A few non-canon cannons

[Suralin]

I was working on my IS Protomech rules, and in doing so I came up with a few non-canon weapons suitable for use by Protos and BattleMechs. They're roughly in line with existing stuff (at least I hope so), but input is quite welcome. I especially would like help balancing the Improved Rifles.

Note: The range number in (parentheses) is the extreme range bracket, for those of you who play with that experimental rule.

Edit: I'm adding a bunch of Addenda from the point of view of the 3140s to my various entries, where applicable or needed.

READ THE WHOLE THREAD. I'm posting more new weapons and equipment as time goes on.[/b]


IS Micro Laser

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Laser)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3065 S7, never put into full production

Heat: 0
Damage: 1
Range: x/0/0/1(2)
Underwater: x/0/0/0(1)
Tons: 0.25
Mass (BA): 100kg (30 shots, 0.1kg/shot)
Crits: 1
BA Space: 1
Cost (unl): 6,900
BV: 5
Desc:
   Producing Micro Lasers for use by Battle Armor and the new IS ProtoMechs, while easily accomplished from a technical standpoint, has been deemed a waste of time for several decades, as the weapon lacks any range to speak of and does almost no damage. It does have the advantage of outputting almost no heat; given its drawbacks, however, the standard Micro Laser has (quite understandably) never caught on.

Addendum: Due to its incredibly lackluster performance, the Micro Laser would have been all but forgotten outside of mining enthusiasts and a handful of military buffs. That said, Micro Lasers did occasionally show up on combat-modified MiningMechs in the years immediately following the Blackout.



IS ER Micro Laser

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Laser)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3088 CC

Heat: 1
Damage: Varies by range
  2/1/1(1)
Range: x/1/2/3(4)
Underwater: x/0/1/2(3)
Tons: 0.25
Mass (BA): 175kg (20 shots, 0.2kg/shot)
Crits: 1
BA Space: 1
Cost (unl): 8,700
BV: 6
Desc:
   The extended-range Micro Laser is a bit more useful than its little-known standard counterpart, packing a slightly more powerful punch and reaching out to the same range as the standard Small Laser. It is very much a niche weapon for users of ProtoMechs and Battle Armor, but it fills this niche well.

Addendum: Confederation forces tend to use the ER Micro Laser primarily on their Battle Armor and ProtoMech forces these days; it's rare to need such point-blank knife-fighting weapons on a 'Mech or vehicle when an ER Small would do just as well or better. Nonetheless, a recent variant of the Ti Tsang and several tanks make use of the ER Micro in lieu of its Clan equivalent. The Capellans will probably be able to mass-produce Clan-grade lasers within the decade, which would relegate the IS-grade ER Micro to the ash heap of history.



IS Micro Pulse Laser

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Laser)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3088 MOC

Heat: 1
Damage: 2
* + 2d6 dmg vs inf
Range: x/0/1/2(3)
Underwater: x/0/0/1(2)
Other: -2 bonus to hit
Tons: 0.5
Mass (BA): 225kg (25 shots, 0.25kg/shot)
Crits: 1
BA Space: 1
Cost (unl): 11,800
BV: 11
Desc:
   While it lacks any appreciable range, the IS's take on the Micro Pulse Laser does at least have the advantage of increased accuracy over the standard Small Laser. Otherwise there would be little point in manufacturing it at all. It is mostly used as an anti-infantry weapon, or by battle armor.

Addendum: As a useful anti-infantry weapon, the Micro Pulse Laser has spread throughout the Inner Sphere and nearby Periphery. That said, it's largely been supplanted by its Clan-grade equivalent, thanks to Sea Fox traders; only the Ronin plant on Wallis and a Magistracy factory on Canopus still produce the IS Micro Pulse Laser.


Light Plasma Rifle

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire, Heat-Inducing, Anti-Infantry)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3091 CC/MOC

Heat: 5
Damage: 5 + 1d6 heat
* + 1d6 dmg vs BA
* + 2d6 dmg vs inf
Range: x/5/10/15(20)
Tons: 3
Crits: 2
Ammo/ton: 20
Cost (unl): 160,000
Ammo cost: 10,000
BV: 105
Ammo BV: 26
Desc:
   Capellan and Canopian researchers have been looking for a way to bolster their garrisons' firepower. With the development of ProtoMechs using Inner Sphere technology, the decision was made to produce an intermediate size of Plasma Rifle in between the standard BattleMech-scaled version and the Man-Portable unit. The Light Plasma Rifle is well-suited for use by light BattleMechs and the new Capellan-produced ProtoMechs alike.

Addendum: The Light Plasma Rifle is one of the few new weapons of the peacetime decades to have really stuck; CeresArms LPR's have made it onto 'Mechs, 'Vees, Aerospace fighters, VTOLs, and even ProtoMechs of all sizes throughout the Confederation. While the Clan Plasma Cannon is still superior in several respects, its inability to penetrate 'Mech-grade armor makes it a utility weapon at best, rather than an all-purpose military tool like the Capellan weapon.



