Lets All Play Battletech and rewrite Inner Sphere history

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Cthulhu Dreams: Dec 11, 2010; If I pretend to be Cthulhu no one will know I'm a baseball robot.

Affi posted:

Got stuck on MekLab, but might convert to Solaris if this doesnt work. So anyway. What's the arm that lets you reverse and shoot backwards?

Having a lower arm e: I think?

# ? Oct 16, 2011 14:30

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 09:34

Keru: Aug 2, 2004; 'n suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us 'n the sky was full of what looked like 'uge bats, all swooping 'n screeching 'n divin' around the ute.

I believe all you need is a removed Hand Actuator and Lower Arm Actuator for the limb in question? Basically instead of a full arm it's just a gun strapped to the Upper Arm Actuator that swivels a full 360 degrees. Someone better versed in this can correct me if I'm wrong.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 14:31

Affi: Dec 18, 2005; Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

Keru posted:

I believe all you need is a removed Hand Actuator and Lower Arm Actuator for the limb in question? Basically instead of a full arm it's just a gun strapped to the Upper Arm Actuator that swivels a full 360 degrees. Someone better versed in this can correct me if I'm wrong.

Alright. Well I unclicked the Lower Arm and Hand on Skunkwerks (quickly switched, heh) How do I convert so that I can actually try out my mech and see if it works the way I intend it to?

# ? Oct 16, 2011 14:47

Mary Annette: Jun 24, 2005

T.G. Xarbala posted:

But what I wanna know is, do the Dracs have a good commonly fielded medium design that could stand to take a whole Gauss Rifle, run to at least 64 km/h (or even maybe 80!), and not sacrifice all of its armor?

Basically, I'm hoping someone submitted a samurai Hollander II.

"Spare parts Hollander" is exactly how I described my submission.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 14:50

Keru: Aug 2, 2004; 'n suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us 'n the sky was full of what looked like 'uge bats, all swooping 'n screeching 'n divin' around the ute.

Affi posted:

Alright. Well I unclicked the Lower Arm and Hand on Skunkwerks (quickly switched, heh) How do I convert so that I can actually try out my mech and see if it works the way I intend it to?

Just do the export thing under File -> Export -> Export to .mtf to get a file megamek understands, then you move the .mtf file into the mechs.zip file in your megamek directory and it should load in megamek. You'll have to search for the thing unless you put it into a specific subcatalog in the .zip, though.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 14:54

landcollector: Feb 28, 2011

Affi posted:

Got stuck on MekLab, but might convert to Solaris if this doesnt work. So anyway. What's the arm that lets you reverse and shoot backwards?

One without lower arm or hand actuators.

Edit: beaten by several others.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 15:04

AtomikKrab: Jul 17, 2010; Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.

Actually as it stands neither Ivar or Joshua will miss against an opponent in the ideal range bracket when neither they (Ivar/Joshua) or the opponent move. This is because the minimum roll possible is a two and there is no such thing as an automatic failure in battletech except on luck rolls (Like getting smacked in the head by a long tom the blackout roll is luck) which is arbitrarily set at a 3 just because a guy blacking out from it could happen. a 0/0 pilot actually has a two point margin and so could hit someone in medium range every time if neither of them moved.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 16:45

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Affi posted:

edit; Also why is it that in Megamek some of the mechs have 12 heat without heatsinks while my prototypes only have 10 without heatsinks?

Engine size. Bigger engines house more heat sinks.

Edit: Wow, there's going to be a lot of 'Mechs to judge. I've also gotten contest-entries for people who don't have SA accounts.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 18:27

lilljonas: May 6, 2007; We got crabs? We got crabs!

PoptartsNinja posted:

Engine size. Bigger engines house more heat sinks.

Edit: Wow, there's going to be a lot of 'Mechs to judge. I've also gotten contest-entries for people who don't have SA accounts.

The true measure of fame.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 18:44

raverrn: Apr 5, 2005; Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!

How many are exact duplicates of each other? I know mine seemed like a real easy no-brainer.

raverrn fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Oct 16, 2011

# ? Oct 16, 2011 19:08

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

raverrn posted:

How many are exact duplicates of each other? I know mine seemed like a real easy no-brained.

I've had a couple similar designs, and at least two that I'm going to need to take a magnifying lense to to tell apart; but a lot of them have been a decent mix; and there're even a couple of (extremely common) non-DCMS 'Mechs thrown in.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 19:12

Affi: Dec 18, 2005; Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

PoptartsNinja posted:

Engine size. Bigger engines house more heat sinks.

Edit: Wow, there's going to be a lot of 'Mechs to judge. I've also gotten contest-entries for people who don't have SA accounts.

I think I might have forgot to put my name on it (besides my real name)

What is the difference between the Grand Dragon and the Dragon chassis? They're both the exact same weight right?

Affi fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Oct 16, 2011

# ? Oct 16, 2011 20:03

Mukaikubo: Mar 14, 2006; "You treat her like a lady... and she'll always bring you home."

PoptartsNinja posted:

I've had a couple similar designs, and at least two that I'm going to need to take a magnifying lense to to tell apart; but a lot of them have been a decent mix; and there're even a couple of (extremely common) non-DCMS 'Mechs thrown in.

You know, hypothetically speaking, if you've got a few entries you really like, I count more than one Clan mech on the field that needs a name. :ninja:

# ? Oct 16, 2011 20:34

Magni: Apr 29, 2009

Affi posted:

I think I might have forgot to put my name on it (besides my real name)

What is the difference between the Grand Dragon and the Dragon chassis? They're both the exact same weight right?

None. The Grand Dragon is functionally a variant/upgrade with a new name. It just replaces the Dragons AC/5 with a PPC, the autocannon ammo bin with a medium laser and adds two heat sinks in, so you have slightly differrent internals afterwards.

# ? Oct 16, 2011 20:38

Arquinsiel: Jun 1, 2006; "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

I am sad that I missed this :smith:

# ? Oct 17, 2011 01:06

Runa: Feb 13, 2011

I noticed that was a bit strange, too, since the Grand Dragon is literally just a Dragon without a crappy main gun. The AC/5 is just an ammo-based medium laser that's too big and too heavy to be competitive. Ammo also has the unfortunate tendency to explode in this game. Came up with a theory to explain that.

While sarna 'Mech entries make a lot of mention of refits and variants and custom loadouts, most of these came about post-Clan Invasion. Before then, enough Inner Sphere infrastructure and technology was Lostech that something as relatively minor as upgrading a Dragon's weapons and making them work without any glitches for mass-production was kind of a big deal. Sarna considers the Dragon and Grand Dragon to be different 'Mechs because people in-setting consider them to be different 'Mechs. If the Grand Dragon variant had been developed just twenty years later (when variants were more common thanks to the Level II technological renaissance) and not completely supplanted the original on the production line, it would just be considered another variant.

I suspect the development of the Grand Dragon was a plot point in a novel, or at least a sign that the conquest of the Combine was going to be a bit more complicated than Hanse expected. It would make sense that a milestone technological development would get grandfathered in as a new 'Mech even when by later standards it really wasn't.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 01:09

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Arquinsiel posted:

I am sad that I missed this

Removed

You've got two hours to make use of this.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Oct 17, 2011

# ? Oct 17, 2011 01:13

Defiance Industries: Jul 22, 2010; A five-star manufacturer

The reason the Grand Dragon was a big deal was that it was an entirely new factory design, not a recovered Star League design they reintroduced. There were very few machines before the Helm Core showed up that were "ground up" new designs. The Banshee-S beig introduced in the 3020s was a similarly big deal (bigger cause it's a Banshee-S).

