Empire of the Nerds: The Niops Association Thread

[ArkRoyalRavager]

It's a great paint scheme nonetheless. This GM even has that unique Sten SMG that makes it stand out

[D-Rock]

They should have imported a WVR-6M from the fractious Mariks.  That's a 3025 machine that can hold its own years down the road...  ^-^

I think Niops stopped trusting them after the Mariks after the Jihad. Not sure whether the FWL relief force and delegates died by the Word of Blake or just plain Niops 'effery, but it's soured relations since.


Getting anything from Marik territory might be a bit of a hard sell.

But during the 4th succession war era? Maybe. But then again they were at their peak and had a buttload of Star League era mechs. The need might not have been there.

[Daryk]

Good points, but I stick with the WVR-6M... it's a beast...

That said, welcome to the board!  The "prove you're human" nonsense ends after 10 posts. :)

[chanman]

Good points, but I stick with the WVR-6M... it's a beast...

That said, welcome to the board!  The "prove you're human" nonsense ends after 10 posts. :)

Man, it's been over 3000 posts, and I'm no longer sure I'm human!  :D

[Daryk]

Tell me about it...  ::)

[DOC_Agren]

Man, it's been over 3000 posts, and I'm not longer sure I'm human!  :D

I am because the voices told me so   :D

[truetanker]

I am a Cyborg...

TT

[Giovanni Blasini]

Meanwhile, I'm an angry ghost in the machine.

I was thinking of logistics of running an army, and standardizatoin.  Niops, as we know, is in pretty dire straits by the Dark age and beginning of the ilClan era, at least in terms of what they're able to produce at home.  For their own sake, that's something they're eventually going to want to remediate.  So I thought I'd come up with a list of canon designs that, whenever possible, stick to the Periphery General list for the ilClan era or, failing that, are linked to Niops' past or their current association with Interstellar Expeditions.

Let's start with the four named designs Niops once produced:

Burke Heavy Tank (150 standard fusion)
Black Knight (300 standard fusion)
Highlander (270 standard fusion)
Nighthawk PA(L) suits

So...the Black Knight and the Burke aren't on the Periphery General list, but the HGN-740 Highlander, produced nearby on Son Hoa, is.  That's something Niops might be able to import, and have enough domestic production left to maintain.  It's a bit expensive at 9.9 million C-Bills though, and fairly advanced compared to the old Highlander, but you know what isn't?  The FLN-366-M St. Florian FireMech MOD.  True, it's not on the Periphery General list, but it is on the Mercenary and Pirate lists, so close enough in my book, and should be far more within the realms of what Niops can maintain.  They might even be able to get a license to produce the St. Florian domestically.

The Burke isn't on too many lists these days, either.  Its 150-rating engine is shared by two designs that might prove useful, though: the benerable Spad aerospace fighter, and the issedone OmniFighter based upon it.  And, hey Bim, guess what?  The Issedone and its configs are on the Periphery General list, 'cause the Sea Foxes gotta make that dollar.

Speaking of the Burke, the Kokou Defense Tank isn't on the Periphery General list, either, but the Sea Foxes are, in fact selling it, and the Magistracy and Taurians are among the buyers.  It's 5 tons lighter and uses a smaller 140-rating engine, though, which doesn't match up to the Issedone, sadly.  But it's similar enough to the Burke that surviving tooling might be able to build maintenance parts needed to keep them running, even if you're not building the tanks anew.

Which brings me to my next item: the Black Knight isn't on the Periphery General list.  Know where the BL-6-KNT is in the ilClan era?  The Marian Hegemony and Pirate lists, and that's it.  The dumbed-down IntroTech models are extinct.  At this point, I'd argue that the production for the Black Knight and its 300-rating engine is lost to Niops, having been taken lock, stock and barrel by the Marians during the Jihad.

So, what to do?

