From TRO:3075!!
~
Disclaimer: There is a ProtoMech of the Month article that was written on the Basilisk a few years back. It can be found over here:
http://bg.battletech.com/forums/fan-articles/protomech-of-the-month-the-basilisk/
I've decided to do a new article for this machine in order to give it the same analysis that I've aimed for before, while covering the three new variants of the Basilisk released since 2012.~
The second generation of ProtoMechs was a wildly mixed bunch. Most of the Homeworld Clans designed at least one (with the Spirits taking the prize by helping to make no fewer than three new models), and the quality of each varied immensely. The first to reach production would be the Erinyes - more commonly known as the Jade Falcon mistake. This abortive ProtoMech would only barely improve on its predecessor, the Harpy, but would remain just as useless as its progenitor. It would take one more year for the next new ProtoMech to reach full production: the Basilisk, which appeared in 3063.
BASILISK
INTRO: 3063
FACTIONS: Cloud Cobras, Steel Vipers, Star Adders, The Society
WEAPONS: ER Medium Laser, LRM-3 (2 shots)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(5) (2) Arms -> Cored: 27 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 33 pts
(4 / 14 \ 4) (2 / 7 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 21 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 12 pts
( 8 ) ( 4 )
MG (3) MG (1)
The first thing to notice is that the Basilisk shares the same tonnage as the earlier Roc. Why wouldn’t the Cobras simply put the Roc into production, then? For a few reasons. Firstly, the Basilisk was created to fill the large hole in their ground-based Touman. This meant that the Cobras not only needed a well armed machine, but one able to take a massive amount of punishment. The Basilisk succeeded in both roles. At its inception, it was the heaviest-armored ProtoMech to ever appear - and it carried even more firepower than the respectably-armed Roc. The 4/6 movement profile would surpass the Minotaur on the ground, allowing it to keep up with a larger variety of “standard” units, without aiming for the high (now unneeded) mobility of the Roc. In short: the Basilisk was to act as a solid anvil for existing Cobra forces.
The LRM is the real waste on the machine. It has its uses; it can be used as a long-ranged option while the Basilisk closes to ER Medium Laser range (making the lack of ammo a good choice in terms of weight savings and efficiency), or it can be used to plink over a long period of time. If a Point of Basilisks works together, one can shoot a single LRM volley every turn to give the Point an effective 10 turns of long ranged plinking. My issue: the LRM-3 could have easily been dropped down to an LRM-2, giving it an additional 200 kgs to spend on more ammo. The Basilisk would have then had 14 shots for its laucher, giving it long-ranged durability at a reduced BV cost.
As it stands, 320 BV can be expensive for what you get. You’re paying a small chunk of BV for a launcher that you’ll barely use, although it’s not an absurd price to pay for the amount of armor and ER Medium Laser that you get out of the deal.
BASILISK 2
INTRO: 3064
FACTIONS: Cloud Cobras, Steel Vipers
WEAPONS: ER Small Laser, ER Micro Laser (x2), SRM-2 (10 shots)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(5) (2) Arms -> Cored: 25 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 29 pts
(4 / 12 \ 4) (2 / 7 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 19 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 10 pts
( 6 ) ( 4 )
MG (3) MG (1)
The Basilisk 2 would make its appearance a year later, showing up in trial runs within the Cobra’s Alpha Galaxy. The largest change would be its new use of jump jets, boosting its movement up to 4/6/4 in ideal conditions. The weaponry would be changed around while still maintaining a recognizable appearance; the ER Medium would be swapped out for an ER Small, while the LRM-3 would be replaced by an SRM-2 with 10 (!!) shots of ammo. Two arm-mounted ER Micro Lasers would round out the pack, but these additional guns would force a less-than-ideal reduction of armor. Simply by looking at the amount of damage needed to destroy each location, one can see that the Basilisk 2 fails many thresholds that the original Basilisk would survive.
