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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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 Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:11 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Or should those weapons be left to being used on vehicles?
I would like to hear your opinions on this.
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
Master Bartender
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:17 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Based on the game mechanics artillery on mechs is a waste. Arty doesn't hit often enough for it's use, even in a campaign setting. TAG makes it slightly better, but even the use of TAG has huge disadvantages.
In the "real world" (so to speak) some mechs would carry artillery so I think they should be able to carry them.
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2115
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:23 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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What if there exists a world that has heavy forests or mountains that place your forces far enough away from combat that artillery mounted on vehicles cannot reach the target?
That is why 'Mechs can mount arti...because they can go where vehicles can't...They make sure that arti can get to its target...
And before you say VTOLs mounting arti...what about airless worlds? Yes, there are some cases where humans have settled on moons (mostly for mining or research purposes) and yes, there would be fighting over them...these worlds would also knock out some of the vehicles in use...
Ruger
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chihawk
Clan Blood Spirit
Master Bartender
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:45 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Those are great examples as to why artillery would be mounted on mechs. Of course they still won't hit anything based on the game mechanics, but that's why they'd exist. 
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Black_Phoenix
Clan Nova Cat
Star Colonel
Joined: 23-Jun-2002 00:00
Posts: 382
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:54 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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What is the fun of artillery. I would just use orbital bombardments. You have the same chance of missing, and if you do, there is a 4 hex radius of damage. 
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Old Dog
Capellan Confederation
Sang-wei
Joined: 24-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 299
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 10:56 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Should it be possible?
Sure!
Is it avisable?
Not really.
There are some spots where it comes in handy .. the aforementioned woody mountain worlds and such. But these are gonna be raaaaaaare mechs. Very limited use, very low supply. Until Omnimechs were invented, I think the Catapult was the *only* mech in a capacity along these lines, and then, only after Arrow IV was dug up.
*Is* there a published mech with a Thumper? I can't think of one.
Hmm..
Might have me a project...
-- Old Dog, Kollie kaBOOM!
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2115
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 11:41 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-07-07 10:56, Old Dog wrote:
*Is* there a published mech with a Thumper? I can't think of one.
Hmm..
Might have me a project...
-- Old Dog, Kollie kaBOOM!
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Go with what some have suggested before...mount a Thumper arti piece on a Hollander...
Also, take the Stalker chassis, drop all weapons, give it 10 DHSs, keep the 216 pts armor and 3/5 speed on a standard engine...
Now give it two Sniper Artillery pieces with 2 tons ammo each (unfortunately, no CASE...but it's an arti 'Mech...it isn't supposed to get into combat)... 
Also, another thought as to why to use arti on 'Mechs...
'Mech based arti works best for those that have no way to transport vehicle based arti from world to world...or that it would not be economically feasible to hire seperate DropShips for... see merc units that use only 'Mechs...
Ruger
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 11:59 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-07-07 10:56, Old Dog wrote:
*Is* there a published mech with a Thumper? I can't think of one.
Hmm..
Might have me a project...
-- Old Dog, Kollie kaBOOM!
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There was the HUNTRESS mech from Battletechnology Magazine...
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2755
Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 13:53 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Do you have the stats for this one handy?
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Culverin
Draconis Combine
Gunsho
Joined: 15-Apr-2002 00:00
Posts: 97
Location: Canada
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 15:21 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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there are no offical variants with a thumper...
although there is a dropship, the fortress, with a long tom...
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Culverin's Domain
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2115
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 16:36 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-07-07 13:53, Kraken wrote:
Do you have the stats for this one handy?
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100 tons, 3/5 mover with 14 single heat sinks, 2 Thumpers with a ton ammo each (Thumpers mostly in side torsos, carrying over to arms...ammo in CT), LRM-10 with ton ammo and medium laser in each arm...something like 240 pts armor...
Was in BattleTechnology 14...
Ruger
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
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Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 17:17 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Here are the actually stats and fluff from BT#14
Type/Model: Huntress HNT-1S
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3050
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 2, Custom design
Mass: 100 tons
Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 300 Vlar Fusion
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
2 LRM 10s
2 Medium Lasers
2 Thumper Artillerys
Manufacturer: (Unknown)
Location: (Unknown)
Communications System: (Unknown)
Targeting & Tracking System: (Unknown)
==Overview:==
Late in the Star League era, Rebel Industrial Technologies began experimenting with mounting artillery pieces on a BattleMech Chassis. The Huntress is the most successful of those experiments.
