Which variants are used by the MWDA factions?

[Richard S.]

I'm throwing together some Alpha Strike forces for fun based on the MWDA factions but I'm having trouble figuring out which variants of some units are used by each, since most are only identified by their frame. The era digest RATs and Sarna clear things up for most, but there's a few like the Swordsworn's Centurion that are giving me trouble. Mostly wondering if anyone's already done the legwork and compiled it somewhere. Thanks!

[Decoy]

It seemed to me to be based on the CN9-AL , with an energy primary and a ballistic secondary. Nowadays, I'd call it good at CN9-Ar. Or you could just pick a configuration of the CN11-O that matches.

[Richard S.]

I was thinking it was either the D3D or D4D, since those are the ones in RS:MWDA, but neither of the loadouts feel like they match the stats.

[Richard S.]

Alright, in case it interests anyone else, I've figured out the Battlemechs from the first set, mostly thanks to the pilot dossiers which give some actual specs:

Arbalest = Just a regular Arbalest.
Atlas = AS7-K2, but listed with heavy instead of ferro-fibrous armor.
Black Hawk = D configuration.
Catapult = CPLT-C2.
Centurion = CN9-Ar. Could maybe be the AL, but it's probably meant to be the Jihad mech. Somehow has endo steel and ferro-fibrous armor.
Cougar - Probably the B configuration, but it's missing the ER medium laser.
Firestarter - FS9-M2. Santiago Padilla's entry gives it a loadout I don't think exists (2 flamers, an LB-X 10, and a "light laser"), but the entry mentions it having 6 flamers later so I think the odd loadout was a mistake.
Hatchetman - HCT-5D
Jupiter - Jupiter.
Koshi - Koshi.
Legionnaire - LGN-2D.
Mad Cat III - Version 4.
Pack Hunter - 2.
Panther - PNT-10K2.
Ryoken II - Ryoken II.
Spider - SDR-8K.
Tundra Wolf - Tundra Wolf.
Zeus X - ZEU-X.

Doing this has really made me kind of hate the number of variants old mechs have. Trying to find the right Atlas and Spider hurt me in ways you wouldn't believe.

I'm trying to work through the Industrialmechs next, but some of those are even worse to figure out (looking at you Miningmech and Miningmech MOD).

EDIT: Several corrections.

EDIT 2: Apparently, while across the unique pilots all mechs of the same model seem to be the same variant, the same can't be said for across factions. Case in point, the Dragon's Fury Centurion is probably the -D3D, not the -Ar. Ugh.

[worktroll]

Do you know about www.warrenborn.com ? Lists all the units by faction, could help reverse engineering.

Alternatively, www.masterunitlist.info, look for period Dark Age and select faction.

[Richard S.]

Warrenborn has been an immense help, yeah. The MUL is usually useful, but not so much for this since I'm trying to figure out the specific variants each model represents, while the MUL just helpfully informs me that most variants are still available in the Dark Age, to most everyone, doing nothing to narrow it down. It also doesn't list the Republic breakaways as separate factions.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

https://bg.battletech.com/downloads/

All the way at the bottom is a pdf compilation of all the Dossiers and pilot cards. The dossiers have the mechs equipment listed. You can do attempts of reverse engineering and matching to figure out the uniques.


About half way they don’t list each individual mechs components/have the dossier set up. The game evolved a bit and they got away from dossiers. And while it doesn’t cover every mech it should give you some ideas about factional preference c

[cavingjan]

Here is the rule of thumb that you need to work with. The mech stats were converted to MWDA in whatever process WK used (I believe it was roughly based upon BF but modified).
Faction modifiers were then added to the stats. (Highlanders added to defense and subtracted attack. Cats increase energy damage and range while reducing ballistic range and damage. Wolves were reverse of that. DF increased speed while reducing range,  etc. )
Tweaks may be needed to make sure the Elite version is nominally better than the green version
Tweaks were made after that due to playtesting (internal and/or external)

Long story short: you can start with the same mech and come out with very different final stats. You would need to reverse that process to figure out what it started as. A lot of the units in the same set started as identical stats in step one.

With the MUL, use a combination of ROTS, pirates, and a parent faction if applicable.

[Richard S.]

Here is the rule of thumb that you need to work with. The mech stats were converted to MWDA in whatever process WK used (I believe it was roughly based upon BF but modified).
Faction modifiers were then added to the stats. (Highlanders added to defense and subtracted attack. Cats increase energy damage and range while reducing ballistic range and damage. Wolves were reverse of that. DF increased speed while reducing range,  etc. )
Tweaks may be needed to make sure the Elite version is nominally better than the green version
Tweaks were made after that due to playtesting (internal and/or external)

Long story short: you can start with the same mech and come out with very different final stats. You would need to reverse that process to figure out what it started as. A lot of the units in the same set started as identical stats in step one.

With the MUL, use a combination of ROTS, pirates, and a parent faction if applicable.

So the CBT stats actually came first? I was under the impression that it was the other way around, with new CBT variants being invented afterwards to fit what WK made.

[Empyrus]

So the CBT stats actually came first? I was under the impression that it was the other way around, with new CBT variants being invented afterwards to fit what WK made.

Many are made from CBT stats, for some WK appears to have made CBT stats and converted them, and then some were made for CBT based on MWDA minis... it gets complicated.

[cavingjan]

Many are made from CBT stats, for some WK appears to have made CBT stats and converted them, and then some were made for CBT based on MWDA minis... it gets complicated.

Complicated is an understatement.
Some got base WK stats and then were faction tweaked.
Some had cbt stats that never left the building and had to be recreated over a decade later. (That was a process that I'm glad I was not in charge of and the person who was did a great job.)

[Colt Ward]

It seemed to me to be based on the CN9-AL , with an energy primary and a ballistic secondary. Nowadays, I'd call it good at CN9-Ar. Or you could just pick a configuration of the CN11-O that matches.

Bolded for emphasis, each of the Omni Cent configs was designed to replicate one from the MWDA game.  Any of the Centurions with the energy dial could also use the Plasma Rifle version since that weapon actually reflected, I think, more of MWDA's energy strikes.

One thing to remember with the Centurion is you can use the CN9, CN10, or CN11 series to give you different options that retain the feel.

[Hellraiser]

Agreed on the Bold that Colt pointed out.

The MWDA visual mini is what they used for the Omni-Centurion, so, I'd assume they were meant to be those.