Vibrabombs

[YingJanshi]

I've never used minefields (but I've always wanted too), so I don't know how effective they are. Anyway in all the old old 3rd SW era stuff the fluff seems to suggest that Vibrabombs are the best type of mine to use. My question is: are they really?

[iamfanboy]

They CAN be good, especially if you know your opponent is a really conventional (heavy and assault 'Mech) player and you're using something less conventional (mediums, lights, and hovers) because that way you can walk with impunity over your own minefields. Or you can set them up semi-permanently around a base and not have to worry about stray dogs setting them off, but that's more an RPG issue than a tabletop one.

I think Stackpole et al's enthusiasm over the vibromines was more due to it being a really cool idea rather than a really practical one. It has uses, but the remote-triggered mines are my favorites to use.

[mensa12345]

No, not really.  They are finicky to use, particularly if you want to hit medium or heavy mechs, because assaults keep setting off the field early.  It's better to use pre-positioned standard fields.  That way you know where they are, and the opponent doesn't.  There are a finite number of good positions on a battletech map, so you almost always know where the enemy will go during the course of the battle.  They may not be too terribly effective against heavier mechs, but they can cream the light ones.

[Youngblood]

Welcome to scorched-earth warfare, my Capellan brother!  In my experience, Thunder-Augmented mines are the right type to use against most armored ground-bound targets.  Because each deployment of T-Aug covers seven hexes instead of one, you can make enemies think twice about traveling across large swathes of the battlefield, especially if they lack Hover movement or Jump Jets!

[E. Icaza]

No, not really.  They are finicky to use, particularly if you want to hit medium or heavy mechs, because assaults keep setting off the field early.  It's better to use pre-positioned standard fields.  That way you know where they are, and the opponent doesn't.  There are a finite number of good positions on a battletech map, so you almost always know where the enemy will go during the course of the battle.  They may not be too terribly effective against heavier mechs, but they can cream the light ones.

What he said in regards to Vibrabombs.

In my experience, you'll get far more use out of conventional and command-detonated fields.

[StCptMara]

Welcome to scorched-earth warfare, my Capellan brother!  In my experience, Thunder-Augmented mines are the right type to use against most armored ground-bound targets.  Because each deployment of T-Aug covers seven hexes instead of one, you can make enemies think twice about traveling across large swathes of the battlefield, especially if they lack Hover movement or Jump Jets!

Truth! I like deploying mixes of Inferno Mines and Conventional, as well...
What is fun: Quickscell LRM Carriers, Quickscell Hetzters, and Vindicators..

[Lorcan Nagle]

What he said in regards to Vibrabombs.

In my experience, you'll get far more use out of conventional and command-detonated fields.

Yeah, Vibraqbombs are a lot like Elemental Swarming - talked up a great deal in the fiction, but there areother tactics int eh game that are much better.

[StCptMara]

Yeah, Vibraqbombs are a lot like Elemental Swarming - talked up a great deal in the fiction, but there areother tactics int eh game that are much better.

Now, they are good if.....your force only uses hovers.

[Demon55]

Vibra-bombs go off too easily.  Standard mines are a great equalizer.  They deny the enemy territory and avenues of approach.   What do you call and assault mech with no legs?  Ground mass.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

  Patches of Vibra-bombs mixed among standard mines serve as avenues for lighter units to pass. That being said, in a campaign setting a minefield without some form of monitoring is reduced from denial to nuisance- Especially when the enemy has mine clearing troops and/or equipment.
In practice I try to have at least sensors at a minefield to detect detonations while optimally you want observers, weapons and artillery to prevent anything crossing your minefield with impunity. A unit stalled while crossing a minefield is a vulnerable target.

[Demos]

Vibra-bombs are quite useless in normal play. I wished they'd the adjusted the rules in TO (like artillery or infernoes) to account for the lethality described in the fluff.
I tried them once in a campaign, but you are definetly better served with standard minefields or command-detonated minefields.

[cray]

The vibra-mine really seemed like a brilliant idea when I first read of it in MW1 (...at age 12...). I mean, big, stompy 'Mechs are going to make lots of vibrations as they advance. Look at the T-Rex and glass of water in Jurassic Park. With such an obvious signal, a simple sensor and big lump of explosives is a logical end result.

Then I figured out (years later) that trying to place the things for just the right signal is a pain in the butt. Why not just set the mine to detonate when stepped on rather than trying to interpret seismic signals?

[serack]

vibros are interesting to set up , you need heavier sets in outer rings to keep them from going off to soon and lower tonnage on each inward ring :)

catch scouts , advance units as heavies hit outer sections :)

[Martius]

I see them more as a psychological weapon.

The Wasp walks over the spot and nothing happens, the Atlas follows and it goes boom. Well, it explodes to early to hit that Atlas. But the fact that something just exploded makes that Hunchback pilot a bit nervous and she hesitates to follow in that Locust's footsteps.

The scouts suddenly have to worry if the reinforcement will really be able to rush to their help- and wait! That Atlas better stays where it is, I don't want something to go boom right under me.

As a Game Master I love them- a great way to mess with my players' minds.  >:D