Let's Play Together: GM'd Battletech via MegaMek XII

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 12:10 pm

Leraje wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:36 am
El Guapo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:18 am Also, how bad is it to get within (long) range of the Daishi's medium pulse lasers? It sounds like it can't fire those and the large lasers, right?
MPL: 7 Damage, 4 Heat, 4/8/12 Range
ErLL: 10 Damage, 12 Heat, 8/15/25 Range

Direwolf Prime has 44 heat sinking, so within MPL range it can indefinitely sustain 4x MPL + 2x ErLL. In other words, it's bad.

Yeah, sounds about right. This is more a problem for the Kurita Awesome, since 12 is medium range for its IS PPCs, which means it's stuck at long range unless it wants to get into range of the medium lasers. Which is less than ideal since the pilot isn't as good a shot and one of the PPCs has a +2 to hit penalty.

So, pinging from long range with two PPCs it is, I guess.

Also this is for later, but I wonder whether it might make sense to swap the Marauder's medium pulse lasers for autocannons or something else with range. Since my pilot is such a good shot it generally seems better to hang out from distance, so medium pulse lasers seem to rarely come into play.

Leraje · Post by **Leraje** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 12:36 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 12:10 pm Also this is for later, but I wonder whether it might make sense to swap the Marauder's medium pulse lasers for autocannons or something else with range. Since my pilot is such a good shot it generally seems better to hang out from distance, so medium pulse lasers seem to rarely come into play.

2 ErPPCs and Gauss is about as good as you can get on a Marauder even with Clan tech. The remaining tonnage is not enough to to mount anything with enough oomph.

As a comparison, the best result I got with a Clan Marauder II (85T) has weapon loadout identical to yours just with more armour, 20 DHS and a 4/6/4 movement profile.

WestorEast · Post by **WestorEast** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 4:05 pm

I'll take control over the K. Wolverine and advance over the river and open fire on the Ryoken.
Also, what's the weapon loadout for this mech?

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 4:28 pm

WestorEast wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 4:05 pm I'll take control over the K. Wolverine and advance over the river and open fire on the Ryoken.
Also, what's the weapon loadout for this mech?

Wolverine WVR-6R
Gunnery/Piloting: 4/4
55 tons
Movement: 5/8/5
Heat Sinks: 12
Armor: 152 points
Weapons: (Name - Location - Heat - Damage - Range Brackets Short/Medium/Long)
AC/5 - Right Arm - 1 - 5 - 6/12/18 (minimum range 3) (20 shots)
Medium Laser - Head - 3 - 5 - 3/6/9
SRM/6 - Head - 4 - 12 (6x2) - 3/6/9
Quirks:
Command Mech
Extended Torso Twist
Protected Actuators
Cramped Cockpit

moleymoleymoley · Post by **moleymoleymoley** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:20 pm

move to 1826 and face north

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:08 pm

Isgrimnur moves west, the smoke blocking the Daishi from seeing him.

TheMix jumps back, attempting to saw the Ryoken's leg off but missing, hitting the back torso of the downed mech instead. Our mechwarrior spreads his hands in frustration, mouthing "how?"

Leraje moves up to the edge of the hill he's been camping on the entire battle, but can't get the range on the Daishi, even with the clan-spec lasers. He attempts to take a few long-range shots on the Ryoken, but is unable to hit the rapidly moving mech at that range.

The Kurita Wolverine also gets outmaneuvered by the Ryoken, which charges forward, engaging El Guapo's Marauder instead. El Guapo ignores the lighter mech, lining up PPC shots and ignoring both the heat alarms and the "ammo low" warning flashing on his gauss rifle's ammo bin. He watches the Daishi blast at the nearby Kurita Awesome several more times, pinging its armor with ultra autocannon rounds and some LRMs, while sending a pulse laser blast at Stefan's Trebuchet. A PPC blast from Lich and LRMs from Stefan ping "harmlessly" against the titan's armor, and the Awesome's PPCs fly everywhere but at the 100-ton target. The nearby Ryoken's pulse lasers melt armor off the Marauder, but then the mech's targeting system emits a brief beep and the dot in the center of the crosshairs turns gold. The two PPCs fly true, gouging chunks of armor out of the Daishi's right arm and left torso, and then the last gauss slug emerges from the magnetic accelerator, leaving behind a trail of ripples as it travels straight through the 100-ton mech's head. The behemoth teeters briefly, smoke blowing around it, then drops unceremoniously to the ground.

"Gauss rifle ammunition... depleted." the Marauder's computer informs El Guapo, who decides to let the one-liner stand.

