Backshot (Clan)

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happyguy49
03/31/18 08:46 PM
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Backshot (Clan)

Mass: 50 tons
Tech Base: Clan (Hell's Horses)
Motive Type: Jump Capable Hovercraft
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 2,660,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: ??? (SAW doesn't do VHJJ's)

Power Plant: 165 Fusion Engine
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Flanking Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor: Ferro-Lamellor
Armament:
1 (CL) Protomech AC/8
10 (CL) Micro Pulse Lasers
1 (CL) Targeting Computer
Manufacturer: Hell's Horses (Csesztreg)
Primary Factory: Csesztreg Industriplex Beta
Communications System: Clan standard
Targeting and Tracking System: Clan Targeting Computer

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 25 points 5.00
Engine: Fusion Engine 165 9.00
Cruise MP: 8
Flank MP: 12
Jump MP: 8
Heat Sinks: (IS) Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Control Equipment: 2.50
Lift Equipment: 5.00
Turret: 1.50
Armor: Ferro-Lamellor AV - 91 6.50

Armor
Factor
Front 23
Left/Right 18/18
Turret 18
Rear 14

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Spaces Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CL) Protomech AC/8 T 2 1 5.50
10 (CL) Micro Pulse Lasers T 10 10 5.00
(CL) Targeting Computer BD - 1 3.00
@Protomech AC/8 (20) BD - 0 2.00
Jump Jets (8) BD - 1 4.00


(This is a refinement of an earlier idea that used dual LAC 5's the same way as I use the Protomech AC/8 here.)

A little background: Those that have been into Battletech since the '90s will remember the debut of the Pulse Laser as well as the Targeting Computer. Players quickly figured out that they could target a specific location with a battery of pulse lasers, (+3 to hit) but the inbuilt accuracy of said lasers (-2, for total net of only +1) meant that you could, for instance, core out a center torso or shoot off a leg of an opponent in one or two turns. This was later nerfed for good reason; TC's now give pulse lasers an additional -1 to hit, but disallow targeting specific locations.

However, since using precision rounds (and other special AC ammo) in regular, Light, and Protomech Autocannons is confirmed legal, you can still get away with this in a way. This tank is designed to exploit that. It's not terribly expensive either, less than 3 mil. (don't use XL engines! too pricey!)

Tactical doctrine using the Backshot is to move or jump into the rear arc of a mech at POINT BLANK range. Next make an aimed shot with the Protomech AC/8 at its rear center torso location. (Precision rounds reducing target movement modifier by two.) With only slightly above average gunnery this will hit about half the time, stripping the armor and potentially getting crits on anything with less than 8 rear CT armor. Then ten micro pulse lasers at -3 to hit shred the heck out of it, hopefully only needing a couple of the ten to hit and roll 7 to add enough engine/gyro crits to kill the machine.

(Even if the cannon misses you could still do as much as 30 damage from the ten micro pulses.)

PS: This would also work as a configuration of either the Epona or Zibler omni-hovertanks; vehicular jump jets are pod-mountable.
AmaroqStarwind
04/07/18 03:39 AM
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Precision Ammunition would only give you half as much Ammunition Per Ton (meaning 2 tons of ammo would give you only 10 shots). It also only reduces the penalties from firing on a moving target, rather than a flat -2 to-hit bonus.

However, Enhanced Imaging lets you make Called Shots with only a +2 penalty (when combined with a Targeting Computer, it becomes a -1 bonus), and if I recall correctly it even works with Pulse Lasers.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Enhanced_Imaging

You would lose the ability to use Precision Ammunition, but trading the ProtoMech AC/8 for a Large Chemical Laser would save half a ton (maybe you could mount some extra armor), save some space, and increase your range bracket by 50%... And because it's a Chemical Laser, you would not need to add any Heat Sinks for it (on ProtoMechs and vehicles, Chemical Lasers are treated as Projectile Weapons). As such, it would be a viable option for a possible variant.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Large_Chemical_Laser

If you want to increase the overall versatility of the hovercraft, then you can also take a look at the Floatation Hull modification: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Floatation_Hull (in the original printing of Tactical Operations, it was spelled Flotation Hull instead).

