>>OverviewWe are going to construct some mechs. This is a stand alone thread for mech construction challenges. Each scenario given will have 4 days to submit an entry. You may submit more than once (like we could tell anyhow) but each must be on its own post.The bids will then be compiled and voted on by Anons in the thread to determine who gets the contract. Voters should consider the mech's cost, effectiveness in the desired role, and the fluffiness of the sales pitch and description.>>RulesYear, tech base, and tech level to be used for the mech will be specified in the scenario, and should be followed.Positive quirks must equal or be exceeded by negative quirks, with no more than 6 quirks total.>>FormatingMech pitches should be formatted as follows:Chassis ModelRoleWeightQuirksBattle Value at a 4/5 pilotDry Cost in C-BillsSales pitch and In setting fluff.>> Voting categoriesWe will have a few. Often they will be1: Favorite design2: Most innovative design3: Best Narrative4: Meth babyWe may include a 5th “best fits the requirements” for some challenges.A top 5 of the most votes will also be listed>>Previous thread>>98450906>> Challenge 12 voting up in a bit
>>Challenge 12: post 3050 downgrade The year is 3132 and the dark age has begun. Outside of the great powers few people still have Battlemechs, but you have an old frame and “standard” tech. Stuff used a hundred years ago, before the tech resurgence and the coming of the clans. Stuff from the last real. “Dark Age” you could call it. And so that is what you are gonna build, one of the new designs, but downgraded.>>RequirementsPic a design built between 3050 and 3130. It can't be an older design that got an upgrade, but a design that was new post 3050. Then you are gonna stick to the ye old 3025 tech. Meklabs may call some stuff like ERs standard that we all know were not back in 3025. Do not listen to its lies.Year: 3132Tech Base: Innersphere Tech Level: standardPrice: Not a factor here (mostly)Role: AnySize: AnyEquipment: Gentlemen, We are going old school, 3025End date: Monday August 31st at 6
>>98585364 after I made the mech I realized that the Double Heatsinks were only standard in 3030 with the earliest prototypes being 3022. Since this is 3025 tech can I throw in a lore bit about raiding an abandoned FedSun facility and acquiring some first production run double heat sinks from there or do I need to redesign the damn mech?
>>98585364>Pic a design built between 3050 and 3130.This is probably giving me the most trouble since I don't have a good idea what chassis were designed in this era.
>>98585364Incarnate 1NC-4RBrawler70tModular Weapon (AC/10), Bad Reputation, Difficult to MaintainBV 1,3145,761,583 C-BillsWith advanced technology, and especially OmniMechs, becoming increasingly difficult to support as the Blackout continued, Sorenson Industrial quickly found themselves struggling to meet the expectations placed on them by the Rasalhague Dominion. An associate in the Watch provided the struggling manufacturer with unfinished blueprints to the Avatar, which were quickly revised with more accessible components and put into production. The design quickly earned the ire of its MechWarriors, who universally misidentified their issued 'Mech as a Mad Dog. Its hurriedly remodeled internals earned no more love from the technicians force to crawl within for repairs. Once this initial deception was accepted, the Incarnate would serve the Dominion capably, if humbly. The few who accepted its eccentricities found that the Autocannon mount retained some degree of its precursor's adaptability, with it commonly being replaced with a Large Laser to restore the Avatar's LRM 10 launchers, or an AC/20 by removing the missiles entirely.
>>98585364Are we talking a fresh production downgrade, or a refit kit? If the former, then Introductory would probably be a better tech level. If the latter, then that would imply that engines and structure would stay at higher levels with Introtech gear stuck on top.
>>98585517check MUL: http://www.masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=&HasBV=false&MinTons=20&MaxTons=100&MinBV=&MaxBV=&MinIntro=3050&MaxIntro=3130&MinCost=&MaxCost=&HasBFAbility=&MinPV=&MaxPV=&Technologies=1&Types=18&BookAuto=&FactionAuto=
>>98585480Not sure about the new timeline changes, But I would rule Double heat sinks out . The challenge is to downgrade a post 3050 design to have no new tech. 3025 tech only
>>98585554The pitch was a pure downgrade. Take a newer design and rip out any tech not found before the Helm core. Pure 3025, not ER, not LBX or Ultra, no xl, no Endo of ff armor, no double heat sinks and so on.Feel free to use an ICE plot primitive engine if you like, but other than standard that is you only options. Just take a machine designed after 3050 and strip it down to something that fits in TRO 3025. Just pure ol school tech.
>>98585583Okay, booting it up in MML with a build date of 3025, the additions from Intro to Standard are TSM, Industrial/Primitive armor, a pile of IndustrialMech equipment, rifles, one-shot SRMs and the Blazer. Someone will probably get some use out of the chainsaw and TSM, but I suppose it's mostly academic outside of that.My other hangup was that once you're up/downgrading everything up to and including the structure, you're just building a new 'Mech from scratch to a different tech level with the amount of Ship of Theseus being applied. At that point, my gut reaction turns to "I go back to building canon Introtech designs, because that lets me skip the R&D phase". But I'll come up with something for the sake of the game.
>>98585557It doesn't really help since at least half of them are upgrades from evergreen chassis...>>98585652>At that point, my gut reaction turns to "I go back to building canon Introtech designs, because that lets me skip the R&D phase". But I'll come up with something for the sake of the game....And yeah, the Tech restrictions invalidate those newer designs built around things like Endo-steel or XL Engines...
>>98585364Legionnaire LGN-DSkirmisher50tDifficult to Maintain1117BV4,014,500 C-Bills"Finally got the damn thing working. Stupid recorder...to hell with any "Captains Log" type crap.So I just finished working on the mech and finally got it to run properly; an old Legionnaire I pulled out of a Fedrat depot that had been bombed to hell and back during the jihad. damn thing needed a new everything so I took whatever scrap I could and went to work.Got a standard GM AC10 in there with only two tons of ammo though I added three bog standard medium lasers to compensate for the low ammo. Most of the structure was trashed so I had to fabricate a new one out of whatever I could find, apparently it was a low-tech test run they did as when I opened it there wasn't any endosteel in the thing. Thankfully the Centurion frame has some interchangeable parts with the rest being easy to either make or modify existing parts for it. The wiring was a pain in the absolute bastard because I had to replace what was left which was little more than burnt insulation. Some spice addict probably got antsy and ripped the wires to sell... anyways, I am going to put it through combat trials soon as we're getting close to the pirate hideout, intel suggests they've mostly got vehicles and a couple lights with a single medium leading the pack. Hopefully this piece a shit keeps me alive. Not sure what to say to end this but... hell I'm just gonna go." -Log from mechwarrior Mikkel "Snickers" Nohlastname
I did a Gunslinger that I'll probably post, but it's arguably too easy to downgrade.
>>98585364Rakshasa MDG-0ABrawler75 TonsEasy to Maintain, Weak Head Armor (1)1437 BV6,646,500 C-BillsI'm not even going to try and pitch this, I hate it so much.
>>98585364Apollo APL-2DSniper55 tonsFast Reload, Rugged1224 BV4,351,573 C-BillsA combination of the modifications from the -1Rand -2S variants. It's just a Trebuchet with a deeper ammo pool.
>>98585872Fuck I legit had that idea myself.
>>98585364Falconer FLC-2RBrawler75 TonsBV 1,5916,198,500 C-billsQuirks: StableArmor 13.5 tonsWhen the HPG network stopped working overnight there was a mad scramble by various planetary militias to find whatever military equipment was available. With communication cut off nobody could rely on reinforcements or resupply from their respective factions thus low tech solutions were desired that could be quickly procured and be easily maintained. Therefore it was a godsend to many when mysterious traders started appearing offering to sell mechs by the company in exchange for raw materials or certain goods, strangers who often used various different aliases when trading with the only common theme is that they were occasionally known to speak Latin and Greek. While this did raise suspicions especially since the large stockpile of equipment they had for sale made it seem like they had been long prepared to profit from the situation the Inner Sphere suddenly found itself in nobody was in a position to reject them with the chaos that was going on.One of the products offered by these strangers is a downgraded Falconer using equipment that would have been common just a century prior. Much slower than the original but also significantly cheaper, the 2R Falconer as it is designated is still quite an effective mobile platform that is ideally suited for defending important infrastructure and facilities. The firepower has only seen the PPC downgraded to a regular model and the gauss replaced with an AC/10 which is not a significant loss in capabilities. The heat dissipation remain the same and surprisingly armor was upgraded due to the weight saved. This makes this mech a popular choice for defence units as the sight of so many seemingly capable mechs suddenly leaping over walls can be more than enough to deter would be raiders. Curiously neither TharHes nor General Motors confirm they produce such a variant yet each new mech arrives as if it was fresh from a factory.
>>98585364Buccaneer BCN-2RJuggernaut55 TonsBV 1,4025,495,628 C-billsQuirks: Improved Targeting (Short), Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere)Armor 11.5 tonsAnother product from the mysterious strangers with many mechs to sell. The downgraded Buccaneer is again slower than the original but its capabilities are not that far off. Slightly heavier armor and the use of a standard engine means it can survive blows its advanced counterpart can not. Using triple-strength-myomer, a technology that has been well understood for over a century, means that this variant is capable of sudden bursts of speed once it engages combat that is more than enough to surprise unsuspecting opponents especially when the first indication of this happening is a hatchet being swung hard towards their cockpit.What has soured the reputation of this particular design is due to its recent appearance amongst various marauding groups making it clear that the traders are willing to do business with everyone. The sight of so many capable mechs cleaving their way through militia forces has made various planetary governments seek even more military hardware with some feeling the urge to purchase anything that is made available as long as it means that it remains out of the hands of their potential enemies. As of yet no mech manufacturer has taken official responsibility for producing the downgraded variant despite each one being delivered to a very high quality standard.
>>98585674 Shields are newer tech, ost 3060. I am on the fence with this as it isn't 3025 tech but it's also not actually very tech complicated.>>98588286TSM is also a new tech, so not 3025 tech. It didn't come into common use until 3055
>>98585364Yurei S-YR-2LAMSkirmisher40 tonsBV 13773,110,077 C-billsQuirks: Non Standard PartsArmor: 8 tonsWhen a militia procurement officer was browsing through a catalogue given by the mysterious trader group he thought he had he had found a typo. In a section under aerospace assets he saw a brief sentence randomly scribbled titled "LAM Yurei, sell yes or no?" Intrigued and assuming that they were referencing the laser anti-missile system for possible sale to a person named Yurei, he decided to contact the traders asking for a Yurei and if he had LAMs for sale only to get a very abrupt response that LAMs were extinct and nobody had them for sale. Puzzled by the response he still decided to add in his order for mechs a request for four Yurei LAMs if available. To his surprise he received acknowledgement that they would be dispatched in a separate shipment as it would be considered a special order using a hidden courier, one that would not have a typical escort. Extremely curious now to see what he had bought it was unfortunate that the shipment was intercepted by a radical group called the Sons of Herb who completely destroyed the undefended dropship as it made planetfall. The only remains of the shipment left the militia even more puzzled as they retrieved what appeared to be mech parts with wings attached. After this incident no more of these special LAMs were ordered.
>>98588542>TSM is also a new tech, so not 3025 tech. It didn't come into common use until 3055Is that Interstellar Ops? Cause I think that's another example of where CGL got things actually wrong. Its definitely around in the 3020's as its being prototyped and fully functional examples appear in 3039 but then that would class as experimental tech. Its in full scale production by 3050 because there are variants considered standard tech with it installed pre 3055, Centurion and Scarabus come to mind.
>>98588542>>98588621Original grade TSM with the exploding knees problem was first used in 3028 after the Capellans got honeypotted by NAIS, and Anti-TSM missiles have an intro date of 3027. What we don't have is an exact date of when the FedSuns finished and shelved first-gen TSM because of the chemical weapons weakness before pulling it back out to do the funny.
>>98588625Well its definitely before 3055 otherwise they've just gone and broke a bunch of mechs. Its functional in 3039 as per the FedCom units that are using it in combat and it actually works thanks to Sword and Dragon Sourcebook which incidentally gives the production date as 3050.I think at this stage anons need to rewrite Interstellar Ops Alt Eras using the sourcebooks for reference cause fuck are some of these dates confusing and not making a lot of sense.
>>98588621>>98588625Yep interstellar OPs. Also the fact we know IRL it wasn't around in 3025. It's post invasion tech. In setting it didn't reach common use until 3055. Now they have retconned rodo types over the years, but it still didn't reach production use until 3055.
>>98588657>but it still didn't reach production use until 3055.CN9-D3 and SCB-9T say hi.
>>98588657TechManual specifically notes the raid on Sian, and the oldest mention of the event I can find dates back to Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Vol. 2, published in 1989. If you wanted "common use", then I reiterate that you should have specified Introtech.
>>98588737>>I reiterate that you should have specified Introtech. I did, twice"Then you are gonna stick to the ye old 3025 tech. Meklabs may call some stuff like ERs standard that we all know were not back in 3025. Do not listen to its lies."And"Equipment: Gentlemen, We are going old school, 3025"Maybe this is me being old, but 3925 tech to me means pure up old school 3025 tech. Ya know, the tech before the clans and the retcons>>98588680Both of those are retcons.
>>98588895And that's why TSM in particular is such a fucking bugbear: because it IS old. Regardless of official introductory date, it's about the only "old" thing added by moving from Intro to Standard, and that's why MML provides it as an option for building at Standard in 3025 in lieu of an explicit date of prototyping.
>>98588928I get they retconned it, but it's not 3025 tech, it wasn't created until well after the clan invasion stuff.
>>98588946It predates the introduction of the Clans by 5 months. 4SW Military Atlas was September '89, Lethal Heritage was February '90. If you want to go the "it didn't have rules in 1989" route, then I say again, INTROTECH.
>>98589022I thought I was pretty clear on 3025. Clearly there has been some kind of shift as some folks didn't understand what 3025 meant.So fine, Introtech.
>>98585364Ti Ts'ang TSG-1L60 TonsCombat Computer, Improved Life Support, ObsoleteBV 1,3895,385,280 C-BillsMelee mechs rarely accrue long service records. They do however find themselves in place of honor at almost any scrapyard. The Ti Ts'ang is no different from the Hatchetman, the Scarabus or the Berzerker in this regard, and when word came down from the Celestial Throne, Capellan technicians dutifully hauled the old battleaxes from their eternal rest and began ripping out everything that could no longer be repaired or bought. The 1L is therefore a downgrade of the well regarded 9H, identical in its hardpoint layout save for the loss of one jump jet and altered thruster disposition. Some in the refit team wished to shrink its engine all the way to a 240-class, thus saving enough tonnage to properly cool the Mech even with single heat sinks. Capellan leadership disagreed, pointing to the well known faults of the original Hatchetman at this same speed. No, the Mech would bear the heavy burden of a 300 class standard engine in order to bring its hatchet and small lasers to bear, one way or the other. No TSM, no XL tech to speed it up, all the technicians could do was use their still-modern programming knowledge to make the Ti Ts'ang's single sinks as efficient as they could be, and insulate the cockpit with small amounts of modern materials. Plus a modern cooling jacket. Amusingly, its predecessor reached the same overheat mark on a jumping alpha as this lesser variant (13 heat).The gamble paid off. 150 meters of jump and 86 kph of top speed was enough to make the 1L a fast moving, durable brick. Its hatchet was no less heavy and sharp and the 1L carried only half a ton less armor. The lasers were weaker, the armor cruder and the pilot toastier, but any Mechwarrior in 3025 would have been terrified to see this 60 tonner bearing down on them for the Chancellor.House Liao buried the hatchet only one way to solve ancient grudges: Into your cockpit.
>>98589022NTA but TSM really isn't tech 1.
>>98589045Don't look at me, I called way back up >>98585652 that someone was going to shove TSM on a design because you left the door open for what as at the time the one piece of absolute bleeding-edge tech that is now much more widespread as of 3132.
>>98589116I stated 3025, I stated it twice. That is Introtech. Feel free to disagree but TSM isn't 3025 tech.
>>98589185Well, as you said, we are clearly on a terminology discrepancy. Your stated intent of "fits in TRO:3025" is an Introductory-level exercise. Standard is a broader category that only serves to add options outside of that intent. On the software side, setting MML to 3025/Standard will also automatically filter every named example of "do not" you provided due to its extinction, but not TSM, which likely further fed anon's belief that it was a valid choice. Thematically, I would argue that the post-Helm dating almost begs for the use of TSM, in the same way that RetroTech designs use modern weapons on a primitive chassis to separate them from true Primitives, so I'm not surprised that someone did it.That's not to keep beating you over the head, that's just to try and parse out how we got here. You made the ruling I've been jockeying for since the start, so I suppose I should be happy.
>>98588895>Both of those are retcons.No they are not. Both are mentioned as far back as the original TRO 3050 and TRO 3055 respectfully. >>98589116The whole tech situation is dumb anyway because weapons like blazers, rifles and artillery cannons are considered experimental for a long ass time despite them being noted as nothing fancy tech wise. Then of course megameklab goes full special needs mode because it will say such equipment will be available despite setting it to standard so you have to pay close attention to the summary tab.Also on a side note megamek has TSM available as far back as 3023. I can find zero references to that. Tech Manual also says its in production in 3050 so I am more inclined to go with that over Interstellar Ops.
>>98589335>The whole tech situation is dumb anyway because weapons like blazers, rifles and artillery cannons are considered experimental for a long ass time despite them being noted as nothing fancy tech wise. Then of course megameklab goes full special needs mode because it will say such equipment will be available despite setting it to standard so you have to pay close attention to the summary tab.There's a nasty terminology overlap between "Tech Level as Rules" and "Tech Level as production volume". The standard seems to be that an item's least exclusive production volume is equal to its rules level regardless of era, and MML only filters by rules level and extinction/not-invented-yet.>Also on a side note megamek has TSM available as far back as 3023. I can find zero references to that. Tech Manual also says its in production in 3050 so I am more inclined to go with that over Interstellar Ops.That's the lore circle we were running around in a minute ago. The Davions had a shitty version of TSM in 3028, because they were able to give it away to the Capellans. They had weapons for use against that shitty TSM in 3027. The big question mark is how far back they had the shitty TSM sitting in a NAIS lab where it could theoretically be stuck into a 'Mech, but they didn't want to.
>>98589317I didn't think to say introtech because I thought it was clear and knew MML would pull some BS. The lore has moved around a lot in the last 30 or so years. Gaps got filled, things got moved about and such.>>98589335>>Both are mentioned as far back as the original TRO 3050 and TRO 3055 respectfully.While 3055 mentions it, 3050 does not. At least not by name. It was just an "improved" moymer. Which we can tell from the context and later info was TSM, but it doesn't call it that at the time. Which makes sense as writers had not likely made it yet.
jesus christ, ask any 10 battletech players whether or not tsm is or is not introtech and 9 out of 10 of them will say it isntthis debate is just wasting posts and causing bad feels at this point
>>98589354It doesn't help that the rules say prototype TSM doesn't buff speed yet the record sheets for units supposedly equipped with it says it does.>>98589402I am going to go out and just blame Stackpole for all this. Would not surprise me if it was one of his novels where TSM actually started.>>98589428The questions are more about when does it become in production standard tech rather than it being introtech because there are conflicting sources.
>>98589494>>just blame Stackpole for all this.In battletech those are good odds
>>98589402Yeah, between Primitives, MilitiaMechs, field guns, the occasional Gauss Rifle lying around, and others, "3025" and "Introtech" aren't quite as synonymous as they used to be. Back when MekHQ AtB was a thing, playing the era at Intro or Experimental levels were very different things.
So, who's got designs on their minds?
>>98592989I can't really think of anything truly fun or interesting at the moment. About the only thing I can think of is a bit of a shitpost.
>>98592989I have a few when I get home. It seems to me this can be done two ways, a pure downgrade or a rebuild with lower tech. Hell throwing an ICE engine in one might be fun
>>98585364Hollander BZK-G3XAmbusher35tReinforced Legs, UnbalancedBV 6632,262,960 C-BillsAfter losing their ability to source Endo-Steel frames for the Hollander line, and almost all Helm technology reserved for heavier 'Mechs, Coventry Metal Works was forced to turn towards traditional materiel in an attempt to keep the chassis in production. The resulting G3X would be unable to accomplish this task. The weapon load and armor of the G1 were prioritized over mobility, yet even replacing the engine with a lighter model would prove insufficient to fully retain these capabilities. The stopgap was pushed into production regardless, soon reaching the LCAF where it would receive unfavorable comparisons to the Hatchetman. Coventry soon accepted that the G3X was an inadequate replacement for the G1 and repurposed its assembly line for more successful projects.
