Author Topic: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game  (Read 674 times)

Colt Ward

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I am putting everything together to host a large game- 63k including pilot adjustments.  What I want to do is a set up a large urban fight from IlClan that would be part of the Clan invasions.  This would sort of be a break-through scenario, I am leaving artillery, VTOLs, and infantry out of it to keep it simpler for the rules.  I will provide some player aides to help speed up fires, like multi dice roll boxes and laminated target dec sheets w/GATOR.  The defenders are one of the 'militia' units stationed in the city redoubts.  I have terrain that I am finishing and using this to drive more mechs to be painted- the attackers & defenders will not all look the same but they will be painted, lol.

I want to give whoever takes up the challenge some options in force building but like I said, provide everything- so I came up with this.  They are going to get a core force of about 14k BV.  It is going to be mixed and based on what minis I have, I want to make it as "Republic Armed Forces" flavor as possible.  THEN come the options, this lets players tailor their force mix to their style and what they like/want to run.  Each optional package is balanced around 7k and to get the remaining 49k BV they get to pick 7 packages- again trying for RAF flavor.

Core Package-     14004
Lament 3R         4/4   2077
Hunchback 7R         2/4   1922
Argus 4D                 2/3   2752
Centurion O-A         3/4   2013
DI Morgan                 4/5   1390
Patton (XL)         4/5   1160
Pegasus Scout (X-P)      3/4   1611
Purifier/RAF (PPC)      3/5   275
Ogre BA (Std)         2/4   428
Ogre BA (Std)         3/3   400


Now the glut of options . . .
Which 7 options would you pick to go with the core package?

Option 1   6960
Emperor 6A         2/3   3308
Templar III Prime      3/4   2677
GDL Std (LRR)         3/5   385
Hetzer (AC/10)         4/4   590

Option 2   7013
Zeus 9T            3/4   2418
Battlemaster 4S         3/4   2664
Pegasus (91 Upg)      3/5   1087
Hetzer (LB-X)         4/4   844

Option 3   7025
Hound 2F         3/4   1833
Rifleman 7M         3/4   2008
Blackjack 2         3/2   1733
Pegasus (91 Upg)      3/4   1196
IS Std (LRR)         4/5   255

Option 4   7151
Wolverine 9M         2/3   2717
Eris 2N            2/3   2352
Uziel 2S                 2/4   2082

Option 5   7024
Hammerhands 5D      3/5   1795
Scourge WF1         3/3   3128
Legionnaire 2D (Raul)      4/3   1824
IS Std (Laser)         3/5   277

Option 6   6996
Marauder 7R         3/3   2638
Archer 4M2         3/2   2630
Pegasus (X-P)         4/3   1343
Purifier RAF (PPC)      2/3   385

Option 7   7054
Warhammer 8R         3/4   2240
Demolisher (Gauss)      3/4   2018
Hetzer (AC/10)         3/4   708
Hatchetman 7S         2/3   2088

Option 8   6965
Dervish 6Mr         2/4   2074
Von Luckner (Royal)      3/3   1816
Hezter (SRM)         2/4   970
Kinnol MBT         4/4   1349
Winterhawk APC      5/4   202
GDL Std (LRR)         3/5   299
IS Std (LRR)         4/5   255

Option 9   7059
Black Knight 12         3/3   2650
Orion 1-MA         2/4   2312
Hasek MCV         3/3   1211
Chevalier (MML)         3/4   866

Option 10   6877
Hellstar                 2/4   4749
Crusader 9R         3/4   2128

Option 11   6982      
Cataphract 5L         2/4   3219
Quasimodo 3D         3/3   2268
Merkava Mk IX         3/4   1370
GDL Scout         2/4   125

Option 12   7071
Havoc P6                 2/4   1933
Valkyrie QDD         2/3   1401
Wasp 5A            4/5   517
Koshi            3/2   1148
Ocelot            3/3   2072

Option 13   7054
Nightsky 7S         4/4   1750
Penetrator 8D         3/5   2556
Thunderbird (AP Gauss)      2/5   369
Cavalier BA (Laser)      4/4   254
Golem Assault Armor      4/3   648
Kanazuchi Assault BA      2/3   521
Maxim Transport (BA Upg)   4/3   953

Option 14   7014
Atlas II D-H         4/5   2169
DI Schmitt Tank         3/5   1748
JES II Strat Missile Carrier   4/4   1484
JES I Tact Missile Carrier   2/3   1263
Phalanx BA (A)         3/4   350

Option 15   6987
Guillotine 6WB3         3/3   2507
Black Hawk 1         1/3   4191
Clan Med BA (Rabid)      4/3   289

