Tank/Mecha Traps?

[Marc C]

I bought this pet repellant carpet a few months ago and created futuristic looking tank traps with it. Would this be useful with BattleTech? Are the rules for tank / mecha traps in this game?

[Colt Ward]

Not per se I think . . . but for instance I think its rubble hovertanks cannot pass through, not sure if wheels can or not, and tracks can cross but it will absolutely slow them down.  Rubble also slows mechs and IIRC forces a PSR which might get you the effects you are looking for in a game.  Just like demo can clear them, weapons fire can reduce rubble IIRC.

[Red Pins]

Hmm.  There were Inferno pit traps and AC/20 backstabbers, I think in the MacCarron's Armored Cavalry Mechwarrior book - something like this might fit in to that kind of fortress defense.

You know, why not put some styrofoam around the vertical pieces, and paint it to resemble ferrocrete?  That way, you could reasonably assign it a Hardened CF, and make a case for turning it into a rubble hex to impede ground vehicles once its shattered to allow mechs to enter.  It might make an amusing scenario where the attacker has to get a bridging unit into place, and the defender stop it to avoid being overwhelmed.

[Daryk]

Pet repellent?  Heck, that looks child repellent (at least for the barefoot ones).  Where did you pick that up?

[Marc C]

Pet repellent?  Heck, that looks child repellent (at least for the barefoot ones).  Where did you pick that up?

Dollar store 2$.

[Daryk]

Nice!  I'll have to look around next time I'm near one...

[Red Pins]

You know, looking at it I'm struck by the possibility of using these as the supports for a suspension bridge.  Be a heck of a lot of work, though.

[Colt Ward]

Why?  Flip them upside down and cut them at a angle . . . the base can support your bridge roadbed and the pillars go downward then instead of up.

[Red Pins]

"Suspension" - long stretches between support pillars.  Think San Francisco's Golden Gate.  But yeah - turning them over?  Never thought about it.   :-[

[Colt Ward]

Well, for a suspension I would not use this . . . I would use balsa wood, twine and fishing wire.  Your balsa sticks forms the towers for the suspending, the twine forms the cables running the length and the fishing line runs from the 'cables' down to the road.  Road being either balsa plank, cardboard or something else.

[mbear]

I bought this pet repellant carpet a few months ago and created futuristic looking tank traps with it. Would this be useful with BattleTech? Are the rules for tank / mecha traps in this game?

I don't recall any particular rules for hedgehogs or dragon's teeth, if that's what you're asking. IIRC we used the "rough" terrain type to indicate tank traps. That said this pet repellent would be a good way to indicate rough terrain! ;)

That said there were a couple listed in the McCarron's Armored Cavalry scenario pack and I think one tripwire defense was listed in the Fourth Succession War Scenario Pack as well. I think Hexpack Promotional Tile 1 from the Downloads page has some modern fortifications on it that you may find useful.