>>98585364Snake SNK-1AStriker45 tonsBV 8873,699,820 C-billsQuirks: Improved Targeting (Short), Protected ActuatorsArmor: 8 tonsThe original Snake was a mech conceived as an anti battle armor platform but in practice it proved to be less than optimal at this task. As a result many found their way into the hands of various militias as a somewhat expensive yet mediocre anti-vehicle mech before eventually being put into storage. Over time these mothballed mechs would have their advanced engines, heatsinks and weapons stripped out leaving an unpowered yet still serviceable husk behind that was gathering dust. Fast forward to the blackout and in the mad scramble to arm forces with whatever was available many of these old mechs were quickly put back into service using whatever equipment was available. One downgraded variant might actually in a bizarre twist of fate prove to be far more popular than the original Snake ever was as it was designed from the ground up to be not only an anti-infantry and anti-vehicle platform, but thanks to heavy use of infernos manage to be a capable battle armor hunting platform as well. While this weapon choice does leave it vulnerable to other mechs, its cool running nature and slightly increased armor makes it a welcome addition to any force that finds itself beset by combined arms units.
Possible suggestion for a future challenge: Jihad era Blakist design. Full on experimental tech. Design goal is to come up with something that will be as miserable as possible for their enemies to fight.
>>98597157Should add that I know Jihad mech is already on the table this should be open to vehicles as well.
>>98585364In the years of the Succession Wars, many key pieces of technology had been lost, displaced, or simply smashed into pieces or blown into atoms by advanced weaponry, and many things that were once understood were resigned to the realm of myth and legend. One such was The Great Turtle, a prototype designed to test the upper limits of armored Quadmech capability. A small but advanced factory was discovered that was still capable of producing Great Turtle frames. This facility provided the means to produce the bare frame for the Great Turtle Quadmech, but it lacked the sophisticated and then-lost mysteries of experimental hardened armor, or the onboard targetting computer that was standard for Great Turtles. This resulted in the Great Turtle frames losing 19.5 tons of effective armor, while freeing up a bit of room for more offensive options, and still leaving 20.5 tons to cover the massive 100 ton Quad. As such, having a slow but fully armored Quadmech with immense defensive capabilities, it was decided to adapt it into a heavy siege role, using its immense armor as a means to deliver an AC/20, two SRM-6 missile launchers, and 5 flamers to bear against enemy opponent standing in their way. All but one of the flamers are mounted in the legs, so as to provide for anti-infantry cover and to provide an option against opponents from all quadrants in close quarters, with the AC/20 mounted in the Left and Center Torso and the Right Torso bearing the SRM-6 missile racks and the ammunition. Three tons of AC/20 ammunition and two tons of SRM-6 allow for the pilot to freely expend salvoes without worry of running out prematurely, and its top speed of 52 kph along with a minimal jumping ability provide it with a surprising amount of speed for its weight.Only a few of these Mechs have ever been seen on the battlefield and their true combat effectiveness is shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, they are a truly unusual and intimidating encounter on the battlefield.
>>98585364*Sorry, I was in a rush and forgot about the formattingGreat Turtle GTR-Z1Juggernaut100 tonsBV: 1,78111,957,000 C-BillsArmor: 20.5 tonsIn the years of the Succession Wars, many key pieces of technology had been lost, displaced, or simply smashed into pieces or blown into atoms by advanced weaponry. One such was The Great Turtle, a prototype designed to test the upper limits of armored Quadmech capability.A small but advanced factory was found capable of producing GTZ-1s. This facility provided the means to produce the bare frame for the Great Turtle Quadmech, but it lacked the sophisticated and then-lost mysteries of experimental hardened armor, or the onboard targetting computer. This resulted in the Great Turtle frames losing 19.5 tons of effective armor, and the computer's weight, while freeing up space and tonnage for more offensive options and still leaving 20.5 tons to cover the 100 ton Quad. As such, having a slow but fully armored Quadmech with immense defensive capabilities, it was decided to adapt it into a heavy siege role, using its immense armor as a means to deliver an AC/20, two SRM-6 missile launchers, and 5 flamers to bear against enemy opponent standing in their way. All but one of the flamers are mounted in the legs, so as to provide for anti-infantry cover and to provide an option against opponents from all quadrants in close quarters, with the AC/20 mounted in the Left and Center Torso and the Right Torso bearing the SRM-6 missile racks and the ammunition. Three tons of AC/20 ammunition and two tons of SRM-6 allow for the pilot to freely expend salvoes without worry of running out prematurely, and its top speed of 52 kph along with a minimal jumping ability provide it with a surprising amount of speed for its weight.Only a few of these Mechs have ever been seen on the battlefield and their true combat effectiveness is shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, they are a truly unusual and intimidating encounter on the battlefield.
Okay folks we haveIncarnate 1NC-4RLegionnaire LGN-DRakshasa MDG-0AApollo APL-2DFalconer FLC-2RYurei S-YR-2LAMTi Ts'ang TSG-1LHollander BZK-G3XSnake SNK-1AGreat Turtle GTR-Z1Buccaneer BCN-2RNote: I am allowing the buccaneer as I said standard, not thinking it and introductory were two different things now. That was my bad so, It's in. Our categories are>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>Which is your personal Favorite>>Which is the most innovative?>>Who is the meth baby?>>Which had the best narrativeOur new pollhttps://strawpoll.com/poy9kJdrwgJVoting ends : September 2nd at 6 PM EST
>>98600062>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Falconer FLC-2R>>Which is your personal Favorite?Hollander BZK-G3X because I love Hollanders>>Which is the most innovative?Yurei S-YR-2LAM, it even has a bomb bay>>Who is the meth baby?Rakshasa MDG-0A>>Which had the best narrativeLegionnaire LGN-D
>>98600624>>>Which had the best narrative>Legionnaire LGN-Dthanks fren, I'm glad it was enjoyable to read.
>>98600062>Procurement OfficeTi Ts'ang. It moves fast enough to keep itself out of trouble and has enough armor to last until it can hide behind a rock or hill or something. Plus it has an all energy loadout which is very attractive to any quartermaster and the hatchet never runs out of ammo. >Personal FavoriteApollo. This is a downrated Catapult and as such is perfectly serviceable. Narrowly loses out in the procurement department due to ammo reliance and high potential to abruptly delete itself from existence on a penetrating hit, but that's far from an exclusive problem in the SuccWars tech level. >Most InnovativeYurei.I wouldn't have thought a LAM would show up in this contest (and I'm not 100% sure LAMs are introtech either), but assuming all rules are above board it's pretty impressive for what it is. Heat issues obviously, but it looks like you could sub one in for the average Phoenix Hawk in most missions without too much trouble. >Meth BabyGrand Turtle. This one was a pretty easy pick, who in god's name mounts 5 flamers pointing in every direction on an assault mech, and then puts TWO jump jets on it? The only use of 2 jets is to turn yourself around quickly, in which case you don't even need the flamers to be omnidirectional. Instead the Turtle's guaranteed that if it IS ever menaced by infantry, most of its flamers will be pointed the wrong directions at all times no matter how it rotates. And then every single other weapon is an ammo bomb waiting to rip the poor Turtle in half. Oof. >Best NarrativeIncarnate. I found it very entertaining that a Battlemech keeps calling itself its own "grandfather". Somehow it just *knows* that it came from a Mad Dog, which really makes no sense yet feels somehow fitting. Also it's competently designed for the era even if it really should only have a half ton of MG ammo for its own safety, and either an extra half ton of armor or lose a half ton and gain a heat sink.
>>98601159>>and I'm not 100% sure LAMs are introtech eitherThey were in the Original TRO 3025.
>>98601195Good enough for me then.
>>98601159>>98601195>>98601224Yurei fag here. I actually intended this as a joke entry as technically LAMs fall into experimental tech even if there is nothing particularly advanced on this LAM. In hindsight this challenge might be worth revisiting in the future as a "Downgrade X to make it fit in TRO 3025" type challenge rather than avoid arguments about tech levels in future cause CGL and megamek contradict themselves at every turn.
I just love the mad cat mark IV and want to trade out the C ER PPCs for railguns as a long range sniper. Works in the tabletop fair enough but doesnt work in shitty games like MW5 because the maps are too small or they spawn all rhe enemies in your face
>>98600062>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>98585698Legionnaire LGN-DThis is reasonably protected, got decent speed, a simple yet effective loadout and above all cheap. If you are eventually able to source some precision or AP ammo then this would still remain an effective unit to have around for harassment purposes once tech upgrades become available.>Which is your personal Favorite>>98585872Apollo APL-2DFor the main reason I had the same exact idea but you also can't go wrong with a cheap missile boat.>Which is the most innovative?>>98589054Ti Ts'ang TSG-1LAn introtech melee mech that doesn't suck? What heresy is this? I was not expecting something like this to appear and frankly even without the hatchet it would be a decent enough 60 tonner. If the great TSM debate didn't happen this could have arguably been made a lot stronger but I still think its an interesting design as is.>Who is the meth baby?>>98599712Great Turtle GTR-Z1The flying TAC waiting to happen that farts fire as it flies. Frankly there was a missed opportunity to nickname it the Taco Bell.>Which had the best narrative>>98585531Incarnate 1NC-4RI liked where anon was going with this story wise. Think it could have been thought out a bit more but still like it.
>>98602139OP here I should have just went standard whatever MML says. I think it's gonna get a bit worse with the new rules moving things around more.So yeah, revisiting this one with standard tech from MML might be good or just going advanced but year limited. Although year limited can cause its own issues.
OP here. We are currently in a 5 way tie for the next challenge. It's currently Trooper design, Drac warcrime machine, dedicated solaris mech, Blakist jihad machine and anti infantry mech
>>98603522Considering the complete clusterfuck that are the current rulebooks and retcons anons can each interpret something entirely different to one another yet all of them could be correct. Come October with the Core Rules megameklab its going to get worse.>>98603956Think that calls for a dice roll if needed. We also are getting way more people voting in the polls than we do in the threads. I am choosing to interpret this as CGL monitoring this thread for ideas and manipulating results so we come up with something for them to steal for a future recognition guide.
>>98600062>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>98585779 This is just a Thug with some bonus lasers, it doesn't even need a pitch.>Which is your personal Favorite>>98585531 I missed some voting on myself so I have to make up for it. I just really like the first wave of IS omnis, and carving one down to a BattleMech was pretty neat. The Hollander is also mine, for the sake of disclosure.>Which is the most innovative?>>98589054 I don't think you could make a better melee Mech in Introtech without giving up the headshot chance.>Who is the meth baby?>>98596363 An AC and missiles without weight saving is just pushing it a bit too much for me. Especially on a chassis as light as this.>Which had the best narrative>>98588577 This guy cheated but I like the way that ties into the story. Blakists trying to secretly distribute LAMs is a fun idea.
>>98604074>>98603956Give it another day maybe and then roll whatever dice are needed I'd say.
>>98604510If I had been truly minmaxing the Ti Slang, I'd have moved the lasers to the torsos rather than keeping with the original variant's hardpoint locations and giving the left arm its hand actuator back, for the purpose of still being able to throw a punch if the hatchet arm got shot off, as well as padding the side torsos with more crits. Possibly swap some smalls for mediums or vice versa depending how the heat values shook out. But yeah, I was pleased with how it ended up. As long as you can hit at least 5 jump or 8 run, you can put a hatchet in someone's face, and get even standard small lasers to make a meaningful contribution.
Bump
>>98604510>This is just a Thug with some bonus lasersI was more along the lines of "shitty knockoff of a shitty knockoff to the point where it's borderline regressed into a Marauder". But if someone unironically likes it, then that's better than I was expecting.>>98600062>procurement priorityThe thought of having to field any of these in a world where the Mad Cat 4 exists terrifies me, but if you forced me to pick, it would probably be the Apollo >>98585872 in the hopes that I can turn those savings into better front-line mechs to screen it.>favoriteI'll have to break out the self-vote for the Rakshasa >>98585779, because the joke of "shitty knock-off of a shitty knock-off that's basically regressed back into a Marauder" has really grown on me the last few days.>innovativeAfter all the time I spent arguing about it, I think the Buccaneer >>98588286 has earned it. The TSM really does do a lot to make it stand out as a "MechWarrior, there is no lostech here, these are the Dark Ages, you're going to die" design.>meth babyLet's make it the Great Turtle >>98599712 for all the reasons >>98601159 specified.>narrativeThe Legionnaire >>98585698 perfectly captures a lot of my "everything about this is awful and I would not drive any of these" vibes.
>>98607215>the joke of "shitty knock-off of a shitty knock-off that's basically regressed back into a Marauder" has really grown on me the last few days.You essentially made something not far off the Marauder 4X which accidentally would be a very good mech.
>>98607215>mad cat mk iv>XXL engine >clan mech can now die to side torso loss thus invalidating one of their greatest advantages for a few extra saved tonsNah senpai the mk iv is the poster child for that No Wait Go Back meme with the dial. Never use it.
>>98608169You also forget that due to the extra heat the engine generates in certain cases the weight savings are offset by the extra heatsinks you need for an XXL.
>>98609463Also true. XXL engines are utter garbage unless youre trying to build a rules abusing charge monkey basically.God help you if youre giving an XXL mech jump jets too they'll set you on fire.
>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order? The Ti Ts'ang TSG-1L>>98589054 this is just a solid option. While lacking long range striking power it's speed and armor is good for the weight.>>Which is your personal Favorite>>98585531 Incarnate 1NC-4R, I just love this semi Omni "we have an avatar at home" design.>>Which is the most innovative?>>98588577 Yurei S-YR-2LAM, I didn't even think about a LAM.>>Who is the meth baby?>>98599712, Great Turtle GTR-Z1 slow, big and why are there 5 flamers?>>Which had the best narrativeThis one is hard as there were a few I loved, but have to go with >>98585698b Legionnaire LGN-D
For Challenge 12, we actually have a winner in every category, no ties! Also every design got at least 1 vote! And our winners are.>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Ti Ts'ang TSG-1L >>Which is your personal FavoriteIncarnate 1NC-4R >>Which is the most innovative?Yurei S-YR-2LAM 3>>Who is the meth baby?Great Turtle GTR-Z1 >>Which had the best narrativeLegionnaire LGN-D >>Top contenders, each with 4 votesIncarnate 1NC-4R Legionnaire LGN-D Yurei S-YR-2LAM Ti Ts'ang TSG-1L Great Turtle GTR-Z1 Next challenge up in a few
>>98611918Petition to rename that Great Turtle the Taco Bell?
>>Challenge 13: Trooper mechsA trooper mech has classically been a line mech, decent armor, decent speed and firepower for all ranges. It's been a bit of a jack of all trades mech, it's not outstanding at anything but does well in about all situations. Just a solid unit that specializes in nothing. And while there are many classics, this is the Ilkhan era with lots of technology available. It's time to make something new, something that should be solid and reliable.>>RequirementsYou are to make a trooper design. Speed to to be 4/6 or 5/8. You need weapons for all ranges and at least one with a 10 point punch. Anti infantry weapons are also required. Heavy armor for your weight is recommended.Year: 3151Tech Base: Innersphere or IS based mixed techTech Level: AdvancedPrice: Not a factor, but maybe in procurement votes.Role: Trooper/BrawlerSize: medium or heavyEquipment: anything MML as 3151 IS or IS mixed tech advanced settings.End date: Saturday , September 5th at 6 PM ESTHave at it y'all
>>98612162Auroch AOR-H1Skirmisher55 tonsBV 1,4745,188,108 C-billsQuirks: Easy to Maintain, Narrow/Low ProfileArmor: 11.5 tonsDeveloped with the mercenary market in mind, the Auroch has been built as an affordable simple to maintain workhorse design that is geared more for defensive rather than offensive operations. The low profile nature of the quad allows this to lay in ambush and deliver devastating strikes to unsuspecting enemies thanks to its heavy PPC. A pair of multi-missile launchers gives it significant versatility when it comes to fire support options while an x-pulse laser acts as a backup anti-infantry deterrent. When it comes time to counter attack the enemy then thick armor allows the Auroch to stand as part of the line and absorb blows that would cripple most other mechs. Finally the use of jump jets gives it enhanced mobility and second generation C.A.S.E. technology grants superb survivability in an event the armor is breached.
>>98612162Marauder MAD-8L75 TonsBV 1,87014,165,250 C-bills14.5 tons Stealth ArmorThe Marauder 6L, released in 3070 as part of House Liao's arsenal was a strong contender on the battlefield. It sported plasma rifles, stealth armor, TSM... and a regrettable ability to actually support other Capellan forces due to modest range and poor heat management. The TSM was particularly hard to engage when needed, owing to the lack of a Marauder's traditional small-bore lasers. As the Republic came to power and Stone forced the empires to sideline their arsenals, Confederation technicians used the downtime well, fine-tuning the 6L all through the Republic era until its collapse. What they presented the Chancellor was a more expensive but far more dangerous machine, the MAD-8L. Gone was the temperamental, expansive TSM. Gone was the ancient PPC, replaced with a pair of extended range models taken from scrapped Vindicator 3L machines, capable of all-range engagements. A single Plasma Cannon rode in the dorsal mount, sufficient to crack tank armor and immolate the crew in a single jet of fire. And a pair of basic ER medium lasers rounded out the package. Strangely these two lasers had to be mounted in the side torsos rather than the arms, since the 6L didn't have secondary mounts there like most Marauders. It took years to get the hardpoints working correctly in the Marauder's narrow torsos, but the effort paid off. Unlike most Marauders, should the 8L variant lose an arm more of its firepower was retained. It gives the 8L an immediately recognizable profile on the battlefield, subtly different yet alien to Mechwarriors used to a traditional Marauder's over-under energy weapon layout.
>>98612162>>98612807The tonnage for all these modifications came from a 300 Light fusion engine filling the torso, a compromise between Capellan factions who wanted a fast XL 375 to make up for the loss of TSM enhanced ground speed and those of a more moderate bent who preferred to try and make this payload all work with a 300 standard and save money. Ultimately neither engine proved workable (The XL too bulky and still too heavy at that size, and the standard engine both slow AND too heavy), thus the middle ground was taken.3 extra double sinks made a huge difference in combat performance when the 8L took the field in support of Sun-Tzu and his son Daoshen Liao's Capellan Crusades in 3111, stabbing deep into the dying Republic's heart. Unlike the old model 6L, the 8L's long range guns could actually contest Republic units frequently sporting Clan technology, and defend itself against those same guns with Stealth armor active. Using a 2-2-1 pattern, the 8L could maintain punishing fire while remaining a radar ghost at extreme range. It seems almost inevitable that the 8L will become a staple of Capellan forces going forward, and many older and salvaged chassis are slated for full rearm and refit in the coming decade. Experience with Clan-armed Republic forces will prove extremely valuable during the inevitable conflict with Alaric Ward's blasphemous Star League, and a veteran cadre of MAD-8L pilots who now have no fear of Wolf machines.
>>98612820(Also, when the time comes to brawl, all the pilot has to do is turn off the Stealth armor which doesn't work at short range and start using the two ER Mediums or the Plasma Rifle, which use the same total heat and very much do)
>>98612162Gungnir GNGR-1Brawler/Trooper/Line60tonsBV: 1,7637,726,960 C-BillsQuirks: Rugged(1), Easy to MaintainArmor: 10.5 Ferro-fibrousDesigned by Nordsk Metallverks, the GNGR-1 is designed to be simple to maintain and repair while still being a capable workhorse. From field tests the design has shown itself to be best as a traditional Line unit working alongside other mechs. Mechwarrior from the Rasalhague Dominion have reported that the mech functions as a stellar all-rounder in the line up with some orders currently being placed by the Kungsarme and more than a few mercenary units that desire a generalist machine over the ultra-specialized machines that feature glaring weaknesses with the GNGR-1 providing a solid backbone to reinforce the battle line all at an affordable price. Nordsk, the right choice for military products.
>>98612162Atlach-Nacha A7L-K4Brawler45 tonsBV 1,1816,311,415 C-BillsBattlefists, Nimble Jumper, Difficult to Maintain, EM InterferenceOriginally a Word of Blake design, the nameless 'Mech that would become the Atlach-Nacha was still unfinished by the founding of the Republic of the Sphere. The Blakist design philosophy it carried condemned the prototypes to storage until Clan Wolf broke through The Wall and every chassis on Terra was mustered in resistance. All four incomplete frames would meet their end after depleting a Heavy Star's ammunition, forcing them to withdraw with their unidentifiable salvage to resupply. The rebuilt BattleMech would earn its second life soon after the founding of the Ilclan. To maximize its endurance, the Atlach-Nacha is built around a chest-mounted PPC based on the model used by the nascent Clans. This compact weapon is supported by an IS-spec ER Medium Laser and a head-mounted anti-infantry X-Pulse laser, along with a pair of battlefists to take its place as primary weapon. This relatively meager arsenal fits within the tight confines of the Atlach-Nacha's reinforced core to maintain combat maneuverability even after enduring critical damage. As a side effect, the chassis is incapable of shielding its internal systems from the electrical discharge of its own weapons. Attempts to fit an ECM system were quickly abandoned due to this design flaw.
>>98612162Is 10.5 tons of armor on a 55 tonner considered heavy?
>>98613434It's just shy of the 11 ton max capacity, so it's full for its size but not heavy in the grand scheme of all mechs.
