TRO 3145--Federated Suns

[SteveRestless]

Looks like the cockpit on the Atlas is armored too.

[MadCapellan]

Looks like the cockpit on the Atlas is armored too.

It is, in both configs.

[Diplominator]

Man, whoever wrote the Atlas III section did a good job. I especially enjoyed the bit about the guy dropping his RAC and flexing the arms, primarily because I've never been especially clear on how MechWarriors control the motions of their 'Mechs' arms and legs.

Consequently, I envisioned a FedSuns MechWarrior in the cockpit of his Atlas surrounded by various alarms clamoring for attention.  Despite the racket, he remains calm. As the remaining Capellans close in, he reaches over to the arm control panel and hits the "EJECT WEAPON" button. He waits for the click as the weapon disconnects, feels the thunder as it crashes to the ground, and senses the balance changes through his neurohelmet. Then, satisfied that the ruined weapon is gone, he reaches back over and presses another button marked "INTIMIDATE."

The Vandal pilot sees the Atlas waggle its fingers then ball its hands into fists. He feels the tremors as the hundred-ton behemoth lumbers toward him. Then, he sees one arm stretch out to point a single digit directly at his cockpit.

It is one of the last things he ever sees.

[Welshman]

Man, whoever wrote the Atlas III section did a good job. I especially enjoyed the bit about the guy dropping his RAC and flexing the arms, primarily because I've never been especially clear on how MechWarriors control the motions of their 'Mechs' arms and legs.

Jason Schmetzer wrote the entire TRO, cover to cover. Stats were built by a group of folks being managed my Jymset. This is why you see a lot of comments from various folks. One Author, One Artist, Several Designers.

[jymset]

I find it interesting that there is a general tendency for a given faction's supporters to strongly perceive the weaknesses of their faction's TRO. At least it has seemed that way on this TRO and Kurita. CC seemed to be liked more unanimously, yet it featured least ClanTech. Yes, it's all rather interesting.

I will say that a general design approach for this TRO has been something of the opposite to the design approach of 3085. While not responsible there, I can attest that everything said in public was genuinely true: if any favouritism was perceived, it was countered. As for the 3145 endeavour? In terms of stats, once the basic DA premises and strategic benchmarks were covered, the project's contributors were mostly let off the leash. So for what it's worth, there certainly is no "nerf" involved on any level.

Anyways, back to this one.

PAB-28 - @ sillybrit: I defy you to find a more game board combat-ready...ahem...PA(L) :D
Sea Fox & Fusilier-  both actually subtly go for something new while sticking to their own, individual theme. The Sea Fox creates a unique movement profile via mixed tech, the Fusilier milks the jump booster, then admits it wasn't worth milking and ditches it on the upgrade
Kruger - Faraday got it again O0 ...alas, for those who are counting, that's it on that front
Destrier - 2 years in the making, I'm elated it came out so perfect }:)
Gunsmith - we knew what we were doing there
Atlas - seriously? That RAC isn't its main gun, despite being all prominent. Don't close with it, it will start to outgun you. And it's a complete brick. Its designation alone shows that its roots lie with the good old AS7-D instead of the more contemporary AS8-D.

[RyuWanderfalke]

Gunsmith - we knew what we were doing there

That unit I understand the least, mostly in terms of heat.
I mean you got 4 weapons covering the same range and they all cause 6 heat added to the 6 heat from the engine. So we got 30 heat and... 20 heat to be dispersed?
I mean:  :o ??

[Weirdo]

I'm trying to think up a good scenario for it right now. In fact, I'm trying to work up some scenarios for each FedSuns front using only 3145 units(or the vast majority that way). I'll post them when they're ready.

Here's the first one, off the top of my head:

Hold the line at all costs!

This is a simple Hold the Line scenario, with the Liao force attempting to break through the Davion defenders in oder to strike at withdrawing units.