Have fun!
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04/07/18 11:00 AM
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Quote:
However, Enhanced Imaging lets you make Called Shots with only a +2 penalty (when combined with a Targeting Computer, it becomes a -1 bonus), and if I recall correctly it even works with Pulse Lasers.


I think that +2 is in addition to the +3 penalty for called shots. At least it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that making a called shot would increase the accuracy with a targeting computer compared to making a regular shot with a targeting computer. Don't quote me on that though.
AmaroqStarwind
04/07/18 11:10 AM
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No, it specifically states in various sources that without a Targeting Computer, Enhanced Imaging lets you make Called Shots at a +2, and with a Targeting Computer and Enhanced Imaging combined, you can make Called Shots at a -1.
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04/07/18 11:38 AM
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IOps Pg.75
’Mech units equipped with EI may make aimed shots as if
equipped with a targeting computer (see p. 143, TW),
but
must apply an additional +2 to-hit modifier when making
an aimed shot attack. If the EI-equipped unit possesses a
functioning targeting computer as well, this additional +2
modifier is replaced by a –1 to-hit modifier instead.


And from p.143 TW we see the following:
The controlling player may use the targeting computer to
attempt to attack a specific hit location on an active unit. To do
so, an attacking unit ignores the standard –1 to-hit modifier
for the targeting computer and uses the Aimed Shots rule (see
p. 110), but applies an additional +3 to-hit modifier.


EI can make called shots as if equipped with a targeting computer (+3 to-hit modifier) but applies an additional +2 to-hit modifier penalty with this other penalty for making an aimed attack. (+5 total).

If the EI has a targeting computer as well, the called shot (+3 to-hit modifier) applies a -1 to-hit modifier instead of the +2 to-hit penalty (+2 total).
AmaroqStarwind
04/07/18 12:04 PM
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Oh. Derp... My bad.
One house rule I tend to use for Pulse Lasers is that they can be aimed by a Targeting Computer, but they lose their Accuracy Bonus as a result. That belongs in a whole different thread, though.

Also, ProtoMech ACs really suck. Aside from their ability to use special ammunition, there is really no point using them. Less damage than regular autocannons (or lower Ammo Per Ton in the case of the ProtoMech AC/2), much shorter range, and aside from their super light weight and their ability to fit on ProtoMechs, they're just all around obsolete right out of the gate; the ProtoMech AC/2 is actually twice as bulky as a regular AC/2, and with the exclusion of the Large Chemical Laser (which can't fit on ProtoMechs), Chemical Lasers are just a better option overall.

For vehicles and mechs, it's a slightly different story. Special munitions are basically the only place where ProtoMech, Light and Vanilla Autocannons shine, and even that is only a small benefit.

On that note, even the Small Chemical Laser is obsolete because the weight of an amplifier (even rounded up to half a ton) and the weight of a Heat Sink are still considerably less than the weight of ammunition (and the various downsides of having to carry ammunition, such as running out and the risk of an ammo explosion).

Sorry, didn't mean to thread-jack. The backshot is a very interesting design, and it would be cool to see it in action. I am also looking forward to any variants that are made for it.
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happyguy49
04/09/18 07:38 AM
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AFAIK there is no Enhanced Imaging for vehicles, but the Manei Domini did use VDNI

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Vehicular_Direct_Neural_Interface

for vehicle crews, basically a -1 across the board to all pilot and gunnery rolls. If that were added to the backshot, you could possibly make aimed shots for a net modifier of zero, which is cool. (+3 aimed shot, -2 from target movement modifier, -1 from VDNI.) The only problem is the eventual insanity and death from brain damage of the crew.

Agree with all points on the Protomech ACs, they are only useful in limited cases and with using special munitions. For instance, the protomech AC4 has the same range and weighs only .5 tons less than the Large Chemical Laser, but does half the damage. The Spheroid light autocannons are better in all ways for any unit except protomechs.

