'Warcriming the Militia' - Battlemechs of the WoB

[Wrangler]

Is Warcriming the Militia' part of the FanFic story?

[Red Pins]

Yeah, all going into one book.  The other 'warcriming' threads are different sections, sort of a blog to help me keep going.  I'm sure I did a screenshot of the table of contents somewhere, but you'd have to look.

[Red Pins]

Well, that was actually fairly painless.  I might be able to knock out one more, since I'm on vacation.  That would be the BattleAxe, Hector, Shootist, and White Flame.  Only 32-33 left.   

Excuse the text boxes, I'll clean those up later.

[Red Pins]

And, the next page.  I really don't like the Hector entry - its just too small, but I can't really think of how to present it in some sort of combat.  I've got its parts being used to supply a prototype 'flagship unit' to oppose the New Clan version (Just found the original stats for it, they're absolutely OP with every possible bonus.) but dang, that's a lot of empty space.

Next week, I'll be working on the fiction story for the most part.  Should have something in another week or so, up next is the Tyrant (Hector), and rounding out the 75-tonners we have the Toyama, Black Knight, and Extinction, an original NC unit.  Another one with the pencil-image and 'we know nothing about this 'Mech' black accenting around the text.  Haven't even made that one, yet.

[Red Pins]

Tired of the fiction, trying to get some kind of enthusiasm to do the project but nothings changed.  Still running (And it might be permanent!), kids still getting cops called to the school...

But, redid the Hector entry and gave it the Banshee treatment.  Might spend a little time tonight doing the next sheet, but promised myself to do 5 major things and take off Sunday night to relax.

[Daryk]

Taking care of you is important too! :)

[Red Pins]

Ugh.  Altogether, my family goes to three high schools, two elementary schools, and a farm school.  Over 2,000 students and staff.

Its like living in a petrie dish.  That said, I was bad again.  The Tyrant lives!, a screenshot.

[Daryk]

Yikes!  That's a lot of schools for one family!

[Red Pins]

Ugh.  Couldn't figure out a role for this, so I took a page out of Drakensis' D&D(D) story - the Extinction is designed to be a security unit for underground facilities.

Please note; the PPCs are stand-ins for iAC/20s - basically, loaded gun barrels similar to Metalstorm guns.  Capable of firing all five rounds in each barrel in a single volley (at significant penalties) this ambush hunter can do 600 points of damage without the single defensive ML in the head or the AP Hardpoints on each arm.

The Hardpoints are identified by the Sml lasers; I haven't designed the pods, but off the cuff I'd say .5 tons of armor, .5 tons CASE, .5 tons ammo, and 7 Clan Light-MGs.  So, 14 scatter damage if they all hit.

I was relatively impressed with how quickly it came together, so here are the full stats and fluff.

Extinction ETC-T1

Mass: 75 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 150 Light
Cruising Speed: 21.6 kph
Maximum Speed: 32.4 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
     6 ER PPC
     1 Medium Laser
     2 ER Small Laser
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3145
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-D
Cost: 9,926,000 C-bills

Type: Extinction
Technology Base: Mixed (Advanced)
Tonnage: 75
Battle Value: 1,609

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure                                  7.5
Engine                        150 Light             4.5
   Walking MP: 2
   Running MP: 3
   Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink              12 [24]                 2
Gyro                                                            2
Cockpit                                                        3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          230                    12

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso        23        34   
     Center Torso (rear)          11   
     R/L Torso             16        25   
     R/L Torso (rear)                7     
     R/L Arm               12        24   
     R/L Leg                16        32   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm

Weapons
and Ammo              Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage   
3 ER PPC                 RT        9        15      21.0 
ER Small Laser         LA        1        2          0.5   
3 Double Heat Sink   LA        9        -          3.0   
3 ER PPC                 LT         9        15      21.0 
Medium Laser          HD        1        3          1.0   
ER Small Laser         RA        1        2          0.5   
3 Double Heat Sink  RA         9        -          3.0   
   
Used by: Pythons, Civil Government
Variants: Unknown

  Faced with the need to hide manu-facturing facilities and fortifications from observation, the Blakists and their allies created massive under-ground facilities reminiscent of the Terran Hegemony’s Castle Brians, securing them from attack with a specially designed guardian – the Extinction.
  A 75-ton unit with a top speed of 32.4 kph, the Extinction uses a Light fusion engine and Clan Ferro-Fibrous to mount six massive iAC/20s.  De-signed to strike knockout blows from ambush before retreating to rearm, the design carries only a single, head mounted Medium laser as a defensive weapon once the ammunition has been expended.
  Aware of the dangers of Battlearmor at close range, the Extinction uses Hardpoints to carry armored Machine Gun pods to provide a deterrent.