# ? Oct 17, 2011 01:14

Mary Annette: Jun 24, 2005

Defiance Industries posted:

The reason the Grand Dragon was a big deal was that it was an entirely new factory design, not a recovered Star League design they reintroduced. There were very few machines before the Helm Core showed up that were "ground up" new designs. The Banshee-S beig introduced in the 3020s was a similarly big deal (bigger cause it's a Banshee-S).

This is one area where the fluff loses me completely. During the Succession Wars, no one is really supposed to understand mech production. The automated assembly lines keep cranking them out, but basic maintenance of those lines is practically a lost art, to say nothing of repairs or modifications to them.

The Hatchetman, then, is supposed to be something revolutionary. The first completely new design in centuries, and it took the combined resources of the New Avalon Institute of Science, Team Banzai, and Defiance Industries to pull it off.

Then we find out that the Merlin predates the Hatchetman by 13 years. And it comes from the Outworlds loving Alliance. :iiam:

# ? Oct 17, 2011 02:11

Runa: Feb 13, 2011

Everyone knows the Periphery doesn't count.

This is also why, during the Jihad, the Wobbies used the Circinus Federation as a tax haven.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 02:24

Arquinsiel: Jun 1, 2006; "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

PoptartsNinja posted:

You've got two hours to make use of this.

Mail sent.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 02:26

AtomikKrab: Jul 17, 2010; Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.

Mary Annette posted:

This is one area where the fluff loses me completely. During the Succession Wars, no one is really supposed to understand mech production. The automated assembly lines keep cranking them out, but basic maintenance of those lines is practically a lost art, to say nothing of repairs or modifications to them.

The Hatchetman, then, is supposed to be something revolutionary. The first completely new design in centuries, and it took the combined resources of the New Avalon Institute of Science, Team Banzai, and Defiance Industries to pull it off.

Then we find out that the Merlin predates the Hatchetman by 13 years. And it comes from the Outworlds loving Alliance.

The Outworlds Alliance is a miasmic plothole filled hell.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 02:26

Defiance Industries: Jul 22, 2010; A five-star manufacturer

Mary Annette posted:

This is one area where the fluff loses me completely. During the Succession Wars, no one is really supposed to understand mech production. The automated assembly lines keep cranking them out, but basic maintenance of those lines is practically a lost art, to say nothing of repairs or modifications to them.

The Hatchetman, then, is supposed to be something revolutionary. The first completely new design in centuries, and it took the combined resources of the New Avalon Institute of Science, Team Banzai, and Defiance Industries to pull it off.

Then we find out that the Merlin predates the Hatchetman by 13 years. And it comes from the Outworlds loving Alliance.

Yeah, the Merlin makes no sense. Originally it had no backstory, it was just a "canon" design whose only source was being the example used in the rules for mech design. TRO:3055 and 3058 were kind of the low point for designs, I think. A ton of min-maxed machines and lots of holes in the fluff.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 02:30

raverrn: Apr 5, 2005; Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!

The Merlin coming out first makes a certain bit of sense. Nobody expected them to design a new 'mech, so they were completely unharassed by ROM. Not having your top researchers and technicians assassinated every few months is a pretty big advantage.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 19:18

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Due to the length of this, the contest entries must be shortened into bite-sized portions. For your viewing pleasure (and in no particular order):

Part 1

MJ12 posted:

The Kuritan plethora of the unpopular "Charger" chassis meant that when the Kuritans sought a platform to mount gauss rifles on, they first turned their attention on machines that they could spare, such as the Charger. Its 80 ton bulk made its chassis an excellent potential contender, capable of mounting one of the heavy weapons and a sufficient ammunition load.

To do so, Kuritan engineers removed the Charger engine and looted spares intended for use in repairing Thugs. Although this rendered several of their front-line assault lances somewhat short of spare parts, the change freed up nearly 30 tons, which were used to replace one of its pitiful 5 small lasers with a single gauss rifle and two tons of ammunition, fed into the weapon via a helical magazine. The remaining lasers were replaced with a quartet of Agra 1L medium lasers, multiplying its energy-weapons only firepower by nearly 33%, and its effective range by 300%. An additional 3 heat sinks compensates to some extent for the heat, allowing the -1KGR Charger to fire all its weapons and generate no surplus heat while standing. Although initial targeting computer faults reduced their effective range to the same as the small lasers mounted by the -1A1, those faults were quickly corrected by copying the targeting software from the Challenger variant. Targeting for the gauss rifle, however, was not so easy, and the need to compensate, however slightly, for recoil and ballistic drop mean that a pilot needs live-target gunnery practice to compensate for the quirks of the Charger's limited targeting system.

To compensate for reduced mobility, four Icarus 81 jump jet systems were mounted to allow jumps of up to 120 meters, and the armor was increased by almost 50%. The right arm, however, has identical protection to the -1A1's limb, the technicians judging that the loss of a single medium laser would have minimal impact on the mech's combat effectiveness and refusing to add additional armor which would further increase the necessary time for gyro balance calibration.

Many details of this BattleMech reveal its rushed production history. The engine is off-center by almost half a meter, moved to the right to counterbalance the 15-ton gauss rifle and its attendant 2 tons of ammunition. Its computer systems are nearly identical to the standard Charger, and its pilots have to be warned that the throttle and responses quite often think the machine is still a -1A1 Charger, causing sluggish movements and more than a few accidental falls, and requiring that the pilot dynamically compensate for its balance issues via neurohelmet.

Charger CGR-1KGR

Mass: 80 tons
Cost: 8,071,720 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,853

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 320 Standard Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.5 km/h
Jump Jets: 4
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 14.5 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
4 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 13 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
It's certainly a Charger, and a pretty good one at that. One thing you will see, however, is that most of the applicants tended to go 'Gauss Rifle plus two-to-four medium lasers.' Still, this is a good baseline model. Bonus points for fluff.

Magni posted:

Type/Model: Charger CGR-1K
Mass: 80 tons
Total Cost: 8,118,571 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1.634

Chassis: Alshain Class 92 Standard Skeleton
Power Plant: 320 Hermes Standard Fusion
Walking Speed: 43,2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64,8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Lexington Limited Lifters Standard Jump Jets
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor Type: 12.0 tons, Durallex Heavy Standard
Armament:
4 Medium Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle (24 shots)
1 Small Laser
Manufacturer: Luthien Armor Works
Location: Luthien
Heat Sinks: 14 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Gauss, four mediums... although with the added benefit of being less heavily armored, more ammo (always a plus), and having a slightly more varied armament. Loses a few points 'cause they're all lasers and it's more expensive than MJ12's baseline. Bonus points for Luthien Armor Works.

b0lt posted:

Type/Model: Charger CGR-1A9
Mass: 80 tons
Total Cost: 8,132,971 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,638

Chassis: Alshain Class 92 Standard
Power Plant: 320 Hermes Standard Fusion
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Lexington Limited Lifters Standard Jump Jets
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor Type: 13 tons Durallex Heavy Standard
Armament:
4 Victory 23R Medium Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle (24 shots)
1 Magna Mk I Small Laser
Manufacturer: Luthien Armor Works
Location: Luthien
Heat Sinks: 13 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Identical to Magni's version, except with more armor and one less heat sink. The basic Charger 1A5 has 15 tons of armor, and I�m a little leery about refits that alter protection; since that requires heavy redesigns to the chassis.

Axe-man posted:

Gladiator GLD-4X
Mass: 55 tons
Cost: 4,573,094 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,405

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 275 Standard Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Armor: 9.5 tons Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (8 shots)
2 Medium Lasers
1 Small Laser
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
The Gladiator�s an unusual choice, but a very good one and better yet, that pricetag is extremely reasonable for an early-era Gauss rifle. The lack of ammunition hurts it, and was probably worth sacrificing another medium laser for; but all-in-all this is an excellent raider. The problem? The Dracs hate this design. It still probably would�ve been one of our winners if the Ghost Legions had been created, since this is the perfect �Mech for Yakuza slime.

