Courtesy of Eldoniousrex
Go-Cho Stephen Asagi had grown tired of the cat-and-mouse game he’d been playing with a Lyran Wolfhound for the better part of an hour. Largely because he was losing.
Normally, Go-Cho Asagi’s Hussar could have run rings around the Wolfhound, but the rocky terrain that surrounded the mines of New Anaheim prevented him from pushing his throttle too high, lest a loose boulder or patch of scree send his 30-ton machine tumbling to the ground. Worse, what little armor his ‘Mech possessed would be scraped off, leaving him exposed to the Wolfhound‘s laser fire.
But only slightly, Asagi thought with a derisive snort. Not twenty minutes into the running battle, Asagi had lost his left arm to a glancing blow from one of the Wolfhound‘s medium lasers. A direct hit might have pierced all the way through his torso and out the other side. And the damnable machine had three such lasers, plus an even larger one that would surely vaporize his entire cockpit with how little protection it had.
As another green beam sliced through a protective embankment, Asagi wondered briefly if he’d have been better off signing on with the Second Genyosha’s jump infantry.
But he’d been taken in by the tales of power and prestige from the ancient Star League machines that the DCMS had been so graciously bestowed by its new ComStar allies. His Chu-i had been given a Crockett (renamed the Katana by appropriately loyal Kuritan engineers), which seemed to confirm the stories of Star League martial prowess.
Asagi, however, was assigned a Hussar, a recon unit that was so poorly protected he might as well have been driving around in a hovercar. The ’Mech had less armor than a Locust, Stinger, or Wasp, and while it possessed a similarly large laser as the Wolfhound that pursued him, it had no other weapons to back it up. And the Wolfhound had more than enough armor to shrug off a shot from Asagi, while the same couldn’t be said for the Hussar.
Another green beam shone overhead, and Asagi knew it was time to once again sprint for the next available cover, this time a large shed outside of a pit mine. He even considered returning fire for a moment, but then a larger blue beam immolated a nearby pine, and he thought better of it.
Retreat seemed to be the only option, but he didn’t know where to go. He’d been separated from his lance, and while the original Hussar had an advanced comm system that could reach to his regiment’s C&C from halfway across the globe, the Hussar he was given seemed to lack that capability, as it did the extended range laser that might have at least allowed him to fire back outside of his opponent’s engagement radius.
He could try to leave the lip of the apparent pit mine, but he’d be dangerously exposed as he crested the hill, and he doubted that he’d survive even a few glancing hits. So, he ran further in.
With escape impossible, Asagi opted for the only tactic left: stealth. A pile of recently mined ore seemed just large enough to both obscure his ’Mech while simultaneously scrambling magnetic resonance sensors. He maneuvered his machine behind the mound of iron ore and powered down everything but his seismics to minimize his signature.
A few moments later, the stockpile shifted as the Wolfhound entered the lowest part of the pit mine. Asagi watched his sensor screen as the seismic detector indicated the Wolfhound was barely 200 meters on the other side of the heap he was hiding behind.
Like a squirrel around a tree, Asagi kept the pile of ore between them as the Wolfhound ventured deeper into the mine, torso scanning side to side in search. He knew a stand-up fight would be suicide—his only option was to run.
Once Asagi saw his opportunity, he took it. With the Wolfhound still on the opposite side of the pile, Asagi pushed his throttle to the stops and set the Hussar on a headlong dash out of the mine. The Wolfhound would certainly detect him, but he hoped that he’d be fast enough to make it out.
He wasn’t. While weaving between boulders and abandoned outhouses, his toe clipped the side of an empty dump truck. He managed to keep his machine upright, but it slowed him down enough that a blue beam reached out from the depths of the mine to lance straight through the Hussar’s back. Once it was finished melting the machine’s gyro, it still had enough power to burst through his frontal armor.
As Asagi felt himself lose all control and saw the Hussar begin to pitch forward at over 150 kph, he wondered again if he’d have been better off in the infantry.
Narration courtesy of BungleTech
Conventional wisdom dictates that speed is the best defense for a light ’Mech. As a small chassis simply cannot carry the armor of a heavier one, the pilot should be so fast as to be unhittable.
