Good intro vehicles?

[Alain Dumont]

My son and I have been playing strictly 'Mech forces for years.  I'm thinking of throwing in a few vehicles for variety. 

We're playing in the Jihad era.  My Merc company started as FedRats, then after being badly mauled in the Chaos March, drifted to the Periphery to get away from the Blakists and their allies.   Oops.    ;D

After the firebombing of Crimson, my Mercs are identifying a lot with the Canopians and Cappellans, and to a lesser extent the Taurians.

So, bearing in mind those factors, what are a couple of good 'starter' type vehicles to break me in gently?   What should I start with, bearing in mind that since he and I both played MechWarrior 2-4 a lot, I still tend to think of tanks as "those things you step on on your way to the real fight"?   ;D

[Dave Talley]

throw some simple 3025 stuff down first a company of Harrasers will have him pulling his hair out :-)

[Siden Pryde]

3025 / 3039 stuff is your best bet if you are out in the Periphery, with the Manticore getting my recommendation for a main battle tank.
Though you can't go wrong with some Myrmidons if you can get your hands on them.

[Sartris]

Strikers! 

I also second the Myrmidon / Manticore.  You can't go wrong with some Rommel/Pattons either.

If you want to try VTOLs, the Warrior is a good standard chopper that is found almost everywhere.

[Alain Dumont]

3025 / 3039 stuff is your best bet if you are out in the Periphery, with the Manticore getting my recommendation for a main battle tank.
Though you can't go wrong with some Myrmidons if you can get your hands on them.

Thanks.  I think I'll try a brace of Manticores.  They're made by Majesty Metals, among others, and are thus a reasonable choice fluff-wise, and IWM has the minis in stock. 

[BirdofPrey]

N+1ing the Myrmidon and Manticore.  Both are well rounded designs.  If you want to be ready for urban fights, the Rommel is a nice AC/20 tank (there's also the Patton, downgrades to an AC/10, but you get a flamer and some more armor), and a couple of LRM Carriers parked behind hills make for good fire support for any force.

If you want something more mobile, I recommend some VTOLs (hovers get parked too easily);  the Yellow jacket is armed with a gauss rifle so you can do decent damage and keep it out of harms way more easily.  The Warrior is also a good cnoice as it is fairly common and has several variants.

[Moonsword]

Thanks.  I think I'll try a brace of Manticores.  They're made by Majesty Metals, among others, and are thus a reasonable choice fluff-wise, and IWM has the minis in stock. 

Great, solid line tank.  If you want to splurge a little, there's some relatively simple but effective post-Jihad upgrade options waiting to be discovered for the enterprising tinkerer.  In general the book you want to look for is TRO3039 although there's a handful in TRO3058U (Po, Cavalry) and TRO3060 (Myrmidon, heavy APCs, light SRM carrier, heavy LRM carrier).

Generally, Bird of Prey's got a good selection of recommendations, but I'd be a little wary of the Yellow Jacket.  They're slow enough that flak-armed enemies (LB 10-Xs) are going to find them laughably easy to counter and the Gauss rifle is going to attract a lot of attention.  If you need a fast spotter that shouldn't be exposed to fire, try the Ferret... and I'm not kidding, seriously, don't expose it to fire.  That Cavalry I mentioned up above can be a real nuisance with 12 SRM tubes, especially with Warriors to pepper someone at range.

I'm not as opposed to hovers as he is as long as you're careful about it.  Special mention to the Maxim as a fast, effective hover IFV, but there's plenty to choose from.

[MadCapellan]

Po, Zhukov, Demolisher (I highly recommend the Gauss variant!), and Ontos!

Also, the Regulator is a fun little machine.

[Sami Jumppanen]

Scorpion and Hezer! Both with Precision ammo. Scorpion to take pot shots at fast movers and to act as a initiative sink (and to draw attention). Hetzer is to do damage at the close range after the Scorpion manages to draw attention. Just don't over do these (fluffwise this is because Hezer is a punishment assigment and Scorpion isn't assigment at all).

[MightySchoop]

Po tanks are a good choice for your Capellan friends. Pretty basic stuff -- A big gun on a turret, decent armor, and some MGs to keep the foot soldiers away.