Option 16   7013
Joust BE701         4/5   1074
SM Tank Destroyer      4/4   1744
Zahn Heavy Transport   4/2   998
Saxon APC         5/4   431
Fenrir BA (SL)         3/5   249
Gnome BA                 2/3   604
Hauberk BA         3/5   433
Raiden BA (MG)         3/3   286
Grenadier BA (SRM/SL)   3/5   387
Void Med BA         3/5   201
Fa Shih            3/5   241
Clan Med BA (Rache)      3/4   365

Option 17   6636
Regent Prime         3/3   3509
Highlander 740         3/4   3127

Option 18   6945
Anzu G60                 4/5   1503
Gladiator 5R         2/4   2195
Spector 5F         4/4   1301
Cougar X                 3/4   1946

Option 19   6885
Mad Cat Mk II         4/4   3449
Warhammer IIC 4      3/3   3436

Edit, somehow left off this-

Option 20   7002
Khepher 7R         3/3   2258
Musketeer (3080 Upg)   3/3   1604
Po II Heavy Tank      3/4   1559
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Liao   4/4   1123
Tribune Mobile HQ      5/3   458
« Last Edit: 18 May 2024, 12:48:20 by Colt Ward »
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #1 on: 22 May 2024, 09:50:15 »
Over 50 views and no one wants to pick a Republic force?
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Cannonshop

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #2 on: 22 May 2024, 10:21:22 »
Over 50 views and no one wants to pick a Republic force?

Players especially tend NOT to pick the faction that is already fated to be annihilated in the most humiliating way possible.
"If you have to ask permission, then it's no longer a Right, it has been turned into a Privilege-something that can be and will be taken from you when convenient."

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #3 on: 22 May 2024, 10:34:21 »
Eh, playing a scenario from the book- gives the Republic a chance to win.  I figured someone would craft what they felt was a solid force out of RATs & flavor options.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Cannonshop

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #4 on: 22 May 2024, 10:38:21 »
Eh, playing a scenario from the book- gives the Republic a chance to win.  I figured someone would craft what they felt was a solid force out of RATs & flavor options.

a few people would...I would, but thing is, in general, pre-Hour of the Wolf you'd get a lot more volunteers than you'll get now.  BLP did a fantastic job of making the Republic look like classic-era Wilson's Hussars writ large, but without the endearing sentiment.

give it a few years, maybe, and you'll find a decent pool of people (or maybe the contrarians out there will read this, step in, and give you something good to use.)
"If you have to ask permission, then it's no longer a Right, it has been turned into a Privilege-something that can be and will be taken from you when convenient."

Charistoph

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #5 on: 22 May 2024, 11:17:11 »
Over 50 views and no one wants to pick a Republic force?

My FedRat side is too busy being tongued by the Dragon.

My Hell's Horses and Cloud Cobra sides are too far away to care.

My much smaller Jade Falcon side is busy committing war crimes and preparing to assault the Republic to care organize a unit to face them.
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Tyler Jorgensson

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #6 on: 22 May 2024, 15:15:25 »
Over 50 views and no one wants to pick a Republic force?

I’m working on it at work and that was my plan for this afternoon… then the regional boss came in lol

I enjoy force building and I like the multiple different options you’ve prepared. I WILL comment ASAP, probably scribbling in my notebook the next couple days on it.

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #7 on: 22 May 2024, 16:10:23 »
I’m working on it at work and that was my plan for this afternoon… then the regional boss came in lol

I enjoy force building and I like the multiple different options you’ve prepared. I WILL comment ASAP, probably scribbling in my notebook the next couple days on it.

I was curious how much veh & BA individual people would chose to supplement the mechs.  I know some players would go all mech, made me wonder if option 20 would tempt people.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Charistoph

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #8 on: 22 May 2024, 16:57:11 »
I was curious how much veh & BA individual people would chose to supplement the mechs.  I know some players would go all mech, made me wonder if option 20 would tempt people.

Personally, I hate when CVs aren't paired up.  While the Mobile HQ doesn't need to be paired up, the rest of them I think would work better if there were 2 of each.  While it won't fit in that arrangement to pair up everything, that's where sacrifice must be made.

As it is, the only transport for the BA in the "core" list is the Centurion.  That should probably be addressed, along with deciding which of the Pegasi, Di Morgan, and Pattons one would want to pair up, before extending it.

