Electronic warfare

[Old Knight]

Even if electronic warfare is not the most important part of this game, it's better not to turn your back at it. Jamming c3 network or a full artemis missile boat or even, finding hidden unit can make a difference between winning or losing a game.

Do you (fellow BT players), use EW equipped mech very often ? Do you include at least one them in every game ?
In case you need a good electronic warfare mech with at least BAP and ECM, which is your mech of choice ?

Let's talk EW !! 8)

[Martius]

I use EW a lot. Advanced active probe and ECM rules are alwys used in our games.

[Kojak]

Same here. My campaign uses the great majority of the TO rules, so ECM are invaluable both for their normal functions and ghost targets. Likewise, probes are great because they're such powerful sensor systems (as opposed to radar, magscan, etc). And C3 is of course incredibly powerful when used properly.

[Schottenjaeger]

Anytime post-Clans I use at least one ECM mech if I can. BAP is nice, but I play blind so seldom that it doesn't really matter.
My preferred design is the custom Thud my merc unit's 3iC pilots, but my favorite is the Hellspawn.  Despite the torso bomb, it's a vicious infighter and an excellent complement to a fire-support lance. 3 pulses and enough jets to even if you're overheating is quite nice.
 

[sillybrit]

Assuming the use of the advanced EW rules from TacOps, it's a rare game where I don't include ECM, preferably on every unit, and I typically aim to have one Probe per lance/Star, more if I know it's a scenario involving hidden units. Whenever possible I switch the ECM to Ghost Target mode.

In purely TW games, I use fewer ECMs except when fighting C3-heavy forces such as the DCMS and CS/WOB.

I don't really have a 'Mech of choice, although I favor Omnis, especially in campaigns where custom configurations are allowed.

[martian]

There's big number of light 'Mechs equipped with Guardian ECM suite and Beagle Active Probe. Some of them are fast, some of them are slower, but they have additional equipment as TAG or NARC to act as spotters. They have one thing common for all of them - weak armor. 119 points of armor is the top limit for them. In the time of all kinds of Large pulse/X-Pulse/VSP/ER Pulse lasers I consider it barely bearable.

If you wish you can order them to disrupt enemy C3/C3i networks. Sooner or later they will have to go among enemies and sometimes it's relatively easy to cripple them.

Each faction fields 'Mechs you described, be it Nexus NXS-2B, Hitman, Ostscout OTT-9S or Raven. The weak armor always gives me pause.

'Mechs from Medium class are much better protected and usually they carry stronger weapons. For purposes like this I have two favourite designs.

The first one is the field refit HER-5Sr Hermes II. It has quite solid armor of all Hermes variants, average speed and replaces torso-mounted UAC-5 with Heavy PPC, making it flashbulb 'Mech. With that ECM and HPPC it can't be ignored by the enemy as older variants were.

My second favourite 'Mech is B2-HND Bloodhound. It has pleasant speed 7/11 and weapons suited for 'Mech which can backstab in suitable moment with ER Mediums (and ER Smalls if really close) and then fire Streak SRM-6 into that damaged rear armour.

[Lysenko]

Privyet!

Post-Invasion, it's the only way my Raven mechs matter. :)

[Southern Coyote]

I always run atleast 1 to 2 mechs with an ECM suite.

[Nahuris]

Since I tend to run the WOB opposition in a number of our games here..... I, of course, use EW.
Running ECM mechs in ECCM mode to protect your C3i net is almost a must.

There is a T-bolt variant that carries ECM that is great, if you need a mech that is hard to take down, and adds to your current firepower.

Nahuris

[SteelRaven]

Love using ECM, great way to give missile boats the finger ;D
I also love to use Active Prob so my snipers can get away with killer shots in heavy brush.

[MOrab46019]

Yep have used it. C3 and ECM to counter. Med mech is the type I put the ECM on also. Or Heavy mech.

[Ghostbear_Gurdel]

Whenever I run C3 units I like to have as much ECM as I can, so that I can keep the C3 net running. ECCM is a wonderful thing. For every other force I like to have at least 1 ECM per lance/star just in case I need it.

[Old Knight]

Love using ECM, great way to give missile boats the finger ;D
I also love to use Active Prob so my snipers can get away with killer shots in heavy brush.

