Nemesis Pod, How Does it Work - and how is it useful?

[Azakael]

After looking at the "Things you Love to Hate" thread, and someone mentioning the Nemesis pod having them leave Battletech, it makes me question their use again. (And playing Opfor in a Total Chaos campaign, I'd like to know what is the correct way to use them.)
As far as I can tell, all they do is deny my opponent an LRM target.
Reason I think this way:
- Fire is simultaneous. Therefore, on the turn that the iNarc pod would be useful, it does not do anything.
- Once the enemy mech is tagged with the Nemesis pod, he will no longer fire LRMs at a mech that is on the other side of a tagged target.
- Therefore, the "retarget" effect of the Nemesis pod is meaningless. All it does is create a small bubble around which I can keep mechs safe from LRM-A/ Semi-Guided/ Narc-equipped missiles.

However, my interpretation of the rules could be incorrect. So if someone who knows better can elaborate on how I am wrong, I'd appreciate that. And if I am not wrong, then how is the Nemesis pod useful?

[Weirdo]

All it does is create a small bubble around which I can keep mechs safe from LRM-A/ Semi-Guided/ Narc-equipped missiles.

This is your answer. If you know your opponent likes guided missiles, pop off a bunch of pods and move into close combat with his front line. Bingo, you've denied him the usage of a large part of his firepower. Bonus points if you attach pods to mechs with melee weapons, since now he's forced to choose between using melee or missiles on you, but never both.

After a while, he'll probably stop fielding as many LRM units, at which point you can load up on your own missiles, and have the advantage.

[Col Toda]

To use Nemesis Pods you have to have an improved NARC launcher . Most homing or semi guided munitioned armed mechs tend to have between 1/2 to 1/3 standard or other rounds . The trick is to kill anything with an iNARC launcher first . It is rare to have to deal with  more than 2 combat units with iNARC launchers. The only way to completely eliminate the use of guided munitions is to have iOS iNARC launchers  on just about everything . If you fire a pod on every Map board . All homing , copper head , and Semi-guided ammo will get redirected to the pod should the map board be targeted . For instance if you shoot an enemy mech and that mech hits MASC and ir a Supercharger and moves far enough the pod will not work . If the closet TAGged unit is 18 hexes away it will not redirect any guided ammo . If it is less than 10 hexes it will redirect all ammo fired at the TAGed unit to the pod . Most efficient way to use it to have most units with an iOS iNARC launcher and to shoot a pod in the center of every map board your force is on . The will be no point in prioritize any mech that already fired it and the rest would soon also be pointless to prioritize . In about 50 fights I have encountered maybe 3 units equipped with iNARC so it has not been a big issue . It is something you invest a great deal on or nrxt to nothing on .

[SCC]

I wonder, how does carrying Sawrm-i rounds work when someone putting Nemsis pods on your 'Mechs?

[Weirdo]

I wonder, how does carrying Sawrm-i rounds work when someone putting Nemsis pods on your 'Mechs?

The two technologies do not interact.

The trick is to kill anything with an iNARC launcher first .

If iNARC has you so terrified that you're pumping all of your resources into killing it, it has done its job without having to fire, since the missiles the Nemesis pods were going to deter are no longer pointed at my main force, but instead at a small number of scouts that have much better chances of evading them then my heavy mechs do. On behalf of your opponents, I thank you. O0

[Col Toda]

Prioritizing one maybe two units on the other side is not panicking it is just prudence . It just means using the non-guided ammo first as opposed to when it is best and it is always best to use the non-guided ammo the first turn or two anyways as you would not have anthing TAGed yet . The first two turns normally you had a bunch of poor targets anyway the one or two iNARC launcher units just has more value to kill than any of the other poor long range targets .

[Nikas_Zekeval]

After looking at the "Things you Love to Hate" thread, and someone mentioning the Nemesis pod having them leave Battletech, it makes me question their use again. (And playing Opfor in a Total Chaos campaign, I'd like to know what is the correct way to use them.)
As far as I can tell, all they do is deny my opponent an LRM target.
Reason I think this way:
- Fire is simultaneous. Therefore, on the turn that the iNarc pod would be useful, it does not do anything.
- Once the enemy mech is tagged with the Nemesis pod, he will no longer fire LRMs at a mech that is on the other side of a tagged target.
- Therefore, the "retarget" effect of the Nemesis pod is meaningless. All it does is create a small bubble around which I can keep mechs safe from LRM-A/ Semi-Guided/ Narc-equipped missiles.

However, my interpretation of the rules could be incorrect. So if someone who knows better can elaborate on how I am wrong, I'd appreciate that. And if I am not wrong, then how is the Nemesis pod useful?

For a perfectly rational fight, true.  But fights rarely are, even with the players.  Plenty of room for an 'oops' if a player miscounts, or you don't allow measuring in minatures scale rules.  Just reduce them to 'eyeballing it' and someone looking to line up a shot will miss call it and get pulled into backstabbing a teammate.