But, that's just my preferences.
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General308

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #9 on: 22 May 2024, 17:16:16 »
1, 2,6,8,9, 13, 20

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #10 on: 22 May 2024, 17:55:58 »
1, 2,6,8,9, 13, 20

So . . .

mechs- 16, 4A, 7H, 5M
Lament 3R         4/4   2077
Hunchback 7R         2/4   1922
Argus 4D                 2/3   2752
Centurion O-A         3/4   2013
Emperor 6A         2/3   3308
Templar III Prime      3/4   2677
Zeus 9T            3/4   2418
Battlemaster 4S         3/4   2664
Marauder 7R         3/3   2638
Archer 4M2         3/2   2630
Dervish 6Mr         2/4   2074
Black Knight 12         3/3   2650
Orion 1-MA         2/4   2312
Nightsky 7S         4/4   1750
Penetrator 8D         3/5   2556
Khepher 7R         3/3   2258


Armor- 7 tracked, 4 hovers (1 w/squad space), 4 wheeled, 2 APCs & 1 HQ vehicle
DI Morgan                 4/5   1390
Patton (XL)         4/5   1160
Po II Heavy Tank      3/4   1559
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Liao   4/4   1123
Hasek MCV         3/3   1211
Von Luckner (Royal)      3/3   1816
Kinnol MBT         4/4   1349
Winterhawk APC      5/4   202
Tribune Mobile HQ      5/3   458
Maxim Transport (BA Upg)   4/3   953
Hetzer (LB-X)         4/4   844
Hetzer (AC/10)         4/4   590
Chevalier (MML)         3/4   866
Hezter (SRM)         2/4   970
Pegasus Scout (X-P)      3/4   1611
Pegasus (X-P)         4/3   1343
Pegasus (91 Upg)      3/5   1087
Musketeer (3080 Upg)   3/3   1604

BA- 11 squads
Thunderbird (AP Gauss)      2/5   369
Cavalier BA (Laser)      4/4   254
Golem Assault Armor      4/3   648
Kanazuchi Assault BA      2/3   521
GDL Std (LRR)         3/5   299
IS Std (LRR)         4/5   255
Purifier RAF (PPC)      2/3   385
GDL Std (LRR)         3/5   385
Purifier/RAF (PPC)      3/5   275
Ogre BA (Std)         2/4   428
Ogre BA (Std)         3/3   400

Interesting force mix, some solid defender choices
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

truetanker

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #11 on: 27 May 2024, 22:28:12 »
Core Package-     14004
Lament 3R         4/4   2077
Hunchback 7R         2/4   1922
Argus 4D                 2/3   2752
Centurion O-A         3/4   2013
DI Morgan                 4/5   1390
Patton (XL)         4/5   1160
Pegasus Scout (X-P)      3/4   1611
Purifier/RAF (PPC)      3/5   275
Ogre BA (Std)         2/4   428
Ogre BA (Std)         3/3   400

2x Option 1   6960
Emperor 6A         2/3   3308
Templar III Prime      3/4   2677
GDL Std (LRR)         3/5   385
Hetzer (AC/10)         4/4   590

2x Option 7   7054
Warhammer 8R         3/4   2240
Demolisher (Gauss)      3/4   2018
Hetzer (AC/10)         3/4   708
Hatchetman 7S         2/3   2088

2x Option 14   7014
Atlas II D-H         4/5   2169
DI Schmitt Tank         3/5   1748
JES II Strat Missile Carrier   4/4   1484
JES I Tact Missile Carrier   2/3   1263
Phalanx BA (A)         3/4   350

and 1x Option 20   7002
Khepher 7R         3/3   2258
Musketeer (3080 Upg)   3/3   1604
Po II Heavy Tank      3/4   1559
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Liao   4/4   1123
Tribune Mobile HQ      5/3   458

This would give you a nice mixture.

Sorry rather late.

TT
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Tyler Jorgensson

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #12 on: 28 May 2024, 16:21:17 »
So first comments lol

I tried not to double up on forces. I wanted Option 20 for the HQ but in the end I didn’t pick it. I would have preferred to mix and match some of those units across force options. For example, I don’t need eight different types of BA but I would love if that Option had like 4 Gray Death Squads and say 4x Elementals. I would love to pair vehicles off, especially the JES’s, SM1’s, and any of the heavy tanks.

That being said…

Options 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, and 16

Giving 16 Mechs, 14 Vehicles, and 17 Squads BA


Mechs
- Atlas II
- Hellstar
- Lament
- Penetrator
- Marauder
- Warhammer
- Archer
- Argus
- Crusader
- Nightsky
- Hunchback
- Centurion
- Wolverine
- Eris
- Uziel
- Hatchetman



Vehicles
- D1 Morgan
- D1 Schmitt
- Demolisher
- Hetzer
- Patton
- Joust
- SM1
- Pegasus
- Pegasus
- JES I
- Maxim
- Zahn
- Saxon
- JES II



Battle Armor
- Purifier
- Purifier
- Ogre
- Ogre
- Thunderbird
- Cavalier
- Golem
- Kanazuchi
- Phalanx
- Fenrir
- Gnome
- Hauberk
- Raiden
- Grenadier
- Void
- Fa Shih
- Clan BA (Rache)

Cannonshop

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #13 on: 29 May 2024, 12:37:23 »
Imagine you're in charge of the Republic from around 3132 to 3150, and you have to develop the military to defend it.

