if you were given 1 week access to a Mech production facility what would you do?

[billtfor3]

Situation:  The year is 3025, the House your working for has taken a Planet with a Mech Factory.  Your friends with the Commander from *INSERT REASON HERE*, and he has allowed your Techs (your a smart Merc that pays for a full Tech staff) access to the Factory to perfom refits on your units Mechs.  There are engines, weapons, and armor. You have 12 Mechs roll randomly for them, and list your changes.  Enemy reinforcements are on the way so you are limited to one week before your unit will be back in action.

BY NO MEANS GO OFF THIS ALONE!  THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION YOU MAY PLACE ANY UNIT IN YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO ADJUST OR ROLL ONE FOR FUN!!!!

This is what I got from the Solaris 7 random Mech Generator:

COMMAND LANCE
Cyclops CP-10-Q the LRM version that adds armor.  I actually like this variant a good bit
Charger CGR-1A5 leave alone! Assualt Monster!!!!
Awesome AWS-8T 2LL and 2LMR 15s is pretty beastly.  Have to think about this one.
Valkyrie VLK-QA pull the LRM 10 for 2 LRM 5s and a additional Medium Laser.

SUPPORT LANCE
Thunderbolt TDR-5SE Jumping Thud.  Switch out the LRM 10 for 2 SRM 4 sharing 1 ton of ammo, and a Flamer.
Hunchback HBK-4N switch the AC 10 for a PPC and Heatsinks, and move a Medium Laser to rear facing
Ostsol OTL-4F hmmm a Mech with PPCs would fit this Lance, but going to switch back to 2 Large Lasers, 2 Flamers, 2 tons of armor. 
Vindicator VND-1R tempted to leave the "Badger" alone, but decided to go for some more Close range firepower and switch the LRM 5 for an SRM 4.

RECON LANCE

Quickdraw QKD-4H drop the SRM 4 to upgrade the LRM to a LRM 15 and add a ton of armor.  Only 8 shots but they will hit harder, and it has 4 forward firing Medium Lasers on a fast frame for when the ammo bin is dry.
Ostroc OSR-2L LRM 5 instead of the SRM 4, seems like good trade, so why not go a slight step further and pull a Large Laser and replace it with another LRM 5 sharing the same ammo, a medium Laser, and 2 tons of armor.
Cicada CDA-2B change engine to get  7/11 move, , add 2 tons of Armor, a Large Laser and keep the 2 Medium Lasers
Jenner JR7-D switch SRM 4 for an LRM 5 to give it a softening up ranged weapon and support the Ostroc and Q-Draws LRM barrage

I'll make my changes latter, but feel free to do anything you wish, just remember you only have 1 week, and your Tech staff to assist.  Have fun!

[Hersh67]

You have a pretty good force there.  Within the realm of 3025 technology, I'd say fix them up to 100% with armor & their natural weapons, reload the ammo, flush the coolants, and get some rest.  You're going to need it.

If we were talking a week in an abandoned SL stockpile, then the answers would be far different.

[snewsom2997]

I am going to have to agree with Hersh67, for a 3025 company you are pretty good, the only thing I would do is trade MG's for Small Lasers, and MG Ammo for Armor, or Heat Sinks. I also might pick 4 mechs with missiles and refit them as LR fire support, Vlakyrie, Jenner, Cyclops, maybe one of the Vindicators, down grande on or more weapons and swap SRMs for LRMs if need be.

[massey]

With a week's time and unlimited access?

I repair my mechs and reload the ammo.  Theoretically even "bad" mech designs like the Jagermech serve some purpose in the BT universe.  Something that isn't that great on the game board might be pretty good on the battlefield.  Plus, all my men know how to use their mechs as is and I don't want them having to learn a new weapons system.

I'd do some pretty major repairs, replacing wiring, installing new heat sinks, fixing all the field patchwork jobs that have taken place over the years/decades/centuries.  No more +1 to hit with that medium laser in the right arm.

And after that?  I'd steal as many spare parts as I could.  Load up my transport trucks with extra engines, heat sinks, armor, ammo, expensive metals, everything I could carry.  I'd strip that place to the bone if I could.  Get copies of all the files they had.  Design schematics for that Shadow Hawk variant with a flamer?  Mine.  Take a buttload of pictures of how their assembly line is set up.  Financial records, copies of HPG transmissions, shipment schedules, who they buy from and who they sell to, all that stuff.  You can sell that to somebody.  Or blackmail someone with it.  Maybe ol' Duke Reinhold has been buying some Panthers under the table from a Kuritan factory.  I'll bet people on both sides of the border would be interested in that information, or keeping it secret.

[ShadowRaven]

with only a week, My first goal would be all the major repairs that have been patched up over the last months or years of combat. If my tech team had time after that, I would have them work on building up a spare parts and ammunition stockpile. One week is not a lot of time, With even a lance of mechs, that's less then two full days work on each

[AWAD]

Loot the place. Steal anything not nailed down. That is a true and good Merc unit.

AWAD- Thanks commander, here, got you and your team a private room, women and booze, have fun (get to work guys)

[evilauthor]

with only a week, My first goal would be all the major repairs that have been patched up over the last months or years of combat. If my tech team had time after that, I would have them work on building up a spare parts and ammunition stockpile. One week is not a lot of time, With even a lance of mechs, that's less then two full days work on each

Pretty much this. It is 3025 after all and these kinds of tech resources are hard to come by.

