Unique Mechs utilization

[Paul]

Just curious; not an official poll or anything.
Which of the above 4 options apply to you?

I tried to keep reasoning out of the answer, but I imagine it largely depends on how much you consider canon circumstance when force-building. If you have a perspective that has nothing to do with whether you look at canon or not, please share.


Oh, I should perhaps add: Unique 'Mechs are those of which only 1 exists. Either because it's a customized ride belonging to a single person, or you have some other canon information that makes it clear only 1 of these things exists. IE a prototype, or an Omni config that got used in 1 circumstance. That kinda thing.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Story-based scenarios revolving around historical/special pilots are almost begging for unique mechs to enhance the central figure's specialness.

But for competitive/friendly play I generally avoid using them.  With the exception of "unique" Omni configurations.  Although even then I usually only use a unique/personal Omni config if it's bringing something to the force that an "official" config isn't.  For example, the (Albert) configuration of the Black Hawk-KU is the only way to get a C3M in a canonical Black Hawk-KU.

[Weirdo]

I voted C, but I'm more accurately a B.5. I don't use uniques very often, but I've got no issues using them. I just prefer that the force I'm running at the time be appropriate for the character I'm bringing. More often than not, that means Solaris, they've got plenty of uniques and the SHDL means just about anyone that was alive during the Jihad is easy to fit in a group. Pocahontas's Wraith is FUN. >:D

Kinda tempted sometime to run an all-unique group, a Dirty Dozen of assassins, pirates, psychopaths, and other crooks.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I'm with Weirdo.  I don't have anything against them but I don't use them very often.

[ColBosch]

I voted B, but it's less that I do use them as often as common 'Mechs, it's more that I just don't give two flips about "canon" when actually playing games. So unique 'Mechs are just different variants to me.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Are there any Unique mechs that can't be made with existing construction rules?  If one person customized a mech that way, it's quite possible for someone else to do the same, so long as they have access to the same equipment.  And Omnimech configurations really should never count as unique, either.

[Iceweb]

To me a mech is a mech. 
I have no problem having fun by using multiple copies of a mech that there is only one of, if it seems fun to see how a lance of them would perform.
Then again I don't have much issue using my customs either. 
Having fun seems more important about worrying about the details, but having fun also means that the game is balanced.

[Sartris]

I will use them as villain mechs in campaigns, especially if I have a mini (e.g. the XTRO lance pack or the Rifleman III) and have the pilot coincidentally using the same config as the canon chassis.

In one-off games, I see them as any other mech.

So... Bish?

[Empyrus]

They make for interesting fluff at times. Some cool stuff in XTRO Most Wanted for example.

But... i can't say i use them.
Multiple reasons: They most likely don't fit my unit's feel, faction, or time period; they may require rules not used at the moment; i'm not that big on specific scenarios where they belong (this last one is one of practicality for other reasons); often i don't like them for whatever reason.
In practice, option D is the closest one.

I am more inclined to use prototype-style "uniques" than one-off custom rides.


I do wonder if i'd be more interested in uniques if they were tied to the upcoming "pilot cards" or the like. That is, sorta "generic-uniques", if this description makes sense.

[Paul]

I do wonder if i'd be more interested in uniques if they were tied to the upcoming "pilot cards" or the like. That is, sorta "generic-uniques", if this description makes sense.

Nope, maybe expand with an example?

[Empyrus]

Its like... Fluff and a record sheet in a book don't really make me interested in playing an unique 'Mech. Either one can be interesting but that's all.
At worst, i don't know what the pilot is like. How do they act? What's the proper way to play them? Alternatively, they're important canon characters and they will feel too restricting, or just plain weird depending what kind of game i'm playing.

The pilot cards we got previews for, they have a 'Mech, skills, SPAs, faction, some background. But they aren't existing canon characters (at least none i recognize), and they aren't seemingly tied to any time or place. Hence, "generic-uniques".
(These have generic 'Mechs but this was just an example.)
If these pilot card pilots had unique rides, i reckon i might try them out, at least more likely than i'm anything else.

No, this ain't that different from book having fluff for pilot and their 'Mech's record sheet. But it feels different.

[mbear]

Are there any Unique mechs that can't be made with existing construction rules?  If one person customized a mech that way, it's quite possible for someone else to do the same, so long as they have access to the same equipment.  And Omnimech configurations really should never count as unique, either.

I think a lot of people were burned by opponents who focused on building Munchkin Power 'Mechs and that spoiled the idea of unique 'Mechs for them.

My regular game had four players, each of us with our own force. Over time we repaired battle damage with other weapons, equipment, etc. and it was great. The best part was because we all did it, nobody could really complain too much. (Though I will admit the 100-ton assault LAMs did drive me a little nuts sometimes. But they were fun.)

[Kit deSummersville]

Are there any Unique mechs that can't be made with existing construction rules?

Yes.

[Wrangler]

I found that it depends on the design.  Alot of the Mechs made for XTRO's like the Merc, the House pdfs, along with boondocks.  They had some reasonable variants, even if they were unique or limited produced.  I like Record Sheets: Unique 'Mechs that Battlecorp did, those are my favorite, since they weren't over powering.  Like  Bandersnatch Horus and Assassin Alice, which was reasonable updates to otherwise not so great design without breaking the game. 

[Frabby]

I'm somewhere between B and C, for totally different reasons though. (For the record, I felt C matched my take on the matter better than B so that's what I voted.)