How can ABP help your snipers ??? Is the active probe do something i don't know ???

[Fallen_Raven]

I don't tend to run much in the way of EW gear because I never know what I'm going to face, or what terrain will be used. Since players in my group frequntly "forget" toselect units until the maps are on the table and they've had a good look through my unit, I always have either wasted tonage or a a severe disadvantage.

How can ABP help your snipers ??? Is the active probe do something i don't know ???

There is a rule in Tac Ops that allows you to reduce the targeting penalty for woods by 1. That means that you can hide mech in terrain and get a better shot than your opponent expects.

[Marwynn]

Depends on the game, sometimes we just want some good ol' "Kill them all and let Kerensky sort 'em out!" type of matches. But sometimes, it's fun to use all the optional rules. I try to include at least two ECM carriers if I can, even in just regular Tournament-level play.

It's a fun aspect of BT play.

[martian]

How can ABP help your snipers ??? Is the active probe do something i don't know ???

Not snipers, but when it comes to fighting in woods, your 'Mech doesn't suffer the full to-hit penalty. If the target is within the range of the Beagle Active Probe and the Line-of-sight exists, your 'Mech substracts -1 from to-hit number. It doesn't matter how many wooded hexes is between you and your enemy, you just substract -1.

[cray]

Do you (fellow BT players), use EW equipped mech very often ? Do you include at least one them in every game ?

I try to get ECM or sensor suites on nearly every 'Mech in post-3050 games.

[Colt Ward]

I don't tend to run much in the way of EW gear because I never know what I'm going to face, or what terrain will be used. Since players in my group frequntly "forget" toselect units until the maps are on the table and they've had a good look through my unit, I always have either wasted tonage or a a severe disadvantage.

Bah . . . I say give a general idea of the terrain available, but if people 'forget' to select their mechs, you can have some prepared random forces available for their convenience.  Just randomly roll up a unit from RATs for factional flavor.

To the OP-  I play MM, which means double blind.  I like large maps that have areas where LOS is short.  I LOVE to ambush folks in the city . . . I have seen some players do truely stupid things when the artillery starts coming in, heavy armor is to the front, jumping lights and meds start appearing on the flanks, and battle armor starts coming through the buildings on the sides.  A assault lance panic'd into a starburst was hilarious.

EW, with double blind and restricted LOS/terrain make light units which scout and recon more valuable . . . and since I like my mechs to be cavalry with armor anvils, I can pick the spots to engage.  The cavalry can retreat to the armor anvil, hitting a BA tripwire while artillery falls.  It spreads the enemy's debris field along their axis of movement.

[Old Knight]

Not snipers, but when it comes to fighting in woods, your 'Mech doesn't suffer the full to-hit penalty. If the target is within the range of the Beagle Active Probe and the Line-of-sight exists, your 'Mech substracts -1 from to-hit number. It doesn't matter how many wooded hexes is between you and your enemy, you just substract -1.

Yes i know this rule but it wont fit for a sniper mech since the target must be within the probe range (very short distance). It was only a matters of term use that mislead me (sniper mech).
Phew, i've think i miss something. :-)

[Old Knight]

I'm searching for good (without any major flaw) EW battlemech with both ECM and ABP.
So far i have found the following:
Men Shen MS1-OC
Thunderbolt TDR-9Nr

Any other come to your mind ?

[SteelRaven]

Wooded area gives the Loki Prime a better life span.

[Orin J.]

if there's anyone that doesn't use electronic warfare on the boards i'm going to be simply amazed. there's just too many neat toys for any 'mechhead to resist.

[martian]

if there's anyone that doesn't use electronic warfare on the boards i'm going to be simply amazed. there's just too many neat toys for any 'mechhead to resist.

This is my personal impression, but there are people who dislike Jihad, some of them go back and dislike Fedcom Civil war, and some of them dislike Clans. I wouldn't be surprised (and in fact I heard about one or two groups), that some of them still play Succession Wars games for 95% of their time. ECM was extinct from 2845 to 3025 (Electronic Warfare Equipment of RVN-1 Raven) or perhaps until 3045 (Guardian ECM suite of RVN-3L Raven).

So with possible extempt of rare Star League Phoenix Hawk they play effectively without EW equipment.