AtomikKrab posted:

Ronin RON-1N

Mass: 50 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Cost: 4,122,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,326

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 250 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 9 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (8 shots)
3 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Atomik! Put your forum name in your E-Mail next time! I�m a bit disappointed by the armament: one gauss, three medium lasers. Efficient, but: yawn. Also, the Ronin doesn�t exist yet and was a hand-tooled Solaris VII custom based on the Centurion chassis� which the Draconis Combine doesn�t produce. The Solaris VII custom �Mechs were notoriously difficult to reproduce, since every part was designed and produced separately and at great expense. That 4,122,500 C-bill price tag is misleading.

Landcollector posted:

Jagermech JM6-GR

Mass: 65 tons
Cost: 5,232,425 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,450

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 260 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor: 10 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (24 shots)
3 Medium Lasers
2 SRM-2s (50 shots)
Heat Sinks: 15 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Landcollector! Put your forum name in your E-Mail next time! I really like this Jagermech of yours, though. The SRM-2s give it some decent crit-seeking at knife-fight range, and being SRM-2s gives you a greater chance of hitting with one of them (at the expense of a greater chance to miss with both). This variant does sacrifice the Jagermech�s primary role (airplane-killing) however, so it�s unlikely that the Draconis Combine would go to the expense of refitting one of their only AA platforms (especially since they don�t produce the Jagermech).

[s posted:

I have no idea[/s] The Merry Marauder]
Committees formed from various military, paramilitary, and industrial bodies during the height of the first year of the Clan Invasion generated a massive number of proposals for use of the newly "acquired" Gauss Rifle technology. The prospect of commissioning an entirely new construction line from scratch, with all the demands placed on the Dragon by the strains of the Invasion, was a daunting one. A consensus was quickly reached to focus on a refit of an existing Mech. Oddly, many of these refit proposals focused on the little-loved black sheep of the DCMS, the CGR-1A1 Charger. Other notable recommendations suggested the use of the recently conquered (and, as such, still in the process of being integrated into logistics schedules) Griffin and Wolverine lines on Marduk. However, while it was possible to mount a Gauss Rifle on such a platform with a level of mobility to rival that of the Clans, the compromises necessary to do so were, after deliberation, considered to be unacceptable.

One of the final modifications submitted for the Kanrei's approval sought to adapt a design iconic throughout the Inner Sphere. While demand for the MAD-3R Marauder always exceeded supply, especially in the Combine, the presentation from the Togura-based Ibuki Robotics & Manufacturing persuaded Theodore that such a fundamentally solid and enduring design was readily capable of providing a versatile platform for deploying the Gauss Rifle.

Ibuki's design concentrated on economy and using off-the-shelf components wherever possible. Indeed, refits were a net gain for the Dragon, as two PPCs would be made available for either replacements or new production. Dropping the PPCs from the Marauder removed both a mass and heat burden from the design. The expansive power conduits were used to install a Martell Medium Laser (taken from a shipment evacuated from the Bergan Industries Locust line on Alshain) in each arm, above the extant Magna Mark IIs of the same output. The loss of so much weight forward allowed Ibuki's engineers to lower and center the Marauder's center of gravity for a wholesale replacement of the Whirlwind AC/5 with a Gauss Rifle, whose capacitors and heavy breech were precisely balanced in order to accommodate the next addition - Lexington Lifter jump jets. Taken from ample stockpiles on Luthien and New Samarkand intended for the Panther and Jenner, the Lifters provided unprecedented mobility and versatility in all terrains to an already fearsome machine, allowing the Ibuki MAD-4K to keep up with lighter formations and yet still have staying power in fire or assault lances. Finally, to ensure long-term staying power for the Mech's most important weapon, it was not technically challenging to add an additional bin of nickel-ferrous slug storage in addition to the repurposed autocannon ammunition system.

Both brand-new MAD-4K Marauders from Ibuki's retooled production facility and refitted centuries-old Marauders give the DCMS the best hope to turn back the Clan onslaught!

(fluff aside, this marauder refit drops the PPCs and AC/5 for a Gauss and an extra ton of ammo, two extra medium lasers, and four jump jets in the torsos - heat sinks and armor remain the same to simplify refitting)

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
One gauss, four medium laser 4/6/4? It�s a Marauder, but without half of the things that make it a marauder. It�s a good concept (I wasn�t expecting a Marauder refit at all!), but without ER Medium Lasers it just seems a bit lacking in range for a 75 tonner. Admittedly, this is pre- all the weight-saving technology that really make the Gauss Rifle effective, but I�m not really a fan of this retrofit since it loses the �Marauder� feel. My opinion probably would�ve been different if it�d mounted two large lasers and the Gauss Rifle, at the expense of the mediums and the jump jets.

No Idea :C posted:

The Gokenin is a perverse redesign of the Quickdraw and the Charger, using components from two designs found relatively ineffective against the Clans to create a reasonably effective platform for the new Comstar gauss rifle. The Quickdraw, though fast, carries a poor weapons mix for fighting an enemy with the Clans' range, and insufficient armour to endure their heavy fire while it attempts to close. The Charger's pitiful armament has likewise proven pitifully inadequate.

Although the Gokenin is not quite as fast as either, it does not need to be. Between the new gauss rifle and a paired PPC, it has ample long-range firepower to reply in kind to the Clan aggressors without needing to close range as rapidly as its forebears. Two medium lasers round out its firepower should anything get too close, in particular the heavily armoured infantrymen the Clans are rumoured to be fielding. The Gokenin does not carry additional heat sinks, but the low-heat output of the gauss rifle mitigates this problem significantly. A pilot only risks undue overheating by an excessive use of the jump jets while firing the PPC continuously.

Most of the Gokenin's parts are off-the-shelf. The only major change (and cost) is a hollowing out and size reduction for the Charger's chassis. The savings found in myomer reduction offsets the cost of the conversion significantly, as does the fact that the Gokenin can make direct use the of Vlar 300 engines, medium lasers, and jump jets already in production for the Quickdraw here on Luthien. The only component not drawn from the Quickdraw or the Charger is the PPC. However, there are several PPC plants in the Combine, many of which are located in the Earth-ward corridor through which we must import the gauss rifles in any event.

Gokenin GKN-27T

Mass: 75 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Cost: 7,021,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,828

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 300 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Unknown
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 12.5 tons, Standard Armor

Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
1 PPC
2 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Our first new �Mech, and I really like this one. With a Gauss Rifle, a PPC, and two Medium Lasers the Gokenin has both threat and staying power, even in situations where its Gauss Rifle has been destroyed. Its biggest flaw is heat, and it�s somewhat light armor. That, and I wasn�t sure who designed it, since they didn�t put a signature in their E-Mail. This is another �Mech I�d have loved to let the Ghost Legions to play with.

Ba Donk a Bonk posted:

Designed as astop-gap measure to get as many Gauss Rifles into the field as possible, as well as boost the morale of units who are expecting to face the Clans, the WHM-6K-X1 is a completely refurbished type of the popular 6K version of the Warhammer. The effectiveness of the newly-rediscovered Gauss Rifle, when combined with a lack of appropriate chassis available to mount the large, heavy gun, led to several issues. With the threat of the Clans bearing down further and further with every day, the DCMS high command was forced to search for an appropriate design that could be modified to use the new weapon, and fast. Seeking a heavy 'Mech that was both highly effective and available in decent numbers, technicians at Luthien Armor Works (LAW)settled on a heavily modified Warhammer. Major issues fitting all of the design requirement forced LAW to create what was nearly a new machine, combining the old Warhammer chassis with drastically different components that have produced what is hopefully an effective, if unusual, 'Mech. In order to distinguish the design from the current Warhammer, it has been given the codename of Yari, named after the spear used by feudal Japanese warriors. Hopefully for the warriors of the DCMS, this new technology, as rushed as it is, will help even the gap with Clan technology that has put House Kurita at a disadvantage so far.

