MotW: Enforcer/Enforcer III

[Hellraiser]

It’s funny to me that nowadays DHS is such a basic, obvious, universal upgrade when moving from L1 to L2 tech, but in-universe and out it seems to have been often neglected by the folks first using the Helm Core.  The 3050 Panther, Atlas, Enforcer, and I’m sure others would be so much better with the simple swap to DHS that any of us would make in our sleep.


As for a hypothetical Enforcer II, it’s probably better to take speculation to the design boards.

I posted something a day or 2 ago.

As for DHS, its so much worse that just those 3.
Remember, several mechs that now have DHS were only retconned to have them.

IIRC the following had SHS in the original TRO3050 & were later retconned to be DHS.

Clint-2-3U
BlackJack-2
PhoenixHawk-3M
Scorpion ERPPC Refit.


That said, as you mentioned, you have a bunch of designs that never got the DHS retcon.  Or got them via later variants.

Off the top of my head......

Spider,  Jenner,  Panther
Enforcer,  Centurion,  Wolverine-7D
Catapult,  Jaggermech,  Grasshopper,  Guillotine
Hatamoto,  Victor,  Stalker-S,  Cyclops,  Atlas

[BrianDavion]

Panther explcitly doesn't and instead got a pair of new vairents to address it.

[JadeHellbringer]

Re: Watchman... so the Watchman is indeed based on the Enforcer at its core (as is its later mutation, the Sentry, by association). I actually gave some brief consideration to adding them into this, but both are so different that they really deserve their own articles instead (and may have them, I haven't looked to be honest). The Enforcer III was one thing, but folding ALL of that in here was going to be a bit much.

Briefly, it's not surprising though that when the FedCom needed a guard unit to keep places like rear areas, industrial sites, etc. safe, they turned to a proven and familiar chassis like this. The result is honestly exactly what you'd want out of a militia/low-tier guard unit for the era. Simple, low-tech and thus low-cost, effective at its job thanks to simple energy weapons and handy MGs (the Urbanmech could have taken some notes here)... and again, using the Enforcer as a base means likely a streamlined parts tree for the logistics department. Wise move.

We'll put a pin in that for now and give it a look eventually, of course.

[BrianDavion]

I think including the watchman and sentry would be a mistake, because lots of mechs are fluffed using a chassis of other mechs.

[glitterboy2098]

I think including the watchman and sentry would be a mistake, because lots of mechs are fluffed using a chassis of other mechs.

yep. and sometimes they look so different you have to wonder if that was a typo.

[Hellraiser]

I think including the watchman and sentry would be a mistake, because lots of mechs are fluffed using a chassis of other mechs.

Agreed, that said, the Watchman/Sentry could be combined into their own combo article.

Basically the same mech/concept. 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

In the original Enforcer III fluff, it talks about how a lot of -5D pilots resented the change: like JHB, they really liked the LBX-10, and found the Ultra to be a difficult weapon to get used to.  They don’t seem to have cared about the heat at all.


It’s funny to me that nowadays DHS is such a basic, obvious, universal upgrade when moving from L1 to L2 tech, but in-universe and out it seems to have been often neglected by the folks first using the Helm Core.  The 3050 Panther, Atlas, Enforcer, and I’m sure others would be so much better with the simple swap to DHS that any of us would make in our sleep.

In-universe, the explanation is that everybody had a serious supply crunch when it came to DHS so some mechs got left out: the Combine in particular was apparently reserving its stock of DHS for its ASF fleet (which becomes quite silly when you see that they were just doing straight swaps in fighters that were already quite heat efficient, like the Shilone, leaving them absurdly over-sinked).

It does leave you wondering why there was no mini-upgrades in the mid 3050s when supplies were straightened out.

[Hellraiser]

It does leave you wondering why there was no mini-upgrades in the mid 3050s when supplies were straightened out.

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out why it took till 3074 to come up with the 10K2?

13 years to finally put DHS on the 10K.   (And in the process replace the Artemis with a 2nd SRM4)

Like, how is that not done prior to Operation Bulldog?

[glitterboy2098]

Possibly it was, but a combination of bureaucratic inertia and focus on creating new official production (either all new mechs or new fancy production variants) meant that it wasn't codified as an official variant (just as a succession of custom alterations), nor were such changes done in any organized official fashion.

But during the jihad, with factry production so limited, refits to better optimize existing mechs became a bigger priority

[BrianDavion]

because before that refit the dracs just pulled the ER PPC off in favor of a standard PPC


Edit: I think we need a Panther MOTW people keep wanting to talk about it :)

[JadeHellbringer]

yep. and sometimes they look so different you have to wonder if that was a typo.

Hello, Falconer! (An Orion chassis, you say?)

Regardless, I can assure you that next week's Mech isn't based on any other Mech. At all. In fact, it was a whole new concept, let alone a new design... 

[The Eagle]

It’s funny to me that nowadays DHS is such a basic, obvious, universal upgrade when moving from L1 to L2 tech, but in-universe and out it seems to have been often neglected by the folks first using the Helm Core.  The 3050 Panther, Atlas, Enforcer, and I’m sure others would be so much better with the simple swap to DHS that any of us would make in our sleep.

The Mariks were hoarding all the DHS to put them in the Hermes II.  Because that UAC5/ML/flamer combo with no jump jets definitely needed a sink capacity of 20. 

[glitterboy2098]

Hello, Falconer! (An Orion chassis, you say?)