It is an inherently risky strategy. All it takes is a particularly skilled gunner (or a pilot whose gunnery is enhanced with targeting computers and pulse lasers) to dispatch a slightly armored foe with a single salvo.
That is not the case with the SLDF’s premiere recon ’Mech, the Hussar. With less armor than even the smallest light ’Mechs, only pure luck prevents the Hussar from being dispatched by a single errant autocannon round.
The Hussar debuted in 2620 during the height of the Star League. Originally proposed as an infantry-support ‘Mech, the Hussar‘s impressive top speed and then state-of-the-art communications and sensors suite made it an ideal combat scout. Its extended-range laser allowed it to fire at the very edge of an engagement, where its speed enabled it to dodge return fire.
However, the Hussar suffered greatly whenever the enemy was allowed to close. With just 1.5 tons of ferro-fibrous armor, the Hussar was extremely vulnerable to anything but the lightest of calibers. This wasn’t an issue for more than a century as the SLDF engaged in mostly minor policing actions, but the heavy fighting of the Amaris Civil War saw mounting casualties. Newhart Industries‘ factory on New Earth was destroyed in 2776, and many of the remaining Hussars left with General Kerensky‘s Exodus. Then the First Succession War seemed to drive the Hussar to extinction.
The Hussar made a miraculous return from an unexpected source. ComStar gifted the Draconis Combine a number of stripped-down HSR-300-D Hussars following the Fourth Succession War as part of Operation ROSEBUD. Although Davion and Lyran adversaries were surprised to see the Star League-era ’Mech fighting for the Dragon, Kuritan pilots soon saw the Hussar as a death trap. With even less armor than the original 200-D and lacking the extended range laser that allowed the Hussar to fight from beyond an enemy’s effective range, DCMS Hussars fell in droves during the War of 3039.
There were, admittedly, some Hussar refits that acknowledged the machine’s primary failure. The HSR-200-Db ‘Royal’ variant replaced the standard GM 270 engine with an extralight version, allowing the Hussar to mount an additional four tons of ferro-fibrous armor. The HSR-350-D was a relatively common Draconis refit that dropped the engine down to a Pitban 240, doubling the protection of the HSR-300-D and still allowing for a medium laser to be mounted in each arm.
A brief Hussar renaissance arrived following the Battle of Tukayyid. As ComStar sought to rebuild the Com Guards, it sold the original Hussar HSR-200-D and the “Clanbuster” HSR-400-D to Coventry Metal Works. These Hussars would see service on both sides of the FedCom Civil War, although the bulk of them would be delivered to the LAAF where they predictably saw heavy losses as Lyran combat doctrine failed to adjust for the Hussar‘s lack of armor protection.
The Word of Blake would become the sole producer of the Hussar after it conquered Coventry in 3068. This led to the production of the HSR-900-D with its light engine and five tons of heavy ferro-fibrous armor, and the HSR-950-D with a half-ton more armor, giving it the maximum armor protection a ’Mech of its size could achieve.
But the Hussar renaissance wouldn’t last. After Coventry was liberated in 3074, it shuttered the Hussar production lines in favor of more popular (and profitable) designs. Following the liberation of Terra, the only other Hussar producer—Bonn Mekarmorwerks—ceased production of all chassis and parts, either because it was destroyed in the fighting or because it was simply ordered to do so by coalition forces.
With no new hulls being produced, parts dwindling, and the design indelibly linked to the vile Word of Blake, Hussar numbers began to plummet. Some older 400-D models survived in Coventry stores and served with both the Lyran and Republic Armed Forces, but all had disappeared by Gray Monday. Today, Hussars only exist as museum pieces or as a rusting pile in some long-forgotten scrapyard.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
Stupid sexy Hussar!
Of course, the peculiar thing about the original Hussar 200D is the design need never have been as compromised on protection as it was. Having already splashed out on an expensive engine, armour and weaponry, the missing element on the SLDF’s shopping list was Endo-steel internal structure. Armour doubled immediately to at least the level of being able to resist medium laser and AC/5 hits.
That said, it’s an amusing Mech to play and is artistically significant.
>>That said, it’s an amusing Mech to play and is artistically significant.
