HBS Expansion Thread- its time for II (spoilers)

[H.B.M.C.]

All sounds very cool except for one thing:

Vulcan.

Why? Why not a Whitworth?

BYE

[Daryk]

The HBS game likes AC/2s rather more than table top...

[pheonixstorm]

For anyone following the thread that doesn't have the game or released expansion DLC it is all 50-66% off until the 21st.

[Vehrec]

I'm seeing reports that the Thumper is a 2-shot per deployment system with high AOE damage.  And reports that the Bullshark is gonna have enough Autocannon to make a Davion drool.

[ThePW]

I'm so stoaked…  :D

[Jayof9s]

I can't believe I forgot about the Annihilator when I was guessing.

Also, I'm happy to see the Warhammer and Marauder weren't included to the '470 tons' they teased. I knew they said they'd be released for free eventually, I just expected they'd still count them all the same and didn't want to start guessing we'd get 9-10 new chassis.

The new weaponry should be interesting to try out. I'm surprised mortars made it in. And surprised that they're giving us all the sizes of the ultras and LBX but I don't mind that deviation from canon.

Also, mention of a 'mini-campaign against the Dragoons' should be fun. Curious to see if it's just a flashpoint or a bit more.

[NeonKnight]

Another YouTube Screen Scrape of the BULL SHARK, now with hard Points :




And can have 3 Jump Jets???

[NeonKnight]

AND another Screen Scrape, this time the COIL-L, a Kinetic Energy type weapon. As can be seen (sorry for the Play bar. I have NO idea how to get ride of it :() the FLEA could potentially get this weapon up to 280 Damage!  :o

[Daryk]

Hmmm... Looks like they classify the "Thumper Cannon" as "Artillery", so it's not what we have in tabletop.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but the confusion this might cause could very easily have been avoided.

[Luciora]

The RL player in me is happy to see Thorium Plasma Projectors in the game.  However, I get the Mechcommander: Desparate measures vibe from the new weapons.  Think any will make it into canon?  There is precedence with the Bombast Laser after all.

[Triptych]

Well I hope they sort of make gauss rifle ammo a bit more common in the future- its terrible when you have 3 gauss rifles but only 2 tons of ammo!  xp

[Caedis Animus]

The RL player in me is happy to see Thorium Plasma Projectors in the game.  However, I get the Mechcommander: Desparate measures vibe from the new weapons.  Think any will make it into canon?  There is precedence with the Bombast Laser after all.

Well, the Coils will certainly be 'iffy'. I'd wager best odds on the Bullshark being canonized, for now, if anything.

A little surprised the Roughneck wasn't included, or the Corsair. Kind of disappointed, even. Who knows, maybe they will add a "Scrapmech" DLC someday.

[Jayof9s]

That's a pretty impressive weapon payload on there. 2x LB10X, 2x UAC5, and 4x ER ML is a lot to hold without some weight-saving tech under the hood. And that's not even considering the Thumper. Hard to imagine being able to make that in TT rules.

Also, interesting to see the er mediums. I know they were included (but not for sale / salvage previously) but I guess they aren't sticking to canon only since we're seeing all the LBX and UAC sizes.

[Daryk]

A quick attempt in SSW gave me a whopping 10 tons of armor with all of that (assuming one ton of ammo for the Thumper Cannon, and the listed ammo for the others: 4 for the UAC/5s (???) and 2 for the LB-10Xs).  And that was WITH an XL engine.  Maybe it's only 2/3? ???

[Luciora]

Theres precedence with the Annihilator.  Personally I'd want to see a Devastator or the Imp, at least you keep the 3/5 speed.

[Firesprocket]

This all looks pretty cool.  I just hope that the introduction of all this new tech doesn't turn the game into an unplayable mess.

[Daryk]

While not unplayable, the current version makes LRMs almost required.  Before I gave up making the game run on my ancient machine, I was down to nearly all LRMs on everything except the Atlas (which had an AC/20+something) and the Highlander (with its Gauss Rifle).  The LRM battery would knock them down, and all remaining weaponry would call shots to the CT.  Guaranteed kill, every time, even against Atlases. Either the Atlas or the Highlander would be the spotter, and the victim(s) would never even see the rest.

