VotW: Weapons Carriers

[mbear]

the weapon carriers are self propelled disposable Claymore Mines. Omni, fancy engines, etc are just a waste of money on them.

Though I could see a drone version being useful.

[glitterboy2098]

Though I could see a drone version being useful.

so could i. could get pricier though. but imagine a company of 8 LRM carrier drones, 4 Hi Scouts, and some of the NapFind and PathTrack drones to scout?

[Dave Talley]

Yeah
A drone version would be nice, even if was only to be drone controlled during a fight
Crew drives it into place, camouflage is added and they run back to the master control unit

[Diablo48]

so could i. could get pricier though. but imagine a company of 8 LRM carrier drones, 4 Hi Scouts, and some of the NapFind and PathTrack drones to scout?

Definitely, although you do wind up saving money replacing crews which helps to offset the cost and people will be much less reluctant to volunteer if they know they will not be inside the poorly armored deathtrap when it is inevitably blown to bits.  You also have the option of having less crews than vehicles because the odds of all your ambushing SRM Carriers being in combat at the same time is low so you can probably afford to switch crews between different drones.  Another related benefit is that because your crews will live through many battles (and smashed drones), they will be able to accumulate combat experience and get better over time so those drones will get very nasty in a protracted campaign as their crews get better and better.

[Liam's Ghost]

the weapon carriers are self propelled disposable Claymore Mines. Omni, fancy engines, etc are just a waste of money on them.

Oh poppycock. The houses don't now how to not waste money nowadays. It wouldn't even be unprecedented given the fanciness of the word of blake weapon carriers, or even the fusion powered LB2X carrier.

In fact, Omni Carriers might already be a thing. Ryuken Yon apparently operated SRM carriers that could quickly swap arrow IV launchers into place for art support as early as 3058 (as per FM: Draconis Combine)

[wellspring]

I couldn't agree more ... ;)

To the benefits in the link, I'll add two more: ease of maintenance and support, and reload times.

Admittedly, carriers rarely survive if they're hit with weapons fire. But one thing they definitely do is spend large amounts of time sitting around firing practice rounds and conducting exercises waiting for a battle. Especially in contrast with front-line units like Mechs. Reduced time and cost to repair is a budget gift that keeps on giving, year after year. Second, for the artillery configuration, a sustained bombardment requires frequent reloads and omni cuts that in half.

Also, to a much lesser extent, you get the benefits of future-proofing. A new AA gauss support weapon is invented? No problem, it's just a new config. Ship the weapons in pods with a software update and your troops are good to go. BT in the 3000's is a century of near-constant weapons innovations after centuries of stagnation. Procurement departments had to have been blindsided by the problem, and worktroll's OmniCarrier helps answer the problem of "Do I adopt the new tech now, or wait for tomorrow's new tech?"

[Diablo48]

Admittedly, carriers rarely survive if they're hit with weapons fire. But one thing they definitely do is spend large amounts of time sitting around firing practice rounds and conducting exercises waiting for a battle. Especially in contrast with front-line units like Mechs. Reduced time and cost to repair is a budget gift that keeps on giving, year after year. Second, for the artillery configuration, a sustained bombardment requires frequent reloads and omni cuts that in half.

Ease of repairs only matter if the unit takes damage and survives so that aspect is kind of useless here.  What actually matters is the costs of regular maintenance which I seem to recall being steeper for omnis than conventional designs, although I am feeling too lazy to check right now.

[SCC]

Oddly, both have the same suspension as a '65 Mustang. Who knew?

OK, ok. Remember my old 'Apollo's Law'- if it needs Clan tech to make it worthwhile, it isn't worth wasting the time to put the Clan gear on in the first place?

Let's pretend that's not a thing for a bit. Every tried upgrading an LRM Carrier with Clan missiles?

Hell, an SRM carrier? I'm not talking about twenty six-racks (as funny as that is). I'm talking about a simple swap- to ten Streak-6 racks. ;)

Go on, think about it. I know that it's ridiculous, I know that it's totally munchtastic and all that, but... just for a moment, have a laugh, will you?

Was going through the thread for the memories and an idea came to me upon seeing this post and I don't even need full Clan tech. Prototype Clan SRMs, the ones that have the 4/8/12 range profile like Clan Streaks? Put them into the SRM Carrier, the advantage over Streaks? They can fire inferno's

And on a more generic upgrade front the ICE engine in this weighs 14 tons, and 300 XL weighs 14.5  [tickedoff]

[cavingjan]

Where are those rules from? Operation Klondike has very different rules for the prototype streaks.

[Colt Ward]

It is not prototype that I am aware of . . . Advanced SRMs, which ONLY appear on Gnomes as far as I am aware have better range . . . why they are not on mechs or vehicles I do not know.  I know I would love them on the Arctic Wolf.

[Liam's Ghost]

Where are those rules from? Operation Klondike has very different rules for the prototype streaks.

I assume what is being referred to is the Improved SRMs mentioned in the Interstellar Operations pre-beta document. In that text they had the improved range of clan streaks, but not the streak capability, and they didn't have the reduced mass of standard clan SRM systems, leading to them being abandoned in favor of the current short range and streak missile systems.

Given the intensely pre-beta nature of the document, though, whether or not they'll turn out to be an actual thing remains to be seen.

It is not prototype that I am aware of . . . Advanced SRMs, which ONLY appear on Gnomes as far as I am aware have better range . . . why they are not on mechs or vehicles I do not know.  I know I would love them on the Arctic Wolf.

I suspect that they're impractical compared to existing standard and streak systems at mech scale.

[Weirdo]

It is not prototype that I am aware of . . . Advanced SRMs, which ONLY appear on Gnomes as far as I am aware have better range . . . why they are not on mechs or vehicles I do not know.  I know I would love them on the Arctic Wolf.

Those aren't so much advanced SRMs as a failed attempt to put Streaks on a battlesuit. They got the range, but not the lock-or-no-shot. Streaks are already successful on 'Mechs, so I guess they see no reason to try and put the failed stuff on 'em.

[TigerShark]

Those aren't so much advanced SRMs as a failed attempt to put Streaks on a battlesuit. They got the range, but not the lock-or-no-shot. Streaks are already successful on 'Mechs, so I guess they see no reason to try and put the failed stuff on 'em.

Wondering what the 'Mech stats would be for those anyhow. 4/8/12 is more useful in Clan warfare than a 3/6/9. By leaps and bounds.

[Colt Ward]

And Inferno.

But yeah, that was my point in mentioning them.

[glitterboy2098]

Wondering what the 'Mech stats would be for those anyhow. 4/8/12 is more useful in Clan warfare than a 3/6/9. By leaps and bounds.

i believe something like those can be found in the Op:Klondike book..

[UnLimiTeD]

4/8/12 SRMs are totally worth it on mechs even with the same weight as streaks.
Well, until ATM special munitions come around, that is.

[SCC]

Yeah, the Improved SRM's are what I was talking about, and checking the IO Beta document they weigh the same as IS ones, so it's a one for one swap (I fear they may have weighed more)

[Colt Ward]

4/8/12 SRMs are totally worth it on mechs even with the same weight as streaks.
Well, until ATM special munitions come around, that is.

 . . . oh ER Inferno rounds . . . you really know how to warm my heart.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day.

Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. >:D

[Colt Ward]

That security phrase only works if you pilot a Firestarter or a Vulcan.

[Auren]

Or a Berserker.  ^-^