Tell me about: Magshot Gauss Rifle (Mech)

[Tymers Realm]

I've looked at the Magshot Gauss Rifle (Mech) every now and then, but I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Who in their right mind would want to use, in essence, an explodeable SRM-1? I just don't get it.

Is there a rationale to it or not?

[Nightsong]

Don’t think of them so much as an SRM-1 so much as a range boost for machine guns if you’re looking for antimech firepower instead of infantry killing.

[Tymers Realm]

But that's the thing. Unlike the Clan AP Gauss Rifle, the Magshot doesn't have the AI Weapon Type. If it did, I could get it a bit better.
I guess it relates to my distinct dislike for the SRM-2, more it's shots/ton than anything else. And why I look at a Magshot as a SRM-1.
I mean for the same effective tonnage I could use a SRM-2 and ton of ammo or two Magshots and a ton of ammo. Same overall heat and range, but 3 crits more on the Magshots side for the same kind of damage. Granted the potential damage from the SRM ammo going off is a lot more than the max six from the Magshots critting, but six internal damage is still a lot to any Mech.

I can't really see any real upside to the Magshot.

[Fat Guy]

Not all weapons developed for battle armor should be mounted on 'Mechs.

This is one of 'em.

[packhntr]

Honestly, I like them.  I view them as anti-armored infantry use.  Not for use against mechs.  I do, however, prefer small (or micro in clan cases) pulse lasers as there is no ammo dependency.  With so many little crunchies on the battlefield, they come in handy.

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, they can be supported by a Tarcomp, and are a low-weight option to get a lot of crit potential. Damage-wise, they are worse than medium lasers -3 crits and potential explodium for a point of damage? - but they have their niche. More on vehicles, though, on mechs... eh.

[lucho]

As an  "ER Machine Gun " it has its uses. But it occupies two critical slots  :-\

[Giovanni Blasini]

I suspect they're also supposed to supplement or replace SRMs in a high-AMS environment.

[lucho]

I suspect they're also supposed to supplement or replace SRMs in a high-AMS environment.

A worthy goal  :thumbsup:

[Orin J.]

Listen, when you're on solaris, you gotta have some flash. Now a gauss rifle is nice and flashy, the kids love hearing the sound of those shots cracking armor and sending paint flying all over, but they are expensive! And the range, well you don't generally need a lot of that in a match. But the magshot? It's got good range in the arena, it's got a lotta flash, and it isn't gonna break the bank so you can afford a nice battery of the things, and more guns always looks good in the promo shots.

[Nightsong]

Well, it’s niche, but MagShots also take advantage of TComps. Imagine called critseekers, or just the flat to hit bonus, and you can mount 8 of them for only one ton of TComp.

[SD501st]

Well, it’s niche, but MagShots also take advantage of TComps. Imagine called critseekers, or just the flat to hit bonus, and you can mount 8 of them for only one ton of TComp.

The downside of course being that the chances of turning your Mechwarrior into a drooling vegetable increase with every single Magshot mounted.   :D
A cluster of AP Gauss Rifles(also called "Popcorn") is already a disaster waiting to happen, and each Magshot is one crit larger than an AP Gauss.

In my humble opinion, if you use Magshots or AP Gauss Rifles, the TW rule about powering down Gauss weapons is a must, and they need to all be mounted in the same location... preferably not a torso, since they are hit most often. When they aren't in range, they are turned off. The second the armor is getting thin, they get turned off as well. That still leaves TAC's though. CASE II might be able to mitigate the risk if the location is adequately crit packed and there aren't more than 2-3 Magshots/AP Gauss in the CASE'd location

Mhm, a question because it's unclear to me how CASE interacts with non-devastating internal explosions... if a CASE'd(not CASE II!) Magshot/AP Gauss is hit, does the usual ammo explosion thing happen? All armor gets blown off(rear armor in torso mounts) and all explodey things get vented out, assuming the explosion is not strong enough to completely destroy the internal structure, with only one injury to the Mechwarrior? Or does the low explosion damage of these weapons somehow throw a wrench into the works of standard CASE?

[YingJanshi]

Listen, when you're on solaris, you gotta have some flash. Now a gauss rifle is nice and flashy, the kids love hearing the sound of those shots cracking armor and sending paint flying all over, but they are expensive! And the range, well you don't generally need a lot of that in a match. But the magshot? It's got good range in the arena, it's got a lotta flash, and it isn't gonna break the bank so you can afford a nice battery of the things, and more guns always looks good in the promo shots.

This. Mech-mounted Magshots were developed on Solaris, and it's still the only place they really make any sense.

[Colt Ward]

One thing, they do 2 points of damage . . . you might be thinking of King David.

They also work better on vehicles than mechs simply b/c of the way their crits work and killing MW with crit hits.

I agree about the Anti-Inf damage rating.  I honestly think King Davids might be better if you were playing TacOps since they rip up BA.  Then again, I also want recoilless rifles on vehs & mechs, lol.

[Orin J.]

Mhm, a question because it's unclear to me how CASE interacts with non-devastating internal explosions... if a CASE'd(not CASE II!) Magshot/AP Gauss is hit, does the usual ammo explosion thing happen? All armor gets blown off(rear armor in torso mounts) and all explodey things get vented out, assuming the explosion is not strong enough to completely destroy the internal structure, with only one injury to the Mechwarrior? Or does the low explosion damage of these weapons somehow throw a wrench into the works of standard CASE?

Just popped into the thread again by accident, and thought I might as well resolve this for ya.  :) Magshot ammo is non-volatile, like gauss ammo (same thing really, just the magshot's firing grapes where the gauss fires watermelons) but the gun itself will do its full 2 damage (I think, it's honestly been a while since i rolled with these on a 'mech) and be contained by CASE as normal if you somehow manage to force damage transfer with that.

[SD501st]

Just popped into the thread again by accident, and thought I might as well resolve this for ya.  :) Magshot ammo is non-volatile, like gauss ammo (same thing really, just the magshot's firing grapes where the gauss fires watermelons) but the gun itself will do its full 2 damage (I think, it's honestly been a while since i rolled with these on a 'mech) and be contained by CASE as normal if you somehow manage to force damage transfer with that.

Aaah, thank you! That explains that... to so a couple of Magshots in the same locations is a recipe for Mechwarrior Brain Pudding in every case(Edit: oh wow I didn't even notice that unintentional pun). ^^