The centerpiece of the new variant is a massive Gauss Rifle that takes up the entire right torso, replacing the SRM6, Medium Laser, and Small Laser that previously sat in the torso. This weapon, finally rediscovered after centuries of obscurity following the destruction of the Succession Wars, uses electromagnetic force to propel a large metal slug at incredible velocities. Each rifle has been produced in-house at Luthien Armor Works until a full production line can be started elsewhere. To ensure the survival of the weapon, nearly a half-ton of additional armor was added to the Mech's Right Torso. However, making room for the Rifle meant that the 'Mech's other systems had to be nearly entirely reworked. The most drastic change is the swap of the Warhammer's previous engine for a lighter, but less powerful, 210 Fusion engine. Without the power of the previous engine, the 'Mech's top speed has been reduced to a mere 54.0 km/h; to make up for this loss of mobility, Jump Jetswere installed into the 'Mech's legs and torso, fulfilling a DCMS requirement for at least acceptable mobility. The new engine, combined with the bulk of the Gauss Rifle and the additional armor, led to the Warhammer's torso being completely reworked, both internally and in appearance. The reduction in engine power, combined with both the weight and the energy draw of the Gauss rifle, forced the Donal PPCs to be replaced with Diverse Optics Type 30 Large Lasers, which provide the 'Mech with pair of reliable weapons to complement the main gun. The original 6K's left-torso mounted Small and Medium Magna lasers were kept, mostly as an afterthought.

Currently, the design is being produced as fast as Warhammers can be shipped to Luthien and modified to the new specifications. Many issues have popped up, due to the fact that each Warhammer has to be individually inspected and modified. The large number of quick fixes, hasty repairs, and uses of non-standard replacement parts made throughout the centuries of war in the Inner Sphere means that almost as much time is spent bringing the 'Mech's up to an appropriate quality level as modifying them to to mount the new weapons. Even with this problem, the Combine has been quietly purchasing and otherwise acquiring Warhammers as quickly as possible to refurbish into the new model. The new design is being primarily givento both the most elite DCMS units such as the Sword of Light Regiments, and to units expecting to see actions against the Clans.While the machine has done well in theoretical combat situations and simulations, the difficulty in communications with front-line units means that no reliable report of the Warhammer's effectiveness against the Clans has made it back to Luthien. For now, the technicians at LAW can only produce the design and hope that it is enough to make a difference.

Warhammer "Yari" WHM-6K-X1

Mass: 70 tons
Cost: 5,613,825 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,681

Chassis: StarCorps 100 Standard
Power Plant: VOX 210 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: LAW Prototype Jump Jets
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: 10.5 tons, Leviathon Plus Standard Armor with Reinforcement
Armament:
1 Luthien Armor Works Prototype Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
2 Diverse Optics Type 30 Large Lasers
1 Martell Medium Laser
1 Magna Small Laser
Heat Sinks: 16 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Aha, now this is more like it. I wasn�t expecting any Warhammer refits, but I really like this one: It�s a refit that�s actually had to sacrifice to field a gauss rifle, and I like that; and with a primary armament of two large lasers this �Hammer can really pound a vulnerable target; and the Jump Jets keep it from being as immobile as a stump. I�d take one of these in a city fight any-day.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 20:54

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Due to the length of this, the contest entries must be shortened into bite-sized portions. For your viewing pleasure:

Part 2

J.J.P. posted:

Faced with a need to quickly add gauss rifles to their 'mech inventories, the DCMS turned to their Catapult models. Having already made the conceptual jump of turning a missile-boat into a direct-fire support unit, they simply dismounted one of the twin PPCs, along with several of its associated heat sinks and the anti-infantry MGs, and
replaced it with the new gauss rifle.

CPLT-K2GR
Mass: 65 tons
Structure: standard
Engine: standard
Movement profile: 4/6/0
Armor: 10.5 tons, standard

Weapons and Equipment Location Critical Mass
Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
PPC
Medium Laser
Medium Laser
Heat Sinks: 12 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
I have no idea who you are J.J.P, but I like the cut of your Catapult. This is a cute remodel of the Kurita twin-PPC �baby Timberwolf� direct-fire catapult. I�d almost have liked to see two Gausses, but I�m not sure that�s mechanically possible (just checked: It�s not). This is another design I�d love to give those dirty, dirty Yakuza.

Cthulhu Dreams posted:

Gladiator Gauss Refit GLD-2RK

Mass: 55 tons
Cost: 4,547,907 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,421

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 275 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 9.0 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
2 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
I wasn�t expecting one Gladiator, much less two. This one strips out the small laser and a half ton of armor for some extra staying power. It�s solid, all around, and I could see both variants being produced in tandem.

Affi posted:

Dragon DRG-YG

Mass: 60 tons
Cost: 5,102,080 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,489

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 240 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43,2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64,8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Unknown
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 9.5 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (8 shots)
4 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
~~No-name!~~ :argh:

Oh, wait, it�s Affi! Anyway, this is a pretty good refit of the Dragon. To quote the E-Mail �now the dragon can fly,� but I�m not sure I like the speed reduction. The Dragon�s always been an endurance fighter (its combination of speed and relatively low threat makes it a lower priority target, allowing it to win fights through attrition), and this refit trades that in. It�s a pretty solid design overall, but while there�re other 60-ton 4/6s that fly, there�re very few that are 5/8.

A Non-Goon :o posted:

Created after a call for designs capable of using the fearsome new Gauss Rifle, and seeing the success of Warlord Samsonov's personal Atlas refit, Yori 'Mech Works decided to redesign one of their Atlas lines. Focusing on long range firepower and a desire to take the fight to the clans, the designers' result was the Kamikaze, named for the divine wind that saved ancient Japan from the Mongol hordes.

The Kamikaze is meant to be a long range fire support mech. Though keeping the slow speed of it's precedessor, the weapons loadout has been retooled
completely. Two Large Lasers and a Gauss Rifle provide the main punch of this warmachine, with an LRM-15 added for additional fire support if the large
lasers are out of range. This loadout allows a Mechwarrior to engage his enemy at longer ranges, a definite advantage when faced with the technology of the Clans.19 tons of armour let the machine survive withering amounts of damage,and a clever Mechwarrior can manage easily manage the heat with 20 heatsinks.

Kamikaze KAM-1K

Mass: 100 tons
Cost: 9.182.000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2.117

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 300 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.400000000000006 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 19.5 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
1 LRM-15 (16 shots)
2 Large Lasers
Heat Sinks: 20 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Our second new �Mech (and our first �Mech designed by someone who isn�t a SomethingAwful goon) is a monster. With a reasonable level of firepower coupled with longevity, toughness, and good close-range punch; the Kamikazi would be an absolute nightmare in the 3032 battlefield. The biggest downside to this design is its weight: at 100 tons, production would be extremely limited and the price tag, while pretty reasonable for a �Mech this size, is still quite steep.

