/btg/ BattleTech General

If you were going to adapt the original Gray Death Trilogy into a miniseries (Ala Netflix/HBO), how would you do it?
What would you change?
Who would you cast?

For a Marik based mech, I'd use that.

I'll toss up my own Marik-ification before I sleep. Don't try to think too much about where the FWL even got these to do this with.

question for centurian or if anyone else has the answer, are there some megamek files for the 3063 TRO or do I just need to make them all in the lab?

First off, NOBODY FROM HOLLYWOOD would touch it, or they would mess it up for various reasons (incompetence, lack of respect for the source material, political crap, whatever.)

I don't know what I would change, but if there was a young James Woods, he could be a good Grayson Carlyle. If possible, a young Corinne Bohrer for Lori Kalmar.

Thanks guys. I'd be interested in playing the real deal one day but I know that my friends couldn't handle keeping up with everything. I'm hoping alpha strike won't be too daunting for them...

Quick question about Inner Sphere mechs.

You guys know any non-quad battlemech between 70-85 tons that could potentially carry a Gauss rifle in both arms with 4-6 complimentary lasers?

Gunslinger is the only canon one.

If you can accept just a couple of lasers instead of a whole close quarters battery, then there's also the gauss Jager, the Avatar OG and the Tian-Zong

>Gunslinger

Are the 'slingers pulse lasers behind those flaps in the CT?

The Gunslinger has rear-mounted pulse lasers in the legs. I'm guessing they're ammo loading hatches for the gauss rifles.

I've been watching the Orville and Star Trek Discovery and it's got me wondering: what warships would be best for long-term deep-range exploration but still be well-armed enough to handle itself against the unknown?

Going AS with newbies is a good option. Games are quick, and the card is simple enough. When they get the rules, you can jump to the simplified into rules form the boxset, and then the normal TW rules. Also, AS in hexmap is also fun.

Those with a mix of capital and conventional weapons, extensive storage bays, and LF batteries. Bug-out before slug-out.

Leviathan transport.

Such as?

I imagine that'd be too big with too big a crew.
What about SLDF classes?

Possibly this is what the SovSoy was actually designed for

This. SovSoy is a solid choice. Intrasystem speed doesn't matter *that* much, it's got enough cargo space to stay operational for a ridiculously long time, and can carry enough parasite craft to cover its deficincies in small-craft-level combat (and/or plenty of landing parties). About the only thing it's really missing which could be of significant use is some experimental-rules-level advanced sensor gear and/or a mobile HPG.

I'd still personally want to retrofit an Explorer SovSoy with another 10,000 tons of reaction mass, a whole lot more armor, and some miscellanous fittings, perhaps dropping the cargo tonnage to ~185,000 tons from the ~210,000 it's currently at. But as it is it's probably the best choice for your mission profile.

If you have the time and inclination, NEA, could you work up stats for such a vessel?

Yeah, probably. Won't be back home for ~2 hours, though.

Too bad about the slinger's armor allocation.

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I like to think Ewen Bremner would make a good Davis McCall

So, the Turkina Z. I love the society and i'll defend the iATM launcher all day, but this bitch seems almost undefendable. It's like a poster child for "CheatyTech". I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to play me if I used it.

Your thoughts /btg/?

NUKE IT

Nuclear schiltron is a good counter.

Gausswall that fucker

I wouldn't give a fuck if it had a regular 6/7 or 7/8 Society pilot in it. A lot of their gear was to make up for how bad their boys were.

>im a piranha

>nom nom nom

...

If I could get an all MG piranha so I can die from an ammo explosion as soon as the indirect LRM spam starts I would be a happy clanner.

I guess MWO doesn't have the equivalent of burst fire MG rules, because that way you don't have to wait for others cook it off for you.

Well, you could just leave off the backup lasers, as you'll be able to burn through your ammo without a problem.

Just 12 MGs represents a serious lack of firepower.

...

With my only experience and knowledge coming from Mechwarrior 3/4, MWO, the Mechcommander games and a quick look at every mech on sarna, I'm curious as to how dangerous vehicles like tanks and such are meant to be against mechs in the lore and the board game.