Improved Rifled Cannons

Code: [Select]

Type: Ballistic
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3087 FvC

Light Medium Heavy

Heat: 2 4 6
Damage: 3 6 9
Range: x/4/8/12(16) x/5/10/15(20) x/6/12/18(24)
Other: +1 to-hit penalty for all Improved Rifles
-1/2/3 damage vs. Hardened, Ferro-Lamellor, Ballistic-Reinforced
(subtracted before further damage reduction)
Tons: 3 5.5 9
Crits: 2 4 6
Ammo/ton: 18 9 6
Cost (unl): 58,500 95,600 134,000
Ammo cost: 1,600 2,000 6,000
BV: 35 69 115

Ammo BV: 4 (HEAP) 9 (HEAP) 15 (HEAP)
5 (Cluster) 12 (Cluster) 20 (Cluster)
5 (Sabot) 11 (Sabot) 19 (Sabot)
4 (Paint) 8 (Paint) 14 (Paint)

Ammo effects:
- High-Explosive Armor Penetrating
Direct damage, exploding on impact. +1 damage versus BA and
anything with armor BAR 8 or below, +1d6 damage versus infantry.
- Cluster Shot
Works like an LBX autocannon (3/6/9, depending on the size of the
cannon). The to-hit penalty is negated, and roll on the Cluster table.
- Sabot
Poor man's armor-piercing ammo. Gains a +1 penalty to hit, but has a
chance to cause a critical hit. (On the Critical Hit Table, roll once.
-3 modifier for Heavy Rifle, -4 for Medium and Light.) However, Sabot
ammo is heavier and denser, resulting in only getting half as many
shots per ton of ammo.
- Paint
Does no damage. However, Paint rounds *do* cover a target in paint,
which negates some of the benefits of any stealthing system said
target may have engaged (reduces to-hit penalty on stealthed targets
by 1). In addition, if the Paint round strikes the enemy's Head, roll
1d6. On a 4 or 5, the enemy pilot gets a +1 penalty to their attack
and piloting rolls for two rounds. On a 6, the penalty is +2.
Desc:
   Lacking the ability to produce proper autocannons in quantity, techs from the Filtvelt Coalition reworked the ancient Rifled Cannons to be more effective against modern armor, at the cost of weight, bulk, and increased heat. These inventive techs have also come up with a handful of munition types for their cannons. While still inferior to standard autocannons, these Improved Rifles are at least marginally useful on the modern battlefield, despite recoil problems which negatively impact the cannons' accuracy.

Addendum: It was found that the Improved Rifles fared poorly against some of the newer armor types seen on the battlefield, especially the new Ballistic-Reinforced armor seen among front-line Kurita formations. Ever since the 3110s, the Coalition has been de-emphasizing the Improved Rifles in favor of standard autocannons. It seems that the Improved Rifled Cannon was a good idea that came several hundred years too late to make a real difference on the battlefield. Nonetheless, other Periphery powers -- including, to the Filtvelters' chagrin, Tortuga-based pirates -- have been making use of Improved Rifles from time to time, due to their ease of manufacture.


Small Gauss

Code: [Select]

Type: Ballistic
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3092 RoS

Heat: 1
Damage: 4
Range: 4/7/14/21(28)
Other: Treat a critical hit against a Small Gauss as a 8-point ammo
explosion in the location containing the weapon.
Tons: 6
Crits: 4
Ammo/ton: 32
Cost (unl): 160,000
Ammo cost: 10,000
BV: 74
Ammo BV: 8

Desc:
   The Small Gauss Rifle was produced, more or less, on a lark, to see if either the Light Gauss could be scaled down, or the Magshot could be scaled up, to produce a viable production weapon. All in all, the result is actually a decent lightweight sniping weapon, without the characteristic weight of full-fledged Gauss Rifles. The problem, of course, is that the Small Gauss does very little damage overall, given the oversized capacitors that must power the weapon.

Addendum: The RAF and CCAF both discontinued production of the Small Gauss after the Battle of Liao in 3113, where some defective cannons from the Zeus factory on Stewart had catastrophic capacitor failures when hit by PPC fire. This ruined the Small Gauss' already shaky reputation. Imperator still produces the Small Gauss on Atreus, and some units in the reborn FWL make use of it in place of a light autocannon, but it remains unpopular.



Edit: I decided to give the Improved Rifles a bit of an accuracy penalty, from the recoil, so the IHR wouldn't compare quite so favorably against the LBX-10.

[Suralin]

So... does anyone have suggestions? Are these reasonably balanced?

[Cowdragon]

They look really fair actually! Oh how I wish there really were Inner Sphere Micro Pulse Lasers! SEXY little weapons that they are. Well done my friend. Well done! :)

[elizibar]

The improved rifles appeal to the "make do with what you can get" part of me.

