Cray
01/23/03 08:01 AM
147.160.125.185
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The Thor Orbital Bombardment System (OBS): Cheap death from above for the rest of the galaxy that doesn't have warships. (Yes, read Footfall. No, didn't play Renegade Legion/Centurion. Yes, this is modified from the CBT.com and rec.games.mecha posts. Feedback has been incorporated.)
The Thor OBS is built around a guidance and steering system, a de-orbit engine, and a cluster of hundred kilogram tungsten alloy "darts". (The OBS was originally built around a monstrous "tungsten telephone pole," but accuracy never reached the level where hit-to-kill could be achieved regularly. Or even 1% of the time. Incidentally, the 100kg mass of the dart is not all tungsten - it includes the sensor and motor mass.) The assembled cluster is one ton. Frequently each Thor is bundled into groups of ten for deployment from capital missile launchers; see Deployment, below.
SWINGING THOR'S HAMMER
Thor follows normal orbit-to-surface fire rules in AT2 (pg39), with the following modifications:
1) Thor arrives 2 turns after firing. (It is not launched with he groundward velocity of NACs or NGRs, let alone NLs and NPCs).
2) Two attack rolls are made. First, to see if the Thor hit the
target hex. Apply normal scatter if it missed. Second, to see if
one of the darts actually hit a target in the destination hex rather thanblasting it with scattered debris from its meteoric impact.
....2a) The first attack roll is made like a normal orbit-to-surface attack (see pg39 AT2).
....2b) The second attack roll only applies to vehicles and mechs (infantry and battle armor hit directly by a Thor rod are no deader than those blown apart by shrapnel and blast effects). Make a straight attack roll for each vehicule or mech in the hex Thor arrived on (whether the original target hex or the hex the Thor scattered to, but not in the surrounding ring of blast-damaged hexes). If the result is 10, the target was hit by 1 dart. If the result was 11, roll on the "2" column of the missile table. If the result was 12, roll on the "3" column of the missile table.
....2c) Buildings. If a building is in a hex hit by a Thor (see definition of "hit hex" in 2b), just roll on the LRM 10 column to see how many darts hit the building. (This can also be used when grounded dropships are hit.)
3) The Pain, Screaming, Bleeding, and Dying Part:
....3a) Thor shots have negligible blast radii...compared to normal naval weapons. The total kinetic energy of each Thor is about 0.8 tons of TNT - which is impressive until you consider they aren't really designed to explode, but rather penetrate. (Thor darts usually end up about 100 meters underground.) They affect the hex they hit and the surrounding ring of hexes, no more. One shot does 15 points of damage to all units in the target hex (normal artillery damage rules for battle armor and infantry), and 5 points of damage in the surrounding ring of hexes. Damage is applied in normal orbit-to-surface fashion (punch hit location, from the rear.)
....3b) When actually hit by a dart, in addition to the blast damage (see 3a), the target enters a new realm of pain such as never been seen in BT. The 100kg dart, moving at mach 25 (or so), applies its damage to the (50/50 chance for each of the striking darts: front or rear) punch hit locations (roll separately for each dart). This does 40 damage to one location (normal damage transfer rules apply), and gives a critical hit roll at -2 (basically: an AP "AC/40" attack.)
....3c) Against buildings, do a flat 40 points of damage per striking dart.
....3d) As noted, do only blast damage against infantry and battle armor.
4) Thors cannot be fired against targets in space. They are only orbital bombardment systems.
DEPLOYMENT
Deployment does involve some programming, so Thors can't simply be dumped out of cargo bays - they need to come off bomb racks or capital missile launchers.
First, single (1-ton) Thors can be deployed in orbit by aerospace fighters. Each Thor occupies the space of 1 bomb. The Thors then spread out so their de-orbit engines [1] do not trouble the fighter and other Thors. This takes one AT2 turn; attack is made on the next turn (or any subsequent) turn. Note the arrival time, above.
Fighters' command systems are a bit limited. They must trigger all their Thors at once, and cannot run back to a carrier for a new load before triggering their last. Thors cannot be "handed off" to more capable command platforms.
Second, Thors can be deployed from capital missile launchers in grotesque quantities. (OTOH, you need a lot of Thors to get even one hit, so...) For each ton a capital missile launcher's shot weighs, it can deploy 1 Thor. Thus, a Barracuda launcher can deploy 30 Thors. An AR-10 can deploy up to 50. Kraken launchers cannot be used - they are too optimized for the teleguided nature of Kraken missiles.
Vessels larger than fighters can control as many Thors as their fire control systems can handle guns without additional fire control tonnage. That is, if a warship carries 230 weapons (and thus has fire control for 240), it can control 240 Thors. If that warship took the time to eject a bajillion Thors ahead of time, it could make attacks with 240 per turn for quite a while.
Because small craft can neither carry bombs nor mount capital missile launchers, they cannot deploy Thors.
COST
A Thor costs the same as a ton of Artemis-compatible LRMs: 60,000 C-bills. (Comment: this is comparable to a single capital missile. A bundle launched from a capital missile tube costs a lot more than a capital missile.)