Light autocannons really shine as field guns

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Field_Gun_Infantry

and they can use special munitions. So that above cited field gun platoon could rock 5 LAC/5s at -2 to hit with precision, or a chance at crit per hit with AP. Fun stuff!
AmaroqStarwind
04/09/18 04:23 PM
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Perhaps having the crew undergo the Artificial Pain Shunt surgery could help with the biofeedback and insanity issues.

Or if you want to be a little less extreme, SLDF Advanced Neurohelmets instead of VDNI, and pairing that up with Damage Interrupt Circuits.

If you decide to play with Design Quirks as well;
- Stabilized Weapon: A particular weapon substracts -1 from the firer's own movement modifiers.
- Accurate Weapon: A particular receives a -1 To-Hit modifier regardless of the range to target.
- Improved Targeting: At the desired range bracket, all applicable weapons receive a -1 To-Hit modifier.
- Multi-Trac: Can fire on multiple targets without experiencing Secondary Target Penalties. Provided for free with a correctly functioning SLDF Advanced Neurohelmet.
- Anti-Aircraft Targeting: Provides a -1 To-Hit bonus, but only against aircraft or units engaged in a combat drop.

(Jeeze, design quirks are so easy to abuse...)
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04/09/18 07:56 PM
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Quote:
Also, ProtoMech ACs really suck. Aside from their ability to use special ammunition, there is really no point using them. Less damage than regular autocannons (or lower Ammo Per Ton in the case of the ProtoMech AC/2), much shorter range, and aside from their super light weight and their ability to fit on ProtoMechs, they're just all around obsolete right out of the gate; the ProtoMech AC/2 is actually twice as bulky as a regular AC/2, and with the exclusion of the Large Chemical Laser (which can't fit on ProtoMechs), Chemical Lasers are just a better option overall.



The Sprite II is an Ultra Protomech (15t) that carries a Clan ER Large Laser, so I'm pretty there are at least some protos that could carry a Large Chemical Laser if they wanted.

Of course, if you can carry a cERLL, there's not much point to carrying a chemical laser, and the cERML has the same range as the Large Chem laser with only 1 point less damage in exchange for being much lighter, even with heat sinks.

If the protomech ACs had only, say, 1 crit, they'd make more sense, since they're supposed to be lightweight, compact heat sinks. I'd even buff them further by lowering their weights by an extra half or even a full ton for each gun. Without changing their weight or mass of the weapon itself, normalizing the ammo to around 100 potential damage per ton would go quite the way too (50 rds for PAC/2, 25 rds for PAC/4, 12 rds for PAC/8.)

Maybe as a house rule to improve PACs without changing construction rules: Allow PACs to function as a combination of an Ultra AC and a LB-X AC, enabling the LB-X special ammo and the two-shot capability of the Ultra AC in one package. It wouldn't obsolete the larger normal UACs and LB-Xs IMO since those just have far better range brackets, and the PAC/8 would at least compare decently to the Large Chemical Laser on combat vehicles and protomechs, and it might make a Protomech Atlas feasible.

As far as quirks go, that's probably because they're intended to be used in a more sparingly manner rather than just throwing every single positive quirk onto a munch mech. If one were to do that, the group might as well straight up double the base BV or something and call it good.

Also, AA Targeting applies a -2 to aircraft, not -1, and I don't think the bonus is compatible with a targeting computer.
AmaroqStarwind
04/09/18 11:43 PM
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1: Did you just say "ProtoMech Atlas"?
2: The general guidelines for design quirks is to try to only pick quirks that would be justified by the fluf, or that would actually be fitting of a unit's battlefield role, and the other important guideline is to try to balance Positive and Negative quirks against each other. As for so-called Munch Units, I wasn't actually suggesting to pile all of those quirks on all at once, I was just listing them as examples to fiddle around with... Besides, this entire vehicle design almost seems to revolve around exploiting tricks to maximize accuracy.

If you want to see a unit where the quirks are all just piled on... I am actually working on a few mechs that are basically little more than a festering pile of negative quirks, with almost no redeeming qualities.
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