Author Topic: (Answered) Is MAS ability broken?  (Read 3126 times)

Cambo

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(Answered) Is MAS ability broken?
« on: 23 August 2013, 05:23:30 »
So how is the MAS ability supposed to work in Alpha strike?  Cause as it reads, it appears broken. 

The ability gives +3 if the mech is stationary, +2 if it moved up to 5", and +1 if it moved 6-12"

Let's use everybody's favourite Void Signature System mech the Raptor II as an example.

As it currently stands, trying to target a stationary Raptor II looks something like:
Base To Hit: (std IS pilot)->4
Raptor's Move Mod: (moves 18")->3
MAS ability for stationary: 3

Total to hit of 10 even without your movement, or range, or terrain modifiers (a 16% chance to hit, as a STARTING point)...

Now normally the Raptor's movement ability would cancel out MAS ability, as one increases the other decreases, so you'd never get hit by a max effect of both of them (you either get the MAS ability OR the Move Mod) but with the fixed max movement modifier of Alphastrike, there's no incentive to move a MAS unit once it's in position.

I went toe to toe with one of these things the other day... it was basically impossible to hit.

Should the MAS ability bonus only apply if you don't use your movement modifier?

Xotl

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Re: (Research) Is MAS ability broken?
« Reply #1 on: 10 September 2013, 21:10:24 »
p. 48

"Mimetic armors are similar to Stealth systems (see Stealth (STL), p. 48), in that they make a target more difficult to hit with weapon attacks. Unlike Stealth, the modifiers for mimetic armor are based not on the unit’s type and its range, but by the unit’s type and how far it moved in the current turn’s Movement Phase. (Once again, these modifiers do not affect physical attacks against such units.)

For attacks made against non-infantry targets with the MAS special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 0 inches in the Movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit moved up to 5 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 5 to 12 inches, and losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 12 inches.

For attacks made against battle armor targets with the MAS special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 0 inches in the Movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit moved up to 2 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 2 to 5 inches, and losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 5 inches.

A unit equipped with the LMAS special applies only a +2 to-hit modifier if it moved 0 inches, and +1 if it moved up to 2 inches."

Change to:

"Mimetic armors are similar to Stealth systems (see Stealth (STL), p. 48), in that they make a target more difficult to hit with weapon attacks. Unlike Stealth, the modifiers for mimetic armor are based on hiding a stationary unit. (Once again, these modifiers do not affect physical attacks against such units.)

For any unit with the MAS special ability, during the Movement Phase, the unit may choose to not move (including no change of facing), in order to put a mark next to the MAS to have it active. For attacks made against targets with the MAS special active, the target replaces its standard target movement modifier with a +3 to-hit modifier from the MAS. LMAS works the same as MAS except with a +2 to-hit modifier.  The active mark is removed during the End Phase."
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http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=1219.0