'Mech of the Week: HA1-O Hauptmann

[chanman]

The mugger range bands of most Hauptmanns suggest that their pilots probably get along very well with Demolisher II, Fortune, and Rommel Howitzer crews in their collective efforts to keep the mean streets mean

[Cache]

I found an artist's vision of the first four configurations from DeviantArt.

I thought I'd throw this in here. Matt Plog did a piece called "Tracking" for BattleCorps.com back when it was starting up. In it is his version of the Hauptmann A. I love the look of it. Brawler indeed.

[Kojak]

Whoa, that looks awesome; is there more to that picture or is that the whole thing?

[Cache]

Whoa, that looks awesome; is there more to that picture or is that the whole thing?

I don't have access to my copy at the moment. There's a conga-line of faction 'Mechs, including a weapon-accurate Behemoth, but no context to make sense of it.

[Frogfoot]

It looks so folorn without its cigar. Honestly if I was a Hauptmann jock I'd have a cosmetic one made of paper mache added when using the cigarless configs, just for propriety's sake.

[Orin J.]

And so the lyrans said "stop giving us experiments, we need more assaults!" and thus was begat the Hauptmann, and it was good.

it's hard not to like this monster. simple design, clean lines, just a touch of style at the head intimidation with the little horn antennae and the laser cigar, and of courswe a giant gun mount in the torso at face level is the style isn't enough. the lack of advance tech for an omni is probably a good choice im my meagre opinion, as the tradeoffs made for inner sphere materials is often pretty heavy for an omni and an assault needs to be able to fit some pretty heavy firepower. even the most elite, wily commanders occasionally need a beat stick, and the Hauptmann is happy to fill the role.

[Nikas_Zekeval]

And so the lyrans said "stop giving us experiments, we need more assaults!" and thus was begat the Hauptmann, and it was good.

it's hard not to like this monster. simple design, clean lines, just a touch of style at the head intimidation with the little horn antennae and the laser cigar, and of courswe a giant gun mount in the torso at face level is the style isn't enough. the lack of advance tech for an omni is probably a good choice im my meagre opinion, as the tradeoffs made for inner sphere materials is often pretty heavy for an omni and an assault needs to be able to fit some pretty heavy firepower. even the most elite, wily commanders occasionally need a beat stick, and the Hauptmann is happy to fill the role.

The thing is, the difference in warloads between a Sunder, Templar, and Hauptman aren't that great.  Sunder is 42 tons (36 tons pod space, 6 fixed DHS), Templar is 43.5 tons (one fixed CASE, 3 fixed DHS, 40 tons pod space), and the Hauptman is 44.5 tons (43 tons pod space, one fixed CASE and one fixed DHS).

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

But unlike the other two, the Hauptmann has a standard engine and therefore an easier time using crit-intensive weaponry.  And it can take a lot more punishment.  And it's cheaper.

[chanman]

Cheerfully cheap as in affordable. A bare Haputmann chassis without pods costs less than a Blitzkrieg.
Also cheap as terrifying when the tonnage and crits are sufficient to mount multiple artillery cannon

[Nikas_Zekeval]

But unlike the other two, the Hauptmann has a standard engine and therefore an easier time using crit-intensive weaponry.  And it can take a lot more punishment.  And it's cheaper.

Not as bad as you think.  The Sunder has a standard chassis and armor, so the only construction crits are the XL engines, and the 16th DHS.  So it too can pack crit intensive gear, or if going for a high heat load load out the four extra DHS in the engine means it actually has more room for the same cooling capacity.

The Templar doesn't come off quite as well, 20 crits between the Endosteel and XL engine, minus two extra DHS in the engine.  Still not bad.

Cheerfully cheap as in affordable. A bare Haputmann chassis without pods costs less than a Blitzkrieg.
Also cheap as terrifying when the tonnage and crits are sufficient to mount multiple artillery cannon

It's a question of how useful, the extra speed on the other two are vs how vulnerable the slower speed of the Hauptmann makes it.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

In my experience, the difference in performance between a 3/5 machine and a 4/6 machine tends to be minimal.

[DarkISI]

Of course, shutting down the enemy is all well and good, but what about real firepower? The T configuration ain't skimping there either. You see, some clown decided to equip each side torso with a Clan-spec Ultra Autocannon/20. Yeah. Shut down enemy, kill it.
Each side torso has three tons of UAC/20 ammo.

That clown would have been me ;)
And yeah, shut it down, then kill it, was the thought behind it.

I suspect the Clan-spec CASE II was chosen to leave the half-ton, just for the style points the cigar gives to the Hauptmann.

You are correct.

[Empyrus]

Just to make it clear, that "clown" statement wasn't intended as an insult, rather that i regard the whole config quite hilarious for its sheer killing power, ie only a funny clown can come up with it. Or something like that.

I love that configuration.

[Demon55]

I have always sort of liked the Hauptmann.   I used it in MW4:Mercs, but never in Megamek (I do not have the time for the actual board game).

