Drones

[Lazarus Sinn]

Are there any rules for remote controlled VTOL craft? Kind of like modern day drones?

[Sartris]

the drone rules are on page 305 of tactical operations. the system itself is a universal module that works on almost any unit type

[Lazarus Sinn]

Thanks.

[BATTLEMASTER]

You can create some evil stuff with ultralight support vehicle drones.  In-universe I don't think even the Society or WoB did it.

[Lazarus Sinn]

You can create some evil stuff with ultralight support vehicle drones.  In-universe I don't think even the Society or WoB did it.

I am looking for interesting outside the box ways to implement lower level tech into my games. I figure a 21st, or so, century level of manufacturing infrastructure trying to beef up the small mech force they have.

I was thinking of a 10-ton VTOL drone that was slaved to a BattleMech for targeting data. The mech would carry 1-ton of equipment that existed to feed data to the drone(s). The pilot would program a trigger that would fire the weapons on the drone the same as his mechs weapons. I designed an ICE powered 10-ton VTOL drone that would move at 7/11 and carry two rocket launcher 15s and a rocket launcher 10. This would give light mechs more punch. Especially when they are few in number.

[Red Pins]

Got a project right now dealing with drones.  Haven't done much, but some of the stuff is pretty mean.  Surprising number of options.

[Col Toda]

Vtol is the only drones worth having . Any other is too vulnerable to ECM interference . 3062 is the high watershed date for units carrying  ECM suites . I tried attack VTOLS found them wanting the +1 gunnery penalty is tough .

[Lazarus Sinn]

Got a project right now dealing with drones.  Haven't done much, but some of the stuff is pretty mean.  Surprising number of options.

More Please. Splain.

[Red Pins]

More Please. Splain.

Um.  Nutshell, the WoB invades my deep periphery AU, allies with a faction, and spends 20 years or so - the timeline hasn't been set in stone, yet - and the TRO  (The Blake Threat File) has 30-40 drone types, plus AU and Canon refits of WS, Mechs, vehicles, BA, and a bunch of AT stuff, like portable drone turrets (with landline backups), 200- and 150 ton Assault Components, twin-engine Small Craft as Naval Cap missile torpedo bombers and assault fighters, 10-19 ton Extra-Light Mechs as a substitute for ProtoMechs, and Retrotech Warships vs the surviving WoB fleet.

Basically the WoB has tech, but not much muscle.  So, drones to conquer the AU nation, then return to conquer the IS.  One of my favourites right now is the 3 ton bomb on a fast hover.  Can't decide if it carries a bomb, or just rams, but I think it will take off a leg of a super heavy in one go.  Haven't worked on it for a while, I've been entering the Ngo design challenges to get familiar with MML.

[Red Pins]

Oh, and trailers.  Anything with wheels or treads pulls a trailer.  See the Tortoise II BA in my sig?  Trailer.  L, M, H, and Assault BA trailers.  Some are drone turrets controlled by the BA until it gets released, some are massive RL-10 rack mounted on the front arc.  Since it has a trailer hitch, I was thinking about some kind of 'mule' To pull a trailer meant for a heavier BA.

To complete the insanity, the BA may have pivoting jump jet nozzles for ground sprints or folding wings like that Hells Horses Protomech with the LRM-15.  Haven't decided if it's too munchie, yet.

Yes.  I am insane.

[dgorsman]

So, GI Joe PACRATs?   :P

[Red Pins]

Huh.

More armor, though.  The 5 ton anti infantry have about a ton, the 20 ton anti vehicle ones have about 5 tons, the fortress mounts about 20 tons, and the dedicated artillery bricks just fire Arrow V tandem-charge standards, TAG, and AA missiles straight up.  All drones or wire controlled in high ECM scenarios.

[Lazarus Sinn]

That's cool.

[truetanker]

You forgot the special treats I'm designing...

So  :beatdown:

TT

[Red Pins]

Haven't forgotten,  TT.  Better get started.

[idea weenie]

  More Please. Splain. 

Mini-drones:
Killwasp
Piranha


Red Pins - sounds very interesting

[Red Pins]

So does that - can I borrow them?

[idea weenie]

So does that - can I borrow them?

Piranhas - feel free, and if you want to do variants go ahead (i.e. removing the Support Laser to provide enough room for 60 kg cargo capacity, or replacing the Laser with a pair of SRT-1 (OS), etc)

Killwasp is Liam's Ghost's idea, Liam would need to make that call

[Red Pins]

Thanks.

[Red Pins]

Hm.  Overpressure wave might serve as a defense.  With lasers and not MGs, a decoy might survive long enough to lure a sufficient number sufficiently close to be useful.

Of course, overpressure does had things to people, too.

[GRUD]

Umpteen years ago, sometime shortly after I started playing (in '86), I had a nasty idea, but never got to try it.   :-\


Pack a Savannah Master to the gills with explosives.   Remote pilot into a grounded dropship.   >:D 

Whether they've got a ramp open so you can get it up and into a bay, or you just drive it underneath and detonate, they're going to need some MAJOR repairs before they take off!


Or use a similar Modified SM with C-4 and ram it into a 'Mech, then detonate.   :thumbsup:

[Red Pins]

Already do that on a smaller scale to the super heavy nexus of my AU; .RPBs (Remote Piloted Bombs) are a realistic option of threat there.

Ironically, I was told by a member of this forum that if I sent a Condor or Pegasus on a ramming attack against his Canon super heavy I'd be barred from his table.  All relative, I guess.

[GRUD]

Ironically, I was told by a member of this forum that if I sent a Condor or Pegasus on a ramming attack against his Canon super heavy I'd be barred from his table.  All relative, I guess.

Wow.  So, play by HIS rules or don't play?   Super.   ::)

[Red Pins]

Meh.  Grain of salt, and all that.  Don't imagine he'd like the Killwasp or Piranha that they brought up here, either.

[idea weenie]

Meh.  Grain of salt, and all that.  Don't imagine he'd like the Killwasp or Piranha that they brought up here, either. 

The Killwasp only has a range of 2 hexes for its primary weapon, and is vulnerable to Jamming.  Jamming has a range of 5 hexes.  So if a Killwasp swarm decides to attack a unit with jamming, IIRC it loses 1/3 of its strength every turn as long as it is inside the radius.  Unfortunately, the Killwasp has a damage output of 2.5 per drone, so for a 'platoon' of 28, that means it would be doing 70 pts of damage per platoon, losing 1/3 of its firepower every turn.  Does the jamming malfunction effect occur before or after the weapons fire?  (If after, the Killwasp platoon does ~48 pts of damage)

The Killwasp's primary targets would be those that cannot carry jamming systems, such as infantry, support units, or civilians.

Not sure about ECM range underwater, so the Piranha might be effective.