Heck it'd take just a simple communication breakdown where the firing player doesn't hear he's shooting over a nemesis target.  Since this will most likely get the victim shot in the back?  Yeah a few of salvos 'mistakenly' launched guided missiles can put the victim in a world of hurt.

Also since they are iNarc pods the pilot can attempt to scrape them off.  Rolled as a punch per attempt, with a penality IIRC.  The pilot declaring one or two attempts (per arm) defore rolling.  And missed 'brush off' rolls are treated as self-inflicted punches!

It's an extra detail to track.  If your opponents get swamped tracking the details, then you might catch them making a mistake.  Also Nemesis pods can attract homing Arrow IV rounds, which might already be in flight when someone gets tagged.

And another thought, while certain iNarc loads would be obvious, like explosive, can a target tell what he's been tagged with until it directly effects him?  ECM and Haywire would have immediate effects, and thus soon known.  But can someone tagged by it tell the difference between a homing beacon and a Nemesis beacon till he finds out which side's missiles are tracking him now?

[beachhead1985]

This is your answer. If you know your opponent likes guided missiles, pop off a bunch of pods and move into close combat with his front line. Bingo, you've denied him the usage of a large part of his firepower. Bonus points if you attach pods to mechs with melee weapons, since now he's forced to choose between using melee or missiles on you, but never both.

After a while, he'll probably stop fielding as many LRM units, at which point you can load up on your own missiles, and have the advantage.

Wow. I had always wondered about this, but given I hardly every saw guided missiles in use, it never dawned on me how useful tis would be say; vs FWL forces with their penchant for semi-guided LRMs.

[Sartris]

FWL forces with their penchant for semi-guided LRMs.

**whistles innocently**

nothing to see here. and DO NOT bother bringing useless nemesis pods. waste of tonnage.  O:-)

[SCC]

The two technologies do not interact.

I thought that Nemesis Pods effect missile with advanced guidance tech.

For example, if one of MY 'Mechs has been tagged with a Nemesis Pod. Normal LRM's my units fire are unaffected, ones with advanced targeting systems like Art IV will attack that 'Mech instead of my chosen target, Swarm-i missile have penalties when attacking friendly units but

[A. Lurker]

And another thought, while certain iNarc loads would be obvious, like explosive, can a target tell what he's been tagged with until it directly effects him?  ECM and Haywire would have immediate effects, and thus soon known.  But can someone tagged by it tell the difference between a homing beacon and a Nemesis beacon till he finds out which side's missiles are tracking him now?

By the book, unless you're playing with certain optional TacOps rules everything is out in the open. In-universe in the heat of battle I'm not so sure, mostly because we don't know how detailed a picture a 'Mech's sensors and computers actually paint for its pilot; I'd suspect that the homing/nemesis "broadcasts" would look different on closer examination if you actually spent the time looking or had the distinction already in your database, though.

[A. Lurker]

I thought that Nemesis Pods effect missile with advanced guidance tech.

For example, if one of MY 'Mechs has been tagged with a Nemesis Pod. Normal LRM's my units fire are unaffected, ones with advanced targeting systems like Art IV will attack that 'Mech instead of my chosen target, Swarm-i missile have penalties when attacking friendly units but

Nemesis pods only affect what they explicitly say they do. "Advanced guidance tech" is a blanket term that has no actual in-game meaning; for instance, one could just as well reason that Nemesis pods should affect follow-the-leader missiles (which in terms of fluff rely on an entire intra-salvo comm network to decide where to hit), but neither the pods nor the missiles say anything about that, so barring errata they don't.

Note, though, that Nemesis pods should in fact affect ARAD missiles. That's because the latter explicitly say they work as Narc-compatible missiles where not stated otherwise, Nemesis pods fool those, and their specific writeup doesn't mention any specific immunity.

[Col Toda]

iNARC is extremely rare I might have seen 3 published canon units that have it and the Mercury mech is the only one of those I have seen fielded. You are more likely to encounter Homing Arrow IV and semi-guided mech mortar armed units particularly in the Republic semi-guided LRMs are less useful in a combined arms environment where infantry and battle armor abound . Remember the BV for that ammo is multiplied by how many TAG and Light TAG on the battlefield that gets really high really quickly so anyone who uses it is going to be very outnumbered.

[Sartris]

iNARC is extremely rare I might have seen 3 published canon units.

super rare (14 units). it's mostly a ComStar / WoB thing and besides a few Tessen variants and three republic-era vehicles, it's basically non-existent post-3090.

http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=&HasBV=true&HasBV=false&MinTons=&MaxTons=&MinBV=&MaxBV=&MinIntro=&MaxIntro=&MinCost=&MaxCost=&HasRole=&HasBFAbility=inarc&MinPV=&MaxPV=&BookAuto=&FactionAuto=

[Col Toda]

Since it is almost non existent using TAG GUIDED MUNITIONS  during the Dark Age ERA seems a sound idea. I can only think that other counter measures are easier or that so few Opposition forces use guided munitions that iNARC  never caught on . You have to have a good incentive to put anything in a logistical train . An esoteric weapon system is hard to justify where moving all your units to get a +3 movement modifier is by far a better solution as it worked so well fot the Clan .