Notable Units
  Its existence revealed by Civil Government officials, the unit identified as ‘Fortress One’ was turned over for a detailed examination by Clan officals.

[Red Pins]

Oh, and a close-up.  I don't remember the real name of the unit, its something 3145-ish, don't remember what faction.  I reverse-designed the Extinction to fit the art.

[Daryk]

How many crits are iAC/20s again??

[Hazard Pay]

9 Crits vs 10 of the old AC/20.

[Daryk]

Hmmm... I'm WAY out of crits to make all that fit.

[Red Pins]

How many crits are iAC/20s again??

Haha...  TWO!  I use the PPCs as stand-ins because the mass is the same in MML.  Same thing as the small lasers for the Hardpoints.

Now, I know what you're thinking - munchkin tech.  But, it's seven tons that provides only 5 rounds.  Heat is low, crits are low, but once those five rounds are done, you have to go back to the service point or ammo depot to rearm.  It's only because this thing is an UrbanMech on steroids with six of them in a very limited role that it's a concern.  Otherwise, it's a walking target.

The iAC can fire in bursts - 1 round, then 2 with a to-hit penalty (want to say +2, but dont remember right now), then the last 2 (with an additional +2 for a total of a +4).  So unless the situation is absolutely certain, you hold back from using it.

In playtesting, it was a way to force a 'bubble of death' that often missed but had to be honored.  Given that my New Clans were gearing up to fight the Annihilation, it fit in with their style of combat and logistics - throwaway, one-shot weapons because they were designed to be sacrificed.

[Daryk]

Only two for something that does that much damage seems REALLY low.  Do you have versions at 10, 5, and 2?  Just based on the potential family of systems, I'd expect at least four slots for the 20 version.

[Red Pins]

Only two for something that does that much damage seems REALLY low.  Do you have versions at 10, 5, and 2?  Just based on the potential family of systems, I'd expect at least four slots for the 20 version.

Yup.  I think 3 tons for the iac/2, 45 rounds.  It seems like nothing, but it can fire bursts of 5, with the same penalty.  The /5s and /10s have smaller rounds/burst, the /20s have bursts oftwo

I'll repost their rules later.

[Red Pins]

The iAC rules;

Improved Autocannon (I-AC)
  Despite the heat efficiency of Autocannons, advances in heatsinks and energy weapons have diminished their presence on the battlefield.  Looking for weapons systems adaptable to modern warfare, the Civil Government has successfully combined the 21st century Metalstorm system with the modern Autocannon, providing compact, heat efficient weapons capable of flexibility unmatched by current designs.
I-ACs take advantage of several centuries of development in ballistic weapons to provide cutting edge weight-to-damage ratios; the Metalstorm concept, used in large caliber grenade launchers before being abandoned by 2050, takes advantage of these developments to provide a rate of fire similar to Rotary Autocannons.

Game Rules
  I-ACs are useless after firing their pre-loaded ammo until the barrel is exchanged, but offer an increased rate of fire at a growing cost in accuracy.  I-AC/2 and /5s fire Bursts of six rounds per Turn, I-AC/10s fire Bursts of four, and I-AC/20s Bursts of two.

           Heat     Dam           Range  Ammo    Wt     Space    Tech
Weapon       Std(Aero)      Std (Aero)       M/S/M/L (Aero)    (barrel)  (tons)   M  E  CV  SV  F  SC  DS Rating
I-AC/2                 0*(0*)              2(2)            4/6/12/18 (Long)      45          3       1   2    1     1    1   1     1      F
I-AC/5                 0*(0*)              5(5)         3/5/10/15 (Medium)    20          4       1   3    1     2    1   1     1      F
I-AC/10                1(1)              10(10)        0/4/8/12 (Medium)     10          6       1   4    1     4    1   1     1      F
I-AC/20                3(3)              20(20)           0/3/6/9 (Short)          5          7       2    -    1     8    1   1     1      F
* - See Notes