In the video games they seem to be almost entirely harmless to mechs of similar weight even when they heavily outnumber a mech.

It depends on the tank, really. A Demolisher is death on two treads in an urban battle, a Schrek or a LRM carrier/heavy LRM carrier in an open field battle and the Saladin carries the always impressive AC/20 and can be a good killer. Meanwhile the Scorpions, Galleons, Vedettes and the like are mostly threats to bugs (which they tend to outgun) and target practice to bigger 'Mechs.

The question is more about whether your tonks can take the punishment: vehicles of all kinds are much more vulnerable to criticals than 'Mechs, which can be life and death in a fight.

Tanks are cheap gun platforms. Easy to cripple and kill but mount a lot of firepower for the price.The order things go is a range between durability/speed and weapon load.

Mechs (most durable most versatile)>V's (sacrifice durability for guns and/or speed)>Field Guns (even more guns and no speed)

This means vehicles are massive threats in numbers or scenarios where they're not getting fired at or hit. An LRM carrier beats almost all LRM boat mechs for the price since they carry more missiles for the battle value and will be in the back line where they're not brawling.

The top dog munch goes like this.

>Brawlers in a fair fight
Mechs all day long
>Ambushers
Infantry or Heavy Tanks
>Long range weapon spam who don't have to take the full heat of counter battery
Missile carriers, Energy Tanks, Long Range Field Guns
>Scouts
V's and Aero. Nothing like taking a cargo ferret up to elevation 20 to obsolete the bugs
>Artillery
Field Gunners all day long

Mechs are great because they can do a bit of everything in almost every environment. If you got a unit of nothing but mechs, you got a viable combat force even on an airless moon or underwater. Everything else is quite a bit more specialized.

Mechs are the generalists and sluggers. Successful vees tend to be specialists that do one style of play very well (fire support, scouting, ambusher)

where is that from?

Girty is TRO 3085.

I say something else about this, Vee's depending on motive type also may be a hell of a lot better depending on terrain. Deeper rivers/marshes where you have 2 or three deep tiles, just grab hovers, or you may even need subs. Underwater combat on a non specialized mech is one of the hardest things ever.

Urban fights are a pain in the ass for mechs, battlearmor, infantry, and Vee's are the kings of this battlefield especially in earlier era's where damage is not as high. They will eat mechs for every meal of the day and spit out scrap metal.

One of the best solutions actually comes from the cappies, run augmented lances, aka a lance with two vees. Still fairly small enough for regular games but highly dangerous.

>Urban fights are a pain in the ass for mechs, battlearmor, infantry, and Vee's are the kings of this battlefield

Testify. Few things in BT make one wish for mulligans is not looking where you're going in an urban fight and getting whacked by a cleverly parked cheapo tank. Or an expensive one.

Two recent sterling performances of mine: I'm teaching a friend to play Megamek and he's watching me fight another friend on a heavy urban map, double blind rules. I jump a Griffin over a building to the next street over... right next to a Demolisher. Or another game, when I make a 4/6 pilot in a Locust make a max speed PSR by turning a corner on slippery pavement and find myself staring down the barrels of a Schrek parked eight hexes away.

Don't think so. I think the BTG one will have unique sprites for megamek, 63 at least I have not heard of the files or unique sprites.

Your first scenario is obviated by jumpjets. And you should always be taking jumpjet mechs in any kind of grungy terrain. Well, in general. I hate turret tech.

Underwater combat sucks, mostly for how slow you move and the piloting rolls, but you only really get fucked if the enemy mounts LRT's. Most canon designs use SRT's instead. You can fire mech lasers underwater and the big ones outrange or equal the subs and mechs can take a bigger pounding even if breaching fucks them up good. It's a crapshoot that depends on who breaches what first but the mechs are about equal since even though the subs can dictate the range, they have to close under the range of the mech guns to shoot themselves.

