’Mech of the Week: AS7-D-H* Atlas II

[gyedid]

But we all seem to have lost sight of the most important point: This thread isn't about the Atlas at all, it's about the Atlas II.

Form AS7-Ds and -D-H*s into mixed companies.  Let the -Ds charge at the enemy to bring their AC/20s into play while the D-H*s lay down covering fire with their greater variety of ranged weapons.

That is all.

cheers,

Gabe

[Hellraiser]

Interesting idea, that one is.

4x 7D-H2
4x 7D-H
4x 7D


240 LRMs,  4 Gauss, 4 ERPPC, 4/8 ERLL, 4 LB10X.  (Gotta rotate the ERLLs)

That should make anyone a bit leery of being in the open.

And if you get in close...  It might actually be worse.
72 SRMs,  4x AC20,  8 ML,  16 MPL,  4 Gauss, 4 LB10X,  4 ERLL,  12 Kicks-20

[Elmoth]

If I am facing 1200 tons of a gyreek god I know I will be fleeing and calling support to smack the unit with artillery and bombs, not frontal combat.

[GreekFire]

If I am facing 1200 tons of a geek god I know I am smacking the unit with artillery and bombs, not frontal combat.

Now I know some people feel like the Kickstarter Atlas looks like it has braces, but calling it a geek god might be a bit much.  ;)

[UnLimiTeD]

It's in the eye of the Beholder, GeekFire.  ^-^

On a more serious note, Elmoth has a point - a company of assault mechs will always bring significant firepower.
More so an SLDF company. That's really not saying all too much about the Atlas II. It is true, though, that both designs not only work well together, but also with plenty of other designs. They will find their niche.
And if not, I'm sure FASA thought of one.  ;)

[Sjhernan3060]

  The Atlas II is not a very powerful mech. It is odd to have it as one of the best assault units in the SLDF. The Pillager was almost 100 years old, and there were prototypes of the Thunder Hawk and Devastator. Even the Nightstar (a prototype, too) would have eaten it alive.

  It has 4 long range weapons but only one that can deal 10 points of damage. The weapons are somewhat lackluster, the twin ER Large are good weapons but not the most efficient. Compare it with the Awesome 8Q, a common unit 20 tons lighter, and you can see that something is amiss. It is better than the original Atlas (which was clearly not the best assault mech, even the non-royal Highlander was better) but it is not the "king of the Battlefield".

 
  Oddly enough is a good complement to the Pillager. Moonsword is right about it. However, the doctrine behind SLDF was against mixing units and I don't think that mixed Atlas II/Pillager units were what the designer was thinking about. The Highlander would have been a better complement due to its jump jets, armor and weapons.

  Finally, the mini is horrid and it needs a lot of loving from a jeweller's saw in order to make it look better.

http://www.camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=1200

Agree on all points esp on the mini design. It’s lacking in the bulk I would expect from such a design. Maybe swapping the Highlander IIc Gauss arm would help?

[UnLimiTeD]

Just took a look at the HT again, and it really looks more like an SLDF upgrade kit for the original atlas to me.
Save weight with FF and DHS, upgrade all the lasers. Done.
Sure, it has an H in the name, and the weapons suite makes it look like a halfway step between an Atlas and an Atlas II, and maybe it was, but it's still closer, to me, to an actual Atlas.
And, in comparison, it really isn't so bad.

[SteelRaven]

Just took a look at the HT again, and it really looks more like an SLDF upgrade kit for the original atlas to me.
Save weight with FF and DHS, upgrade all the lasers. Done.
Sure, it has an H in the name, and the weapons suite makes it look like a halfway step between an Atlas and an Atlas II, and maybe it was, but it's still closer, to me, to an actual Atlas.
And, in comparison, it really isn't so bad.

Makes the most sense considering it came about so they could reuse the standard Atlas model.

[gyedid]

Makes the most sense considering it came about so they could reuse the standard Atlas model.

I would tend to agree with that as well, if only because, IMO, the main thing that distinguishes the Atlas II from the original is the placement of big ballistic guns in the arms as opposed to the torsos.

(Well, that and the lack of rear-facing defenses.)

cheers,

Gabe

[Hellraiser]

(Well, that and the lack of rear-facing defenses.)

And really, who needs those once you've stuck those big guns in the arms?
  No one wants to face Twin ERLL, ERPPC, LB10X, or GR when they are in a speedy little no-armor backstabber

[gyedid]

And really, who needs those once you've stuck those big guns in the arms?
  No one wants to face Twin ERLL, ERPPC, LB10X, or GR when they are in a speedy little no-armor backstabber

Speaking for myself, I rather like the idea of a pair of rear-facing MPLs to give some pause to that speedy little no-armor backstabber who happens to get around the Atlas (II) in the heat of battle.  That way, the big guns in the arms can continue to be pointed at things like, you know, other assault Mechs.

cheers,

Gabe

[SteelRaven]

I myself have never found rear facing weapons to be worth while. I rather have those guns facing forward when I need them.

