So.. tell me about the TSEMP.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

One of the gimmicks of the 3145 setting that has been out for a while is the TSEMP cannon.  It's probably the most gimmicky thing to come out of the lot- it can only fire every other turn.  It gives the firing unit an automatic debuff for the chance of a debuff on the target.  It costs a ton of heat to fire, and janks up the BV/PV of the unit because there's the off chance it is a game-changer any time it's fired.. but is it worth the prices you pay?

I'm curious to hear about its impact on the game from those who've used or faced it.

One question to start things off.. is it more effective to have a big mech that can mount a pair of them and still have some firepower left over, or are they better used as the primary/sole armament of a cheap/light/disposable unit?

[Diamondshark]

TSEMP is entirely luck-based. If you roll well, you'll get good results. If you roll poorly, you wasted that tonnage. You will suffer the interference of TSEMP yourself when you fire, so if they don't suffer any effects, you just made your life worse. If you both suffer interference, then you'd better be able to get their to-hit numbers REALLY high, or else you still haven't improved things. If they do shut down, they're yours.

Long story short, the more TSEMP you can get on one target, the better. Each one boosts the roll result to determine the results. One TSEMP is more likely to either harm things or not alter the situation significantly (which is still a waste of tonnage), but two or more do a lot to help. My favorite TSEMP mech is the Gyrfalcon 4. The mobility makes it hard to hit, it carries two TSEMPs to boost the chances of shutdown, and if you shut them down, the two ERLLs happen to be able to exactly force a PSR the next turn (which means an automatic fall, since the enemy is shut down). This, in turn, means you won't have much difficulty in shutting them down again with the TSEMP next time...

[Col.Hengist]

I'm still I unclear what it is... Some kind of steam driven rocket?

[Diamondshark]

It's a focused EMP.

[glitterboy2098]

think star wars Ion cannon..

[Diplominator]

I've tried out the Gyrfalcon 4 a few times. I miss the reflective armor from the original, and the LB-2Xs are always fun to plink with, but the TSEMPs are pretty appealing alternative, especially since it can still pelt things with ERLL fire.

[CloaknDagger]

Try the TSEMP with a melee mech for maximum fun. Lower chance to hit doesn't effect melee.

[Diamondshark]

Hmm, that's a good idea. Now I need to fit a melee mech with a couple of them and see how that goes...

[Col Toda]

Until I see it fielded more I expect it would be treated much like an assault mech with TSM and an AXE . It's greatest utility it has is how much fire it draws from a disproportionate concern on it's potential effectiveness . Until I and other players see it in action a whole lot more I expect that to be the general reaction in all battles short term ; such units will be killed as close to first as the enemy can do it . It may take some time to for a learning curve to apply . The prototype version I saw in the FASA days never got play tested let alone published and was not as good as this published one in the 3145 Field Manuel . Unlike an assault mech with TSM and an axe it far cheaper to field and as a consequence if all it does is draw fire from my more expensive units I would count it as a great tactic . I would just make sure it is not piloted by anyone I liked as it would mean that mech dies in the first few turns of combat and how much damage your other better armed and more expensive mechs do during that time is going be great . The best mech may be medium fast with Stealth armor ( If possible )  to make the enemy work for the kill .

[DarkISI]

Try the TSEMP with a melee mech for maximum fun. Lower chance to hit doesn't effect melee.

Try the Hauptmann T. 2 TSEMPs, 2 Ultra AC 20 (and an ER Small, but let's ignore that one). ;)

[dirty harry]

Try the Hauptmann T. 2 TSEMPs, 2 Ultra AC 20 (and an ER Small, but let's ignore that one). ;)

Sorry, but that design is a miserable example. The U-AC 20 is still a short range weapon which means, that the Hauptmann has to be close to the enemy if it has to hit with those BFG while under the effect of its own TSEMP-attack. It is only worth the money, if the enemy is REALLY shut down and not only facing an interference (or even worth: nothing).

The two killer designs i have seen are the horrifing mobile Gyrfalcon 4 and the Catapult II. Both have long range weapons to play with and don't need to get close and with its energy weapons the Gyrfalcon is even worse.

In my opinion the cumulative effect of multiple attacks is the real brutal killer. Field two Catapult II that fire all of their four TSEMP at the same target. Usually only two to three TSEMPs will hit (even with better pilots using them at short range...), but dropping the shut down roll from 9+ to 7+ or maybe 6+ is increasing the propability of a shut down significantly. Even if the Catapults are unable to take full advantage of a shutdown target (scattering missiles... damn), they usually have friends that can do.
And a dirty pair of Gyrfalcon 4 can rip of sidetorsos with their own remaining (still long ranging) weaponry.

Only thing that can stop TSEMP from gamebraking is its murderous BV (PV likewise). But if you are playing TSEMP-mechs without BV as base (drawn from a pool, random selection and so on), they can do horrible things.

[Diamondshark]

The Gyrfalcon 4 is especially evil, because if the enemy shuts down, your two ERLLs do exactly enough damage to force a PSR (which will be automatically failed because the mech is shut down), which means that the target will be greatly limited in terms of mobility when it gets up again, and can't jump. Which makes it easier to shut them down with TSEMP again...

[DarkISI]

Sorry, but that design is a miserable example. The U-AC 20 is still a short range weapon which means, that the Hauptmann has to be close to the enemy if it has to hit with those BFG while under the effect of its own TSEMP-attack. It is only worth the money, if the enemy is REALLY shut down and not only facing an interference (or even worth: nothing).

