ASN-21A Assassin

[A. Lurker]

A little while ago, the discussion in a certain thread half-inspired me to look at ways to potentially improve the intro-level stock Assassin. The problem was that there just wasn't much to work with without turning it into either yet another medium laser boat or else making it into something that's not really an Assassin anymore -- the 'Mech spends way too much of its tonnage on its mobility with pretty much everything else as an afterthought, but that flaw is also pretty much what defines it.

Then the point came up that it was supposed to be a "harasser". Well, as far as I'm concerned that's still merely a polite way of saying "something that has to settle for merely annoying its targets because it can't actually reliably kill them"...but it did make a part of my brain go "hmmm..." and ponder ways in which the 'Mech might be tuned for that specific role, and here's the pretty simple and obvious field refit that came out of that.

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Model: ASN-21A Assassin
Type: Biped BattleMech
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Rules Level: Introductory

Mass: 40 tons
Internal Structure: Standard                          4 t
Myomer: Standard (-)                                  --
Cockpit: Standard (H5)                                3 t
Engine: 280 Standard Fusion (CT6)                    16 t
  Walking MP: 7
  Running MP: 11
Gyro: Standard (CT4)                                  3 t
Jump Jets: 7 Standard (LT3/CT1/RT3)                   3.5 t
  Jumping MP: 7
Heat Sinks: 10 Single (-)                             --
Lower Arm/Hand Actuators: LLA LH RLA

Armor: 72 pts Standard (-)                            4.5 t

                      IS    Armor
  Head                 3      8
  Center Torso        12    12/4
  Left/Right Torso    10    10/2
  Left/Right Arm       6      6
  Left/Right Leg      10      6

Equipment:

LRM 5 (LT1)                                           2 t
LRM 5 (RT1)                                           2 t
Medium Laser (RA1)                                    1 t
@LRM 5 (24, RT1)                                      1 t
                                                   --------
                                                      6 t
                                                   ========
                                                     40 t

BV: 818
Cost: 3,756,013 C-bills
The "21A" designation isn't anything particularly official; chances are that if you tried to order one in-universe, the factory representative in question would look at you funny until you explained yourself. It's just that any given 'Mech variant should have some ID tag, and while this is clearly not a stock ASN-21 anymore I also don't think it necessarily rates a whole new number, especially with a later foundtech model already running around with a claim to the 23.

In terms of combat effectiveness, this variant doesn't really break new ground; it's still an Assassin, fundamentally underarmored and undergunned. However, I like to think that the increased focus on long-range fire does make it a better "harasser" overall; it's now officially there to pelt enemies with small LRM flights over hopefully safe distances until the bin runs dry (which it will do faster than before, but I don't consider that a big drawback on a design this fragile, especially when it also means doubling the output per turn in the first place), then take advantage of its mobility to disengage and return home to reload and get its next assignment. The medium laser on this model is now strictly for self-defense.

Is a 40-ton 7/11/7 BattleMech the most efficient way to deliver a single ton of LRM ammo? Hmmm...no, probably not. ;) Stat-wise it's basically just a fat, more expensive Valkyrie that's traded off protection for speed, after all. But as I said, this is intended as a field refit; a "this is how a unit might modify an Assassin they've already been stuck with to get more use out of it" kind of deal, not a major factory variant. As such, pure design efficiency takes a bit of a back seat.

[Diablo48]

The Assassin is actually one of the most efficient frames of the Sucession Wars.  The real problem is that without advanced technology getting up to 7/11/7 just eats too much mass to be really worthwhile.  Of course, you can still make it do some damage with close ranged backstabs with either 3 Medium Lasers and more armor or a Medium Laser and a pair of SRM 4s or go for long ranged harassing with a Large Laser, but either way you have the speed to avoid fire with ease and the armor to take a lucky hit or two.

[A. Lurker]

Mileage will vary, obviously. As far as I'm concerned, if the stock intro-tech Assassin ever has to get close to engage its targets its speed will no longer be enough to avoid return fire "with ease" even in the absence of pulse lasers et al., and its armor is at best medium laser proof (once) on the arms and legs. A solid hit to a leg or pretty much any shot to a rear side torso will go internal and stand a fair chance of putting a crimp into its cherished mobility right there.