Final Battlefield State:

Spoiler:

Raw data:

Spoiler:

The remaining Ryoken books it, leaving the legged Loki on its own. Our attempts to pursue it don't really pan out, as it uses the extensive smoke cover and hills to break up line of sight, joining its three other escaped buddies (a Loki, a Vulture and another Ryoken, plus a few stray battle armor troopers).

The field is ours, although the force we sent got beat up pretty good: House Kurita is down at least 19 industrial mechs, 21 if you count the ones that will require extensive repairs. Additionally, they only have two mechs left on the field that are combat-effective, with another three forced to widthdraw due to extensive battle damage. The remaining seven are either completely disintegrated due to ammo explosion, or will require weeks of repairs. We didn't escape unscathed either - we'll have a better idea of the damage we took when our mechs get back to base, but almost all the mechs we sent in have taken some kind of damage, and we've got a lot of dinged-up mechwarriors.

The good news is that we're going to have some pretty good salvage, even if the Kurita guys are going to claim a good chunk of it.

Meanwhile, intensive fighting continues all across Luthien as combined Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat forces press their initial assaults, attempting to break out of their landing zones.

Kill Board:
El Guapo: Daishi
Leraje: Ryoken #5 (leg removal)
Isgrimnur: Nobori-Nin (engine kill), Elementals (fire), Black Hawk (hug)
Leraje: Mad Cat #12 (head shot), Mad Cat #3 (center torso kill), Ryoken (leg removal)
Lich: Black Hawk (shared with Isgrimnur), Vulture #2 (shared with Kurita Shadow Hawk)
Moley: Mad Cat #11 (shared with WestOrEast) (leg removal)
Kurita Phoenix Hawk: Man O' War
Kurita Archer: Thor
Kurita Shadow Hawk: Vulture #2 (shared with Lich)
Kurita Marauder: Loki #4
LoaderMech #190: Elementals #16

Clan Kill Board:
Vulture #2: LoaderMech #44, Kurita Warhammer
Vulture #13: LoaderMech #42
Ryoken #14: LoaderMech #189, LoaderMech #187
Loki #4: LoaderMech #39, Kurita Thunderbolt
Man O' War: LoaderMech #38
Thor: LoaderMech #40
Ryoken #15: LoaderMech #33, LoaderMech #36
Ryoken #5: LoaderMech #43
Nobori-Nin: LoaderMech #191
Mad Cat #11: LoaderMech #190, LoaderMech #188
Mad Cat #12: LoaderMech #35, LoaderMech #41, Kurita Marauder
Mad Cat #3: LoaderMech #37, Kurita BattleMaster, LoaderMech #39, Kurita Crusader
Loki #9: LoaderMech #195
Black Hawk: LoaderMech #193
Elementals #19: LoaderMech #194
Daishi: Kurita Shadow Hawk, Kurita Wolf Trap

AN: Hope everybody had a good time - these old-school scenarios are a bear to try to balance.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:46 pm

F'in-A, El Guap!

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:48 pm

I learned something. I should have gone with a ranged mech. Our last contract was pretty up-close-and-personal friendly. Clan mechs are not.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:50 pm

Does that headshot mean that the Daishi is both all ours, and also in virtually mint condition?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:55 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:50 pm Does that headshot mean that the Daishi is both all ours, and also in virtually mint condition?

Yep.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:00 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:55 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:50 pm Does that headshot mean that the Daishi is both all ours, and also in virtually mint condition?
Yep.

TotallyNotEvil · Post by **TotallyNotEvil** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:04 pm

Holy shit YEEEEEEEEEEES

Literally the first thing I thought when I saw a Daishi was headshotting it and nabbing it for the company.

moleymoleymoley · Post by **moleymoleymoley** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:36 pm

GUAPO! GUAPO! GUAPO!

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:48 pm

Boom!

So...can I call dibs on the Daishi? Not that I don't love the Marauder, but a 100 ton Omnimech sounds pretty good too.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:50 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:08 pm
Kill Board:

Isgrimnur: Nobori-Nin (engine kill), Elementals (fire), Black Hawk (hug)

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:51 pm

ALSO - the pilot of the terrifying 100 ton death mech was named..... "Wilburt MacRanald"???

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:54 pm

That was a lot of fun! Thanks for running this.

Also funny how I thought that we were completely boned, and then only a few turns later we were in the driver's seat. I guess I wasn't paying too close attention to how badly damaged some of the Clan mechs were (even though it took us awhile to break through and start knocking them out).

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:58 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:51 pm ALSO - the pilot of the terrifying 100 ton death mech was named..... "Wilburt MacRanald"???