If nothing else, the Hussar at least looks great (at least the original TRO:2750 art). It’s one of those ‘Mechs that epitomizes what I call the “SLDF Classic” look, BT’s first distinctive visual style that set it apart from its anime roots.
Another mech I’ve been waiting for to show up on the junk pile….bad mech list. I’ve felt aside it being bad on TT and lore, it’s just so derpy it needs a spot on the coveted (to avoid) list!
The Hussar is one of those Mechs that really, really needed (and deserved) a canonical IIC version. It gets INSANELY scary with a Clan ER Large Laser strapped to the roof, and the SLDF Royal variant of the Hussar almost certainly had at least a handful of examples traveling the Exodus Road with Kerensky’s pilots, so it’s extremely historically plausible.
Assuming we keep to canon and give it only the Clan versions of the XL engine and Ferro-Fibrous the Royal variant had, in keeping with IICs usually not getting fundamental refits, you get full armor, perfect heat capacity, and the ECM/Active Probe, all with two full tons left over for whatever.
My personal choice for those two saved tons would be a 1 ton MASC retrofit, and a 1 ton TacComp for the ER Large, amplifying everything the original Hussar wanted to be, without adding more hardpoints or heavily fundamental alterations.
As bad as it was, the Hussar was the source of two vital lessons for me as a player in the early days.
Do NOT mistake small for weak, and do NOT assume that something out of position one turn isn’t being prepared to stab you in the back next turn.
A dismissive “it’s so fragile, it’s nothing to worry about” soon became “oh god, it’s killing my Trebuchet.”
The “Hussar” and its vulnerability in-game did inspire my design back in 1992 or so with the star league level tech, the “procrastinator.” All I really did in art class was design and draw battlemechs. 30 tons, 10-15-10, 300XL, 2 medium lasers. A “Spider” really.
But yes I can’t remember the circumstance but trying the “Hussar” in-game led to disaster. I believe it was killed by a cheap vehicle like a hover tank with SRMs. Loved vehicles back then (open terrain, empty floor space, huge home made maps). No BV, just tonnage versus tonnage.
It’s also an interesting one because even the variants that are potentially good aren’t really well suited for the kinds of games people usually actually play. On just two mapsheets, there isn’t really room for kiting and playing with the long range, especially since it has no jump jets and only a torso mounted weapon, so terrain can cause real issues with maintaining TMM and keeping a target in arc. And once Pulse Lasers, Precision Ammo, TarComps, and jump enhancers come along, a lot of the Light Mech Hunters can actually chase it down fairly easily. But at the time it was created (both in and out of universe), almost nothing could reliably threaten it if it had room to maneuver freely.
Also, I like it’s awkward dorky little arms.
So, by the ilClan era, there’s finally a Hussar that doesn’t fold in half if you sneeze on it, that’s got decent weaponry and doesn’t sacrifice speed…
But no one wants it because it’s a Blakist design.
And yet, the Republic had no qualms with co-opting the Blue Flame–a Wobbie design through-and-through–into the Thunder Fox.
The Hussar has an interesting story, to say the least! With it’s ER large laser, it can do a LOT of damage, but the armor? SNEEZE on it and goodbye Hussar! The armor has been improved, but not by much, though! You COULD fit out the Hussar’s forearms with weapons by removing the hands! This takes away the Mech’s ability to “smash-n-grab” but it doesn’t look like it does that much of it in it’s history, though! It still is really good for “shoot-n-scoot” tactics, but armored vehicles like tanks and even conventional infantry can take it out with well-placed shots, and how would fare against powered-armor infantry like Clan Elementals? RIP Hussar!!!
This is kinda shenanigans.
The Hussar is a perfectly fine mech, with a couple really bad variants. So it’s not that it is a bad mech, it is that the SLDF played a terrible joke on all the Houses they sent 200-Ds to, as the 200-Db is one of the best scout mechs out there at any tech level. Not to mention the 500 and 950s are downright excellent fighting mechs in even passable tactical hands.
The SLDF first played the same joke on their own Regular regiments; remember, the Royal version is a retcon and there would have been a lot more Regular than Royal troops anyway, meaning that the -200-D would be the most common variant in the SLDF as a whole before any of the Houses got their hands on it.
