Serval VTOL w LAC5

[Andras]

Got the idea for a fast VTOL with a LAC5 as its main gun (well, only gun.) With 2 tons of precision ammo it can hunt down enemy light fast vehicles or mechs, and the ton of flechette ammo allows it to suppress infantry from ranges they will have a hard time returning fire. Other types of ammo can fill that bin if infantry is not expected. The TAG allows it to act as a spotter for artillery or indirect semi-guided LRMs. Heavy armor allows it to stay in the fight longer against the typical lightly armed prey it hunts.

Code: [Select]

Serval SRVL-5

Mass: 25 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: VTOL
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 853,264 C-Bills
Battle Value: 446

Power Plant:  85 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 97.2 km/h
Flanking Speed: 151.2 km/h
Armor:  Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    1  Light AC/5
    1  TAG
Manufacturer:
    Primary Factory:
Communications System:
Targeting and Tracking System:

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      15 points                2.50
Engine:             I.C.E. Engine                 85                       5.00
    Cruise MP:  9
    Flank MP:   14
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink             0                         0.00
Control Equipment:                                                         1.50
Lift Equipment:                                                            2.50
Armor:              Ferro-Fibrous                AV -  80                  4.50

                                                      Armor     
                                                      Factor     
                                               Front     24       
                                          Left/Right   18/18       
                                                Rear     18       
                                               Rotor     2         

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat     Spaces     Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light AC/5                                   FR        1         1         5.00
TAG                                          FR        0         1         1.00
@LAC/5 (Precision) (20)                      BD        -         0         2.00
@LAC/5 (Flechette) (20)                      BD        -         0         1.00

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      3    Points: 4
9v         1       1       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: TAG, EE


Sarna didn't have a listing for a unit named Serval, and a search on the boards only turned up a couple of previous uses. Ironically, one was a mech with an ac5 variant and a tag.

You could have a variant with an LRM10 and 3 tons of ammo as a counterpart to take advantage of semi-guided LRMs.

Code: [Select]

Serval SRVL-10

Mass: 25 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: VTOL
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-D-A
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 761,597 C-Bills
Battle Value: 526

Power Plant:  85 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 97.2 km/h
Flanking Speed: 151.2 km/h
Armor:  Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    1  LRM-10
    1  TAG
Manufacturer:
    Primary Factory:
Communications System:
Targeting and Tracking System:

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      15 points                2.50
Engine:             I.C.E. Engine                 85                       5.00
    Cruise MP:  9
    Flank MP:   14
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink             0                         0.00
Control Equipment:                                                         1.50
Lift Equipment:                                                            2.50
Armor:              Ferro-Fibrous                AV -  80                  4.50

                                                      Armor     
                                                      Factor     
                                               Front     24       
                                          Left/Right   18/18       
                                                Rear     18       
                                               Rotor     2         

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat     Spaces     Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAG                                          FR        0         1         1.00
LRM-10                                       FR        4         1         5.00
@LRM-10 (Semi-G) (36)                        BD        -         0         3.00

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      3    Points: 5
9v         1       1       1       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: TAG, EE, IF 1


[Cannonshop]

9/14 isn't 'fast', it's 'average' for a 25 ton VTOL, prior to the re-statting of the H-7 (for TRO 3039) it was 'anemic'.

esp. for an inner Sphere model.


further, 5/10/15 for your main weapon on something only moving 9/15 is "Suicide" even with the rotor hit nerf from Total Warfare.

for the damage/ton ratio, you might as well be carrying 2 LRM 5's (which, with semiguided, means you can tag your own shot) because that, at least, would let you put some range out there and maybe avoid being hit by ninety percent of the stuff that will kill you.

[Retry]

Aye, if you go through the 25-tonners most are 10, 11 or 12 cruise.  Most of those have lighter & more expensive engines, but among the ICE designs there's the 8-cruise Hawk Moth with a much more potent gun, the 10-cruise Cavalry which is a generally solid design, and the 12-cruise Kestrel (although it's a junker).

