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My favorite rear end in a top hat zombie mech is and has always been the Xanthos-5O. 100 ton quad with maximum armor, 5 improved jumpjets, standard engine, no ammo, and a surprisingly solid armament (ER PPC, 5 medium pulse lasers, and the ever important rear mounted er small laser). One of those mechs that is really fun to use when you want to end a friendship.
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Jul 1, 2015 20:47
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I've never understood the point of 85+ ton Quads considering an 80 ton Quad carries as much armor as a 100 ton biped (it's one of the only beneficial things Quads get). Cool as the Sirocco and the like are, they just seem like they're slowing themselves down for very little actual benefit. Edit: Actually, they might've changed that. Huh. 
PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Jul 1, 2015 |
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Jul 1, 2015 20:51
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Wait, a tripod-style mech won't fall over if it loses a leg? How does that make any sense at all?
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Jul 1, 2015 20:54
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Dachshundofdoom posted:Wait, a tripod-style mech won't fall over if it loses a leg? How does that make any sense at all? The motherfuckers have flexible joints and just go loving biped on your rear end. (hooray computerized gyroscopic stabilization systems.)
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Jul 1, 2015 20:57
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Dachshundofdoom posted:Wait, a tripod-style mech won't fall over if it loses a leg? How does that make any sense at all? I thought only Quads would be ok, but I've never actually played with the silly tripod mechs.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:00
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Tripods are very stable when stationary but one that actually requires all three legs to move would walk like this. If you're already shifting your weight that far just to move, you might as well just shift it over a pair of walking legs and let the third play shock absorber, which is what I've always assumed BattleTech tripods do. They're basically bipods with a little extra.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:01
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AtomikKrab posted:The motherfuckers have flexible joints and just go loving biped on your rear end. (hooray computerized gyroscopic stabilization systems.) Apparently the only thing BT computers are capable of doing well.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:02
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Gwaihir posted:I thought only Quads would be ok, but I've never actually played with the silly tripod mechs. Tripods: -Have a -1 stability bonus to piloting checks. -Have a 360 degree torso twist during the firing phase. -Can move laterally like a Quad, although IIRC it costs more MP. -Only pay 1MP to change their facing even if they're turning 180 degrees. The flipside is that they lose all of those all those advantages if one of their legs is blown off. They automatically fall over and behave like bipeds from then on.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:06
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PoptartsNinja posted:I've never understood the point of 85+ ton Quads considering an 80 ton Quad carries as much armor as a 100 ton biped (it's one of the only beneficial things Quads get). It's to put on as much hardened armor as possible and mount a boosted C3 and an iHGR with like 8 tons of ammo. Then they HAVE to shoot you but it doesn't even do anything.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:11
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Yeah, a 3/5 100 ton quad zombie with endo steel, an iHGR, 9 tons of ammo, and 40.5 tons of hardened armor still has enough tonnage for a rear-mounted small laser for extra close-range punch. I'm sold. You don't even need double heat sinks and the whole thing only costs 10 million for nearly 3k BV. Funny story, you can do exactly the same thing with a Tripod with the added benefit of never having to worry about anyone moving out of your firing arc and also getting to use your fists to punch people.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:23
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Behind Enemy Lines: Tactical Update 5 “Good lord, that is a huge engine!” Bad slammed a knuckle against his secondary monitor. It was a BattleMech for sure, his Beagle Active Probe was able to trace a manlike form deep inside the metal-walled building the natives typically used as a form of parking garage. There was too much interference to get a good, clear image and switching over to magres and thermals had proven near useless: the outer surface of the garage was ferrous and of near-universal temperature, masking the shape of whatever was inside. Without the Maelstrom’s active probe the BattleMech hidden inside that building would’ve gone undiscovered and whatever it was had a lot of raw power, of that was certain. He rushed forward, forgetting his surroundings for a moment as he tried to get a better scan. No matter what angle he tried the results were the same: power readings but little more. “That’s gotta be a 400 rated engine. At least.” “Bad, you’re surrounded,” the Lieutenant’s voice was dripping with concern and annoyance. “Get out of there!” A secondary monitor flashed target warnings, and Bad’s eyes slipped away from the monitor displaying the active probe readings. As they settled back on the cockpit glass the 360-degree vision strip that allowed Mechwarriors some measure of situational awareness sprang to life. Somewhere behind him the Bloodhound twisted it had a clear shot at his back armor, a shot no pilot he knew would’ve given up voluntarily. It twisted away, its lasers flashing against a target hidden from Bad’s view. Something small exploded, sending a plume of nasty black smoke rising skyward. His radio crackled as one of the Capellans broadcast an encoded message in the open. He squeezed the trigger in a half-hearted attack against the boxy, suped-up Jenner the Capellans were fielding but he was already hard at work running the Capellan transmission through the codes they’d taken from the wreckage of the Mandarin’s bodyguards. The Capellans had changed their cipher but hadn’t altered their keys. His tertiary monitor binged as it tied itself into the current sequence and replayed the message. What he heard made Bad’s blood run cold. The Capellan open broadcast had been a short one: “I knew this force was too heavy for a smash-and-grab! The guerillas are attacking the Precentor’s family!”   