[Suralin]

Thanks :)

I have another weapon to add. Or rather, three:

IS Chemical Lasers

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Energy)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3092

Small Medium Large

Heat: 1 2 6
Damage: 3 5 8
Range: x/1/2/3(4) x/3/6/9(12) x/5/10/15(20)
Other: Does not require Power Amp./Heat Sinks
Tons: 0.5 1 5
Crits: 1 1 2
Ammo/ton: 40 20 10
Cost (unl): 10,000 30,000 75,000
Ammo cost: 30,000 30,000 30,000
BV: 6 35 96
Ammo BV: 1 5 12

Desc:
   Though scientists and techs from Clan Hell's Horses had brought the Chemical Lasers back from being an obscure footnote in the early 3060s, few military planners in the Inner Sphere thought such an archaic weapon system had any real merit. Lyran traders acquired the blueprints for the weapons from Diamond Shark traders towards the end of the Jihad, and promptly forgot all about them until a decade later.
   Two groups approached the Lyrans in 3092 expressing interest in the lasers: the Regulan Fiefs, who have been fielding whatever random hodge-podge military units they can throw together; and the Republic of the Sphere, who wanted weapons to better outfit the ProtoMechs they had reverse-engineered from the Capellans. (Industrial espionage from Ceres Metal Works resulted in the CCAF gaining the laser blueprints shortly afterwards.)
   Unfortunately, given the general destruction caused by the Jihad, manufacturers in the Inner Sphere have not been able to replicate the quality control boasted by the Horses. As a result, the IS Chemical Lasers were forced to accept physically larger and heavier "chemical shells" with less gas pressure, for safety reasons. This has cut down greatly on hazardous leaks of toxic chlorine gas and explosive hydrazoic acid, but has also increased the rate at which the lasers deplete their ammunition.

Addendum: Clan-grade chemical lasers have by now almost completely supplanted the IS-grade models. The reborn Free Worlds League and other states nearby, especially the Regulans and Marians, still make do with IS-grade chemical lasers. The Wolves also captured a number when they invaded and sometimes hand them off to solahma or garrison troops. It's fairly simple to add spacers to the smaller Clan-made ammo to use it with the older IS-grade lasers, but the reverse can't be said of the larger, inferior IS-made ammo, which the Clan lasers can't accept.


I did a bit of research. Chlorine gas (Cl₂) and hydrazoic acid (HN₃) are used in modern-day chemical lasers, and are hazardous enough to cause the ammo explosions seen in BT. Balance-wise, these are identical to Clan ChemLasers, but with fewer shots per ton of ammo. And 1/2/3 less BV on account of that.

I pretty much wanted these so my IS ProtoMechs could come up with some appreciable firepower.

[Suralin]

Time for some more guns! Several of these will look familiar to people who've played the Mektek mods, and the Heavy ACs are based on something I saw on Sarna (but which has been removed).


Heavy Plasma Rifle

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire, Heat-Inducing, Anti-Infantry)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3094 LC

Heat: 15
Damage: 15 + 2d6 heat
* + 2d6 dmg vs BA
* + 4d6 dmg vs inf
Range: x/5/10/15(20)
Tons: 10
Crits: 5
Ammo/ton: 5
Cost (unl): 420,000
Ammo cost: 10,000
BV: 440
Ammo BV: 26

Desc:
   The Lyrans' general reaction when they first began using the Plasma Rifle was "This is useful, but it could be bigger." To absolutely no one's surprise, Lyran military research and Defiance Industries began working on a way to scale up the weapon.
   By 3094 the Heavy Plasma Rifle reached limited production. Though few production designs have mounted this weapon as yet, the LCAF is quite appreciative of a weapon with such a high damage profile, even if it does have problems with heat and ammunition dependence.

Addendum: The Heavy Plasma Rifle was rather quickly reverse-engineered, and could in theory be produced by any House if they wished to do so. In practice, however, only the Capellans and Lyrans make use of it in anything more than a token fashion.


Assault Laser

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3072 CF/WoB

Heat: 20
Damage: 22/19/16
Range: x/2/4/6(8)
Other: Explodes for 20 damage if critted, or if a 2 is rolled to-hit. +1 to-hit penalty.
Tons: 8
Crits: 4
Cost: 254,000
BV: 331

Desc:
   The Circinus Federation, trying to live up to their end of their alliance with the Word of Blake, threw some of their ill-gotten money and stolen technology towards the design and production of a new weapon. Working from knowledge garnered from the Lyran Bombast Laser, the Circinian techs added capacitors (often Gauss Rifle spares) to a Large Laser that had been modified to accept the increased power load. The thinking was that it would produce what amounted to a miniature Sub-Capital Laser on the cheap, giving something as small as a Hunchback or Clint the firepower to burn holes through an assault 'Mech.
   Unfortunately, the results didn't live up to the theory.
   While the damage potential of the horrifying jerry-rigged weapon is immense, it has the same heat and blooming problems as the Clans' Heavy Lasers, making it useless outside of short-range knife fights. Furthermore, the weapon itself garnered a reputation as a death trap, as the capacitor array is quite volatile when fully charged. Occasionally an Assault Laser would explode simply when powering up to fire.
   The Blakists, for their part, never used the Assault Laser, finding it too risky to employ given their limited manpower. Few examples of the Assault Laser survived the Regulan nuclear attack on Circinus.