Setup: Randomly select three maps from the Badlands Terrain table on page 263 of Total War. Roll Initiative to determine setup, with the winner placing the maps in a 3x1 row with the long edges touching, and the loser choosing which resulting short edge of the overall battlefield will be their home edge. The opposite edge is the poosing player's home edge.

The defending player sets up first, deploying their units in any hex that is 4-10 hexes of their home edge. The attacker deploys their units second, in any hex along their home edge.

Attacker:
Predator Tank Destroyer *2
Zahn Heavy Transport *2
Amazon (MRR) *2
Amazon (PPC) *2
Pixiu Heavy Tank
Gun GN-20 *2
Vandal LI-O *2

All attacking units determine their skills randomly, using the Regular column of the Random Skills Table on page 273 of Total War.

Defender:
Destrier Siege Vehicle
Ballista Artillery Trailer
Fusilier(Upgrade) *2
Black Knight BLK-NT-5H

All defending units determine their skills randomly, using the Regular column of the Random Skills Table on page 273 of Total War. The pilot of the BLK-NT-5H may be rolled using the Veteran column.

Both sides are operating under Forced Withdrawal per page 258 of Total War.

Victory Conditions:
The scenario ends when all the units on one side have been destroyed or retreated off the map.

The Attacking player wins if he can move more than eight units off the Defender's home edge. If he fails, it is a victory for the Defender.

[Pa Weasley]

Destrier - 2 years in the making, I'm elated it came out so perfect }:)

So you mean evil?

[jymset]

That unit I understand the least, mostly in terms of heat.
I mean you got 4 weapons covering the same range and they all cause 6 heat added to the 6 heat from the engine. So we got 30 heat and... 20 heat to be dispersed?
I mean:  :o ??

Heh, to think; the same design crew may just be responsible for the Steiner volume. :P Jesting aside, yes. 10 heat is nothing on a 'Mech this fast. Well, then... I started playing this game when 10 heat was nothing, full stop. But that's just a game technicality. There is an overall design philosophy at work in the Gunsmith that harks back to XTRO Davion and dances around the elephant in the room that is 4x Clan MPL. This is one unit that deliberately has no variant.

That all said, I was talking about the name. ;)

So you mean evil?

psh... synonyms from where I'm standing. Add "gorgeous-in-an-intimidatingly-massive-way" to that short list.

[MadCapellan]

That unit I understand the least, mostly in terms of heat.
I mean you got 4 weapons covering the same range and they all cause 6 heat added to the 6 heat from the engine. So we got 30 heat and... 20 heat to be dispersed?
I mean:  :o ??

It's a saber-dancer.  It rushes behind an enemy unit and alphas.  On the following turn, it retreats to cover at full speed, easily clearing the excess 10 heat, and the movement penalty is practically negligible for a unit this fast.  Turn three, it re-merges to create more havok.  Alternatively, it can stay in the thick of things every turn, but then it has to dial-back to only two X-MPLs.

[Kitsune413]

Alot of these designs, like the Gunsmith, require the commanders to be really daring. Which is fun, but dangerous.

He who dares wins I suppose. It'll be exciting either way

[RyuWanderfalke]

Heh, to think; the same design crew may just be responsible for the Steiner volume. :P

I was afraid you would say something like this.  :-[
 ;)

Hm, well alright... I'm more used to the "if possible fire all your weapons with as little excess heat as possible or have volley fire where each volley allows you to barely avoid building up excess heat"-mindset. That's probably why the +10 heat kinda baffled me... :P

[Alexander Knight]

Hm, well alright... I'm more used to the "if possible fire all your weapons with as little excess heat as possible or have volley fire where each volles allows you to barely avoid building up excess heat"-mindset. That's probably why the +10 heat kinda baffled me... :P

The RFL-3N taunts you.  O:-)

[Paladin1]

The RFL-3N taunts you.  O:-)

Taunts?  Hell man, the RFL just flat out teabags those who aren't used to those type of heatpigs.