That's why I mentioned it when melee came up. ;)
Get in close, shut the opponent down (two TSEMPs have a realistic chance), then pummel him with UACs and kicks in the following turn.

[Firesprocket]

I have only played against TSEMP once in a small re-enforced lance battle.  The unit in question was the new Prefect from the 3145 NT.  It managed to lock down my Berserker for a turn.  For the BV of the Prefect it seemed valued in the right range. The turn after getting hit by it, I got rocked and fell down, but survived.  It is nice A weapon, but one that isn't always suited to every uniT.   

[Diamondshark]

My roommate and I realized the truly most evil way to use TSEMP: pair them with Tonbos. Have a "capture team" mass fire 4-5 TSEMPs at a target to shut it down, and while it's shut down, pick it up with the Tonbo and fly off... Bye bye...  >:D

[Diablo48]

My roommate and I realized the truly most evil way to use TSEMP: pair them with Tonbos. Have a "capture team" mass fire 4-5 TSEMPs at a target to shut it down, and while it's shut down, pick it up with the Tonbo and fly off... Bye bye...  >:D

That is hilarious. ;D

Of course, I would be somewhat concerned about what is going to happen when that 'Mech powers back up, but it is still a hilarious idea even if it is likely to result in a jump-capable 'Mech bursting out of the silly thing Alien-style. :o

[Weirdo]

My roommate and I realized the truly most evil way to use TSEMP: pair them with Tonbos. Have a "capture team" mass fire 4-5 TSEMPs at a target to shut it down, and while it's shut down, pick it up with the Tonbo and fly off... Bye bye...  >:D

This is impossible* during a tabletop game, but it'd be fun as hell to do in an RPG or GMed campaign... O0

*per TW, you're not allowed to use lift hoists to pick up combat units during a fight. My guess is that the process of securing them for transport takes too long to be done with 10-second turns.

[VhenRa]

This is impossible* during a tabletop game, but it'd be fun as hell to do in an RPG or GMed campaign... O0

*per TW, you're not allowed to use lift hoists to pick up combat units during a fight. My guess is that the process of securing them for transport takes too long to be done with 10-second turns.

The fact you knew that... implies you already thought of it.

[marauder648]

So basically the Gyrfalcon 4 can stunlock mechs? Thats horrific :s

[Maelwys]

TSEMP, like many thing in Battletech, is going to depend on the scale that its used at. 2 Savannah Masters isn't bad. Facing off against a company or Battalion of them is. 1 Medium Laser is a good damage to heat ratio. 10 of them is "Why would I ever take an AC20?"

One mech with a TSEMP, getting lucky with the rolls probably isn't going to break the game. If you've got a lance of units with a TSEMP or two, that's almost guaranteed to shut down a unit every other turn, can get potentially ground breaking. It might be interesting to see how it turns out in the future.

[Diamondshark]

This is impossible* during a tabletop game, but it'd be fun as hell to do in an RPG or GMed campaign... O0

*per TW, you're not allowed to use lift hoists to pick up combat units during a fight. My guess is that the process of securing them for transport takes too long to be done with 10-second turns.

We know, but we decided that since the fluff says that it can pick up and fly off with a mech, we decided that was just too priceless to not house-rule in.

That is hilarious. ;D

Of course, I would be somewhat concerned about what is going to happen when that 'Mech powers back up, but it is still a hilarious idea even if it is likely to result in a jump-capable 'Mech bursting out of the silly thing Alien-style. :o

We worried about that, but we realized two things:
1) If your mech turns on while you're 100s of feet in the air, are you REALLY going to want to break free of or hurt the thing that's carrying you?
2) You can just send a dedicated TSEMP-carrying VTOL to just follow the Tonbo along and keep shutting them down over and over (TW does say that you treat things held up by lift hoists as unprotected cargo, and thus you can hit them). Alternatively, if they destroy the Tonbo or break free, just zap them with the multiple TSEMPs and watch them freefall anyway...  :D

I know... we're the worst pair ever... He's the one that asked on here recently if you can use Lift Hoists to increase they carry weight of a handheld weapon. If so, he was going to make a superheavy that carried a Sub-capital missile launcher.  #P

[Weirdo]

The fact you knew that... implies you already thought of it.

I did, though it was mostly with respect to picking up my own units. As evidenced by my love of infantry, I'm a BIG fan of using transports to give mobility to things that are normally too slow for most tactical engagements.

[Prince of Darkness]

Honestly, TSEMP is much more of a campaign and story weapon than one for a pickup game, simply because the BV is so ****** high. The fact that it has to be paired in order to be effective really hurts it too.

Because of that, the only 'mechs I'd take for it are ones built for carrying them, like the Yuingchingchog or whatever its called, where the BV is reasonable enough I can use two of them to get those advantages.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

So basically the Gyrfalcon 4 can stunlock mechs? Thats horrific :s

Only if it gets really lucky.  If you want to seriously stunlock something you're going to need to be hitting it with multiple TSEMP shots every round due to the die roll needed to trigger a shutdown.  That takes a lot of mechs to pull of effectively.

[Diamondshark]

I'm considering making a designated TSEMP lance for future companies, whose job is to stun-lock major targets and possibly TAG/Narc them for the fire lance to chew them up.

[cavingjan]

Four of the new Marshals should do the trick. And be flexible enough to do other tasks.