The first thing to note is that this variant was largely put through its paces on Homer. A mountainous and desertic planet, Homer also suffers from a harsh surface gravity of 1.4 g. This would make the jump jets amazingly useful; instead of moving 3/5 (as the standard Basilisk would), the Basilisk 2 would be able to move a risk-free 3/5/3 to keep some of its mobility. This lends it well to ambush tactics and mountainous terrain, nearly ideal for the planetary conditions it found itself in.
The issue, once again, revolves around the missiles. The SRM-2 would suffer from a heavy +2 to-hit penalty due to the gravity. Although I am obviously unsure if the Cobras did this, I would recommend swapping out all of the standard ammo for specialty rounds; Smoke, ARAD or Heat-Seeking rounds could all come in handy. Beyond Homer, the SRM-2 can give the Basilisk 2 a slightly longer range, but being forced to choose between the ER Micros and SRM at close range still make it appealing to load a few Smoke rounds into the launcher to help with closing strategies.
BV is a heck of a lot cheaper, coming in at 238 this time around. I still think it’s a bit expensive, especially since you have two short-ranged options that can’t be used at the same time. Dropping the ER Micros would have freed up a good 1000 kg to spend on upgrading the launcher and carrying more armor and ammo.
BASILISK 3
INTRO: 3067(?)
FACTIONS: Cloud Cobras, The Society
WEAPONS: ER Medium Laser
ARMOR INTERNAL
(5) (2) Arms -> Cored: 25 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 29 pts
(4 / 12 \ 4) (2 / 7 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 19 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 10 pts
( 6 ) ( 4 )
The Basilisk 3 apparently made its debut as a variant put into production on the Tanite worlds. Rumors abound that this is, in fact, a Society model, although the RATs do place it in standard Cobra forces as well. 3067 would mark the first time that Improved Jump Jets would be used on a ProtoMech, giving the Basilisk 3 a very nice 4/6/5 movement profile. This choice would force the sacrifice of the LRMs found on the original model, which really isn’t a huge downside in my eyes.
This change fits with the Tanite worlds very well. Two of the worlds (Alexandra, Tanis) have lower gravity than usual (0.9 and 0.7 g, respectively). This would have the effect of boosting the Basilisk 3s speed to 4/6/6 on Alexandra and 6/9/7 on Tanis - both increases entirely risk-free, due to the very nature of ProtoMechs. Even on Stacha, with its 1.1 g, the Basilisk 3 would keep all of its 4/6/5 mobility. This would make the Basilisk 3 quite a threat to both vehicles and ‘Mechs it would encounter in the defense of the planet.
The reduction in armor makes the Basilisk 3 a near-clone of the original Roc. Weaponry and jump distance is the same, while they also share the same amount of armor. The only differences lie in ground speed (with the B-3 being slower) and with how the Basilisk has its ER Medium mounted in its torso instead of a Main Gun. Although this reduces its firing arc, it also allows the B-3 to carry two more points of armor in its torso and two more in its head (with one having been shifted from the legs up to the head, another good change in my book considering how much you'll be jumping).
This small reduction in ground speed has the rather impressive advantage of reducing BV by a whole 32 points, down to 306. If you’re the type of person who routinely jumps their Rocs around like there’s no tomorrow, the Basilisk 3 is an upgrade of that classic design. I’m quite fond of it.
Now we can take a look at the crazy stuff. 3072 had the Cloud Cobra branch of the Society unveil their own two varieties of the Basilisk - both of them Quads. Using them required either lobotomized pilots or the Feralize drug, both of them repugnant options for your “typical” Clan pilot. It dramatically altered the standard Basilisk doctrine; the transformation into a Quad enabled the Basilisk-Q to move at 5/8 speeds with the same old engine, while the armor was largely concentrated and replaced with a heavier (but more dangerous) Electric Discharge plate. Firepower was swapped over to a single SRM-4 with 10 shots of ammo, while additional melee weapons were attached to its claws, tail, and head.