Addendum: Apart from a few unexpected showings in the Solaris gladiatorial circuit, the Assault Laser was simply too reckless a weapon to last. Republic R&D attempted to refine the idea a few years ago with our RISC project, but despite improvements it is still a highly unstable weapon.


Clan Linked-Capacitor PPC

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire, Rapid-Fire)
Tech Base: Clan
Available: 3069 CWX/AMC

Heat: 13
Damage: 11
Range: x/6/12/18(24)
Other: Explodes for 20 damage if critted. May fire twice per turn, as if it were an Ultra AC.
Tons: 8
Crits: 4
Cost: 254,000
BV: 301

Desc:
   The destruction of Outreach and the arrival of the surviving Dragoons on Arc-Royal threw the Allied Mercenary Command into chaos. It also produced a host of unusual and unorthodox weapon designs, only a few of which were workable. One such was the Linked-Capacitor PPC.
   The Linked PPC is based around a Clan ER-PPC, available from the Wolves-in-Exile. Unlike the usual Capacitor PPC, which increases the power of the existing particle blast, the Linked PPC actually *decreases* the power per shot in order to save enough power in the added capacitors for a second blast. This earned it the nickname of "Ultra PPC".
   Unfortunately, the use of volatile capacitors makes the Linked PPC a hazard to anyone who uses it, as a hit on the weapon can cause a sizable explosion, as well as severe feedback to the pilot. Furthermore, the Linked PPC's reduced power per-shot also reduces its effective range to that of a standard Inner Sphere model. As many of the mercenaries (and nearly all of the Clanners) saw this as a waste of valuable Clan tech, the Linked PPC never caught on.



Clan Plasma Hellbore

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire, Heat-Inducing, Anti-Infantry)
Tech Base: Clan
Available: 3095 CJF

Heat: 25
Damage: 25/20/15 (10pt clusters) + 4d6/3d6/2d6 heat
* + 3d6/2d6/1d6 dmg vs BA
* + 6d6/4d6/2d6 dmg vs inf
Range: x/5/10/15(20)
Other: Explodes for 20 damage if critted. On a to-hit roll of 2,
the firing 'Mech's engine takes a critical hit. May not be used
on a Mech with a Supercharger.
Tons: 13
Crits: 7
Cost (unl): 480,000
BV: 356

Desc:
   The Jade Falcons, of all people, have come up with a new and terrifying offensive weapon. The Plasma Hellbore (or "lava gun" as it is sometimes erroneously called) overcharges the Mech's engine, siphons some of the ultra-hot plasma into the gun, contains it within a powerful magnetic field, and then flings it at an opponent in the same way a Gauss Rifle flings shells. In fact, the Hellbore itself was produced based on a heavily modified Clan Gauss Rifle.
   That said, the Hellbore has also inherited the Gauss Rifle's problems of high weight and bulk, along with the potential for the weapon to explode if damaged. In addition, the magnetic field containing the plasma doesn't last long, and the impressive damage of the weapon drops precipitously as it reaches longer ranges. Possibly worst of all, overcharging the engine is a very risky and potentially damaging maneuver, as anyone who has fitted a Supercharger on their 'Mech can attest.
   For both practical and traditional reasons, the Hellbore has never gained popularity among the staunchly conservative Falcons. The Ghost Bears and Hell's Horses occasionally make use of the Hellbore, but it is rare even among them.

Addendum: This weapon was actually seen as early as the Jihad, but never entered full production until the 3090s. It has since been phased out as a dangerous waste of resources, as it fits none of the Clans' preferred combat styles.



Clan Heavy ACs

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Ballistic)
Tech Base: Clan
Available: 3092 CGB

cHAC-3 cHAC-8 cHAC-15 cHAC-30

Heat: 1 1 3 7
Damage: 2 5 10 20
Range: 4/8/16/24(32) 3/6/12/18(24) x/5/10/15(20) x/3/6/9(12)
Other: Heavy ACs are automatically Armored Components: they can absorb
one critical hit and still function.
Heavy ACs get a -1 bonus to targeting when using non-Heavy ammo, due to better recoil
absorption. This bonus stacks with other bonuses, such as AES or a Targeting Computer.
Tons: 6 8 12 14
Crits: 2 5 8 11
Proto Space: 1 1 x x
Ammo/ton: 45 20 10 5
Cost (unl): 75,000 125,000 200,000 300,000
Ammo cost: 1,000 4,500 6,000 10,000
BV: 47 90 163 258
Ammo BV: 5 9 15 22

Ammo effects:
- Heavy AC Ammo
Does 50% more damage than the equivalent shot from a standard AC, rounded up (3,
8, 15, and 30, respectively), and also generates more heat (1, 2, 5, and 10
respectively). Heavy AC ammo has a chance to jam, like an Ultra AC; but if it
does, the jam can be cleared just like a Rotary AC. Heavy AC ammo is more
sensitive to high heat (follow Inferno ammo rules for ammo explosions).
- Standard AC Ammo
- Armor-Piercing AC Ammo
- Flak AC Ammo
- Precision AC Ammo
- Tracer AC Ammo
        - Caseless AC Ammo
All these are identical to their IS versions -- in fact, they *are* their IS versions.

