Otherwise, sell it.

With the benefit of omniscience? Get rid of it ASAP. I suspect it wouldn't be long until ComStar made some attempt to acquire it, once they learn of it. Especially since ComStar owns the mercenary racket before the Dragoons get Outreach. If you're lucky, they'll give you a reasonable offer on it. If not, they might make life difficult for you until you acquiesce to the offer they *do* give you.

[jimdigris]

It's the kind of ship that everyone would want to grab or destroy (so that it can't be used against them), so you're likely to lose it anyway.  On the other hand, any government with at least a dozen mech regiments would want this design for major offensives, so they will probably pay you very well for the ship.  With that money, you could probably buy several ships that could meet the same transport needs as the Argo, with money left over.
I say sell.

[Kitsune413]

ROM is going to destroy the Argo anyways.

Best to sell it.

[sadlerbw]

ROM is going to destroy the Argo anyways.

Best to sell it.

I figure this is why we never heard of it in any other source material. ComStar showed up and gave the current owners a choice:

1) Hand over the ship and become fabulously wealthy.
2) Become part of an Argo-sized debris field.

The Argo is a lover, not a fighter, so ComStar has the means to back up any threat. Plus, they have a vested interest in seeing technology devolve, so ANY recovery of novel technology is anathema to them. They WILL come for the Argo. It's just a question of when.

[hf22]

I'd sell it - None of its unique capabilities are particularly useful to a small merc unit.

Indeed it's best military use would likely be as a minor support element to an RCT+ invasion force - Commanding such an action from the comfort and safety of an orbital grav deck would have some attractions I'm sure.

[dgorsman]

Would a mercenary of the time know ComStar would be looking their way because of this DropShip?  Would they know more about ROM other than "Don't offer them burnt toast, they don't have a good sense of humor about that"?

[Maingunnery]

Would a mercenary of the time know ComStar would be looking their way because of this DropShip?  Would they know more about ROM other than "Don't offer them burnt toast, they don't have a good sense of humor about that"?

They would know nothing, but it is very unlikely that ROM would attack them, as buying the Argo is the easiest solution for ComStar.

[Two Guns Blazing]

I'd keep it until I retired from my mercenary work, and then I'd sell it, the proceeds would make for a fantastic retirement fund!

[Dmon]

I would ask for a nice planet and enough money to make it comfortable.

[JPArbiter]

i am sure the NAIS would love to sink their teeth into that bucket. Or IE, or the explorer corps

The only other opption is sinking more money into it for the sake of enhancing its capabilities. Naval com scanner suite, orbit to surface imagers etc.

[Daryk]

I'm mostly with Gio on this one... I'd only sell it if given an "offer I can't refuse".  A small time mercenary outfit couldn't possibly be aware of ComStar's long-hidden conspiracy.  It's an ideal ship for exploratory work, as others have noted, and that would make the unit very hirable to those particular clients.  It's certainly a long tail thing, but the Inner Sphere and Periphery are a VAST market.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Here's the big question - do I have the capability to maintain the thing over any length of time?  As it's said, it'd be fantastic for exploration, and a hire-out for that work would be great.  But in any intent to keep the thing, what happens when something breaks?  Do I have the ability to source or fabricate parts?  Interstellar Explorations might.  Cornstar certainly would.  Mechwarrior mercenaries?  Not likely.

I'll take a big populated island on Tahiti Planet please, with a big open-air castle and a small mech bay so I can be like those guys who keep demilled fighter jets and occasionally play with my giant robot and give my local vassals a thrill.

Leftover money will be used to fund development of foxgirls.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Here's the big question - do I have the capability to maintain the thing over any length of time?  As it's said, it'd be fantastic for exploration, and a hire-out for that work would be great.  But in any intent to keep the thing, what happens when something breaks?  Do I have the ability to source or fabricate parts?  Interstellar Explorations might.  Cornstar certainly would.  Mechwarrior mercenaries?  Not likely.

If you're willing to accept a downgrade in thrust, using parts from a Behemoth would be your best bet, and a viable solution.  They're not the same, but the transit drive from a Behemoth should be able to replace the Argo's in the event of a major failure.

The problem with the Argo isn't that its capabilities are so out there that ROM is going to salivate, it's that ownership of a ship this big is going to transform you from a small merc unit to either a mercantile shipping outfit that has a small merc unit for defense (remember, you've got more cargo capacity than the mass of a Mammoth class DropShip, and only around 18 kilotons less than a Behemoth class), it's not that much different from operating a Behemoth.  The main difference is the amenities beyond your cargo hold.

Really, asking if you'd hang onto the Argo is a lot like asking "Hey, would you hang onto a fancy Behemoth class DropShip?"

[Fallen_Raven]

Depends on the price I can negotiate. If I get a good enough deal I'll drop the Argo for a Union and a Merchant in a heartbeat. Owning a Jumpship is the holy grail of mercenary achievement in 3025, and no amount of snazzy accommodations and garage space can beat being free of the company store for your ride to the next job.

[Caedis Animus]

I'd keep it. How many other dropships can have a low gravity pool? That's the sort of Lostech that matters right there.

Seriously answering, I'd probably be willing to sell it for a Union on the low end (If someone's twisting my arm).

[ANS Kamas P81]

Really, asking if you'd hang onto the Argo is a lot like asking "Hey, would you hang onto a fancy Behemoth class DropShip?"

Same situation.  If it can be maintained (especially with its special equipment) then I might consider becoming a shipping magnate.  But if I can find a seller for said island, palace, battlemech, and foxgirls?  Come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price Is Right.

Gimme some 'Mechs, some land to defend with the 'Mechs, and a noble title.  THAT'S 'winning' in Battletech.

[Sartris]

Something tells me a sale to comstar would include a complimentary tour of deep orbit after the sale and technical briefing were completed

[Natasha Kerensky]

Unless I’m running missions that spend a lot of time in space, like for the Explorer Corps or the Medusas, sell it.

Out-of-universe, only the dropship daisy chain has any utility and then only for avoiding jump ship docking fees or getting more out of my jumpships.  I don’t really care about grav decks, pools, etc. for my imaginary troops and crew.

Even in-universe, unless my troops and crew are rarely dirt side and could really benefit from the Argo’s amenities to keep them healthy and sane during long-term exploration or space ops, the Argo’s crew and maintenance costs seem like an unnecessary expense and hit to the bottom line.

[Liam's Ghost]

I haven't run the numbers, but I feel like the trade in value of an argo would be enough for plenty of dropship and at least the cost of hiring a jumpship long term. As others have suggested, if you're keeping the argo you should probably consider yourselves in the freight business.

Out-of-universe, only the dropship daisy chain has any utility and then only for avoiding jump ship docking fees or getting more out of my jumpships. 

Except it doesn't work like that. The jumpship still has to have enough free collars to accommodate them even if the dropships are connected to the argo and not directly to the jumpship. It's basically a dead end technology that makes cargo transfer slightly easier.

I doubt a jumpship captain would let you out of docking fees just because your other ships are technically docked with you.

Something tells me a sale to comstar would include a complimentary tour of deep orbit after the sale and technical briefing were completed

No need for such dirty dealings. A fair transaction gets them the ship and contact with a mercenary unit that can be of use later. Eliminating them is an unnecessary hassle. You don't know who they talked to, or whoever they talked to talked to, eventually somebody's going to lose a hat.