'Mech of the Week: Rime OtterBattleTech Recognition Guide IlClan Vol 19
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Rime_Otter
Okay. Let's try that again.
Ahh the Rime Otter. Yet another 50-55 ton ‘Mech. It joins the ranks of the Black Lanner, Crimson Langur, Huntsman, Nova, Omni-Corvus, Pariah. Septicemia, Stooping Hawk, Storm Crow, Stormwolf, Sun Bear, and Wendigo as Clantech OmniMech examples of the type. Surprisingly the Rasalhague Dominion doesn’t have easy access to any of them. Only the Nova and Storm Crow showi up on the Master Unit List for the Republic and Dark Age eras (Stormwolf being very late in the period). Novas are built by the Falcons, and Storm Crows are built all the way over there by the Outworlds Alliance. So, you can see why the Dominion might be interested in a big medium Omni of their own.
Enter Jötunn BattleWorx. This is a brand-new producer. We don’t have many details, but we can infer from comments made in other sources when the HPGs went down the Dominion Council dragged out a big bag of bear-kroner and started throwing money at anyone who could tie two strands of myomer together.
Jötunn BattleWorx set up on Goito (where there was a Fire Moth factory until it got nuked in the Jihad) and started building/modifying Grizzlies with the aim of figuring out how to make use of Reinforced Structure. Given the Ghost Bears developed their own version of the technology in 3065 and hadn’t touched it since, it was about time someone did. Once Jötunn got the bugs Grizzly worked out with the Grizzly, they moved onto a ground up design ‘Mech released in 3146. The Rime Otter.
The Rime Otter is built on a modified version of the Grizzly chassis using a similar model the engine. Icesheet ferro fibrous armor is used. Presumably locally sourced from what is left of the old Fire Moth factory, and it is used on the Mastodon as well. The Comms system is standard Ghost Bear, but the GC Heimdallr System Type 1 TTS is brand new and theoretically provides the Improved Sensors quirk. Heimdall is noted for being able to see everything. The other quirks are Rugged (1), and Difficult to Maintain. This means the Rime Otter needs less maintenance, but when it does it takes longer. Effects of the Reinforced Structure or a throwback to the Grizzly’s notorious leg armor?
The sensors provide a hint at the intended role of the Rime Otter. Scouting must have been considered important. Storm Crows and Novas historically acted as heavy support for Vipers and Fire Moths. But at its size, Rime Otter must be considered and used as a line unit. It must be able to fight big ‘Mechs for a living.
Ultimately the Rime Otter runs into the limitations of its reinforced frame. It simply can’t carry a large engine and have a useful payload. As it is the 18.5 tons of pod space verges on inadequate. On the other hand, internal space is plentiful, and care was taken to leave options for Improved Jump Jets or UMUs. The MASC gives it a useful burst speed and can be combined with a Super Charger as seen with other Dominion ‘Mechs like the Executioner and Fire Moth. The Rime Otter is limited but it is flexible. Success depends heavily on choosing the right variant for the job at hand.
Currently there are five Rimer Otter variants.
The Prime is a pretty standard long-range harasser. Twin Large Pulse Lasers don’t tax its 11 double heat sinks. An Artemis V assisted LRM 10 does, but it provides useful flexibility when the lasers aren’t effective, like an opponent with Reflective Armor. While accurate and effective as support, the Prime can’t fight its way out if trapped. That said, the Rime Otter is hard to put down. It takes concentrated effort to stop the harassment. The Prime has been compared to a Mad Dog Prime, which is fair. It is probably best suited to operate with more brutal ‘Mechs like Karhus that can actually provide a killing blow.
The A variant is a very 55 ton ‘Mech with hints of Griffin, Shadow Hawk, and Wolverine. In a lot of ways, it is like a baby Summoner. Five Jump Jets, a guided LRM 15, an ER Large Laser, and a Streak SRM 6 allow the A to take on a variety of opponents, while staying mobile and hard to pin down. Indeed, the reinforced structure combined with the to-hit penalties of the Jump Jets means a Rime Otter can often afford to lose large amounts of armor and remain effective before quitting the field. The relatively high BV means it has to work to earn its keep and the lack of a killer weapon like an ERPPC means it can’t just flatten its enemies. It needs to keep moving until the Large Laser opens some gaps and the missiles can do their work. It is here that you can really start to see why Viper and Storm Crow pilots have radically different views of the Rime Otter’s performance.