Desc:
   The incredible logistical problems the Clans faced when invading the Blake Protectorate were only overcome with great difficulty, as well as quite a few commandeered JumpShips. These lessons were not lost on the Ghost Bears. As such, the Scientist-General directed the efforts of his caste towards solving these problems in the context of an offensive campaign.
   One outgrowth of all this was the development of the Heavy Autocannon series, which takes advantage of superior Clan metallurgy to build more robust versions of the ubiquitous, centuries-old Inner Sphere autocannons. The cannons are very difficult to damage or destroy, acting almost as extra armor protection. Additionally, they can accept all the standard AC's ammunition types -- a must when dealing with potential long-range campaigns deep into hostile territory.
   These autocannons have seen use in the current war between the Bears and the Draconis Combine. Several common Ghost Bear designs, such as the Ryoken II and the Gladiator, have been sighted on deep-strike missions using these weapons. We have also heard rumors of the guns being traded to the Snow Ravens, who doubtless will have many opportunities to make use of captured ammo from Davion stores.

Addendum: Clan Heavy ACs have spread to a number of places where standard autocannons still find use, and can often be retrofitted in their place, even on older machines. That said, the Dominion's forces never really took to these weapons, but did make a very lucrative trade with the Hell's Horses for the technology. Post-Blackout, Heavy ACs are a lot more common in Inner Sphere forces than among the Clans themselves, but few designs use them for anything more than refits of standard ACs of equivalent size.

[Cowdragon]

I like the heavy AC's a lot! How does the extra armor aspect of it work? Curious :)

[Red Pins]

...I think the ranges on the L-PC and a couple others are a little high.  Shell size/propellent/range - that way lies madness.

I like the concept of your (LC)PPCs - what other information do you have for them?

[Lazarus Jaguar]

I like the concept of the HAC, but it seems that you're giving them too much for not much cost.  Yes, they weigh more than other Clan ACs, but making them armored, with more damage and longer range is a bit much.  Pare down one of those (like, making them fire at closer to standard AC range) and it'll feel better in my mind.

[Suralin]

...I think the ranges on the L-PC and a couple others are a little high.  Shell size/propellent/range - that way lies madness.

At the risk of resurrecting an old meme, possibly also Sparta.

It's the same range as the standard Plasma Rifle, though, same as the AC10 and Large Laser. For a 5-damage weapon it's not that great, the Light PPC outranges it and doesn't need ammo.

I like the concept of your (LC)PPCs - what other information do you have for them?

Well, the idea originates from the Mektek mod, where two capacitors are linked to a Clan Light PPC -- one to pump up the power, the other to speed the recharge cycle.

Thing is, there isn't a Clan Light PPC in Battletech, and I can't see the more hidebound Clans bothering with experimental guns that could blow up in their faces. Surviving mercenaries would certainly give it a shot, though.

I downgraded the damage a bit so it's not an instant head-capper anymore, btw. Seemed a bit overly-powerful once I thought about it.

I like the concept of the HAC, but it seems that you're giving them too much for not much cost.  Yes, they weigh more than other Clan ACs, but making them armored, with more damage and longer range is a bit much.  Pare down one of those (like, making them fire at closer to standard AC range) and it'll feel better in my mind.

The HACs have the same weight and the same range as standard IS ACs, and are thus outranged by Clan Ultras and LBXs. (The last number in my guns' range brackets is the *extreme* range, not long.)

I like the heavy AC's a lot! How does the extra armor aspect of it work? Curious :)

Thanks for the compliment! I figured the armored guns would work the same as Armored Components from TacOps. Just, it's automatic for HACs, rather than devoting extra tonnage. (Or alternatively, it *is* the extra tonnage -- the reason why HACs weigh the same as IS cannons, rather than being lighter like other Clan stuff.)

On that note, it seems said rules aren't what I thought they were. <_<

*edit edit*

[Lazarus Jaguar]

The HACs have the same weight and the same range as standard IS ACs, and are thus outranged by Clan Ultras and LBXs. (The last number in my guns' range brackets is the *extreme* range, not long.)

Oh, my bad.  OK, with that in mind they work then. Sorry


Btw, is this just for your own weapon designs?  Or can the rest of us post some too?

[Suralin]

Sure, you can post some here. Be warned, if I like 'em I might ask if I can use 'em. ;)

[Suralin]

Y'know, I'm considering saying that the Clan HACs would be able to mount Caseless ammo alongside the other types, because of a more robust ammo feed system the Clanners have access to.