[FedRatCowboy]

Ok after seeing the trailer and seeing the screen shots above this is my takeaways:

1. Choices of Mechs. Archer, Warhammer, Marauder, Rifleman, and the Phoenix Hawk (THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS!!!) are excellent choices to bring into the game. The Assassin, Vulcan, and Flea not so much as I would have rather have the Stinger, Wasp, Wolfhound, or even the Clint. The Annihilator is an interesting choice to be sure. I don't like it and I don't hate it...its just interesting. The Bull Shark, I am going to reserve judgement until I play with it or against me.

2. New Weapons. I like it, but with that being said I hope that the up the found ammo for existing weapons (looking at you Gauss Rifles), they reduce the tonnage and space requirements on the ECM and Active Probes to what they are in the table top game, and add in the half ton MG ammo option.

Overall I am thrilled and can not wait till it gets here!!!

 

[DarkSpade]

Sounds like the new mechs are all going to get some kind of quirk.  I hope they patch in some for the original roster too.

[Fat Guy]

Where was a mini campaign against the 'goons mentioned?

[ThePW]

Sounds like the new mechs are all going to get some kind of quirk.  I hope they patch in some for the original roster too.

I imagine it has to do with the stats to each design (example, all the mechs at have fluff battlefists (the 55ers and the hunchback) and do more melee damage that some special equipment...

[Colt Ward]

New Flashpoint, no mention of who the oppo is . . .

The Bullshark from what I saw in a screen shot was a 3 jump . . . which means it might end up being a Annihilator custom.  You can get close in TT as long as the speed is 2/3 . . . its just undersinked, though if the Thumper Cannon only gets 2 shots it gives you some options.

Not sure why you say you have to play with LRMs, I was working campaigns through without going 'all LRMs, all the time' but I DID have a dedicated (Catapult or Griffin) and a mass of SRMs, but I was playing to keep mostly med with a heavy or assault and a Firestarter scout.  SO looking forward to trading that in for a Phoenix Hawk.

[Jayof9s]

Where was a mini campaign against the 'goons mentioned?

https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/19/20921362/battletech-heavy-metal-list-of-mechs-weapons?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

2nd to last sentence. "There’s also a miniature campaign that brings players in contact with members of the famed Wolf’s Dragoons."

[Colt Ward]

Wonder if its career or post-campaign?  or heck, DURING campaign could be interesting.

[Jayof9s]

I'd guess post-campaign like all the flashpoints.

[Retry]

Well, the Coils will certainly be 'iffy'. I'd wager best odds on the Bullshark being canonized, for now, if anything.

I agree.  The Bullshark can easily be canonized eventually with a swipe of a TRO.  The Coil... Not happening, I wager.  Whatever explanation they come up with for a weapon that hits harder the faster you go is going to be rather contrived, and it obviously exist in HBS simply to give something that makes the faster 'Mechs more useful, and I don't see any real path to "Tabletop-ify" the Coil anyways.
Also, apparently official mod support is coming out with the expansion.  That sounds really nice for me.

[Daryk]

*snip*
Not sure why you say you have to play with LRMs, I was working campaigns through without going 'all LRMs, all the time' but I DID have a dedicated (Catapult or Griffin) and a mass of SRMs, but I was playing to keep mostly med with a heavy or assault and a Firestarter scout.  SO looking forward to trading that in for a Phoenix Hawk.

The LRM tactic meant I took minimal damage in return, even from assault lances.  In the most egregious game I played, the bot marched its assault mechs one at a time through a gap.  They died one per turn, and my spotter took a handful of damage (further minimized by Bulwark).

[DarkSpade]

I imagine it has to do with the stats to each design (example, all the mechs at have fluff battlefists (the 55ers and the hunchback) and do more melee damage that some special equipment...

From what I've read it's more like the Raven's electric gear and the Cyclopes' battle computer.

[Colt Ward]

Compare the Annihilator with the Bull Shark . . . the Shark could be a frankenmech, a very cool bit of lore to drag in.  Anni body, Rifleman or more likely Jager arms (feeds/mounts for dual ACs in the arm) and maybe bits from elsewhere.

[mechnut450]

Since  I yet to finish the game  due to having some pc issues.  I want to ask does anyone else keep getting hitchhikers on the jumpship when you jump lol.  I seen many leopards and a few union ships among my many jumps lol