From
this discussion elsewhere on the forum, I was advised to bring this topic to this neck of the digital woods. Yet since this topic might cover a variety of unit types, to include both BattleMechs and battle armour, I posted this thread here rather than in one of the unit-specific sub-boards.
I've wondered about what options there might be, in terms of tailoring specific unit variants and configurations for use by Seekers from Clan Goliath Scorpion - particularly, during the eras of the Imperio/Empire.
This might include reducing (or even eliminating) the need to transport supplies of ammunition with them; installing (or retaining) active probes and other advanced sensor systems; deciding what equipment would be used by each person in the Seeker's retinue; and otherwise planning for a variety of needs involved when pursuing a Seeker quest.
Indeed, given the Scorpion Warrior caste tradition of carrying
zulkari (pairs of matching blades), might there be an exception to the Clan norm, in terms of permitting a 'Mech-sized "Dance of the Scars" to be fought out somehow?
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To (re-)start things off: say, if a given Seeker wanted to bring enough OmniPods to install one of two configurations: one for melee combat (and for "survey" use) and another for duels fought under strict
Zellbrigen rules.
In the other thread, I looked at the
Nova as a sample chassis, with the
Prime and
A configurations in mind.
On the one side, perhaps a variant of the
Prime could swap out two ER medium lasers and a Double Heat Sink from each arm, and replace them with a pair of retractable blades. (Such blades can't also be vibroblades, alas.) This would allow the blades to be deployed in battle, and retracted when the 'Mech needs to use the hand actuators. But if one wanted to then add in an active probe, would one of the DHSs on the torso (left or right side) have to go in exchange?
On the other side, perhaps one could adjust the
A variant by replacing the medium pulse laser with an active probe and an ER medium laser, while swapping out the anti-missile systems and ammo for a pair of laser anti-missile systems (to eliminate the ammunition requirement imposed by the "standard" AMS). Or, to make things more dramatic, how about removing the AMSs and the torso laser to fit both an active probe and a targeting computer for the ER PPCs?
Either way, one could picture a Seeker having an Inner Sphere-type cockpit in place of the more streamlined Clan design. At least, in terms of installing a toilet...
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The
Black Knight was also mentioned in that thread as an example of a "vintage" Star League design which might be useful on a Seeker quest. Would the "SLDF Royal" variant the Scorpions have access to over on the MUL be fine more or less as-is, or might it need any adjustments to better suit such missions?
Well, aside from not having an OmniMech's ability to transport a Point of battlesuits - unless the latter are equipped with magnetic clamps, as noted in the other thread.
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Also, the
Headhunter variant of the
Elemental battle armour already brings a look of equipment to the table(top) which would suit a Seeker deployment. yet the fixed machine gun might be awkward, if one was looking to eliminate the use of ammunition.
Is there an alternate item that could be installed in the machine gun's place, alongside choosing an energy-based weapon for the modular anti-personnel slot?
Or, as suggested over in the other thread, how about modifying the
Afreet for this role?
In theory, given the bespoke nature of Seeker quests, one could even set up a mixed Point of different battlesuits, each tailored to suit a certain role for whatever mission is being pursued...
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So, do any of the above ideas seem viable for a Seeker quest?
Or, are there any other units, variants, and/or configurations you would sooner assign to such long-range expeditions?
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EDIT: I should add that in the other thread, I was looking for designs which also had both hand actuators (or, in the case of an Omni, has at least one config being used which retains them), as well as 'Mech designs that were not Unseen/Reseen (to include any "
C" and/or "
IIC" editions).
Of course, if any of you wish to use an Unseen/Ressen design for your Seeker quest, well and good. So feel free to post such ideas here, if you so wish.