It'd still be prone to destructive misfires, just like Caseless always is, but that's less of a problem since the HACs can absorb a hit and keep working.

Any thoughts?

[Red Pins]

...Caseless is really a function of propellent guns - it presumes a tight seal around the base of the shell to harness the expansion of the propellant.  I don't think it really fits in with what I know about the design of gauss rifles, and might damage the superconducting magnets that launch the round.  I feel certain it would foul the rifle in fairly short order, anyway.  Frankly, I don't think its appropriate.

If I might suggest something, how about taking a page from the development of the 'Silver Bullet' gauss rifle - fit the gauss rounds with proximity sensors and a small explosive charge to provide a similar effect to the LB-X round?  I came up with the idea over Christmas, and I'm going to include it in the 'Unique Technology' section of my AU project.  I just have some research to do into the weapon to determine spread, damage, and see if a few other ideas pan out.  Imagine, choosing between direct-fire slugs and a round that breaks into submunitions to scatter across the target hex (maybe more than one, maybe in a cone from the targeted hex?).  Talk about a fantastic anti-Infantry or -vehicle weapon...

[Suralin]

HACs, not HAGs. Scroll up on the page. (Sorry for the confusion.)

Maybe I should use a lowercase H to make it stand out a bit more. hAC's.

[elizibar]

HACs, not HAGs. Scroll up on the page. (Sorry for the confusion.)

Maybe I should use a lowercase H to make it stand out a bit more. hAC's.

AAC (armored autocannon)?

[Red Pins]

HACs, not HAGs. Scroll up on the page. (Sorry for the confusion.)

Maybe I should use a lowercase H to make it stand out a bit more. hAC's.

...Oh, duh.  My apologies, its been a while since I read your first post.  #P

[Suralin]

Binary Chemical Laser
aka "ChemBlazer"

Code: [Select]

Type: Direct Fire (Energy)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3093 LA/RF/OP

Heat: 12
Damage: 12
Range: x/5/10/15(20)
Other: Does not require Power Amp./Heat Sinks.
Tons: 9
Crits: 4
Ammo/ton: 5
Cost (unl): 170,000
Ammo cost: 30,000
BV: 205
Ammo BV: 12

Desc:
   It wasn't long before enterprising 'Techs combined the concept of the Binary Laser with that of ammo-fed Chemical lasers. The result is far more heat-efficient (and slightly cheaper) than the standard Binary Laser, as well as being a viable main gun for combustion-powered vehicles. However, this comes at the cost of requiring a robust ammo supply.

Addendum: Surprisingly, although the other Inner Sphere-made chemical lasers have been gradually phased out, the Binary ChemLaser has proliferated throughout the Houses and some Periphery states. It generally sees use as a main gun for vehicles, but is quite rare on 'Mechs. It is produced on Abiy Adi, Oriente, Regulus, Wallis, Furillo, Hesperus, Alphard, Victoria, New Avalon, and Styk.


Mech-Mounted Recoilless Rifles

Code: [Select]

Type: Ballistic
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Available: 3086 CC

Light Medium Heavy
Heat: 1 1 2
Damage: 2 3 4
+1d6/2 vs inf +1d6 vs inf +3d6/2 vs inf
+1 vs BA +1 vs BA +2 vs BA
Range: x/2/4/6(8) x/2/4/7(9) x/3/5/7(9)
Other: May not be used outside an oxygen-rich atmosphere.
Tons: 0.5 1 1.5
Crits: 2 2 3
Ammo/ton: 75 50 25
Cost (unl): 5,000 7,500 10,000
Ammo cost: 1,000 1,500 2,000
BV: 12 19 26
Ammo BV: 3 5 8
Desc:
   Scaling up the Battle-Armor-sized Recoilless Rifles for use on Mechs, Protos and heavy vehicles was, for the most part, relatively easy. For a very long time, though, few saw any point in doing so, given that machine guns were a much smaller and cheaper alternative. Besides, logistics were already strained without adding yet another type of ammunition to worry about.
   In recent years, however, the Capellan war machine has started producing a wide variety of guns full-tilt, including Mech-scale recoilless guns. These weapons first began production at Shengli Arms on Victoria; Davion spies copied the design, and production has since begun on several worlds in the Federated Suns, notably El Dorado and Robinson.
   Most other factions, including the Republic, are thoroughly disinterested in the bulky and archaic technology, but the Capellans seem to find it an acceptable ProtoMech weapon, while the Davions are already becoming fond of mounting arrays of Recoilless rifles on tanks, in many ways mimicing the Ontos' ancient progenitor (of the same name).

Addendum: While far from unheard of, Recoilless guns' short range and fragmenting damage has given them the feel of a specialty weapon, used mainly for city fighting against combined-arms forces. Plasma Rifles are more effective in general, particularly against heavily armored targets, but massed Recoilless batteries are still seen on occasion, mainly among FedSuns and Taurian units.