I'll admit though that my first thought was, "Dismount any AC/5s I have and replace them with something else. ANYTHING else!" Although Massey has a point about weapons performing differently in the "real world" than on the game board. If we take the Solaris rules about weapon refire rates as closer to how the weapons REALLY work than the vanilla game, then the AC/5 is actually pretty competitive with the PPC.

[Hersh67]

I am going to have to agree with Hersh67, for a 3025 company you are pretty good, the only thing I would do is trade MG's for Small Lasers, and MG Ammo for Armor, or Heat Sinks. I also might pick 4 mechs with missiles and refit them as LR fire support, Vlakyrie, Jenner, Cyclops, maybe one of the Vindicators, down grande on or more weapons and swap SRMs for LRMs if need be.

I'd disagree on the Use of the MGs.  They're a premier anti-infantry weapon and until the re-emergence of the SPL, they best way to deal with infantry (aside from artillery).  They do have a use in the game particularly in a company sized unit that could be put into an urban enviroment.

Now, give me a *month* with that factory and I might brew up something to greet my 'guests' with.  Or change it out to 3048 when there are some new toys to work with...

[Drop Bear]

Wile I turn my Techs lose on Repair, Refit & any Mods we can preform with available stocks I'm going to set my Q's about emptying the Stores, (high grade battlefield) Electronics, Life Support, Actuators and Gyros are still in short supply having just come back in to production in the past few years. I wouldn't leave any of the above behind even if the Actuators and Gyros are of weight classes I can't use. PPC's are very rear to around this date so I'm taking all of them my guys can find to and if I've got any Hold space left Med Lasers (never can have enough of them) & AC-20's (Rare & valuable). Large Lasers, Structural Components & Armor, Heat-Sinks, Missile Launchers, other AC's & MG's. I'm going to empty the Stationary cupboard & 1st Aid stations before I touch a Small Laser (except to get ir out of the way of the good stuff).

once my Techs are done with the Work Platforms and Tool Kits they go on the Trucks to. If I still have time & Hold Space anyone that can draw breath will be issued a hacksaw & Claw Hammer and set lose.

[Greyhind]

 :-\But you'll have to leave your friendship behind... :( [fiddle]

 :'(

[House Davie Merc]

1 week isn't much time but if yo have enough time-
I'd modify the Awesome AWS-8T .

I can't help but notice that your force lacks an LRM boat .

You have a few smaller launchers here and there but your
largest concentration of LRMs is on the AWS-8T .

The problem with the 8T is that it only carries 8 rounds per launcher .

Many people would say that's good because it should run out before it blows up
so that it can be a zombie like the 8Q .

Given your overall force I would say the opposite .
It needs at least 1 if not 2 more tons of LRM ammo .

I'd take the 2 tons out of the CT and switch them with a heat sink in the
side torsos . Move them so a surprise TAC doesn't blow it up .
Then I'd remove 2 side torso heat sinks completely and add another 2 tons of ammo .

Use it like a larger and slower Archer ARC-2K that has more armor and less heat issues .

Unlike other lists here if I  only had the time to modify 1 mech ,this Awesome
mod would be the very first one I did .
It's firepower is to important to the overall force to not make it first IMHO .

[snewsom2997]

I'd disagree on the Use of the MGs.  They're a premier anti-infantry weapon and until the re-emergence of the SPL, they best way to deal with infantry (aside from artillery).  They do have a use in the game particularly in a company sized unit that could be put into an urban enviroment.

Now, give me a *month* with that factory and I might brew up something to greet my 'guests' with.  Or change it out to 3048 when there are some new toys to work with...

Never really played with infantry, so in my games it is less of an issue. I just don't like the ammo explosions for them in 3025, that is my only reason.

[Hersh67]

I agree with that principle myself, it's just that I've toyed with infantry and under the new infantry rules, MGs have use.  At least until the rediscovery of SPLs and DHS...  Then you'd go with that option instead...

[Hellraiser]

1.  Rob the place blind.

2.  Repair & Rearm all my mechs.

3.  Finally, if time left, I'd look at canon faction refits.
So all my XYZ chassis are XYZ-D or K or S or whatever my favorite 3025 version is that isn't as common.
For Example........

Lights:
Locust-1E, Stinger-3G, Jenner-7F.

Mediums:
Hermes-II-2M, Vulcan-5T, PhoenixHawk-1D, Trebuchet-5J, Griffin-1S, Shadowhawk-2K, Wolverine-6M

Heavies:
Rifleman-3C, Crusader-3L(D), T-Bolt-5SE, Archer-2S, Whammer-6D, Marauder-3D

Assaults:
Banshee-3S, Charger-SB

[Drop Bear]

Actually come to think of it I'd doubt their would be enough components to fill a Cargo droper lying around, in this era Mech factories build 10's of mechs a year, with JiT (just in Time) stock management even with a 10% D&D (Damage & Defect) buffer there isn't going to be that much stuff lying around even if they have just taken delivery of a years worth of stock.

Unless your going to Re-Manufacturer your Mechs (something that will take longer than a week) a factory production line isn't the place to be doing your Tech work, but the Lances worth of Mech Bays out at the Proving Grounds attached to the factory on the other hand will have better facilities than 90%+ of Dropships, so wile my Techs are availing themselves of the use of Premium Mech Bays my Quartermasters will be looting the Stores 

[Freefall357]

A massive Paintball game.