Zaku
05/03/22 03:44 PM
82.40.9.192
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Army Ant (Robotic Drone)
Mass: 20 tons
Chassis: Composite Quad
Power Plant: 100 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Standard
Armament:
1 ER Large Laser
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3102
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-F
Cost: 1,612,000 C-bills
Capabilities
Design Quirks:
- Low Profile (2)
- Directional Torso Mount (2)
- Easy to Pilot (2)
- Accurate ER Large Laser (2)
- Weak Legs (-1)
- Cooling System Flaw (-3)
- No Ejection Mechanism (-2)
- No Cooling Jacket (-2)
Lore
Manufactured as a export product. The Army Ant Sentry Drone was made to be a cheap, inexpensive and low cost robotic unit, and as a answer to the reduction in mechwarriors during the prolonged peace bought about following the wake of the Republics formation.
A quality piece of engineering, the Army Ant was made to be a simple yet effective sniper, with compromises in its design being made to make it affordable for mass production. With a single ER large laser it could snipe at what had become the accepted medium to long range of the post clan invasion inner sphere. It could quite happily survive without its life-support and wait for long periods before powering up to surprise a foe. Its smart robotic brain could respond quicker then most drone units to new orders, while its guardian ECM was set to counter enemy ECM systems that could disrupt its signal to command.
Built on a composite frame though, the unit suffered from its fragility, and was not built to endure heavier fighting with heavy or assault lances. Still its masterful gunnery, afforded to it by its overclocked ER large laser, allowed it to keep itself out of most brawls, provided commanders could issue the orders in time.
Type: Army Ant (Robotic Drone)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 20
Battle Value: 585 (498)
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure Composite 1
Engine 100 Fusion 3
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink 10 [20] 0
Gyro 1
Cockpit 3
Armor Factor 64 4
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head 3 8
Center Torso 6 8
Center Torso (rear) 2
R/L Torso 5 6
R/L Torso (rear) 2
FR/L Leg 4 8
RR/L Leg 4 7
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Heat Tonnage
ER Large Laser CT 2 12 5.0
3 Double Heat Sinks RT 9 - 3.0
ECM Suite RT 2 - 1.5
Smart Robotic Control System (SRCS) HD 1.5 tons
3 Double Heat Sinks LT 9 - 3.0
Design
Based around the Dwarf Spider Droid from Star Wars, the Army Ant was meant to be a cheap drone mech meant for export as a security mech (which it technically isn't). Still to lean into how its not a very good unit I gave it a lot of quirks. With one weapon system and an all energy loadout, cooling was not so much a issue, so giving it the cooling flaw and no cooling jacket seemed like a excellent choice to get some good quirks. This along with other negative quirks allowed me to get quirks to compensate for drones inherent issues.
With a a 'Smart Robotic Control System' the Army Ant has a gunnery rating of 4 and a piloting rating of 8. By making it a quad and giving it the easy to pilot quirk this goes down to a piloting rating of 6, which while bellow IS standard, is not exceptionally bad. The accurate ER Large laser also grants a gunnery of 3 which is very good, especially as its meant to sit back and plink or run in swarms.
Now I am unsure on BV value, as I do not think my version of megamek calculates Smart robotic control system BV, but Interstellar operations said multiply the BV by 0.85, which with a BV of 585 becomes 497.25: rounded up to 498. This is a nice low BV, which also compliments its low cost of 1,612,000 C-Bills makes the Army Ant slot in nicely with other IS lights like the Wasp and Locust, as a nice long range plinker and low cost mech which you don't need to pay mechwarriors for.
Again its not the best, but its a fun idea for a robotic mech which are often gimped by their stats.
Edited by Zaku (05/03/22 03:45 PM)
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Cray
05/03/22 08:14 PM
104.136.113.133
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I like it. It's an interesting use of the drone 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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ghostrider
05/03/22 10:49 PM
45.51.181.83
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I would think the controls should be in something a little less expected. Moved from the head to the torso.
And if you really wanted to screw with people, have the head a full ejection unit that is filled with explosives, so you can drop it and run. 
Or maybe have the jaws usable in melee combat.