The B is just weird. The eight Light Machine Guns draw the eye and suggest an anti-infantry role. But the LB 10-X and Improved Heavy Medium Lasers suggest otherwise. The Super Charger adds to the weirdness. In practice the B works well with flanking ‘Mechs like Fire Moths. It can get behind an opponent, open up the rear armor then destroy the internals with ease. Impressively the sheer toughness of the Rime Otter allows it to do this while under fire in a way a lighter ‘Mech can’t, making it unexpectedly threatening. The Notable Pilot, Star Captain Theron, is actually based upon a play test where a pair of Rime Otters spent five or six turns forcing the assault ‘Mechs into sub-optimal positions. Played right, a Rime Otter can be really hard to get rid of. Bs work well going in with the light ‘Mechs or performing the light ‘Mech role in a Star of assaults where smaller ‘Mechs just can’t handle the firepower present.
The Rime Otter C is pretty transparent. It has a classic Nova Prime arm doing 35 points of damage and the heat sinks to run it. A hatchet fills the other arm, and a Super Charger and 5 Jump Jets make the C mobile enough to apply the pain. As a result, this variant has an exorbitant Battle Value well outside its actual worth. On the other hand, it is very fun to use. Combat testing in Mega Mek with dueling Princess AIs showed the variant to be effective against Stormwolfs and Wendigos, but not quite as expected. The Reflective Armored ‘Mechs failed to hold their distance and the Rime Otter would get toe to toe. But Princess would do the math and go for the kick instead of using the hatchet. The combination of physical combat and falling over did bad things to the Reflective ‘Mechs. A human would probably maintain the distance better, but it was a bit of a revelation and a reminder just how useless hatchets are.
The D is likewise obvious. Eight Improved Jump Jets, a Light TAG and a NARC. Says it all really. The Light Active Probe gets a bonus from the Improved Sensor quirk. The SRM and ER Medium Lasers are really an afterthought. This is a scout. Pure and simple. A very very tough and mobile scout, able to get into (and out of) places a Viper wouldn’t dare. The obvious use is to pair Ds with Mastodons but there are other options. Mad Dog III Primes for example. Just because a Viking has Artemis doesn’t mean you can’t load a few tons of NARC tracking ammo for indirect fire work. There are really no costs for carrying NARC ammo, so why not use it with any naked missile launcher.
Ultimately a Rime Otter is a really flexible ‘Mech with a wide variety of variants. It can serve just as happily alongside a Fire Moth as an Executioner. It has the mobility to play with the fast ‘Mechs and toughness to play with the big ‘Mechs. The Rime Otter lacks firepower so it can easily get into situations where it becomes a punching bag unless it has an escape route. The reinforced structure doesn’t translate into raw survivability like the Mastodon. Ultimately it is comparable to a 70 ton ‘Mech. What is does provide is second chances. You can hang around that extra turn or two before something truly catastrophic happens. Consider this in campaign combat and withdraw and get the ‘Mech back day after day after easy repairs rather than total losses. The MASC means that Battle Value is generally high, so the Rime Otter must work to earn its keep. It should be trying to draw fire without putting itself in a situation where it can be crunched. The Rime Otter is worth the cost, but it can’t be used traditionally. It is worth noting that as a dueling platform the Rime Otter is perfectly competitive will all the powerhouse OmniMechs listed above. It is a ‘Mech that rewards consistent skillful placement.
Using the Rime Otter like a traditional big Clan medium is how they get defeated. You can’t send a Rime Otter up the center of a battlefield like a Storm Crow or Karhu and expect it to work. It is a rapier, not a hand grenade. It works by grinding its enemies down one shot at a time. So, to defeat a Rime Otter, force it into situations where it must go on point. The description of Rime Otters failing to defend Mad Dogs in the Battle History is from combat testing where it was quickly realized just what a Rime Otter can’t do. Threaten those Mad Dogs providing fire support. Bully that Fire Moth. Those ‘Mechs weather hostile attention even more poorly, so the Rime Otter must put its body on the line to protect them. Push the Rime Otter into corners so it can’t run away and keep hitting you. Give the Rime Otter time and space, it will kill you. Deny it that time and space.
So that is the Rime Otter. It hasn’t really had time yet to build a legend. It is unusual in that it chooses toughness over firepower. Much like the Nova Cat Wendigo, as a mostly Rasalhague Dominion ‘Mech it is too niche for many players to have used it yet. It sits in an odd position. It doesn’t quite do what the Storm Crow does for the Dominion, drawing fire and being scary. At least not in the same way. So, it takes some practice and time to get used to how to use a Rime Otter. Once you take that time the Rime Otter is a very effective ‘Mech. But as a community we are still learning how to use it.
For those who are interested. This is what a Umibōzu from Notable Units is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umib%C5%8Dzu 
