Battletech BattleTech discussion thread: May the light of Hanse Davion guide us

[Battlegrinder]

Modular armor comes with a movement penalty. You are better off going with hardened armor, which offers the same protection per ton as standard but lets you mount twice as much armor mass and also provides additional protection against critical hits.

I considered that, but I wanted to keep the modular armor from the YZ vs use something that no canon version of the mech carries. After all, the idea is to build a better Malice, not a better 100 ton assault mech, there's lots of those.

Hardened armor is dope though, on that we agree. It's why I love the cyclops C so much.

EDIT: I'll also note I went with this because I don't have a mech with modular armor, but have several with hardened armor, and I'd like to build more variety into my roster rather than more of what I already have.

 

[Typhonis]

So the Malice is a worse Charger?

 

[Battlegrinder]

So the Malice is a worse Charger?

Not really, at least if you mean the 1A1 model charger, which is completely ineffective in combat. The malice is just criminally undergunned in comparison to it's peers, but it would wipe the floor with a charger.

 

[Typhonis]

I always thought the 1A1 Charger was for crowd control and police action. It can rapidly get to a troubled area or riot and is armored enough to where protestors can't damage it.

 

[Battlegrinder]

I always thought the 1A1 Charger was for crowd control and police action. It can rapidly get to a troubled area or riot and is armored enough to where protestors can't damage it.

No, it's....well, it's not actually good for anything, hence it being a joke. But in theory it was supposed to be for recon. The charger would actually be a very bad at riot control, as it has no nonlethal weapons, and while it's immune to anything a crowd of protesters could do to it, any mech with military grade armor would also be immune to damage from a mob.

Also, the charger is horrifically expensive for a police mech, and it would actually be illegal to employ it as one, as securitymechs must use an industrialmech chassis and must mass less than 50 tons.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Spoiler: Malice MAL-XW

Malice MAL-XW
Mass: 100 tons
Chassis: Endo Steel Biped
Power Plant: 400 XL
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
2 Large Pulse Laser
2 LB 10-X AC
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3139
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-D
Cost: 29,195,333 C-bills

Type: Malice
Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental)
Tonnage: 100
Battle Value: 2,240

Equipment ​		Mass ​
Internal Structure	Endo Steel​	5​
Engine	400 XL​	26.5​
Walking MP:	4​
Running MP:	6​
Jumping MP:	0​
Double Heat Sink:	12 [24]​	2​
Gyro:		4​
Cockpit:		3​
Armor Factor:	307	19.5​

	Internal Structure ​	Armor Value ​
Head	3​	9​
Center Torso	31​	42​
Center Torso (rear)		20​
R/L Torso	21​	30​
R/L Torso (rear)		12​
R/L Arm	17​	34​
R/L Leg	21​	42​

Weapons and Ammo	Location ​	Critical ​	Tonnage ​
Large Pulse Laser	RA​	2​	6​
CASE II	RT​	1​	1​
LB 10-X AC Ammo (20)	RT​	2​	2​
LB 10-X AC	LT​	6​	11​
Large Pulse Laser	LA​	2​	6​
LB 10-X Cluster Ammo (20)	LT​	2​	2​
CASE II	LT​	1​	1​
LB 10-X AC	RT​	6​	11​

A malice that's a merger of 2 existing variants that packs a lot more useful firepower and remains at its core a IS mech with a couple bits of clantech bolted on

 

[PsihoKekec]

4 RAC-2 with three tons of ammo leaves you with seven free tons to pimp up your big ass plinker

Spoiler

Malice MAL-XPa

Mass: 100 tons
Chassis: Endo Steel Biped
Power Plant: 400 XL
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Standard
Armament:
     4 ER Medium Laser
     1 Medium X-Pulse Laser
     4 Rotary AC/2
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3139
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-X
Cost: 28,671,333 C-bills

Type: Malice
Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental)
Tonnage: 100
Battle Value: 1,987

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure            Endo Steel              5
Engine                        400 XL               26.5
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink              10 [20]                 0
Gyro                                                  4
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor                  307                  19.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            31        42   
     Center Torso (rear)               20   
     R/L Torso               21        30   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  12   
     R/L Arm                 17        34   
     R/L Leg                 21        42   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm

Weapons
and Ammo                 Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage   
Medium X-Pulse Laser        RT        1        6       2.0   
Rotary AC/2                 RT        3        1       8.0   
ER Medium Laser             RT        1        5       1.0   
Rotary AC/2                 LA        3        1       8.0   
ER Medium Laser             LA        1        5       1.0   
CASE II                     LT        1        -       1.0   
Rotary AC/2 Ammo (135)      LT        3        -       3.0   
Rotary AC/2                 LT        3        1       8.0   
ER Medium Laser             LT        1        5       1.0   
Rotary AC/2                 RA        3        1       8.0   
ER Medium Laser             RA        1        5       1.0

 

[PsihoKekec]

On second thought, screw that weaksauce plinking shit, real men dual wield LB 20-X, manually roll the results of their shots and fight of the angry lynch mobs with their bare hands!