Now, imagine you've been cut off from your external suppliers since at least 3143. (Fortress Wall).

Here's the problem I see;

You have to narrow down and standardize, or your defense army is going to be impossible to maintain, and it will be dependent on 'points of failure'-that is, elite equipment that if you lose one, you lose the battle.

Standardizing simplifies a lot more than your supplies (making max use every cubic centimeter of storage and every kilogram of logistics is HEALTHY, and presents a significant readiness boost, since having lots of spares that actually fit and ammo you can actually load makes it easier to train, and to recover from battle damage, and get units back into the field faster.)

Standardizing simplifies your training, letting you train MORE pilots, drivers, gunners, and so on, faster, to a higher quality standard, than having to adjust and adapt to a variety of different designs for what amounts to a mix of cosmetic and vanity.

I'd start by paring off the vanity systems.  Tripod? doesn't really have a viable battlefield role and it's hugely expensive, so those go to the scrapper for raw materials.

Pick one 'mech in each weight class, done.  Likewise for tracked vehicles, these should share engines and some automotive componets with your wheeled vehicles in order to reduce training time, increase the availability of working spare parts, and reduce the logistics costs on tooling.

Battlesuits? Pick ONE good design. It doesn't have to be the best design, but it has to be credibly good enough.  You make up for it in training, tactics, logic, and skill.

and numbers, because since you're not building fifty different kinds, you can build up a huge supply of one or maybe two designs, and have operators who actually know how to use them, techs who can actually maintain them, and spare parts available to do the maintaining with, located where it's actually relevant to have them.

this type of formula works with nearly anything in the  assigned spots, so long as you actually produce it, train with it, and intend to field it.

What the RoTS has in Canon, is a superb collection of milhist artefacts, whether you're talking the RoTS army, or their Navy, but it's so varied with so much variety that it's effectively unsupportable. Fixing this, would do a lot to make the Republic forces actually viable against Clan Wolf.

or anyone else, provided your officers don't have to call home and ask Devlin's Permission to wipe their asses.
"If you have to ask permission, then it's no longer a Right, it has been turned into a Privilege-something that can be and will be taken from you when convenient."

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #14 on: 29 May 2024, 21:40:34 »
None of this applies to the BT setting- it's "universe rules."

Otherwise each faction would have between 4 & 7 OmniMechs & 2 OmniTanks.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Cannonshop

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #15 on: 31 May 2024, 16:07:28 »
None of this applies to the BT setting- it's "universe rules."

Otherwise each faction would have between 4 & 7 OmniMechs & 2 OmniTanks.

you wouldn't need to do it with omnimechs, just a decent, average 'mech in each weight class.   Same for vehicles, though you do end up needing more types, you don't mutliple types in teh same ROLE.  The problem is always trying to find a magic technical solution to a problem defined by dice rolling randoms and cost/bv analysis.  I cant' tell you the number of times someone's lost because they sank everything into one or two wunderwaffen instead of a thought out force structure, even in lance games.

When you get to truly LARGE games, "If you can't afford to lose it, you can't afford to use it".

"If you have to ask permission, then it's no longer a Right, it has been turned into a Privilege-something that can be and will be taken from you when convenient."

Daryk

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #16 on: 31 May 2024, 17:58:05 »
A 240 engine could get you a decent 'mech in each weight class... ;)

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #17 on: 03 June 2024, 19:21:16 »
*snip*

This would give you a nice mixture.

Sorry rather late.

TT

Missing 3 options . . . lol, unless you want to give the Clanners a 21k BV advantage.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Tyler Jorgensson

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #18 on: 04 June 2024, 09:59:52 »
Missing 3 options . . . lol, unless you want to give the Clanners a 21k BV advantage.

He doubled up on three of them

Colt Ward

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #19 on: 04 June 2024, 20:21:06 »
Ah, my bad I did not notice that . . . but that is also outside the parameters, lol.  Basically I was listing minis I would have for someone to pick and lack the doubles for many of the choices.
Colt Ward
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truetanker

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Re: Build your army- Defending the Republic in a large game
« Reply #20 on: 12 June 2024, 14:42:42 »
 :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing:

You "didn't" state that...

TT
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