Another non-member :o posted:

Gausshopper Grasshopper

Mass: 70 tons
Cost: 6,112,973 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,522

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 280 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.80000000000001 km/h
Jump Jets: 4
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 9 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
1 Large Laser
1 LRM-5 (24 shots)
Heat Sinks: 13 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Wow, I was not expecting any love for the humble Grasshopper! I�d definitely use a �Mech like this, it takes the Grasshopper�s speed issues and mitigates them with long-range firepower. Also, it�s oversinked enough to let it jump and fire most of its armament; and still has reasonable battlefield longevity. The only downside? Nobody�s producing the Grasshopper anymore, so it�s a pretty rare design. Sadpanda, because I really like this refit.

Sair posted:

Hatchetman HCT-4K

Mass: 45 tons
Cost: 3,138,090 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,094

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 180 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 6.5 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
1 Hatchet
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Cheap, high-value, and it�s a Hatchetman I�d actually feel pretty good about fielding. It�s a pity Doctor Banzai never finished the Hatchetman design.

Arquinsiel posted:

Charger CGR-HTM.

It starts with a CGR-1A5 and removes the AC20 and ammunition. Then it puts the Gauss Rifle in the right arm, the Medium Laser moves to the left arm and the SRMs are split into the side torsos. The ammunition is put in the RT for both weapons. Obvious Samurai helmet added at no cost in weight or crits.

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Simple. Solid. Effective.

Mukaikubo posted:

ARC-3K Archer (Kyudo)

Chassis: Earthwerk Archer (standard)
Power Plant: VOX 280 (standard)
Cruising Speed: 43
Maximum Speed: 64.5
Jump Jets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: 11 tons, Maximillian 45 (standard)
Armament:
2 Large Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
Heat Sinks: 13 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
I wasn�t expecting to see an Archer, either. This is pretty stellar, honestly: it�s effective without being too efficient, and can leverage a lot of firepower if it needs to. I could see the combine fielding this.

jng2058 posted:

Type: GTL-4G Guillotine

Tonnage: 70
Cost: 6,237,073 C-bills
Battle Value: 1,451

Equipment
Internal Structure: Standard
Engine: standard Fusion
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4
Armor Factor: 12 tons
Weapons:
Medium Laser
Medium Laser
Medium Laser
Medium Laser
Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
Heat Sinks: 14 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
I wasn�t expecting a Guillotine! � The downside? One gauss, four medium lasers. Efficient, but not really interesting enough to keep my attention. It�s a shame, I�d love to field more Guillotines.

Keru posted:

Introduced in the late twenty-sixth century, the CRD-
3R Crusader became the workhorse of the SLDF�s line regiments
as they battled Periphery troops during the Reunifi
cation War. With manufacturing plants across the Inner
Sphere, Kallon Industries manufactured the �Mech in vast
numbers during the two centuries of the First Star League.
Even after the League collapsed, other manufacturers continued
to churn out Crusaders, making it one of the most
common heavy BattleMechs in existence. Many of these
have fallen during the Succession Wars, but a surprising
number of the surviving veterans remain in frontline service,
and the availability of inexpensive and easy-to-install
upgrade kits will ensure that they stay there.

The CRD-3L-G 'Gauss Variant' is a newer rebuild of this workhorse, opting to
remove it's old armament for an Imperator Automatic Weaponry 'Dragon's Fire'
Gauss Rifle, a Diverse Optics 'Type 30' Large Laser and two Diverse Optics
'Type 10' small lasers.

The reduced armor in the arms meant housing the weapons in the right and left
torsos would get greater protection, the drawback being a narrower firing arc.

It will run a little hot.

Crusader CRD-3L-G 'Gauss Variant'

Mass: 65 tons
Cost: 5,548,235 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1 535

Chassis: Crucis-b Standard
Power Plant: Magna 260 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43,2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64,8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 9 tons, Riese 500 Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (24)
1 Large Laser
2 Small Lasers
Heat Sinks: 12 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
No it won�t. 1 heat per turn generated by jumping and firing everything but the small lasers? This thing�s cool as a cucumber, especially since it can just not fire the laser every eight turns or so and drop down to 0 heat again. No, this Crusader�s a battlefield powerhouse: It�s got longevity, enough ammo that it can freely waste shots against long-distance targets it has only a marginal chance to hit, and enough maneuverability to make the Clans pay for getting too close. No, the only downside here is: I doubt I�ll ever field a map big enough to make this Crusader shine.

Arcturas posted:

A refit to the venerable, but slow and short-ranged, Hunchback 4Gs found throughout Kurita Space, the Hunchback 4K seeks to take advantage of newly deployed Gauss Rifle technology. Draconis engineers have stripped the AC/20 and ammo from the 4G, as well as three tons worth of heat sinks (mechanics-wise, this leaves the mech with 10 heat dissipation/round). In lieu of the hefty AC/20, the 4K sports a paired Gauss Rifle and Medium Laser in the Hunchback's Right Torso, with three tons of Gauss ammo in the Left Torso, taking advantage of the Hunchback's cavernous interior torso space.

While by no means as quick as Draconis pilots prefer, the 4K is a welcome replacement for the 4G, as it can keep pace with an provide supporting fire for slower assault mechs like the Cyclops. The 4K's three medium lasers, and generous armor plating, enough sufficient short-range defense that the mech's designers didn't believe the 4K needed the Dervish, Trebuchet, or Dragon's mobility.

Hunchback HBK-4K

Mass: 50 tons
Cost: 3,488,875 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,364

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 200 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 10 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (24 shots)
3 Medium Lasers
1 Small Laser
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Here�s a �Mech I was waiting for, but� dear lord, that ammo capacity! This is a real beauty of a hunchback: It can linger in the back-field and potshot at anything that sticks its head out.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 20:56

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Due to the length of this, the contest entries must be shortened into bite-sized portions. For your viewing pleasure:

Part 3:

Ferrosol posted:

Quickdraw 4K. An upgrade to the long serving Quickdraw 4G the 4K trades the originals jumpjets, lrms, srms and 2heat sinks for a potent new Gauss rifle
Quickdraw 4K

Mass: 60 tons
Cost: 5,157,760 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,403

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 300 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 8 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (8 shots)
4 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Our first quickdraw submission and� it�s a gauss rifle with four medium lasers. Heat management is an issue, but I like that. I�d field one, but I can�t help but wish it mounted SRMs or LRMs in place of the lasers, just for a little variety.

Carbolic posted:

The QKD-4K is a field refit of the common, although frequently maligned, QKD-4G Quickdraw produced by Luthien Armor Works. Desperate for any technological edge over the invading Clans Hell's Horses, Goliath Scorpion and Widowmaker, the Draconis Combine leapt at the opportunity provided by Comstar's release of the technical specifications to construct the Star League-era Gauss Rifle. Lacking in technicians capable of directing an efficient overhaul of the entire Luthien Armor Works factory to produce new models of BattleMech, and not wishing in any event to suspend production for the several months necessary to retool production, the Combine has instead embarked on an ambitious retrofit program of existing Battlemechs such as the Grand Dragon and Quickdraw. Some 75% of new QKD-4G Quickdraw BattleMechs exiting the Luthien Armor Works facilities are immediately stripped of many of their freshly factory-installed components and converted into the QKD-4K model. Ironically, these same components are then returned to the LAW factory to be installed in new QKD-4G chassis and then promptly removed again in the retrofit process. While seemingly inefficient, this procedure permits the LAW's semi-automated factories, which are the slowest point in the production process, to operate at maximum capacity.

The QKD-4K strips all missile weaponry, one heat sink, and its rear-mounted medium lasers in order to fit the massive Gauss Rifle into the left torso. The QKD-4G's jump jets were also reluctantly sacrificed to free up necessary tonnage. While the Gauss Rifle is highly heat-efficient, the QKD-4K retains all 12 of its engine-mounted heat sinks, the removal of which would require tinkering directly with the fusion engine of the BattleMech and is therefore beyond the scope of a simple field refit.