The Huntress was originally intended to be a lighter and more mobile 'Mech, but the size and weight of the Thumpers forced the designers to use a 100-ton chassis. While not fast, the Huntress is far less restricted in terrain than other mobile artillery pieces. The Huntress can bring fire support virtually anywhere.
==Capabilities:==
Two Thumper artillery pieces are the main weaponry of the Huntress, giving the 'Mech fair fire support capabilities. A large ammunition supply ensures that the Huntress can deliver a sustained artillery barrage. The Thumpers also make the Huntress an excellent anti-VTOL platform. It was, however, necessary to weaken the 'Mech's torsos slightly in order to mount such big guns. While this has reduced the overall strength of the Huntress, there has been no noticeable effect on the 'Mech's performance.
Other weaponry includes two Delta Dart LRM-10 racks and two Martell medium lasers. This makes the Huntress better armed and better able to defend itself than any other mobile artillery platform. It is, however, somewhat undergunned for an assault 'Mech and best kept back from heavy fighting.
==Deployment==
The Huntress was never produced in great numbers, but as it was built from highly reliable components, many of the 'Mechs still survive today. Approximately 30 to 40 functional 'Mechs are scattered about the Inner Sphere, most in the possession of House Steiner and Kurita.
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Type/Model: Huntress HNT-1S
Mass: 100 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 152 pts Standard 0 10.00
Engine: 300 6 19.00
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 14 Single 2 4.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 LA, 1 RA)
Gyro: 4 3.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA R: Sh+UA+LA 14 .00
Armor Factor: 238 pts Standard 0 15.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 31 40
Center Torso (Rear): 15
L/R Side Torso: 21 32/32
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 10/10
L/R Arm: 17 20/20
L/R Leg: 21 25/25
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
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1 LRM 10 RA 4 24 4 7.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 LA, 1 RA)
1 Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
1 LRM 10 LA 4 2 5.00
1 Medium Laser LA 3 1 1.00
1 Thumper Artillery RT 6 40 17 17.00
(Ammo Locations: 2 CT)
1 Thumper Artillery LT 6 15 15.00
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TOTALS: 26 71 100.00
Crits & Tons Left: 7 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 9,144,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,070
Cost per BV: 8,545.79
Weapon Value: 1,121 / 1,121 (Ratio = 1.05 / 1.05)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 12; MRDmg = 13; LRDmg = 10
BattleForce2: MP: 3, Armor/Structure: 6/8
Damage PB/M/L: 2/2/1, Overheat: 2
Class: MA; Point Value: 11
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Gunslinger Patch
Royal Black Watch Regiment
Major
Joined: 04-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 1611
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 17:35 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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I have plans to make a couple of artillery mechs for my own private empire. I decided the mechs had to be quads that would stand still and squat down while firing and that the guns would be hard to use against close targets since they were made for indirect fire from at least a couple of mapsheets distance.
I had in mind one quad with 1 or 2 thumpers and another with a sniper and that there was no way anyone could stick a Long Tom on a mech. The Long Tom is a 20 point cannon, but it shoots one big shell, not a bunch of little ones. So I figure a mech of any kind just doesn't have the structural strength to withstand the recoil of a Long Tom without getting knocked on its ass.
[ This Message was edited by: Gunslinger Patch on 2002-07-07 17:37 ]
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Gangrene
Federated Suns
Leftenant General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 939
Location: United States
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 18:49 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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It can be done but its probably a waste of time.
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Gangrene
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2115
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| Posted: 07-Jul-2002 19:32 Post subject: Should mechs carry artillery class weapons? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-07-07 17:35, Gunslinger Patch wrote:
I decided the mechs had to be quads that would stand still and squat down while firing
I had in mind one quad with 1 or 2 thumpers and another with a sniper and that there was no way anyone could stick a Long Tom on a mech. The Long Tom is a 20 point cannon, but it shoots one big shell, not a bunch of little ones.
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Unfortunately, the design rules will not allow the placement of even a Thumper on a quad, unless you go for compact gyros or engines...there simply is not enough space for it...putting a Thumper in an empty side torso still leaves you with 3 crits you have to find room for...
And that places you in the realm of level 3 'Mechs...
Ruger
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