Mech of the Week: Turkina

[Getz]

The Iron Cheetah or my Blood Asp would want a word or two with you;)

Damn straight, the Iron Cheetah is nuts...

I'm planning on taking a Turkina M out for a match soon (largely because it's cheap) and wondered if anyone had any experience with it.  The firepower is obviously quite anaemic for a 95 ton clan assault mech, but it's got great range and I will be playing it in a large enough game that it will be rolling alongside a couple of Dire Wolves who can deliver the big hits.

I'm thinking it can provide AA cover and long ranged crit seeking for the star whilst still being a big, scary, difficult to kill chassis.

[parable]

the M seems designed to turn the map into a parking lot for a vehicle company.  I don't specifically recall using it, but it has a lot of the things I like (batteries of small LBX weapons, ERLLs, being a Nova Cat 'Mech), so I must've used it sometime, I just have no memory of it.  It's not well-armed, but I guess it can critseek (though 2 cERLLs aren't exactly something to sneeze at) from long range while hoping for a golden BB to torch ammo or a pilot.  That's my .002 C-Bills, at least.

[Colt Ward]

the M seems designed to turn the map into a parking lot for a vehicle company.  I don't specifically recall using it, but it has a lot of the things I like (batteries of small LBX weapons, ERLLs, being a Nova Cat 'Mech), so I must've used it sometime, I just have no memory of it.  It's not well-armed, but I guess it can critseek (though 2 cERLLs aren't exactly something to sneeze at) from long range while hoping for a golden BB to torch ammo or a pilot.  That's my .002 C-Bills, at least.

Or you use the . . . damn, I always get the rule name mixed up . . . whatever rule where you can call upper/lower or left/right, take a TH penalty and then sandblast away.  Some opponents, blow the armor off the legs and then pelting them is sufficient while others you can put the pilot through a blender.  Of course, small LBX shine more when you are working as a team and someone else already blew open holes in the armor- go for that open side torso with a IS XL or 1/3 slots are ammo . . . or a gauss rifle is present.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Or it’s designed for anti aircraft use.  Between ASF and the increasing use of VTOLs, that’s a role the Falcons need a lot more these days than they used to.

[parable]

It could also shepherd lighter 'mechs, using its range and assault status to goad enemies into trying to shred its rather thick armor--basically acting as a distraction Carnifex so that the lighter 'mechs can get into range, find a good angle, and stay un-shot as long as possible.  Honestly, the Turkina M is a schoolyard bully: it does mean things to vehicles, VTOLs, and aerospace, never likes to get in a fair fight, and shouts, "Even if I don't have much firepower, I'm still a 95-ton Clan Omni, neeeeerrrd!"

[Alex Keller]

What a great article overall.

Regarding Turkina production in the Clan Homeworlds, I re-reviewed all references to Ironhold in both the War of Reaving and the WoR Supplement. While it is true that Ironhold falls under the category of Clan worlds not listed on pages 248-249 and are considered "untenable and abandoned", there's no specific mentions that Ironhold's environment or all of its production sites were damaged or destroyed.

The Turkina was produced at Complex Beta on Ironhold and, unlike other OmniMechs made on Ironhold, is not mentioned as a "discarded tool of war" on page 17 of the Supplement. The Black Lanner, Cougar, Fire Falcon, Hellbringer, and Night Gyr are all specifically named as mechs that were being "phased out" of production due to destruction of facilities or component availability. But the Turkina is specifically not mentioned despite its only production site being on Ironhold.

It is very plausible that either the Turkina is being manufactured on another planet or there's still some limited production going on at Ironhold Complex Beta.

The Society was using this facility by 3072 to make the Turkina before they were wiped out by Coyote forces in 3077. That's where we get the Turkina Z. I'd like to think that the Homeworld Clans still use the Turkina Z, as they've accepted iATM technology and even the Septicemia into their Taumans.

[BATTLEMASTER]

The Homeworld Clans conquer the Inner Sphere in 3200 by spamming Turkina and Savage Coyote Z configurations with all iATM loadouts, possibly with liberal use of the inferno missiles