[1] The engines do not slow and drop the Thors from orbit. That would mean re-entry could take many turns. No, these accelerate the Thors toward the ground.
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.
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Karagin
01/23/03 11:21 AM
68.21.149.251
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Nice, but I just use the one from RenLeg and call it good to go.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
01/23/03 11:37 AM
147.160.125.185
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Don't have RL, so I can't do that. How many people have RL?
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.
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Karagin
01/23/03 11:40 AM
68.21.149.251
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I known a lot of folks have played it...as to how many have it....that is not known...I have everything that was put out for it.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
01/23/03 11:40 AM
147.160.125.185
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How do you translate the Renegade Legion "Thor" in BT/AT2?
Are they the big "telephone pole" type or "crowbars"?
How accurate are they?
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.
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Karagin
01/23/03 12:03 PM
68.21.149.251
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Here is what the rules say about Thors:
A Thor fires depelted uranium javelins (aka crowbars) that use their speed that is accelerated by the planet's gravity to do a kinetic engery damage, once near the battlefield they start to seek out radiation sources and then adjust their course to impact said targets.
It takes three turns for a Thor fire mission to be call in. The attack is made up of three javelins. Each is rolled as a sperate attack and if they miss they scatter similar to artillery.
Their damage is roughly 15 points per javelin, but they penarate the armor. A total of 10 javelins are fired per mission call upon and the Thor has up to 5 missions it can fire.
That is the basics. What I did was use that as is. It's high tech artillery, the satellite it self has 10 points of armor, standard is what I am using now.
The rules that have been used are similar to orbital bombardments rules with adjusted numbers since the Thor's projectiles do have self guidanece.
That's how I do it.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
01/23/03 12:21 PM
65.32.253.120
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Cool, cool, the info is much appreciated.
You said they're like orbital bombardment, but have modifiers because they have their own targeting systems. What's the typical to-hit number?
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.
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NathanKell
01/23/03 01:44 PM
67.86.63.119
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You have Battlespace, though, right?
That is RL: Leviathan. Well, mostly. 
-NathanKell, BT Space Wars
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.
Thomas Jefferson |
Karagin
01/23/03 02:19 PM
68.21.149.238
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It normally is around 9...they have rules for aerospace fighters to try intercept the javelins but it's an optinonal rule.
Hope this helps.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
01/23/03 03:14 PM
147.160.125.185
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In reply to:
Hope this helps.
Indeed, it does. I've been pondering the "telephone pole" from orbit, and that requires better accuracy than my prior shotgun approach.
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.
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Bob_Richter
01/23/03 03:15 PM
4.35.174.250
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Just with crappier construction rules and a weak attempt to align it with the Battletech Universe...
-Bob (The Magnificent) Richter
Assertions made in this post are the humble opinion of Bob.
They are not necessarily statements of fact or decrees from God Himself, unless explicitly and seriously stated to be so.
:)
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Karagin
01/23/03 04:22 PM
68.21.149.46
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My group hates the THOR, but loves them when they have them on their side... 
We did an abastract game once where one side had THORs on call they were the attacks and the other side was larger in numbers, mostly tanks/infantry and it was a mess. The THORs took out three companies of tanks with ease...the look on Scott's face was priceless...it made his some mad, that he took the fight up close and personal with Tom's troops and Tom couldn't really use his THORs then. When it was over with they both thought it was one of the better games they had played.
It was a mix of BF and BT with a lot of home rules and such. Lot's of fun though.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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NathanKell
01/23/03 09:16 PM
67.86.63.119
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Quick point: remember that RL uses 1D10.
Also, you try to score under the TN.
Not that I've ever played it, just read the rules.
-NathanKell, BT Space Wars
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.
Thomas Jefferson |
Karagin
01/23/03 09:33 PM
68.21.149.34
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Thanks! I forgot that part... 
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Karagin
11/28/05 11:33 PM
24.243.178.223
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Cray did you ever do anything else with this???
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
12/01/05 05:02 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Cray did you ever do anything else with this???
No, especially since AT2R allows capital missiles to be used for orbital bombardment. Anyone with a dropship could have orbital bombardment without resorting to home rules.
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.
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Karagin
12/01/05 05:03 PM
24.243.178.223
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Okay...and you can't come up with an orbital satilitte that does the same thing?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
12/01/05 05:17 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Okay...and you can't come up with an orbital satilitte that does the same thing?
Sure. Space stations can carry all types of capital weapons. Give it a NAC or capital missile launcher and say its dispensing Thor shots.
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.
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Karagin
12/01/05 05:21 PM
24.243.178.223
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I like the idea of the crowbar from space...so I will stick with the imported RenLeg version.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Karagin
12/08/06 01:07 PM
70.123.166.36
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So Cray have you done anything more with this?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
12/09/06 03:05 PM
70.118.43.50
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Quote:
So Cray have you done anything more with this?
No. I get to use warships far too rarely in my BT games. Specialized OBS are out of the question. 
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.
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Karagin
12/23/06 11:49 PM
70.123.166.36
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Sorry to hear that. I really think you had some thing here...
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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