[elizibar]

Binary Chemical Laser
aka "ChemBlazer"

I'll take ten.

[Fear Factory]

I would actually like to see the Clans bite into Chemical Lasers a lot more.  Heavy chemical lasers and even pulse chemical lasers would be great.

Also, I do believe that ProtoMech autocannons can use specialty ammo because they are treated like standard autocannons.

[Lazarus Jaguar]

I would actually like to see the Clans bite into Chemical Lasers a lot more.  Heavy chemical lasers and even pulse chemical lasers would be great.

Also, I do believe that ProtoMech autocannons can use specialty ammo because they are treated like standard autocannons.

While maybe it could work for Heavy lasers, I don't see chemical lasers being able to fire 'pulses' in light of how they work (going by what I know of Real World chem lasers right now)

[Fear Factory]

I like heavy lasers a lot and I really like the idea of some kind of heavy chemical laser...  Instead of going for the more obvious conversion I would make some kind of weird bracket weapon to change it up a bit:

The Underground has given up on creating OmniMechs because of transport and production issues.  However, the Ultraheavy ProtoMech idea we gathered from the Society will work as a replacement.  We have found the tools to create Chemical Lasers, ProtoMech Autocannons (NOTE:  These actually use specialty ammo in Total Warfare), some Improved ATM's, various Machine Guns, Arrays, Vehicle Flamers, Rocket Launchers, Standard/Light TAG systems, Watchdog CEWS, etc.  Currently, we are looking into Improved Chemical Lasers but they are still in the experimental process.

Code: [Select]

Improved Chemical Lasers
                                                   Range
Type                             Heat     Damage  (S/M/L)   Tons   Crits   Ammo

Improved Small Chemical Laser    2        5        2/3/-    0.5    1       60
Improved Medium Chemical Laser   6        9        6/8/9    1.0    2       30
Improved Large Chemical Laser    17       14       9/13/15  5.0    3       10

+1 to hit mod

Bit of a preview for a Burrock handbook I was working on too... I've lost interest and stopped though.  Maybe you guys will get a kick out of the weapons I made here.

[Suralin]

Those seem a tiny bit OP with those numbers, IMO -- the short range brackets are a bit too good on the medium and large, even with the +1 penalty to hit. (Small seems ok tho.) Maybe change it to 5/7/9 and 7/11/15 respectively.

In addition, from a fluff perspective, it might be worth making these weapons more "ammo" intensive (perhaps 30/15/5). Because, Clantech or not, I'm pretty skeptical that these could gain that huge of a boost in damage output from the exact same amount of chemical fuel. And from a gameplay perspective, these are light enough weapons that the increased ammo weight shouldn't be a real problem for anything bigger than a Proto.

Otherwise I like the idea a lot. :)

I'll take ten.

Community Chest
BANK ERROR IN YOUR FAVOR
            ^{^SHIPPING}
COLLECT $200 _ChemBlazers

[Fear Factory]

It's supposed to be half ammo.  My bad.

[Suralin]

I can't be the first person to have come up with this one.

Clan Light Engine

Introduced: 3095 CW
Rules: Exactly the same as the IS Light Engine, except it uses the Clan tech base and is only 8 criticals (1 per side torso) rather than 10.

Desc:
   In dire need of materiel since being cut off from the Clan Homeworlds, the Crusader Wolves have had to economize on their production of fusion engines. Extra-light engines have become too expensive for the Wolves to use as often as before, but the Standard engine is too heavy to mount all the weaponry most Clan warriors desire.
   The obvious compromise solution was the Inner Sphere's Light engine. Refining this technology with Clan know-how, the Wolves created a Clan version of the Light Engine. They have begun to build a number of their standard BattleMech designs (such as the Lobo, Tundra Wolf, and Blood Reaper) with this new engine to save on costs, while reserving XL engines primarily for their OmniMech forces.
   The Hell's Horses won this technology in a Trial of Possession about 2 years ago. As of this writing, Republic Intel is not aware of the Horses making use of Light Engines yet, with the exception of experimental designs, presumably to determine its feasibility. The Sharks have also recently acquired this technology, presumably so they have a wider array of Mechs and vehicles for export to Spheroid customers.

Addendum: Due to the Clans' already-strained logistics, none of them saw fit to devote many resources to another class of engine, even in the name of greater resource efficiency. Generally the Clan-grade Light Engine is seen on experimental versions of combat vehicles, in cases where the more valuable XL reactors need to be reserved for 'Mech formations. The Hell's Horses are the most common users of this engine type, but given its rarity overall that's not saying very much.



Railgun

This is meant to be the weapon seen in the expansion to MechCommander, and the Mektek packs.