Regardless, I can assure you that next week's Mech isn't based on any other Mech. At all. In fact, it was a whole new concept, let alone a new design... 

and from the same book, the very humanoid Bandersnatch being based off a marauder chassis. has made me suspect that somewhere along the line the art and fluff got a little muddled between the two during TRo development.

[SteelRaven]

It's called the writers, artists and editors barley talking to one another.

[Luciora]

I like the look of the Enforcer, not too much of a fan of the Enfield's look.  It's very awkward.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Yeah, it suffers from the 3058 art issue.

[Hazard Pay]

I love the Enforcer and Warden (the latter especially, it has such RGM-79 feel/flavor as a "good guy mook") but the Enfield just does nothing for me.

[NUT-BUSTING TORQUE]

I actually like the look of the -7D and I wish Shimmy and FD had altered the art slightly more to give it more of a "dynamic" appearance, like the new model and designation is because they have now +300 years of 'mech design to look back on for a full rebuild. Make it akin to a total upgrade with the quirks to represent it.

Enforcers almost always do better in my games than Centurions; People don't think 4/6/4 is an upgrade from just 4/6 like it really is, and while jumping 5 is almost always a straight upgrade it allows Enforcers to protect their backs and reposition to cover like Centurions can't. Honestly the classic Enforcer is such a good design at it's core, that what really outmods it past 3100 is the proliferation of other weapons at the 5/10/15 range that'll play merry hell with it's single heat sinks rather than a lack of damage. To me, that's the real reason why there's no Enforcer II- the stock design was too solid and modifiable, and tons of groups tried their hands and modifications with varying success but no entry, eventually at it's core just being replaced by better. It's like the Chrysler K-car of battletech.

[Istal_Devalis]

I think the 7D is ugly as sin, but that swing arm gives it character.

[SteelRaven]

CGL version of the 7D is a improvement but the head throws me off for some reason. The mech has a solid load out otherwise.

[Hellraiser]

In the original Enforcer III fluff, it talks about how a lot of -5D pilots resented the change: like JHB, they really liked the LBX-10, and found the Ultra to be a difficult weapon to get used to.  They don’t seem to have cared about the heat at all.

What got me also is that it's a weapon that had only been invented 2 years earlier by a nation that had just invaded your realm at that time.

I mean, sure there is tech spread & all, but, I'm feeling like I would also stick w/ the proven design that is over a decade old recovered from the Helm Core & able to take out Vehicles/ASF more accurately.

The Ultra is something I'd probably "test" out on some Omni configurations & then if all goes well maybe find a place for it that isn't on the 2nd most common mech in my Military.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

TRO 3060 states that the Ultra 10 was imported from the FWL in some sort of attempt to improve public image of Prince Victor because of the invasion by the FWL two years earlier.  How that makes sense I'll never know.

[The Eagle]

He's a peacemaker, I guess?  "No hard feelings, I even buy guns from them."

[SteelRaven]

I mean, an enemy wouldn't be supplying you weapons *shrug*
edit:
This was also after VSD found out Thomas Marik was a Double himself and made sure to let Thomas know that he knew. This is very much a BTU version of awkwardly shaking hands in front of the camera.

[NUT-BUSTING TORQUE]

CGL version of the 7D is a improvement but the head throws me off for some reason. The mech has a solid load out otherwise.

Shoulda tossed the ammo up there, to take advantage of the ammo explosion chart. Use that last ton from dropping CASE II on something complementary.

[Firesprocket]

I rather enjoy playing the ENF-6NAIS.  While it doesn't have the raw power of either Gauss varient it offers a good firepower to deal with faster units that might attempt to run you line.  I don't think I've ever plugged into C3 network where its value would be maximized (and its BV bloat!) but the base BV cost at 1475 I've found is typically a great value.

The Compact MUSE is also damn fun to play.  Is it insanely bloated with tech, yes!  Are blazer cannons garbage in later timelines, absolutely.  Is it fun as a heck to decapitate your enemies or backstab them with this crappy weapon?  You know it is! Sad it really didn't end up leading to something later with a less tech bloated production model.

[SteelRaven]

The Compact MUSE is also damn fun to play.  Is it insanely bloated with tech, yes!  Are blazer cannons garbage in later timelines, absolutely.  Is it fun as a heck to decapitate your enemies or backstab them with this crappy weapon?  You know it is! Sad it really didn't end up leading to something later with a less tech bloated production model.

My head cannon has always been that the Blazer was use to to test the cooling capabilities. Though I always wonder if this was just a excuse to get new art for the Enforcer III considering every artist had depicted it a little different.   

[NUT-BUSTING TORQUE]

I vibe with Compact MUSE should have become a Blazer/RAC5 knife fighter, with most variants swapping the guns for either large X-pulses or plasma rifles.

How the fluff is supposed to be "Returning salvage to the battlefield" means a Clantech chassis, engine, armor, massive jump complement and those lasers, I don't think we'll ever know.

[Colt Ward]

Well during the FedCom Civil War they were buy Mad Cat Mk IIs in the Draconis March . . . plus all the Bulldog salvage getting wrecked.

[Hazard Pay]

I vibe with Compact MUSE should have become a Blazer/RAC5 knife fighter, with most variants swapping the guns for either large X-pulses or plasma rifles.

Blazer + RAC/5 is what Natasha Kerensky did with their EQUALIZER some time back.

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=79894.msg1894130#msg1894130

It's a surprisingly good combo.