Payn;s Ponderings@ Battletech General Discussions

Jagga Spikes said:

Well, that's not allowed any more, if it ever was.

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aramis erak said:

It was, but at hefty penalties, in earlier editions. With a LAM, you had the much more likely to hit the head Death from Above... before they erratta'd LAMs to (ISTR 50 Tons), anything up to 90 tons was ripe for a LAM conversion...

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MGibster said:

I remember playing around 1989-1990 with the only guy we knew who owned all the BT stuff at the time. He was playing a Phoenix Hawk (I think), a mech with jump jets, and he had a peculiar strategy. Starting next to an enemy mech, he would jump 6 spaces but wouldn't actually displace any hexes. i.e. He starts his turn directly behind my mech, "jumps" and moves his mech a totally of 6 spaces, but ends his movement phase right back where he started directly behind my mech claiming any penalties to hit him based on having jumped and moved 6 spaces. It's been more than thirty years and that %##@% is fresh in my mind.

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MGibster said:

I don't think it was. I remember one player objecting on the grounds of, "It's how many spaces you displace not how many movement points you use."


I forgot that you could have huge LAMs. Wait, can you even have LAMs these days? I will note, that most games that allow players to build their own vehicles from scratch are ripe for abuse. It's too easy to build the most efficient vehicle when you don't have to worry about external costs like you do in a real world.

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aramis erak said:

it was, conditionally, available in the 1987 Rules of Warfare from FASA...

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TheHand said:

Inner Sphere:
Light - Jenner (highly mobile, plays well in most era's, a great harasser / flanker)
Medium - Phoenix Hawk (Maybe it's some Macross nostalgia, but it's always been a solid skirmisher in my games)
Heavy - Crusader (I have a soft spot for the Warhammer too but the squishy leg armor costs it. The Crusader is just a beefy tank that does well at any range and manages to consistently punch above its weight).
Assault - Nightstar (2 gauss rifles and a PPC are a nice way to say 'hello'. Plus I remember first reading its description in the 3058 book, where it said the Star League built them to escort Marauders. Yes, those poor little helpless Marauders ).

Clan:
Light - Puma/Adder (This little beast has obscene firepower in all of its variants. If I'm on the opposing team and I see one, it's getting an alpha strike!)
Medium - Goshawk/Vapor Eagle (It's a bit heavy on the cheese with its Targ Computer and Pulse, but I probably like it for all the same reasons I like the Phoenix Hawk; mobile, a solid skirmisher. I find it usually gets underestimated a lot, more obscure and not as flashy as the OmniMechs).
Heavy - This categories hard. The Clans have so many signature Heavy Mechs, and who doesn't love the Mad Cat/Timber Wolf? But I'm going to go with Cauldron Born (Primary config is just so-so, but the "A" with it's Ultra-20 and 2 ER Large lasers carries some brutal firepower. Just watch your heat!)
Assault - Daishi/Dire Wolf A (3 Lg Pulse + Gauss Rifle; unlike many other configs, this one doesn't overheat, it just delivers consistent high-damage)

For fun, I'm adding the <optional> Vehicle category, since I tend to feature them a lot (sticking with Inner Sphere only here)!

Light Vehicle - Saladin (speed matches the Locust but it packs an Autocannon 20. "What back armor?")
Medium Vehicle - Drillson (for a hover tank, this thing has a lot of armor, speed, and firepower)
Heavy Vehicle - Manticore (Great support tank with it's PPC and LRMs)
Assault Vehicle - Shrek (Having the firepower of an Awesome without the overheating sure is fun, especially in 3025 era games. Replace with the absurd triple-Gauss Alacorn if you're going up against the Clans!)

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payn said:

While I do like the Jenner, less so the Phoenix Hawk, the run hotness and lack of armor makes it hard for me to love them.

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TheHand said:

Yes, the Phoenix Hawk definitely struggles in those categories. Some of the variants manage their heat a little better than others, but I still have a soft spot for them.

Some runners' up for me in the Medium category (and arguably, better 'Mechs) would be the Blackjack, Enforcer, Wolverine, and your pick, the Centurion.

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