What would be a more lethal large laser for the Hussar? Extended-Range or pulse? I still think you could remove the hand actuators from the forearms and install weaponry! It might make the Mech slower but possibly more lethal in combat! Thoughts, if any…..?
Critical slots aren’t the problem, Eric, pure weight is. This thing has sunk so much tonnage into the engine it’s hard-pressed to find weight anywhere else for other vital bits such as, you know, armor.
An XL engine or a drop from a 270 to a 240 engine solves some of this, of course, but truthfully even without that, I wouldn’t add more weapons; the 240 swap saves you 3 tons and the XL 270 buys you back a good 7 tons, but I’d sink that back into armor and perhaps jump jets. Even the most heavily armored 30 tonner is too delicate to be slugging it out in close battle (in my opinion, anything at 9 hexes or less is unsafe for lights), so being at the edges of a battle contributing as a sniper is tactically sound. An ER Large with double heat sinks would be the way to go.
Extended-range.
Outside of MRM, LL, BARELY PPC range.
This thing needs to dance just outside of return fire, even if it means missing and shuffling the initiative 10 seconds later. Pulse lasers are great but not for this mech. It just ain’t a “Penetrator.”
Seems a bit hypocritical that I don’t like the Flea 4 nor the Spider and yet I love the Hussar, but it does have a good mix of speed and firepower. The loss of its ER-LL definitely hurts the Hussar; it needs range to stay alive with its speed. If we’re talking IS-tech, even LPLs have a limited range that Hussars can hover outside of in ERLL medium range. The standard large laser variant has to make due with long-range and loses a lot of effectiveness if you want to try and stay safe. Having also used the 400-D I find the LB10x to give the Hussar an excellent critseeking/pillboxing role that fits it well.
I haven’t played with it in BV-balanced games; I suspect it might be too costly compared to what you could use in its place, but having a mobile backstabber on many non-hilly/forested maps would make it a very large looming threat. Someone mentioned hovertanks which, yes, probably outperform the Hussar both in price and performance in many cases. Personally I can’t call it a bad mech, but that’s likely my own bias talking.
Stupid, sexy Hussar!
Ha! A most cromulent response.
I killed one with a Ferret one time.
Ferret VTOL, or an actual mustelid? I’d believe either ;)
Mustelid. Had a jump trooper cut a hole in the canopy with an industrial vibro-saw and then dropped the ferret into the cockpit. I believe the data recorder documented the mechwarrior’s final words as “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Sir, that is a violation of the Ares Convention. Use of a biological weapon is not allowed in modern warfare.
Ehh, they’re more like what you call guidelines than actually rules. See pretty much the entire history of the setting. XD
Barbara Liao is taking notes…
Mr. Owl, I hope this correspondence from a parallel world reaches you well
My name is Easy Breeze, I am pony war historian specializing in interspecies conflicts.
For centuries we had never understood Nicholas Kerensky’s motive when he instituted harsher collective punishments on the changelings after he conquered Stana Mechty (we know the world of our birth had a different name once, but it was scrubbed as part of The Punishments.) The leading theory was because they killed Andery in battle, but we couldn’t square it with the fact that the minotaurs were not given a similar increased punishment despite slaying Jennifer Winson.
I’ll be blunt with my questions:
1) Are you saying that penetrating warheads designed to release swarms of aggressive, highly territorial and electrogenic flash bees inside a mech’s chassis were a violation?
2) Are you telling me that not only was the fabled Ares Convention Kerensky used to morally justify his brutality towards ‘barbarian beasts’ real, but that he was actually being proportionate with the retributions? Because that is such a bucked up revelation that I will continue to believe that it was all a load of horseapples that he pulled directly out of his ass thank you very much.
The Hussar is also a member of that most select club , ‘Mechs armed with only one weapon’ . . .
This is one of my favorite sorts of bad mechs, the kind that can conceivably be genuinely good in an extremely narrow set of circumstances. Like how the Vulcan is an absolute menace to small bands of guerillas and nobody else
I think if I had to choose between a Hussar and a Locust, the Locust would win hands-down! My fave Locust is the LCT-1E, with 2 medium lasers and 2 small lasers, each weapon in a 360-degree rotating turret on both side of the center torso! The pilot can suddenly turn ALL of his weapons behind him and open fire on some idiot trying to close on his six! AND it’s still got the Locust’s famous speed, agility, great tactical flexibility, and it’s easy to manufacture and repair! What’s not to love, right?
