Tell me about....the Battleaxe

[Adam Vagus]

I'm interested in learning more about the predecessor of my favorite mech of all time. Can anyone tell me how the Battleaxe works in combat? Is it a decent mech or not? Can anyone link me to it's mech of the week article?

[TigerShark]

I'm interested in learning more about the predecessor of my favorite mech of all time. Can anyone tell me how the Battleaxe works in combat? Is it a decent mech or not? Can anyone link me to it's mech of the week article?

It's decent for the time period in which it existed (2400s - 2600s). The heat curve is nasty and you'll find that the (2) PPCs rarely fire together. A typical firing pattern might be:

Turn 1: (2) PPC
Turn 2: PPC + LRM-5
Turn 3: PPC + LRM-5
Turn 4: (2) PPC

The jump jets have a special purpose for this design, as its close quarters armament is poor (a single, SRM-6). Your Battleaxe is a fire support platform like the Rifleman and Warhammer and should rarely see close combat. Use its maneuverability to get into partial cover, on top of a hill or into heavy woods. By standing still, you'll be able to mitigate some of the bad heat dispersal and utilize the above firing sequence better.

That being said, it's one of my favorite 'Mechs to use during the Age of War and early Star League period. It does the job of the Warhammer adequately and (in some circumstances) is better-equipped as fire support. Using it outside of these two eras is rather dicey, since the heat curve is not competitive with units sporting double heat sinks.

A simple mod (if your campaign uses them) is to remove the SRM-6 for additional heat sinks and a ton of LRM-5 ammunition.

[Adam Vagus]

I know the armor and heat is very bad for this mech and often wondered why the No Crash version went with more lrms instead of heat sinks and/or armor. If it kept the LLs of the original would that make it better?

[TigerShark]

I know the armor and heat is very bad for this mech and often wondered why the No Crash version went with more lrms instead of heat sinks and/or armor. If it kept the LLs of the original would that make it better?

They're different animals, frankly. The original used Primitive components and is intended to work with the very earliest vehicles beside it. We're talking Estevez MBTs and Merkavas that won't even force a PSR under most circumstances. The Large Lasers work to an extent in that early prototype, but they force you to get too close to the enemy. If you're replacing the PPCs with Large Lasers on the later design, you absolutely need to reinforce that leg armor with the excess tonnage.

[martian]

I know the armor and heat is very bad for this mech and often wondered why the No Crash version went with more lrms instead of heat sinks and/or armor.

Because too good 'Mech would have lead to some unpleasant questions - for example, why it has been phased out, then. (the same problem as with the Woodsman)

[Adam Vagus]

Thanks for the explanations.  Does anyone else find the old battledroids look neat or am i the only crazy person here?

[martian]

Thanks for the explanations.  Does anyone else find the old battledroids look neat or am i the only crazy person here?

Yes, they are quite nice - especially the Cestus, the BattleAxe is not bad either.

[Adam Vagus]

Yeah, i meant specifically the battledroids battleaxe. Just was too tired to realize my wording mistake.

[martian]

The new BattleAxe has worked for me well, too.

Those MMLs give some stand-off firepower, and when it gets close, it's quite tenacious thanks to its combination of the Light Engine, full armor protection and Jump Jets, so it is difficult for the enemy to get rid off it.

[Burning Chrome]

Does anyone else find the old battledroids look neat or am i the only crazy person here?

<---
 O0

[God and Davion]

1 The old (and new!) Battleaxe art is cool.

2 The unit is not cool. But it is hot as hel >:Dl. It has a very nasty heat curve and, as Tigershark pointed it, it is more a fire support design than a brawler. I find it an extremely funny unit to play and you can learn to ride a heat curve with it. It is a perfect training mech for newbies and, like the old Rifleman, rewards risky choices. The more psycho you get, the better.  And, with JJs, you can do the trick of jumping into woods to cool down. A real's men mech (this is why I don't play with it ;D).

[Gunslinger]

The BattleAxe.... ahh. I had fond memories of designing that 'Mech (and evidently did so well I got the go-ahead on the HammerHands afterward) because of the challenge it brought. We had to do both a regular rules, and a primitive rules design. The primitive design (apart from the extra math involved) was the easy one; It was the regular design that was difficult.

One had to put aside all that they learned about mini-maxing and years of making effective 'Mech designs and get into a mindset of "OMG I'm a newb!" those designers would have had making a 'Mech for the first time. It's design had to be inferior than more contemporary 3025 tech (such as a heat curve, something weapons designers of tanks would not be dealing with) and a less than complimentary armament due to a new set of tactics and size (A mobile weapons platform two stories tall rather than a sleek tank that can go hull down!? lol WUT!), otherwise, why would it go out of production while so many others still got produced for centuries?

[Adam Vagus]

You designed the Hammerhands? You sir, are my hero  [notworthy]

[Stinger]

The BattleAxe.... ahh. I had fond memories of designing that 'Mech (and evidently did so well I got the go-ahead on the HammerHands afterward) because of the challenge it brought. We had to do both a regular rules, and a primitive rules design. The primitive design (apart from the extra math involved) was the easy one; It was the regular design that was difficult.

One had to put aside all that they learned about mini-maxing and years of making effective 'Mech designs and get into a mindset of "OMG I'm a newb!" those designers would have had making a 'Mech for the first time. It's design had to be inferior than more contemporary 3025 tech (such as a heat curve, something weapons designers of tanks would not be dealing with) and a less than complimentary armament due to a new set of tactics and size (A mobile weapons platform two stories tall rather than a sleek tank that can go hull down!? lol WUT!), otherwise, why would it go out of production while so many others still got produced for centuries?

I thought Randall designed the Hammerhands? http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,14013.msg330630.html#msg330630

[Gunslinger]

He did originally assign it to himself in 3075 and drafted the general concept of a successor heavily influenced by the BattleAxe, lost out to the Warhammer for PR purposes, and the name as a tribute to someone. But as I finished up the rest of the Davion section and some other bits of that book, I persuaded him to let me to it with the "AC arms" concept to let me actually do the details, design stats, and fluff.

I have email correspondence and the pay to show for it too :P But that was also a time when there were alot of projects were being done, and *alot* of reassignments.

[Stinger]

He did originally assign it to himself in 3075 and drafted the general concept of a successor heavily influenced by the BattleAxe, lost out to the Warhammer for PR purposes, and the name as a tribute to someone. But as I finished up the rest of the Davion section and some other bits of that book, I persuaded him to let me to it with the "AC arms" concept to let me actually do the details, design stats, and fluff.

I have email correspondence and the pay to show for it too :P But that was also a time when there were alot of projects were being done, and *alot* of reassignments.

Cool :) I love that mech, and it is cool to know the history :) Sorry to doubt you!

[Gunslinger]

Cool :) I love that mech, and it is cool to know the history :) Sorry to doubt you!

No Worries! Considering the situation *I* was in at the time of that post, and knowing how confusing things got during the time of the development *and* the context of the name and general concept assignment/idea, Randalls response to that post is quite understandable

There were a few times I got a check in the mail for something where I had to go back through email and my folders and realize "Oh wow, I *did* do that!" Which was cool most of the time. When reading a piece and cringing at first, then realizing that it was mine... Not so cool  :D


(And for the record for that thread, I had never seen that poster or his supposed design before. But law of averages dictated that at some point, designs are going to heavily overlap with a specific set of equipment)