Movement Phase War Dog (Player) - High-speed turn in hex 1514, must pass a piloting test to avoid a skid (5 base - 1 distance traveled = 4): rolled 8, succeeds! Maelstrom (Player) - Generating Ghost Targets (5 base + 2 ECM Tuning = 7): rolled 11, succeeds! Margin of Success 4! Rotunda Armored Car (???) - Must pass a driving test to avoid a skid (3 base + 1 distance traveled = 4): rolled 9, succeeds! Shooting Phase War Dog (Player) - Bloodhound declines Line of Sight! - No Line of Sight to Wyvern! - Gains 2 heat, sinks 20! Nightstar (Player) - Fires Gauss Rifle at Bloodhound (4 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 6, miss! - Fires Gauss Rifle at Bloodhound (4 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 11, hit Right Leg (7/22 armor remaining)! - Fires ER PPC at Bloodhound (4 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 9, miss! - Gains 17 heat, sinks 28! Maelstrom (Player) - Torso-twists to threaten hex 0719! - Fires ER PPC at Sha Yu (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 target movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 7, miss! - Fires ER Large Laser at Sha Yu (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 target movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 3, miss! - Fires Medium Laser at Sha Yu (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 target movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 6, miss! - Fires Medium Laser at Sha Yu (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 target movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 7, miss! - Fires TAG at Sha Yu (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 target movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 5, miss! - Gains 35 heat, sinks 34! Cerberus (Player) - Fires Gauss Rifle at Wyvern (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 9, hit Left Leg (2/17 armor remaining)! - Fires Gauss Rifle at Wyvern (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 11, hit Center Torso (5/20 armor remaining)! - Gains 4 heat, sinks 30! Wyvern - Fires LRM-10 at Nightstar (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 12, 6 missiles hit Right Arm (27/32 armor remaining), Left Arm (31/32 armor remaining)! Bloodhound - Fires ER Medium Laser at Expensive White Van (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 5): rolled 8, hit (0/1 structure remaining)! Vehicle destroyed! - Fires ER Medium Laser at Expensive White Van (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 5): rolled 8, hit! - Fires ER Medium Laser at Expensive White Van (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 5): rolled 8, hit! - Gains 12 heat, sinks 28! Sha-yu - Torso-twists to threaten hex 0718! - Fires ER Medium Laser at Maelstrom (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk + 2 Ghost Targets = 12): rolled 6, miss! - Fires ER Medium Laser at Maelstrom (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk + 2 Ghost Targets = 12): rolled 3, miss! - Fires TAG at Maelstrom (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk + 2 Ghost Targets = 12): rolled 6, miss! - Gains 20 heat, sinks 26! End Phase Wyvern - Must pass a piloting test or fall (4 base + 1 massive damage = 5): rolled 9, succeeds! Next Turn’s Movement Phase Sha Yu - Deactivates Stealth Armor! - Activates ECCM!   Player Status:  Opposing Force Status:  Neutral Status  Mission Objective: - Protect Carlos Marik (0/1) Secondary Objectives: - Damage but don’t destroy the Civillian `Mechbay in hex 0517 (1/1) - Destroy the Capellan Checkpoint in hex 1418 (1/1) - - Make it look like an accident (?/1) - Avoid Antagonizing ComStar (0/1) Vengeance Counter: 1 Special Rules:  Dusk – This mission takes place at dusk, applying a +1 penalty to-hit. This penalty may worsen if the mission lasts long enough for night to fall. Escort Mission – This mission has a mobile objective that must be defended.Orders Due: Midnight Saturday! PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 1, 2015 21:44
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Oh. Oh dear. The Capellans just murdered a Comstar precentor's family and blamed us, didn't they?
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Jul 1, 2015 21:52
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PoptartsNinja posted:Yeah, a 3/5 100 ton quad zombie with endo steel, an iHGR, 9 tons of ammo, and 40.5 tons of hardened armor still has enough tonnage for a rear-mounted small laser for extra close-range punch. I'm sold. Aren't Tripods experimental tech still? iHGRs have been standard tech since TRO:Prototypes, so that's a difference.
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Jul 1, 2015 21:56
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Gwaihir posted:The Capellans just murdered a Comstar precentor's family and blamed us, didn't they? I see a mech down there that would look good in black 
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Jul 1, 2015 21:56
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Gwaihir posted:Oh. I THINK, given the car was immobile and sitting outside what looks like a hab module, that they simply blew up the family car in the driveway. Given the actual details could be figured out with some investigation, just possibly not within the next few minutes, I don't think murdering a Precentor/their family just to get the two defending Comstar mechs to join in would be a particularly good idea. That said, for our goons the key words are "GIVEN TIME".
