Zaku
05/27/22 04:34 PM
82.40.9.192
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Clan Mortar Carrier (Custom)
Mass: 60 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Motive Type: Tracked
Rules Level: Advanced Rules
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-X-C-B
Production Year: 3085
Dry Cost: 1,523,200 C-Bills
Total Cost: 1,040,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 513
Power Plant: 180 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 32.4 km/h
Flanking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Armor:
Armament:
5 Mech Mortar 8s
Manufacturer:
Primary Factory:
Communications System: Communicator
Targeting and Tracking System:
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 24 points 6.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 180 14.00
Cruise MP: 3
Flank MP: 5
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 0 0.00
Control Equipment: 3.00
Lift Equipment: 0.00
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 48 3.00
Armor
Factor
Front 12
Left/Right 12/12
Rear 12
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Equipment Location Heat Spaces Mass
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5 Mech Mortar 8s FR 50 5 25.00
Mortar 8 (Armor Piercing) (36) BD - 0 9.00
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 2 Points: 5
3t 2 4 4 0 3 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: EE, IF 3
Design:
The Clan mech Mortar came about as a solution to the issues of clan vehicles often being difficult
to deploy due to their high BV and C-Bill cost. A Clan LRM Carrier for example, even if you lowered the weight for the vehicle, with 3 LRM 20's would cost as much BV as a Inner Sphere heavy LRM carrier. The reason for this is the power that is clan tech.
As such I wanted to make a combat vehicle which had both power but not a excessive BV cost. As such I experimented with Mortars and I was shocked to see it worked. With 5 Clan Mortar 8 weapon systems, the unit can pump out a insane amount of damage (under the right circumstances), as well as having good support options.
In short damage wise if using airburst shells (which target a hex and not a unit), the mech can pump out a fair but middling 40 damage at max and 15 damage at a minimum. This however is not to terrible when you remember you would use these shells when targeting a fast moving mech, often a light, who's evasion bonuses make it hard to hit. Still while not brilliant when used shaped charge/armour piercing shells, the damage is doubled, as littlie known fact this is the main type of ammo used in a mortar and it deals SRM damage at LRM range. As such the damage at a maximum can go up to 80 damage at a maximum and 30 damage at a minimum (which is 12 more than a minimum of a LRM launcher. As such it can deal a huge blow to a enemy mech at a very cheap price.
What is more, you then get speciality munitions like smoke shells, which last twice as long as their mortar rating. So if all the shells hit that smoke would last 16 turns. What is more missed shots scatter and as such you can put up a blinding wall of smoke over a sizable area. Also note this vehicle has 5 mech mortars, so one of them can support a entire advance. Then there is the anti infantry shells which deal 1d6 damage per mortar size (so 8d6 damage) which you then divide by 2. Needless to say this can delete infantry formations in urban settings.
Suffice to say while not a typical clan design, or a typical vehicle, the huge 9 ton ammo bay and 5 mortars gives this units good long range fire power at a price tag 348,800 lower than a IS LRM Carrier and 320 less Battle Value. Though it can only fire for 7 turns rather than the LRM carriers 8.
Alternate Builds
Clan Mortar Carrier II
After the success of the initial Clan Mortar Carriers, Clan Sea Fox retooled the design to provide more combat options. Costing Almost 700,000 C-Bills more, the design swapped the ICE engine out for a Fuel Cell and armoured the design with 2.5 tons of clan ferro fibrious armour. This allowed the crew to load almost 15 tons of ammo into the design to allow it to fire continuously ate for over 2 minutes (12 turns). As well as allowing it to continue it barrage and damage mechs, tis unit would often carry 10 tons of shaped charge ammo and 5 tons of a specialty ammo to help root out enemy infantry, target fast moving enemies or provide cover for a advance.
Cost: 2,342,400 C-Bills
BV: 448
(Costs more than a LRM carrier but still less BV)
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Cray
05/28/22 01:49 PM
71.47.208.18
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Interesting. I was going to say there was little cause to use mortars when LRMs were available, but you sold me. I didn't know about the airburst shells.
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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Zaku
06/04/22 08:31 AM
82.40.9.192
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Aww thanks man. Yeah Motors are not the best, but they have good ammo options and are insanely cheap.
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AmaroqStarwind
12/30/22 03:04 PM
104.28.234.78
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If these things existed in MechCommander 2 or Mechwarrior 4, I would have been terrified of them as a kid! And that's before you factor in that AMS can't take out mortars.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
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