Notes:
I-ACs are able to use special- and mixed ammo, in any order and any type except Caseless.  Players must record the type of ammo in order of firing.
I-ACs may fire single rounds or in Bursts.  Players must specify the number of rounds to be fired before the weapon is fired.
Heat is cumulative with each shell fired.  I-AC/2s and /5s do not generate heat for single shots; for each multiple of 2 rounds fired, one heat is generated.
Damage is allocated by shell, in order of rounds fired, following the rules for specialty ammo.
I-ACs roll on the Cluster Hits table to determine the number of rounds that hit the target.
I-ACs may fire a single round or Bursts.  When firing a single Burst, I-ACs do not receive a to-hit penalty and roll on the Cluster Hits table normally.
I-ACs may fire up to four Bursts in a single Turn, but players must make a to-hit roll for each Burst with a cumulative to-hit penalty.  Each Burst after the first requires its own to-hit roll (with a cumulative +2 to-hit penalty) and Cluster Hit table roll.

Ex.  An I-AC/2 needs a 3 to hit.  Because the to-hit number is low, the owner decides to risk the maximum number of Bursts in an attempt to kill his target.  The first Burst, without a to-hit penalty, requires a 3 (3+0), which the Player makes easily.  Rolling on the Cluster Hits table, he sees five have hit the target.  Checking the list of ammunition, he sees that all are standard rounds, and rolls hit locations for all five before proceeding.
The second Burst suffers from the first cumulative penalty, requiring a 5 (3+0+2).  Rolling on the Cluster Hits table, he finds that five more standard rounds have hit the target, and rolls hit locations for all five before proceeding.
The third Burst requires a 7 (3+0+2+2), which he makes narrowly.  Checking against the Cluster Hits table he finds 3 rounds hit the target and rolls locations for all three.
The fourth Burst brings him to his first specialty ammunition, a six-round Burst of Precision ammo.  (Note the added mass of the specialty ammo has no effect on the I-AC/2.)  The ammunition provides a –2 to-hit modifier, giving him a to-hit number of 7 (3+0+2+2+2-2) for the second time.  If the fourth Burst had been standard ammo, it would have been a 9 (3+0+2+2+2).

If a Burst contains mixed ammunition types each round must be individually rolled in the order of firing and a hit location determined before going on to the next Burst.

[Daryk]

Thanks for posting it!  I think the crits are still low for the bigger ones, but at least now we know! :)

[Red Pins]

They're essentially a ton of ammo and a barrel - no reloading gear, recoil absorbers, coolant lines, only a couple servos for adjusting pitch and yaw - attached in a manner similar to the PPCs and GR of the Banshee, on the outside of the mech not internal like the Mauler.

[Daryk]

Do they have "Exposed Linkage", then?

[Red Pins]

Do they have "Exposed Linkage", then?

I dont use quirks, but it sounds like it? 

The Toyama and black knight are proving harder to do than I though.  Both needed a refit, theToyama for it's XL Gyro and vspls and the black knight -12 needs to cool down a bit

[Red Pins]

Well, screenshot.

Very frustrating day, think I shot myself in the foot, too; described the site I'm working at as, 'Layered in stupid."  Case in point, Air Handling Unit with two filter banks, both not changed since April, with filters on racks with supports that have to be removed before breaking and bend the filter onto the rack.  With computerized systems that can't be eset on site, and a program known to be full of bugs.

Tomorrow will be the 4th day of trying to get this done, and I have to climb over the glycol heating and cooling lines to get into the return filter compartment 6' off the ground to try changing them.  Hope they don't fix the fault before I get in there, or I'll have to call the tech and make private arrangements to do them on a certain day at the end of the day and get him to fix the fault before morning.

I can only wonder what the Principal thinks of all this.  Next up, Grand Crusader, HawkWolf, Legacy, and Thug.

[Red Pins]

Really hoped to do a full page today, but - life.  Still got a good bit done, got to goof off a bit, and remembered to take paper and pen in the car to use those 'hurry-up-and-wait' moments waiting for kids to finish their stuff.  Figure I'll get at least three pages in before Chapter 3 is ready to transcribe onto the box, so it wasn't a total loss.

And the fifth kid looks to have gotten strep.  More than half of the house not going to work or school.  What fun.

Anyway, screenshot.  I always like the Brotherhood of Randis, the Hawkwolf looks cool.   

[Daryk]

Strep is no fun... I hope they feel better soon!

[Red Pins]

Yeah, so do I.  You know, the most annoying part of it all is I had to learn to prevent myself from that hacking cough - lozenges, meds, controlled breathing.  And I'm the only one in the house that can.