The QKD-4K keeps the mediocre armour profile of the original Quickdraw and is best employed as a mobile sniper.

Type/Model: Quickdraw QKD-4K
Mass: 60 tons
Total Cost: 5,100,160 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,245

Chassis: Technicron Type E Standard
Power Plant: 300 VOX Fusion
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: 8 tons, Riese-475 Standard
Armament:
2 Medium Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
Heat Sinks: 12 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Efficient. Oversinked� but the loss of the jump jets really hurts this Quickdraw�s viability. It�s a decent sniper, but the Hunchback we just saw does it cheaper and with more battlefield longevity. Then again, expense has always been the Quickdraw�s problem�for the price tag, there�re so many better options. I like Ferrosol�s better, because heat management is actually a thing.

Raverrn posted:

The Clan invasion was perhaps hardest on the fire support 'mechs that the Inner Sphere had become dependent on. Armed with inferior missiles, they were slow, lightly armored and were easy prey for faster, more mobile clam machines. Worse still was the introduction of the AMS, rendering the attacks of just one or two LRM racks impotent. The Catapult fared better than most designs, maintaining heavy armor and good mobility through it's jump jets, but the loss of its LRM striking power still rendered it a liability. Many of the surviving Catapults were therefore refitted with newer, more potent weapons. The boxy LRM mounts were easy to fit or replace and had ample room for ammunition feeds and targeting sensors - and better yet could support one of the massive Comstar superweapons. The most common Draconis modification was to lift both missile pods and three heat sinks, and replace them with a support frame for a massive Gauss Rifle. Centered as such balance was easily controlled and the procedure could be done in a matter of days. Pilots often commented that aiming such a high-mount weapon was awkward, but wiser 'mechwarriors often used it to snipe over buildings or hills. These modifications also maintained the Catapult's secondary laser armament, which did an excellent job of covering the Gauss Rifle's minimum range and provided bite if the weapon ever malfunctioned or ran dry.

Catapult CPLT-C5

Mass: 65 tons
Cost: 5,631,725 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,677

Chassis: Hollis Mark II
Power Plant: Magna 260
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Anderson Propulsion 21
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 12 tons, Durallex Heavy
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
4 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 12 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
One gauss, four medium lasers. Sorry, Raverrn� this Catapult�s good but I�ve seen this song and dance a few too many times before, so this doesn�t really stand out.

Hob_Gadling posted:

The development of NDA-1K No-Dachi was not without its problems. At one point the whole project was to be scrapped. This presented a problem: what to do with the already built chassis parts? In an attempt to get some use out of the struggling project, a team of engineers were tasked to refit the No-Dachi with basic equipment and a powerful Gauss rifle. The project was originally named something else, but nickname Onibaba (demon woman who disguises herself as samurai) stuck to everyones mind.

Capabilities:
Onibaba can do most of what No-Dachi was supposed to do, just worse. It carries a massive Gauss Rifle in the left arm, replacing the more sophisticated and rare Lord's Light 2 ER PPC. Left torso houses a bunch of SRM launchers in place of the originally designed MRM 20. Two medium lasers round out the array of weapons. Onibaba features no exotic building materials, no triple-strength myomar or sword and no double heat sinks. These features were deemed to rare and expensive to a possibly failed project. The mech suffers from slight imbalance due to weapons loadout being concentrated on left side. This lopsided gait further reinforces the demonic imagery of the mech.

Deployment: The few hundred that were built were shipped mostly to elite units. A scant few loners liked the design; the remaining units were quietly transferred to units of less prestige in exchage for other, more popular designs. Today Onibaba is considered a limited success at best.

Type: NDA-1O Onibaba
Tonnage: 70
Cost: 15,784,387 C-bills
Battle Value: 1,178

Internal Structure: Endo Steel
Engine type: Fusion XL
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 0
Armor Factor: 12.0 tons, ???
Weapons and Ammo
Medium Laser
Medium Laser
Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
SRM 6 (45 shots)
SRM 6
SRM 6
Heat Sinks: 11 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
A prototype No-Dachi? I like it. The only downside? I see Endo Steel and an XL Engine, which disqualifies this entry since ComStar is still sitting on both of those technologies.

Rorac posted:

Komodo KIM-3R

7.5 tons of normally distributed standard armor(well, distributed by SSW)
255 XL engine
4 standard jump jets, all placed in legs (feel free to apply a +1 penalty for landing due to difficult to balance thrusting)
10 standard heat sinks
Full arm and hand actuators on each arm.

Gauss rifle is located in the left arm, with 3 tons of ammo in the left torso.
There's 2 medium lasers on the right arm. According to the engine rules there's one heat sink floating around; toss that in the head.

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
This is actually cheaper than the base Komodo, which is pretty impressive given the gauss rifle. Downside? One Gauss plus X mediums again.

AJ_Impy posted:

With the Draconis Combine needing a 'mech to mount the Gauss rifle as swiftly as possible, they turned to their pre-existing productions. One of the Combine's success stories was the Panther PNT-9R, a light 'mech that packed a powerful punch and was relatively inexpensive. With Ashlain Weapons needing to relocate in the face of the Clan advance, it was decided that this potential disaster could be made into an opportunity. Taking the basic PNT-9R chassis, the weapons, jump jets, three heat sinks and two tons of armor were sacrificed for a Gauss rifle and two tons of ammo, replacing the PPC mount.

The resultant 'mech was named the Sasori, the Japanese word for scorpion, due to its small size and deadly sting. Fielded in sufficient numbers, even the mightiest of the clan warriors might be given pause.

Sasori SOI-0N
Cost: 2,370,960 C-bills
BV: 820

Movement Profile: 4/6
Armor Points: 72
Armament:
Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
A new design, but it�s functionally identical to the AUTRO Hollander. It�s neat, and the Combine could probably field them pretty quickly, but an actual refit of the Panther with a gauss rifle in the arm may have been enough to set this little guy apart.

Andrevian posted:

This file includes the contest 'Mech, the Yumitori as well as the base design that it could have come from, the Tachi (note: Tachi has been excluded).

The Tachi was designed originally as a heay mech for battling Lyran forces in built-up areas. Seeking to match the Lyran close-range advantages with their heavy autocannons, the Tachi is armed with an AC/20, PPC, and medium laser. At 75 tons, its jumping range of 120 meters is often surprising to those facing it. It sacrifices armor and heat sinks for this speed, making it a tool of the elite. It was designed for use by highly trained 'MechWarrors, able to ride the heat curve and to use its speed to avoid taking hits.

Due to the unusual feature of the heavy autocannon, the Tachi was an excellent choice for refitting with new Gauss Rifle technology. Due to strain on the chassis, the PPC had to be removed as well. In its place, a second medium laser and two surplus Panther SRMs have been added, to make up for the close range firepower which has been lost with the replacement of the heavy autocannon. This new version is dubbed the Yumitori.

Yumitori TCH-9K

Mass: 75 tons
Cost: 6,969,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,762

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 300 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.5 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Unknown
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 13.5 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
2 Medium Lasers
2 SRM-4s (25 shots)
Heat Sinks: 11 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Interesting, but no fair trying to sneak in two new designs when the contest called for one. I�m not disqualifying the Yumitori, but it has to stand on its own merits. I do like the mix of secondary weapons and the Yumitori certainly has the armor and mobility to be a nasty infighter� but the Tachi�s better for that role.

Pinguliten posted:

Well here it is, after I did it I realised it was just a 5ton heavier Hollander with jump jets. It's also not as fast or as heavily armoured as I'd want it to be but well, no XL engines at least I could strip all but a token amount of armour points from the arms and add some to the legs and torso. I guess they would be somewhat good defending against light mechs or if you have a bunch of them, trying to take down bigger prey.