>>98613449>It's just shy of the 11 ton max capacityMax capacity is 12 though...
>>98613449>>98613459Max capacity is measured in number of pips, the tonnage needed to get there varies by armor type. You're probably thinking of Standard/Ferro while he's thinking of the other.
>>98613434It's 10.5 tons of FF, that is near 12 tons of standard. It's heavy for the weight class for sure.
>>98613515I was using standard armor, but thankfully have enough crit slots for Ferro which does max out at 10.5 tons at 55 tons.
>>98613434Well they consider 8.5 tons of standard on a 50 ton mech considerable. Frankly anything over 70% coverage is considered heavy even if most anons here would agree it is kind of paper thin.
>>98614842This. The balance point is probably somewhere around 80-85%. Most fan designs will stay within half a ton of max to avoid wasting pips going over max, and only start working down from there if they REALLY need an extra ton or two.
>>98614864Yeah, basically if you're not running nearly max armor its a problem. The benefit you gain by having an extra heat sink or ton of ammo is massively outweighed by coming down with a sudden case of deathitis because that AC20 round went internal when it didnt have to. Out of thousands of customs I've brewed up over the years, I can think of maybe ten where I found an actual justification to go down on armor. Generally for thr clans only when boating extreme range weapons (er large lasers specifically) you know will keep you out of trouble and you want enough sinks to make them heat neutral. For the inner sphere on the other hand, ELRMs because they outrange everything and theyre so goddamn heavy you might actually need more payload space.
>>98614842>>98614864>>98615378I'm torn, because on the one hand it jumps the price by another 200,000 Cbills while increasing the tech requirements, while on the other it does bring the side torsos up to 20 pips on the front...
>>98615410200k cbills is relatively minor compared to rebuilding a destroyed machine in the grand scheme of things.
>>98615410Usually I try to approach it in terms of the unit I am trying to create and what I intend it to face. So for example I am wanting to make a 50 ton mech what armor would I deem sufficient based on its role? If I am only intending it to fight BA, light vehicles and maybe Bugs I would tolerate something as low as 10pts of armor on the torsos if the tradeoff means its carrying weapons and equipment that allows it to delete those units with ease.If its more of a mobile ranged fighter I'd bump that up to say 15pts, enough to survive at least a gauss hit.If its an in your face juggernaut meant to tank shots I'm going to try and get that armor up to 20pts.Although there is a massive bias in Battletech where everyone assumes every mech is only ever going to fight other mechs, if you can get past that line of thinking and your design choices make justifiable sense for what you are trying to achieve then it frees up the old mind for more creativity.
>>98615594But again, it's a rarer armor type that will be harder to replace.>>98615861>If its more of a mobile ranged fighter I'd bump that up to say 15pts, enough to survive at least a gauss hit.I mean, twin Rotary AC/2 are the "main" armament, backed up with a Snub-nose PPC means they can't really afford closing...
>>98612162Longbeard SHR-T9Juggernaut60 tonsBV 1,54111,022,560 C-billsQuirks: Animalistic Appearance, Distracting, Difficult to Maintain, Narrow/Low ProfileArmor: 16.5 tonsInitially proposed as an industrial mech by a Taurian based mining firm, the Longbeard would not have existed in this form if it were not for a slight the designers received when a Davion businessman noted it appeared a little short. Outraged by this unwanted criticism a Taurian engineer started messaging fellow Taurians for support in redesigning his mech to settle a grudge against Davions. Before long a flood of material aid allowed him to significantly alter the design with advanced equipment allowing it to transform into a battlemech overnight. When the mech was finally ready there were no shortage of volunteer pilots.The Longbeard itself could best be described as a totem mech meant to honor Taurian heritage. The two flamers in the head give an appearance of flared bull nostrils that erupt steam from the coolant system when not shooting out flames. The mace has been shaped to resemble a mighty hammer and the head armor has been crafted to form the appearance of a bearded miner. This craftmanship comes at the cost of being difficult to repair but does provide an intimidating sight, at least for the Davions.When it came time to settle the grudge a lance of Longbeards made planetfall at the regional headquarters of the Davion industrial firm. They were engaged by a company of old Davion autocannon equipped mechs but their thick ballistic reinforced armor weathered all assault. The Taurian mechs were able to quickly close distance and with their powerful hammers able to smash the Davion mechs to pieces. Once the defenders were dealt with they proceeded to demolish the facility with their bloodhound probes leaving nowhere to hide. The assault was so brutal and quick that when the Taurians retreated the Davion had no clue who had attacked and assumed it was a pirate raid.
>>98617101thats a taurian mech if ive ever seen one. lots of piss and vinegar but not a lot of actual punch for its size when it comes down to itnot bad
>>98617164Thank you I tried.
>>98612162Humpback HMP-4GJuggernaut60 tonsBV 1,5865,754,560 C-bills Quirks: Easy to Maintain, Fine ManipulatorsArmor: 12 tonsBuilt for the mercenary who likes to go on the offensive the Humpback for all intents and purposes is a scaled up Hunchback. Its primary firepower is a Defiance Hammerfist heavy gauss rifle that encourages a great deal of aggression from the pilots since the closer it gets the more damage it is capable of. A pair of re-engineered lasers provide adequate backup capable of tearing through the most stubborn of armor types while a x-pulse laser assists in dealing with infantry. Maximum armor that can put on the chassis helps weather enemy fire.While the Humpback does lack the iconic battlefists of its older cousin the hand actuators are capable of precision actions allowing the pilot to strategically transfer equipment to an alternative location with ease should they so wish. Likely to see significant frontline combat mech technicians will be pleased to know that this design has been constructed with ease of maintenance in mind.
>>98612162Von Rohrs (Hebi) VON 4RH-7Brawler65 tonsBV 1,55415,559,885 C-billsQuirks: Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere)Armor: 10 tonsResponding to reports of a yakuza raid within the Fukkyu Gaijin district on Luthien, Combine police units had thought they had the perpetrators surrounded when suddenly a large mech burst out from a warehouse and ploughed through several security mechs knocking them over like they were made of paper. It then proceeded to grapple with the remaining security mechs, blasting one open with a PPC shot, then set fire to several police vehicles with a flamer before running off down the road at high speed. A DCMS Jenner pilot who had received the calls for help attempted to intercept but when he started to close the mysterious mech suddenly shot up to speeds far greater than the Jenner was capable of. Regardless he tried to maintain pursuit but lost the target when it fired several discharges of smoke missiles and was able to disappear into the night leaving only a confused pilot and police units behind.The subject of where a seemingly brand new Von Rohrs had come from was quickly replaced by questions of why once the few people who had witnessed its emergence had time to analyze their brief incomplete scans of it. While its armament was best described as being an upgraded take on the original its armor appeared to have an impact resistant coating making it resilient to receiving direct blows in melee. The greater puzzle was what was going on in the engine department as some though it was some sort of new MASC system while others thought it had to be a brand new engine altogether. Nobody could make an educated guess on what the purpose of the mech itself was before the ISF arrived and confiscated all available data leaving it to be a forever mystery.
WHR-14B WitchHunterRole: Brawler/TrooperSize: 65 TonsPositive quirks: Multi-trac, Rugged 1Negative quirk: Bad reputation- Clan, Difficult ejectionBV: 1’718Cost:6’810’65 C-BillsThe Witch Hunter started as the Bjorin. A Bergan Industries mech meant to be a blend of Innersphere and clan, a bridge signifying the merger of two people. It was marketed as a low cost, rugged trooper meant to hold the line against the Dominions enemies such as the Draconis Combine and the Hell's Horses. However the design got bogged down with bureaucratic oversight and became a compromise the Ghost Bear warriors were not pleased with. However,warriors who ran trials in the Witchhunter found it slow for its size and many felt it lacked firepower for such a slow design. But the most damning thing to come out of its trials was its flawed ejection system. Due to the placement of the SRM and the design of the cockpit, ejecting from the Witchhunter is difficult and led to at least one death. The Kungasme press quickly accused Bergan Industries of treating the freeborn pilots as "expendable test subjects”. Ghost Bear warriors also felt slighted by such a flaw, feeling warriors should die in glorious battle, not by poor ejection design.The Mech ended up as an embarrassment,with only a few production runs accepted by Ghost Bear. Its reputation preceded it and the mech was utterly rejected by the Dominions warriors and shifted to Solahma clusters and an assignment to one in second line clusters often leads to trials of refusal. So Bergan Industries rebranded the mech the WitchHunter and opened up sales to the wider market. The stigma didn’t follow it into the wider innersphere markets and mercenary markets found the low maintenance, high survivability and firepower an acceptable trade for an awkward ejection.
>>98612162Conscript CNS-0040 TonsBV: 1,158C-bills: 3,831,4278.5 tons STD armorMECHWARRIORS, AND I USE THAT TERM LOOSELY, UP! YOU HAVE BEEN ISSUED A STANDARD MODEL MACHINE OF WARFARE AS OF TODAY! I DO NOT CARE WHERE YOU ARE FROM AND YOU DO NOT CARE WHERE IT IS FROM! YOU WILL EMBARK UPON THE FIELD OF BATTLE AT 86.4 KPH AND YOU WILL NOT STOP FIRING AND ADVANCING UNTIL YOU OR THE ENEMY ARE DEAD!AS YOUR PRIMITIVE, FORMER POOR BLOODY INFANTRY BRAINS HAVE YET TO MATURE, THE TROOPER IS ARMED WITH ONE AND ONLY ONE PRIMARY WEAPON, JUST LIKE THE RIFLES YOU ASSUREDLY MISUSED IN YOUR BOOT CAMP TRAINING! THE STANDARD MODEL EXTENDED RANGE PARTICLE PROJECTOR CANNON WILL KILL TARGETS AT OVER HALF A KILOMETER! IT WILL KILL TARGETS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN YOU INEVITABLY FAIL TO READ YOUR TACTICAL DISPLAY TOO! POINT! SHOOT! REPEAT! EVEN YOU SLACKJAWED MONKEYS CAN AND WILL FOLLOW THOSE INSTRUCTIONS!AIDING YOU GENETIC REJECTS IN KNOWING WHICH WAY IS FORWARDS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL ELECTRONICS SUITE YOU DO NOT DESERVE, AND IS WORTH FAR MORE THAN ALL OF YOU PUT TOGETHER! IT WILL SHIELD YOU FROM DETECTION WHEN LAYING AN AMBUSH! IT WILL, UNLIKE YOU, CORRECTLY IDENTIFY HIDDEN INFANTRY TARGETS FOR YOUR BACKUP PULSE LASER TO DESTROY! IT WILL CONNECT YOU TO SUPERIOR MECHWARRIORS IN THE FIELD AND HELP YOU KEEP THAT CANNON ON TARGET WHEN YOU SHIT YOURSELVES FROM INCOMING ROUNDS! MOST IMPORTANTLY THE TARGETING COMPUTER WILL COMPENSATE FOR YOUR MANY SHORTCOMINGS!YOUR MACHINE CANNOT OVERHEAT! YOUR MACHINE HAS EXCELLENT ARMOR FOR ITS SIZE! HALF OF YOUR MACHINE IS EXPENDABLE AND EMPTY JUST LIKE YOUR TINY SKULLS, MAKING IT PERFECT AS ABLATIVE ARMOR AND KEEPING YOU FIGHTING WHEN OTHERS FALL!YOUR MACHINE CAN AND WILL MAKE YOU INTO A WORTHY ADVERSARY TO ALL COMERS! MAYBE, GOD WILLING, IT WILL KEEP YOU AND ALL YOUR EXTRA CHROMOSOMES ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BE DEEMED GOOD FOR SOMETHING BEYOND SCRUBBING LATRINES!BRING YOUR TROOPER BACK TO BASE, WITH OR WITHOUT YOU INSIDE IT! DIS-MISSED!
>>98617949(these are not separate entries into the competition, I just had a few variant ideas and felt like running with it)CONSCRIPT CNS-01ATTENTION MECHWARRIORS! CONGRATULATIONS ON AT LEAST SOME OF YOU SURVIVING YOUR FIRST TRIAL BY FIRE! YOU ARE NOW ALMOST WORTHY OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AS SENTIENT FORMS OF LIFE! SOME OF YOU SMARTALECKS COMMENTED THAT I DID NOT IDENTIFY YOUR BATTLEMECH CORRECTLY IN MY INITIAL BRIEFING, CALLING IT THE TROOPER RATHER THAN THE CONSCRIPT! FORTUNATELY FOR THE REST OF YOU, THOSE INDIVIDUALS DID NOT RETURN TO BASE AFTER DEPLOYMENT, THUS SAVING ME THE TROUBLE OF DISCIPLINING THEM! NONE OF YOU WERE WORTH ME REMEMBERING YOUR NAMES, THEREFORE NONE OF YOU WERE WORTH KNOWING THE NAME OF YOUR BATTLEMECH, ONLY ITS BATTLEFIELD ROLE!HAVING PROVEN YOURSELVES TO HAVE FAINT GLIMMERS OF SOMETHING ALMOST RESEMBLING POTENTIAL IF I SQUINT HARD ENOUGH, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE CONSCRIPT MODEL CNS-01! THIS MACHINE WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THOSE OF YOU WHO SHOWED THE HIGHEST SUCCESSFUL HIT PERCENTAGE WITH YOUR PPCS IN THE FIELD, CARRYING A HEAVY PROJECTOR CANNON CAPABLE OF 33% MORE DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL! TO MAKE ROOM FOR THIS EXCEPTIONAL DEVICE, SOME OF THE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN STRIPPED OUT. AS PART OF YOUR LANCES, THOSE WHO PILOT THIS UNIT ARE CHARGED WITH ACCURATELY PUNCHING ENEMY MECHWARRIORS OUT OF THEIR COCKPITS, AND TO THIS END THE C3 SLAVE SYSTEM AND TARGETING COMPUTER HAVE BEEN RETAINED! YOU ARE THE PPC! THE PPC IS YOU! TO PROTECT THIS INVESTMENT THE CONSCRIPT 01 HAS BEEN ISSUED FERRO-FIBROUS ARMOR. DO NOT GET CARRIED AWAY, IT IS HERE TO SHIELD THE HEAVY CANNON, NOT YOUR WORTHLESS HIDES!MECHWARRIORS DISMISSED! LANCE LEADERS HOLD FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!
>>98617949>>98618997CONSCRIPT CNS-0CLANCE LEADERS! TO YOU FALLS INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY, THAT OF GUIDING YOUR ALLEGED SQUAD INTO THE FIELD AND COORDINATING ALL FIREPOWER ON APPROPRIATE FOES! TO THAT END WE HAVE BEEN ISSUED THE CONSCRIPT MODEL CNS-OC, OR COMMAND VARIANT!THE MODEL OC IS NOT A COMPLICATED DESIGN. PROCUREMENT AND ENGINEERING HAVE REMOVED THE SMALLER ELECTRONIC SUPPORT COMPONENTS, AND IN THEIR PLACE HAVE INSTALLED A C3 MASTER CONTROL COMPUTER! THIS IS A LARGE, HEAVY, POWERFUL AND VERY EXPENSIVE PIECE OF HARDWARE, AND YOU WILL DO ALL IN YOUR POWER TO ENSURE IT IS NOT DESTROYED!WITH THIS DEVICE AT YOUR DISPOSAL, ALL CONSCRIPTS WILL SHARE TARGETING DATA IN REAL-TIME, ENORMOUSLY ENHANCING YOUR ACCURACY AT ALL RANGES! YOU WILL ALSO, IN EMERGENCIES, BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL OBJECTIVES AND CALL IN ARTILLERY STRIKES USING THE ON-BOARD TARGET ACQUISITION GEAR EMBEDDED IN THE MASTER CONTROL UNIT!GUIDE YOUR SUBORDINATES WELL, AND THEY WILL KEEP YOU OPERATIONAL! EACH OF YOU WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE COMING DAYS REGARDING HOW BEST TO ACCOMPLISH THIS! PERFORM TO EXPECTATIONS AND HIGHER RANK WILL BE YOURS!NOW GET TO IT, MECHWARRIORS!Quirks for all models:Easy to Pilot, Compact Mech, Poor Sealing, Poor Cooling Jacket (ER PPC)
whatup bitches
LKT-5R LandsknechtRole: Brawler/TrooperSize: 50 TonsPositive quirks: Easy to maintainNegative quirk: Nonstandard partsBV: 1’417Cost:4’686’500 C-BillsFriends, you can't turn on the holovid today without seeing dark news. The Republic has fallen, The clans hold Terra, the Commonwealth is attacked on all sides, even our capital is not spared! We at Defiance Industries have long provided weapons and mechs to withstand such dark times and we do it once more today! Today we introduce a modern mech to hold the line in such tying times.(Video plays of the Landsknecht in field trials and in color of well known Mercenary companies and House units) We present you the LKT-5R Landsknecht! A 50 ton mech for all your needs! A solid Multirole Medium mech built around our own cutting edge endosteel, as good as those sold by the Seafox’s.The Landsknecht is powered by a reliable Pitban 250 fusion engine, Made right here in the commonwealth, enabling a speed of 83 KPH. It has the maximum amount of armor coverage with 9.5 Tons of our Durallex Heavy ferro-fibrous armor. Armament won’t let you down either, Armed with Our very own Defiance C9L clan spec Extended range large laser, a set of Ramtech 1500Z Medium lasers, a TharHes Multi-Missile Type 9 launcher with 4 tons of ammo for all close and long range missile needs and pair of Bulldog MKII clan spec Machine guns. And all your Ammunition is protected by a clan spec case system built into the structure.The Landsknecht is a rugged, dependable design capable of any Medium mech role. And it can be yours, for under 5 millions c-bills. Contact your local Defiance Industries agent today.
>>98624475Your image went very pixely, but the mech isn't bad.
>>98612162Pelter PLT-01Price: 4,897,561 C-billsBV: 1,203Role: Brawler/Trooper55 TonsQuirks: BattlefistsArmor: 10.5 tons of Standard PlateThe Pelter is a solid Trooper mech able to lay down two and a half minutes of continuous fire from each of it's arm mounted Rotary AC/2s.Anything surviving that hail of long range withering Autocannon Gunfire then has to deal with a centrally mounted Snub-nosed PPC.Finally, a Light Machine Gun compliments the RAC/2 in each arm for dealing with softer targets.
>>98624704AND I FORGET THE SHEET!!!
>>98612162Baselard BSE-1D70 tonsBV 171513,207,300 C-BillsQuirks: Easy to Pilot, Variable Range Targeting, Difficult Ejection, Improved Cooling Jacket (4x Medium VSPL), Inaccurate Weapon (4x Medium VSPL)The Baselard was developed in the resurgent Free Worlds League as a collaboration by Technicron Engineering and Irian Technologies as a stopgap trooper meant to pummel the enemy at range before closing the distance and finishing them off with a withering fusillade of pulse laser fire. The chassis was based on the venerable Guillotine but updated to feature Clan spec Endo Steel in it's construction. Unfortunately as testing continued it was determined that the Medium VSPLs were simply too hot to handle and changes to the design of their cooling jackets were implemented to mitigate the issue. Due to the increased bulk of the cooling jacket it was impossible to mount the weapons as solidly to the chassis as desired, impacting accuracy, however it was hoped the advanced targeting system and nature of pulse weapons would mitigate the issue. An Angel ECM Suite was included in the design to help with closing on targets.
>>98612162Centurion CN9-FBBrawler50 tonsBV 9332,750,813 C-billsQuirks: Non-Standard Parts, Poor Workmanship, RamshackleArmor: 9.5 tons commercialUncle Valaseks here with another offer that you would all be mad to refuse! Taking the classic Centurion with aid from our Marian brothers and rebuilding it as an affordable trooper design to meet all your needs, can you say no to this quality at this low a price? Only taking the finest scrap metal from across the Periphery to forge a tried and tested design which now includes slight improvements to armor and even survivability! Please pay no attention to the fact that the armor plates seem to bend in a strong wind that's just our new patented flexible absorption armor doing its thing! These babies are so simple to manufacture with whatever parts we had laying around that we can ship them faster than I can finish my dinner so order yours today! And as always, remember, no refunds!
>>98625404I was curious why it was saying it was standard not commercial and think I found an interesting glitch in megameklab. Turns out if you add armor before changing unit type it'll retain said armor type. Observe this Marauder I made that only costs 7,403,375 C-bills and has near max armor at 9.5 tons! Megameklab thinks this is legal so we might be able to have fun with this unintended feature in future.Going back to the Centurion well as heavy industrial is the same as standard in all stats including cost I would just assume that Centurion has heavy industrial armor for and stats purposes.
>>98626983Commercial armor has double the pips-per-ton of Standard. That's 19 tons equivalent. The price is that anything larger than a Medium Laser is going to get an automatic TAC roll when it hits.
