This is an interesting one. I am glad that we have more mechs to play with so kudos to making this one up, (or retconning it, or canonizing it, or whatever). However I don't ever anticipate really using a stock config of an Executioner-B as the loadouts all suck in comparison to other mechs. This is coming from an avid Executioner user. As others have mentioned the naming is very confusing but alas
it could have been worse! I don't play much in the way of clans but I like my Ghost Bears, as it is the Executioner is the mainstay Assault of nearly all my Clan stars. I really love the Executioner Prime and the A model is an unholy terror. The Executioner is a mech that takes a lot of finesse to play correctly,
but it gives you something no other clan assault does! With the original Executioner you have a 95 ton assault with relatively low pod space and a comparatively unimpressive weapons / armor compliment. But it can keep pace with Clan heavies and the Jump Jets combined with MASC really let you position yourself in places that are going to hurt the enemy. The Executioner is not a "stand and deliver" Assault and plays more like a heavy than a dedicated "assault mech". The Executioners mobility and long range firepower are its saving graces and this lets you pick off opponents who get drawn out of place. Also if you are playing someone who is a sticker for Zellbrign a mech like an Executioner is an immense asset. I tie up enemy assaults or heavies all the time with light fast units like Vipers or Fire Moths. While they are enjoying the +4 THM and whiffing all the rolls with their big guns my Executioner can surgically take apart their lighter mechs one at a time. The Executioner also has the speed to keep pace with inner sphere invasion era heavy and (most) medium mechs while offering firepower on par with an IS assault. Excellent machine. The weak side torsos do hinder it somewhat but with a lack of explody ammo, crit padding, generous heat sinking and CASE the thing is almost designed to take it to the structure. The thicker hide the Executioner carries on its legs and arms / CT more than makes up for it in my book and its a pretty sensible armor distribution when you think about it. The arm mounted weapons also provide wide traversability for shooting at fast movers trying to flank.
And then you have the Executioner B......
Lets see what unique thing it offers... and nothing.
Most second line clan mechs are superior to the Executioner B. Gone is the speed that makes the Executioner a viable threat and gives the mech its signature and key difference over other Clan assaults. There are 2 fixed jump jets which only allow minor positioning bonuses at the detriment of a huge amount of pod space.
The prime config is ironically the most bizarre.
We start off with 2 Large Pulse lasers (A welcome addition!) I have a custom Executioner that replaces the ERLlasers with Large Pulse lasers and this is a great refit! If you were like me, you were waiting to see the gauss and bevy of other long ranged weapons.... but it goes down hill fast. 2 UAC 2s? What for? Why are there two long range BB guns on my Assault mech? What a terrific waste if you could have ER Large Lasers + Heat sinks for the expended tonnage... And then an ERPPC (okay things are looking up again....) but top it off with an Ultra 20 and things fall off the map for me. Not to mention the chronic lack of heat sinks. All in all this is such a dud.
I don't like Ultras at all but use them from time to time on stock configs and can appreciate their firepower. But Damn this is a weird mech to mount one on. With the slower speed, and similar armor to the base Executioner you will be lucky if you manage to get close enough to fire the UAC unless your opponent lets you. If they do it will be because they cannot out run you (which means you are being compared to other 3/5 assaults) or they have heavier close range firepower (not hard to believe) or heavier armor (which is almost certainly the case).
Vlads ride the B-B is the cream of the crop for me, and if I play an Executioner B it is most certainly the mech I'll take. But at 3157 BV it pays for it dearly, and still compares poorly to other 3/5 clan assaults. This mech is what the Executioner B should have been all along, but I realize with a later introduction of a post dated mech they had to make it inferior in some way.
Took the Prime to a game not long ago, and it overheated and got slagged by an entire lance, so, YMMV... ;-P hahaha
-looks at the date of existence- oh. oh. That might be very useful for... NO REASON! NO REASON AT ALL!! 8) :D
Not too surprising looking at its config and fairly deep ammo bins behind thinly protected side torsos.
While OP noted that the design fares against older omnimechs and golden century clan designs better, it still doesn't hold a candle to most of them which would beat it straight up in a dual and will be more useful contributors to a star on star engagement or larger battle.
Here is my bottom line:
The Prime is going to be beat out in "useful" firepower by almost all of the 3/5 clan assault mechs of the time I.e Stone Rhino, Blood Kite, Highlander IIC, Supernova, Storm Giant, etc (Ironically most of these jump....). Or unable to dictate range against a faster (4/6), better armored and superior long ranged mech (that is probably also a brick with a std engine) I.e. Warhammer IICs, Marauder IICs, Kingfisher, etc.
Ironically for the BV Cost you might as well use a Dire Wolf Prime and win...
The A Config is a worse Bane 2 (which is heavily armored and has plenty of ammo) and still miraculously manages to come in only a few hundred BV higher while promising not to run out of ammo. Also the ammo isn't stored behind cheesy thin side torsos.
The B Config is decent for sure but the BV shoots up to 3157 which somehow manages to be more than a Stone Rhino, that sports more armor, a third jump jet, and a standard engine making it significantly harder to kill. At the same time the CBill cost is astronomical in comparison and the realistic long range damage output is similar.
The C Config, well I'd rather have something else, and while the damage output is brutal the heat will really slow the firing curve.
Not trying to ruin everyone's fun but this mech is just a dud in its standard configs.
You could make some decent customs with that huge amount of pod space though.
The omnis of the time just didn't have that capacity.
A simple modification of the prime which replaces the UAC/20 with a Gauss and the UAC/2s with heat sinks and maxing the jets out would be nice. Also keeps the feel of the Executioner more.
Or keep the the UAC/20 drop the UAC 2's and the ERPPC for a brace of 4 Large Pulse lasers (and the heat sinks to use them).