DMO-P Daimyo

Mass: 40 tons
Cost: 2,781,893 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,027

Chassis: Daimyo Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 160 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43,2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64,8 km/h
Jump Jets: Icaros 81
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: 6 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Pinguliten said it best: It�s a 40-ton Hollander with jump jets. Not a bad design, but not a standout and not something I�d expect the Draconis Combine to field.

Leperflesh posted:

OK I don't know much about doing this so I hope I didn't gently caress it up?

The Hamato-Chi is a Drac Combine mech that according to the description is among the first new designs post-succession wars utilizing lostech. I have modified the base 27T design by removing one PPC and placing a Gauss Rifle into the torso as a replacement. To make room, the engine is downgraded, so the mech is a little slower than the base Hamato-Chi (3/5 instead of 4/6) but this does allow for extra armor and heat sinks - with a max heat of 21 and 20 total heat sinks, the mech is capable of alpha striking repeatedly. With two tons of gauss rifle ammo, 16 shots should be sufficient to devastate opponents - and even after it runs out, the mech can continue to fire away with its remaining PPC or get in close to exploit the big holes with the two SRM-6 launchers.

The mech also has excellent armor to protect that explosive gauss rifle, and with a non-XL engine a gauss explosion isn't necessarily fatal (the mech comes standard with CASE for its SRM ammo as well).

One oddity is that dropping the PPC has left the mech with a new hand on one arm - potentially useful in a physical combat situation since there are no weapons on that arm, and also leaving the mech with an "ablative limb" (although the mechwarrior would be well-advised to avoid exposing that side to TACs given the explody-gauss).

I have given it the designation HTM-27G (G is for Gauss!) but I dunno if there's some standardized way to designate these things.

Hatamoto-Chi HTM-27G

Mass: 80 tons
Cost: 7,018,920 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,797

Chassis: Endo-Steel
Power Plant: 240 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
1 PPC
2 SRM-6s (30 shots)
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Little-known facts about the Hatamoto-Chi: It was built around the Charger chassis exactly, allowing it to be produced extremely quickly. It was patterned off the Star League-era Thug, with two PPCs and two SRM-6s; which also allowed it to utilize existing computer systems for targeting and weapons control. The downside? It doesn�t exist yet; and it relies on Endo-Steel for weight savings. CASE is also lostech, so I�m afraid this refit is disqualified.

Felime posted:

Imagine you're a no good snake. You've got a bunch of Gauss Rifles that could explode at any minute! Where do you put them? Well, it turns out that if you strip pretty much everything(including a ton of armor) off of a panther, You can fit on a gauss rifle and a ton of ammo! A whole ton! It wasn't using that armor anyways.

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
This was sent as a MegaMek file, and was pretty much what I expected from a Gauss Panther. It�s not a winner, but I�m tempted to field some anyway because it does make logical sense.

Runner-Up Entry:

Shoeless posted:

Crockett CRK-5003-0-G

Mass: 85 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-F-D
Production Year: 2881
Cost: 7,371,325 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,038

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 255 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: 3 Unknown
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: 16.5 Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
2 Large Lasers
1 SRM-6 (30 shots)
2 Small Lasers
Heat Sinks: 15 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Holy poo poo, it�s a Katana! And a damned good one at that! This is precisely the kind of command vehicle that the Draconis Combine loves: It�s slow, it�s tough, and it eats lesser �Mechs alive. Look at that battle value, ladies and gentlemen! This thing�s an absolute monster for the era. The Banshee 3S? BV 1,751. The only problem with this design: due to border concessions, House Davion controls Crockett production. Sadpanda. :C

Second Place:

ShadowDragon8685 posted:

In the wisdom of the Dragon, it was known that eventually, the might of the Star League would be restored to the Inner Sphere, and more specifically, to the Draconis Combine. But the wise and venerated elders of the Combine knew that, even if a fabled, nigh-mythical Star League Memory Core were located tomorrow on Luthien, they were not ready.

All of the chassis currently being fielded by the Draconis Combine had been engineered to the limits of their present ability, but they would be unsuited to rapidly refit with Star Leauge Technology. But an opportunity came in 3024, and the Dragon pounced.

The Capellan Confederation was offering to sell the full schematics of a 'mech they had designed, the Linesman. A broad, massive 90-ton BattleMech, it was the only sound decision to make; if the Combine didn't acquire it, the Dragon might find the design falling into the hands of its hated enemies, the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. After it was acquired, a scholar working at Luthien Armor Works, who had been given the design, realized that the broad 'mech was perfect for the integration of LosTech, when and if it should reappear. The massive chest cavity and elevated shoulders were perfect fits in the event the schematics for the Extra-Large Fusion Engine were recovered, and the inefficient Capellan armor mounting would leave plenty of room for Ferro-Fibrous Armor; the same could be said of the 'mech's skeleton, to a lesser extent.

A prototype mock-up was constructed, and in their artistic wisdom the designers saw fit to give the 'mech appropriate styling that hearkened back to the armor of the ancient Samurai, without overtly copying and turning homage into parody.

It sat in a LAW hangar for a decade, a test-bed used to simulate the effects and mounting of the long-lost Star League equipment, until it was seen by a young and influential DCMS officer, a favored nephew of the Coordinator. He was touring the facility and demanded entry into the experimental hangar; when he saw the design, he immediately fell in love with it, moreso than he had fallen in love with his woman, he commented. He wanted to know when they would be coming off the assembly line, and when he learned there was no such line, he became upset.

The young officer told his uncle, the coordinator, of the beautiful 'mech, and the Coordinator himself deigned to walk among the common folk to view the 'mech. Upon hearing of this, it was removed from storage by its caretakers, its armor plating refurbished and shined, and the 'mech was given a fresh coat of paint. The unarmed test bed was presented to the coordinator by its test pilot.

After the viewing, the Coordinator decided that the BattleMech was as ugly as a fresh bruise; and as fearsome to behold as a bruised warrior who refused to yield, launching himself at his opponent with the clear and sole purpose of destroying him. So it was named Daboku by the Coordinator, who commanded that the DCMS begin procurement procedures immediately.

Luthien Armor Works duly constructed an assembly line and began drawing up the plans, even as the designers scrambled to find an adequate weapon load-out for the 'mech. The original Linesman it was based on had crippling ammunition-feed problems with the four Class-2 Autocannons in the chest, but the design intention still called for some sort of long-range sniping. Thought was given to upgrading the LRM launchers to LRM-20s, or simply adding more LRMs. The heat issues for the original design's lasers were still troubling, as without the Star Leauge's Double Heat Sinks, it would be very difficult to compensate for the heat load, but these were all problems the designers were confident they could solve, just not quickly. Fortunately, the 'mech's robust construction gave them time, as the chassis could be greatly assembled before weapons needed to be installed.

By this time, disaster was beginning to strike. The Combine was coming under attack by invaders from beyond the edge of the Inner Sphere, invaders whose technological prowess exceeded that of the Star League. The outlook turned more and more grim by the week, when a flickering hope of salvation began to appear. ComStar had transmitted the design specifications of the Star League era Gauss Rifle to every Hyper-Pulse Generator in the Inner Sphere.

The designers of the Daboku took it as a sign from heaven, as the lead designer on the project, whose head would be removed if he failed to deliver a completed BattleMech, was praying at a shrine when the specifications were delivered. The 'mech's arms had always been large and cylindrical, and hence they were perfect to be fitted with a Gauss Rifle; duly, it was fitted with two of them. That left relatively little weight to play with; some suggested fitting the 'mech with a chest-mounted particle cannon and a great deal of ammunition, to emulate the triple-weapon design of the Lyran's Awesome, which was reportedly experiencing less failure than other Spheroid 'mechs when it went head-to-head with Clan 'mechs, others wanted to keep it fitted with the LRM launchers.

