Thunderbolt missile

[False Son]

The thing I like about thunderbolts, though I have not played using them before due to lack of games, is that they give you other options then AC20 or Gauss rifle. Someone did point out the heat related issue, but that only applies to mechs. Someone has mentioned the indirect fire, which is something neither of the other weapons can pull off. The range of the 20's has been mentioned, as well as the tonnage reduction vs the Gauss.

To compare it to the GR, a Tbolt 15 is 3 crits vs 6, a Tbolt 20 is 5 crits.  In addition to be non explosive, it takes up fewer crits.  The low ammo per ton will create some issues with that, however.  Compared to an AC20 the differences become huuuuuuuge. So, I would say the real advantage of Tbolts is their damage to tonnage rates and their low crit space requirement.  Pair this with some weight saving tech like ES and you can get around the low ammo per ton.  Just stay away from the Tbolt 10.  Not a good weapon.  Even the Tbolt 5 is a passable weapon. 

If you're going to mount it on a tank there's a fun matching of the standard PPC and Tbolt ranges.  The ammo per ton thing becomes a strange issue because of the lack of tonnage saving techs for tanks other than XL and Light engines, which have no drawbacks for tanks in combat.  Vs a GR... are weapon crits more common than ammo crits?  I suppose that's really the question for me.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

They're not.  However, it's slightly easier to guard against weapon crits since there's a 50/50 chance of whether the attacker or the controller chooses which weapon takes the crit if there's more than one weapon in the location.  With an ammo crit, it wipes out all the ammo on the vehicle.

[Hellraiser]

Just stay away from the Tbolt 10.  Not a good weapon. 

What makes you say that ?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Because if you're going to use a 10 point damage weapon that has a range of 18 hexes, you might as well use a PPC.

[Weirdo]

There's something to be said for a PPC that can shoot over hills...

[SCC]

If you're going to mount it on a tank there's a fun matching of the standard PPC and Tbolt ranges.  The ammo per ton thing becomes a strange issue because of the lack of tonnage saving techs for tanks other than XL and Light engines, which have no drawbacks for tanks in combat.  Vs a GR... are weapon crits more common than ammo crits?  I suppose that's really the question for me.

cough*FF*cough

They're not.  However, it's slightly easier to guard against weapon crits since there's a 50/50 chance of whether the attacker or the controller chooses which weapon takes the crit if there's more than one weapon in the location.  With an ammo crit, it wipes out all the ammo on the vehicle.

Weapon explosions in tanks can also get weird when CASE is involved, GR in turret goes up? Rear armor stripped off

Because if you're going to use a 10 point damage weapon that has a range of 18 hexes, you might as well use a PPC.

In tanks, the kings of ammo weapons not so

As for the weapons itself, it's a really odd design, normally as launchers get bigger they throw more missiles, not bigger ones, it doesn't compete with much, yet it's gimped like most but not all non-intro weapons

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Weapon explosions in tanks can also get weird when CASE is involved, GR in turret goes up? Rear armor stripped off

I don't have my book handy, but I'm pretty sure that CASE only helps vehicles against actually ammo explosions and has no effect on explosive weapon crits.

In tanks, the kings of ammo weapons, not so

Fine, use an LB-10X.

[Diablo48]

In practice Quicksell makes a new version of their 60 ton weapon carrier.

Do we have a canon Thunderbolt carrier yet?  That would be a useful way to mount them because it lets you save tonnage in armor while still delivering 15 or 20 point bricks.

[mbear]

Do we have a canon Thunderbolt carrier yet?  That would be a useful way to mount them because it lets you save tonnage in armor while still delivering 15 or 20 point bricks.

I'm not aware of a conventional vehicle that uses Thunderbolts as its main armament. TRO3085 has that one Draconis Combine Mech that I can't remember now.

Ah, the Orochi.

[Martius]

The Light Thunderbolt Carrier in RS 3060 Unabridged is armed with 5 turreted Thunderbolt 5.

The Demolisher II Heavy Tank (Thunderbolt) which can be found in the same volume carries two turreted Thunderbolt 20s.

[Youngblood]

Do we have a canon Thunderbolt carrier yet?  That would be a useful way to mount them because it lets you save tonnage in armor while still delivering 15 or 20 point bricks.

There's an omni config of the Schiltron with twin T-bolt-15s, AND a lot of MMLs on top of the usual electronic equipment it has.

In TRO Prototypes, the Challenger Mk. XVc, before it got cut down into the Mk. XV, had an extra T-bolt-15 on it.

And lastly, there's a Demolisher II with twin T-bolt-20s along with a few other weapons.  It has about five tons more armor than the original, like you were thinking.

EDIT: Roosterboy'd

[Sabelkatten]

The classic 60-ton carrier could pack twin 20s with 6 shots each. I'd probably go with one 15 and one 20 thought, giving 12 and 15 shots respectively.

[False Son]

What makes you say that ?

I may be focused too much on the idea that 2 Tbolt 5s would be 6 tons, but a Tbolt 10 is 7 tons.  Maybe the 1 less heat for the 10 is a better sell.  There just seems to be such a threshold on the 15.  The 10 occupies a middle ground that is just...meh.  For less than 50% more tonnage the 15 can head cap.  BV would be the right thing to focus on?  A 10 is only 127 vs the 229 of the 15.  Maybe i'm just being overly critical.

Because if you're going to use a 10 point damage weapon that has a range of 18 hexes, you might as well use a PPC.

If you have a fusion engine, sure.  7 tons for a PPC vs a minimum of 8 with the Tbolt, which has a min range of 5 vs the PPC's 3.  But, after the first 10 heat sinks are eaten by the PPC, sure, Tbolt is your friend.

[Weirdo]

To me, the concentrated damage of T-bolts is what makes them interesting, so I'm more likely to prefer a single T-bolt 10 over twin T-bolt 5s.

[Shatara]

Because if you're going to use a 10 point damage weapon that has a range of 18 hexes, you might as well use a PPC.

The same could be said for the 5 and 15. Doesn't make them bad weapons.

I don't have my book handy, but I'm pretty sure that CASE only helps vehicles against actually ammo explosions and has no effect on explosive weapon crits.

I don't see any indication that explosive weapons are treated any differently from an ammo explosion.

Fine, use an LB-10X.

LB10X is heavier. And can't indirect fire.

To me, the concentrated damage of T-bolts is what makes them interesting, so I'm more likely to prefer a single T-bolt 10 over twin T-bolt 5s.

What he said. The 5 just has too much competition in the 5-point hit department. Thunderbolts are all about concentrated hits, so bringing less than the biggest missile you can seems like a waste.

[SCC]

The AXM-6X and -6T both use twins TB-15's