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Jul 1, 2015 22:01
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Every idea is a good idea when you're this badly outmatched.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:04
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Not sure what's worse - the fact that the Capellans just got the HPG guardians involved or the probable Grand Titan hiding in the garage.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:06
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Dem cars be fast.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:07
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goatface posted:Dem cars be fast. I'm not going to have the players wait five turns for Carlos's car to cross the map. Especially since there's no telling how long he'll have to spend inside the ComStar facility.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:10
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Hmmm. So, options. While I'd like to try and kick the wyvern's leg off, I'd be a sitting duck for the other two with no move mod. I can easily get behind either the Sha Yu or Bloodhound though, while locking the other one out of LoS. I can also back up to 1015 and help level the building on top of whatever is in there. (And then very much hope that it's a capellan mech hiding and not something of Comstar's. The nightstar is probably going to have to start marching forward to keep things in at least medium gauss range, since it's so slow and the building are in play blocking LoS now.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:26
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Gwaihir posted:And then very much hope that it's a capellan mech hiding and not something of Comstar's. Is that a risk you can afford to take?
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Jul 1, 2015 22:33
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...Proooobably not. Maybe it's time to see if we can do some RP yelling in to the mics and see if Comstar will talk to us.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:34
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Kill the cappies. Pop tarts can we get a line to the comstar guys?
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Jul 1, 2015 22:39
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Is there any way for Goonlance to allay the suspicions of the Comstar guards? They are alarmed and investigating but we might have some time for Goonlance to prove their innocence before the guards get hostile.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:43
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Welp, this mission just got a whole lot more interesting, if ComStar was convinced by the Capellan transmission there...
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Jul 1, 2015 22:46
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From what I remember about btech comms, we can just broadcast in the clear and everyone will get it. I agree about focusing the mechs on the field now though. I don't think dropping a light CF15 building will do much (Maybe a lucky head hit and some :battletech: to the mech inside) anyhow. The Wyvern in particular is exposed to you guys and is one more gauss shot away from losing that leg. I can probably safely dash south behind the Sha Yu to block the other two Cappies LoS to me and get some backshots in. Running right towards the HPG might be too sketchy/agressive at the moment though so I'm leaning on dashing to the left side of the map to get behind the Bloodhound, and (I think) get out of the Sha Yu's ECCM range to keep my own ECM protection. Going by that silhouette and fluff I'm betting it's the pulse loaded Grand Titan which would be not good if it's hostile. Was this a former FWL planet we're on? I thought that design was mainly a FWL mech.
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Jul 1, 2015 22:58
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Gwaihir posted:The nightstar is probably going to have to start marching forward to keep things in at least medium gauss range, since it's so slow and the building are in play blocking LoS now. Or, orrrrr, we could not try to crawl up the oppo's assholes and just spar with them for 10s while Carlos gets his job done. Re: comms, Mechs have external speakers, often used (e.g. Snord) for playing inappropriate music. I personally find it soothing to broadcast Hank Williams Jr. while shooting things up. The Merry Marauder fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Jul 1, 2015 |
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Jul 1, 2015 23:08
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That's fair too! (Staying at range and exchanging really bad shots). Only thing I worry about is once Carlos gets to the HPG if then we have to defend it and him, and being in a bad position to do that from. Those height 3 hills in 1812 could also work out really well as an overwatch spot too, it'd just take a long time to walk down there as a 3/5.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:16
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Yeah, I'm not so sure that a Lance designed around lots of juicy long-range weaponry really needs to adopt "run up and get in everyone's face" as a long-term strategy. The longer we're out and about doing our thing, the longer everyone's eyes are on us and not Carlos. I'm walking the Cerebus to 1810 (where I should have partial cover in case the Lightray gets froggy) and firing at the Wyvern some more; Merry Marauder, you're at 15 hexes to it as-is if you'd care to join me in some focus fire.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:27
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Scintilla posted:In terms of this LP the ultimate zombie would probably be some manner of tripod (won't die if it loses a leg) with a torso-mounted cockpit (can't be headcapped), an armoured compact gyro (same protection as a heavy duty gyro for less weight) reinforced structure and an all energy loadout. Probably wouldn't have much space left for weapons, but it'd take forever to kill sans a lucky shot to the torso cockpit. The post-Jihad books give you ballistic-reinforced armor as a possibility, which is like Reinforced But Not As Crippling. 12 points/ton, 10 slots, half damage round down from all weapons but energy weapons (min 1 damage). So you're more vulnerable to LB-X cluster rounds and energy weapons but you're faster, less likely to fall over, and have more weapons. Something like 9 tons more space for weapons if you're building a 100-tonner.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:38
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DivineCoffeeBinge posted:Yeah, I'm not so sure that a Lance designed around lots of juicy long-range weaponry really needs to adopt "run up and get in everyone's face" as a long-term strategy. The longer we're out and about doing our thing, the longer everyone's eyes are on us and not Carlos. You don't have LoS to the Wyvern from 1810 I think. If you move too far south than the building hexes in 917 and 1016 block your LoS. 1710 should leave you with LoS to the Wyvern though, and it only has a +2 move mod. (And yea, we obviously have great long ranged firepower, but between our gunnery skills and dusk + enemy move mods we're never going to kill anything with it. The only reason I want to get in close is to try and take out these small guys before whatever the other shoe is drops and we need to defend against reinforcements or something else similarly "Surprisee!!!!"). Thinking of other options for myself, I could back up to 0617 in to the rubble and unload on the Wyvern with weapons + a kick to maybe take it's leg off. The bloodhound wouldn't have LoS to me thanks to the 50/50 split of the line between 518 and 618, so I'd only be taking fire from the Sha Yu and Wyvern. Between all of us focusing on it we can proobably maybe kill it this turn.
