I know the Rifleman and Jaggermech are dedicated AA designs, but are there any other 'Mechs designed primarily for AA work?
The Orion fluff is a bit ambiguous on the matter. It may or may not be a dedicated AA 'Mech, but it is certainly noted to have the targeting/tracking system.
As for infantry you want Field Gun Infantry/Motorized Batteries, Seventy-fifth L ight Guard, First Taurian Lancers, because otherwise the unit has to attack the infantry units square for them to attack it. die.
OK, I generated a 3038 FS Battalion, and out of 30 'Mechs, 2 mounted AC/2's and thus would work as dedicated AA units covering the battalion (A Blackjack BJ-1 and a Vulcan VL-2T), and there are a couple that only carry light LRM load-outs (Valkyrie VLK-QA and Gladiator GLD-3R) so AA is probably passable. Beyond that, pulling the Orion off the line to shoot at ASFs sounds like it could be a problem, to say nothing of moving the LRM boats off that mission.
The computer is a definite maybe but the missile launcher is just a game mechanics artifact of the AT 1 system where the larger LRM racks were good AAA systems because they combined long range with multiple damage rolls which was good because ASF damage was kind of like old school vee damage tables where many locations on the hit chart included critical damage effects.-Jackmc
The Vulcan is not an AA Mech. It's an Anti-Infantry/Anti-Building mech.
It mounts an AC/2 and not much else, it works as an AA 'Mech
What game mechanics? AT1?
Sorry, but I guess I misunderstood you above. I thought that you are interested in 'Mechs either described or used "in universe" as anti-aircraft 'Mechs.If you are interested simply in 'Mechs with AC-2, then you can choose from about a half dozen of AC-2-armed 'Mechs that are available in 3025 era.As for the Vulcan, in-universe it has been used as anti-infantry and anti-building 'Mech.
Yeah AT1, where you definitely did not want to get hit because the ASF hit chart was packed full of random nastiness.-Jackmc
It was the old AeroTech mechanics, for aerospace fighters. And it was very unforgiving to the extent that like the old vehicle hit charts there were lots of ways that any hit could potentially do Bad Things to an ASF. Much like the lawndart roll you were trying to pingspam them until you made a hit that caused Bad Things to happen, so you didn't need a lot of damage instead you wanted to hit as many times as possible starting as far away as possible so that you'd have a greater chance of one of them making a lucky hit.
Fixed that for you. Unless they use field guns/arty, or carry dedicated AA weapons(not available in 3025), infantry cannot fire on aeros at all, even when directly attacked.
I was serous what game mechanics are you talking about? I do not know what AT1 is.
According to the availability by eras listed in A Time of War, the Mark 1 AA weapon is available during the succession wars era, but exceedingly rare (availability code F). Interstellar Operations (beta) gives the same availability rating, but also lists them as extinct. So AA infantry might actually exist in the succession wars era, but running into them might be a once in a lifetime event. And woe to the poor quartermaster who has to scrounge ammo for them!(I just mention it because of the scene in Wolves on the Border where a Davion infantry unit fires missiles at an aerofighter flight).