It drives me nuts.  Guess I'm just weird.

Anyway, screenshot.  Decided to make the Crusader the Mark II - I don't care for it, and it violates the New Clan's design philosophy and military doctrine multiple ways.  But it sure looks pretty, and I could see a morale benefit from seeing it fighting on my side.

*edit-Annoying 'Wolfhawk'/'Hawkwolf' error fixed.

[Daryk]

It looks a little too Invid to me... ;)

[Red Pins]

It looks a little too Invid to me... ;)

Yeah, a bit.  I would have preferred to use the original art, but...

Anyway, I had a bit of time and finished the Legacy entry, trying to fix a completely different problem; the lack of art, compounded by a more advanced set of weapons.  So, I tried a different approach, going full munchkin!

Plasma Rifles preserve the unique look, (C)ER-MLs replace the energy weapons, and Actuator Enhancement Systems increase their effectiveness, compounded by the Angel ECM suite and C3i module.  A MML-9 with Artemis IV replaces the SRM-4 (ST), with 3 tons of ammo safeguarded by a CASE II system.

Anyway, Screenshot.  Out of time for tonight; hope to finish this page tomorrow, but getting 5-6 hours of sleep without my wife coughing me awake is rare.  Thank god I sleep with earplugs sometimes.

[Red Pins]

Well, that was fairly easy.  Next up, the Annihilation, Zeus, Stalker, and Crockett.  The Annihilation will probably be some sort of Primitive Franken'Mech CGF unit, cobbled together with a couple variants.

*Edit, do grammar check, they read terribly.

[Red Pins]

Well, this is absolute kludge.  FanPro would be proud.  I kinda despise it already.

The concept behind the Annihilation is, 'What happens after?'  If the Invasion was successful, the Civil Government would find it caught between all factions; to the Blakists, they would be the sole remaining thorn in the side of their complete dominance of the Cluster, having absorbed the Pythons.  The Pythons, looking for revenge for the Centuries of bitter rivalry, could reliably be expected to enjoy shooting at them.  The remaining New Clan citizens would find themselves at the bottom of the Cluster's political and military rankings, with the CGF expected to garrison the remaining worlds of the Cluster and deal with the inevitable uprisings and guerrilla warfare expected to  erupt.

To that end, they began a series of experiments using the Annihilation's framework.

Annihilation ANN-H1

Mass: 80 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 320 XL
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Jump Jets: Improved
     Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: Hardened
Armament:
     3 ER Medium Laser
     2 Small Laser
     2 LRM 15
     2 SRM 6
     1 ER Large Laser
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3072
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-E
Cost: 22,335,600 C-bills

Type: Annihilation
Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental)
Tonnage: 80
Battle Value: 2,790

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure                                    8
Engine                        320 XL               11.5
   Walking MP: 4
   Running MP: 5
   Jumping MP: 3
Double Heat Sink              10 [20]                 0
Gyro                                                  4
Small Cockpit                                         2
Armor Factor (Hardened)       156                  19.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            25        24   
     Center Torso (rear)               7     
     R/L Torso               17        16   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  5     
     R/L Arm                 13        16   
     R/L Leg                 17        21   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm

Weapons
and Ammo                   Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage   
Improved Jump Jet             LL        2        -       2.0   
Improved Jump Jet             CT        2        -       2.0   
SRM 6                         RT        1        4       1.5   
LRM 15 Ammo (16)              RT        2        -       2.0   
CASE II                       RT        1        -       1.0   
LRM 15                        RT        2        5       3.5   
2 Small Laser                 RT        2        1       1.0   
SRM 6 Ammo (15)               RT        1        -       1.0   
ER Medium Laser               LA        1        5       1.0   
3 Triple Strength Myomer    RA/LA      3/3       -       0.0   
ER Large Laser                LA        1        12      4.0   
SRM 6                         LT        1        4       1.5   
LRM 15 Ammo (16)              LT        2        -       2.0   
CASE II                       LT        1        -       1.0   
LRM 15                        LT        2        5       3.5   
ECM Suite                     LT        2        -       1.5   
SRM 6 Ammo (15)               LT        1        -       1.0   
Improved Jump Jet             RL        2        -       2.0   
ECM Suite                     HD        2        -       1.5   
2 ER Medium Laser             RA        2        5       2.0   
3 Triple Strength Myomer    RA/LA      3/3       -       0.0   

[Daryk]

"Kludge" is putting it mildly! :D