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Jul 2, 2015 00:20
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You should all just turn to face the HPG, flip the loudspeakers to max and shout, "You had another family?", just to see if the
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Jul 2, 2015 00:32
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Gwaihir posted:You don't have LoS to the Wyvern from 1810 I think. If you move too far south than the building hexes in 917 and 1016 block your LoS. 1710 should leave you with LoS to the Wyvern though, and it only has a +2 move mod. Pretty sure I should have an unobstructed view, if only barely:  Juuuuuuust skirts the edge of the dome.
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Jul 2, 2015 03:58
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DivineCoffeeBinge posted:Juuuuuuust skirts the edge of the dome. That doesn't matter, the dome fills the entire hex. BattleTech only uses 'real' line of sight if you're playing with their miniatures rules, otherwise a hex that contains an obstruction is considered to be completely filled by that obstruction.
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Jul 2, 2015 03:59
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PoptartsNinja posted:That doesn't matter, the dome fills the entire hex. Well, crap. Okay, gonna have to rethink my orders, then. Just throw out that last PM, won't you?  E: Yeah, 1710 looks like the winner here. E2: I only ever played on tabletop with miniatures, so that we could actually look at 'true' LOS; this is a habit I should shake. Sorry about that. DivineCoffeeBinge fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Jul 2, 2015 |
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Jul 2, 2015 04:01
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PTN, does the dusk modifier apply to physical attacks as well as gunnery? I just sorta assumed it didn't but realized I didn't actually know.
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Jul 2, 2015 04:27
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Presumably one reason you'd want to go in hard and fast rather than trade 10s at long range is because nominally this was supposed to look like a smash-and-grab, so you have to smash. Not to mention that crushing the lighter guards now means they won't be nipping at your heels when you have to skedaddle because the heavies start rolling up. Although even then I have to question the wisdom of the Maelstrom's bold as gently caress charge - running right into the midst of all three enemy mechs while they can use intervening buildings to protect themselves from your lancemates? Coming at them one at a time looks like it'll negate your advantages, but I admit even after years of this thread I'm not a master of map interpretation so feel free to correct me if I'm misreading. I'd suggest not engaging the Comstar mechs except as a last resort, either so you can convince them somehow or so you at least don't make the situation any worse when you need to book it out of there. If you start brawling with them it doesn't really matter what you say after the fact. Dolash fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Jul 2, 2015 |
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Jul 2, 2015 04:28
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Initiative, dusk, ghost targets, and my own speed make drivebys not all that dangerous. And we needed to know what (if anything) was hiding! Depending on if kicks eat the dusk targeting penalty I'm either going to run down to 421 and kick the Bloodhound, or go further to 322 to give the wyvern's MPLs shittier shits and just shoot it. (Also holy poo poo no way am I shooting a comstar mech first here)
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Jul 2, 2015 04:46
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Gwaihir posted:Depending on if kicks eat the dusk targeting penalty It's "weapon" attacks, so you should be good. Don't miss and fall on your butt.
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Jul 2, 2015 04:55
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Dolash posted:Although even then I have to question the wisdom of the Maelstrom's bold as gently caress charge - running right into the midst of all three enemy mechs while they can use intervening buildings to protect themselves from your lancemates? The OPFOR has mediocre-at-best chances to hit especially with dusk modifiers, and the Maelstrom can, depending on how it moves, avoid LOS (thanks to buildings) or firing arcs (thanks to positioning) from at least one if not two of the mediums. Gwaihir is on pretty solid ground doing a drive-by.
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Jul 2, 2015 05:23
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