Recent Posts

1

Clan Chatterweb / Re: Clan Jade Falcon IV: Same Volume, New Tricks!

« Last post by Bren on Today at 18:17:17 »

I think my confusion is because FZ4 moves from Erewhon to Alyina at some point but isn't a mobile factory ...

Factory Zone 4, terrestrial factory (and separate from ECG) was moved to Alynia due to damage suffered during the Jihad.
Factory Zone 5, terrestrial factory (and separate from ECG) was moved to Blackjack due to damage suffered during the Jihad.

I know I've read this in an earlier source but the most recent reference is in Hot Spots: Hinterlands.

No retcons required, just a slight re-wording of the Grand Summoner TRO section.

2

BattleMechs / Re: Phoenix Hawk III-C-X: Absolute degerneracy.

« Last post by Firesprocket on Today at 18:08:32 »

This is the kind of design that loses you friends at hobby shops.

Essentially it is a Pariah B with a longer jump.  BV cost is only roughly 50 points more which is a negligable cost.  It would be a pain to deal with, but not something I'd lose friends over at any of my tables.

As a dueling machine it would be hard to beat.  As part of star/lance formation it will be a hell of a harrasser but there are foils to it.

3

BattleTech Miniatures / Re: Anyone make a Trebuchet-k ppc/ac5 mini?

« Last post by Whyphandler on Today at 18:04:29 »

I mean IWM or licensed creators.  Do not reply if you personally print them.  Has IWM or ral Partha, or CGL, ever done this?

4

BattleTech Miniatures / Anyone make a Trebuchet-k ppc/ac5 mini?

« Last post by Whyphandler on Today at 17:56:05 »

Despite being included in the very first TRO 3025 I have never seen someone make this.  Is it just that it has no demand?  Many one of a kind mechs are made. Even a Urbanmech LAM, but not this?

5

The Periphery / Re: The Scorpion Empire: All your Warhawks are belong to us

« Last post by Colt Ward on Today at 17:55:06 »

I think it's even longer than 10-15? I remember doing the math a while back based on the rules in AtoW, and an aero phenotype character with an average WIL score that didn't die by violence or other external cause could reasonably expect to live into their 40s, after getting the EI implants at age 18.

The big thing is that aerospace-phenotype characters take damage at one-third the rate of anyone else.

I was just sort of going off sibkos graduation since 2-4 years would be taken up with implants during training.  And that their reliability, as seen in the Scorpion and Horse vs CapCon stories, might be in question.

6

The Periphery / Re: Taking the Bull By the Horns: Taurus Rising

« Last post by Longstrider on Today at 17:53:35 »

So IKEO has a little of info on what's going on in the Taurian states.


1. The Periphery Duke is trying to convince worlds that went independent to fear reunification
2. The Capellan Duke decides to go on adventurism in the Taurians, some worlds are traded, and then borders are somewhat restored with the Concordat receiving a ransom that is enough to pay for a regiment
3. There's some indication that the Pleiades worlds don't care that much about Suns or Concordat membership any more
4. One of the local pirates wants to disrupt the wedding by kidnapping the bride? It's a bit of a strange plot, but in a setting of feudalism might well do it

Personally I kind of hope they're able to just sort of deal with these challenges in mundane ways and get on with their day. The clapback against the Hasek adventurism was a proportional response from Concordat and it was refreshing to see that they didn't lose their cool.

I'm sure thjere's a few other things, but that's what I pulled mainly.

7

Clan Chatterweb / Re: Star League - Third Time's a Charm

« Last post by Longstrider on Today at 17:45:05 »

One thing that occurs to me, as a relative newcomer to reading many of the books. There's this idea I've seen here and there on here (and it may well be that TPTB has decreed it such) that novels take priority over sourcebooks given the sourcebooks are delivered in-universe by 3rd parties in many cases.