It's an interesting design, trying to make full use of the LAC's.  It'd be useful enough for something like COIN with flechettes since it's fairly cheap.  Unfortunately the lack of performance on both the LAC and its ammo types are going to hinder the design no matter what you do.  As Cannonshop points out, the LAC is basically outperformed by a similar weight of effective-but-boring LRM-5s.

[Sabelkatten]

Self-spotting for S-G LRMs could work. But a unit like this shouldn't fight beyond 5 hexes range - the whole point of the "pulse AC" is to get a weapon that can hit targets with a +5 or +6 TMM at all! TAG doesn't get a TN bonus after all...

It is, however, rather slow for that role. To make it work it should probably be lightened and stripped to just the AC, minimal ammo, and minimal armor.

[maxcarrion]

I don't think the LAC 5 serves the concept all that well.  Stick a fusion engine in there and a LPL and you've got slightly deprived range but still deadly accurate up close and twice the damage per hit (even a locust will shrug off a couple of 5 point hits).  It doesn't cost much more (c-bill wise), doesn't have to worry about ammo and can do a reasonable job against infantry at range 10 as well.

Oh, and you can make it go 10/15, mount a TAG and still have a little extra armour

[maxcarrion]

I'd probably go for a pair of ERML, a TAG and a TC though if hunting fast movers were my mission profile (with a SFE obviously).  Land the TAG and the missile boats annihilate, but 2 ERML at -1 vs 1 LAC at -2 I fancy the ERML.  You'll have enough weight to go faster and maybe add a couple of LMG as well for hitting infantry hard out to range 6 

[Sabelkatten]

Well, the assumption being that you can get precision ammo but can't build fusion engines... LACs aren't that advanced, but FF armor is probably out. You could make something like this for a scout hunter:

24 tons VTOL, 11/17 ICE, 2.5 tons armor (13/10/5/2), LAC/5 front w/ 2 tons ammo

Fast enough to catch most things (at least if you surprise them) and the LAC with precision or Flak can worry a lot of light scouts. Even scout mechs should be wary since backshots are quite likely.

[Liam's Ghost]

I think I'm legally required to prefer my Serval ;), but from a lore standpoint yours feels like it hangs together well. It feels like a vehicle based on the Warrior, using only that advanced kit that can be easily imported.

Capabilities wise, it's not ideal, but going with the Light AC 5 and the ICE engine probably means it's never going to be ideal. I think it works pretty well given those limitations. Any changes I could recommend would turn it into something completely other, or alternately a mildly upgraded clone of one of the early Warrior models.

(Maybe a fuel cell engine? I don't know if that fits the feel you want).

[Cannonshop]

I don't think the LAC 5 serves the concept all that well.  Stick a fusion engine in there and a LPL and you've got slightly deprived range but still deadly accurate up close and twice the damage per hit (even a locust will shrug off a couple of 5 point hits).  It doesn't cost much more (c-bill wise), doesn't have to worry about ammo and can do a reasonable job against infantry at range 10 as well.

Oh, and you can make it go 10/15, mount a TAG and still have a little extra armour

LAC-5 is a poor choice for most applications.  It shines as a towed field gun system for infantry, or as a mount on a hover-based APC, iow applications where the range deficit and low damage don't actually hurt it, or where there aren't LOWER tech options that are fundamentally better in terms of weight.

in the 25 ton class, 9/14 is pretty much mediocre-to-poor movement.  again, it's fantastic on a Hover platform,or a 'mech, but for a VTOL it's...poor.  Designs that can get away with it have a common thread: they're outranging everyone else and their opponents are going to be averaging 4/6 at the high end (Heavy and Assault 'mechs).

combining close range (and any time you're 8 to 10 for long, that's close range) with mediocre to low speed works great on 'mechs, okay on tracks, but on a VTOL it's basically a great way to give the enemy some salvage.