>>98627067Nta but it just made me wonder if theres some bizarre edge case combo to be had of commercial armor plus reinforced internals. Everything penetrates, but you get a bonus to the crit rolls, and get to save tonnage in order to buy those internals, maybe plus a bit elsewhere. Also why has there never been a canon mech with an anti missile system, blue shield and reactive armor to kind of make a bootleg "i have advantages against almost all weapons types without actually using hardened armor" shitmech?
>>98627067Well that was intended to but it glitched out and only noticed just now. With this glitch you can do funny stuff like stealth armor on an industrial.
>>98627087You just gave me an idea!
>>98627087
>>challenge 13 votingOkay folks, we haveAuroch AOR-H1Marauder MAD-8LGungnir GNGR-1Atlach-Nacha A7L-K4Longbeard SHR-T9Humpback HMP-4GVon Rohrs (Hebi) VON 4RH-7WHR-14B WitchHunterConscript CNS-00LKT-5R LandsknechtPelter PLT-01Baselard BSE-1DAnd our categories >>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>Which is your personal Favorite>>Which is the most innovative?>>Who is the meth baby?>>Which had the best narrative The next poll : https://strawpoll.com/kjn1DGvQeyQVoting ends: Monday the 7th an 6 PM EST
>>98624475>>98624509Damn it, see if this is any better
>>98628133Not sure why the Centurion was excluded as I don't see anything wrong with it aside from it having standard armor but that legit is the exact same as heavy industrial?Anyway for my picks.>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>98617949>>98618997>>98619021Conscript Cause if you are purchasing a trooper mech chances are you want a lot of them and this also has a lot of good features going for it. Targeting Computer and C3 option is just too hard to pass up for that cost.>Which is your personal Favorite>>98624475LandsknechtThis was a close second as a procurement choice and I really like what anon did with this. Feels like a modern Lineholder and cause I like the Lineholder that is why this takes this spot.>Which is the most innovative?>>98613359Atlach-NachaIts always nice to see a compact engine design and honestly I did not think about doing this at all. Use of armored components and improved PPC are available tech that people do forget exist in this era.>Who is the meth baby?>>98617707WitchHunterGoing to give it to this which had shoulder turrets for just the machine guns that appear according to the record to be non functional?>Which had the best narrative>>98612807Marauder MAD-8LI am going to be brutally honest I don't see this as a trooper design but I liked the fluff anon made to go with it so it makes the list.This was actually one of the most painful lists to make as I could easily have made each category a top 3 here for myself. There were quite a few designs anons made here that I excluded that I really wanted to add but didn't have the space.
>>98628133>Procurement Office>>98618997These things are the troopiest troopers that ever troopered. It's like if an AK-47 could also teach the Taliban how to be better soldiers in addition to being cheap as chips. A pair of 00's, a 01 and a 0C is 4586 BV, 5503 after C3 is applied and that is a scary scary lance. They're like Panthers stripped down to the bare essentials with efficiency to match since the entire lance only costs 16 million C bills. >Personal Favorite>>98617403I'm a sucker for heavy gauss rifles, even though they're kinda garbage in actual gameplay. The mech itself is very reasonable overall, though it of course cries out for a later upgrade to the Improved Heavy Gauss someday when it comes available. >Most Innovative>>98617608Oh Lawd He ShmoovinCrash Bandicoot over here is honoring his ancestors' long long list of war crimes with some new crimes of his own against both his enemies and his quartermasters, though at least he had the decency to choose an easily replaceable engine for when his mech inevitably has a heart attack and explodes while sprinting lol. If it was a Light or XL engine he'd be the Meth Baby. >The Actual Meth Baby>>98627107Jesus Christ It's BeautifulBut since he may or may not be a legal part of the contest, I have to also give it to the >>98617707 who appears to have multiple guns, multiple turrets, and yet no actual guns mounted in the turrets. That is a level of based retard you rarely see these days. Also 3 jump jets. >Best NarrativeI'm going to avoid voting for my own Marauder here and pick the >>98617101 since it feels very very Taurian. I don't know how the fuck they found all that advanced equipment, armor, internals and computer gear out there in the middle of buttfuck nowhere, but well done lads.
Considering that Republic era police mech is a suggestion do you think that a Republic era pirate mech should also be on the table so we can effectively have a Battletech equivalent of cops and robbers?
>>98630262OP here, centurion should be on the list. I could have sworn I copied and pasted the name. That is an error on my part.
>>98631237>I don't know how the fuck they found all that advanced equipment, armor, internals and computer gear out there in the middle of buttfuck nowhereWhen it comes to settling grudges against Davions there are no limits. Frankly be surprised there wasn't a Nova system installed.
>>98628133>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>98624475 MMLs are just too logistically nice to ignore, even if I think four bins is too much for one MML9.>Which is your personal Favorite>>98613359 This is mine, I didn't think I'd fuck with Compact components again but opening up Armoring made it work for me.>Which is the most innovative?>>98617707 Multitrac and a shoulder turret would be nice if they'd been properly implemented.>Who is the meth baby?>>98625404 That is way too much ammo to keep in an empty side torso in current year.>Which had the best narrative>>98617101 I don't think this story would work if it was any more dwarven, but it sure works.
his is a hard one, because in my head a "trooper" mech needs set things. Some of these designs don't hit that but I won't vote for my own design either.>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order? This is between 2 designs, but I'll have to go with >>98617949 # Conscript CNS-00. It does not fully fit my idea but is a solid price point and does the job.>>Which is your personal Favorite>>98613093 # Gungnir GNGR-1 is the closest to my idea of a trooper mech and I just like it.>>Which is the most innovative?>>98617707# WHR-14B WitchHunter, flawed execution but fun idea.>>Who is the meth baby?>>98617101 # Longbeard SHR-T9. It's only 10 weapon is melee. That is some meth thinking there.>>Which had the best narrative>>As another anon said, this isn't a trooper, but good fluff all the same.>>98612807 # Marauder MAD-8L
OP here, we have 4 hours left if anyone would like to vote. Our next challenge leaders are currently clan 2nd line and an anti infantry design
>>98637195So either maximum cheese or warcrimes incarnate?
>>98637204So far,yes. I don't think it needs be max cheese. We have quirks and clan design philosophy does not always run toward maximum effectiveness.And anti infantry technically isn't a war crime. Unless you are the DC or CC. Those see civilians as fun targets.
>>98637233Well it ain't Clan second line unless its packing enough pulses or PPCs to instantly delete a mech in a single turn. That said probably could hijack it to be a totem mech challenge to spice it up?
>>98637260Most of the main clans already have those
Okay, challange 13 winners are>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Conscript CNS-0 >>Which is your personal FavoriteWas a 4 way tie between LKT-5R Landsknecht,Humpback HMP-4G, Atlach-Nacha A7L-K4 and Gungnir GNGR-1>>Which is the most innovative?WHR-14B WitchHunter >>Who is the meth baby?WHR-14B WitchHunter 2>>Which had the best narrativeMarauder MAD-8L >>Top preformers 4 votesWHR-14B WitchHunter3 votesConscript CNS-00Longbeard SHR-T92 votesMarauder MAD-8L Next challenge in a bit
>>98638487Marauder and Longbeard tied for narrative.
>>98638552If so, I miscounted that
>>Challenge 14: Anti-Infantry The Republic has been going strong for 44 years and its demilitarization programs have made a real dent around the innersphere. To hear the PR folks say it, the age of the battlemech may one day be over and across the Innersphere many nations and even mercenaries are turning more toward infantry and power armor. This opens up a wide market for the anti-infantry mech or vehicle. If everyone is now using more infantry, then everyone needs more anti-infantry options right?>>RequirementsThis is gonna be an open one. Its a mech or vehicle made with mixed or standard IS based tech in 3125, made to fight infantry.The republic and major manufacturers were already churning out some clan tech by 3125, so I don’t see a need to limit it to only standard tech. While we do not have a role, we do have a cost and size limit. No one is paying insane numbers or using heavy and assault mechs for this role. (Or shouldn't anyhow)Year: 3125Tech Base: Innersphere or IS based mixed techTech Level: AdvancedPrice: No more than 9 Million C-BillsRole: AnySize: Light or MediumEquipment: Anything MML allows as advanced 3125 IS or IS mixed tech advanced settings.>>Notes: I rolled dice for this one, as I normally do with ties.End date: Thursday , September 10th at 6 PM EST
>>98638711LAV-50 Light Artillery Vehicle50 tonsBV 11871,701,250 C-BillsQuirks: Anti-Aircraft Targeting, Power Reverse, Trailer HitchInfantry might be the Queen of the battlefield but artillery is the King. The LAV-50 is able to eliminate hostile force concentrations from range while remaining mobile enough to avoid retaliation. It can even function well as an anti-air platform to support your own formations. Buy your LAV-50 for twelve easy monthly payments of 150000 C-Bills today!
>>98638711Shredder SHR-M2Price: 6,662,03340 TonsMax Speed: 118 kphBrainchild of the Republic of the Sphere some decades before its fall, the Shredder was a tumultuous, underfunded project which bounced around various think tanks and prototypes long before its battlefield debut. The core concept was simple: craft a Battlemech which could handle unarmored and armored infantry with equal ease. Ideally, one which could also combat hostile Battlemechs of at least equal tonnage. And it had to be reasonably cheap. And fast. And fully armored. And...The project was a nightmare. Half a dozen teams tried and failed. Specifications changed constantly and it was ultimately passed down to a junior developer, lost somewhere in the basement of the Republic's military procurement chain. But the man was a resourceful lad. He knew a few people who knew a few people, courtesy of the illicit activities which had gotten him demoted and exiled in the first place. Faced with an impossible challenge, he sent a few messages out with a few JumpShips (ones not meant for public HPG channels), and after six months several crates arrived.
>>98638711Strigoi STRG-0140tonsBV: 1,2976,822,177 C-BillsQuirks: Protected Actuators, BattlefistsArmor: 6 tons of FFClan Sea Fox presents the Strigoi battlemech specifically tailored to handle infantry and battle armor with twin AP Gauss rifles with 2 tons of ammo to feed it alongside an ER Small Laser of clan spec. For more firepower the design features a Protomech AC4 with 2 tons, one standard the other flechette, to supply the weapon. Some have argued that the AC4 is overkill but it's inclusion is also to deal with bunkers and fortifications that infantry might be using. As for the lack of flamers or inferno missiles, we found the lack of range for the flamers to be an issue along with the safety risk inferno missiles pose to pilots so we chose the plasma cannon to replace both without the drawbacks of both platforms. the final weapon system is twin Streak SRM4's specifically for harder targets that the AP Gauss rifles and flechettes can't chew through, with one ton of ammo protected by CASE 2 to ensure no engine damage from ammo cook off. the design is topped off with a Bloodhound Active Probe to prevent units with stealth armor from escaping this mech.
>>98638711>>98639448Inside these crates was, well... garbage. Rack after rack of support equipment: small lasers and machine guns. Trifling weaponry sold cheap and generally unfit for Battlemech usage. But these were Clan-spec items, fresh from Clan Sea Fox production lines. The lasers had real bite. The machine guns were far lighter. And this proved the key. The Shredder had standard Spheroid internals. An XL 280 powerplant, double heat sinks, light ferro-fibrous. The developer wanted a fully Clan build, but his "clout" extended only so far. Those more valuable items would only come with a successful launch. Surprisingly, launch it did. During test trials, simulated infantry platoons and Elemental squads disintegrated as soon as the fast-moving Shredder approached them. And as it turned out, through sheer weight of fire even Battlemechs would suffer severe damage. If a Mech was approached by the Shredder in its rear arc, so many weapons firing on target would chew through armor like tissue paper, and then everything inside reduced to so much slag by a thousand perforations. Even though a targeting computer guides the lasers, a raw recruit can put up good numbers with the Shredder simply by spraying and praying. The Shredder entered production, regrettably, just in time for the Wolf and Falcon to descend upon Terra. The developer had hoped to work out all the bugs in his new machine and fully unify the tech base, but the needs of war demanded otherwise. Several dozen Shredders were completed by war's end, and the remaining survivors are currently being examined by Alaric's new Empire, with upgrades and full production lines planned. The Shredder fits perfectly as a second line patrol Mech, able to put out fires without significant monetary investment. It is hoped that they will be used to defend his borders. It is feared they will be used to "control" his restless people.
>>98639448>>98639461(This is a slight downgrade of a full clan version I designed some time ago which was basically the same thing, but with a full 7 jump jets so that nothing can easily evade it. I hope everyone loves a theoretical 90 damage alpha strike coming out of a 40 ton mech, and the inevitable pilot hits that result from making 30 hit location checks, muwahahaha)
>>98638711>Light-medium>MMLDamn and here I was gonna make a Super Charger with 6 ER Microlasers, MASC, and a Supercharger.
>>98640638You mean the Charger C?
>>98640638Just submit the Charger IIC?
>>98638711Mongoose MON-GFScout25 tonsBV 7752,393,542 C-bills Quirks: Command Mech, Easy to PilotArmor: 4.5 tons Heavy FFOriginally a Blakist anti-partisan mech infamous for its ruthless efficiency and yandere pilots, the Mongoose GF variant still remains a rather capable infantry fighting machine. Essentially a simple upgrade to the 66 featuring DHS, more advanced armor, ER weaponry including a pair of flamers, this mech was used mainly by Word of Blake militia units for garrison duty utilizing its beagle active probe to flush out dissidents and its firepower to crush them. One of the most common tactics was for it to use its medium lasers to essentially drill a hole into a building then taking advantage of its extended range flamers to fire from a safe distance. The flames would pour into the opening it made which would either slowly suffocate or cook the occupants. Anyone who tried to escape were typically gunned down as they tried to flee the structure. It only took a few examples of these brutal actions to stifle opposition after which most worlds became relatively compliant. When things settled down it was not unknown for the pilots of these machines to develop overly amicable relationships with the locals.
>>98638711Whitworth WTH-6Missile Boat40 tonsBV 8753,029,133 C-bills (dry)Quirks: Rugged (1 Point), Weak LegsArmor: 8 tons standardA budget battlemech reborn to deal with those pesky infantry. This new Whitworth variant takes advantage of MML launchers to deliver a variety of payloads with this particular example taking advantage of fragmentation missiles to decimate unarmored infantry caught out in the open and inferno warheads to obliterate even battle armor up close. A trio of pulse lasers helps deal with those more stubborn survivors. Even if infantry are not on the menu then this variant can be repurposed quickly as a capable urban fighter just by changing the ammunition types. Mobile, reliable, flexible, well armored and above all cheap, nothing more needs to be said!
>>98638711Urban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank)Ambusher55 tonsBV 5693,564,031 C-bills (dry)Quirks: Power Reverse, Searchlight, Difficult to MaintainArmor: 6 tons heavy FFThe Urban Pacification Vehicle better known to some as the Riot Tank would not have existed if it were not for the antics of some bored technicians involving a heavy flamer. During a particularly hot summer some base personnel figured that since your average heavy flamer can in fact fire out coolant they could therefore use it to cool themselves down. The resulting hospitalizations due to not factoring in the pressure output of said heavy flamer gave someone an idea to create a vehicle designed around these weapons to deal with troublesome populations prone to rioting, thus the UPV was born. Built around four heavy flamers that typically fire coolant or other fire suppression fluids, the Riot Tank can be configured to fire out regular flamer ammo that can prove devastating to exposed infantry. Sponson turrets help provide excellent fields of fire meaning that the only truly exposed section is the rear which in reality the main turret can cover if needed. Modest armor including an armored motive system as well as environmental protection system allows this vehicle to comfortably get into the thick of angry mobs and sit there while it deals with the threat. Finally a front mounted dozer helps push out the way obstacles such as makeshift barricades and protesters. About the only true disadvantage of this design is its significant cost and rather complicated systems that can prove a hassle when performing maintenance.
>>98638711Bicorn B1-3-0RNBrawler55 tonsBV 1,2308,072,400 C-billsQuirks: Accurate Weapon (Dual Saw), Distracting, Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere), Non-Standard Parts, UnbalancedArmor: 10 standardWhen the Republic senate made available funds and materials to a set of young and inexperienced engineers without oversight in the hopes it would foster some new creative talent it wasn't long before they came to realize their mistake. One of the alarming creations to appear was the Bicorn, a monstrosity that many had first thought was a frankenmech due to is ungainly appearance. Despite using what normally would be considered off the shelf components the Bicorn used parts from various and often competing manufacturers meaning it was a pain to source replacements. Worse was the lobsided nature of the beast meant that the mech leaned heavily to its left when performing turns which worried some test pilots as they felt it was going to fall over on its own. Perhaps the greatest damnation came from the senate budgetary committee who were horrified at the cost of a single machine when loaded up with ammo.Despite all this there were some positive points to the Bicorn. It was reasonably protected, it was fairly mobile, and its firepower would be ultimately devastating to not just infantry but vehicles and battle armor as well. One system in particular that the designers paid a little too much effort to getting right was the dual saw that could easily tear open buildings and slice apart exposed infantry which could prove beneficial in an urban environment. While the Bicorn is unlikely to see service unless significant redesigns happen, it has at least given a new generation some experience in developing their own battlemech.
For your consideration, most noble Coordinator, Luthien Armor Works humbly presents the Onryo ONR-0.We humbly beg your indulgence during this presentation. While it is unconventional, we believe you will agree that this design will most certainly honor the Dragon.When re received your most prudent directive to design an anti-infantry mech, we decided that we would take nothing for granted and that we would approach the problem as if it were new and fully leverage modern technologies. To that end, we settled on a three-pronged approach of stealth, speed and firepower. The ONR-0 is a specialized night-fighter that mounts six tons of stealth armor with an Angel ECM suite, has two jump jets and a top speed of 130kph and mounts a plasma cannon with two tons of ammunition as well as a retractable blade. In accordance with the tender we have been conducting small-scale field tests and are honored to personally present you with the data, including video footage of the terminal effects of the plasma rifle. As reported to the procurement office, the first tests against assorted scum such as pirates and dissidents were met with unqualified success, and accordingly we moved to testing against a small detachment of Clan forces. These results were mixed, though we insist that the fault was doctrinal and out of our control. Our first engagement with Clan forces was a success, as two ONR-0 units successfully destroyed a combined four points of infantry and battle armor before successfully exfiltrating while suffering only minor damage. Our second engagement was not as successful, but we must strongly assign the blame for this performance to the commander of the local forces, an incompetent man who commandeered our two testing units to replace losses in his lance and subsequently engaged a clan star under unfavorable conditions. Both ONR-0 units sustained significant damage during this engagement before victory was achieved, and we have filed a formal complaint.
>>98638711Yellow Jacket Gunship MRMMissile Boat30 tonsBV 7551,765,000 dryArmor: 4.5 tons ballistic-reinforcedMichaelson Heavy Industries has an established history of producing fine VTOLs so when the call was put out for a new anti-infantry design it was only logical that they put forward a new helicopter. Taking the venerable Yellow Jacket Gunship as a basis and replacing its armament with a large MRM launcher linked to an apollo FCS gives this vehicle unparalleled versatility in engaging targets. When used in a saturation barrage the MRM can prove devastating to groups of infantry and battle armor. When more hardened targets appear it can be fired as normal which can be a nasty surprise to even most mechs. Three tons of ammo in a C.A.S.E. protected bin is deemed to give it sufficient staying power. Finally the armor has been upgraded to state of the art ballistic-reinforced which offers superb protection against most traditional forms of weapons normally used to deal with aircraft.
>>98643343Wait I'm fucking retarded and forgot to do the most important partOnryo ONR-0Sniper30 tonsBV: 1,1396,286,540 C-billsQuirks: Distracting, Narrow/Low Profile, Bad Reputation (Clan), Non-Standard Parts, Stabilized Weapon (Plasma Rifle)Armor: 6 tons StealthAlso a lightning storm killed my power when the file was still open and now it's bugged in MML somehow. Great.
>>98638711Trogdor BRN-8R40 Tons941 BV2,830,613 C-BillsProtected Actuators, No/Minimal ArmsFluff maybe once I've had some sleep.
Meklab question. Do you need to do anything to mount the machine guns to an array? I can't find any setting that mounts them.
>>98647986Don't think so? At least I can't see it?
Bump bitches
when are we going to cast votes on the next challenge or is it gonna be the clan 2nd line mech since it tied with anti-infantry mech?
>>98650270Read >>98638711
>>98638711Salticid SLT-1DAmbusher40 tonsBV 1,0935,873,467 C-billsQuirks: Protected Actuators, Non-Standard PartsArmor: 9 tons StandardSlop Industries presents for your consideration the Salticid SLT-1D, a distant descendant of the venerable Scorpion, reworked into a compact urban combatant ideally suited to the low-intensity conflicts of this new era. Named after the Salticidae genus of Terran jumping spiders, this quadrupedal mech mounts a quintet of jump jets that afford it unparalleled mobility in dense terrain, while an Active Probe leaves its adversaries nowhere to hide. The Salticid's primary anti-infantry weapons are fitted to unusual armored mounts built into the mech's knee joints, featuring a pair of extended range flamers in its front legs that provide devastating anti-infantry firepower that reaches beyond the effective range of many small arms. These flamers are complemented by a pair of machine guns mounted to the rear legs, providing all-around coverage that allows the Salticid to jump directly into the midst of infantry formations without fear of being overrun. For those who may wonder what this design offers over cheaper, proven anti-infantry platforms such as the Flea, the answer comes in its ability to confront combined-arms threats. Where enemy infantry deploy alongside vehicle support, the Salticid's particle projection cannon backed up by a short range missile system provide ample punch to see off APCs and light IFVs.