Code: [Select]

Type: Ballistic
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Available: 2776 IS (buried 2786), reintroduced 3059

Heat: 10
Damage: 52
Range: 4/7/14/21(28)
Other: Treat a critical hit against a Railgun as a 50-point ammo
explosion in the location containing the weapon. Each time
the Railgun is fired by a Mech, the pilot must roll a Piloting
Skill Roll at a +4 or fall prone.
(For super-heavy Mechs, the PSR is only a +2.)
A Railgun cannot be mounted in a turret location.
Tons: 28
Crits: 18
Ammo/ton: 2
Cost (unl): 2,500,000
Ammo cost: 20,000
BV: 675
Ammo BV: 55

Desc:
   (Note: The following is from a ComStar report, dated March 7, 3062. I have appended my own thoughts to this entry. -- AG, 7/9/94)
   I apologize for my tardiness in writing this report. The upheaval from our Blessed Order's exile from Terra, combined with the higher priority of covering the Combine-Ghost Bear conflict, has delayed my analysis of this technology significantly, especially as I now have no working examples to actually study anymore. However, working from old data, I have managed to compile this report.
   The Railgun was a horrendously oversized Gauss Rifle intended to be used on "Amaris' Folly". The abject failure of the project meant that these weapons were haphazardly mounted on a handful of vehicles as a last-ditch defense against Kerensky's SLDF regulars. The recoil of these ginormous cannons was such that they were invariably torn off their jerry-rigged mountings upon firing. (Probably why the SLDF managed to salvage most of them in working condition.)
   During the SLDF's exit from the Inner Sphere, the order was given to dump a number of heavier, less immediately-useful items on the planet Cermak, including a handful of nuclear warheads, so as to free up room for more useful supplies. (Morons. Why leave a bunch of your most powerful weapons where the Houses or some errant pirates could find them? I suppose Kerensky figured it was better than leaving them on Terra, but it was still one hell of a short-sighted decision in hindsight.)
   Some of these vaults were later unearthed by Marcus Kotare and his renegade group of Smoke Jaguars, as well as by the Davion Guards battalions sent to stop him. Thankfully, the Davions informed us of the cache of WMDs, and our Holy Order has since disposed of them. (Yeah, right. I bet a million C-Bills that at least half those nukes got squirreled away by Blakist ROM agents. Damn sloppy Robes.)
   A handful of these Railguns were put back into use by both Jaguar and FedCom forces. However, 'Techs soon found that the weapons had severe problems with barrel wear, and were only good for about 100 shots before needing replacement. In addition, the recoil made these weapons incredibly impractical to mount on a BattleMech, as only the best or luckiest pilots could stay upright after firing. (The Wobblies apparently toyed with sticking a couple of these on their Omega Super-Heavies, but it looks like they ran into the same problems.)
   As a result, despite the Railgun's incredible potential for damage, I must recommend to the Precentor-General that our scientists pursue other projects, rather than trying to resurrect Stefan Amaris' failed ones. A detailed analysis is appended.
   (Can't argue with that, at least. The Railgun's too damn unwieldy to stick on anything smaller than a dropship, and even then it'd probably tear itself off the turret mount. Maybe the Lyrans or Sharks might want to trade something for this, but I think even they wouldn't want something this ridiculous. File it in the trash bin and forget about it.)

Addendum: Though the Lyrans did make an attempt at building and using these absurdly oversized cannons, the previous commentator was right in her prediction that the Railgun is simply too impractical for most field use. It has seen use on a few specially-modified Dropships, but the barrel wear and consequent need for replacement makes the Railgun impractical even there.

[Red Pins]

I can't be the first person to have come up with this one.

...Hmm.  I like the idea, but people are going to flat-out HOWL at the idea of Clan Mechs getting cheaper.  Frankly, though, this is a marvelous idea - I could really see the Sharks coming up with this one.  The whole thing follows the same principle as the Clan RAC and Plasma Gun; take their technology and modify and improve it, then sell it to the other Clans.  Well done, Suralin.  I'd steal this, but I might have playtesters soon and really need to drive a stake into the heart of the 'Unique Technology' segment of my AU project.

[Fear Factory]

What I would do is have it take up the 2 extra slots in the center torso.  You'll have durability of the standard but you lose the ability to mount some of the ultra-compact Clan weapons that we put there so often.

[Suralin]

I'd thought of that. I'd also thought of making it 2 crits per side torso, and only 4 engine crits in the CT. I decided against it tho, since 1/6/1 seemed more consistent with existing engine types (Compact aside).

[Urban Kufahl]

for the "multiple" fire PPC (your LC-PPC) i was working with a different approach based on a old report from Livermore Lab (1998)  >:D

Just a pic of the 20th century concept :

[Urban Kufahl]

BTL data's  :D

Code: [Select]

Type: Energy (Direct-Fire, Rapid-Fire)
Tech Base: Clan
Available: 3076 CCY

Heat: 3/turn + 4/shot
Damage: 5/shot
Range: 0/4/8/12(16)
Other: Explodes for 5 damage if critted. May fire twice per turn, as if it were an Ultra AC.
Ammo:             40/ton (AP gauss Ammo)
Tons: 8
Crits: 4
Cost: 275,000
BV: ?