Have to admit, I really thought this one would end with the Hussar working it’s way around the Wolfhound, only to eat a medium laser blast to the face from the rear mounted gun because the pilot got over confident and forgot it was there.
This is the problem with BT as a board game, the mission goals are all about blowing up mechs when in fact the Hussar is a perfectly fine SCOUT mech whose job is to GTFO once it has finished counting all the enemy mechs and tanks in sight.
As a scout, I’d say that the original Hussar is excellent. As a hunter-killer…. it becomes less “hunter-killer” and more “suicide-seeker”.
THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!!!
Wait, it has no wings, and no armor…
Damn… how unfortunate.
Hussar LAM when?
Hussar as a LAM? GREAT taste, Lexi! I LOVE LAMs and think they’re unique and still useful! I just wish in the drawings they showed ALL three modes instead of the hybrid mode only! They’re just like the classic Valkyrie/Veritech fighters from Macross/Robotech! Too bad LAMs don’t perform in the game like they do in anime!
Merry Christmas, all! I was thinking of a line of the classic Battletech trilogy of the Clans’ Invasion, where Phelan Kell/Wolf and Natasha Kerensky are talking about how the Invasion could progress, as the Black Widow replies to Phelan’s question with a VERY scary answer: “Well, you will be home by Christmas then, Phelan, but don’t count on recognizing any world between Arc-Royal and here.” And let’s not forget during Christmas 3051, Wolf’s Dragoons and the Kell Hounds celebrated the holidays aboard their fleets bound to Luthien, to help defend the Capitol of their enemy the Draconis Combine from the invasion of Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat! Fun holiday themes, right?
I always had an alternate story in mind for the Hussar that involved it being a convertible recon/harasser unit.
As a pure recon unit, it would have a sensor package a la a U-2 and no weapons. But there’d be a field kit to convert it into a harasser unit by swapping the sensor package out for the ERLL.
Now, neither way of playing it would be much fun- the recon version just tries to run in and run out, while the actually-existing harasser version is built to zoom by, take a shot, and retreat immediately. It’s here for a long time, not a good time, and that’s not fun on the table.
But having it set up like that would essentially make it the first nod toward the omnimech concept that the Clans would later refine, much as the Star League started playing with powered armor before the end.
HSR-200-D Hussar vs. LCT-1V Locust
Using: MegaMek v0.49.7
–both pilots G3/P4
–Hussar bot set to Sniper, Locust bot set to Ambusher, with no forced withdrawal and no auto flee
–map: Rolling Hills 1 Rolling Hills 3
Rolling Hills 4 Rolling Hills 2
–Hussar always starts in NW, Locust always starts in SE
Hussar BV: 840
Locust BV: 570
Match 1
Turns: 4
Winner: Hussar (792/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by MG ammo explosion from ERLL hit
Match 2
Turns: 8
Winner: Locust (457/570 BV remaining)
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from ML hit but ‘Mech was already prone with damaged gyro and pilot unconscious
Match 3
Turns: 3
Winner: Hussar (747/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by MG ammo explosion from ERLL hit through CTR
Match 4
Turns: 5
Winner: Hussar (830/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL and pilot unconscious
Match 5
Turns: 5
Winner: Hussar (775/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed RL
Match 6
Turns: 12
Winner: Hussar (675/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by pilot death from repeated falling damage due to destroyed LL
I’ve cut down on the commentary here but this one was worth noting. On turn 4, the Locust destroyed the Hussar’s gyro, while the Hussar destroyed the Locust’s left leg. Picture, if you will, the two ‘Mechs continuing to shoot at each other while prone and adjacent, with the Locust continually trying to get up and falling again, damaging itself and the pilot each time. The Locust pilot actually spent 4 turns unconscious (while the Hussar did nothing), finally doing itself in on turn 12.