Well, as discussed previously in the thread, the Prowler Multi-Terrain Vehicle would be handy for both the Militia and for Interstellar Expeditions and, conveniently, comes in multiple variants on the Periphery General list.  You've got the original, ECM and Sealed versions, which pack an LRM-10 and MPLs, while the dumbed-down Succession Wars and Support versions switch to standard MLs, and double as cargo and troop carriers.  Congratulations, we've got a decent 55-ton medium tank and infantry fighting vehicle.

The Prowler uses a 220-rating fusion engine, which isn't terribly common, but it's not completely uncommon.  Know what else uses a 220?  The Cyrano, a Star League era attack VTOL that Niops could well have the blueprints for.  And, hey, that's on the Periphery General list too!  So, now we've got domestic production of a medium tank and an attack VTOL, with importation and domestic support of a heavy tank and assault MilitiaMech.

The 220-rating engine gives us access to a couple BattleMechs, though, too.  The Marshall, that 55-ton Griffin variant which seems perfect for a militia garrison, and is on the Periphery General list.  I suspect either getting a license to build them or importing them directly should be within the realm of possibility.

I said "'Mechs" though, and there is another that's weird enough for Niops while using the same engine: the SHD-X2 Shadow Hawk LAM.  There's no AirMech mode here, but in 'Mech mode you've got a 4/6/4 version of the Shadow Hawk with DHS that swaps its AC/5 for an ERLL, and has the option of carrying four RL-10 pods, still usable in 'Mech mode, in its bomb bay.  As an aerospace fighter, it might not be able to carry the larger bombs or missiles, but it's still able to function as a light bomb truck, or can pack a variety of missiles.

The Periphery General options for a 150-rating BattleMech aren't as thematically compatible with Niops, unfortunately, consisting of the Commando and, well, that's it.  There are, however, two 'Mech designs that are 30 tons, use a 150-rating standard engine, and conveniently an LRM-10: the Valkyrie (in its VLK-QA and VLK-QD forms), and the WSP-100A Wasp LAM, which makes sense, since the Valkyrie was the non-LAM version of the WSP-100A.  Like LAMs?  Feel free to throw them into your mix.  Don't like 'em?  Say Niops recovered the plans for the Valkyrie, or licensed production.

You may also be saying, "Hey, Gio, you know the PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk used a 270-rating engine".  Yep, that's true.  So did the Ahab (and the AHB-X is conveniently Intro tech).  Those also make potential options for BattleMechs you could field.  They're not on the Periphery General list, though, and I'm mostly trying to stick to it.

One thing not mentioned so far, though: infantry and their support.  Well, it turns out you can do a lot with the 100-rating ICE engine.  For example:

Heavy Wheeled APC and derivatives
Heavy Tracked APC and derivatives
Scorpion Light Tank (in standard, LRM, MRM, SRM and ML flavors)
Marten Scout VTOL (including Infantry Transport version)

Those are all on the Periphery General list.  Not on the list is the Cobra VTOL (2317 flavor) which, it's admittedly a bit of a stretch to call it a 100 ICE, but that's how MegaMekLab is labeling it.  For additional infantry options, it's tempting to include a smattering of Nighthawk PA(L) suits, but if you prefer, the Groundhog and the Salrilla both show up on the Periphery General list, and can represent homegrown dumbed-down versions of the Nighthawk, much like the Tornado PA(L) was supposed to be.  For more conventional troops, I have no idea why standard foot infantry aren't on the Periphery General list, so I'd ignore that, and go with basic foot infantry with laser rifles.

OK, so where's that put us, sticking first with things on the MUL list or knockdowns of old Niops designs?

• Heavy APC (Wheeled & Tracked)
• Prowler Multi-Terrain Vehicle
• Cyrano VTOL
• Issedone OmniFighter or Spad ASF
• FLN-366-M St. Florian FireMech MOD or HGN-740 Highlander
• MHL-X1 Marshall
• Kokou Defense Tank or Burke Heavy Tank
• Groundhog Exoskeleton or Nighthawk PA(L)
• Standard infantry

For a little more far afield we have:

• VLK-QA/D Valkyrie
• WSP-100/100A Wasp LAM
• Ahab ASF
• PHX-1/2 Phoenix Hawk

So, again, this isn't looking at anything with custom designs, just canon units.  Thoughts?