Urban stuff is jumpjets and fire. Plus don't forget mechs can burrow into buildings themselves for armor. A lot of urban advantage to conventionals is reliant on surprise, but mechs who know where the enemy is can trash them good. It's why scouting is so critical. Most of the city boys that don't have turrets like SRM carriers or Hetzers are easily outmanuevered. Climb mode is amazing for mechs with two hands and no jumpjets too.

Hovercraft rule open water though, no doubt about that. Any place they can really open up their throttle really. It was amazing when I used them around the ice on a frozen moon once.

Battle Armor and regular infantry by and large completely suck though. They're like barely mobile turrets. Unless you can force a battle in a very tight area you control or use an ambush in double blind, they're easily strung out and ignored or destroyed. They are an excellent counter to fat turret tech machines who only have big guns though, or to defend objectives. The hold ground well, like the real deal.

I would also argue that a good defensive battle Vee's will be extremely good as well, if you can set up mines before hand, firing lanes, and maybe tank pits to help defend your Vee's.

I think a solid force of just vee's and infantry in pillboxes can show those proud mechwarriors a thing or two

True on the urban stuff, unless your playing in a campaign where you kind of want to take the city fairly intact.

>I would also argue that a good defensive battle Vee's will be extremely good as well, if you can set up mines before hand, firing lanes, and maybe tank pits to help defend your Vee's.

That's really stacking the deck bro. You can do most of the same stuff with mechs and wreck the assaulting V's worse. Plus, defensive bulwarks like that is pretty much where your opponent drops a machine or two for a couple offboard Long Toms no matter who is dug in.

Building a 3025 lance. I have an Archer, Rifleman and Phoenix Hawk.

What would round it out well?

Something that can take a hit, like a Thud.

That seems like a fire support lance, I would honestly suggest a centurion. Good trooper and can join in on some lrm fun

Hunchie for bodyguarding could work. AC/20 Centurion could as well. Crab could also be nice for logistical reasons as well as being a decent bodyguard with the range to compliment your other units.

I lean to It's pretty fire support feeling so, you got the LRMs and when those dry out still a LL as well as all those meds. Aside the pixie, once things run dry it gets very weak quickly and two of those mechs are frail already.

A grasshopper would do good things with that list, keeps mobility, gives good punch, and good for exploiting all the holes left by archer. Pairs mobility wise with the hawk and heat curve wise can balance the rifleman.

You've got speed with the hawk and long-range firepower with the archer and rifleman.

I'll second the hunchback, as it can take a beating and get in the face of anything that gets close to your heavies. It can also keep up with the heavies, which is the normal problem with the hunchback.

If you want a different type of lance, a vindicator would keep you biased towards long range.

If you're looking to add an anchor, a warhammer could work.

A thud, stalker or MAD. Maybe a whammer or even Victor

King Crab, Mackie or Atlas

>Mackie
This, user. You cannot possibly go wrong with a Mackie. It is literally impossible. Just take a Mackie and love your life.

What's your favorite regiment?

Used to be these guys, but they dead. So... no idea now. I should look at the Calderon Protectorate military more closely and see if they have an interesting units.

>forgot image
The derp is strong today.

Me?

I like the 3rd WoBM Division.

Blakist Militia and Com Guard Divisions are best.

...

2nd Oriente Hussars vs Davion Light Guard, just the mech regiments.

Who would win?

I can't think of any other all-light mech regiments to include in a vs match.

For an era, consider either 3025 on the eve of the 4th war or in 3057 during Operation Guerrero.

>tfw no Brush Wars 2 featuring Guerrero.

This is easy: it's the Davions, as it always is and should always be.

Fair enough.

The most Lyran regiment there is, the 15th Lyran Regulars. Roll 2d6. 2-3 gets you a Medium lance, 4-5 a Heavy lance, 6-12 an Assault lance. And each assault lance is going to have at least two assault 'Mechs, while half their heavy lances will have another one. It's heavy metal madness.

No really, that's their special rule.

Crusader. If possible 3K.
It is a heavy armor 's mech that can be put on the front line with Archer.

