’Mech of the Week: AS7-D-H* Atlas II

[Wrangler]

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.

You have a point. The fluff from TRO:3075 had said Defiance kept the Mech in production after the Blakist kicked off production and were kicked out of the Mountain.

However, the cut backs in Mech production were cut when Stone's treaty was signed. Question was if Hesperus was effected. I remember Flight of the Falcon novel mentioning Hesperus was still producing mechs at it's original pace unlike rest of the Inner Sphere. I would have reread it since it's been YEARS since i read the novel.

[Sjhernan3060]

For those who have modified their atlas ii to the Nicholas kerensky version which Gauss arm do you use?

[SteelRaven]

For those who have modified their atlas ii to the Nicholas kerensky version which Gauss arm do you use?

The official stats for Nick K's Atlas II is in Operational Turning Points: Widowmaker Absorption. Turns out he used a AS7-D-H that was later upgraded with Clan Tech so no Gauss as many of us guessed prior to TP:WA

[Sjhernan3060]

The official stats for Nick K's Atlas II is in Operational Turning Points: Widowmaker Absorption. Turns out he used a AS7-D-H that was later upgraded with Clan Tech so no Gauss as many of us guessed prior to TP:WA

?!? No guass?! Another myth from nicholas...

[Hellraiser]

Why was there a myth of him having a Gauss Rifle?

[Sjhernan3060]

Why was there a myth of him having a Gauss Rifle?

Oh I was just kidding! For the guass and ppc atlas ii what bits would work for a quick arm swap? The guass arm from the executioner but what about the ppc?

[SteelRaven]

For the AS7-D-H2? you would just need to free up the LB-X and Large Laser vs the whole arm. I know fan bashes exsist but they are far and few between I can't find any info on what parts the use for the PPC and Gauss. Personally, I would go with the Gauss from the Reseen Battlemaster and a PPC from a Mad II to keep it constant with other assaults. You can also use Omni parts from IWM if you want it to look more Clan. I'm sure the mini section of the forum has more ideas. 

[Sjhernan3060]

For the AS7-D-H2? you would just need to free up the LB-X and Large Laser vs the whole arm. I know fan bashes exsist but they are far and few between I can't find any info on what parts the use for the PPC and Gauss. Personally, I would go with the Gauss from the Reseen Battlemaster and a PPC from a Mad II to keep it constant with other assaults. You can also use Omni parts from IWM if you want it to look more Clan. I'm sure the mini section of the forum has more ideas.

Hmmm I could do a straight arm swaps from the highlander iic...

[Empyrus]

Oh, since this is resurrected...

Mixed feelings on the Atlas II. Feels like an upgrade that fixes most of the original Atlas' short comings though at the expense of shock value (and that can be restored with the H2 variant), and feels very Star Leagueish to me. Also like the looks, though LB-X represented with a rotary cannon feels weird.
But moving forward to the Jihad, it feels lackluster. I mean, the Steiners were making superb Atlas-S2s and -S3s, especially the latter!, at Hesperus and the Word of Blake figured they'd rather have this?
As a reminder, the AS7-S3 sports a Gauss Rifle, twin PPCs, a LRM-15 with Artemis, a Guardian ECM, and an AMS with 19 tons of armor (and a trio of small lasers), while the AS7-S2 has ER large lasers and a Heavy Gauss Rifle but no AMS. Sure, the price is a Light Fusion Engine, but it is a well protected and focused long-range variant. The Atlas II is not focused nor as well protected.
And then the Steiners went and kept the Atlas II in production instead of reverting to their fine creation -S3? Nor did they reinstate the -H2 variant, or tinker with the Atlas II more. So disappointing.

Incidentally, the Atlas-RS feels like it is a low-tech attempt to ape the Atlas II, though i suppose in real world the Atlas II might be mimicking the -RS...

As for the AS7-D-HT... it is OK. Runs a bit hot, but alternating one ER laser with the LRM-20 works for long-range reasonably. Think i like it more than the baseline Atlas II, or even the -H2 variant (effective if boring). And it can be upgraded perfectly with an UAC/20, 4 tons of ammo, and extra heat sink at the expense of MPLs.

[Hellraiser]

The RS is actually fluffed as an attempt at mimicking the 7D-H using Low-Tech.

The H2, to me, is where the design really shined, removes all the heat issues while concentrating the damage into bigger holes.
It doesn't crit hunt or do AAA as well, but, those are the functions of other mechs.

Taking that model into the modern age would be as easy as using a Streak-4, Artemis-LRMs, ERMLs, & adding C3S.

Or go a little further & drop the SRMs entirely for X-Pulse, CASE-II, and more DHS.

[Empyrus]

The RS is actually fluffed as an attempt at mimicking the 7D-H using Low-Tech.

Where's this actually noted?
TRO3039 makes no mention of that, and the Atlas II isn't mentioned in many places from what i recall.

[Colt Ward]

RS is one of the downgrades from the SW books- if noting else check the MUL

[Empyrus]

-RS been around as a record sheet for quite a while, well before the newest Succession War sourcebooks. Hence me wondering where its relation to the Atlas II is stated.

