Sponsons

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Karagin
03/25/16 08:12 AM
61.40.222.5

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Found a good use for these, put them on VTOLs.
Karagin

Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
ghostrider
03/25/16 01:15 PM
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I guess you didn't look over alot of the choppers several people put up on the board. More then a few used them. I believe there was even a discussion about them as well.

But then it may have been during one of those anger times and kept you from looking over the designs as they came from a few that had a difference of opinions.

Haven't used them yet, so couldn't comment on efficiency.
Karagin
03/25/16 09:25 PM
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Normally only seen them on those 200 plus ton crawling pillbox tanks that ATN posts, so I will go check out some of the VTOLs and anger is such a strong word...
Karagin

Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
Retry
03/26/16 10:10 PM
68.103.19.152

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Sponsons work best with lightweight energy weapons like medium lasers and flamers. Lightweight SRMs or LRMs with various ammunition loads works as well. Anti-infantry weapons as well, AP Gauss or SPLs or the basic machine-gun. Pretty much anything niche that you don't want to spend time or your entire turret pointing at just one firing arc.
CrayModerator
03/26/16 10:46 PM
67.8.237.126

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I've found sponsons to be handy for anything that would otherwise be side-mounted. I just took a platoon of Galleons (among other things) against the other players' merc force and the side-mounted weapons never got into play. Not that the small lasers would've added much, but a broader arc would've been nice.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
Karagin
03/26/16 11:57 PM
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I wish we had rules for door guns for the VTOLs and such...
Karagin

Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
Akalabeth
03/27/16 12:07 AM
108.180.183.124

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Never found Battletech VTOLs that interesting myself. Compared to contemporary helicopters they never seem to pack a lot of firepower, nor a variety of weapon systems.

Though now that I think of it, maybe time to create a new design. Not with Sponsons though. I associate them more with naval vessels than aircraft.
Retry
03/27/16 12:19 AM
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They don't have the tonnage to do so. You can't put a ballistic weapon that's bigger than an AC/2 and much of anything else on even a thirty-tonner and keep reasonable speeds and armor.

It's pretty tricky to do with clan tech, much less IS tech.
ghostrider
03/27/16 02:08 AM
66.74.61.223

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They were worse when they first were introduced. A single medium laser could take down a chopper no matter how heavily armored it was. 4 points max on the rotor.

I know some love to use them, but I found a single aerofighter was more effective. But as I said, the choppers tended to die quickly when I played with them.

I guess the movies and such makes me think of them as more insertion and retrieval craft then combat capable. I know that isn't right, but it is the way I feel about them.

Though using sponsons on ground vehicles would make some a little more viable and powerful. Used right, the issue of never using the side weapons becomes a little more pronounced.
But I would bet if they become popular, the developers will try to get rid of them since it would make tanks threaten the mechs superiority on the field, like a few other things.

But using them might give the concept of turret jammed new meaning.
Akalabeth
03/27/16 05:34 PM
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Quote:
Retry writes:

They don't have the tonnage to do so. You can't put a ballistic weapon that's bigger than an AC/2 and much of anything else on even a thirty-tonner and keep reasonable speeds and armor.

It's pretty tricky to do with clan tech, much less IS tech.



Did a couple of designs:
http://www.sarna.net/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/180076/an/0/page/0#180076

It's probably too slow for a helicopter but the Yellow Jacket is only 6/9
Might bring them out in my campaign to run against the PCs.
ghostrider
03/27/16 10:32 PM
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If they go from side to front arcs to fire, why bother with either/or?
Just put in the main weapons and use the sponsons to cover both arcs.

Deploy as needed.

And someone asked about door guns. I would think a side mounted mg would cover that, as it fires the entire side are, though I guess anything in front/back it out of target arc. Maybe a small turret would be something. A bottom mounted ball turret might work.
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