[Elmoth]

When you read fiction they are all and great, but then in real gaming they are not so effective unless you PLAN to be flanked

[grimlock1]

Speaking for myself, I rather like the idea of a pair of rear-facing MPLs to give some pause to that speedy little no-armor backstabber who happens to get around the Atlas (II) in the heat of battle.  That way, the big guns in the arms can continue to be pointed at things like, you know, other assault Mechs.

cheers,

Gabe

I agree, in principle, but I would rather have those 4 tons given over to something I'll use more often, rather than just a deterrent. Either forward, as they are now, or more armor, heat sinks, ammo, etc. Putting the "rear arc" lasers into a turret has some appeal. Downgrading the SRM6 to SRM4 frees the space and tonnage, and you can even throw that SRM4 into the turret too. 

When you read fiction they are all and great, but then in real gaming they are not so effective unless you PLAN to be flanked

It doesn't really matter if you plan to be flanked or not.  No plan survives first contact with the enemy.  :)

[Weirdo]

If there's a chance the other guy will bring light mechs, and you're planning on using assaults, you've already planned to be flanked.

[Elmoth]

If you plan on using only assaults, yes.

[UnLimiTeD]

So, in essence, a very Lyran mech.

[Batman]

I kinda like the -D-HT. It's easily my favorite of the bunch. It's got more of the Atlas feel that I remember and it works well in WYSIWYG games. Still, the best feature for me is the big short-range boomstick that's really been missing from the other -D-Hx family. Also, I'm OCD for the symmetry.

[Hellraiser]

I feel a Gauss fits the big boom stick option just fine on the H2 at least, but I do agree that the symmetry on the visuals has always turned me off a little with the Atlas-II.

I never understood why we had to get away from the cannon/RT & missiles/LT look of the 7D.

Especially with the way the H has twin ERLL, it really should have been set up like the HT but w/ LB10X.

Not sure how they would have done the H2 with its single ERPPC.
   Maybe the first Atlas w/o arm guns?  Have it be an over/under in the RT?

[SteelRaven]

I never understood why we had to get away from the cannon/RT & missiles/LT look of the 7D.

As mentioned earlier in the topic, WK dropped the new Atlas for Age of Destruction (what would become the Atlas III) and CGL was trying to close the design gap as that was the largest departure at the time. The Atlas II has a similar weapon load out and placement as the Atlas III but much closer to the original AS7-D in proportions. 

[Batman]

I usually run the -D-HT nowadays. I ended up modifying one for campaign play. The performance changes slightly, although you can argue it loses more of the range punch. It Swaps out the ER large lasers with ER PPCs, medium pulse lasers with mediums, and drops the LRM 20 for an SRM 6 and more heat sinks. I like the punch that the PPCs carry. Also the medium lasers and the SRM 6 match the range of the AC/20 better.

It's not unlike the AS7-S3. I think of that as my second favorite variant because the PPCs and Gauss rifle go pretty well together in that combo. And of course the LRM 15 complements the ranged firepower nicely too.

[SteelRaven]

I'm honestly surprised we never saw a Atlas II with a RAC/5.

The MechAssault model also gives me ideas but I'll save that for the fan design section. 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

That's probably because there's no modern variants of the mech.

[SteelRaven]

That's probably because there's no modern variants of the mech.

Considering the Atlas II has been deployed with the Lyran Commonwealth and the Republic from 3075 until now, there is no reason we shouldn't see more variants.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Given that they're already building the Dark Age Atlas, they probably didn't feel like there was a huge need.

[SteelRaven]

I was thinking more in terms of when it was introduced from a game perspective. 2 variants from the SLDF, 2 costume builds and nothing between it's introduction and the Atlas 3 until HBS introduces a new one for their game. It just seems the standard AS7-D gets more love, which I'm fine with but I can't help feeling 1 more modern variant after it's reintroduction to the IS would have been nice.

That said, it would be kinda fitting that the Atlas II dies with Stone. Both the mech and the character have come to represent a particular era of the game, in universe and IRL. 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

That would be fitting, all right.

[Colt Ward]

But will Alaric kill him . . . or just defeat him?

[SteelRaven]

Just saying I doubt we will see the Atlas II on many book covers post Il Clan.

[Hellraiser]

That's probably because there's no modern variants of the mech.

Technically the Stone model is a modern variant.

But who knows maybe we will get something from Defiance in the 3100's in some future product.