Col Toda's Custom Designs

[Col Toda]

The mech designs I make totally revolve on where it is  going to be used . Solaris VII a tricked out a ride with bells and whistles that I wouldn't dream of fielding in an order of battle. Militia defense  I would field designs that Is too urban defensive specific to work in an offensive order of battle too . For instance  I designed  a Solaris VII mech I like to call the cockroach 8/12/10 with a partial wing FL Armor and reinforced internal structure 2 ER med pulse lasers ment to be the last one standing in a grand melee . The look on an opponant's  face when a gauss rifle hit to the head happens and it  be still standing priceless. I would Never field this 21 million  C bill 35 to mech on a real battle field . Solaris VII stable runs on a totally different business model than a mercenary company .

For something like a Shugenja mech I remove the MRM 30 for a MRM 20 + Apollo FCS and CASE II reduce ammo to 1 ton and switch Ferro fibrous armor to standard . I hate using anything but standard armor on my mercenary unit mechs . I also hate the penalty to MRMs and lastly I hate normal CASE in a torso with an Inner Sphere XL engine. Not only does it kill the mech anyway it may blow up a C3 Master computer.  It goes on from there .

My Mauler 4R  armed exactly like the 3R save the small laser and C3 Slave is switched crit locations. The difference is I switched standard IS for Composite IS and used the weight savings by losing the XL engine and switching it with a light fusion engine and normal CASE in both left and right torsos . Higher BV and nearly 3 million C bill cheaper .

I like taking a proven mech designs and try to address it's most obvious weakness . The Mauler 3R was too expensive at 19 1/2 million C bills  . Even with Composite IS the double damage only applies after ypu get through the Armor the mech has 2 LB 10 Xs and 2 LRM 15s so it seams seems to be an anti air unit best sitting at the Drop Zone . Unlike the 3R an ammo explosion does not necessarily kill the mech.

The first rules / tech bloat . 3025 Cicada 8/12 armed with 2 med lasers in the Center Torso  and a Recon Camera in the Head right and left arms and Torsos Ablative.  Next 3030 CASE installed removing 1/2 ton from leg armor or rear firing lasers ect. One makes the Cicada more effective the other makes your A Time of war character live through an ammo explosion . Do not know anyone willing to not apply these systems given a chance . The Recon Camera always existed just almost never used. A lance of Cicada advance on the enemy fires both medium lasers and one or two manage to target the recon camera so the Archers behind the hill has a spotter . As the recon camera acts as a spotter that does not accrue the  extra penalties for shooting and spotting . Followed up by a lance a hatchetmen you have a nice rounded company. It is Not a problem it is a solution to problems playing the game . Not having my Archer blow up without CASE killing a pilot in a campaign in which someone is vested in is not ideal for anyone. Where do you draw the line? My minimum is 3030 with CASE otherwise I might be wasting my time .

No I do not think appropriate tech/rules bloat is a problem . It only becomes so when it really does not make sense or is  gratuitous . An example of tech bloat is ECM between 3062-3085 too many designs feild it sometimes to it's detriment such as the Anvil 8M in which it would be better off just adding a ton and a half of armor . It also makes Artemis IV pointless . My Naganatas eliminate those 3 wasted tons and either replace the ER PPC with a heavy PPC or keep the ER PPC and add a command console.

[Col Toda]

I still hate the Thanatos medium mech performance with heavy mech price does do it for me and a Jumping mech with an MRM rarely if ever gets the alpha strike all hits  the MRM without Apollo  FCS is wasted tonnage mostly. 

As for the Inner Sphere XL weakness in Assault and heavy mechs mostly agree it is bad . I address it in 3 ways the first CASE II not completely effective but helps alot as I use near heat neutral mechs with ammo to increase speed of play . Second many Assaults with an XL have so many weapons and systems in it it does not have the space for endo steel  . If it has an XL I took a Mauler 3R replaced the Internal structure with Composite then replaced the XL engine for a Light Engine and CASE . Higher BV lower C bills , Third and last is most appropriate as a Dark Age Refit replace IS Gauss Rifle with Clan and replace large Laser w light PPC and IS med pulse lasers with any one ton med laser you can replace the XL with Light , Guardian with Angel Case II in Gauss arm and LBX 10 Ammo  in a Dragonfire 4F . Better heat balance lose the Inner Sphere XL problem ect . In the Dark Age some mechs come out of the factory with one or more Clan spec weapons  mix tech is tournament legal in that ERA. 

All design is compromise Inner Sphere XL weakness is 40+  BV difference you get what you pay for . The worst solution to the IS XL engine problem is to manage to buy a Clan XL engine.  A not convenient very expensive and likely not sustainable for most any Inner Sphere mercenary unit outside the Clan invasion ERA. In the Dark Age  many Inner Sphere manufacturers can make limited Clan spec weapons but I am dead certain that as the Seafoxes get 2X - 2.8X after market sales for Clan tech for 50+ years proves that is what the market will bear that is what the Inner Sphere supplier will charge . That is why so much of it tends to be limited for most units at one primary or 2 secondary weapons because that is what is sustainably affordable.

[Bosefius]

Here are the customs Col Toda posts outside this section.

[Col Toda]

Have to agree to some extent  on the Shadowhawk . I did design a Solaris VII special once that was an ok back stabber . One of the very few designs  I did that filled every single critical space . 5/8/7 light fusion engine , endo composite IS , Large VPL ,  ER med laser  . SRM 6 , Max Ferro fibrous armor and improvedjump jets . Working with other mechs it was ok . Being a Solaris VII mech put the smoke ammo in the head . Mech pilot life is cheap mechs aren't.  The only problem  was potentially telegraphing where you are going to move by shooting smoke to where you are jumping next . Smoke was used to close so you did not have the armor stripped before getting into knife range. You know a mech is lackluster when you design your own version from IS out .

[Col Toda]

Modified stock or Custom jobs using standard chassis such as the Condor , even if the only modification is a trailer hitch.

For offense 50 tons or less 5/8 movement profile or better no WiGE or Wheeled.  Trailer hitch on tracked  . Have a line of environmentally sealed vehicles should the occasion to need them shows up . If you are bringing in a cargo drop ship include fire support trailers . Armed with TAG so it demands to be shot at because the enemy is on the recieving end of homing Arrow IV and semi guided LRM and mech mortar  .  Fuel Cell engine to make them cheap mass produced attrition units . Better to lose 3 + million combat vehicle than 15-17 million mech . If the enemy  is  shooting at your combat vehicles they are not shooting at your mechs .

City defense 50 + tons trailer hitch . Build hull down positions in traffic circles replace PPC for Snub Nosed PPC and TAG  where possible.  Use recon cameras in ERAs before TAG