[Paul]

Hm, well alright... I'm more used to the "if possible fire all your weapons with as little excess heat as possible or have volley fire where each volles allows you to barely avoid building up excess heat"-mindset. That's probably why the +10 heat kinda at me baffling... :P

Anything less than 13 is not a problem, and you don't have to maintain LOS every turn. At 13 heat, it's *still* an 8/12(16), and if you can't break LOS with that much movement, you're either playing in a desert, or managed to overextend your flanker. Note that 13 residual heat + 6 for running = 19 heat, which brings the Gunsmith down to 0, allowing it to start all over again after just 1 turn.
I'd probably run three turns of 3 XMPLs myself. 4, then 8, then 12 heat. Break LOS. Repeat. Only that third salvo has a +1 to-hit penalty, since I wouldn't fire while it's at 12 heat.
If I *must* fire, I could elect to fire 2 lasers, run, and still drop 2 heat.
If I had to use all 4 in 1 salvo, I just break off subsequently.
If someone rips my arm off, I no longer need to break LOS anymore. So across 4 turns, I'm firing 8 XMPL, as opposed to 9 previously.

Edit: Forgot to add, the Gunsmith seems to be a great tool when dealing with Anubis 'Mechs of every published flavor. They can close, pick a range bracket that neutralized Stealth Armor and most of its weapons, and kill it.

Paul

[Adam Vagus]

<snip>
Then, satisfied that the ruined weapon is gone, he reaches back over and presses another button marked "INTIMIDATE."
<snip>

That button should be mandatory on all Atlases.

[RyuWanderfalke]

Taunts?  Hell man, the RFL just flat out teabags those who aren't used to those type of heatpigs.

By "mindset" I meant: When I tinker around and design some stuff. ;)

[RyuWanderfalke]

Anything less than 13 is not a problem, and you don't have to maintain LOS every turn. At 13 heat, it's *still* an 8/12(16), and if you can't break LOS with that much movement, you're either playing in a desert, or managed to overextend your flanker. Note that 13 residual heat + 6 for running = 19 heat, which brings the Gunsmith down to 0, allowing it to start all over again after just 1 turn.
I'd probably run three turns of 3 XMPLs myself. 4, then 8, then 12 heat. Break LOS. Repeat. Only that third salvo has a +1 to-hit penalty, since I wouldn't fire while it's at 12 heat.
If I *must* fire, I could elect to fire 2 lasers, run, and still drop 2 heat.
If I had to use all 4 in 1 salvo, I just break off subsequently.
If someone rips my arm off, I no longer need to break LOS anymore. So across 4 turns, I'm firing 8 XMPL, as opposed to 9 previously.

Edit: Forgot to add, the Gunsmith seems to be a great tool when dealing with Anubis 'Mechs of every published flavor. They can close, pick a range bracket that neutralized Stealth Armor and most of its weapons, and kill it.

Paul

Sounds like a tiresome harrasment approach for the attacking player. One that might actually work. ;)

[MadCapellan]

Taunts?  Hell man, the RFL just flat out teabags those who aren't used to those type of heatpigs.

It is a significant disappointment for me that none of the later Rifleman variants really embodied the "you can't kill me before I melt you to slag and shut down" mentality of the RFL-3N.  I really would like to see a Rifleman in the future that can once again only be defeated by its own heat gauge.

[Alexander Knight]

It is a significant disappointment for me that none of the later Rifleman variants really embodied the "you can't kill me before I melt you to slag and shut down" mentality of the RFL-3N.  I really would like to see a Rifleman in the future that can once again only be defeated by its own heat gauge.

TESTIFY!