[D-Rock]

Meanwhile, I'm an angry ghost in the machine.

...but the HGN-740 Highlander, produced nearby on Son Hoa, is.  That's something Niops might be able to import, and have enough domestic production left to maintain.

I agree with you on that. To a point. Son Hoa also lost a lot of production capability after the Jihad. Not sure if it ever got back to 100% by ilClan era.

But I am toying over a fanfic about a Niopian purchasing agent looking over the factory ruins for some fabrication tools and machinery so they can fix their own Highlanders better.

The Burke isn't on too many lists these days, either.  Its 150-rating engine is shared by two designs that might prove useful, though: the benerable Spad aerospace fighter, and the issedone OmniFighter based upon it.  And, hey Bim, guess what?  The Issedone and its configs are on the Periphery General list, 'cause the Sea Foxes gotta make that dollar.

I figured the Spad and the Stuka were the most likely candidates for their aerospace wing. Why? Because they only want the very best... even at the expense of practicality. Or at least that's the impression I got.

That and the Niops Project Workshops, unique to their star nation and definitely looking like Lostech, seem to fabricate whatever they need. Just... in slow, limited quantities, so I don't think it's a matter of components. Just a matter of production bottlenecks. And, you know... losing multiple workshops.

Why I say this? Because of a quote about the Nighthawks being built at Niops Project Workshop III. Implies multiple fabrication workshops. How many are left? Who knows. Maybe it's the last one. And maybe they do, or do not, have the ability to make more of them. Or maybe it can only do small scale stuff like the Nighthawk. Too many what-ifs.

Which brings me to my next item: the Black Knight isn't on the Periphery General list.  Know where the BL-6-KNT is in the ilClan era?  The Marian Hegemony and Pirate lists, and that's it.  The dumbed-down IntroTech models are extinct.  At this point, I'd argue that the production for the Black Knight and its 300-rating engine is lost to Niops, having been taken lock, stock and barrel by the Marians during the Jihad.

I think that's possible, or just slowed down to parts only.

The Periphery General options for a 150-rating BattleMech aren't as thematically compatible with Niops, unfortunately, consisting of the Commando and, well, that's it.  There are, however, two 'Mech designs that are 30 tons, use a 150-rating standard engine, and conveniently an LRM-10: the Valkyrie (in its VLK-QA and VLK-QD forms), and the WSP-100A Wasp LAM, which makes sense, since the Valkyrie was the non-LAM version of the WSP-100A.  Like LAMs?  Feel free to throw them into your mix.  Don't like 'em?  Say Niops recovered the plans for the Valkyrie, or licensed production.

The Valkyrie was a design too new or too localized to one of the inner sphere powers for me to consider putting it in the Niops Association Militia (I tried to keep designs that were Star League, pre-Amaris Civil War). But after ilClan, yeah, why not! And you also mentioned the Wasp. That'd be an easy one to recreate as well.

OK, so where's that put us, sticking first with things on the MUL list or knockdowns of old Niops designs?

I think you did a better job than I did.

I'd also like to consider what they could possibly import mechs by the ilClan era. Which might be difficult considering their scientific data's already been either nuked or sold to interested parties since the Jihad, their resources are exhausted, they're isolationists with little political will to make friends, and aren't exactly doing a lot of trading.

However, my top candidates would be the Magistracity of Canopus. It's a long shot, but it's the only neighbour who they either don't want to kick off their planet, or wants their planet for themselves. Especially since the Terran Republic of the Sphere collapsed.

Though that also raises another possibility. Terran Republic remnants somehow showing up? I've heard of stranger.

I also thought of what they could have remaining.

I already speculated with my lance that the Mongoose, Mercury, Sentinel, and Wolverine 6R are within the realm of possibility. They're pre-Amaris civil war designs that could have reasonably been in a Star League garrison. Especially one as fancy as Niops. How or why they got the fancy designs? Who knows... maybe someone just likes getting the mech equivalent of Porsches. Or maybe it was all part of the Master Plan...

