Clan Blood Spirit: Get Off Our Lawn

[Stormlion1]

" Clan " Snord had scores of them before, you know, that happening.

Just saying...

TT

Clan Snord probably got theres from a wrecked Castle Brian in the Inner Sphere.

Work on the Minsk just started but I had to put it off a bit so I could paint a No-Named Crab for a planned future game.

[truetanker]

So it's a Blue and Gold scheme is it...

 ^-^

TT

[Stormlion1]

So it's a Blue and Gold scheme is it...

 ^-^

TT

Blue, Gold, and White! Thinking of doing a game in the future of the first Wolf/Wolverine Trial for the cache in a jungle environment.

[truetanker]

Ooh...

Ultra Jungle hexs...

Swamp hexs...

Constant low level fog...

Sudden heavy rainfalls...

Yeah, done these before...  :D

TT

[Stormlion1]

Ooh...

Ultra Jungle hexs...

Swamp hexs...

Constant low level fog...

Sudden heavy rainfalls...

Yeah, done these before...  :D

TT

Dont forget the gas pockets!

[StCptMara]

Glad to see this thread still going! I had taken a bit of a hiatus because, well, for a bit, things on the boards here were getting toxic(not necessarily any posts in particular, but I was having issues with getting angry at posts instead of having fun talking about BattleTech). Trying to get back in the Minotaur again..and finding this thread still somewhat active makes me happy.

[Sjhernan3060]

Glad to see this thread still going! I had taken a bit of a hiatus because, well, for a bit, things on the boards here were getting toxic(not necessarily any posts in particular, but I was having issues with getting angry at posts instead of having fun talking about BattleTech). Trying to get back in the Minotaur again..and finding this thread still somewhat active makes me happy.

I had wondered where you had gone. Welcome back!

[Nibs]

There's a familiar face! :thumbsup:

[truetanker]

You've successfully won your Trial of Relaxation warrior, but your clan requires more, have at it!

Welcome back you!

TT

[Wolf72]

I'll bite ...

anyone else look at their comstar packs (if you got them) and think that they'd make perfect BS units?  Especially if you did a simple weapons upgrade ... the Highlander, Flashman, umm umm others ... (supposed to be doing a virtual class atm, but zoom is kaput).

right! King Crab ... even if you went stop-gap-tech and chose some improved weapons from strat ops, you get some nice units.

[Nibs]

I bought a ComStar pack specifically for Clan secondline forces, although I've actually decided to use the Exterminator and Sentinel for an Outworlds Alliance lance. And yes, the King Crab is menacing!

Now thinking about picking up the other one as well. The Flashman alone might be worth it.

It's interesting to construct a Clan force that isn't simply OmniMechs. There's heaps of opportunity for character and story there. And of course, Clan Blood Spirit is the best fit for that theme. If you want to upgrade the 'Mechs with Clan weaponry, certain units can be used in the game to represent IIC models (Highlander IIC, anyone?).

[Wolf72]

To bad we never see any stalkers in clan second line ... was it one of those that they decided did not make it out of the pentagon wars?

In my 'verse, I would totally use SHD/GRF/WLV as second line mechs.  Pop some new weapons on them and go.  Royal variants for more punch.

the clan ER ML is basically a one ton IS LL ... that by itself would turn a standard SHD into something more noticeable, at least to the IS.

Well, this could down a rabbit hole  (by choice even!) ... just feel there is a lot we could do.  Justification is easy, you just have a very rare mech(s) in your unit.

[HobbesHurlbut]

Hm I still need to get my hands on a copy of The Wars of Reaving.

[truetanker]

To bad we never see any stalkers in clan second line ...

Wolf's Dragoons has a commander that uses a Stalker but with clan tech weapons.

TT

[Natasha Kerensky]

Wolf's Dragoons has a commander that uses a Stalker but with clan tech weapons.

TT

STK-3F Stalker Jamison.  It’s on Sarna.  Freezers, ferro, and all Clan-grade weaponry.  Easy to replicate by upgrading Stalkers from Brian Caches in the Homeworlds.

[Empyrus]

Per MUL, the Royal Stalker 3Fb can be found in Clan Homeworlds, from the earliest times until the Jihad.
The Blood Spirits are likely to have some.

As to why it wasn't upgraded, the Marauder IIC and Warhammer IIC are likely culprits. There's little point in upgrading the Stalker too.
And perhaps the Stalker's intended purpose, a breakthrough 'Mech that uses increasing levels of firepower while slowly approaching the enemy, doesn't quite fit the typical Clan battle doctrines.

[Wolf72]

Hm I still need to get my hands on a copy of The Wars of Reaving.

it is awesome and heart wrenching all in one.

[Wolf72]

Per MUL, the Royal Stalker 3Fb can be found in Clan Homeworlds, from the earliest times until the Jihad.
The Blood Spirits are likely to have some.

As to why it wasn't upgraded, the Marauder IIC and Warhammer IIC are likely culprits. There's little point in upgrading the Stalker too.
And perhaps the Stalker's intended purpose, a breakthrough 'Mech that uses increasing levels of firepower while slowly approaching the enemy, doesn't quite fit the typical Clan battle doctrines.