Spoiler: Manly Malice

Malice MAL-XPc

Mass: 100 tons
Chassis: Endo Steel Biped
Power Plant: 400 XL
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Standard
Armament:
     2 LB 20-X AC
     2 Medium X-Pulse Laser
     1 Snub-Nose PPC
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3139
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-X
Cost: 29,699,333 C-bills

Type: Malice
Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental)
Tonnage: 100
Battle Value: 2,127

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure            Endo Steel              5
Engine                        400 XL               26.5
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink              10 [20]                 0
Gyro                                                  4
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor                  307                  19.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            31        42   
     Center Torso (rear)               20   
     R/L Torso               21        30   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  12   
     R/L Arm                 17        34   
     R/L Leg                 21        42   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm

Weapons
and Ammo                  Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage   
LB 20-X AC Ammo (10)         RT        2        -       2.0   
2 Medium X-Pulse Lasers      RT        2        6       4.0   
LB 20-X AC                   LA        11       6       14.0 
Snub-Nose PPC                LT        2        10      6.0   
LB 20-X AC Ammo (10)         LT        2        -       2.0   
LB 20-X AC                   RA        11       6       14.0

 

[Blasterbot]

On second thought, screw that weaksauce plinking shit, real men dual wield LB 20-X, manually roll the results of their shots and fight of the angry lynch mobs with their bare hands!

yeah I kinda agree that if you are making a 100 tonner with a 400XL I think you want weapons that trade range for hitting power. lack of ability to throw hands hurts it in that role though. if they wanted long range support they should have shrunk the engine. 300 or 300XL would mean you could bring some real punch at that range.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Looking at the malice and it's variants maybe making it a omnimech or at least giving it the modular weapons quirk would be a good idea. Makes it being in high demand actually make sense

 

[Morphic Tide]

So, over on QQ I've been prodding a few things regarding JumpShip tonnage numbers. Did you know the "skeletal" cost between a minimum WarShip and the maximum is only 3.5x for the 25x increase in mass? Did you know that WarShips with maximum DropShips have a ~15% drive-to-mass ratio?

In very raw material terms, such extremes allow for a rather impressive cost-effectiveness, but the catch is that it's in such gargantuan lump sums that real-world countries would have questions about what it's for, let alone FASAnomics trade volume.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

So, over on QQ I've been prodding a few things regarding JumpShip tonnage numbers. Did you know the "skeletal" cost between a minimum WarShip and the maximum is only 3.5x for the 25x increase in mass? Did you know that WarShips with maximum DropShips have a ~15% drive-to-mass ratio?

In very raw material terms, such extremes allow for a rather impressive cost-effectiveness, but the catch is that it's in such gargantuan lump sums that real-world countries would have questions about what it's for, let alone FASAnomics trade volume.

Not really worth it save maybe in the SL era. Post or pre that no one has the yards to really build that and if they did they have more important ships to build

 

[PsihoKekec]

Artist rendition of the first meeting of Tex and his future ex

 

[Aaron Fox]

Gladius Mk2 Light Aerofighter

Mass: 45 tons
Frame: Noah Aerospace LASF-2
Power Plant: Noah Engineering Standard Fusion Mk2
Armor: Noah Metals Standard Mk2
Armament:
     2 Medium Laser
     2 Anti-Missile System
Manufacturer: Noah Aerospace - Aerofighter Division
     Primary Factory: Noah Prime - Section 4
Communication System: Noah Electronics Standard Mk2
Targeting & Tracking System: Noah Electronics Interceptor Mk2
Introduction Year: 2630
Tech Rating/Availability: E/E-F(F*)-E-D
Cost: 2,492,446 C-bills

Capabilities
An improvement to the original Gladius LASF, utilizing a modified cockpit with the Vardrag equivelent of a cross-system 'Black Box' radio set and adding two AMS units, a ton of ammo, and CASE, but at the cost of a mass reduction of fuel.

