Mech design decisions that make no sense

[RifleMech]

I think you're missing the point I'm trying to make.  The idea is to provide reasons for players to take units other than the heaviest thing they can find.  Players don't need extra incentive to take an Atlas.

(snip)

 :-\   You just listed several reasons to take light units for a game. Here's another a couple more. The Raiders only have a Leopard class or similar Dropship so they don't have room for the Atlas. Or they're on a deadline and using an Atlas would take to long to accomplish the raid in time. No book campaign used.

But if a player really wanted to use an Atlas why deny them their fun? They could say the dropship is too small for the raid, that the Locusts are a diversion, and they don't have hands to lift cargo, or someone has to defend the dropship.

Why not see the Atlas as a challenge for both parties? One has an objective to take with a time limit and the other has to defend against a really big raider.

[mmmpi]

Wait...why can't leopards carry atlases?

[Weirdo]

They can. My only guess is that there are already four other mechs taking up the cubicles.

[Colt Ward]

Or its a scenario related mech-bay quirk, like we get some scenario information where a weapon cannot do X or a turret is damaged and can only cover 5 hexes of spin, etc.

Sort of like we got 'drop weight' limits with MCG & MC2.  Or that could even be the reason- you only have drop boosters/chutes rated for mechs under 50 tons (or whatever arbitrary number) for the HALO mech drop.

[Greatclub]

Try playing the 'scout' scenario from OTP: Death to mercenaries with assault mechs.

I don't think it'd go well.


Battle Hawk. Slow, extremely short range, XL engine, ammo. Would be decent if IS lights were the only thing on the board.

Still, a decent deal at 771 BPV. Shame about the poor suckers piloting it in universe.

[Kit deSummersville]

Wait...why can't leopards carry atlases?

The only longshoreman who can load 100 ton 'Mechs is on vacation to Dustball and won't be back for a few months.

[Weirdo]

Battle Hawk. Slow, extremely short range, XL engine, ammo. Would be decent if IS lights were the only thing on the board.

Still, a decent deal at 771 BPV. Shame about the poor suckers piloting it in universe.

Makes an excellent escort for larger mechs.

[mmmpi]

They can. My only guess is that there are already four other mechs taking up the cubicles.

Ah, I misread his post.

[mmmpi]

The only longshoreman who can load 100 ton 'Mechs is on vacation to Dustball and won't be back for a few months.

Wouldn't you know.  Now who's going to load my battle ready collection of 3rd succession war PopCaps?  I almost have enough saved up for power armor...

[Sir Chaos]

TBattle Hawk. Slow, extremely short range, XL engine, ammo. Would be decent if IS lights were the only thing on the board.

Still, a decent deal at 771 BPV. Shame about the poor suckers piloting it in universe.

It works fairly well if you use it to fight BA.

[Sabelkatten]

I made a Mist Lynx (that was going for my fire support) quite unhappy with a BHawk once. The only this really wrong with it IMHO is the SSRM2, even if used for infernos a pair of standard MLs would still have been more useful.

[Weirdo]

Wouldn't be surprised if the missiles were used to avoid making the Battle Hawk yet another boring laser boat.

[BloodRose]

Thats probably true TBH. I do love me some laser but the same basic "disco fridge" design does get boring very fast, and breaking it up with some AC or missile love helps.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Wouldn't be surprised if the missiles were used to avoid making the Battle Hawk yet another boring laser boat.

They also give the stock model a needed range boost.

[Colt Ward]

IS Streaks have the same range as SRMs and MLs?

[BloodRose]

Yep. 3/6/9.

[Colt Ward]

Yes . . . which is why I was not sure why SSRMs were claimed as a range boost.

[dgorsman]

Battle Hawk has medium pulse lasers.

[truetanker]

Yes . . . which is why I was not sure why SSRMs were claimed as a range boost.

I think they meant that all the missiles in a Streak salvo could hit at range directly, while the standard models would have a more " slack " range, like not hitting at the full distance with less of a grouping when it did hit.

TT

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Battle Hawk has medium pulse lasers.

We have a winner.

[SCC]

Wouldn't be surprised if the missiles were used to avoid making the Battle Hawk yet another boring laser boat.

The words 'Laser boat' and a 'Mech with an anti-missile don't exactly go together in my book.

[Weirdo]

1: I'd actually forgotten about the AMS at that moment.

2: Given that the Penetrator is very much a laser boat, if such a Battle Hawk ever existed, yes it'd be a laser boat.

3: Fair notice: I don't actually care enough about this to go into a full debate. Just letting you know before you decide wether it's worth your time trying to start one.

[Sartris]

The words 'Laser boat' and a 'Mech with an anti-missile don't exactly go together in my book.

[truetanker]

 :stupid: :lol: :stupid: 8)

TT

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

 :clap:

[Colt Ward]

Battle Hawk has medium pulse lasers.

Yup, and Sabel was talking about replacing the SSRMs with MLs- so no range change/improvement.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Meanwhile, the rest of us were talking about the stock mech.

[Sir Chaos]

Yup, and Sabel was talking about replacing the SSRMs with MLs- so no range change/improvement.

So? MLO4H brought up the range boost, and he was comparing the Streaks to medium pulse lasers - so, YES, range improvement.

[Starfury]

A better range improvement for the Battle Hawk would either be ER Mediums in late Clan Invasion/Civil War/Jihad era, or Medium X-Pulses in the Republic/Dark Ages era. The Battle Hawk BH-306 variant from 3067 flips out the medium pulses to ER mediums, kicks in a Streak 4, and a light engine for only another 155 BV 2 points.  That increases firepower, survivability, and range to deal with Clan and IS opponents. 

The stock Battle Hawk also works well against IS and slower Clan mechs, as well as battle armor and vehicles. I'd use it as an anchor for defensive light scout lances, bodyguards for devoted electronic scouts, and close range terrain attack. The jump jets are a nice addition to allow the Battle Hawk more manuverability.

[Sir Chaos]

A better range improvement for the Battle Hawk would either be ER Mediums in late Clan Invasion/Civil War/Jihad era, or Medium X-Pulses in the Republic/Dark Ages era. The Battle Hawk BH-306 variant from 3067 flips out the medium pulses to ER mediums, kicks in a Streak 4, and a light engine for only another 155 BV 2 points.  That increases firepower, survivability, and range to deal with Clan and IS opponents. 

The stock Battle Hawk also works well against IS and slower Clan mechs, as well as battle armor and vehicles. I'd use it as an anchor for defensive light scout lances, bodyguards for devoted electronic scouts, and close range terrain attack. The jump jets are a nice addition to allow the Battle Hawk more manuverability.

Outside of fighting battle armor, I see the Battle Hawk more as an urban fighter. The short weapon range isn´t as much of a disadvantage there, the jump jets are a plus, and with the pulse lasers it does half-decent damage against conventional infantry, too - and used to do even more back when Streak SRM-2 could fire infernos.