Even for casual pickup games I find that background context matters to me - I generally avoid picking rare or unusual 'Mechs.
But at the same time, rare, quirky, unusual or unique 'Mechs - the OstScout or Clint as much as Schwerer Gustav - fascinate me and often serve as a story seed from which to develop a scenario. Which in turn means that they may not be very numerous at my table, but they attract my attention much more than a vanilla Awesome.

Caveat: I find it "optimized" 'Mechs off-putting, except in design contest matches.

[Weirdo]

Interestingly enough, there's one mech(an omni, no less) where I'll only use the unique config, never any if the standard ones, the Karhu. I don't pay Ghost Bear but I do play RotS, so the only config I get access to per the MUL is the Karhu Syngman from Lamenkov's Liability. Since Syngman is one of an extremely few Karhu pilots in Republic service, and by all indications he sticks to his customized loadout, that's the only one I use.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Given that the RotS can build its own Clan mechs (the Road Runner and Jackalope, for example), I don't see why a Karhu in the Republic wouldn't be able to mount Clan grade weapons.

[Empyrus]

I reckon the reason is that Clan weapon stocks aren't available to the unit in large numbers (if at all) for whatever reason.

EDIT In this specific case, it seems the Inner Sphere equipment was really a stop-gab measure. Depending on the exact time, they should have no problems issuing enough Clan equipment for one of the standard configs.

[Weirdo]

Given that the RotS can build its own Clan mechs (the Road Runner and Jackalope, for example), I don't see why a Karhu in the Republic wouldn't be able to mount Clan grade weapons.

They probably could, but this is a personal choice. The other configs aren't Republic per the MUL, so I chose to remove them from my planning options.

[Carlson793]

C, but only cause there's only one unique mech that appeals to me, and that because of the unit it's in: 'Shorty' Sneede's Hybrid Rifleman from Snord's Irregulars.

[Cannonshop]

I reckon the reason is that Clan weapon stocks aren't available to the unit in large numbers (if at all) for whatever reason.

EDIT In this specific case, it seems the Inner Sphere equipment was really a stop-gab measure. Depending on the exact time, they should have no problems issuing enough Clan equipment for one of the standard configs.

ahem....with Energy weps? HEAT.  a 3025 Large might not punch as hard as a Clan ERLL, or go as far, but it's hell of a lot cooler running. Ditto for a 3025 era Medium Laser.  If you're not hexed about range, those can be viable choices if you're running on a less than balanced heat scale, or if  you need to 'tune' your heat to keep TSM at optimal temperature (minus the presence of Infernoes) which in turn means that if your heat sinkage is mostly podded in the case of an omni, you don't have to carry as many, and if your main battery also happens to be ammo based, you can carry more shots, or fire more often if you happen to have a heat imbalance in the core configs-which, when you're dealing with insurgents running modified construction equipment...

[Empyrus]

ahem....with Energy weps? HEAT.  a 3025 Large might not punch as hard as a Clan ERLL, or go as far, but it's hell of a lot cooler running. Ditto for a 3025 era Medium Laser.  If you're not hexed about range, those can be viable choices if you're running on a less than balanced heat scale, or if  you need to 'tune' your heat to keep TSM at optimal temperature (minus the presence of Infernoes) which in turn means that if your heat sinkage is mostly podded in the case of an omni, you don't have to carry as many, and if your main battery also happens to be ammo based, you can carry more shots, or fire more often if you happen to have a heat imbalance in the core configs-which, when you're dealing with insurgents running modified construction equipment...

If you take a look at the config's story, it uses IS equipment because the Warrior couldn't maintain Clan-spec weapons.

I don't think i said anything about IS equipment being poor choice... which they naturally are when compared to Clan equipment. No contest whatsoever.

[Col Toda]

The only truly unique mechs I designed was for Solaris VII .  ER Pulse lasers and Ferro Lamninar armoer. . Made a whole lot of unit Variants and Models but with known existing Chassis .

[blackjack]

I'm in between C & B took B. Have a liking for Michi's Ostroc & Several of the mechs from SBW&B.

[Orin J.]

There's always room for fun modifications if i can help it! Even if I can't, sometimes. why would we have all these great niche weapons if i wasn't supposed to find unusual ways to employ 'em?

[Arkansas Warrior]

I really like the AWS-9Ma as a Command mech.  I think it’s supposed to be unique to Adam Steiner from his Somerset Strikers Days, but it’s easy enough to replicate given a regular AWS-9M and surely with all the publicity they received someone somewhere has copied it, right?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The MUL lists the AWS-9Ma as available to the FedCom and FWL, so it's definitely not intended to be a unique mech.

[nckestrel]

Nope, maybe expand with an example?

Many of the Combat Manual unique pilots were made to be more “generic”. Not tied to a specific company, battalion or even regiment. Mostly for flexibility, you have some choice without needing multiple uniques created for every regiment.  So of the TR3035 notable pilots were similar. A name and a story, but not tied to anything outside their story.

[Arkansas Warrior]

The MUL lists the AWS-9Ma as available to the FedCom and FWL, so it's definitely not intended to be a unique mech.

Good to know, thanks.

[Firesprocket]

As I haven't played in any campaign games in recent years aside from those that you yourself have hosted (and largely don't plan to because I have neither the time or want to sit down and number crunch)  I have no problems including a unique mech if it offers either A) something I can't get out of another mech or B) gives me a good reason to pull out a mini to use that I haven't before or otherwise have little use for.  If I was planning a campaign force then I would be unlikely to utilize a unique configuration unless the unit called for it.