'Mech of the Week: ABS-XX Anubis

[wantec]

I'll be honest, when I designed the 5Y I was thinking more thunders than plain LRMs. The LPPCs are the things you shoot every turn with the LRMs being thrown in on juicy targets or for other "duties". With your main guns not requiring ammo, you can afford to just stay at range and plink away with little fear of reprisals. IT is the slow way of killing something but a safe way to kill something.

The 5Z was designed to slice through formations firing everything. If you missed with the streaks, no big deal, you didn't exactly build much heat. If you hit, particularly if you were cutting through and in someone's rear arc, you gave them a nasty surprise. I believe I cost someone their Devastator on the initial test run.

To be fair to Hellbie, most of the Anubis that he faced were from MWDA and that high defense and speed just made them annoying to kill. Death by a thousand papercuts. I hope we get the 5Y made in mini form. I may just have to paint a company of them. I only had two companies of them for MWDA with matching pilots.

I'm surprised it took you this long to respond.

My favorite of the originals is the MML version, an LRM10 is good for a light, but being able to swap it for 10 SRMs is a fun surprise

[Colt Ward]

Honestly, for the Canopians and Taurans how well did the original series of designs fit with their own forces?

This was probably their most mobile light/medium until the advent of the IJJ as regular equipment.  Were Anubis important to the TC/MoC units that participated in Trinity military actions?

[cavingjan]

As far as LPPCs . . . eh, New Toy . . . it would have been better to take a page out of IIRC the Anubis from MC2 which I would swear had a ERLL along with the LRMs . . . or I did that every time.  No minimums, range is slightly better though you trade for the heat.

That would only work if you dropped the LRMs and are willing to cause heat issues. But then again, you would just be recreating the Sha Yu.

Besides, LPPCs have been out since 2006.

I'm surprised it took you this long to respond.

I've been busy.

[Maelwys]

Honestly, for the Canopians and Taurans how well did the original series of designs fit with their own forces?

Well, the Canopians have the Locust, so they're used to the speed atleast, but the original Anubis gives them a unit with matching speed, more durability, EW capabilities and a long range punch. I don't really see it not working out.

[GreekFire]

Honestly, for the Canopians and Taurans how well did the original series of designs fit with their own forces?

This was probably their most mobile light/medium until the advent of the IJJ as regular equipment.  Were Anubis important to the TC/MoC units that participated in Trinity military actions?

It fits very well, in my opinion. In many ways, it was a harbinger of things to come. Before the Anubis, the quickest thing available to the TC/MoC was the stock Locust - a close-in backstabber that complements the longer-ranged Anubis quite well. From there on, we see a gradual shift towards quicker units for both factions. They'd get access to the Ebony, Locust -5T, Cadaver, Stinger -6L/-5G, Wasp -7MAF...all units that compliment the Anubis' niche quite well.

[Maelwys]

Of course, that's probably true to the majority of light 'Mechs no matter the faction :)

[Colt Ward]

Well, I was not just referring to light mechs but the overall tactics their regiments would have . . . I mean, looking at what they got with some of their home designs on the TC-side like the Brahma . . . not sure it fits.  For the MoC?  Yeah- Ebony, Eurleyka, Calliope . . . makes sense.

[GreekFire]

Well, I was not just referring to light mechs but the overall tactics their regiments would have . . . I mean, looking at what they got with some of their home designs on the TC-side like the Brahma . . . not sure it fits.  For the MoC?  Yeah- Ebony, Eurleyka, Calliope . . . makes sense.

I'm not too familiar with what the TC has, all I know is that they have a wicked-fast variant of the Thud and the Warhammer that could add to a mobile regimental doctrine. Even so, IMO it matters less and less as time goes on; I'd guess that in the current era most surplus Anubis' would be shifted towards the friendlier Andurien market instead of the Taurian one.

Of course, that's probably true to the majority of light 'Mechs no matter the faction :)

True, but the Magistracy stands out to me as putting a very heavy emphasis on maneuverable lights/mediums. Hell, do they even have a light 'mech slower than 8/12 in production come the Dark Age?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The Marshal is still in production, isn't it?

[Maelwys]

Well, I was not just referring to light mechs but the overall tactics their regiments would have . . . I mean, looking at what they got with some of their home designs on the TC-side like the Brahma . . . not sure it fits.  For the MoC?  Yeah- Ebony, Eurleyka, Calliope . . . makes sense.

Its really hard to say when the Anubis first comes out. The Magistracy and Taurian armies are hodgepodges of whatever they happen to have at the time and what production they've managed over the years. Pretty much anything is going to fit. As time progresses however...

True, but the Magistracy stands out to me as putting a very heavy emphasis on maneuverable lights/mediums. Hell, do they even have a light 'mech slower than 8/12 in production come the Dark Age?

Well, in an amusing turn around, yes, they do. The Anubis :) Modern versions are 7/11 :) But yeah, they definitely do seem to be going for speed. Even the Eyleuka was originally envisioned with MASC before going the IJJ route. The Koschei is a somewhat fast heavy...Even the Penthesilea could be considered faster than normal.

What I find sort of interesting is how the Magistracy is handling their Stealth 'Mechs. The Capellans are creating "Shadow Lances" (If not Companies at this point). The Canopians definitely have enough designs at this point that they could do the same (then again, they could do this with the Anubis), so I wonder how they're deploying them..their own Shadow Lances or on their own.

The Marshal is still in production, isn't it?

Well, its got a modern variant. Whether that's just a refit (NTNU states they're refits of older designs, but it could still be in production on Detroit).

[wantec]

That would only work if you dropped the LRMs and are willing to cause heat issues. But then again, you would just be recreating the Sha Yu.

Besides, LPPCs have been out since 2006.

In my mind a better option than an ERLL and a spare ton is a Snub-nosed PPC, if you don't like the paired LPPCs. You want to try and duck inside the minimum range of the LRMs? Ok have a 10-point punch with that looong short range bracket. Creates an unbalanced look though, so I'm not sure if it's worth it.

I've been busy.

Really? I thought there was a little Anubis-shaped silhouette that popped up on your phone whenever the Anubis was mentioned anywhere, even the spoken word.

[mbear]

Hate. HATE. HAAAAATE.

HATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATE.

ALL OF TEH HATEZ.



I'm on the wrong side of the Anubis Army-O-Doom oftentimes, and it's just... man, no. Just... I hope you taped the container they're in shut.

How do thunder mines work against this thing? That would seem to combine two of your favorite things: Mines and killing Anubis 'Mechs.

[Maelwys]

Same way they work against any other ground based 'Mech? Of course, the Anubis will probably laugh at mines because it simple helps them. The Anubis doesn't want to close, and if you mine the area its just going to stay back and keep launching LRMs at you (well, for as long as its ammo lasts anyway) while reaping the benefits of its Stealth armor.

Sure, if you surround it with 20 point mine fields so it can't go anywhere its going to cry, but pretty much any 'Mech will do that.

[GreekFire]

Well, in an amusing turn around, yes, they do. The Anubis :) Modern versions are 7/11 :)

Bahaha, wow, my brain must have been fried when I wrote that one... :p

[Maelwys]

S'okay, easy to forget, especially since 5 out of 7 of them are basically carbon copies except for their weapon loadouts (and the occasional minor change in armor).

Its kind of interesting that the fluff of the 3MC suggests a variant in the making that would replacing the Stealth armor with Null Sig and CPLS. A pipe dream I'm sure, but still kind of interesting.