There is a Thumper version of the Karnov in canon (and yes these are
legal). This one is a modification addressing two issues:
(1) A side arc Thumper reduces the already low survivability of VTOLs even further since there is a 1-in-6 chance of a critical hit.
(2) 1 ton of ammunition does not allow for multiple munitions missions. Multiple munitions are handy, sort of like a 3025 version of an omni.
The cost of this is that speed drops to 7/11 instead of 8/12. In compensation, this is a
rear firing Thumper with armor arranged around that configuration. As a consequence, this Karnov can escape at full speed while continuing to fire artillery.
Thumper Karnov 3025
Mass: 30 tons
Movement Type: VTOL
Power Plant: 70 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 75.6 kph
Maximum Speed: 118.8 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
1 Thumper
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3025
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-E-D-D
Cost: 1,053,000 C-bills
Type: Thumper
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Movement Type: VTOL
Tonnage: 30
Battle Value: 248
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 3
Engine 70 Fusion 3
Cruising MP: 7
Flank MP: 11
Heat Sinks: 10 0
Control Equipment: 1.5
Lift Equipment: 3.0
Power Amplifier: 0.0
Armor Factor 40 2.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 3 8
R/L Side 3/3 8/8
Rear 3 14
Rotor 3 2
Weapons
and Ammo Location Tonnage
Thumper Rear 15.0
Thumper Ammo (40) Body 2.0
A VTOL Thumper seems to be fairly amazing. It works over all terrain and can do high explosive (15/5 AE,F), cluster (10/1 AE,F, double damage vs. infantry), smoke (R1), illumination (R1), flechette (AE,AI, 2d6 to infantry in target hex), or fuel air munitions (10/5 AE, double damage+ vs infantry). It's
immune to counterbattery fire so you must attack directly with a unit. In a direct attack, a Karnov Thumper can generate a +5 TMM shutting down almost all attacks, including ASF. The only good counter to VTOLs I'm aware of is artillery which can direct fire flak out to a range of 17 with an effective +1+AMM (+3(direct fire)-2(flak)+AMM) modifier. Most artillery units are however slow due to the requisite size and weight, making them vulnerable to indirect fire artillery.
The
Snipe Racer is a complementary unit in several ways.
- The Snipe Racer is an excellent spotter unit for indirect fire artillery, able to easily stay out of range of guns while maintaining line of sight.
- The Snipe Racer is particularly deadly to ground units which are fast, since the 20/10 FAE bomb ignores TMM and is substantial to lightly armored fast units. Focusing on moving units also increases the survivability of the Snipe Racer since adding an attacker movement modifier to a +7 TMM shifts a counterattack from hard towards impossible.
- The Karnov Thumper is particularly deadly to slow units since artillery can zero in on them and even misses can scatter to hit.
Given the relative cost, 13 Snipe Racers each with a FAE bomb has a similar cost to a Karnov Thumper so a swarm of super-fast VTOL spotter/bombers backed by highly mobile artillery piece is a solid combo (And for BV, the amortization point is at 3 Snipe Racers with a FAE bomb each).
On the subject of artillery, it's possible to put a Sniper on a super-heavy VTOL, but it doesn't seem worthwhile---the cost is much higher and the damage increase is more marginal. The Thumper also has the virtue of having the most destructive ammunition per ton in the game with 20 shots doing 15/5 AE damage each. If you just count the AE damage once per hex, that's 20*(15+5*6)=900.
Edit: slight tweak per Daryk's suggestion.