But I also speculate that the Exterminator and the Crusader could be added, but they're a long stretch. The Exterminator was a very specialized and complex mech, while the standard Crusader of that era was only 20 years old (brand new by Star League standards). Still, I might paint them up anyways.

[Daryk]

The Exterminator requires a HUGE (and EXPENSIVE) engine...  :-\

[chanman]

Or maybe Niops has adopted by moving wholesale to algae-created biodiesel in ICE battlemechs. Bubbamechs!  :D

[Giovanni Blasini]

The Exterminator requires a HUGE (and EXPENSIVE) engine...  :-\

The EXT-4A Exterminator is not too bad, running a 325-rating standard engine, which is in the same ballpark as the 320-rating used in 'Mechs like the Goliath, the 4/6 Chargers/Hatamotos, or the Slayer ASF, and the EXT-4A has a reasonable price tag of only 6,537,272 C-Bills.  That's about 34% more money than the IntroTech 55-tonners like the Wolverine, which it was meant to supplement/replace, and it's a little meaner at range.  Yes, it's long-since been put out of production, but that just means the tooling might be able to be obtained from the FWL.

Engines, though...there's not a lot that uses the 325-rating standard engine, because there aren't man IntroTech 5/8 65-tonners.  About the best argument you could make would be to get a license for domestic production of the SL-15 Slayer (on the MUL for the Periphery), and say the engines that aren't quite up to the power output of a 325 are instead repurposed into engines for the Slayers.  The 320 would also open up the door to the Fury tank, an SLDF classic, and other common 4/6 80-tonners like the Thug or Goliath (the GOL-2H is on the Periphery General MUL).

Or maybe Niops has adopted by moving wholesale to algae-created biodiesel in ICE battlemechs. Bubbamechs!  :D

Well, if we're talking custom designs, sure.  Although...the SKU-181 Sokuryo SurveyMech uses the same 100-rating ICE as the heavy APCs.  It's a Draconis Combine exclusive in the MUL, though.  Two of the CattleMaster variants use that engine, too, and they are on the MUL for the Periphery, as is the CPK-65 Copper.

Y'now...it'd also be funny as hell to see Niops using 10-ton Exo HaulerMechs in the protomech/votom/heavy gears/battlearmor alternative role...  ;D

[Starfury]

Son Hoa got better, and Star Corps is selling Highlanders to anyone who can afford them.  The Marians have access to the 732, the 732b, and the 740.  The 732 isn't very tech heavy other then the Gauss Rifle and the Ferro-Fibrous, and even the Niopsians should be able to support those.

[glitterboy2098]

i've generally assumed that if you can build one rating of engine, you can probably build ones at least 10 rating points larger or smaller just by tweaking the hardware design some. so if there isn't any good options using a 150, check the 140, 145, 155, and 160 ratings.

[Giovanni Blasini]

i've generally assumed that if you can build one rating of engine, you can probably build ones at least 10 rating points larger or smaller just by tweaking the hardware design some. so if there isn't any good options using a 150, check the 140, 145, 155, and 160 ratings.

Treating it that way opens up a metric crapton of designs.  For example, just looking at the Periphery General MUL for the ilClan era, and just Star League era 'Mechs, to keep that Niopan flavor, we would add the following:

LCT-1V Locust
WHM-6R Warhammer
WHM-6Rb Royal Warhammer
ARC-2R Archer
CRD-2R Crusader
SHD-2H Shadow Hawk
GRF-1N Griffin

And of course that doesn't count stuff that's more modern, like:

WSP-3P Wasp
PNT-10KA Panther
GRF-3N Griffin
ARC-4M/-4M2/-6W Archers
WHM-7M Warhammer
J. Edgar Hovertank
SL-17 Shilone
Karnov (3055)

Then there's the stuff that's not on the Periphery list, but is historically SLDF, ranging from the Mercury and Rotunda (160 LTV) to the Ironsides (260 fusion) and Swift (275 fusion) aerospace fighters.

I mean, seriously, you could build a viable defensive force around 150-rating (+- 10) engines on the cheap with:

Burke/Kokou Heavy Defense Tanks
Issedone Aerospace/Omni Fighters
PNT-10KA Panthers (general trooper 'Mech)
WSP-3P Wasp, MCY-98 Mercury or LCE-1E Locust (fast scout 'Mech)
J. Edgar Hovertank (fast hovertank)
Rotunda scout cars

It's hardly ideal, no, but it's doable, and would form a core of local production while you import bigger designs and rebuild your domestic capacity.

[Daryk]

If you can build a Griffin, you can build a Wolverine...  ^-^

[Giovanni Blasini]

If you can build a Griffin, you can build a Wolverine...  ^-^

You know, you'd think that, but somehow the only Wolverine that ends up on the Periphery General list in the ilClan era is the WVR-9R Wolverine, which uses a 275 XL engine, and I've been trying as much as possible to stick to the Periphery General list.

In fact, just a quick perusal in MegaMekLab shows the only Standard-tech or above Wolverine with a standard fusion plant is the WVR-7H Wolverine II, which admittedly I didn't think of but is also not on the Periphery General list, instead confined to the Capellan, Fed Suns and Merc lists in the ilClan era.  And, given the mention in the Recognition Guide, I'm not even sure standard engine Wolverines are still being built anywhere anymore.

Which is what makes things weird on the Shadow Hawk on the Periphery MUL, too.  There's four Shadow Hawks there in the ilClan era: the SHD-2H, the SHD-5M, the SHD-5R and SHD-7M, and the SHD-2H is the only one there that uses a standard engine.  It's not that there isn't a current Shadow Hawk that with a standard engine, since Recognition Guide 12 gives us the SHD-6D, but that's a Fed Suns exclusive.  The SHD-2Hb and SHD-4H are both around, but not widespread.  They are common enough in Niops' corner of space that they should be able to get in on that action, though.

So, yeah, throwing out my self-imposed requirements to stick to the Periphery MUL as much as possible, I'd add in the SHD-2Hb Royal Shadow Hawk and WVR-7H Wolverine II as options, though I honestly like the new Griffin 3M more than the older Royal Griffins.

[Daryk]

6Ms are gone? ???

[Giovanni Blasini]

6Ms are gone? ???

Not at all.  They're just only listed as available to two factions in in the ilClan era: to the Marian Hegemony and to Pirates.  And I repeat myself. ;)

WVR-6R isn't in much better position, showing up on Mercenary, Pirate and Scorpion Empire list (that last one's...interesting).

Know what has a similar issue?  The bog-standard PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk: Filtvelt Coalition, Marian Hegemony, Scorpion Empire, and Mercenary.

[Daryk]

Weird, but thanks for following up!  :thumbsup:

[Giovanni Blasini]

Weird, but thanks for following up!  :thumbsup:

No problem.  :thumbsup:

In other madness, for you Alpha Strike players, the following force:

• 4 Burke Heavy Tanks
• 4 PNT-10KA Panthers
• 4 J. Edgar Hovertanks
• 1 Cobra VTOL (2317)
• 2 Nighthawk XXII squads

...works out to 300 PV when all units have 4 skill.  So, if you're playing a 600-point game, take that twice.  >:D

For a 450-point game, the above plus 4 WHM-6Rb Warhammers would be 452 points, or you could do 2 CRD-2R and 2 WHM-6Rb and be at 450 points exactly.[/list]

[D-Rock]

Treating it that way opens up a metric crapton of designs.

What would also open up a metric crapton of designs is getting more than just the Highlander and Black Knight as confirmed canon mechs.

I might know a guy who may have the answer. Some of his material made it to the 3145 book. I'll ask him. Worst case scenario, I get a no. We're no worse off than before, which correct me if I'm wrong, was 'just go with Comstar's list' on the old Battletech force generator charts.

But I totally agree with the Warhammer showing up. That's a pretty common, effective, and easy to build design. I also think it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility to have Archers and Rifleman mechs either, but that would be another thing altogether.

Update: He said he'll take a look for the notes since it has been awhile. But who knows, maybe this potential source could crack this cold case.

But I do have a tidbit for you, but one you all probably sussed out yourselves. He did make mention in the past that Niops was hit by the Word of Blake because of their advanced technology. And you know how Comstar/WoB feels about people who have all the nice toys...

[Giovanni Blasini]

So, it turns out I'm gonna have the opportunity to put together a Niops force for Alpha Strike sooner than I thought.  One of the local groups is doing an escalation league, where I need to start with a 200-point force using Alpha Strike formation rules, using one era/faction list off the MUL.  Choosing Star League Regular from the Star League era, here's what I came up with:

Command Lance - 138 pts

• HGN-732 Highlander
• BL-6-KNT Black Knight
• Burke Heavy Tank
• Burke Heavy Tank

This lance actually qualifies as either a Command Lance or a Fire Lance.

Support Lance - 62 pts

• PNT-8Z Panther
• PNT-8Z Panther
• UM-R60 UrbanMech
• UM-R60 UrbanMech

Look viable?

[D-Rock]

Panther 8Z and 9R are pre-Amaris Civil War, so I don't see why not.

Looks like the force you have will definitely have to fight from a distance. Careful! Mobility and speed, I find, has increased importance in Alpha Strike.

[D-Rock]

Today on 'What the Hell is That Doing on Niops?'...



"Captain. No, Benny, this has got to be the most absurd request you've ever made."

The statement, delivered by Brigadier General Francis Cho, struck Captain Benjamin O'Halloran as less carrying the authority of the chief of the Niops Association Militia, and more of the incredulity of a street vendor. One being unironically low-balled by Halloran like a spendthrift unaware of the astronomical market value of item whom he set his sights, nor of General Cho's severe reluctance to sell.

If O'Halloran was being fair, and in this delicate round of negotiations he admitted he wouldn't be, his request was a ridiculous one.

His request was found in the Niops Engineering Institute's storage facility in Chapterhouse. It's lumbering and curved form, obscured by semi-opaque long-term protective storage coverings, loomed over the captain and his general as they did their horse trading.

Benny stated his case with zeal. "General, the High Associator's asking us to cover with an entire battalion what we used to do with a regiment. For that we need mobility, and she's perfect for the role. We've got nothing faster in her weight class, hell, she's faster than some of our medium mechs! I need her in our cavalry lance, otherwise we won't have a proper first response to any raiding parties. I must have her."

"Be realistic." General Cho's voice strained. "Back in the SLDF days a regiment was lucky to have one of these, and they were regular army units. Somehow, we got three of 'em, one we lost taking on the Black Heart Roses, and the other destroyed in a Marian raid not long after."

"I'm aware she's the last one in our inventory..."

"No, you're not. Our project workshop can fabricate almost any part you can think of, the operational word being almost. There's a lot of parts we can't recreate on that lemon, including the stealth armor.  It's why we have her stored here for study, because once she's gone she's gone for good. I can't let you have her."

"Sir, if we don't use her we'll be gone for good." Benny's eyes passed over the lostech in the warehouse, all under tarp, all of it some of the last of its kind anywhere in Niops, representing a cache of invaluable Star League-era technology any Periphery power would invade over. "We tried to save our resources before, and all it did was make a nice convenient target for the Wobbies to drop a nuke. The raids are getting worse, Sir. And if the reports from Intelligence and Interstellar Expeditions are to be believed, things are only starting to heat up outside our system."

"Which is all the more reason to make the most efficient use of..."

"The Marians are failing in the Free Worlds League, and once they divest themselves from that conflict they'll be looking to punch downwards. That's us."

"We've always been able to handle the Marians..."

"And they managed to tick off the Canopians, and when they retaliate we'll be in the middle."

He saw the point land on General Cho, his face turned from aggrieved to serious.

Captain O'Halloran brought the point home. "Sir, the Wobbies almost brought down our nation. If we don't use everything at our disposal this conflict could finish the job. I don't know about you, but when I said 'never again' I meant it. Please, approve my request to transfer the Exterminator to my company."

General Cho looked up at the stored mech with a pained expression. Exhaling deeply, he drew an electronic pad out of his field jacket, brought up the requisition order, and presented it to Captain O'Halloran. The general looked away while Benny pressed his thumb on the scanner, completing the transaction. An exchange of salutes followed, finalizing the deal.

"Just two things." The authority and edge in General Cho's voice returned as he pocketed the pad. "First, I don't want you driving her. You're needed to command, not to go tearing around in your new toy."

Captain O'Halloran felt a twinge of disappointment. He knew the Exterminator didn't have command modules, but it didn't stop him from hoping. "Okay, then who?" He asked. Maybe he could convince her new pilot to take her for a spin.

"Lieutenant Carmichael."

Benny's eyebrows raised. "Interesting choice."

"I know she's an outstanding mechwarrior, despite her... problematic family name. Which is why when you first made the request the High Associator had this to say... she breaks it, she buys it."

Benny grumbled, "So she's right, you do all have it out for her."

Cho responded, "Actually, it's the current administration that has it out for her, or more specifically her family. Now she can either see it as being set up for failure or as an opportunity to distinguish herself and put all her critics to rest. Her choice."

"Not much of an opportunity when you're making 80k a year and you're on the hook for a 15 million C-Bill battlemech."

"I'm well aware our paygrades, Captain. It's the best offer either of you is going to get. Take it, and enjoy your new mech."



The Exterminator. Not sure where in the Master Plan this fit. Come to think of it, a lot of the choices for N.A.M.'s mech inventory leaves one scratching their heads. And nothing's more strange than picking a specialized headhunter mech with a history of parts availability and maintenance related issues and putting it in a backwater Periphery militia. Still, it speaks of the supposed importance the Star League put into Niops, perhaps as a stepping stone for future expansion or as a possible reaction force to the dangers of the Periphery itself. Or maybe it was the Master Plan all along, bringing the best in Star League lostech to this far-flung outpost, giving the old empire a chance to survive, if just as a remnant.

Either way, the Niops Association Militia got three Exterminators before the Amaris Civil War. Though they did their best to keep these rare machines in working order, attrition and battle losses made it so that only one remains, placed in storage for study in case one day the Niops Association somehow restored their technological and industrial capacities.

Post Dark-Age, however, played Niops' hand, where creative solutions were needed and it was 'use-it-or-lose-it'. The Exterminator was pressed back into service, under an objecting Lieutenant Cynthia Carmichael, and included into a Cavalry Lance, with a primary mission of being the first response to pirate raids and potential invasions, a faster unit to skirmish and buy time while heavier units could move in.

So far, the concept has yet to be tested, but when it happens the Last Exterminator on Niops will be at the forefront.

NOTE: This is pure speculation only, canon-compatible, but not meant to be canon.

[D-Rock]

And once again on 'What the Hell is That Doing on Niops?'...



Some time in the 2760's...

He'd been getting some strange acquisitions as of late.

Chief Warrant Officer Llewellyn O'Halloran transferred from the SLDF to the NAM believing it would be a cushy assignment. Sure, the weather was cold on this remote scientific outpost and there wasn't much to do for a mechtech but count the mechs, do routine maintenance, and do a little ice fishing afterwards, but as far as Periphery assignments went it wasn't a bad one. There were very few pirates and those few that came by ran whimpering when they found out how heavily armed the star system really was. An empire of nerds, strapped with some of the best the SLDF had to offer. Which made logging and cataloging the various pieces of military hardware coming into Chapterhouse to be fascinating at best.