>>98652282Cool art. Very ammo bomb.
>>98652329Valid point. I was about to say that there was no use in giving it CASE, since it's got an Inner Sphere XL engine and would be fucked from loss of a side torso anyway, but then I remembered CASE II exists in this time period. >Following a brief initial production run, Slop Industries pulled the SLT-1D model of the Salticid from production in favor of an expedient refit intended to address survivability concerns discovered during field trials. The new SLT-2E model replaced the short range missile system with an unguided version, using the weight savings to equip the mech's ammunition bins with a CASE II protective system. Though the reduced accuracy of its missile armament prompted some to view the SLT-2E as a downgrade over the original, many pilots were happy to accept the tradeoff.
CIR-201A CinderRole: BrawlerSize: 50 TonsPositive quirks: Extended Torso Twist, Protected Actuators Negative quirk: Weak head armor 1, Poor cooling Jacket (Plasma rifle)BV: 1’355Cost: 5’521’625 C-BillsThe Cinder was the brainchild of designer Adacus Locke of Defiance Industries specialized weapons division. Nicknamed “Project warcrime” Locke set out to design the last word in anti-infantry mech warfare. The Cinder is an arsonist's dream, Locke and his team packed so much fire making weaponry, that a 5 year old with a lighter and petrol couldn’t be more giddy.The Cinder is built around clan spec endo steel and protected by 9 tons of Dullex Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor, with protected actuators. The Cinder is armed with both a Plasma rifle and a heavy flamer with 2 tons of ammunition each. This is supported by a set of ER Flamers and 4 Clan spec machine guns arranged into two sets of machine gun arrays and last but not least two clan spec SRM 2’s for all your inferno hurling needs! Married with its top speed of 84.7 KPH and its extended torso twists and you will be hunting down and roasting infantry like no one's business!So come on down and try a Cinder, you know your inner firebug craves it!
OP here, I won't be home until 9ish. I really need to start remembering to move the close time back on Thursdays
>>98653154Might squeeze one last design in then.
>>98638711PsiloiSkirmisher30 tonsBV - see RSC-bills (dry) - 2,342,925 [BASE], 3,181,425 O, 2,944,175 OA, 2,895,425 OBQuirks: Easy to Pilot, Improved Life SupportArmor - 6.5 tons StandardPod Space - 10 tonsDeveloped initially as a simple to use militia mech able to perform extended patrols the Psiloi saw little interest due to stiff competition until someone pondered the idea of a mass produced infantry support omnimech that was accessible to most rookie pilots. While not offering anything overly impressive in performance the cool nature of the design using extremely cheap and common components plus the ability to operate for extended periods of time has peaked the interest of a few potential buyers. The ability to carry a full squad of battle armor without slowing down is simply considered an extra bonus.The standard configuration is a rather unique infantry hunter that relies mainly on an autocannon firing flechette rounds to decimate clusters of unarmored infantry with a pair of medium lasers and a small pulse providing backup against hardened targets.The second configuration acts as a battle armor and vehicle hunter using inferno missiles to devastate such units. A light PPC provides some ranged support as well as a way to defend itself against units resistant to its missiles.The third configuration is described as a mobile urban riot response unit taking advantage of jump jets and a targeting computer to provide very accurate laser and machine gun fire where it is needed most although is seen to be rather light on practical firepower.Overall the Psiloi remains true to its advertised role although there are some groups already experimenting with making configurations geared for performing other duties and taking on heavier units which thanks to the omni nature of this design will likely encounter success.
>>98654280Since I fucked up the names by forgetting to remove [BASE] from all configs and can't be bothered to change it going to do a bonus round by showing the more offensive oriented configs.OC config - 2,749,175 C-BillsAn example of one of the configurations that shy away from the infantry support role. This one instead goes all in on mech hunting by taking inspiration from designs like the Hollander to equip a single Heavy PPC that can shed off nearly a ton of armor per shot.OD config - 3,561,675 C-BillsThis all energy configuration acts as both a scout and raider unit. What it can't deal with it can call down Arrow IV strikes on thanks to its TAG system and the extensive electronic suite means it'll have an easy time detecting its opponents.
Okay folks, we got some fun PBI killers hereWe haveLAV-50 Light Artillery VehicleShredder SHR-M2Strigoi STRG-01Mongoose MON-GFWhitworth WTH-6Urban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank)Bicorn B1-3-0RNOnryo ONR-0Yellow Jacket Gunship MRMTrogdor BRN-8RSalticid SLT-1DCIR-201A CinderPsiloiOur categories >>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>Which is your personal Favorite>>Which is the most innovative?>>Who is the meth baby?>>Which had the best narrative The next poll:https://strawpoll.com/kogjRPW13g6Voting ends: September 12th at 6 PM EST
>>98655214>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?either the Shredder or Yellowjacket due to simplicity>>Which is your personal Favoritethe Mongoose GF, because the idea of a mech being a Yandere is funny>>Which is the most innovative?possibly the Psiloi>>Who is the meth baby?Bicorn because the though of a mech charging with a chainsaw towards some poor infantry is funny>>Which had the best narrativeI like the Cinder purely for the "Project Warcrime" bit
>>98655303forgot to mention I designed the Strigoi so wasn't gonna vote my design as that's just bad etiquette
>>98655214>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?>>98645707Trogdor BRN-8RDespite the anon never getting round to making fluff I feel this legit ticks all the boxes. For something that is to fill a specific niche you don't want to break the bank and ass mounted flamers are a sensible idea here. Not too sure on the choice of m-pods over b-pods but that's just me.>>Which is your personal Favorite>>98652932CIR-201A CinderAnything that starts a description with "Project Warcrime" is going to get my attention. I really do like it especially how it does blend IS and Clan tech without going overboard. The only thing that puts it behind others is the cost.>>Which is the most innovative?>>98652282Salticid SLT-1DI was not really expecting a quad to appear let alone one that is "What if the Scorpion wasn't complete shit?" I feel this ticks a lot of the boxes and I like it. Artwork was a bonus.>>Who is the meth baby?>>98643343>>98644914Onryo ONR-0Cause a stealth mech equipped for melee on a 8/12/2 design is frankly pretty mental and the design is woefully inefficient. Would not be surprised to find out the designer was thrown out a window by order of the Coordinator.>>Which had the best narrative>>98639448Shredder SHR-M2I really liked it including the fluff to go behind it. Didn't meet the procurement choice mainly due to the cost and fact I feel that if it were to enter the market the Sea Foxes are just going to turn around and go "Hey kids, wanna buy a Piranha?">Honorable mentionStrigoi STRG-01I liked it and feels very Seafox but going to be extremely brutal here and say it missed out cause its just a Clan mech through and through thus does not meet the challenge. Probably being crueler than most anons would be.
>>98655214>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Not voting for mine so probably the Yellow Jacket. It's a cost effective solution.>>Which is your personal FavoriteProbably going to stick with the Yellow Jacket here.>>Which is the most innovative?Trogdor.>>Who is the meth baby?Stuck between the Shredder and the Bicorn. Fuck it flipped a coin. My vote is the Bicorn.>>Which had the best narrativeMongoose. I also really liked the Bicorn, the Onryo, and the Shredder.
>>98656604>Despite the anon never getting round to making fluffWouldn't have been anything special, anyway. Probably just the same sales pitch from the still unnamed company behind the Duelist and the Linebreaker, with emphasis on the cost and the ability to flex between infantry and BA, plus a reference to taking its name from a mythical Terran dragon. I've mostly pinned them for Davion-based, which is part of why the HER-2Sr was a refit kit, because they don't have production facilities in Marik space, so they bought the parts off the shelf and sold them as a package.>Not too sure on the choice of m-pods over b-pods but that's just me.Because of the range. Claymores are funny.
>>98657918I was mainly curious to hear your logic on the m-pods and you answered it. Is neat though you're trying to make a lineage from a particular company.
>>98656604criticism for the Strigoi noted and I will remember that going forward. Also I'd say it wasn't brutal at all but that's just me
>>98655214>procurement priority>favoriteI think I'm going to have to settle on the Saltictid-2E >>98652687. It's a little up there on the price scale, but the only other option that nails that mix of anti-infantry, anti-BA, and still having a functional anti-vehichle/light mech armament doesn't jump and would be self-voting.>innovativeThe Yellow Jacket >>98643672 for VTOL cool points.>meth babyOnryo >>98643343 beats out the Bicorn by a hair due to the jump jets.>narrativeLet's give it to the Bicorn >>98642799. Maybe RotS was a true successor to the Star League with design bureaus like that.>>98660130It's important to note that Mixed (Faction) only denotes which side gets their equipment called out as special. Actuators, cockpits, etc are identical between the two. In fairness, we have a lot of cases where 'Mechs have been marked as Advanced or Experimental despite being fully Standard-compliant. Maybe we should start marking off points for that, too.
>>98658270>Is neat though you're trying to make a lineage from a particular company.I'm mostly clinging to how we did it before the loreposting kicked off with the early Clan contest. Slop Industries is still hanging around, though Sensible Solutions seems to have vanished. I'm just a consummate competitor for the procurement trophy, so I market in that direction. The pieces have sorta just fallen into place as a consequence of competitions participated in and components used. Maybe I'll go the extra mile and really flesh them out at some point.Hell, we've got enough shit in here that we could probably make a couple fan TROs out of it if we got really autistic.
>>98660130>>98660276I think what we need is to invent our own cost system. It just seems insane that C-Bill as a metric has weapons like the Clan ER PPC cost the same as an IS ER PPC along with equipment like Clan XL and IS XL engines costing the same. Plus weapons that are supposedly cheap i.e. autocannons are in fact rather expensive. Thing I've been toying with lately is an era specific cost modifier i.e. Republic you add a 1.25x cost to Clan stuff, Jihad 1.75x, Civil War 2.5x, late Clan Invasion 3x, early Clan Invasion 5x etc. Only other thing is just completely rewrite the costs of every single bit of equipment.>>98660675>Hell, we've got enough shit in here that we could probably make a couple fan TROs out of it if we got really autistic.Would not surprise me if we had a drawfag to make renders of said mechs and we submitted it to CGL they probably would publish it. Some designs have the right blend of insanity to feel like official designs.
>>98661029I think it's that people tend to misunderstand the price tag on units. I see it as a best-case production cost, where you build the whole thing from scratch on one planet. If you have to start importing, then things skyrocket from there. But it's a long-standing tradition of TT games that nobody actually follows the advice to modify from the list prices for supply and demand. The clans can make an ERPPC for the same raw input as an IS version, but the Foxes sure as hell aren't going to sell it to you for that.
>>98661083While normally I'd agree I think that line of logic kind of falls apart though when you get to Republic era when IS can also produce Clan tech so it becomes a case of why even produce IS stuff at all if its the exact same cost?
>>98662315Would you rather have one clanspec ERPPC or ten ISspec ERPPCs?
>>98662315Production capacity. The Mariks had to set up a whole new Endo facility to make clan-grade. So once you've paid off the tooling, cost is about the same, but you still need the tooling.I agree with your problem in principle, though, and I think we're getting close to due for a new tech base.
>>98662334Well the writers haven't exactly said that is a thing as far as I am aware?>>98662346>CGL make Clan tech the new regular IS tech>Do a Clan Invasion 2.0>Invading force has tech even more powerful than Clan techI somehow feel that if they do a new tech base they'll fuck it up drastically.
>>98662852They'd need to do something pretty radical to have it standout in the wake of all the various sidegrades that have been made to make it a true upgrade. Especially if they don't want to increase the number of health pips or crit slots on a sheet.Best shot I figured is something like (calling the new tech Third Star League for shorthand):>Third Star League weapons deal normal damage to Third Star League armor>IS and Clan weapons deal half damage when shooting at Third Star League armor>Third Star League weapons mounted on a Third Star League 'Mech deal 2x damage when shooting IS or Clan armor>Third Star League weapons mounted on an IS or Clan 'Mech have their Damage and Heat values doubled, and this new damage stat is halved when firing on Third Star League 'Mechs>When mounting Third Star League Heat Sinks on an IS or Clan 'mech, double their value.>When mounting IS or Clan Heat Sinks on a Third Star League 'Mech, half their value.>The BV for all Third Star League systems is double that of the IS or Clan equivalents (Case by Case).Effectively just being that weapons, structural requirements, and armor developed to the point that mechanically its a reset to 3025 when it comes to Third Star League tech vs Third Star League tech. But there's various subsystems in Mixed tech that means its not fully like that and IS and Clan mechs remain at least decently competitive on a BV vs BV fight because of a loosely 2 to 1 ratio in number deployed for a given BV.Can't really see it done in any other way. Clantech kinda pushes the limits on what you can do lowering Crits and Tonnage of a given system as-is.
>>98652932Wait a minute, does this mech have 4 machine guns, but no machine gun ammo?
I made the Cinder, so won't be voting for it.>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Machine guns are a must to me, so I am gonna go with>>>>98652282 Salticid SLT-1D>>Which is your personal FavoritePsiloi seems fun >>98654280>>Which is the most innovative?>>98642439 Urban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank, the bulldozer part was a good idea>>Who is the meth baby?>>98642799 Bicorn B1-3-0RN double saws for anti infantry >>Which had the best narrative>>98642439 Urban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank. I have worked with those kinds feller's
>>98663367I think my dumb ass accidentally deleted it in one of the Edits
Our results, we had a lot of ties here.>>If you were in the procurement office of a faction, which mech would you order?Yellow jacket and Salticid>>Which is your personal Favorite5 way tieMongoose MON-GFCIR-201A CinderYellow Jacket Gunship MRMSaltictid-2EPsiloi>>Which is the most innovative?Another 5 way tiePsiloiSalticid SLT-1DTrogdor BRN-8RYellow Jacket Gunship MRMUrban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank)>>Who is the meth baby?Bicorn B1-3-0RN >>Which had the best narrativeOnce more a 5 way tie CIR-201A CinderShredder SHR-M2Mongoose MON-GFBicorn B1-3-0RNUrban Pacification Vehicle (Riot Tank)Our top contenders with 4 votes eachBicorn B1-3-0RN Yellow Jacket Gunship MRM Salticid SLT-1D Next challenge in a bit
>>98663716I was honestly surprised how many people liked the Psiloi. It was an idea I had for a while for a mook design that would fit in an RPG style campaign. Might flesh it out a bit more in future if a scenario presents itself to reuse it.
>>Challenge 15: Blakest Jihad machine "For many years, I deluded myself, convinced that the Third Transfer of humanity's throne would be a peaceful one. I convinced myself to accept the second Star League as an omen, disregarding all data that ran contrary to the models I alone had computed. Only a unifying threat could bring the true cooperation of the Third Transfer—a danger so great, no sane man could stand idly by and allow it to exist in his universe." - The MasterThe great delusion has shattered. The false lords of the Inner Sphere have rejected salvation, clinging instead to their petty thrones and ancient animosities. They have proven themselves unworthy of the peace we offered, leaving the galaxy to drown in its own corruption.But where prophecy is denied, fire will forge the future.The Great Jihad is upon us, and the Word of Blake has answered the call. We will scour the Inner Sphere of the rot that rejects the Word. We will tear down their false monuments and purge their sins with the righteous fury of the machine. From the ashes of their broken empires, a pure galaxy will rise.We bring peace through fire. We bring salvation through death.To honor this holy crusade, the Blessed Order must deploy a new instrument of divine will. >>RequirementsMake a mech or vehicle . It's 3070, it's the jihad, experimental tech allowed and WoB is writing the check. Get creative, unhinged and weird.Year: 3070Tech Base: Innersphere or IS based mixed techTech Level: Experimental Price: Blakists print the moneyRole: AnySize: anyEquipment: Anything MML allows as Experimental or less in 3070>>Note: I rolled as always with ties.End Date: September 15th at 6 PM EST
>>98664268OP here. That should be Innersphere tech. Not mixed tech. It's what I get for copy pasting
>>98664268Vesper VSP-90VSkirmisher60tEasy to Maintain, Multi-Trac, No Cooling Jacket (MVSPLs)BV 1,495 (66 A1, 103 M2, 101 F3, 66 W4, 129 D5)13,583,360 C-Bills (212,000 A1, 355,000 M2, 81,000 F3, 47,000 W4, 502,000 D5)Although a rare sight during the Jihad, the mystery of the Vesper's origin is a popular topic among those familiar with the design. Little is known of its history with the Word of Blake except that the few dozen known to exist had been exclusively deployed along the Federated Suns border. In the most accepted theory, it had been manufactured by Earthwerks Incorporated for the Militia as part of their early experiments with the QKD-8X. This theory is aggressively refuted by the company, who insist that their research had been seized by Blakist authorities and the Vesper manufactured by unaffiliated factories. Whether their claims are true or not, the mercenary commands who salvaged these 'Mechs have found them highly compatible with Earthwerks components.Although lightly armed compared to contemporary designs, the Vesper's integrated weapons make thorough use of the limited space available. A Plasma Rifle is mounted within the head as its primary weapon, along with a pair of stripped-down Medium VSPLs at the hips for knife fights. A variety of tertiary weapons systems were provided as handheld modules and easily recreated using specifications included in the battle computer. While this allowed a greater degree of adaptability than most BattleMechs, the Vesper was still a far cry from a proper OmniMech. Most owners would eventually replace the integral armaments and C3i computer with a more conventional ER PPC and pair of Medium Pulse Lasers, adding an LRM 10 launcher with a ton of ammo and CASE to the left torso instead of relying on handheld equipment.
>>98664268Selkie SLK-1EStriker55 tonsBV: 1,691C-bills (dry): 14,256,823Quirks: Accurate Weapons (Medium VSP Laser), Narrow/Low Profile, Nimble Jumper, Variable Range Targeting, Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere), No Ejection SystemArmor: 10 tons StealthWhen the Jihad started the Word of Blake found themselves in a position with near infinite resources but facing a problem in lacking skilled pilots as replacements for potential future losses. Taking inspiration from their Manei Domini program the Word of Blake sought to substitute lack of experience with technology to help bridge the gap. The resulting Selkie would perform far beyond their wildest dreams. Using almost entirely prototype technology, the Selkie is a nimble machine able to take advantage of a partial wing and vector thrust jump jets with stealth armor allowing it to close on the enemy while presenting a difficult target to hit. Highly tuned variable speed pulse lasers linked to advanced targeting systems gave it increasing damaging and more accurate fire as it also closed. Direct Neural Interface technology with an Interface Cockpit was used so they could utilize pilots with cybernetic implants who had greatly enhanced reflexes. A Damage Interrupt Circuit was there to prevent the pilot going insane too early from battle damage. All this did come with several disadvantages though. The weight saving technologies meant this design proved to be rather fragile once the armor was breached. While the cockpit was not typically spartan under normal circumstances once a pilot had been fully "plugged in" there left extremely little room inside resulting in the need to remove the ejection system but also having to recruit pilots who had smaller more "feminine" frames from their fanatical youth. This latter fact ended up demoralizing some Coalition forces when they discovered they were killing essentially "children" and resulted in some costly mistakes where some pilots sought to disable rather than destroy.
>>98664268Martyr MTY-1RAmbusher80 tonsBV: 583C-bills (dry): 7,415,340Quirks: Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere), Bad Reputation (Clan), Illegal Design, No Ejection System, Poor WorkmanshipArmor: 5.5 tons CommercialThe Word of Blake found itself in a position of having a large surplus of very heavy fusion engines that were too impractical to be of effective use in combat but also having a large population of devoted followers of Blake with no practical military training yet eager to give their lives for the cause. When a Precentor walked into a meeting that was discussing this issue to reveal that he had secured a large cache of explosives and asked if they had any Q mechs available to put them on a rather unique solution presented itself. Dressing up a regular battlemech to resemble an industrial machine including cladding it with commercial armor to complete the disguise, the Martyr is intended to wait in ambush before powering up to charge at the enemy and detonate itself acting as portable fusion bomb. This proved to be surprisingly effective as several Inner Sphere and Clan opponents were caught out early on having initially dismissed the machines as non combatants. The mech itself is designed to be made as cheaply as possible with the machine so poorly put together that on average it can run for a minute before suffering catastrophic failure and self detonating, however considering the fanatical nature of the pilots and of the tactics in which it is used a minute is often more than enough for it to accomplish its goal. Some forces fighting the Word of Blake have taken to destroying any industrial mech they come across not willing to risk it suddenly rushing at them to explode which has caused a few incidents of innocent civilians being killed, a point that the Word eagerly exploits for propaganda purposes.