I just hope that the arrogant S.O.B. had a moment to realize before being snuffed. Prick.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:59 pm

Also - what's the best that anyone managed with their decoy / loadermechs? Seems like they didn't do much other than absorb hits. I don't think I even moved either of mine - only thing I ever did was detonate the Marauder paired loadermech (and I'm not sure that that did any damage).

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:02 pm

I think I managed to damage some elementals... and a couple of allies.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:23 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:02 pm I think I managed to damage some elementals... and a couple of allies.

Don't forget you also pinged that one Vulture and blew out half its weapons.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:59 pm Also - what's the best that anyone managed with their decoy / loadermechs? Seems like they didn't do much other than absorb hits. I don't think I even moved either of mine - only thing I ever did was detonate the Marauder paired loadermech (and I'm not sure that that did any damage).

A couple of the loadermechs scored some minor armor damage, and one took out an Elemental squad when it detonated as it was being swarmed. The rest inflicted some very minor armor damage, half on the elementals, half on our mechs. But yeah, mostly they just ate lasers and gauss rounds.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:32 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:23 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:02 pm I think I managed to damage some elementals... and a couple of allies.
Don't forget you also pinged that one Vulture and blew out half its weapons.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:59 pm Also - what's the best that anyone managed with their decoy / loadermechs? Seems like they didn't do much other than absorb hits. I don't think I even moved either of mine - only thing I ever did was detonate the Marauder paired loadermech (and I'm not sure that that did any damage).
A couple of the loadermechs scored some minor armor damage, and one took out an Elemental squad when it detonated as it was being swarmed. The rest inflicted some very minor armor damage, half on the elementals, half on our mechs. But yeah, mostly they just ate lasers and gauss rounds.

Oh. I was only referring to the loader mech explosions that I triggered. (At least one did damage to some friendlies.)

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:32 pm

I prefer not to think much about my personal performance. I'm not getting a promotion any time soon.

Freyland · Post by **Freyland** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:41 pm

DUDE! Nice shot!

moleymoleymoley · Post by **moleymoleymoley** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 3:52 pm

I like to think my devil take the hindmost attitude was vindicated, can't advance across the river when I'm bouncing around your backyard, BITCH

TotallyNotEvil · Post by **TotallyNotEvil** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:03 pm

And the nice part of it being an Omni is that you can swap its guns around pretty willy nilly.

Personally, I'd yank the UAC-5s, put in a GR with two tons of ammo and another two sinks. It will actually allow you to fire all four ERLLs without building up heat, as long as you don't move. Maybe even dropping an MPL for a third sink, to fire all long range guns while sitting atop a nice hill somewhere.

That'd be even more of a super death mech than it already is, IMO. Double UAC-5 is more overall damage, but we just saw what a GR in the right place can do.

Myself I really want two things: a Clan ECM and a Clan LRM20.

That'd be the Final Form for my Griffin, I think. Install both in place of the IS ECM and IS LRM15 I have, swap armor to 11.5t standard and add another DHS and voilá.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:16 pm

TotallyNotEvil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:03 pm And the nice part of it being an Omni is that you can swap its guns around pretty willy nilly.

Personally, I'd yank the UAC-5s, put in a GR with two tons of ammo and another two sinks. It will actually allow you to fire all four ERLLs without building up heat, as long as you don't move. Maybe even dropping an MPL for a third sink, to fire all long range guns while sitting atop a nice hill somewhere.

That'd be even more of a super death mech than it already is, IMO. Double UAC-5 is more overall damage, but we just saw what a GR in the right place can do.

Are there any PPC-based Daishi variants that are decent?

TotallyNotEvil · Post by **TotallyNotEvil** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:24 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:16 pm
TotallyNotEvil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:03 pm And the nice part of it being an Omni is that you can swap its guns around pretty willy nilly.

Personally, I'd yank the UAC-5s, put in a GR with two tons of ammo and another two sinks. It will actually allow you to fire all four ERLLs without building up heat, as long as you don't move. Maybe even dropping an MPL for a third sink, to fire all long range guns while sitting atop a nice hill somewhere.

That'd be even more of a super death mech than it already is, IMO. Double UAC-5 is more overall damage, but we just saw what a GR in the right place can do.
Are there any PPC-based Daishi variants that are decent?

There's the "Widowmaker", with 2x ERPPCs, an UAC-20 (!), 2x LPL and 2x ERML. Holy shit that's a lot of gun.

There's the B, with 2x ERPPC, 2x MPL, 1x LB-10X... and 4x (!!) UAC-2s (????).

It's an Omni, so you should be able to fit it however you want as long as we have the pods.

