So let's throw out a few ideas here.
The Gryphon (which is like a Griffin, but cooler) is one's a more defensive model than most, but not inordinately so. Ferro-lamellor is the headliner on this unit, with a LAMS for added defensiveness, and good mobility to keep itself alive. Two big can-opener energy weapons, and a swarm of critseekers to exploit it all. There's heat problems if you use it poorly, which is another reason for the jump jets (overheating with an alpha and flying away is a viable strategy on occasion), but it should be manageable.
- 6 points for Clan 3150(mostly to get ferro-lamellor, though the IHLL also comes from that too).
- 1 point to go up to 55 tons.
- 3 points to use a 3/4 pilot.
Gryphon
Mass: 55 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: All Eras (non-canon)
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 0
Cost: 11,961,092 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,567
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 275 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Lamellor
Armament:
1 ER PPC
1 Imp. Hvy Large Laser
2 Streak SRM-6s
2 Micro Pulse Lasers
8 Machine Guns
1 Laser Anti-Missile System
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 91 points 3.00
Internal Locations: 2 LT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 275 8.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 5 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 2 LL, 2 RL 2.50
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 11(22) 1.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Ferro-Lamellor AV - 182 13.00
Armor Locations: 3 LT, 3 RT, 3 LA, 3 RA
CASE Locations: HD, CT, LT 0.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 18 28
Center Torso (rear) 7
L/R Torso 13 19
L/R Torso (rear) 7
L/R Arm 9 18
L/R Leg 13 25
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC RT 15 2 6.00
Laser Anti-Missile System RT 5 1 1.00
Streak SRM-6 RT 4 2 3.00
Streak SRM-6 LT 4 2 3.00
Imp. Hvy Large Laser LT 18 3 4.00
4 Machine Guns RA 0 4 1.00
Micro Pulse Laser RA 1 1 0.50
4 Machine Guns LA 0 4 1.00
Micro Pulse Laser LA 1 1 0.50
@MG (1/2) (100) HD - 1 0.50
@Streak SRM-6 (15) CT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 1
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 26
5j 4 3 1 0 2 2 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: AMS, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
---
This one's the biggest slab of weapons and armour that the rules allow. It's not much more unique than Gigastrike's entry, but it's one natural end of the design space to explore. Because it's fairly slow it focuses a lot on weaponry with a lot of flexibility in its range, but it has a few MLs to bracket. And because TSM is effectively free (it doesn't have the slots for Endo Steel or the like, and TSM is weightless), I threw it in for a lark. (And a 40-point kick. And for the mobility to be a bit less terrible.) The bracket-y weapons give you immense flexibility in heat management, to trigger, maintain, or abandon TSM as desired.
- 10 points to go up to 100 tons.
Beefeater
Mass: 100 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3050
Cost: 25,422,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,667
Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 300 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h (43.2 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h (64.8 km/h)
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
2 Gauss Rifles
1 ER Large Laser
1 LB 10-X AC
4 Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 152 points 10.00
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 300 9.50
Walking MP: 3 (4)
Running MP: 5 (6)
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 10(20) 0.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
TSM Locations: 1 HD, 1 LT, 2 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 296 18.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 31 49
Center Torso (rear) 12
L/R Torso 21 31
L/R Torso (rear) 11
L/R Arm 17 31
L/R Leg 21 40
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Large Laser RT 12 2 5.00
2 Medium Lasers RT 6 2 2.00
LB 10-X AC LT 2 6 11.00
Gauss Rifle RA 1 7 15.00
Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
Gauss Rifle LA 1 7 15.00
Medium Laser LA 3 1 1.00
@Gauss Rifle (16) CT - 2 2.00
@LB 10-X (Cluster) (10) LT - 1 1.00
@LB 10-X (Slug) (10) LT - 1 1.00
@Gauss Rifle (8) RL - 1 1.00
@Gauss Rifle (8) LL - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 3
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 10 Points: 27
3 5 5 4 0 4 2 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: TSM, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, FLK 1/1/1
---
The above mech showed me that 3050 tech is surprisingly unbalanced, with a lot fewer of the goodies that I'm used to than I expected. So let's do something similar, but with 3080 tech. That caps us at 85 tons, but that's a more practical size for JJs to give us a bit more mobility. (I considered IJJs, but those seven tons feel too expensive). Based on the theory that not dying is important, it's slathered in hardened armour, which has unfortunate impacts on its weapons load, but it's still a total brick. It does at least carry enough ammo for a really long fight, including Swarm LRMs (which are hilariously good in this mode).
- 3 points for IS 3080
- 7 points to go up to 85 tons.
Concrete Donkey
Mass: 85 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 3080
Cost: 14,143,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,446
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 255 Light Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h (43.2 km/h)
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: Unknown Hardened
Armament:
1 ER PPC
3 Medium Lasers
4 MML-5s
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 130 points 4.50
Internal Locations: 2 LT, 4 RT, 3 LA, 3 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine: Light Fusion Engine 255 10.00
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5 (4)
Jumping MP: 3 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LL, 1 RL 3.00
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 12(24) 2.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Hardened AV - 260 32.50
CASE II Locations: 1 LT 1.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 27 42
Center Torso (rear) 11
L/R Torso 18 27
L/R Torso (rear) 9
L/R Arm 14 28
L/R Leg 18 35
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser CT 3 1 1.00
ER PPC RT 15 3 7.00
MML-5 RT 3 3 3.00
MML-5 LT 3 3 3.00
MML-5 RA 3 3 3.00
Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
MML-5 LA 3 3 3.00
Medium Laser LA 3 1 1.00
@MML-5 (LRM) (24) LT - 1 1.00
@MML-5 (SRM) (20) LT - 1 1.00
@MML-5 (SRM Inferno) (20) LT - 1 1.00
@MML-5 (LRM Swarm) (24) LT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 1
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 17 Points: 24
3j 4 3 2 0 4 2 Structure: 5
Special Abilities: CASEII, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, IF 1
---
I may post a few more later, but judging by the fact that I'm starting to call my mechs things like "Concrete Donkey", I think that's enough for tonight.