Match 7
Turns: 3
Winner: Locust (552/570 BV remaining)
–Hussar destroyed by pilot death from critical hit to cockpit by ML hit
Match 8
Turns: 2
Winner: Hussar (791/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by 3 critical hits to engine in same turn (2 from ERLL hit, 1 from Hussar physical attack)
Match 9
Turns: 4
Winner: Hussar (793/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit through CTR but ‘Mech was already damaged from repeated falls due to damaged gyro
Match 10
Turns: 4
Winner: Hussar (800/840 BV remaining)
–Locust destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit through CTR
Hussar wins 8/10.
Not what most people expected, right?
Obligatory Urbanmech Vs Hussar Request – the two most polar opposite 30 tonners both with one BFG
That is not one I would’ve thought to try. With such a mismatch in speed, what would be the most appropriate bot setting for the Urbie?
Urban ambush. One shot.
Try again with the 300-D, or upgrade the locust to something like the locust 5V or the 3S. Not something super powerful just with a bit more range.
I think in either case the Locust should pick up a few more wins
That’s actually about what I’d expect from that BV ratio. Especially given that it’s a big enough map for the Hussar to keep its distance and make use of its advantages.
The best use for the Hussar is “shoot-n-scoot” tactics as well as “snatch-n-grab” raiding due to it’s large laser and high speed: best NOT to get the Hussar in a low-mobility firefight in bad terrain: keep it out in the open with plenty of space to run and maneuver: the Hussar was BORN FREE! “As free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows, born free to follow it’s heart and KILL!”
We all know the famous ‘Mech design dictum: speed, armour, firepower, pick two.
As requested by Craig, here we have the two most diametrical opposites in the 30-ton weight class square off.
The Hussar is all speed and firepower, and armour…um, what is that?
The UrbanMech, by contrast, goes all in on armour and firepower, while speed…um, what is that?
The Urbie, despite its ponderously slow ground speed, is faced here with an opponent where it needs only one hit to any location to go internal, and more often than not destroy that location with the one hit. It has enough armour to survive one hit to any forward location from either the Hussar’s single ERLL or a physical attack without a breach, and even though its jump capability is very limited, that still gives it a certain tactical flexibility the Hussar might lack in close quarters.
The Hussar, for its part, has two real options: snipe from just outside of the Urbie’s AC/10 range if possible, or get behind the Urbie as quickly as possible and try to shoot out the rear torsos. Given the sheer mismatch in ground speed, the second option might actually be feasible much of the time. Otherwise, even the Urbie’s small laser can strip any location except the CT, and a single 10-point hit to either leg will cripple the Hussar instantly.
HSR-200-D Hussar vs. UM-R60 UrbanMech
Using: MegaMek v0.49.7
–both pilots G3/P4
–Hussar bot set to Sniper, UrbanMech bot set to Ambusher, with no forced withdrawal and no auto flee
–map: Rolling Hills 1 Rolling Hills 3
Rolling Hills 4 Rolling Hills 2
–Hussar always starts in NW, UrbanMech always starts in SE
Hussar BV: 840
UrbanMech BV: 665
This time, I added a new observation: how many–and which–locations were destroyed on the winner.
Match 1
Turns: 6
Winner: UrbanMech (267/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RA, RT
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from SL hit
Match 2
Turns: 6
Winner: UrbanMech (454/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA, LT
–Hussar destroyed by engine destruction from AC/10 hit (rolled a 12 on CT hit, all engine)
Match 3
Turns: 5
Winner: Hussar (767/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–UrbanMech destroyed by critting AC/10 ammo in a fall after failing a PSR from leg destruction; pilot subsequently killed.
Match 4
Turns: 5
Winner: Hussar (708/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA, LT, 1 gyro hit
–UrbanMech destroyed by critting AC/10 ammo in a fall after failing a PSR from gyro damage; pilot subsequently killed.
Match 5
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (480/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed RL
Match 6
Turns: 5
Winner: UrbanMech (636/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL
Match 7
Turns: 5
Winner: UrbanMech (578/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from SL and AC/10 hits in same phase
Match 8
Turns: 5
Winner: UrbanMech (556/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit
Match 9
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (556/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit
Match 10
Turns: 9
Winner: Hussar (685/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA, LT, 1 engine hit
–UrbanMech destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit
UrbanMech wins 7/10. Should this be a surprise?