You could, for example, do something incredibly disgusting, like a Clan-tech Devastator- double ERPPCs and double GRs.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:26 pm

TotallyNotEvil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:24 pm
El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:16 pm
TotallyNotEvil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:03 pm And the nice part of it being an Omni is that you can swap its guns around pretty willy nilly.

Personally, I'd yank the UAC-5s, put in a GR with two tons of ammo and another two sinks. It will actually allow you to fire all four ERLLs without building up heat, as long as you don't move. Maybe even dropping an MPL for a third sink, to fire all long range guns while sitting atop a nice hill somewhere.

That'd be even more of a super death mech than it already is, IMO. Double UAC-5 is more overall damage, but we just saw what a GR in the right place can do.
Are there any PPC-based Daishi variants that are decent?
There's the "Widowmaker", with 2x ERPPCs, an UAC-20 (!), 2x LPL and 2x ERML. Holy shit that's a lot of gun.

There's the B, with 2x ERPPC, 2x MPL, 1x LB-10X... and 4x (!!) UAC-2s (????).

It's an Omni, so you should be able to fit it however you want as long as we have the pods.

You could, for example, do something incredibly disgusting, like a Clan-tech Devastator- double ERPPCs and double GRs.

Oh man. I remember in Mechwarrior 2 once I got into a 100 ton mech my loadout was something like that - two PPCs, two Gauss rifles, two SRM6s and two medium lasers. It was the best.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:31 pm

Also, did we manage to get any other mech chassis more or less intact (other than the Daishi), such that we can salvage the entire mech and not just parts / weapons?

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:32 pm

I think most of the rest were pretty beat up. Even the legless one and the unconscious pilot one.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:53 pm

I'll run through the salvage tomorrow; most of the other salvaged mechs are missing at least one limb, but I'm pretty sure you've got enough Mad Cats and Ryokens to put together at least one functional one of each. The Thor is *very* beat up, but uses standard internal structure, so you should be able to wrangle up some spare limbs for it without too much difficulty. Same goes for the Man O' War and Black Hawk. Nobori-Nin is endo-steel so that one's good to take apart. A lot of these have "clan-spec" ferro-fibrous armor though, so we'll have to downgrade a little otherwise we won't be able to operate them without, fighting the clans again.

We won't have enough time to put any of these back together while the fighting on Luthien is going on, but afterwards... we'll be swimming in it.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:55 pm

We should definitely prioritize getting the Daishi up and running, if we can. I suspect we'll be needing it before long.

Also, I probably need to revisit my mech choice. If most of our engagements are going to be against Clan mechs, and not tanks, etc., then I probably need to switch to something with some range.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:01 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:55 pm Also, I probably need to revisit my mech choice. If most of our engagements are going to be against Clan mechs, and not tanks, etc., then I probably need to switch to something with some range.

I wouldn't say *most*, but you guys did pick "No Guts, No Galaxy" difficulty.

So there's definitely more clanners in your future.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:02 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:01 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:55 pm Also, I probably need to revisit my mech choice. If most of our engagements are going to be against Clan mechs, and not tanks, etc., then I probably need to switch to something with some range.
I wouldn't say *most*, but you guys did pick "No Guts, No Galaxy" difficulty. So there's definitely more clanners in your future.

The clans don't use tanks, do they?

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:30 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:02 pm The clans don't use tanks, do they?

The back-line garrison forces do. They're no front-line omnimechs, but they can get pretty nasty.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:36 pm

NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:30 pm
El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:02 pm The clans don't use tanks, do they?
The back-line garrison forces do. They're no front-line omnimechs, but they can get pretty nasty.

So... you are saying we have that to look forward to?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:38 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:36 pm
NickAragua wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:30 pm
El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:02 pm The clans don't use tanks, do they?
The back-line garrison forces do. They're no front-line omnimechs, but they can get pretty nasty.
So... you are saying we have that to look forward to?

Well, we will if we survive long-enough to participate in the eventual counter-offensives against the Clans.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:22 pm

Optimists

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:39 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:16 pm
TotallyNotEvil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:03 pm And the nice part of it being an Omni is that you can swap its guns around pretty willy nilly.

Personally, I'd yank the UAC-5s, put in a GR with two tons of ammo and another two sinks. It will actually allow you to fire all four ERLLs without building up heat, as long as you don't move. Maybe even dropping an MPL for a third sink, to fire all long range guns while sitting atop a nice hill somewhere.

That'd be even more of a super death mech than it already is, IMO. Double UAC-5 is more overall damage, but we just saw what a GR in the right place can do.
Are there any PPC-based Daishi variants that are decent?

Also don't forget to install a kick ass sound system!