Type: Gladius Mk2
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 634

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        270 Fusion           14.5
    Safe Thrust: 8
    Max Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity:         8                       
Heat Sinks:                   10                      0
Fuel:                         880                  11.0
Command Console                                       6
Armor Factor                  128                     8

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    35   
     Wings                 31/31   
     Aft                     31   


Weapons
and Ammo                        Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
2 Medium Laser                    NOS       2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Refueling Drogue                  NOS       1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System               NOS       0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
CASE                              FSLG      0.5      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System Ammo (12)     FSLG      1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System               AFT       0.5      1      3    0    0    0

Gladius Mk3 Light Aerofighter

Mass: 45 tons
Frame: Noah Aerospace LASF-3
Power Plant: Noah Engineering Light Fusion Mk1
Armor: Noah Metals Ferro-Aluminum Mk1
Armament:
     1 Medium Laser
     2 Anti-Missile System
     2 Medium Pulse Laser
Manufacturer: Noah Aerospace - Aerofighter Division
     Primary Factory: Noah Prime - Section 4
Communication System: Noah Electronics Standard Mk3
Targeting & Tracking System: Noah Electronics Interceptor Mk3
Introduction Year: 2785
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-F(F*)-E-D
Cost: 5,715,176 C-bills

Capabilities
A further improvement to the Gladius design, this time with tech from the Star League. Thanks to the Star League tech, the Gladius managed to regain it's 'long legs' that the original model was known for alongside with better armor and slightly improved combat performance.

Type: Gladius Mk3
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 766

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        270 XL                7.5
    Safe Thrust: 8
    Max Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity:         8                       
Heat Sinks:                   10 [20]                 0
Fuel:                         1200                 15.0
Command Console                                       6
Armor Factor (Ferro)          143                     8

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    40   
     Wings                 35/35   
     Aft                     33   


Weapons
and Ammo                        Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Medium Laser                      NOS       1.0      3      5    0    0    0 
2 Medium Pulse Laser              NOS       4.0      4      6    0    0    0 
Refueling Drogue                  NOS       1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System               NOS       0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
CASE                              FSLG      0.5      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System Ammo (12)     FSLG      1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Anti-Missile System               AFT       0.5      1      3    0    0    0

Two different versions of the same standardized aerospace fighter, one before the SLDF showed up and the other after the SLDF showed up.

 

[Spartan303]

I love the concept of the story Guided by the Light of a Red Cameron Star. Building a Terran Hegemony in exile. I'd love to compare that with the Modern day Earth ISOT idea to really get things going.

 

[Typhonis]

One of the crazier ideas I had was basically House Cameron setting up a bolt hole in the Periphery. So that in case of a worst case scenario they would have a Cameron to inherit the throne and a fall back position for the SLDF to rebuild from. A Brian Castle on a planetary scale. Full of people who served the SLDF and retired there AFTER being reported dead.

 

[Culsu]

Guys, I'm trying to design an APC in Megamek, but I'm sorta stumped about how much the tonnage under "Transport, Troop Space" corresponds to actual numbers? Can anybody explains this to me?

 

[Culsu]

One of the crazier ideas I had was basically House Cameron setting up a bolt hole in the Periphery. So that in case of a worst case scenario they would have a Cameron to inherit the throne and a fall back position for the SLDF to rebuild from. A Brian Castle on a planetary scale. Full of people who served the SLDF and retired there AFTER being reported dead.

I'm actually surprised that this or similar theories don't at least float around more often as it'd be totally in line with TH/SLDF thinking. I'm also surprised that a power like the Taurians doesn't have their own 'Alamo' position set up some place deeper into the Periphery as that'd totally suit their paranoia.

 

[Morphic Tide]

Fully literally Royal-specification Newgrange as a mobile shipyard to house a Periphery-managing branch as the last line of defense should shit go south on Terra would be pretty nice. Refurbishing Kerensky's fleet inbound to fuck Amaris but pointedly staying away from the fighting in case the blackout is The Big One that was the whole damned point of it could diverge the Succession Wars entirely, if only from the specter of "the Great Houses finished Cameron off" nuking legitimacy.

 

[PsihoKekec]

Guys, I'm trying to design an APC in Megamek, but I'm sorta stumped about how much the tonnage under "Transport, Troop Space" corresponds to actual numbers? Can anybody explains this to me?

One ton corresponds to one infantry squad or one battlearmor trooper.