(Answered) CO - Salvage

[Sartris]

Per 174 of Campaign Operations, "vehicles, ’Mechs, and other salvaged units may be repaired" after salvaging them. The issue is that there is no working definition (that I can find) for what constitutes salvageable. Is there an official rubric? Or is it as simple as following the destroyed vs truly destroyed criteria in Strategic Operations?

For my own purposes, I've always considered a salvageable unit one that can't leave the battlefield under its own power.

'Mechs - Pilot killed / unconscious when the scenario ends, at least one leg destroyed, two gyro crits, three engine hits, two hip crits
Vehicles - Crew Killed crit, fusion engine crit, cruise MP reduced to zero through motive crits, turret destroyed, crew bailed out
Aircraft - crash landed, can't take off

[Sartris]

Dumb question?

[cray]

Dumb question?

Overlooked question, sorry.

In Campaign Operations, I was assuming that salvage was defined in the Strategic Operations p. 166+ section. For example, p. 175 "truly destroyed" defines those units that cannot be repaired at all. If they're not truly destroyed then recovery is possible with a lot of grunt work by tech teams.

Did those definitions work, or did they prompt your home rules?

[Sartris]

no worries. it wouldn't be the first time i asked a question with an obvious answer

the sticking piece for me is destroyed vs crippled. a mech with two gyro hits or a destroyed leg doesn't count as destroyed - but it's not leaving the battlefield.

So is just one of those line in the abstraction sand where the official rules draws a line that is convenient for the sake of simplicity even if it hurts if you think about it too long? 

[Paul]

Not sure why. It can be salvaged by whoever wins, and forced withdrawal ‘destroys’ them by forcing surrender.

[cray]

the sticking piece for me is destroyed vs crippled. a mech with two gyro hits or a destroyed leg doesn't count as destroyed - but it's not leaving the battlefield.

Right - it's destroyed beyond use on the battlefield. However, combat vehicles destroyed in battle have a long history of being repaired and sent back to the front. Modern tanks, for example, are designed to rapidly swap damaged transmissions and engines in single "power packs." Given the short periods required to replace entire limbs and torso sections on 'Mechs per the repair rules there's definitely a difference between "battlefield destroyed" and "so destroyed that Battle Magic can't fix it after the fight."

So is just one of those line in the abstraction sand where the official rules draws a line that is convenient for the sake of simplicity even if it hurts if you think about it too long?

Different contexts, different rules. Hence there's Total Warfare rules for destroyed (not useful in combat) and Strategic Operations for destroyed (not able to be salvaged.)

[Sartris]

Right, that all makes sense. I was thinking more in the context of

I get to claim salvage for completing an objective (and therefore control the field)
The enemy Archer is out of commission because of two gyro hits
It doesn’t count as destroyed and poofs from my salvage pool back to the enemy hanger even though there is no way it could withdraw

[cray]

Right, that all makes sense. I was thinking more in the context of

I get to claim salvage for completing an objective (and therefore control the field)
The enemy Archer is out of commission because of two gyro hits
It doesn’t count as destroyed and poofs from my salvage pool back to the enemy hanger even though there is no way it could withdraw

Different situations. The battlefield (Total War) definition applies to determine when the Archer stops fighting, and thus when you can claim the hulk and drag it back to your hangar.

The Strategic Operations' definition of destroyed only applies once the salvage is back at your hangar and you want to repair it or junk it.

[Sartris]

Different situations. The battlefield (Total War) definition applies to determine when the Archer stops fighting, and thus when you can claim the hulk and drag it back to your hangar.

this was the root of my confusion. for the life of me i couldn't figure out where CO said you could salvage "destroyed or crippled" equipment

then in the 34th combing of the book (pg 174)


thanks cray