The Free Worlds League: Winning with what we've got!

[The Eagle]

You can have my light gauss Ontoses when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.

[Colt Ward]

M1 Moltkes are better, but their availability is a problem.

[Minemech]

 I always liked the Merkava addition, but the Light Gauss Rifle Ontos is a beauty. The Galleon remains a workhorse.

[truetanker]

And those LGR Ontos do have a mod in that era, the MML variant.

So take that!  >:D

TT

[Colt Ward]

It was I believe pointed out, but the proposed battle is a CW era and thus MMLs are out.

I wish we could get a Merkava Mk X from the Regulans . . . MMLs rather than its split missile systems and change to HFF armor.  Maybe LMGs or SPLs rather than old MGs- or leave them for flavor (The M2 machine gun was good enough for our great grandfathers, its good enough for you kid.  Seriously . . . replacing it b/c the new generation cannot handle maintenance?)

[truetanker]

Check out the Goblin MG... 3025 era ICE, yes but... : 5 ton Infantry bay! Plus you could add alternative ammo!

TT

[Sartris]

Check out the Goblin MG... 3025 era ICE, yes but... : 5 ton Infantry bay! Plus you could add alternative ammo!

TT

the goblin mg is the five dollar bill you keep forgetting you have in your pocket and are so happy every time you find it

[Drewbacca]

Making my way to the League. I have read up on it in the various sourcebooks and historicals. I have to say, I am kind of liking its quirks. What brought all of you to the FWL?

[Geont]

Making my way to the League. I have read up on it in the various sourcebooks and historicals. I have to say, I am kind of liking its quirks. What brought all of you to the FWL?

Well, for me it was partially because I am Czech and partially because FWL often seems like the military weak faction and I like factions that aren't overpowering.

[Scotty]

Making my way to the League. I have read up on it in the various sourcebooks and historicals. I have to say, I am kind of liking its quirks. What brought all of you to the FWL?

Purple, the fact that it's the only major faction with no video game screen time, and my early-college-age self really liked the Knights of the Inner Sphere.

Since then, it's the most interesting internal politics in the setting, general disuse of Assault Mechs, and combined arms (particularly battle armor).

[truetanker]

Both the Purple and the Eagle, reminded me of my favorites...

TO POLITICAL TO MENTION.

So early Colonial Europe,  8)

That and they made the best tanks eva! Ontos, Thumper TAV, and Bulldog...

My staple tank forces.

TT

[GespenstM]

I wound up randomly assigned to a FWL faction on a BattleTech game a while back. Decided to stick with them. Liked the Knights of the Inner Sphere at the time.

Eventually developed an outright disdain for clan factions (which FWL somehow wound up fighting in the games in question) and their players. I've mellowed on that some over time. Also wound up fighting a lot of lyrans (walls of Gauss-boat assaults everywhere!), and was very satisfied when I discovered FWL actually does have tools to beat them.

While my 'hatred' for our neighbor factions has calmed down some, thankfully, I stick around because I now enjoy the machines we have. They fit my aesthetic, my interests in speed and a mix of weapons, and so on.

I'm particularly fond of our jump-capable general purpose heavies, as well as some of our assaults such as the Grand Titan N11M and the Juliano. We're fun in a different way from what the majority of players I meet prefer, and I like being different.

[Sartris]

I’m drawn to self-sabotaging dumpster fires

[jklantern]

I’m drawn to self-sabotaging dumpster fires

So, an FWL fan.

THERE.  I SAID IT SO NO ONE ELSE HAS TO.

[GespenstM]

Can someone walk me through the Alpha Strike conversion of the Mad Cat Mk IV C? When I do it, I wind up with 4 Long damage but the official card says 5. I'm confused.
EDIT: Same deal with the medium/close damage. I wind up with 4, the card says 5. I must be missing something?

[Scotty]

Can someone walk me through the Alpha Strike conversion of the Mad Cat Mk IV C? When I do it, I wind up with 4 Long damage but the official card says 5. I'm confused.
EDIT: Same deal with the medium/close damage. I wind up with 4, the card says 5. I must be missing something?

LRM 15s with Artemis V generate 1.26 damage each at long range.  ER Large Lasers generate 1 each.  Total of 4.52 damage before heat modification.

The Mk IV C generates 4 heat for movement, accumulated weapons heat at long range is 34, total heat 38.  Heat modification is thusly: (4.52 * 30) / (38 - 4) = 3.988.

If I had to guess, I'd say it was an error with the engine type.  XXLs generate extra movement heat, and if the heat were calculated as with a standard XL it'd round to 5.

For Short and Medium, the total damage is: 7.46 before heat modification.  Total accumulated heat at those ranges is: 4 for movement, 52 for weapons (4+4+5+5+12+12+5+5), for a total of 56 heat.  Heat modification is: (7.46 * 30) / (56 - 4) = 4.144.  That does round up to 5.  Since the unmodified value would have rounded up to 8, the OV value of 3 is also correct.

Not all cards are correct despite our best efforts.  I'd raise this in the MUL thread.

[Drewbacca]

I am coming to the league in a round about manner. I was sent a set if faction pins from Gencon and distributed them through my group and got the Eagle for myself. Then I started reading "Close Quarters" and got an interest in the Southwest Trinity Worlds. Since then I have gathered all the League fluff I can find.

[The Eagle]

I went for the League because it's a democracy.  Well.  It was, in any case.  Replace the blue paint on Mel Gibson with purple and that's me:  FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

[GespenstM]

Yeah, confirmed there were some errors on the Mad Cat Mk. IVs. Thanks for double-checking my suspicion, Scotty.

One last Alpha Strike question: Why do the PPC Capacitors REDUCE your damage in Alpha Strike conversions compared to a PPC without a Capacitor? Did this get changed in errata and I missed it?

[nckestrel]

Yeah, confirmed there were some errors on the Mad Cat Mk. IVs. Thanks for double-checking my suspicion, Scotty.

One last Alpha Strike question: Why do the PPC Capacitors REDUCE your damage in Alpha Strike conversions compared to a PPC without a Capacitor? Did this get changed in errata and I missed it?

Because my ranting against it has failed to get it changed. (And MG arrays and snub nose PPCs).

[GespenstM]

Cool. Well, I definitely like the overall thrust of this system despite my picking at the details like this. Thanks for the info!

[Liam's Ghost]

One last Alpha Strike question: Why do the PPC Capacitors REDUCE your damage in Alpha Strike conversions compared to a PPC without a Capacitor? Did this get changed in errata and I missed it?

I believe the assumption is that since you have to spend a turn charging the capacitor, you only fire the PPC half as often, thus the total damage overall goes down.

[nckestrel]

I believe the assumption is that since you have to spend a turn charging the capacitor, you only fire the PPC half as often, thus the total damage overall goes down.

Yes, that’s the reasoning behind it. I just disagree with it :).

[Liam's Ghost]

Yes, that’s the reasoning behind it. I just disagree with it :).

I assure you, you're not alone.

[Alexander Knight]

Yes, that’s the reasoning behind it. I just disagree with it :).

It's part and parcel of the same thinking that made weapons damage divided by 10 and armor divided by 30, really.  The assumption is that 1 AS turn = 3 TW turns and you fire your weapons every TW turn.

[nckestrel]

Capacitors are a choice.  If you have them, there is no requirement that you use them on any turn. The only time you would use them is if in that situation using them is a better option. If it’s not, then you don’t use them.
But the base PPC damage should be the minimum they are considered for damage, because that remains an option.

[MadCapellan]

Capacitors are a choice.  If you have them, there is no requirement that you use them on any turn. The only time you would use them is if in that situation using them is a better option. If it’s not, then you don’t use them.
But the base PPC damage should be the minimum they are considered for damage, because that remains an option.

While we're on the subject, how about LB-X ACs losing damage to possibly gain a flak bonus that's useful only in very limited circumstances. Why wouldn't that 'Mech use standard shells in all other instances?

[nckestrel]

While we're on the subject, how about LB-X ACs losing damage to possibly gain a flak bonus that's useful only in very limited circumstances. Why wouldn't that 'Mech use standard shells in all other instances?

Agreed. Single lb10xs usually get away with it.  Lb20s and twin lb10s are treated horribly by it.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Well it's not just Alpha Strike... in standard/CBT Aerospace battles LB-X ACs always use flak ammo as well.

[MadCapellan]

Well it's not just Alpha Strike... in standard/CBT Aerospace battles LB-X ACs always use flak ammo as well.

That's awful too.