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Zaku
05/04/22 02:36 PM
82.40.9.192
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Thanks for the compliments
Also I do love the idea of a CT cockpit for the thing, and I have tried moving the head to the torso to make it a more effective zombie, however I was already penny pinching weight so it could not fit. Going up weight pushes it to cost to 2.5 million which makes it unattractive for a drone, given one of the main uses for a drone is meant to be disposable and thus cheap to replace. A suicide drone is not something I have done, and could make a fun rebuild with ER medium lasers.
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ghostrider
05/04/22 07:04 PM
45.51.181.83
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Just curious, but what does a drone need with a cockpit?
I always thought drones were unmanned. I can see dedicated weight/space for a computer to run it, but no real need for life support, or even a chair for a person.
So possibly moving the ERLL into the 'head', and use the CT spot for the computer system.
Though some mandibles that have a flamer in the 'mouth' would terrify people.
Barbeque from holding fast while cooking things.
New tactic.
Run a pair of them, so each grabs a leg on a biped, and yanks in opposite directions.
Violates the 2 mech max rule per hex, but would be funny.
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Zaku
05/05/22 04:09 AM
82.40.9.192
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As I understand it the idea of the smart robotic system merges with the cockpit, so its a composite system. It piggy backs on the existing controls in the mech, so you cannot remove the cockpit as the smart robotic system uses its electronics to function. Its a rules issues more than anything.
Sadly there are no melee weapon options for quads beyond some industrial equipment which are too heavy and talons. However I have it weak legs and a cooling system flaw so melee is unwise, especially as its a 20 tonner, so deals piddily melee damage.
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ghostrider
05/05/22 11:48 AM
45.51.181.83
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For existing mechs, I can see using the cockpit, as it means easier, and cheaper, merger with the controls.
But with a brand new design, I don't see where this is actually the case. Might be making it a bit more complicated, and it does have the issue of no game rules to even base this off of.
The ECM is nice, as it means it can be used to disrupt enemy coms and targeting systems. I can see a roll to tap into enemy coms and allow the unit to send false commands, while it blocks enemy orders.
Such as redirecting artillery fire to hit the original senders units instead of the Ant's allies. Calling for retreat or change formation at an inopportune moment for the enemy.
Force the enemy to make a check to see if they figure out the orders are false.
I know there aren't rules for it, but I would suggest a house rule that would allow the unit to dig itself a hidey hole.
Hehe, would allow an ambush, which might work well if they use bombs. As it is a drone, it could remain hidden for years. No pilot needing food and water.
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Zaku
05/05/22 12:20 PM
85.255.234.223
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The smart robotic system is a piece of kit found in strategic OPS with some very clear rules. It gives the unit a decent gunnery of 4 and a bad piloting of 8 and has clear rules if it enters a ecm unprotected: ranging from shorting out to going beserk.
It’s why it has its own Guardian ECM, despite it adding almost a 1/3 to the price. The guardian is less for disrupting enemy units and more for countering enemy ECM, to prevent them frying the robotic brain. My idea is for a lance of the army ants to move in unison, in a overlapping ECM grid. All to help shield them against enemy ecm warfare. Ideally I would give them compact design quick as well as to squeeze 2 of them into a bay. Allowing two lances to be deployed from a leopard or something like that.
As for digging a hole. It sort of can. As a quad it can more easily go hull down on a ledge for stable fire and a lower profile. So if you have a engineering vehicle you can dig a few holes and put army ants in them
Oh I would love to have them around c for years to ambush people. However if maintenance is not performed all units degrade in quality
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AmaroqStarwind
12/30/22 11:32 PM
104.28.234.80
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I could see myself fighting a bunch of these in Mechwarrior or MechCommander.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
Zaku
04/25/23 08:47 AM
148.252.141.8
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Not sure if anyone is curious but I made some art for the Army Ant, with some altered stats.
https://www.deviantart.com/the-pbg/art/Army-Ant-A4T5-944907790
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aurora43
04/25/23 11:08 AM
172.14.48.63
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Hey Zaku. Nice Quad. ". . .autonomous pack hunter. . ." sounds sinister.
Option for a 'Mech pilot is a human touch. Although, lacking an ejection system, the line of volunteer pilots may be fairly short.
Still, I like quads (and LAM's). Good seeing what you've put together. Thanks.
Edited by aurora43 (04/25/23 11:12 AM)
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AmaroqStarwind
04/03/24 06:17 PM
172.226.175.0
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Are drone mechs susceptible to the penalties of a Small Cockpit? Because if not, then you could possibly save a ton.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