The Hussar got lucky in two of its wins with the Urbie doing itself in, but all three of them had one thing in common, and that is those were cases where it was able to hit for concentrated damage, being able to strike the same locations and get a breach. In the cases where it lost, damage to the Urbie tended to be more spread out, with hits over multiple locations but nothing that went internal. With only a single weapon shot, the Hussar really needs to hit for concentrated damage to have a chance.
The maps were probably also not the best choice for the Hussar to really play to its one real strength. Generally, I favour the Rolling Hills maps because they contain a bit of everything a typical force is likely to encounter in a typical engagement, but they also have lots of woods clusters that break up LOS and slow even fast ‘Mechs down (at the same time providing opportunities for concealment). In such terrain, the Hussar needs to move like a hovertank, going around elevation changes and obstructions rather than trying to move over/through them, and the one thing a Hussar can’t afford is to be left exposed. The Urbie has just enough mobility to be able to hop over (and into/out of, for woods) obstructions until it can find a more advantageous position.
Sorry, that shouldn’t have been a double post. Can somebody please remove the second one?
yup!
… the ER-Laser outranges the AC10 by 4 hexes, and just by walking, it can keep the Range open. Walking backward uphill through a forest should give it 3 to 4 hexes, which is equal to or greater than the maximum of the Urban mech on a flat, clear surface.
So the question is, how did the Urbanmech pull this off, when the Husar could strike at the Urbanmech, without the Urbie being able to shoot back?
Short answer: the fight didn’t take place on a flat, clear surface ;-)
As I mentioned previously, the Rolling Hills maps have enough features that play to the Urbie’s advantage and force the Hussar to get closer than is really safe for it in order to get any shots off. Also, the MegaMek bot tends to try and maintain an offensive posture regardless of setting–I tried several different “defensive” presets and didn’t observe it using either of the recommended tactics (either dance just at the edge of the ERLL’s long range; or close/break off/regroup). It did try to keep the movement mod as high as possible, but not the range mod.
Also, once the Hussar starts taking any damage, it is much more vulnerable to transferred damage than the Urbie is. If it’s the 200-D, a 10-point hit will one-shot any location except the CT, with spillover damage to spare–and if an already-destroyed location is hit again, the transfer will wipe out the adjoining location and the process will repeat until the CT is gone. So the Hussar really has no choice but to avoid damage for as long as possible. The Urbie, despite being slow as molasses, is at least robust for its size.
HSR-200-D Hussar vs. UM-R60 UrbanMech
Using: MegaMek v0.49.7
–both pilots G3/P4
–Hussar bot set to Cowardly, UrbanMech bot set to Ambusher, with no forced withdrawal and no auto flee
–map: Open Terrain 1 Open Terrain 3
Open Terrain 4 Open Terrain 2
–Hussar always starts in NW, UrbanMech always starts in SE
Hussar BV: 840
UrbanMech BV: 665
Match 1
Turns: 12
Winner: Hussar (840/840 BV remaining!!!)
Destroyed locations: none
–UrbanMech destroyed by CT destruction from ERLL hit
The Urbie never even got a shot off this match. The Hussar always seemed to find the right position to stay out of the Urbie’s line of fire, and just ran rings around the Urbie, pecking away until it finally destroyed the CT.
Match 2
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (585/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by head destruction from UrbanMech physical attack but was already prone with destroyed LL
Match 3
Turns: 4
Winner: UrbanMech (602/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 and SL hits in same phase
Match 4
Turns: 8
Winner: Hussar (788/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RA
–UrbanMech destroyed by CT destruction from falling damage after failing a PSR but ‘Mech was already damaged with destroyed LL and 1 engine hit
Match 5
Turns: 5
Winner: Hussar (685/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA, LT, 1 gyro hit
–UrbanMech destroyed by head destruction from ERLL hit
Match 6
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (371/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RA
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from falling damage after failing a PSR but ‘Mech was already damaged with 2 engine hits and 1 gyro hit
Match 7
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (548/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit
Match 8
Turns: 7
Winner: UrbanMech (578/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 and SL hits in same phase
Match 9
Turns: 5
Winner: UrbanMech (608/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL
Match 10
Turns: 8
Winner: UrbanMech (471/665 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from AC/10 hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL
UrbanMech wins 7/10.
