Alternate Munitions & IF/LRM Special Abilities

[BrrtWarthog]

Looking for some clarification on the ability to use alternate LRM munitions with the Indirect Fire special ability in Alpha Strike. The description of the IF special ability reads "Units with the IF# and LRM #/#/# specials may make use of all alternate munitions." If a unit only has the IF special ability but not the LRM special ability, does it have the ability to use alternate LRM munitions? I can see interpreting that description as either "one or the other" or "must have both" but since the description under the alternate munitions all read "available only to units with the LRM special" I'm guessing that a unit needs to have both special abilities in order to use alternate munitions.

The thing that led me to ask this question is that I'm looking at two different tanks in MUL that are both labeled (LRM), but only one has the LRM special ability and I'm confused as to why they both wouldn't have it. I'm comparing the Scorpion Light Tank (LRM) to the Partisan Heavy Tank (LRM) - only the Partisan has the LRM special ability. According to sarna.net, the Scorpion has 15 tubes (1x LRM10 + 1x LRM5), and the Partisan has 60 tubes (4x LRM15), which tracks with the difference/ratio in AS damage numbers. My understanding of LRMs in the BT universe is that LRM launchers all use the same ammo, the only difference is the number of tubes per launcher. Is that wrong? A friend of mine suggested that maybe the reason is because in AS units have to meet a certain damage threshold before they gain the LRM special ability, but that doesn't make much sense to me.

Basically - if the rule is that the use of alternate LRM munitions requires the LRM special ability, why does a unit that has (LRM) in the name not have the LRM special ability, allowing to use alternate LRM munitions?

Any insight is appreciated, thanks.

[Charistoph]

From experience, it's always best to look at the Record Sheet of the unit in question.

Usually there is something going on from the conversion that causes such Specials to not be used.  This should be answered in the Alpha Strike Companion book (available on DriveThruRPG), but I don't have it on hand.

In the case of the LRM rule, I believe not having enough Ammo Bays for another type of Ammo is what precludes the Scorpion from having the LRM rule.

[nckestrel]

There are usually two reasons why a unit has IF but not LRM.

1) The unit has soemthing preventing it from using alternate LRM ammunition. This is usually an Artemis fire control system.  Alpha Strike does not let you switch from using artemis-equipped LRMs to non-Artemis equipped LRMs, and so a unit carrying LRM launchers with Artemis will only have IF, not LRM.  Related, but FAR less common, is mech mortars which can give IF but don't allow LRM munitions.

2) The unit doesn't have enough LRMs. the conversion rules are more lenient with base S/M/L (non-special ability) and with IF.  A unit has to work harder to earn AC, LRM and SRM, with a minimum (pre final rounding) value of 1 in order to qualify. This is why the Scorpion (LRM) does not have LRM.  The LRM-10 is worth 0.6 (average roll of 7 is 6 missiles hit from cluster chart) and the LRM-5 is worth 0.3 (average roll of 7 gives 3 missiles).   0.9 rounds up to 1 for base S/M/L, but does not meet the minimum of 1.0 to qualify for the LRM special.

[BrrtWarthog]

Thanks for the explanation!