Man you know it is kind of funny. Katrina really wanted to have Victor's children, so she got them eventually. THe entire civil war was so she could become a "steiner" only so she could marry victor. Ultimate yandere

At the risk of being called a Kurita hipster, the Proserpina Hussars. I like that they’re an elite, floating formation that isn’t one of the SoL or merc copycat regiments. Plus, their regiment names are cool like Warriors of the Night (pic related)

By the by, why is it that only the Dragon has knock-offs of famous mercenary units? Is it only that they cannot or will not employ the originals?

>FCCW.hpg

Probably because they're the most 'copycat' of all the main factions. Other factions lampoon or include aspects of Earth cultures, but the Dracs straight up browbeat themselves with weebness. Even the Cappies during Xin Shit don't go as Chinaweeb as the Dracs are Japweeb. So I guess it'd be in their nature to copy other units.

Legion of Vega is pretty cool.

Honestly I think the 2nd Hussars would win. They're crazy, they're unpredictable, and I think the DLG is a little overrated. In 3025 I'd definitely give it to the 2nd. In 3057, I'd still give it to them but I acknowledge the Davion technological edge would make it tougher.

Honestly I couldn't care less about the Drac's regular or elite regiments but I really like a lot of their floating regiments. Night Stalkers, Prosperpina Hussars, An Ting Legion and Amphigean Light Assault Group especially are all fairly based.

So what software do people use to build/display a detailed breakdown of a unit? Show individual units/names/vehicles, etc. Some kind of force org generator.

Excel. Each page tracks separate unit types. The main page is generally the dominant force in the unit, with the pilots/crew commander/point/squad leader/platoon sergeant attached to the unit. MekHQ if you can get it to properly track when you've got a division.

That the Snakes ape feudal Japan to an extreme is a legitimate criticism, but makes monkey-see/do regiments even more ridiculous. There’s not a damn thing about Wolf’s Dragoons or the Kell Hounds that’s Japanese-like or even fake bushido-bullshit-esque. The Kuritas need to be more genre savvy and accept that they get rolled by the protagonists because they’re baddies not because basic-bitch ambushes & coordinated fire are such amazing tactics. They didn’t need wannabe legions or Theodore’s “ reforms”, they needed to actually read their copies of The Book of Five Rings &/or Hagakure and realize the samurai were some sneaky, underhanded mofos i.e. be less shit at being 80’s post-apoc space samurai.

Hell yes the Night Stalkers! Why did they have to die out, but the Izanagi survived the Jihad?

Yup. In another life, Vic impregnated Krazy Kat the old fashioned way, and the eternal FedCom lead the Second Star League to endless peace and clan removal
But, alas, we got the world we did

So, someone help me remember, was the 'twilight of the clans' any good? I'm rebuilding my book collection and i found a book store near me with a copy of one of the volumes. I'm trying to only get the best of the best books but I don't think I ever fully read that series.

Mostly. It varies on the author and the plot. The Operation Serpent stuff is great though.

>I think the DLG is a little overrated

I don't think you can really under-estimate the Davion fiat in this scenario. You're also pitting Veterans in the DLG against Regulars in the Oriente Hussars, and the Hussars only get their bonuses if following pre-planned orders exclusively.

DLG either way.

Jade Falcon shit is retarded and the Great Refusal is stupider than anything short of the Dark Age. The first book and the Serpent ones are good though

Best Clanner ever, prove me wrong. Pro tip. You can't

He was the best 'Jade Falcon' ever. He was a massive cock jock.

But what about old Trollric, he knew that clanners were a bunch of no-fun-allowed furries and shot them in the foot at every opportunity given to him.

personally my favorite clanner was vlad ward

>ninja Dracs in 'Mechs
Fucking fund it. Death Commandos should have been Dracs.

What do you think DEST is?

DEST also technically have the best infiltration suits of any faction still.

For just infantry suits and what we've seen statted, yes.

Equipment-wise the Rabid Foxes shit on them from a great height and Infiltrator II suits are better than Kages.