The designers were then informed that this new 'mech would be placed into the hands of high-ranking officers of the Combine, officers who required mobility in their 'mechs. This posed a quandary; there was no feasible way to the make the 'mech faster without the Fusion XL Engine, but they could make it more mobile, with the addition of a 90-meter leaping range.

With that, the 'mech's purpose was consolidated. Three Jump Jets and two Gauss Rifles meant the 'mech would dominate all it surveyed, raining a hail of accurate, punishing silver upon the invaders. Three medium lasers were added to give the 'mech an ability to strike at any interloper foolish enough to seek safety under the minimum range of the Gauss Rifles. As reports stated that the so-called Clans saw shots to the back as cowardly, all of these weapons were fixed forward.

The Daboku DB-1 was ready to come off the assembly line, ready to bring the might of the Dragon to bear on the interloping Clans. All that could be done was to pray it was enough to turn the tides of war.

Mauler Daboku DB-1

Mass: 90 tons
Cost: 8,194,700 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,397

Chassis: Alshain Class 100-X Standard
Power Plant: Hermes 270 Standard Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: Icarus 81
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: 17.5 tons, Wakazashi Standard Plate
Armament:
2 Gauss Rifles (32 shots)
3 Medium Lasers
Heat Sinks: 10 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
I asked for one Gauss Rifle, and ShadowDragon8685 upped the ante and gave me two on a prototype Mauler! Congratulations, ShadowDragon8685, this �Mech is our Second-Place winner! Two gauss rifles with enough ammo to fire them at anything stupid enough to get close and terrifying heat efficiency. Colonel Eleanor Shimazu would�ve been thrilled to see a �Mech like this, even at the cost of the Mauler�s anti-aircraft capabilities.

First Place:

KnoxZone posted:

When the Draconis Combine acquired the technology for the Gauss Rifle in the
latter half of 3032, it was quickly decided that a new mech using this
technology would be needed to oppose the clans and to bolster the spirits of
the floundering DCMS. The designers at Luthien Armor Works decided to use the
unpopular Charger chassis as the base for this new BattleMech. Redesigned to
give the mech a strictly Kuritan appearance, the Hatamoto-Hankou was born.

Named and designed in honor of the resisting Combine defenders, the
Hatamoto-Hankou is built around the mighty Gauss Rifle which has two tons of
ammo to keep it firing for a prolonged period. Backing this weapon up is a pair
of SRM-6 launchers, a medium laser, and a small laser. This allows the mech to
use its Pitban 320 Engine to close with the weakened enemy and finish him off.
Carrying 15 tons of armor, the Hankou is capable of taking the best the Clans
can dish.

Hatamoto-Hankou HTM-25T

Mass: 80 tons
Cost: 7,664,970 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,690

Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 320 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: 15 tons, Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle (16 shots)
2 SRM-6s (30 shots)
1 Medium Laser
1 Small Laser
Heat Sinks: 11 single

PoptartsNinja's Thoughts:
Ahaha, yes! The moment I saw someone had made a Hatamoto Chi, I hoped someone would design a prototype and KnoxZone delivered! Not as deadly as the Mauler, this is an assault-weight �Mech the Combine can field tons of in a hurry simply by re-tooling their collection of chargers. Technically inferior to the Hatamoto-Chi, I still really like this design. It feels like a prototype and, better yet, it feels like an eighty-ton Panther.

So, because KnoxZone won, he gets to name another Clan �Mech. After he choses, ShadowDragon 8685 will get to name one.

Also, as a surprise? One other person will get to name a Clan �Mech; and that person will be chosen by you! Even the creators of disqualified entries are eligible to win, since this is the GoonPrize. I do ask that you not vote for yourselves, however.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Oct 21, 2011

# ? Oct 17, 2011 20:56

Hob_Gadling: Jul 6, 2007; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS; Grimey Drawer

Endo structure in my entry is a typo, it's counted with standard internals. I noticed the strict level 1 requirements only after sending and didn't bother to try and fix the mess. Still, if you want to make it level 1 drop the forward facing medium laser and change the engine to standard 280. It becomes pretty slow, but at least it's legal.

A lot of good designs here. Mukaikubo's Archer is a monster and the best design out of the bunch, or at least the most interesting. I'd also vote for the winner, but, well. It's a really good concept.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:09

The Merry Marauder: Apr 4, 2009; "But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own."

It's my own fault, but I accidentally deleted the paragraph about the Combine being panicked by Elementals (especially facing Hell's Horses), and you really want at least 4 jump and a bunch of MLAS if you want to kill the poo poo out of Elementals in Level 1.

I don't like refits that change the general weapon layout, so while I approve of the Crusader and others, I'll support jng's Guillotine.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:14

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

The Merry Marauder posted:

It's my own fault, but I accidentally deleted the paragraph about the Combine being panicked by Elementals (especially facing Hell's Horses), and you really want at least 4 jump and a bunch of MLAS if you want to kill the poo poo out of Elementals in Level 1.

The Combine still doesn't know about those :ssh:

It's all ComStar's fault.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:18

Axe-man: Apr 16, 2005; The product of hundreds of hours of scientific investigation and research.

The perfect meatball.; Clapping Larry

I knew mine was a bit gamble really, the Gladiator is fluff wise mothballed in DC hangars somewhere... I figured it would either been seen as a good refit to a unused resource rather than something to give people who are dishonorable. It was a gamble to use it! Oh well, I enjoyed the idea, next time I will need to give more fluff. I didn't expect that people would go so detailed.

Axe-man fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Oct 17, 2011

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:19

Affi: Dec 18, 2005; Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

I knew I should have sent in my 5/8 Dragon instead, its a lot hotter but the armament is the same and it only sacrificed a little armor.

I'm voting for whoever made the Gauss-Panther.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:21

Arquinsiel: Jun 1, 2006; "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

My vote goes for Arcturas' Hunchback. That's a mech I wouldn't be sad to see on my side of the table.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:28

Shoeless: Sep 2, 2011

I'm surprised I managed to make runner up. Thanks Poptarts! Glad you liked the design. And who knows, united against the Clan threat, maybe Kurita can get some Crocketts from house Davion...

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:31

strikereternal: Nov 27, 2006

I'm voting for Arquinsiel's Charger, since it looks like he came up with basically the same design as the winner, but came up short in the fluff department.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:33

raverrn: Apr 5, 2005; Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!

It's not my fault Mlas are the only really good TL1 weapon.

Also voting for Gauss Panther.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:34

PoptartsNinja: May 9, 2008; He is still almost definitely not a spy; Soiled Meat

Nobody desiged a bad 'Mech, given the circumstances. The Draconis Combine just tends to prefer SRMs as a secondary armament and I was judging with that in mind.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:36

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

CPLT-K2GR, because.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:36

Ferrosol: Nov 8, 2010; Notorious J.A.M

Its not my fault I am unoriginal. Still I am voting Mukaikubo's archer because its novel original and a departure from the ordinary with the archer.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:39

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 09:34

Arquinsiel: Jun 1, 2006; "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

Shoeless posted:

I'm surprised I managed to make runner up. Thanks Poptarts! Glad you liked the design. And who knows, united against the Clan threat, maybe Kurita can get some Crocketts from house Davion...

I just noticed that you seemed to be moving from the Katana towards the Royal Crockett.

This is always a good move.

# ? Oct 17, 2011 21:40

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Lets All Play Battletech and rewrite Inner Sphere history

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