The change of scene and tactical profile did nothing to improve the Hussar’s overall chances, the one dramatic victory aside. It was pretty comical to see how often the Hussar was missing shots on 5’s to 7’s, while the Urbie was connecting on 8’s to 10’s. Almost like the bot wanted the Urbie to win…
I actually thought the Hussar would crank out a win here! If this was a video game or a Solaris game (2.5 second turns, 7.5 meter hexes) I suspect the micro-adjustments would keep the Urbanmech at arm’s length.
As has been shown here, the Hussar DOES have it’s uses: if it’s properly exploited by it’s pilots, the design can do a LOT of damage with it’s large laser and high speed, but keep it out of a prolonged fight or it’s toast!
Prolonged fights are the only fights it can do. It needs to stay out of the engagement envelope of its opponents.
Problem: There are weapons with greater range then an IS-ER-Large Laser, even in the IS (LRM and AC2). AC5 and PPC are only one hex shorter ranged then the IS-ER-Large laser.
HSR-200-D Hussar vs. LCT-1E Locust
Using: MegaMek v0.49.7
–both pilots G3/P4
–Hussar bot set to Sniper, Locust bot set to Ambusher, with no forced withdrawal and no auto flee
–map: Rolling Hills 1 Rolling Hills 3
Rolling Hills 4 Rolling Hills 2
–Hussar always starts in NW, Locust always starts in SE
Hussar BV: 840
Locust BV: 730
Match 1
Turns: 3
Winner: Locust (488/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA
–Hussar destroyed by head destruction from Locust physical attack
Match 2
Turns: 7
Winner: Locust (730/730 BV remaining!!!)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from 3 laser hits to CTR in same phase but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL and pilot unconscious
The Hussar failed to land even a single shot this time, while it was in trouble as soon as the Locust started damaging its left leg.
Match 3
Turns: 8
Winner: Locust (325/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RL
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from ML hit to CT but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed LL and pilot unconscious (knocked out from falling damage)
This one reduced itself to a stand-and-shoot match where each ‘Mech was missing a leg. The Locust’s greater number of chances to hit allowed it to win in the end—that, and the fact that the Hussar’s pilot was unconscious.
Match 4
Turns: 3
Winner: Hussar (589/840 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none but left hip damaged
–Locust destroyed by CT destruction from ERLgLas hits to CT in consecutive turns
Match 5
Turns: 7
Winner: Locust (628/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from ML hit to CT but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed gyro
Match 6
Turns: 7
Winner: Locust (665/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: none
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from SL hit to CT but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed RL
Match 7
Turns: 4
Winner: Locust (511/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RA
–Hussar destroyed by engine destruction from Locust physical attack but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed gyro
The Locust TAC’ed the Hussar’s CT on its first shot and scored 3 gyro crits, after which the Hussar obviously wasn’t going anywhere.
Match 8
Turns: 4
Winner: Locust (548/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA
–Hussar destroyed by CT destruction from ML hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed gyro
Match 9
Turns: 6
Winner: Locust (474/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: RA
–Hussar destroyed by engine destruction from ML hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed RL
Match 10
Turns: 8
Winner: Locust (533/730 BV remaining)
Destroyed locations: LA
–Hussar destroyed by head destruction from ML hit but ‘Mech was already prone with destroyed RL and pilot unconscious
LCT-1E Locust wins 9/10.
Changing to a different, more robust Locust variant with more guns and no juicy ammo bomb made all the difference.
Yep that’s closer to what I’d expect. A single ML +2 mg doesn’t do the Locust any favours when it has a hard time closing range. Eric made a good point as well with flipping arms. It means even on rounds where the Hussar wins init it’s still not safe
I always KNEW that the Locust is a great design and can do the job when it does it right! I also really like the LCT-1E variant, with it’s wicked firepower which can be turned 180 degrees to the rear and make an opponent’s day REALLY bad! The Locust IIC and it’s Inner Sphere equivalent the Koto, at least in tonnage, are really nice, too, especially the original Solaris 7 Koto, the “Kafka”!