>>98664268Nuclear Blast Tank (NBT)Sniper80 tonsBV: 1,088C-bills (dry): 14,805,000Quirks: Anti-Aircraft Targeting, Accurate WeaponArmor: 5 tons HardenedThe Nuclear Blast Tank or NBT for short came about for a Blakist need to provide mobile tactical nuclear support for their level II units. Built entirely around a long tom artillery piece the NBT can deliver 10 volleys of highly accurate steel rain before having to rearm. A C3i system helps integrate it with other Word of Blake units and taking advantage of the same tracking system found on the Partisan means it in theory can achieve an accurate fire solution on flying targets though as of yet nobody has attempted to shoot down aircraft with a nuclear shell. The choice of hardened armor and CASE was not to protect the vehicle from outside threats but more to protect the crew from the effects of its radioactive payload in combination with its environmental sealant system.
>>98664268Polkan PL-1KNJuggernaut100 tonsBV: 2.296C-bills (dry): 18,782,300Quirks: Multi-TracArmor: 19 tons Light FFFeaturing a torso mounted cockpit with DNI and DI systems, turret mounted weapons, a C3i system, near maximum armor as well as compact engine and gyro technology, the Polkan represents an extremely tough unit to crack. Initially developed to train Manei Domini in integrating their cybernetic implants with a mech the Polkan remains a formidable opponent that can engage multiple targets at once while comfortably fighting a battle of attrition should the need arise.
This is the kinda stuff I was hoping for.
>>98667108I think the challenges for this one instead of the usual are going to have to be along the lines of the most insane, most brutal, most cunning etc
>>98664268Flayer FYR-1WStriker40 tonsBV: 1,054C-bills (dry): 5,154,800Quirks: Distracting, Narrow/Low Profile, Exposed ActuatorsArmor: 7 tons Heavy FFKnowing that they would have need for mechs equally at home with garrison duty or on the frontline, the Flayer is a design built for the Word of Blake Militia to encourage maximum aggression from the pilots and it does this thanks to its pair of claws and triple strength myomer system. As the mech heats up it not only moves faster but also hits harder allowing the pilots to pulverize opponents to devastating effect once the heat threshold is reached. The very nature of this mech and the people who pilot them often inspires terror within their opponents.Piloted almost exclusively by acolytes who were orphaned by the Clan Invasion each mechwarrior who pilots a Flayer has been fully indoctrinated to the Word of Blake and will show no mercy to their enemies. Such is their zealotry that although the Flayer is not typically rated for fighting battle armor as the narrow stature of the design made the actuators tempting targets, this does not stop some pilots attempting to impale Clan Elementals on the fingers of their claws and parading them as gruesome trophies. Such pilots are often shortlisted as candidates to become future Manei Domini.
>>98664268Judgement-class Planetary Bombardment Frigate360,000 Tons53,135 BV8,030,896,000 C-BillsPrototypeWhen faced with the question of how to burn a heavily-defended world with the least expenditure of resources, the Judgement-class frigate was the answer. Mounting a titanic drive capable of pushing the ship to 8G acceleration, the Judgement was intended to penetrate system defenses by speed, enduring no more than one slashing engagement before reaching the planet, where it would reduce every worthwhile target on the surface with its magazine of 200 500-kiloton Peacemaker nuclear warheads. All other armaments were secondary, and primarily intended to discourage pursuit by fighter craft; the Judgement served no other role than to devastate a planetary surface. Under ideal circumstances, the Judgement would conduct a fly-by attack, using its victim planet as a gravity slingshot to catapult itself towards a jump point, where it would rapidly escape via its Lithium-Fusion battery. If it failed to escape, an onboard self-destruct system would ensure that the enemy could salvage nothing of value from the wreck.One prototype hull was completed and trialed, but further production was halted indefinitely when the Word encountered difficulties with the sheer amount of modification required to create a crew capable of surviving even the 5G "safe" burn limit, let alone the 8G maximum, and the Judgement never saw combat use. Disconcertingly, no member of the Coalition currently claims to have destroyed the Judgement in the course of the Jihad.
>>98664268Pixy Dogfighter60 tonsBV: 1,869 PX-1Y 1,911 FoulkeC-bills (dry): 41,557,880 PX-1Y 41,590,380 FoulkeQuirks: Atmospheric Flyer, Combat Computer, Improved Targeting (Short), Bad Reputation, Non-Standard Parts, Modular Weapon, Accurate WeaponArmor: 16 tons StealthKnown by its codename the Pixy is an extremely expensive cutting edge Word of Blake aerospace fighter piloted exclusively by only the most elite and devoted pilots who are fully committed to the concept of a unified Inner Sphere without borders. Featuring an advanced airframe and computers which can be further enhanced by the DNI system, a Pixy is able to perform complicated flight maneuvers with ease that make it a highly difficult opponent to face when alone. Although there is a standard loadout each Pixy is essentially handcrafted to suit the individual needs of the pilot often by changing the weapon inside a modular weapon pod mounted on the central fuselage that doubles as a very stable firing platform.While the Pixy has been highly optimized for close range dogfighting it actually holds a more sinister purpose. The primary function of a Pixy is to deliver a nuclear payload which thanks to its stealthy nature the first warning their enemies receive is a radiological alarm going off. Due to a combination of cost, difficult to source parts, and very few qualified pilots the Pixy remains a rare sight but that does not stop both Clan and Inner Sphere forces marking it as a priority target for elimination when encountered.
>>98668459>capable of surviving *multiple days of exposure at* even the 5G "safe"
>>98668459I like how it mounted X-Pulses which in Aerotech serve legitimately no purpose as they have the exact same range as their non X-Pulse counterparts when used in space.
>>98668486Only the shiniest for Blake's Bravest.
ngl I'm having a hard time coming up with a design to submit... might sit this round out
>>98664268Behemoth Boomer100,000 tonsBV 14,508*883,803,200 C-Bills*Quirks: Ubiquitous (IS), Large Dropship, Un-streamlinedTaking inspiration from the dark days of the First Succession Wars the Behemoth Boomer was designed to be a relatively simple modification to the common Behemoth cargo dropship to serve a vital military role. Twelve Barracuda launchers armed with 120 shots a piece provides enough magazine depth to wipe a world clean of those who would oppose the Word of Blake. A full Level III of Aerospace Fighters provides defense for both the dropship as well as whatever force it is attached to.*These are not accurate since Asset Management Weapons aren't available in MML.
>>98669587Just think of a warcrimes vehicle and submit it.
Spectre SPR-3EStriker40 TonsBV: 2,782C-Bills: 5,254,527 (5,867,027 with DNI Modifications)Quirks: Easy to Pilot, Poor Targeting (Short)Armor: 7.5 Tons StandardWhile records indicate that it was supposedly the third iteration of the chasis and an energy subvariant of said chasis, these supposed prior iterations were never encountered over the course of the Jihad and are relegated purely to the realm of speculation surrounding the 3E and the 3E-DNI variations of this LAM frame that shares a name with the later Battle Armor of the Raven Alliance and a Clan Jade Falcon surveillance plane.Despite it's name having similar etymology to the series, the platform was not officially part of the Spectral LAM series of the Word of Blake, though it does seem to have shared an origin in components with the Pwwka's Clantech ER Medium Lasers and the Waneta's Clantech LRMs, though the Spectre has but LRM 5s and one-shot variants at that.While few records would be recoverable in the wake of the Jihad, there was at least some indication it was part of a rival program that focused heavily on increased speeds for the AirMech and Aerospace modes through Improved Jump Jets. The layout used seems to have made the craft easier to pilot for various reasons as a side effect of helping make its flight somewhat more stable, at a cost of poor targetting performance - even with its targeting computer - at shorter ranges due to certain peculiarities of its handling.
>>98671297OP kind of fucked up and meant to say IS tech only just a heads up. Does feel though very Blakey.
>>98671395In that case, the >>98671297 specs will be changed to this one.BV goes to 1906, while cost of standard goes to 5,176,127 and the DNI goes to 5,788,627.As for lore, call the Clantech stuff as being an upgrade that gets encountered but its designation was unknown.
>>98585364My magnum opus.
>>98664268Strigoi STR-G1Missile Boat70 tonsBV: 1,335C-bills (dry): 12,922,267Quirks: Fast Reload, Improved Life Support, No Ejection SystemArmor: 9 tons Light FFConsidered a myth up until recently, the Strigoi to the horror of Coalition forces has turned out to be a very real threat. Essentially a cloaking artillery platform each Strigoi is extremely difficult to detect when stationary with the only effective countermeasures being units equipped with Bloodhound probes and even then they would have to first follow the missile trail to source to have a chance of detecting it.Designed to wait patiently for extended periods of time the Strigoi has a very comfortable and spacious cockpit with an enhanced life support system that lets the pilot sit out on the battlefield for weeks at a time without having to return to base. To make room for further amenities the ejection system was removed. A single small pulse laser is there to provide some measure of protection should infantry blindly wander into it as well as some utility against potential obstacles. Another feature of the Strigoi is that its Arrow IV launcher can be quickly reloaded even on the field which some has seen as a potential vulnerability to exploit by going after the resupply units, however as the mech itself can carry five tons of reloads even if these convoys are intercepted it can still unleash many deadly conventional strikes before running out of ammunition. On worlds where it looks like the Word of Blake are about to be driven off it is not unheard of Strigoi pilots to volunteer to stay behind and equip themselves with tactical nuclear warheads. There they will wait patiently as the enemy is lulled into a false sense of security and when they are the most exposed unleash their missiles to devastating effect. The last ton of ammo will be rigged to self destruct inside the mech making sure the machine and advanced void signature system does not fall into enemy hands.
>>98664268Dirae9 tonsBV: See RSC-bills (dry): Sniper 919,442 Scout 942,578 Skirmisher 1,610,748 Striker 880,066Quirks: See RSWhen the Ghost Bears engaged the Word of Blake across several fractured worlds of the Combine some battles descended into brutal large scale infantry combat. It was during one such battle against very inexperienced Word of Blake Militia the Ghost Bears would face something unexpected that also proved an equal shock to the Blakist units on the ground.After initially routing the Blakists Elementals from Ghost Bear were scouring the trenches with flamers torching many acolytes who had attempted to surrender rather than flee. One particular trooper was on their knees making a final prayer to Blake as the battle armor approached them readying to incinerate them when suddenly the suit appear to get struck down by a flash of light. Having been thrown back initially they would look up in awe to see a large white suit, too big to be a battle armor, too small to be a traditional mech but clearly bearing the insignia of Blake. As more of these mysterious machines came into view and started engaging the Ghost Bears the Militia were inspired to counter charge and slaughtered every Bear they could come across showing no mercy to those who had granted none earlier, turning what had been a defeat into a victory.Clan Ghost Bear would immediately recognize what would be codenamed as the Dirae unmistakably as a protomech design but how the Word of Blake obtained this technology was a mystery. Unlike the Clans the Word of Blake employed these machines like super heavy battle armor in what so far what appears to be a standardized design with multiple configurations. Each Dirae has an extensive communication suite to coordinate with allied forces and are piloted by veteran soldiers who have lost their limbs in combat thus rely on the VDNI system to grant them another chance to deliver vengeance on the enemies of Blake.
>>98664268Geist GST-1Ambush50tNon-standard parts15,254,000 C-BillsBV: 1266A design that inspired great fear for the enemies of the Word of Blake. Appearing out of thin air with blinding light then cutting down those stood against it before vanishing just as quickly. Most of what's known of this mech is known from witnesses and partial wreckage as it seems either the wobbies went to great lengths to erase documents of this mech or it was a singular prototype undergoing field testing. Whatever the case, the stories and mech cam footage from those who faced this mech paint a picture of a ghost that flickers in and out of reality to tear apart unsuspecting and unwary foes before vanishing again to hunt more prey. the Lyran forces took to calling it Geist so that is what history shall know as it's name..
Feel we could make an entire challenge about having to build countermeasure to some of proposed WoB Jihad Machines.
Woodpecker WDD-YJuggernaught70tDistracting, Multi-Trac, Oversized14,165,1333 C-billsBV: 2,208Okay, listen up. The good news about this thing first: It's not fast, it can't jump, it's too big to hide easily and as far as anyone knows there aren't very many of them.Now for the bad news. It has two RAC/5s, multi-trac targeting, and enough ammo to keep shooting all day. We don't even know what the Wobbies call this thing internally; "Woodpecker" is a reporting name that stuck because when it fires a full burst it sounds like a bird the size of a Atlas hammering on a tree a mile high. You might be thinking "ah, but nobody uses rotary cannons because they jam all the time, right?", and while you're not technically incorrect I'd advise against betting your life on it. The first and most important point is that they have two of them, and if only one is firing then that might be intentional. The second point is that the Wobbies who pilot these things were better pilots than you are BEFORE they were given enough implants, drugs and holy zeal to make a clanner blush and plugged in directly to their 'mechs - if the guns get jammed or destroyed then the enemy pilot can still kick your ribs in. Or worse, but more on that in a minute. Third, they come with friends. These aren't isolated recon units that you can mug.Assuming that you live long enough to get some shots off, each one mounts more than ten tons of heavy ferro-fibrous armor and on top of that the ammo is protected by CASE. In the unlikely event that you see one of these things downed, do NOT approach it. All of the ones we've taken out so far have been rigged to blow, and a charge that big is more than capable of ignoring the CASE to set off whatever is left in the extremely large magazinesGod knows how much these cost, but somehow I don't think that price was was factor. I hope that you never have to apply what you've learned in this briefing, but if not then I hope you remember it. Dismissed.
>>98676341>"ah, but nobody uses rotary cannons because they jam all the time, right?"What are you talking about?Rotary's were the most forgiving when they were the only ACs you could UNjam in a match, and the rules changes have only made that EASIER.
>>98676544Sounds about average for fluff though?
https://voca.ro/1iqmQVtRlPhySorry about the background noise, the techs were working on some fucked up Rakshasa variant.
>>98670054Honestly a dropship or dropship/aerospace challenge would be rad as hell
OP here, won't be able to update for a few more hours. Also we can totally addaerospace challenges
>>98678952as the guy who wrote Snickers and his shitbox legionnaire, this made me smile.
>>98664268I didn't get around to making a proper writeup for this before the deadline so I'm just phoning it in while OP can't call it.Diablo DB0-2MSniper65 tonsBV 1,4546,854,375 C-BillsAA Targetting, Improved Targeting Long, Poor Workmanship, Exposed Weapon Linkage (LGRs)After capturing a Blakist factory, DCMS technicians found a small run of fire support 'Mechs that hadn't been deployed to defend the facility. A cursory examination was enough to explain their inaction; while optimized for long range fire, the Diablo would have had little hope of surviving a direct encounter with another BattleMech. While no more would be manufactured, the captured set would be deployed to defensive positions across the warfront. Each would perform respectably, until forced to trade fire with a more well constructed design.
Okay folks we haveVesper VSP-90VSelkie SLK-1EMartyr MTY-1RNuclear Blast Tank (NBT)Polkan PL-1KNFlayer FYR-1WJudgement-class Planetary BombardmentPixyBehemoth BoomerSpectre SPR-3EStrigoi STR-G1DiraeGeist GST-1Woodpecker WDD-YWe have new categories for this one >>Which best encapsulates the Jihad >>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?>>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?>>Which is the most meth fueled Blakist wetdream design?>>best Narrative?Our next challenge:https://strawpoll.com/05Zdzwmrln6End date: September 17th at 8PM EST
>>98680480OP Here, I'll allow votes for it as you beat my post. You put the time in and got it up before the vote started, so I'll count it. Just can't add it to the listFeel free to count this one as well folks.
>>98680542>https://strawpoll.com/05Zdzwmrln6there's republic police mech on here twice
>>98680766Ah thank ya, can't change it now but I can remove the second in future polls
>>98680542>>Which best encapsulates the Jihad >>98670054BoomerGiving it here as a pocket warship, especially one that is essentially a carrier that can also deal with swarms of aerospace fighters, is pretty much a good summary of some of the unexpected yet brutally effective designs that appeared during the Jihad which were a nightmare to deal with if you didn't have the right tools available.>>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?>>98664968VesperA handheld weapon design where a good few configurations are geared to make life a living hell for infantry was not something I was expecting to see but is a very fun idea. I'd take that into a city for maximum warcrime opportunities. >>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?>>98675262GeistA Void Signature design using melee to ambush opponents was also not something I was expecting to see but is very in line with Word of Blake tactics. Clever use of a new technology.>>Which is the most meth fueled Blakist wetdream design?>>98668459Judgement Because a fast orbital nuclear delivery platform that has basically no crew space, no cargo, no grav decks, no escape pods, no small craft bays, no docking collars, that basically is meant to explode after its first use pretty much screams peak Blake insanity. Frankly it should come with an advert saying "Our crews expendable, your nuclear delivery isn't!">>best Narrative?>>98676341WoodpeckerI enjoyed anons story that went with it. Felt very in line with your average in universe fluff.
>>98680480>Which best encapsulates the Jihad >>98665533 This seems awful to fight and a good reason for the RotS to confiscate Mechs.>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?>>98664968 I made it, I don't think you can make a convincing Handheld chassis without relying on a Torso Cockpit. The Diablo is also mine but like I said I had phoned in the actual writing.>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?>>98666845 Stacking turrets is really goofy and I hope doesn't actually work on tabletop.>Which is the most meth fueled Blakist wetdream design?>>98676341 This would feel like a Davion false flag if it weren't for the bomb. >best Narrative?>>98671765 Vomiting nukes around out of spite is an important tradition.
>>98685439>Stacking turrets is really goofy and I hope doesn't actually work on tabletop.It does.
bump
>>98680542>>>Which best encapsulates the Jihad Judgement-class (>>98668459)>>>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?Judgement-class (>>98668459)>>>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?Geist (>>98675262)>>>Which is the most meth fueled Blakist wetdream design?Strigoi (>>98671765)>>>best Narrative?Flayer (>>98668160)
>>98680542>Which best encapsulates the Jihad>>98665533 having child soldiers fits the Jihad vibe>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?>>98671765 stealth arty is a thing few are prepared for>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?>>98668459 because nuclear annihilation at 8Gs sounds great>Which is the most meth fueled Blakist wetdream design?>>98666123 go go gadget Suicide Bomber, sidenote it would be horrifying if you stuck some Davy Crocketts into it then detonated, would scare the fuck out of everybody>best Narrative?>>98668160 I just imagine the mech having a necron flayer/flayed one, painted on the side as it runs around impaling battle armor.
I just crunched the numbers on the Selkie. Using all the optional rules and equipment it can theoretically obtain a -7 to hit, a +7 TMM, with a -1 to piloting rolls. That's also not factoring the RPG special abilities that the pilot in could technically have.
Got home super late. Will update in the morning all
Should we perform a coup and make the next challenge a mini-me of an existing mech? Idea to make a mech that is essentially half the weight or less of its older brother while performing a similar role i.e. make a Marauder that's 35 tons that maintains the same spirit of the 75 ton version? Any era and any tech would be available?
>>98691106I'd prefer making a "Super mech" Similar to the venom vs the spider, or griffin amd super griffin. Take an existing mech, bump it up 5-20 tons and turn it into a generally bigger, meaner mech without sacrificing much if anything besides a low cost.
>>98691302Why not do both?
And our winners>>Which best encapsulates the Jihad Selkie SLK-1E >>Which is your favorite warcrime machine?Vesper>>Which is the most innovative in its blakiness?Geist>>Which is the most Blakist design? We have a 4 way tieJudgement-class Planetary BombardmentWoodpecker WDD-YStrigoi STR-G1Martyr MTY-1R>>best Narrative?Flayer FYR-1W >>Top contenders4 votesJudgement-class Planetary Bombardment3 votesStrigoi STR-G12 votes:Vesper VSP-90V Flayer FYR-1W Geist Woodpecker WDD-Y New challenge in a bit
>>Challenge 16: Clan 2nd lineThe Wars of Reaving have permanently severed your ties to the Clan Homeworlds. With the Word of Blake's Jihad finally resolved and the Republic of the Sphere asserting control, your Clan can no longer treat the Inner Sphere as a mere occupation zone. It is your permanent home. To defend sprawling planetary borders and safeguard growing domestic industry, you must rebuild your Second-Line Garrison Clusters without relying on Homeworld logistics.>>RequirementsA 2nd line clan mech. No omni mechs. Other than that it is pretty open. Year: 3090Tech Base: Clan or Clan based mixed techTech Level: standardPrice: anyRole: AnySize: anyEquipment: Anything MML allows as standard 3090 clan or clan mixed tech settings.End date: Sunday , September 20th at 6 PM EST
>>98691892Should we make a character design challenge for some of this Blakist machines using A Time Of War? I know they'd all be batshit insane but figuring out the kind of insanity each individual could be entertaining?
>>98692159I personally know nothing of AtoW. It was just to clunky for me to even try to get into it.
Man, I've started on like four mechs and then checked Sarna and realized that I was re-making something that already existed. Gonna have to dig deep for this one.