This makes sense, but to me it seems that at least some of the consistencies in sourcebooks' characterisation could be explained away pretty directly. Reading ToB, we see Alaric imagining Stone and KSD goading him, but Spurlock Conners isn't going to know that as he's putting together the doc for IKEO. That only goes so far of course - even between the handful of novels and the Ilkhan era sourcebooks I've read (focusing on the Hinterlands and the FWL, and the Terra stuff) there are just notes that feel a little odd.

8

Gaming Terrain / Re: A couple questions for people who have used Geo Hex

« Last post by Bedwyr on Today at 17:37:38 »

Same with this subject. I'd rather see a new Geo Hex thread started than resurrect threads this old.

9

Alpha Strike / Re: question on bank Initiative Vs OVERRUN Combat & forcing THE INITIATIVE

« Last post by Keflyn on Today at 17:05:22 »

Because risking not auto-winning by the roll of the dice can actually improve your chances of Moving first more than every third round.  It gets even more useless when considering that SPAs, either chosen directly or from Formation bonuses, can alter the Initiative scheme more reliably and effectively.  When you combine Initiative bonus SPAs with Initiative bonus FCAs, the guarantee of only having first Initiative in only one of 3 rounds is rather poor.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great counter to Overrun, especially when it isn't required to be used (either Overrun or Banking Initiative), but that doesn't make it automatically awesome.

I've played against both of them in campaigns over the last 3 years (currently facing off against Overruning Jade Falcons right now, in fact), and we've learned how to deal with both of them.

We've actually managed to learn how to move in such a way that Overrun can be very painful to use against us, such that the GM is like, "Crap, I can overrun with an entire Lance, but if I move any of them, they'll be screwed as soon as they can move."  There's actually been times he's used Overrun to help a unit in Forced Withdrawal to get away.

Banking Initiative is harder to counter, but if you're moving properly, again, it won't matter as much.  If anything you can plan farther ahead, especially if they are using it every Turn.

OK, I'm going to grant most of those observations. And I'm glad you've had success against overrun. In fact that's, what I'm actually observing. Banking Initiative is the hard counter that takes control away from one side.

The ones I have questions about are where you say there are more reliable ways to modify initiative. That would be true, except for the fact that the Banking Initiative ability forces an outcome. There's no choices, there's no probability, there's no chance. I'm arguing for chance and probability.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree with many of your arguments.

10

BattleMechs / Re: Phoenix Hawk III-C-X: Absolute degerneracy.

« Last post by Valles on Today at 17:02:18 »

Hmmm.

Let's see.

Can we make it worse?

Code: [Select]

Phoenix Hawk (Unclean)

Mass: 55 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: All Eras (non-canon)
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Production Year: 0
Dry Cost: 13,618,042 C-Bills
Total Cost: 13,618,042 C-Bills
Battle Value: 3,267

Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 275 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
    Jump Capacity: 240 meters (300 meters)
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Lamellor
Armament:
    2  Large Pulse Lasers
    1  ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel                    91 points                3.00
    Internal Locations: 1 CT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 3 RA
Engine:             XL Fusion Engine             275                       8.00
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 8 (10) Improved
    Jump Jet Locations: 2 CT, 2 LT, 2 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL                       8.00
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             10(23)                    0.00
Gyro:                                                                      0.00
Cockpit:            Interface                                              4.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Ferro-Lamellor               AV - 182                 13.00
    Armor Locations: 1 CT, 1 RT, 5 LA, 5 RA

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     18           28       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  7         
                                           L/R Torso     13           19       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  7         
                                             L/R Arm     9            18       
                                             L/R Leg     13           25       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECM Suite                                    RT        0         1         1.00
Targeting Computer                           LT        -         3         3.00
Partial Wing                                 LT/RT     -         3/3       3.00
Large Pulse Laser                            RA        10        2         6.00
Large Pulse Laser                            LA        10        2         6.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 1

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 33
5/10j      3       3       3       0      2     0   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: ECM, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA