HBS Battletech Discussion Thread (there may be spoilers)

[ArkRoyalRavager]

Thanks for all your replies, guys  :thumbsup:

[Nav_Alpha]

I pulled a rescue the noble daughter op and faced two Thuds and a Vindy plus a couple Strikers.

[Reldn]

Well, Dekker finally got a new ride. Although I was having fun with the Firestarter, I now have him running and jumping around in a Kintaro equipped with 5 SRM4s. Now to just cruise around until I can find some more +/++ versions. Quite the effective beast, I must say.

Current Lance is my Commander in a WVR-6K, Dekker in the Kintaro, Behemoth/Big Sly in the SHD-2H, and Glitch/Apex in a GRF-1S. Also managed to obtain a Quickdraw that currently in storage until I figure out how I'd like to equip it.

One of these days I will go to Weldry and kick off the campaign...but, it does not look to be this day! *laughs*

[Nav_Alpha]

Just Glynn my second ace pilot - rather the excellent skill.

Meanwhile, I, still stuck on this damn ammo crate mission. I have resolved to just let the ammo trucks run and concentrate on taking down the Mechs. But it's damn hard when you face seven lights and mediums that can run rings around you

[NeonKnight]

It Ain't HBS's Battletech, but HmmMmmm....Triple FFF Burgers!

[Charlie 6]

Finished the penultimate mission and secured a BMR coming out of it. I think I am going to take it, my TDR-5SE mod, and my slightly dinged Highlander on the last mission.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Found a Jagermech customization I like: stripped the ACs off and replaced them with an AC/10 ++ (stability damage) and two tons of ammo, a PPC ++ (stability damage), six tons of armor, and a bunch of extra heatsinks.  It's damn tough and it hits like a brick.

[Feenix74]

That sounds similar to my Jagermech PG, I like your idea with the AC10 & PPC combo because it would run a bit cooler than my double PPC config. The maxed out armour takes the Jagermech from being a glass cannon to being a lite-assault mech.

[Luciora]

I added energy hardpoints to the arms of my Jager and now running a Rifleman-like build of 2 Stab AC/2s, 2 LG lasers and 2 med lasers.  Added heatsinks and armor as well.  Works great holding the rear as a sniper.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

That sounds similar to my Jagermech PG, I like your idea with the AC10 & PPC combo because it would run a bit cooler than my double PPC config. The maxed out armour takes the Jagermech from being a glass cannon to being a lite-assault mech.

It's got a heck of a punch and that massive bonus to stability damages means the target eats dirt pretty quickly.

[Feenix74]

Yep it complements my Awesome well (almost as much armour as the Awesome and just one PPC less) , my Jagermech PG and the Awesome are my troopers, with a Jagermech Archer or Orion Bow as the LRM-boat support mech, and a Kintaro as my scout/skirmisher. Between the 5xPPC, 50 LRMs (Jagermech Archer & Kintaro Scout) or 55 LRMs (Orion Bow and Kintaro Scout). I can usually get a top-end Heavy knocked down on the second round of engagement, ready for called shots to the sensitive areas.

The AC10 it would probably mean that that the Jagermech PG would not need to halve it rate of fire to avoid overheating in prolonged engagements, I will do some experimenting. Cheers and many thanks for the idea :thumbsup:

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

So far, all the maps I've used it on have been Badlands or Martian, so heat dissipation has been an issue, but theoretically it should work well on normal maps.

[Sandslice]

So Extraction almost cost me Medusa - at the end, the Shadow Hawk kept locking him up (in a Trebuchet, already not one of the more durable 'Mechs) and the turrets I was supposed to ignore(?) included an LRM turret that worked him over before the Enforcer took away my best LRM-15.  Freaking sigh.

It almost got Kamea as well; she ended the match CT-internal with 111 structure left - most of the damage being dealt by DFA from the Thud SE --- which is now sitting in my cargo hold after Kamea extracted the pilot... or is that compacted?  In any case, it entailed very rough handling of the offending 'Mech's head.

Award for courage in the face of the enemy goes to the last opponent, the Jenner that tried to squirrel on Medusa while he was running hell-for-leather through the woods got broadsided, legged, pounded into dust... and it hobbled up the ramp and tried to split fire.  It even SOMEHOW survived Behemoth's punch (in a TDR-5SS) only to get cored out (instead of merely knocked down) by my Battlemaster's SRM-6.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

Given the uniqueness of the Argo and its Star League heritage, I'm still very early in the campaign but I'm hoping for a surprise encounter with ComGuard units sent to retrieve it, if this game drops a twist like it  8)

[Colt Ward]

Well, after a long time not seeing any assaults I bumped into a Highlander 733P and a Victor 9S.  My Orion-rauder punched a PPC into the Victor's head which brought that whole machine home.  And the Highlander ended up flopping on its rear missing both legs but I took the whole Victor and some +++ weapon the pirates had . . .

So now I have a -9A-ish sitting in the bays and I will see if it, the Highlander, Battlemaster and Grasshopper get me the attention of other assaults.

[Sandslice]

Well, after a long time not seeing any assaults I bumped into a Highlander 733P and a Victor 9S.  My Orion-rauder punched a PPC into the Victor's head which brought that whole machine home.  And the Highlander ended up flopping on its rear missing both legs but I took the whole Victor and some +++ weapon the pirates had . . .

So now I have a -9A-ish sitting in the bays and I will see if it, the Highlander, Battlemaster and Grasshopper get me the attention of other assaults.

By any chance, was the rest of that lance a pair of 75-tonners, all in initially nominal condition, on a Martian terrain?

[Colt Ward]

Nope, polar on Weldry trying to get back some manufacturing plant . . . the other two mechs were TBolts, who brewed up like I heard someone discuss their luck with TBolts . . . hit one in the chest and blew the ammo.  The other turned its back to go up a hill to come at me and I put PPCs into that back to hit ammo, again.

[Phobos]

Well, they are okay... until you get Highlanders.

[Colt Ward]

I am not wanting to go big assault.  In fact I am thinking of doing another play through using a Firestarter, Wolverine, Griffin and some heavy until the Star League mission.

[Phobos]

I just noticed that my Posting actually ended up in the wrong thread (was meant for the no spoilers thread where the effectiveness of the Orion and Tbolt was discussed). At least you also mentioned Tbolts ;)

[Daryk]

I hate Windows 10 more and more with every update... I told this damn thing to update on Saturday when I was away, but it didn't for some reason.  This morning, I told it NOT to update, and I come from work to "...This could take a while."

The the thing that makes me the most torqued?  I was in the middle of a fight this morning when I went to work, and had just DFA'd a Manticore to death...

[Nav_Alpha]

I hate Windows 10 so much - I actually moved desks like four times at work in about a fortnight to avoid the PCs being “upgrade” to 10. We Hotdesk so it didn’t really matter but it was commented on that I seemed to be getting further and further away from the central news desk with each day...

Ok - back on track. I’m having another crack at liberating Smithon. I beat it, but lost Behemoth

[Daryk]

Ouch... she's one of my best pilots.  I turned her into a "Lancer", with Bulwark and both Multi-Targeting and Breaching Shot.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

So the enemies move fast in initiative then me now? Their heavies are moving in phase three for some reason: anyone know why that might be?

I'm just over 300 tons in my lance and my past mission was Defense of Panzyr defending against APC horses.

[guardiandashi]

So the enemies move fast in initiative then me now? Their heavies are moving in phase three for some reason: anyone know why that might be?

I'm just over 300 tons in my lance and my past mission was Defense of Panzyr defending against APC horses.

Its counter intuitive but the higher the initiative phase goes first.
Lights go on 4 unless they have the initiative buff ability then they can go on 5
Mediums go on 3
Heavies go on 2
And assaults go on 1

They may have had the initiative buff ability

[Nav_Alpha]

Ouch... she's one of my best pilots.  I turned her into a "Lancer", with Bulwark and both Multi-Targeting and Breaching Shot.

She’s a Lancer for me - nine gunnery and eight piloting with excellent multi targeting.
My CO/Alter-ego is a Sharpshooter with Sensor lock and Breaching. Together they’re a killer duo.

Hence my scum save and re-do!

[Sandslice]

So the enemies move fast in initiative then me now? Their heavies are moving in phase three for some reason: anyone know why that might be?

I'm just over 300 tons in my lance and my past mission was Defense of Panzyr defending against APC horses.

The high skill for Tactical (Master Tactician) has two effects.  One is to let you heal a stability bar each time you reserve; the other is to boost your 'Mech's base initiative by 1 step.  You'll recognise these if the pilot's rank is Striker (with multi-shot), Scout (with evasive boost), or Vanguard (with bulwark).  Sometimes, a "mere" Tactician has it, but that's less likely as it implies a major imbalance in opfor's pilot skill (on the level of the backer pilot "God".)

Edit: Another priority mission down - the last one before the double-header on Coromodir - and the Opfor was rather... jumpy.  As in, Behemoth took *two* DFAs over the course of the battle - one from one of the Spotter Spiders, and the other from the Vindicator... which ALSO used its first turn to hit my command 'Mech in the back, CT internal but luckily no crits.  McWraith, for the second consecutive battle, got a melee headshot kill using the Grasshopper.  The first was some random destroy-base mission and he punted a Griffin 1S in the face.  In Tyrlon, it was the Jager A (the same that finished what his jumpy bois started and wrecked my Battlemaster - costing me an SRM-6+++ >.< )

[Phobos]

I hate Windows 10 more and more with every update... I told this damn thing to update on Saturday when I was away, but it didn't for some reason.  This morning, I told it NOT to update, and I come from work to "...This could take a while."

You may want to check out O&O ShutUp 10. You can thank me later.

[Daryk]

Reloaded that scenario and lost Glitch... darn it, I liked her.  On the plus side, gained a Shadow Hawk and Vindicator.  I hired Kraken in behind Glitch, but boy do his Piloting skills need work!

And thanks for the ShutUp10! link!

[MoleMan]

I used my Jager as a max armour, JJ, triple AC5 beast and it worked great for a period. Had that and the PPC Cat at stand off ranges sniping people whilst my brawler SHD jumped and sensor locked his way in.