>>98692004Krampus (Ussuri)Striker70 tonsBV: 1,361C-bills (dry): 14,314,907Quirks: Battle Fists, Fine ManipulatorsArmor: 10 tons standardThe Thule Run as it has come to be known started off as a rather bizarre and daring attempt for a young novice mercenary to advertise themselves for hire. With the end of the Jihad opportunities to prove ones own skills had dried up with even proven mechwarriors struggling to find work thus unless you could do something to get noticed the chances of finding lucrative employment remained low. Making a bet they could reach Thule City and escape without the Ghost Bears noticing this pilot managed to sneak onto the planet via a transport, brave the treacherous terrain of the Fresdon Desert at night, take a holovid recording from inside the merchant district and then escape before the Bears could react all while piloting a Succession Wars era Locust. The end result was that this pilot quickly obtained a good contract performing recon and security work.The Ghost Bear garrison for their part while initially startled for being caught off guard thought little of it. It was only when more copycat incidents like this occurred that they thought something strange was happening as although their first instinct it was a pirate raid these intruding bug mechs did not steal or destroy, in fact they seemed to go to great pains to avoid damaging property, and never returned fire when engaged. It was only when by chance one of these daredevils were captured after their mech stumbled from a rockslide leaving the pilot unconscious did the puzzle finally come together.
>>98694656part 2Shocked at how young the pilot was the Star Commander conducting the interrogation had asked what this “child” had hoped to achieve with this stunt. The story she received was so strange yet fit in with what the garrison had been seeing lately she had no choice but to assume it was true. Contempt quickly turned to admiration as the Clan warrior drew parallels between this activity and that of Clan trials especially those that Sibkos go through. With an amused smile she grabbed the ear of the young mechwarrior and first made them sit through a review of the ROM footage pointing out all the piloting error they had made making several firm statements on when they should have shown caution. What followed next was a week of rigorous training and instruction under the supervision of the Ghost Bear before the pilot was allowed to retake their "test" as it was now called. The young merc was given a 30 second headstart before they were pursued through the desert terrain by other Ghost Bear mechs. The experience they had been given paid off as they were successful in escaping after a several hour long high speed chase. Impressed by the piloting skill displayed the Ghost Bears allowed the merc to leave the world although some lambasted the waste of a good potential bondsman.Finding the whole event a rather positive experience themselves the Ghost Bears adopted this as a training exercise as it gave valuable training at hunting down raiders as well as evading capture, typically involving Sibkos being pursued by experienced warriors. While the number of young would be mercenaries unofficially taking part in this training activity has drastically reduced in recent years it does occasionally still happen which for the Ghost Bears they quietly do not mind as long as they are politely tipped off when it is happening so they know not to use live fire.
>>98694667part 3The Ussuri as it stands would not have existed if it was not for the Thule Run. Initially built as a one off prototype to test how much they could stress myomer technology using engine enhancements, the Ghost Bears found this design extremely simple to manufacture and ideally suited to garrison duties and training activities on Thule. Although this does feature battle fists which is highly unusual for a Clan design the function in this case is not for melee combat but to help navigate through the unique hazardous terrain of the Fresdon Desert. The ability to finely manipulate objects is more to assist in potential recovery operations if required. The SRM launchers were initially added as form of riot control as well as offensive capability but recently have been found mounting harpoon ammo that lets the Ussuri bring down mechs for capture without destroying them. While lightly armed and armored especially by Clan standards, the Ussuri is capable of impressive bursts of speed much to the horror of many a merc trying to evade capture. It also runs quite cool even with single heatsinks which is a very welcome feature in a desert environment.The pilots of the Ussuri tend to be almost exclusively older female Ghost Bear warriors rather eager to impart their wisdom on a younger generation and are known to deliver strict discipline on their charges who show disrespect. When veterans of the Thule Run ask why the Ussuri has been nicknamed the Krampus the standard answer is that if they are captured as long as they don't resist and listen they won't have to find out.
>>98692004Charger IIC 2Skirmisher45 tonsBV: 1,633C-bills (dry): 4,503,120Quirks: Barrel Fists (LA), Easy to Maintain, Bad Reputation (Clan)Armor: 9.5 tons standardThe Wars of Reaving had left Clan Hell's Horses in a rather perilous position. Cut off from their Clan holdings and surrounded by powerful neighbors, they were in desperate need for a new mech to help bolster their garrison units that could be built very quickly. In looking for a solution the Hell's Horses decided to search their past and found a surprising answer.The original Charger IIC was considered an abject failure of a mech but not one without its merits. For starters it was extremely simple to make and maintain as it used no weight saving materials at all making it perfect to manufacture in the Inner Sphere. As they already had the schematics it could also be adjusted quite easily to suit their needs. The first change was to reduce the engine size which did reduce speed but allowed for the installation of jump jets giving it excellent maneuverability. Second the firepower was upgraded to be more flexible against more targets as well as give it more range. Finally the heatsinks were upgraded to doubles to help manage the heat load.The end result was a mech although derided as essentially a Clan tech Phoenix Hawk proved to be immensely popular with garrison units, so popular that even Clan Diamond Shark merchants took notice and offered to purchase some in exchange for providing advanced weight saving materials that were sorely needed for their frontline units. Unfortunately in their willingness to accept such a generous offer the Hell's Horses did not think to ask what the Diamond Sharks intended to do with the mechs and it was not long before the reputation of the Charger IIC was once again sullied this time due to being encountered in the hands of various merc and pirate groups that were very excited to get their hands on such an affordable yet capable Clan mech.
>>98693507Could look at the previous IIC challenge in an older thread for ideas? That is funny enough what I did.
>>98695139>Could look at the previous IIC challenge in an older thread for ideas?That's exactly the problem; between the lostech reintroduction after the Helm core, the salvaged tech from the invasion and then the insanity of the Jihad basically everything has gotten a contemporary refit by 3090. I spent like an hour picking through old and funky/under-used/etc. mech designs thinking that I'd find one that I could make work with "clan resurrects ugly duckling" only to find out that the unit I was interested in either already got resurrected during the Jihad, there's a later variant that does more-or-less what I was planning to do and/or some clan or another already designed it centuries ago.
I got three designs but can't quite figure out which to submit. should I just roll a d6?
>>98695980Eh submit them all. There is no rules on one design per person
>>98692004Are contestants allowed to submit more than one entry or are we limited to only one?
>>98692004Awesome IIC AW2-8QSniper80 tonsBV 26947,461,720 C-BillsQuirks: Battle Fists (LA), Multi-Trac, No Ejection SystemPart of a program to revitalize ancient yet proven designs, the Awesome IIC was developed by Clan Diamond Shark as part of a business agreement with Technicron Engineering which saw the latter produce a modified variant of the older AWS-8Q chassis for integration with Clan technology. An advanced targeting computer with multi-trac functionality allows even outnumbered Clan defenders to fight equally against Inner Sphere foes. These cost effective machines found a ravenous consumer base in second line and solahma units among the Spheroid Clans even with the lack of an ejection system.
>>98692004Swayback C SBK-C50 TonsBV: 2092C-bill Cost: 5,000,000Armor: 8 Tons Ferro-Fibrous (90.5% Max)The Hunchback is a long established, venerable design built by many Spheroid powers. It can be found in every stockpile (and scrapyard), is well understood and easily modified and upgraded for almost any mission specification. Most of its variants adhere to the "big gun" principle, but equally famous is the so-called Swayback deploying its battery of medium lasers. The Nova Omnimech's availability dwindled to nearly nothing in the Clan Occupation Zone, with even its original designers from Clan Hell's Horses forced to buy spare parts (and only spare parts) from Clan Ghost Bear's Tokasha factory. In 3073 Clan Jade Falcon restarted production on Sudeten, but kept the majority of chassis produced for themselves. As such, there was a lack of machines which served the reliable middleweight role, and the Horses went back to the drawing board, well familiar with what makes a good second line machine.Knowing that many of their heavier battle armor were equipped with magnetic clamps, an Omnimech wasn't strictly necessary. The Hunchback was chosen for refits because even in the former Periphery regions, they were available and up to this point had been almost entirely ignored. Ammunition dependency was disfavored, reserving such weapons for frontline forces, and eventually the Swayback was chosen for a full Clan rebuild. Strictly speaking this was just a Hunchback C, but with endo steel and improved armor the rebuild was designated its own species.
>>98696963A Hunchback 4P can hit quite hard. This new Swayback C could cleave a Mech in half with a single blast. It had a better 250 class power plant providing an 86 kph top speed and the Mech effectively mounts a staggering 9 spheroid Large Lasers thanks to superior Clan laser technology. More importantly, it ran *cool*. Frighteningly cool, unlike the old Nova. And it still used a standard fusion engine, keeping the project cheap and durable. It could get in, drop off battle armor, go toe to toe with an Assault mech, cut the bastard in half and get back out alive. The machine was an enormous success, so much so that the massive Csesztreg Industrial Complex did surprising business buying defunct Hunchback chassis from across the Occupation Zone and near Periphery, refitting them, and reselling them on the open market. This Swayback C was a huge hit among mercenary units and Spheroid powers alike, and the Horses found themselves abruptly, unexpectedly, in possession of a marketable jewel capable of entering markets usually dominated by Clan Sea Fox. Over a dozen Trials of various kinds have been fought for the new machine's rights of ownership and manufacture since the Swayback C's introduction, and to date the Horses have won them all, frequently from the cockpits of said Swaybacks. (Many decades later, the Hell's Horses would consider sending a raid in force to the Clan Protectorate when they learned that the Sea Foxes and Kali-Yama Industries had blatantly copied the Swayback C and began producing it in quantity. This project was only halted due to time, distance, and the absolute chaos following Malvina Hazen's activities and the Wolf Empire's rise physically blocking the proposed invasion route. The slight to Horse honor still remains deep, though they take some grim pride in the knowledge that ultimately the much vaunted Sea Fox merchants had to cast aside their honor to obtain the Horse machine for themselves)
>>98696963>>98696970Interestingly, and perhaps inevitably given the Hell's Horses somewhat looser approach to inter-caste relations, a growing number of merchants have been fighting for and in some cases receiving basic Battlemech training, "the better to demonstrate their product's virtues in hostile markets". Given that the Swayback is not a front-line machine (for now), this has generally been tolerated by the warrior caste. You can buy a Swayback C for an even 5 million C-bills or local equivalent, and the pedigrees and legends surrounding the Hunchback practically do the marketing for the Horses' merchant caste, along with the laser light show they dazzle prospective clients with on and off the field of combat. (Being exactly 5 million C-bills and using every crit slot satisfies my autism like you guys would NOT believe)
>>98696562OP here. Folks can submit as many as they like. I don't mind if someone puts up a few designs.
>>98692004Blackjack-IICSniper50 tonsBV: 17459,034,250 C-BillsQuirks: Anti-Aircraft Targeting, Improved CommunicationsAmor: 11 tons standard plateThe Blackjack-IIC was created by Clan Snow Raven in cooperation with Clan Ghost Bear to create a newer second line mech based on the experiences gained from both the Jihad and Wars of Reaving regarding enemy aerospace and infantry assets. The Blackjack-IIC is fitted with Large Pulse Lasers alongside AP Gauss rifles for anti-infantry duty with ER Small Lasers as backup with a Watchdog CEWS to handle electronic warfare, a feature that many in the clans came to favor due to the WoB and Society's heavy use of electronics. In time this design would be sold to a select few mercenary outfits, namely those associated with either Raven Alliance or Rasalhague Dominion though the sale to mercenaries was a bit controversial in the Rasalhague Dominion given the Rasalhague's attitude towards mercenaries hasn't historically been favorable. Later on Clan Diamond Shark/Sea Fox and Hell's Horses acquired the design with it surprisingly not spreading to Clan Jade Falcon or either Clan Wolf with unconfirmed reports of the Scorpion Empire acquiring some.
>>98697067bitchin, will get posting tomorrow as I'm getting tired
>>98692004Marauder C 275 Tons2176 BV16,285,500 C-BillsCommand 'Mech, Hyper-Extending Actuators, Narrow/Low Profile, Directional Torso Mount (LB 10-X), Exposed Weapon Linkage (LB 10-X)When the Children of Kerensky first returned to the Inner Sphere, the ancient Marauder had added one more feather to its distinguished cap when it became one of the invading Clans' preferred 'Mechs to recieve minor refits and be inducted into the toumans as a reserve 'Mech to free up other chassis for transfer to front-line units. In the wake of the Reaving and the Jihad, as the now Inner Sphere Clans sought to rebuild once again, the Marauder again came to their attention.The Marauder C 2 was in many ways drawn from the Inner Sphere's own adaptations of the Marauder, with the -5 and -7 series predominantly using XL engines. Despite the vulnerability these engines produced, replacing the engine with a Clan-make design would cost nearly as much as constructing an entire Marauder C from scratch, and second-line warriors had long since grown accustomed to making do with what they were given.At minimum, the XL engine mandated the installation of CASE II in order to more effectively control ammunition detonations. The weight savings also allowed the installation of an LB 10-X Autocannon in the dorsal mount, and the Large Pulse Lasers of the Marauder C were supplimented with Heavy Medium Lasers to further enhance its close-range punch. The MAD-5D's integration of Jump Jets proved favorable, and the C 2 retained them, along with its 14-ton armor scheme. The Sphereoid Double Heat Sinks were also kept, though following the -5S's layout to fit the new weapons. Finally, an Anti-Missile System provided one additional layer of defense.While never a sterling piece of any Clan arsenal, the Marauder C 2 is nevertheless noteworthy as an example of the Clans displaying the adage known to every disposessed or solama MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere: "any 'Mech is better than no 'Mech".
Great Dane Prime20 Tons574 BV2,975,240 C-BillsQuirks: Animalistic Appearance, Narrow/Low Profile, Flawed Cooling SystemWith Protomechs proving to have less use in warfare in the Inner Sphere than prior expected and the loss of contact with the Clan Homeworlds pushing Protomechs into a further awkward spot, an attempt was made to pull the research into them into use for a very Light scouting mech that could have many components produced by general Inner Sphere factories for the backline. It would prove to only have limited use, but not before some examples were captured and some less than reputable merchants tried to bluff it as being a "only somewhat broken" Omnimech by appending the Prime designation. With these bieng the ones that spread furthest in the Inner sphere, it ultimately stuck even if it was not in truth an Omnimech at all.
>>98692004Charger IICStriker80 tonsBV: 1,999C-bills (dry): 21,406,920Quirks: Bad Reputation, Barrel Fists, Easy to MaintainArmor: 13.5 tons Omni H24 armorThe Charger IIC is a second-line Assault Battlemech designed by Jade Falcon for the express purposes of building a cheap and reliable garrison Mech out of already-existing surplus parts and mothballed Charger-1A1 chassis stockpiles found in former Draconis Combine territory. Following the success of the Thunderbolt IIC program which went into operation in the 3080s, it was decided to go further and design more Mechs which would use up the equipment left sitting around and unused. The Redline XL 350 engine provides for the same power output as the original LTV 400 while shedding 23 tons from the overall weight of the Mech. The engine's weight savings, combined with an Endo Steel chassis, provide for 27 extra tons for other equipment. 13.5 tons of Forging Omni H24 armor provide for several tons of extra protection over the base model, and four jump jets provide for additional mobility.The armament of the Mech is centered around implementing neglected and under-used weaponry from the Jade Falcon arsenal. Two A-Pods in the legs, 6 machine guns, and a Streak SRM 6 system provides for short ranged firepower, with a half ton of machine gun ammo and one ton of SRM 6. The long range punch comes from the LRM 15 and LB10-X systems, with one ton of ammunition for the LRM 15 and two for the LB10-X, with one ton reserved for cluster munitions. Finally, an Anti-Missile System is housed within the Head of the Mech, providing for a degree of protection against incoming fire.The Charger CGR-JF1, a jigsaw of a Mech with four different types of combustible ammunition stored within its torso, is a design born of the realities that clan Jade Falcon was set with following the Jihad, and reflects both the challenges besetting Jade Falcon as well as displaying their willingness to adapt and innovate to deal with them.
>>98692004Blue Flame IICScout45 TonsBV: 1,969C-bills (dry): 8,609,013Quirks: Bad Reputation, Exposed ActuatorsArmor: 10.5 tonsWhen Clan Wolf conquered Terra they found many factories and manufacturing centers and did their best to bring them on-line as a way to restore lost equipment. The conquest of Terra having cost Clan Wolf some 50% of their number, they were in need of working Mechs just as much as they needed pilots, and sometimes these necessities, combined with what Terra had on hand, produced Mechs that typical Clanners would never consider using in normal situations. Thus the Blue Flame IIC was created, as there was already an intact factory producing them. The Inner Sphere engine has been replaced by a Clan XL, and the infrastructure composed of Endo Steel. These savings provide for the additional firepower of the Blue Flame, which includes 1 ER PPC, 1 ER Large Laser, 2 ER Medium Lasers, and 1 ER Small Laser facing the rear of the Quadmech. The ER PPC and ER Large Laser are both housed in a turret, providing for full 360 degree fire for the two primary weapons. 16 Clan double heat sinks allow for the two main weapons to be continuously fired at full speed, and a top speed of 86 k/ph allows this Medium mech to outpace heavies and assaults while keeping up with lights and mediums.Given that Clan Wolf's control of Terra was relatively brief, and that QuadMechs are viewed with contempt by many Clan pilots, very few of these QuadMechs have seen combat.
>>98692004Raven IICScout35 tonsBV: 1,125C-bills (dry): 3,908,925Quirks: No/Minimal ArmsArmor: 6 tons FFWith the formation of the Raven Alliance the new nation state found itself in need of a patrol mech that could easily detect hostiles before they could become a significant threat but also be built in significant numbers. While they had many Clan mechs that were more than capable of meeting the mission requirements the issue was that they were not easy to mass produce. Stumped and not willing to develop a brand new mech the answer came from an unlikely source when a technician stumbled across the remains of a wrecked Raven RVN-3L and in the process of restoring it the Raven Alliance military quickly discovered this was exactly what they were looking for.The Raven that was recovered was a mess internally with its engine beyond repair although much of its equipment remained intact. In the process of restoring the machine back to operational status all the weapons and equipment were swapped for Clan equivalents, DHS were installed and the Ferro-Fibrous replaced with Clan grade. The weight savings alone from all this allowed them to replace the engine with a regular standard fusion without degrading the performance of the mech. While the newly christened Raven IIC does resemble the original a significant bit externally, internally a lot of parts had to be swapped around and replaced meaning that it does not share part commonality with existing Ravens.In combat the Raven IIC performs a role similar to the RVN-3L, a scout that doubles as an EWAR platform that can easily mark targets for friendly forces. The upgrade to Clan technology means that once it detects an enemy it can usually hold its own until either artillery or an airstrike arrives on target. The fact that it is also causing massive confusion with their foes trying to figure out where they got all these Ravens suddenly from is merely a bonus.
I like how we all decided to just build IIC/C mechs, many of which already have C variants later in the timeline.
>>98692004Marauder 335 tonsBV: 15065,650,650 C-BillsQuirks: Command Battlemech, Low Profile, Directional Torso Mount(RT), Extending ActuatorsArmor: 6.5 tons of Ferro-Fibrous'Clan Sea Fox, presumably while high as fuck, created the Marauder 3 and has asked us to test it. Not sure what possessed them to make it but we're getting paid so the why doesn't matter. Now if the foxes are to be believed then this should function as a marauder but in the light mech weight range. The loadout is two Medium Pulse lasers and two Small Pulse Lasers in both arms with the mount being an ER Large Laser, apparently it's a second-line design they've cooked up to garrison worlds blah blah blah, who cares. See you on the ground boys, let's put these mechs through their paces.' -Mission Brief from Captain Crackers of the Van Zandt Mercenary Company.
>>98692004Swordsman IICSkirmisher50 TonsBV 1,4834,518,500 C-billsQuirks: Modular Weapon, Exposed Weapon Linkage (UAC/5 and ATM 6), UnbalancedFollowing the formation of the Raven Alliance, the new government's first priority was bolstering the garrisons of their new holdings. With tooling for Clan-grade XL engines and endosteel years away and few native candidates able to meet their expectations, Clan Snow Raven chose to license the aged Swordsman from its inheritors at a bargain price. The scientist caste soon found that minor adjustments could add ten extra tons to the frame's supported load. The resulting BattleMech was far from glamorous, but capable in whatever role it was assigned.An Ultra AC/5 and six-tube ATM launcher over each shoulder serves as the foundation for the new Swordsman's firepower, each on mounts that can be easily adapted to other weapon systems. A pair of ER lasers and an anti-personnel model replace the original design's sidearms. Combined with its reinforced armor and new engine, the Swordsman could support its lancemates as a heavy scout, fire support, or as a striker. As the design fell out of favor for more modern and specialized designs, the Swordsman's licence and specifications were eventually won by Clan Sea Fox, who would promote the design by offering them in exchange for used Shadow Hawks.