[Paul]

Sounds like a tiresome harrasement for the attacker. One that might actually work. ;)

Yeah, if all that's going on while his units are engaged with your more 'stand and deliver' style units (IE, the Centurion, or most any already published FedSun Medium and heavy) things are going to get very old very quickly. Also note that the extended range available in Xpulse means that the GunSmith has far more options to minimize return fire than a unit equipped with, say, standard MPLs. And there's really never a reason to not be generating a solid 4+ to-hit modifier defensively.
And if all else fails, see how the enemy feels about getting Charged off a cliff, or on their rear armor.

[Molossian Dog IIC]

Wow these TROs are cranked out rather rapidly. Herb must make copious use of his whip at the assembly line.
"Good! Whip them some more! I want me FWL TRO!"

Just downloaded it. First question:

Why does the Atlas´cockpit have a sunshine roof?

[MadCapellan]

Why does the Atlas´cockpit have a sunshine roof?

Battletech>Future of the 80's>Officers like luxury>Moon Roof.

[jymset]

It is a significant disappointment for me that none of the later Rifleman variants really embodied the "you can't kill me before I melt you to slag and shut down" mentality of the RFL-3N.  I really would like to see a Rifleman in the future that can once again only be defeated by its own heat gauge.

Yet when you got a chance to make a variant of it, you went for the -3C.

...for the Davions, no less! :o

[Nerroth]

For those with an eye for BF/QS/AS-scale combat, do any of the units in this volume look like they might be interesting options when converted over?

I used SSW to have a go at converting the Gunsmith shown in the preview PDF over in another thread, and it seems like its speed would certainly be a factor; not least since, under that scale of rules, it starts off with the +4 to hit bonus automatically. (Which is just as well, given how fragile the 'Mech is in that scale.) The heat issues don't seem to translate over, however, since it seems to get an OV of 0 post-conversion.

[Weirdo]

Why does the Atlas´cockpit have a sunshine roof?

So the gods can identify you and prepare themselves for your arrival.

[RyuWanderfalke]

btw, on a sidenote... jymset has hinted at it and after searching through the TRO I just noted that there is indeed not a single Clan spec Medium Pulse laser on any Davion design. So I take it they somehow where unable to transfer the Clan Pulse Lasers from the Rifleman X3 and the Fulcrum X to production level efficiency?

[MadCapellan]

Yet when you got a chance to make a variant of it, you went for the -3C.

...for the Davions, no less! :o

Well, unfortunately, the mandate I was given for those designs related specifically to special AC ammo.  Making a heat-pig was completely off the table!

[Diplominator]

Something just occurred to me, but I'm on a laptop away from my pdfs at the moment and I can't confirm my suspicions. The new Centurions and Templar IIIs are Omnis, so PPCs and autocannons in the arms mean no LA/Hand actuators, right? I thought that visually "no LA/Hand actuators" meant that the arms were supposed to be Rifleman-style turret arms. I mean, that's been broken as long as OmniMechs have existed, from the Dire Wolf's UAC arms to the original Templar, but am I wrong about the way it's supposed to be? I seem to remember both of the new Omnis looking like they had LA actuators.

Then again, I'm a little unclear on what each actuator does. Hand is obvious but from there it seems like there's three actuators for two axes of movement. Maybe MWO is confusing me.

[Crunch]

Something just occurred to me, but I'm on a laptop away from my pdfs at the moment and I can't confirm my suspicions. The new Centurions and Templar IIIs are Omnis, so PPCs and autocannons in the arms mean no LA/Hand actuators, right? I thought that visually "no LA/Hand actuators" meant that the arms were supposed to be Rifleman-style turret arms. I mean, that's been broken as long as OmniMechs have existed, from the Dire Wolf's UAC arms to the original Templar, but am I wrong about the way it's supposed to be? I seem to remember both of the new Omnis looking like they had LA actuators.

Then again, I'm a little unclear on what each actuator does. Hand is obvious but from there it seems like there's three actuators for two axes of movement. Maybe MWO is confusing me.

I've always assumed that the Hand Actuator controlled the fingers, the lower arm actuator the wrist and the upper arm actuator the elbow. Could be wrong though.