Well then! ... even a straight weapons upgrade would make that thing more worthwhile!  Just looked it up on Sarna, yeah some clan version weapons (and I have fascination with the stop gap improved clan weapons --- so I'd use improved LRM-20s w/A4FCS), keep the original ML or swap out two for some P SL and the other go to ER ML ... more DHS (either IS or C at this point) ... fun.

[Natasha Kerensky]

Per MUL, the Royal Stalker 3Fb can be found in Clan Homeworlds, from the earliest times until the Jihad.

Good point.  The 3Fb doesn’t mess with the 3F’s structure, engine, or armor.  So it’s fairly straightforward to upgrade the 3Fb to the 3F Jamison.  This assumes Jamison was piloting a design that originated with and was had more copies back in the Homeworlds, not a unique machine.  The canon doesn’t state that.  But it’s not an unreasonable assumption, either.

[Empyrus]

Good point.  The 3Fb doesn’t mess with the 3F’s structure, engine, or armor.  So it’s fairly straightforward to upgrade the 3Fb to the 3F Jamison.  This assumes Jamison was piloting a design that originated with and was had more copies back in the Homeworlds, not a unique machine.  The canon doesn’t state that.  But it’s not an unreasonable assumption, either.

Given Jamison variant intro date (3054), i would assume Jamison used to pilot stock Stalker but eventually upgraded the Stalker with ClanTech from Dragoon stores and factories.
Though it could be based on unseen Clan Stalker refit, just like the Wolf's Dragoons Archer seems to be based on the Summoner B.

Interestingly Star League-in-Exile had normal Stalkers with them too. Makes me wonder if all were either destroyed or upgraded to Royal standards. MUL indicates all Spheroid designs the Homeworld Clans retained ("HW Clan General") were Royals or stuff from TRO2750, i would assume those were deemed good enough and used as is. But would refitting (Stalkers or anything else) to Royal standards continue after the Clans were formed and ClanTech was around?

[Starfury]

My suspicion is that the Blood Kite was derived from the Stalker.  SRMs, LRMs, and a 3rd ER Large Laser on place of the Stalkers's MLs would make sense, as would jump jets to help in dueling. A Clan upgrade of the Royal Stalker would be easy as well if you want to avoid copying J-Cube's unique Stalker.  It's one of the more logical units for the Blood Spirits to upgrade, even with Artemis.

[Empyrus]

My suspicion is that the Blood Kite was derived from the Stalker.

Doesn't share any components but mass with the Stalker. Usually derived 'Mechs seem to share at least something, looks if nothing else. The Blood Kite most certainly doesn't look like the Stalker  ;D

"York XT" chassis might be connected to "Star League XT" which was used in the Highlander and Highlander IIC, later in Tai Sho, and Gunslinger by Spheroids. Original Stalker used "Titan H1". The Blood Kite's engine is without brand though the Clans have used Vlars and other such common engines, so the engine being a Strand 255 is not impossible.
EDIT Turns out, "York XT" is also used in Crimson Langur, and Crimson Hawk uses "York II XT".
Wait a sec, the old Banshee used "Star League XT" as well...

The Blood Kite is based on Khan Bogues' requirements: Low cost, durable, firepower, efficiency.
Since the Stalker was developed as the Reunification War was ending, it might have had similar requirements, so it would be just convergent design process. Those have happened several times in BT.

[Wolf72]

copying/mimicking weapon load outs is easy peasy, too.

[StCptMara]

right! King Crab ... even if you went stop-gap-tech and chose some improved weapons from strat ops, you get some nice units.

I can see some interesting things that could be done with a classic KGC with tech available to the Blood Spirits and matching the Blood Spirit's equipment doctrine.
Then again, I have done some interesting things with the Crocket, as well...I have a Crocket for a Bloodnamed Warrior that is terrifying to people, but, since writers
do look here, not going to talk about either here...

[Stormlion1]

If a Clan Tech cannot do a weapons swap on a Star League era Mech then he is either incompetent, lacks the weapons to swap,or doesn't have the time. Replacing a King Crabs weapons for Clan Tech ones shouldn't take very long at all.

[HobbesHurlbut]

So, I dug up a couple old Blood Spirit Mechs I did 20 years ago. Also did up a new Stooping Hawk config based on one of them and posted it with one of the old designs down in the fan designs.

[HobbesHurlbut]

did a "What if the Blood Spirits refitted the royal Shadow Hawks they may have?" Circa 3070
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/battlemechs/shadow-hawk-c-2/

[Stormlion1]

Looked at it, very effective design if used properly and makes use of the design that might have languished in storage.

[HobbesHurlbut]

Found GreekFire's guide for ProtoMechs. Need to save a copy of that.

[Sjhernan3060]

If a Clan Tech cannot do a weapons swap on a Star League era Mech then he is either incompetent, lacks the weapons to swap,or doesn't have the time. Replacing a King Crabs weapons for Clan Tech ones shouldn't take very long at all.

Agreed. I would think the spirits would have had a lot of “
C” variants of star league mechs which soldiered on far longer Turkmen
In other clans. Which is why I love any new “ old “
Designs as I can place them into my spirits or Jaguar huntress garrison