EDIT Looks like Sarna claims the RS is based on Atlas II but doesn't have actual source. Both sources refer to record sheets, which lack fluff of any kind.

[Hellraiser]

The RS was first mentioned in the 1980's House Davion Sourcebook circa 3025, IIRC
There is also a TRO:3025 mention of an Atlas w/ LLs in the variants section, IIRC.

The 2 were never actually linked as being the same thing till the RS was published.
I don't recall where the RS was originally published, just that it showed up one day at one of our games.
Seemed like something TPTB did as a "clean up" effort to me.

As for where the Atlas-II link is from, I'm probably remembering that quote from Sarna, so I'm not sure the source of it.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The record sheet showed up in Record Sheet's 3039.  Don't think I saw it anywhere before then.

[Hellraiser]

Makes sense, I think they did a few of the known but no stats mechs from the era there.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

...and feels very Star Leagueish to me.

It is fluffed as the pinnacle of SLDF Atlas models.

[Empyrus]

It is fluffed as the pinnacle of SLDF Atlas models.

That comment was because some of the Star League upgrades/'Mechs don't feel like Star League. Okay, that may sound weird but bunch of Royals are made with modern understanding of the game and throwing away the haphazard way many earlier 'Mechs were designed. Simply put, they're too fine!
That said, after poorly slept night, i'm feeling like i should've said "doesn't feel Star League really but i like it all the same, in as much as i can due to my generally mixed feelings".

[ArkRoyalRavager]

Yeah, every subsequent release of supposedly pre-SW Mechs do heavily feature compatibility with newer rulesets.

That comment was because some of the Star League upgrades/'Mechs don't feel like Star League. Okay, that may sound weird but bunch of Royals are made with modern understanding of the game and throwing away the haphazard way many earlier 'Mechs were designed. Simply put, they're too fine!
That said, after poorly slept night, i'm feeling like i should've said "doesn't feel Star League really but i like it all the same, in as much as i can due to my generally mixed feelings".

No worries :beer:

[Hellraiser]

You know, it occurs to me, 1 way to rationalize how the "newer" RS/TRO show "better" SLDF era mechs, is that the ones we had from TRO3050 were the ones that lasted the longest into the SW with their lower demands on tech levels.
Or perhaps were the more mass produced models.

Stuff that was an XL, DHS, FFA, ER/Pulse to the gills baby was only discovered later as we found more records in uncovered SLDF archives &/or as mass production of SLDF tech hit even higher levels in the Houses.

Perhaps it went out of production sooner as the SW broke out & as such didn't have blueprints & repair plans being produced & copied or used as often since less samples of the mech existed & repair parts were even more scarce.


I guess you could say, if I have 1 XL & 5 tons of Endo & 20 tons of Ferro on hand........ Do I repair the mech that needs all 3,  or,  do I spread it out over a Guillotine, a Champion, & a Flashman to keep 3 mechs going  (I don't actually recall if the Flashman has Endo/Ferro or not but I know it has XL so not sure on that example)

So do you want 1 Uber Mech & 3 Intro Techs,  or,  3 Lesser SLDF mechs & 1 Intro Tech to form your lance from.

Anyway, just a possible "in universe" reason for the tech explosion of later TRO's for SLDF era mechs.

[Wrangler]

Come to think of it, wouldn't the Clans want make a Atlas II C?
It would certainly fitting for them.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

They might not have had enough Atlas IIs survive to be upgraded.

[SteelRaven]

Rec Guides will more likely give us a refit of the standard Atlas, which is how the Atlas II got it's start.

Other than Nicky K's ride, a Atlas II with a HAG would have been interesting but we also get that on the Atlas AS7-D2 aka the Atlas III paired with a Streak LRM 20, Brrrrrt!

[Sjhernan3060]

I am not a fan of its looks as well. It lacks the foreboding appearance of the original. It just looks kinda goofy.

I always felt that way too. Has any one seen the new atlas ii model it looks a lot better but I have not seen it next too other models

[Sjhernan3060]

I always felt that way too. Has any one seen the new atlas ii model it looks a lot better but I have not seen it next too other models

Ideally I would be curious about Picts between the new and old Atlas II

[SteelRaven]

Few picks I have seen of the new mini by itself look great.

[Sjhernan3060]

Few picks I have seen of the new mini by itself look great.
[/quote

Same! It finally has the bulkiness I feel the unit warranted

[SCC]

So a couple of things:

1. The Atlas II doesn't need rear firing weapons, the SLDF didn't do the low intensity conflict we get on the board, a battalion level attack on a position by them would likely have a screen of infantry in front, followed by three companies of 'Mechs in lines abreast, the first is King Crab's, the second Atlas II's, and the third is Archer's, with a company of Alacorn's on the wings to stop people trying to flank them.

2. The AS7-D-H Kerensky, didn't Kerensky die before any of the Clan-tech in the build could be invented?

[Luciora]

It was Nicholas's ride.

[Wrangler]

It was Nicholas's ride.

I don't think it was originally, it wasn't detailed.  It was straight up Atlas (no C or IICs around yet.) but i may been misreembering.  Atlas II fluff was retrocon of sorts, the Atlas II was around but nothing about it or it's stats in the original books.