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AC/5 vs Heavy Rifle
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Captain_Frosty
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PostPosted: 09-Jan-2026 18:50    Post subject: AC/5 vs Heavy Rifle Reply to topic Reply with quote

Hello again, everyone!

Today I bring you a bit of a weird question that may seem obvious at first but I think bears a bit of actual thought.

That being;
Do you believe the Heavy Rifle can be a worthwhile alternative to an Autocannon Class 5?

Personally, I think there's a solid case to be made for such.

First of all, both weapons weight the same (8 tons) and both weapons have a max range of 18.

The Heavy rifle only has a min. range of 2 instead of the AC/5's 3.
The Heavy rifle, even with the damage reduction, deals 6 damage instead of 5 against proper 'mechs and combat vehicles while units with weaker armor (Infantry, battle armor, commercial plating and/or BAR of 8 or less) take the full 9 damage.
The Heavy rifle also costs 40% less C-Bills than the AC/5, being only 90.000 instead of 125.000.
The AC/5, however, has a lesser BV cost, being only 70 compared to the heavy rifle's 91.
The AC/5 also has a significant advantage in ammo, being able to use different types, get more shots per ton and is generally cheaper.
Lastly, the AC/5 only produces 1 heat instead of 4. Not like 4 heat is much but it's certainly a notable difference.

So overall, the AC/5 has the advantages one would expect from a more modern weapon (versatility and efficiency) but the Heavy rifle packs more of a punch with a slight advantage in minimum range and is significantly cheaper in C-Bills while being more expensive in BV.

Any thoughts?
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Mordel
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PostPosted: 10-Jan-2026 09:49    Post subject: AC/5 vs Heavy Rifle Reply to topic Reply with quote

I've never used the heavy rifle in game play, so I don't think I could fairly answer this. Heat does definitely matter though, and 4 is a lot more than 1 in that regard. The heavy rifle is also 1 less critical (if space matters).
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Rudel Gurken
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PostPosted: 11-Jan-2026 05:58    Post subject: AC/5 vs Heavy Rifle Reply to topic Reply with quote

I think the heavy rifle is a viable option. Not so much for battle mechs (where the heat can hurt) but especially for vehicles.
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