BASILISK QUAD
INTRO: 3072
FACTIONS: Cloud Cobras, The Society
WEAPONS: SRM-4 (10 shots), Quad Melee Weapons, EDP Armor
ARMOR INTERNAL
(5) (2)
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 42 pts
/ 14 \ / 7 \ Torso -> Cored: 21 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 21 pts
( 13 ) ( 8 )
The result is a ProtoMech that wants to close to point-blank ranges. The Melee Weapon System boosts its frenzy attacks up to 6 points of damage per hit (extremely respectable, considering the B-Qs size), while the EDP can discharge for a dangerous Taser effect. The EDP can then recharge for 6 turns straight, since the SRM-4 doesn’t demand any heat sink usage, which allows a full Point of B-Qs to constantly Taser an opponent without pause. Ouch. Combine that with Feralize, and you’ve got a possible 12 points of frenzy damage per Proto, at the cost of a +4 to-hit for the missile launcher and the loss of initiative for that unit (My interpretation of this is that the B-Q’s Point is forced to move first out of all units on the table - not necessarily a bad thing if you’re planning on encircling with them).
If you want to wander down the Feralize path, then carrying alternate munitions for the launcher is a must. Smoke rounds will help you close in to do your damage, while infernos might allow you to start some tactical fires if need be. Otherwise, the SRM-4 gives you a decent punch against all things conventional while letting you critseek well against damaged targets. It’s a very nasty ProtoMech if used well, and 213 BV isn't too heavy a price for it.
BASILISK QUAD B
INTRO: 3072
FACTIONS: The Society
WEAPONS: Quad Melee Weapons, EDP Armor
ARMOR INTERNAL
(5) (2)
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 38 pts
/ 12 \ / 7 \ Torso -> Cored: 19 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 19 pts
( 11 ) ( 8 )
The Basilisk-Q B is straight up ridiculous. The only “heavy” ProtoMech to ever explore the high-speed avenue, it has a large enough engine to move 8/12(16) with the help of an extremely intelligent Myomer Booster. This led Society scientists to dump the SRM-4, leaving the Basilisk B with nothing but Melee Weapons and its EDP. This thing is a brawler in the purest sense of the word, made to enter melee combat as quickly as possible with Feralize pumping through the veins of its operator. The loss of initiative is a definite plus here; the BQ-B can encircle nearly anything it wants to with its incredibly high speed.
The downside here is that armor was reduced compared to the original...and for no reason. The BQB is absurdly underweight, and having some extra armor would have done a lot to improve its survivability. Even so, this wasted weight does have the plus side of reducing BV all the way down to 239, making it quite cheap for something that should be putting out a 12-point hit every other turn (along with a few Taser effects).
As an added note, don't forget that frenzy attacks only strike the legs of a 'Mech - three BQs on Feralize can put out an insane 36 points of damage concentrated between both legs of their target.
Note: this just changed with the latest errata - now ProtoMechs can only attack targets in their own hex. This means that a maximum of two ProtoMechs can attack a single target per turn, reducing the max damage down to 24. The PSR the 'Mech will have to roll will be made more difficult because of the Taser effect, and so BQs can be used as extremely effective hunter-killers when used against slower high-priority Heavy or Assault 'Mechs. Another thing: both Basilisk-Quads are an absolute bane to Battle Amored units. For the original BQ, 20 SRM-4s (possibly loaded with infernos) are enough to heavily damage a formation, while the effects of EDP automatically shut down a suit (or effectively destroy it for the scenario's purpose) with every physical strike that connects. Use of Feralize is also effective; no BA suit enjoys getting smacked with an 12-point hit, no matter the scenario. If you're a BA user, avoid the BQs. Seriously.
All in all, I like the Basilisk. The Standard and 2 both have some flaws that must be overcome, but they fit well with the nature of the machine. The 3 is probably one of the best line troopers you can get, while the two Society machines are extremely dangerous close-ranged berserkers. It comes to no surprise to me that the Adders and Vipers both enjoy the design (and I imagine that the Vipers would have loved the Basilisk 3), while the Society also made heavy use of the design. I feel like the Cloud Cobras mostly hit the nail on the head with their first ProtoMech, and I hope that they’ll bring more impressive ProtoMechs the next time they show up.
~
MASTERUNITLIST:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=basiliskCAMOSPECS:
http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=808IRON WIND METALS:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3451