[Alain Dumont]

Po, Zhukov, Demolisher (I highly recommend the Gauss variant!), and Ontos!

Also, the Regulator is a fun little machine.

My FLGS had a pack of Ontos tanks, so that's what I got.  Will have to order the Manticores through IWM, I suppose.

[Hellraiser]

My FLGS had a pack of Ontos tanks, so that's what I got.  Will have to order the Manticores through IWM, I suppose.

My 2nd Favorite Assault Tank, good Choice, many variants and all fun.
Pairing them up with the Manticores will give you a GREAT platoon IMHO.

In keeping things commonly available & still effective I would go with some Pegasus/Plainsman hovercraft for your 2nd platoon.


Later, as you expand, for 3rd Platoon I am thinking a pair of Arrow-IV toting tanks (Demolisher) with a pair of spotter Vtols (Sprint) will be a good option to round out your forces.
(This will also make a great support company for your existing mech battalion.

[Alain Dumont]

My 2nd Favorite Assault Tank, good Choice, many variants and all fun.
Pairing them up with the Manticores will give you a GREAT platoon IMHO.

In keeping things commonly available & still effective I would go with some Pegasus/Plainsman hovercraft for your 2nd platoon.


Later, as you expand, for 3rd Platoon I am thinking a pair of Arrow-IV toting tanks (Demolisher) with a pair of spotter Vtols (Sprint) will be a good option to round out your forces.
(This will also make a great support company for your existing mech battalion.

What about for 3025-era games?

[Hellraiser]

What about for 3025-era games?

The first two platoons are 3025 era.

For a 3025 alternative 3rd platoon could be LRM Carriers & Warriors.
OR, to keep it as Artillery,  Thumpers/LongToms & Ferrets.

[wackrabbit]

For 3025, I like a mixed company of Savannah Masters, Drillsons and Saladins, 8/2/2, harrassment and sudden sharp pain. Once the Drillsons have expended their ammo, they back off and then ram the legs of a couple of light 'mechs,

[JPArbiter]

I found that the old vehicles minis are good starters

Pegasus- Hovercraft,m twin SRM 6s, a very reliable harrasment vehicles
Hunter- Basic LRM 20 Carrier
Veddette- most basic tank decent main gun and armor
Striker- smaller LRM rack but packs an SRM 6.  worse choices to guard Hunters or suppliment Veddettes
Demolisher- Close Defense assault vehicle, great for bringing the pain.

[Alain Dumont]

Looking through my Merc group notes, under my "Salvaged - Sell it off" column, I have some Vedettes and Punishers listed.   Might as well give 'em a whirl.   :)

[Hellraiser]

and Punishers listed. 

Your Mercs faced down multiple Frank Castles ?!?!?  And Lived ?!?!?  /gasp   :D

[Nahuris]

The Po is a good choice --- as is the Brutus.
If you read the fluff, the Brutus was designed by the Capellans, who then promptly failed to use it properly.... but they are a truly tough tank.

I prefer to use the Brutus, Scorpion, and Po tanks as my primaries, with LRM and SRM carriers as support, overwatched by Hawk Moth gunships.
I also kind of like the Schrek PPC carrier, especially on defense missions.

I'm surprised that no one mentions the Hawk Moth. It is one of the more useful VTOLs if you need to use something to plink an opponent from range. And it's fast enough to keep control of the range.

Nahuris

[House Davie Merc]

If your looking for a good vehicle at the introtech level I highly recommend the
Partisan LRM variant .
As far as I know they never made a mini for the LRM variant so you have to
modify a standard Partisan mini.

It has as many LRM tubes as an LRM carrier but better armor ,more ammo,
MGs ,and most importantly a turret .
For a relatively low BV cost it tends to dominate 3025 games if used for indirect fire
and you can put more advanced ammo in it for the  later eras .
( such as NARC )

It tends to be a surprise in games because few people use it .

[Fear Factory]

Scorpion.  All variants.

[Alain Dumont]

As with Mechs, as I expand, I'll probably do so on the basis of which minis look good (to me). 

These Ontos tanks are . . . not fugly, but the Manticores certainly look better.