From TRO:3075
Blood Spirit fans, this is your last article. We’ve already taken a look at the quicker Cecerops and the powerful Delphyne, two ProtoMechs that can adequately fill a scouting and assault role in the Spirit Touman. The Chrysaor completes this trinity by being a homegrown Spirit trooper - one mobile enough to keep up with most Spirit forces, sturdy enough to survive through some heavy combat, and well-armed enough to pose a decent threat to a variety of forces.
The Chrysaor was born of a collaboration between the Snow Raven and Blood Spirit Clans, something that had already been explored via the Cecerops project. Somewhat limited in terms of variants, only two different Chrysaor types exist - and both share a good number of common features. Their 6/9 movement is reminiscent of many other ProtoMechs (such as the Orc and Centaur), and allows them to keep up with many of the mediums and heavies available to both Clans.
The armor remains unchanged throughout as well. I do want to take a moment to touch upon it, especially because of the similarities between the Orc 1 and Chrysaor 1 (quad weapons spread throughout the chassis, same speed). The Chrysaor has certain very important advantages to it:
-While the Orc can handily survive the “10-point threshold” that made Elementals so famous, the Chrysaor can survive both the “dual 7-point threshold” (important when operating in Clan space) and the “15-point hit” - extremely useful against heavier designs.
-The legs, meanwhile, passed from the “7-point threshold” up to the “10-point threshold”.
-The arms, finally, can now take a 5-point hit without getting blasted off, another important threshold when faced with LRMs, HAGs, or ER Smalls.
This shell of armor is largely identical to the famed Roc, with the only difference resulting from the ditching of its main gun. And even if the weapons chosen for both Chrysaors weren't so short-ranged, the armor would still undoubtedly makes the Chrysaor much more of an in-your-face fighter than the Orc.
CHRYSAOR
INTRO: 3067
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, Star Adders, Wolves-in-Exile
WEAPONS: ER Micro Laser (x4)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(3) (2) Arms -> Cored: 22 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 27 pts
(4 / 10 \ 4) (2 / 6 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 16 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 11 pts
( 7 ) ( 4 )
The armament of the first Chrysaor has rather limited range - especially when, once again, compared to the Orc. Cautious planning should be the order of the day; no matter how sturdy the Chrysaor might be, closing through open terrain is just asking for a large number of casualties. This firepower is also much less flexible than what we already saw with the Orc. It can critseek just as well at the proper ranges, but the firepower is no longer of credible use against Infantry or Battle Armor. This shoehorns the Chrysaor into much more of a pure critseeking role, but one able to liberally take potshots whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The 174 BV pricetag bears further comparison with the Orc. A standard Orc comes in at 182 BV - 8 points more expensive - so as a player you should determine what you truly need for your force before buying one or another. Will you be using tactics that might help the Chrysaor close to point-blank ranges? Do you need a ProtoMech able to take on conventional troops of any sort? Are you just looking for a quick and easy way to park slow tanks and finish off ‘Mechs? Is ammunition endurance important to your game plan?
CHRYSAOR 2
INTRO: 3067
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, Star Adders, Wolves-in-Exile
WEAPONS: Micro Pulse Laser (x2)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(3) (2) Arms -> Cored: 22 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 27 pts
(4 / 10 \ 4) (2 / 6 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 16 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 11 pts
( 7 ) ( 4 )
Our sole variant’s choice of weaponry has my approval. Although no longer able to critseek nearly as effectively as the standard model, the pulse bonus and damage increase of the Micro Pulse Lasers is a definite advantage that can’t be underestimated on ProtoMechs. Five jump jets also help the Chrysaor 2 maneuver throughout the battlefield at speeds most other Protos will have difficulty matching; faster jumping Protos are a bit of a rarity.
The result is a ProtoMech that works quite well as part of a larger team. Its speed lets it apply its anti-infantry firepower or 6 points of damage wherever they might be needed at the time, while also helping other (possibly non-jumping) ProtoMechs in its point entrap or outmaneuver their current target(s). The armor and movement makes it a good pair for standard Rocs, while it also works well alongside standard Chrysaors. And at 177 BV, it’s barely more expensive than the standard Chrysaor and close to half the price of a Roc. Finding space for them in a force is an example of simplicity.
And that's already it! I'm somewhat surprised that we never saw more variants of this ProtoMech, especially since it has a respectable 2000 kg to spend on weapons, jump jets and equipment after the engine and armor are accounted for. This isn't to say that it's an impossibility - the Snow Ravens still make healthy use of the design, and even the surviving Homeworlders have adopted it to a certain degree. I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that, if it does happen, the Chrysaor will receive a facelift or four.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MUL:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/3953/chrysaor-standardCamoSpecs:
http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=807IWM:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3450