The usual tried-and-true militia designs came in, and then there were some of the more exotic choices. Highlander assault mechs, Black Knight heavies, Burke Defence Tanks. Spads and Stukas by the jumpship-full. He even once saw a trio of Exterminators pass through his depot before being sent off to the militia proving grounds. All for a small scientific outpost? Was their research so valuable it needed a literal army to protect it?

Then one day the dropship brought in an incredible sight.

A whole company of the latest Crusader Heavy mechs, all lined up on flat travel skids and parked in his motor pool.

He was expecting the venerable Archer, not these massively armed mostrosities. They were much better proportioned than their predecessors, with missile launchers mostly situated in clusters on the arms like bulging extensors, giving the mech a muscular, yet evenly proportioned structure. They packed short range missile launchers on the hips, in modules like belt packs. And from the spec sheet, he saw it carried medium anti-mech lasers and machine guns for anti-infantry.

These weren't just fire support mechs, dedicated platforms like the Archer or Catapult, he surmised. It was a something a little more versatile. A missile boat more built for counter-insurgency or anti-pirate operations than anything else.

Still, it struck him as a perculiar choice. Not just because the armament. Crusaders of this model were only a little over a decades old, practically cutting-edge as far as SLDF procurement went. And these machines, in their brilliant white on grey on blue color scheme, looked fresh off the factory floor, not second-hand junk like the load of Sentinels they got several months ago.

This was on another level all together, like the Highlanders, or the load of Mongoose light mechs they received last week.

As far as 'Lou' was concerned, it was the Star League's dime to spend, foolish or not. He was just here to collect a paycheck. And if he got to see and work on equipment that normally went to front-line units, all the better. He liked spotting strange and wonderful designs. It was part of what made him become a mechtech. And these people clearly wanted the very best.

Or as one ancient flatvid quoted, 'Spared no expense'.

And when you're talking about people who speak of a 'Master Plan' with religious zeal, it was best to count the mechs and not get them started.


The Master Plan the very best, and they get the very best, practicality be damned.

But the Crusader isn't such a bad choice. By the time of the CRD-3R's introduction it's only about a decade or so before the Amaris Civil War so when the Crusader was introduced to the NAM it would have been practically brand new. And as one of the most widely produced models of mech, there would be plenty of them.

And she would be great for pirate interdictions. Sacrificing LRM20s for LRM15's to pack in some anti-infantry punch increased her versatility, making her a welcome addition to the NAM for centuries. It's acquitted itself well in action through the NAM's history, from pirate raids to Marian invasions to even clashes with mercenary forces and the Word of Blake. The Crusader is always there to bring the rain.

[Daryk]

Nice!  But I think you meant extensors, not triceps for the Crusader...  ^-^

[D-Rock]

Nice!  But I think you meant extensors, not triceps for the Crusader...  ^-^

That you are. Corrected.

[Giovanni Blasini]

I've always really dug the Exterminator, especially the Introtech version for its era, which I know is probably a bit irrational, but it is what it is.

I want to love the Crusader, and the CASE fittings on the CRD-2R help a lot, but the side torso bombs of the standard Crusader always worried me.  Whenever I used one, I try to drain those side torsos of LRM ammo as quickly as possible.  The other half of the problem is the SRMs in the legs and the medium lasers in the arms: you get into a situation where you're hesitant to use punches or kicks, because either way you won't be able to use some of those weapons.

That said...I really like the CRD-3L.  I'm mildly irritated the MUL limits it to the Capellans, when TR3025 and TR3039 both described it as "based on a Star League variant used for raiding and reconnaissance," yet we don't get any other jumping Crusaders prior to the 3050s.

[chanman]

Benny stated his case with zeal. "General, the High Associator's asking us to cover with an entire regiment what we used to do with a battalion. For that we need mobility, and she's perfect for the role. We've got nothing faster in her weight class, hell, she's faster than some of our medium mechs! I need her in our cavalry lance, otherwise we won't have a proper first response to any raiding parties. I must have her."

I think you've got that reversed. Battalions are generally a smaller organizational unit than regiments  :)