Sandblaster and the Crusader?

[Hammerhead]

Hey everybody.

I often play the Crusader as “Fire LRM’s as you close to point blank range for Knife Work” and have had some good success this way. I’ve never had the chance to use SPA’s with a Crusader yet, but I’m wondering if you had only one SPA and you choose Sandblaster, would you apply it to the LRM’s for closing or the SRM’s for the knife fight?

[Charistoph]

It depends on how tight the GM wants to be.

All it says is "one type of clustering weapon, be it a missile or rocket launcher, an ultra or rotary autocannon, or an LB-X style weapon".

For our campaign, the DM just listed it as "Sandblaster: Missiles", and we have a slightly modified Steiner Archer in the group (LRMs and SRMs).  The pilot who had that ability has not had any reason to use their SRMs, yet, so it never came up, and she started with a Valkyrie.

So if the DM chooses it works for all Missiles, then it will work with SRMs, LRMs, MRMs, NLRMs, ELRMs, ATMs, and iATMs.

[Static]

I'd go for the SRMs. The increase in crit-seeking potential at close range seems more likely to remove an opposing 'Mech than a few extra points of damage as you approach your target. If you were inclined to hold your Crusader back until you had blown through most/all of your LRM ammo, it might be worth swapping it around, though.

[Daryk]

I think Static has the right of it... I'd go with the SRMs if that's the SPA you're stuck with.  There are others that are more generally useful (Sniper, for example)...

[Hammerhead]

It depends on how tight the GM wants to be.

All it says is "one type of clustering weapon, be it a missile or rocket launcher, an ultra or rotary autocannon, or an LB-X style weapon".

For our campaign, the DM just listed it as "Sandblaster: Missiles", and we have a slightly modified Steiner Archer in the group (LRMs and SRMs).  The pilot who had that ability has not had any reason to use their SRMs, yet, so it never came up, and she started with a Valkyrie.

So if the DM chooses it works for all Missiles, then it will work with SRMs, LRMs, MRMs, NLRMs, ELRMs, ATMs, and iATMs.

Huh. Admittedly, I was basing this on the pilot cards that differentiate between LRM and SRM in the text. Does anyone know for sure how this was intended to work? Perhaps I should head on over to the Questions sub-forum….

[Charistoph]

Huh. Admittedly, I was basing this on the pilot cards that differentiate between LRM and SRM in the text. Does anyone know for sure how this was intended to work? Perhaps I should head on over to the Questions sub-forum….

The information I have comes from Campaign Operations.  I didn't even think that it might be on Pilot Cards.

Out of curiosity, do any of those pilot cards work for someone that has a mixed LRM and SRM count, like the Crusader or a Lyran pilot of an Archer?

[Lorcan Nagle]

Out of curiosity, do any of those pilot cards work for someone that has a mixed LRM and SRM count, like the Crusader or a Lyran pilot of an Archer?

Jiya Yawen is one of the Thunderbolt pilots from the Beginner's Box and her card specifies LRMs
Donavan McCaig is one of the Crossbow pilots in the Heavy Battle Star, his card specifies LRM for Sandblaster and Streak 6 for Weapon Specialist (though of course Streak 6s don't roll on the cluster table)
Sara O'Cathain, a Crusader pilot in the Kell Hounds Lance specifies LRMs for her Sandblaster ability

[Greatclub]

Jiya Yawen is one of the Thunderbolt pilots from the Beginner's Box and her card specifies LRMs
Donavan McCaig is one of the Crossbow pilots in the Heavy Battle Star, his card specifies LRM for Sandblaster and Streak 6 for Weapon Specialist (though of course Streak 6s don't roll on the cluster table)
Sara O'Cathain, a Crusader pilot in the Kell Hounds Lance specifies LRMs for her Sandblaster ability

wouldn't she be piloting a 5M, with more streaks?

[Lorcan Nagle]

The cards don't specify variants.

[Charistoph]

The cards don't specify variants.

Not with words, but there is an image of their 'Mech that matches one of the sides of the Alpha Strike Mech card.

[paladin2019]

Not with words

Exactly. You can put the pilot in any variant of the chassis.