So I figured that, barring advanced tech, removing some of that temptation to close in the first place would be the best way to go. :)

[Diablo48]

Mileage will vary, obviously. As far as I'm concerned, if the stock intro-tech Assassin ever has to get close to engage its targets its speed will no longer be enough to avoid return fire "with ease" even in the absence of pulse lasers et al., and its armor is at best medium laser proof (once) on the arms and legs. A solid hit to a leg or pretty much any shot to a rear side torso will go internal and stand a fair chance of putting a crimp into its cherished mobility right there.

So I figured that, barring advanced tech, removing some of that temptation to close in the first place would be the best way to go. :)

That is a reasonable approach, however it is also very possible to make a viable backstabber to quickly cut down larger machines from behind so they cannot do much to hurt you.  Of course, I do still recommend the uparmored ML boat because another 3 tons of armor makes the Assassin a pain to take down in 3025.

[A. Lurker]

That is a reasonable approach, however it is also very possible to make a viable backstabber to quickly cut down larger machines from behind so they cannot do much to hurt you.  Of course, I do still recommend the uparmored ML boat because another 3 tons of armor makes the Assassin a pain to take down in 3025.

True enough. I just didn't feel like going down that particular well-traveled path this time around; doesn't mean I couldn't still do that anytime I wanted, though. ;)

[Spheroid]

I wouldn't mind an Assassin that was 7/11/5 with 2 LRM5 and 2 medium lasers.

[KlavoHunter]

I wouldn't mind an Assassin that was 7/11/5 with 2 LRM5 and 2 medium lasers.

So, basically, the bizzaro result of 9 months after a Jenner jumping behind a Davion Valkyrie and forcefully having its way with it?  :D

[Sir Chaos]

So, basically, the bizzaro result of 9 months after a Jenner jumping behind a Davion Valkyrie and forcefully having its way with it?  :D

Ouch... pass the brain bleach, please...

[Zombyra]

The basic frame has the principal problem of not passing the following smell test:

It can't with any reliably kill everything smaller than it is.  Many players look at a mech that can't pass this test and toss it in the bin.  Actually I've found even the anemic damage output to be ultimately unreliable.

That being said, much like the Urbie, i find this mech does have a niche in a lance, at least before 3050.

Infernos.  Granted, I'm taking my experience from not too long ago when they were srm2 only, +6 heat @ 3 rounds a hit.  I mean, now that it's apparently any srm launcher, whatever i suppose.  However, back pre-3050, THIS was the mech you sent back into the enemy lines to 'deal' with an enemy sniper post.  They're going to cook off a few 10's & 11's on your way there, but that's really not much of a threat.  You burn snipers out of forests, push them off hills, and put anything big and slow that only packs 10 HS basicly out of the game for awhile (and the Archer was a great example of that)  You don't kill anything, but that isn't what a harasser does.  By which i mean, that really isn't what a harasser does!  The job of this mech is interdiction; in this case, specifically to keep the enemy from using their weapons effectively (and if you get to play with smoke LRM's?  It just gets better).  Ideally, I'd paint a big target on the front of the thing and HOPE that my opponent tasks at least 1 other mech to trying to hunt the thing down for a few turns while i get into position with my other mechs!

So, having done my best defense of the basic design, the best suggestion i remember someone making was to strip out all the weapons and put in a large laser!  Of course, i'd make it a Large Laser AND a Flamer, but i'm really a firebug at heart  :D

[A. Lurker]

Unfortunately under Total Warfare rules even infernos don't do much to save the SRM 2. They're just another ammo type causing an immediate effect depending on the number of hits and nothing beyond that, now, so the four- and six-tube racks are just generally that much more effective.

The one niche I could still see for them in this regard is -- if the TacOps fire rules are being used, because otherwise it's just not going to come up in play -- to quickly and reliably start actual fires in suitable hexes without having to worry about running out of ammo anytime soon. That's a pretty narrow application, though.

(And frankly, once we're in TacOps territory anyway, if I had to field a stock ASN-21 I'd ask for tandem-charge SRMs. Twenty-five shots for a single launcher on a 'Mech with this little armor aren't really any worse than fifty, and I might at least score the occasional TAC this way.)

[Fear Factory]

Good design.

In all honesty though... the Assassin is a jack of all trades which is why it had the wacky weapon layout in the first place.

[Cheleron Lightning]

Interesting. I went the opposite route with my Assassin, ending up with an SRM6 and two Medium Lasers. The long range combined with mobility makes the Assassin harder to destroy. The short range weapons make it an "assassin" but easily taken down. Good job!