>>98692004Snallygaster25 tonsBV: 9622,085,000 C-BillsArmor: 4 tons Ferro-FibrousAs a garrison unit, the Snallygaster performed best as a support unit, created by Hell's Horses from a design that is steeped in controversy, the Jackrabbit, the Snallygaster is an attempt to make something out of it similar to the Goliath Scorpion's Nexus mech. Fitted with an ER Large Laser, a streak SRM2 and a small pulse laser and linked to a targeting computer the weapons are ensured to hit their mark at range while the Streak is used for a variety of tasks from hunting battle-armor to vehicle killing to bunker busting. Field reports note that the design is best when either supporting infantry or vehicle points. Overall performance against pirates and Jade Falcon raiders has proven effective and thus is declared a success.
>>98701187Some of these I swear have just been resubmissions from the IIC challenge.
>>98692004EnigmaSkirmisher65 tonsBV: 2,106C-bills (dry): 9,449,935Quirks: Stabilized Weapons, Accurate Weapons, Improved Cooling Jackets, Difficult to Maintain, Non-Standard PartsArmor: 13 tons After the Jihad was over there were persistent rumors of Blakist holdouts in the Deep Periphery who would occasionally venture into the Inner Sphere to raid for supplies and abduct people. While dismissed as mere stories there was some truth to pirates having access to more advanced equipment in recent years there was no proof of anything more sinister going on, at least not until the first encounter with a mech that would become known as the Enigma.Each Clan has so far encountered this mech at least once and each battle has left them with a puzzle to solve. Noted for exhibiting stealth properties and extremely accurate weapons no Clan was able to successfully defeat this mech until a Jade Falcon warrior decided to engage one in melee combat where even then they noted it hit much harder than they felt it should have. Although the pilot committed suicide by self destructing their mech enough of the machine remained to perform an analysis. The result would prove a shock.Using a mix of what appeared to be Inner Sphere and Clan derived components nothing on the Enigma could be traced to any known manufacturer. The weapons were built to even higher standards that not even the Falcons could replicate as each weapon were indeed far more accurate but also produced less heat. The most horrifying revelation to the Jade Falcons was that this appeared to use no weight saving materials at all meaning that this was very likely what could be considered a second line mech which meant there could be many more of them or worse far more advanced versions of it in existence. Enigma attacks stopped after the capture of this machine and with no Clan taking the credit the only possible explanation that can be thought of is this may be a Republic design but for what purpose is unknown.
The original lore entry for this mech is too big to include so I split it into the report vs the personal log. I'll link it when it's done.>>98692004Mud CrabSalvage55 tonsBV: 384C-bills: 3,702,610Easy to Pilot, Improved Sensors, Searchlight, Bad Reputation (Clan), Non-Standard Parts.Armor: 4.5 tons IndustrialProcurement assessment, CWO M. Rudel, 3rd Lyran GuardsOverview: the Mud Crab is a salvage and construction industrialmech produced and marketed by Clan Diamond Shark, chiefly as an export model. It is easily piloted, offers substantial value at its price point and via the application of industrial TSM has a combined 110t lifting capability while still retaining a respectable speed - more than enough to salvage assault-class battlemechs and combat or to move pre-fabricated defensive structures. The sensor suite of the Mud Crab performs exceptionally well in its role as a salvage 'mech, offering military-grade performance and fidelity with engineering applications while also performing above par in military scenarios. The offensive suite of this mech is perfunctory despite the inclusion of a military-grade FCS and during assessment was found to be more suited to field engineering than to any form of combat. The Mud Crab's 4.5 tons of industrial armor is also entirely inadequate for combat but has excellent sealing against hazardous environments and vacuum. The Mud Crab is also unusually and perhaps uniquely suitable among single-pilot savage vehicles for extended deployments, as it contains amenities and comforts not often found in 'mechs of any kind.Armor: 4.5t industrialArmaments: 1x SRM-2(c), 1 ton reloads.Movement: 43kph cruise, 64.8kph sprint, 2x leg-mounted jump jetsStructural enhancements: Industrial Triple-Strength MyomerOther equipment: Salvage Arm, Nail/Rivet gun, 0.5t Nails/Rivets, Spot Welder, Fluid Gun, Fluid Suction System, 2x Lifting Gear, SearchlightOther features: Environmental sealing, fluid reservoir, sleeping accommodations
okay folks we haveKrampus (Ussuri)Charger IIC 2Awesome IIC AW2-8QSwayback C SBK-CBlackjack-IICMarauder C 2Great Dane PrimeCharger IIC >>98699670Blue Flame IICRaven IICMarauder 3Swordsman IICSnallygasterEnigmaOur categories >>Which do you feel fits the post jihad 2nd line mech best?>>Which is your personal Favorite>>Which is the most innovative?>>Who is the meth baby?>>Which had the best narrativeOur poll: https://strawpoll.com/XOgOVxGm4n3End Date: September 22nd at 8 PM ESTNote:Tuesdays are busy for me so it might be after midnight before I can post.
>>98705625>Best MechThe Snallygaster >>98701332 is pretty well built do do pretty much anything you'd ask a light mech to do. A little heavy on the gun side, a little short on speed, but the combo of 1 ton energy gun and 4 ton ER Large to max out a 1 ton tac comp is near and dear to my minmaxing heart. >Personal FavoriteThis was a hard one actually. >>98701277Marauder 3 is savage for its size, but I can't vote for anyone who adheres to Tex memes. >>98701073 Raven IIC is very clever and pretty well built, even lore friendly with the whole "raven" theme convergence, but the Alliance is VERY far away from where Ravens are built and it feels somewhat contrived even by Battletech's salvage standards. >>98697176 I like the Blackjack IIC for being a good mech (and Raven aligned), but you've basically just built the actual canon Blackjack C the Dragoons made with a slightly different support package. My vote goes to >>98694656 this guy, it's a funny way of using a 350 standard. Cheap, but also expensive. >Most InnovativeI *will* give this one to the Raven IIC, >>98701073 if it wasn't such a haul getting salvage out that way, this would be a *very* logical machine for the Alliance to adopt. I also like forgoing endo-steel, makes the refit more plausible. Well done. >Meth BabyIs this really a second line mech? >>98705618 It's more like a forklift you use to set up a field post. Even second liners are expected to do proper battle, and woe betide the warrior who has to do it in this.>Best NarrativeThe Enigma is goofy but entertaining, I dig it. >>98703624
>>98706759>but you've basically just built the actual canon Blackjack C the Dragoons made with a slightly different support package.was going for a smaller rifleman.>>98706759>but I can't vote for anyone who adheres to Tex memeswhy? is there something wrong with Tex besides his shit taste in both Star Trek Protags and whiskey?
>>98707002He helped make the Urbanmech an even staler meme than it already was, plus he glazes the Taurians undeservedly. Also even after a dozen videos, he cannot comprehend that there is more to Battlemechs and their deployment than the raw C-bill number. Whether he knows it or not, he preaches the flawed meme ideology of the T-34, namely the "quantity over quality" and the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality which is merely an excuse to justify an expensive tank design built badly and cheaply by poor Soviet manufacturing. This is why he thinks that three or four Awesomes is a superior purchase to a Timber Wolf, despite the fact that you need an entire Leopard to actually get those Awesomes in the field, four times the pilot training, four times the coordination, etc etc. Then his views are propagated by people who get their lore knowledge from Youtube and their military knowledge from someone else's ass.
>>98705625>>Which do you feel fits the post jihad 2nd line mech best?>>98701290 feels like the best fit, good all-rounder with nothing particularly special which fits my idea of a second liner.>>Which is your personal Favoritenone particularly stand out as my favorite but that's just my shit opinion.>>Which is the most innovative?most of these are just IICs so nothing particularly innovative however probably the Great Dane>>98698920 at least>>Who is the meth baby?>>98694656 3 SRM6 racks on a 70 tonner is certainly a choice, the MASC supercharger combo is another that fits in with the meth baby concept>>Which had the best narrativethe Krampus because the man wrote three posts worth of lore for it and I have to respect it.
>>98707002As far as the Blackjack goes, though it hasn't received an official record sheet yet, the Ravens got one in a recent Shrapnel that is more like a small Rifleman with 4 heavy mediums and a pair of LBX2s. If you like the Blackjack chassis and want a Clan version of it, I'd suggest exploring either the ER Large laser for maximum range pinpoint damage, or either of the clan rotaries because they're fun. Large Pulse Lasers are likely to get a BV nerf soon, or so the rumors say, so there's a bit of room for a Blackjack with long range but *also* high damage output at that range, which the smaller LBXes and Ultras don't provide, while not using the LPL.
>>98707015>and their military knowledge from someone else's ass.>said the man quoting the Laserpig argument for why the T-34 was shitNTA, an not that you're wrong, but I'm still going to point and laugh anyway.
>>98707015I think in the Tex Talks vids he plays a character called Rudolph or something similarly festive, if you want to piss off tex just remind him that Star Trek Discovery exists.
>>98707044Honestly, fair dues on recognizing that, I do enjoy the pig's videos. He's not my only source of information but his phrasing is useful for a concise way to describe some of why I dislike how Tex goes about doing things. >>98707052Discovery makes him irate, does it?
>>98707070>Discovery makes him irate, does it?last I heard he nearly vomited from someone reading verbatim lines from that show
>>98707070also what are some other good sources for military info? lazerpig is alright but I'd prefer a wider net
>>98707079Truth be told, books. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to go to a library, but that's more trustworthy these days than the increasingly AI-dominated arenas of history. It's a tradeoff, books get outdated but for the most part they don't get edited and you can at least cross-reference things. For internet sources, rule of thumb is to sift through smaller channels, ones which are far enough under the radar to avoid being bought by greater interests. Then you have to sift further to try and see who's in it for the love of the game versus who has an axe to grind. People who editorialize a lot tend to be less helpful, though if they're doing due diligence with citing multiple sources it's tolerable. I had a few decent ones when I was in college but they've since been buried by the algorithm and gone dark since they didn't bring in the view count.
>>98707072Hmm. I don't particularly care for Discovery myself, though not as strongly as he seems to dislike it. Maybe I should soften my stance on Tex a little, haha.
>>98707070Suppose it's just the nature of the beast. It's a lot easier to have good presentation than be an expert, and /btg/ has a long-standing tradition of telling people to read the fucking book, so invoking the "guy with good presentation" correlates very quickly to "SECONDARY DETECTED".
>>98707132It do be like that sometimes, don't it?
Anon who did the Mud Crab (>>98705618) here. Got my write up finished and pasted. I didn't want to post it in the thread because it came out to 11 posts worth of text. Dunno why but I really got into this writeup even if the 'mech turned out pretty goofy.https://pastebin.com/9GjjH4rb
>>98706759>the Alliance is VERY far away from where Ravens are built and it feels somewhat contrived even by Battletech's salvage standardsDon't think Raven Alliance coming across Ravens is that far fetched as you think when you notice who has them up until the Jihad and who has them post Jihad? Then again this is the same universe where according to an RPG a kid can randomly stumble across a functional SLDF Royal mech in a swamp.>you've basically just built the actual canon Blackjack C the Dragoons made with a slightly different support package. Think this was a huge problem with this challenge summed up with one mech. When you get past 3060s there really is so much canon Clan tech refits of existing mechs its hard to come up with something new.>>98707015Pretty much summed up my criticisms of him as well. Generally most youtubers covering any lore subject are intolerable if you have taken the trouble to open up a sourcebook yourself.>>98707044Le couchon lazer legit has a habit of copying what suspiciously appears to be posts from /k/ and passing them as fact without providing any evidence to back up his claims. It is impressive he has managed to get The Chieftain, Ian and the Drach to all call him a retard.
>>98705625best second liner is swayback, it takes one of the best tech 1 mechs and makes it a vicious tech 2 mech. would take to tournaments personal favorite is raven iic because clan narcs are amazing and clan tech allows the raven to fulfill both roles of being a mech and an ewar unit rather than halfway doing bothmost innovative is the blue flame, he just seems coolmeth baby is kind of none of them because clan tech makes everything work, but id say the great dane is the most fitting since it kind of doesnt have any weaponsbest narrative is the swayback because the idea of hells horses refitting hunchbacks like old vintage cars getting turned into rat rods amuses me
>>98707763i know this is my old man yelling at cloud talking but i truly wish the sldf had left in the opposite direction so that on their return the taurians and canopians would have been obliterated and save us from 9001 years of spess texus and spess catgrill circlejerking
>>98705625>>Which do you feel fits the post jihad 2nd line mech best?>>98696818Awesome IICI was really torn on this one cause there was quite a few options to consider. On one hand this Awesome IIC is just an Awesome C in all reality but Clan tech refits of IS mechs especially TRO 3025 designs is all the rage in the Republic era and the fact it is super cheap well makes this an awesome fit. Second line mechs are also usually hyper optimized for a particular task which was another point in its favor. >>Which is your personal Favorite>>98701290Swordsman IICAnother one I was torn on. I gave to this mainly because I am a sucker for the Swordsman and also being a decent cheap all rounder. Using UAC's after the rule change over LBX was another point in its favor. >>Which is the most innovative?>>98697176Blackjack IICMainly due to the inclusion of Watchdog CEWS and explanation for its use being rather fitting. The four tons of AP gauss ammo is rather insane though.>>Who is the meth baby?>>98705618Mud CrabJesus fucking christ there's solahma assignments and then whatever the pilot of this fucker did to warrant such a posting. Did the people who pilot this shit in the Khans fridge or something?>>Which had the best narrative>>98696963Swayback CGiving it for the autism put into designing it and the story to explain it.
I should have done a Longbow C or a Stalker C, it's remarkable that neither of those two star league staples had a true clan refit. There's some mixed tech late era variants, but not a good clean pre-Invasion redesign.
>>98708721Give it time probably be a retcon. That said not sure why we didn't get a Stalker IIC considering the popularity within the SLDF and Royal variant existing?
>>98708912It is an unusual gap in the sequence. Would have made an amazing bracket fighter. What would have been really cool is for it to be a seventy five tonner, further evolving the canonical short ton Stalker concept. Clan tech solved the weight strain issues with the 85 ton chassis, but actually increased the overall combat effectiveness thanks to better, lighter clan guns. It would have in many ways been a second line Timber Wolf with similar firepower but a slower top speed and perhaps a standard engine.
>>98708958Really not hard to accomplish what you are asking for.
>>98709056I didn't figure it would be. Add that to the pile of reasons I'm surprised it never happened canonically.
>>98707015I give him a bit more credit specifically because he openly states that he is deliberately playing a character in-universe in his videos, and that character has their own bias, so you should not take what he says as an absolute fact. Stuff like the Taurian glaze becomes more understandable when he has openly stated that he is playing a guy from the Periphery and would be biased towards there.There are likely some parallels with his IRL thought processes when making them, but he is very open that his movies are not a replacement for canon and may not be strictly accurate to it.Now people taking it for perfectly accurate? Those are the fools, and are the same type of people that treat "What if the Emperor Had a Text-To-Speech Device" or "Hunter: The Parenting" as accurate to 40k or World of Darkness. Tex may take a more grounded and serious tone compared to those two's more comedic aspects, but he is in a similar space.Mileage may vary with all of them, but I can at least give more slack because they put in effort into this rather than doing near-rote wiki page reads. Which are in turn above the AI reads because at least the wiki pages tend to have some grounding.
I am not a fan of tex. I have a friend who gets all his BT lore from the dude and I will agree with others he colors everything though his own lenses.
I hate how he forgets that unlike our world where scrappy "freedom fighters" can go hide in the mountains or whatever and outcast their opponents, the battletech universe can, will and has isolated worlds, starved their populations and brought the mountains down on top of them WITHOUT public outcry forcing them to stop. Interstellar combat and politics is not a 1 to 1 match to international combat and politics. Every planet is an island, and every major power is physically more like the Carribbean archipelago or Indonesia than continental Europe. The Periphery is not as important as it thinks it is and the only reason the SLDF didnt steamroll them is writer fiat and plot armor.
That being said the raven alliance is based and judging by how many anons made second line mechs for them in this last round it seems like many of you feel the same way.
>>98710325>the raven alliance is basedAnons are just into goth chicks.
Update on our current front runners: the Clan mini me and infantry support seem to be in the lead
>>98710844Not sure why the mini-me challenge has to be Clan? Frankly design challenges are much harder yet more interesting with IS tech.
>>98710872I thought it was picked as clan. I could be misrecalling
Thought be interesting to make a list of how many mechs anons made per faction based on the fluff they provided. Confirmed numbers I can see:Diamond Shark - 3Ghost Bear - 1Jade Falcon - 1Hell's Horses - 3Snow Raven - 3Wolf - 1Word of Blake - 1Which makes it seem that anons are mostly fond of Diamond Sharks, Hell's Horses and Snow Ravens in 3090.
>>98711441I definitely prefer Ghost Bear, Diamond Shark/Sea Fox, Hell's Horses and Snow Ravens to the wolves and falcons. Mostly because each of the 4 has a niche that I vibe withGhost Bears: heavy units to anchor lines and more a focus on unit cohesion via their family schtickHell's Horses: every soldier is as important as the machines they pilot or the weapons they wield, every style of combat has it's placeDiamond Shark: trade deals and logisticsSnow Raven: aerospace and naval combat
>>98711441It's hard to enjoy the big ones anymore. Smoke Jags are for aged edgelords. Falcons are for young edgelords. Wolves are for people with no taste. Bears were handed the idiot ball and gave themselves a lobotomy in the stupidest civil war of all time. Many clans are dead. Not many choices left to us that one can respect in the choosing.For me, I'm a fan of the Scorpions.
>>98711912>Bears were handed the idiot ball and gave themselves a lobotomy in the stupidest civil war of all timemethinks the writers didn't want Ghost Bear to be better off than the wolves or falcons
>>98711938Honest to god I don't know WHAT the fuck they were thinking with that shit. If they wanted to give weight to Alaric being the ilKhan, they picked the most hideously melodramatic, unnecessary way of doing so.
>>98711938>methinks the writers didn't want Ghost Bear to be better off than the wolves or falconsThey pretty much destroyed the Falcons. Wolves need to fucking lose properly and not a whole even when we lose we win situation like what happened in the refusal war.
>>98713608I'm not sure that's possible. If they lose now it's just because they were saddled with the nexus of bad writing known as Alaric. The wolves can't live because eeeeeeveryone wants to see Alaric get his comeuppance and they can't die because the Wolves are never going to get Reavinged, so theyve been written into a narrative corner like this. Unironically I think that somehow the Jaguars are going to overthrow and consume the wolves and whatever is left of the Falcons, thus becoming the true heirs of kerensky and completing their so called redemption arc the JagFags have been begging for since Serpent and Bulldog. "Turns out the Jaguars really were the coolest, guys, wooooooooooooo......."
>>98714232>Unironically I think that somehow the Jaguars are going to overthrow and consume the wolves and whatever is left of the Falcons, thus becoming the true heirs of kerensky and completing their so called redemption arc the JagFags have been begging for since Serpent and Bulldog. "Turns out the Jaguars really were the coolest, guys, wooooooooooooo......."They sadly don't have the balls to do that despite how funny it would be. Also we probably could do an Uncle Cordy challenge.
>>98714257whos uncle cordy
>>98716056Guy who did nothing wrong at Turtle Bay.
>>98714232hell I'd have the Jags finally redeem themselves by wiping out both the wolves and falcons with assistance from the other IS Clans, namely the Rasalhague Dominion no longer being lobotomized and actually competent and taking over the Falcon's former territory fully reuniting all the worlds of the Free Rasalhague Republic under the banner of the Dominion while Jags get the Wolves' turf and Terra and it's surrounding systems are turned into neutral ground for all factions to meet without bs going on. however that's just a pipe-dream from me.
>>98714232>Unironically I think that somehow the Jaguars are going to overthrow and consume the wolves and whatever is left of the Falcons, thus becoming the true heirs of kerensky and completing their so called redemption arcMore likely the jaaaags are going to secretly make plans with the "we would have won the Invasion if we'd used more nukes" discontents of all of the IS Clans to shift into MAXIMUM WAR CRIME OVERDRIVE and simultaneously kill every faction leader they can, thus giving the reunited Clan Wolf and the rest of the Genocide Is Bad Clanners a chance to beat the baddest bad guys that ever badded and become the Star League but better by picking up the pieces.
And our winners are>>Which do you feel fits the post jihad 2nd line mech best? A 4 way tieSnallygasterSwordsman IICSwayback C SBK-CAwesome IIC AW2-8Q>>Which is your personal Favorite 3 3 way tieKrampus (Ussuri)Raven IICSwordman IIC>>Which is the most innovative? A 4 way tieRaven IICGreat Dane PrimeBlue Flame IICBlackjack IIC>>Who is the meth baby?Mud crab >>Which had the best narrativeSwayback >> Top Contenders 3 votesSwayback C SBK-C2 votes Krampus (Ussuri)Great Dane PrimeRaven IICSwordsman IIC Mud crabNew thread and challenge up in a bit
New thread folks >>98718019