[DarkISI]

Just to make it clear, that "clown" statement wasn't intended as an insult, rather that i regard the whole config quite hilarious for its sheer killing power, ie only a funny clown can come up with it. Or something like that.

I love that configuration.

I never took it as an insult. Don't worry :)
And I am somewhat of a clown, so you are correct. ;)

[Empyrus]

Re-added, with some tweaks.

[Nightsong]

Had an image of the T stunlocking someone. Shut them down, any hit from the ACs is an instant knockdown, rinse, lather, repeat.

[grimlock1]

Had an image of the T stunlocking someone. Shut them down, any hit from the ACs is an instant knockdown, rinse, lather, repeat.

There is a disconnect in my head of a machine with paired TSEMPs, and paired Clan uAC20s.  It's almost like someone dual wielding an estoc and a mace...

[Stormy]

I dunno. They’re both great against heavily armoured targets. Knock them down with the mace (TSEMP) And then go for the holes with the estoc (...okay, a uAC20 doesn’t really make it here).

[Colt Ward]

You pair them because the TSEMPs are a every-other-turn weapon IIRC- its been a while since I used them.  Paired UAC/20ss?  Well . . . its a Steiner machine and they compensate with the BGFs.

Then again, the ability to put 80 damage on a target is nothing to sneeze at . . . particularly if the target is shut down so you get to call the shot.

[Scotty]

You pair them because the TSEMPs are a every-other-turn weapon IIRC- its been a while since I used them.  Paired UAC/20ss?  Well . . . its a Steiner machine and they compensate with the BGFs.

Then again, the ability to put 80 damage on a target is nothing to sneeze at . . . particularly if the target is shut down so you get to call the shot.

TSEMPs are every-other-turn, yes, which means that you can alternate them and keep firing one each turn (albeit at a +2 interference penalty).

You can't aim weapons when using them in rapid fire, even if the target is shut down.  You get two 20-point aimed shots, or up to four 20-point unaimed shots.

[Empyrus]

Depending on the target, aimed shots aren't necessary. Some things get dismantled regardless of hit locations....  ;D

[Colt Ward]

TSEMPs are every-other-turn, yes, which means that you can alternate them and keep firing one each turn (albeit at a +2 interference penalty).

You can't aim weapons when using them in rapid fire, even if the target is shut down.  You get two 20-point aimed shots, or up to four 20-point unaimed shots.

Did not say aimed, said called b/c shut down.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Honestly, why would you bother making called shots when you could just make two aimed shots with 20 point damage weapons?

[Cannonshop]

In my experience, the difference in performance between a 3/5 machine and a 4/6 machine tends to be minimal.

kind of depends on what you're used to.  3/5 basically means you're doing a lot of 'let's be a stationary turret'.  (you end up being in deficit a lot if you move, which is to say, you'll be eating a running penalty for +1 defensive modifier through movement, since you have to run pretty much all the time on a bigger map or a map with more terrain if you're creeping along at 3/5.)  If you want to get somewhere at a walk, and still hit something when you get there, 4/6 is about as slow as  you can really go.  3/5 is great for one-mapsheet duels, but on a big map, it's crippled.

[Arkansas Warrior]

It really depends what you're using them for.  Something like an Awesome or Nightstar doesn't mind not being fast, because it can reach out and touch you.  A King Crab?  Mostly useful bodyguarding LRM lances, preferably on the reverse slope of a hill where the slashers sent to take out the IDF units can't see it until it's too late.  Or in a city.  Short sight lines are a 3/5 brawler's dream.  If you're taking an AS7-D on a wide open plain, you deserve what you get.

[Empyrus]

I prefer 4/6 movement largely because it has some capacity to overheat with acceptable movement loss. 3/5s don't, 2/3 is just cripplingly slow (unless are a Mars tank and have enough firepower to level a city by yourself).
But 3/5s that run reasonably cool and have long range firepower? Not bad. A wall of steel can move, if slowly, and individual 3/5s are good at defensive operations. Very terrain dependent to be sure.

Unfortunate that the Hauptmann tends to be rather short ranged in most of its configurations. Nasty if you have to get through them but if you can take your time sparring with them at distance... A pair of ER PPCs on the B isn't quite enough for a 'Mech this size, and most others aren't much better. The M is the best probably, though without a C3 network it wastes quite a bit of tonnage.

[Hellraiser]

I wan't thrilled with the Prime or A when it came out.
The B on the other hand was just so simplistic it was hard not to like it a little.

However its the D that I've really taking a liking to now.
Twin headcappers & a C3M, now that is something I can get behind.

[UnLimiTeD]

Yeah, getting in front of it is probably a bad idea.
Regarding the movement, I've long accepted that 3/5 designs shouldn't be fighting while turning corners. Well, except at close range.  ...  hey

[Nightsong]

One thought that came to mind due to the custom forum is that those C3 Master carrying versions (Boosted or not) do have integral TAG capabilities, thus another nice thing to have in your pocket, calling down Arrows or Copperheads. I get this beautiful image of trying to get inside LRM range of a HauptM, only to get some guided artillery rammed down their throat.