The /btg/ is dead, long live the /btg/!
Kitbashing Edition
Combat Manual: Mercs BETA
http://www.mediafire.com/download/1b5jq3tyi8viycf/E-CAT3526XA+BattleTech+Combat+Manual+Mercenaries-BETA.pdf
Old thread: >>43621936
=====================
>/btg/ does a TRO.
http://builtforwar.blog(not spam) spot.com/
>The Happening has Happened and it was glorious:
http://bg.battletech.com/news/news-and-announcements/drop-pod-sequence-initiatedthree-two-one/
>How do I do this Against the Bot thing?
http://pastebin.com/pE2f7TR5 (embed)
>Can I get an overview of the major factions?
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/great-houses/
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/the-clans/
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/other-powers/
>How do I find out what mechs a faction has?
http://masterunitlist.info/
>Map of /btg/ players (WIP):
https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1116217&add=1
>Battletech Introductory Info and PDFs
http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=400
>Rookie guides
http://pastebin.com/HZvGKuGx (embed)
>Sarna.net - Battletech Wiki
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
>Megamek - computer version of Battletech. Play with AI or other players
http://megamek.info/
>SSW Mech Designer
http://www.solarisskunkwerks.com/
>Battletech IRC
#battletech on irc.rizon.net
>PDF Folders
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/9q792hobnbpw3/Battletech
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/sdckg6j645z4j/Battletech
To get a little discussion going, I have a question about kitbashing. I've decided I'm going to use the primitive griffin (picrelated) as the base of my Swordsman kitbash. The torso, legs, and LRM pod all work basically perfectly. However, I'm running into issues with the arms and torso cannon. I think the Helepolis arm would work, but I don't know if I can reverse the arm effectively.
Is there a better arm for this? Additionally, what's a good choice for the shoulder barrel?
>>43669630
Just use____MACKIE_____
Do you lose MP from engine hits?
>>43670448
Not directly, though the heat increase might cause a reduction in MP
>>43669630
I'm drawing a blank for the AC, beyond maybe the primitive Shad's with some a bit of extra work done to it.
>>43670448
No. The extra heat generated might cause you to run hot enough to lose MP, if only for the next couple iof turns depending on the number of engine hits and how hot you were running when yo took them.
Lyran fusion engines. Best IS engine, or best IS engine?
>>43669630
At least from what we can see with this one picture that looks like a fantastic sculpt.
Best Griffin.
>>43671181
Only if you combine it with the best bit of the other States mechs.
>>43671634
Or a bunch of gauss rifles, LB-20Xs and hatchets.
>>43671707
my idea works better
>>43671634
>LFE
>Plasma
>HPPC
>Tcomp
>LFF I guess
Behold, the new standard heavy battlemech of the second star league! Even if it would be better using normal FF instead of the league-made Light FF. Got to get purple burd in there somehow.
>>43672344
Make it at 85 tons instead to get a new Black Watch.
>>43672344
>LFF
>not adding ERMLs
They are a FWL creation.
>>43672501
How about 100 tons? This time the DC is the tacked on one that adds little.
>>43672561
Yes, but they spread so fast that nobody but rabid burds associates them with the FWL by the mid 60s. Also they'd raise the Tcomp weight and crits.
>>43672344
>>43672568
What next, a Union Light? a Camaraderie Medium?
>>43672344
>>43672568
And a light to round the set out. HFF from the Lyrans, MG array from the Feds, TSM from the Caps, LPPC from the Dracs, and an ERML from the League. Sanity not included.
>>43672698
>Sanity not included.
Indeed sir.
>>43672698
Why not slow it the fuck down and swap the ERML for a ERLL?
>>43672907
Because the ERLL is SL tech, and was recovered by the DC. The ERML is there as the FWL tech.
What's your favorite mech from your least favorite faction?
>>43673593
Dragon, if I'm honest.
Especially the MW4 version.
>>43673593
Pillager
>>43673593
Vindicator.
It's a beautiful trooper.
>>43673593
Prefect.
It's everything a heavy cav design should be.
>>43673593
Probably either the cataphract or vindicator. Say what you will about the CapCon, but they sure know how to build a trooper
Grand Titan is worst non-silly 100-tonner.
>>43673874
What about the stone rhino? ft. The Sphere's Biggest Small Laser
>>43673874
The primitive Mackies are both pretty bad.
But that's an unfair comparison, really.
ugh.../btg/ threads on a monday afternoon.
Well at least we know who to blame.
>>43673593
The Gunsmith. I'm a sucker for fast lights with lots of firepower. Only change I'd make to it would be to use TSM instead of MASC (and shove a coolant pod in the MASC's place), so that it maintains speed after an alpha strike.
>>43674486
They were pretty good compared to what they were up against, to be fair
>>43673593
Well I don't care for most of the Clans, but there are a lot of 2nd-line Clan 'Mechs I like. I actually couldn't tell you what my favorite 'Mech from my favorite faction is; I don't think I have a favorite 'Mech. I just have a lot of designs I like to use.
This installment turned out... strangely. I like it, but I'll be the first to admit it's gaudy as all hell. I think it works though, in a "so ugly it's charming" kind of way. I suppose whether you like it or not is a matter of perspective.
>>43673593
Well i'm not fond of a lot of factions but I think the Jade Turkeys are my least favorite...not least because of what they've been doing recently.
And i'm rather fond of the Kraken XR. Its beefy as fuck, has a great look, and is an absolute murder-bot.
I'll post a pic of mine once I have the time.
>>43673593
>What's your favorite mech from your least favorite faction?
The Griffin. Also, fuck the Hegemony.
>Kitbash edition
Heh, I've been working the last couple of days on some stuff. I've got to get another coat of paint on my old custom Thud and clean up Nasty Kay's Whammy first, though
>>43671511
Better Griffin soon anon :)
>>43676798
I am curious what your take on it will be, given what your Shad looks like.
>>43676798
Well till then Shim this one will do quite nicely.
>>43676819
Probably a lot like this. I'd personally rather see the side plates enclosing the shoulder joints, but CGL appears to really, really hate that in their recent art direction, so..
>>43676798
Very much doubt that. :))))
>>43676819
This >>43676956 anon is correct. Official Griffin is almost the same as my throne room piece.
>>43676956
>>43677681
Not too thrilled then; I don't care for this version too much, but it's better than what we have, by a long shot.
nothing beats an evening playing MechCommander and getting the salvage on the MadCat with near full equipment.
>use Firestarter as bait
>MadCat approarches
>tell Firestarter to hit fuel tanks
>it only damages half
>MadCat moves slight out of range
>Fuel explodes in next salvo damaging Madcat enough to not die but still bail
What happened to Pavel Ridzik's sons? And was Ridzik meant to be Russian (the name sounds Czech) or just a Russophile?
In any case, I have some Russophile players that want to base a campaign in a Russian themed unit, real or fan made. Aside from Rubinsky's Light Horse and Khorsakov's Cossacks, are there any Russian-themed units, House or merc?
Failing that, what are some Slavic worlds besides Tikonov?
I appreciate any answers, I'm searching sourcebooks too but thought asking here could speed the search up.
>>43678253
I think that your best bet would be to go custom; it'll be far closer to your player's desired thing than any canon unit. As for Slavic worlds, the lyrans have a few Polish ones, and there are plenty of Serbs and a few Russians in the FWL, and I vaguely remember a Ukrainian planet, but I can't remember where
>>43676335
clanners: genetically optimized for sexy.
funky composition, but I can dig it,
>>43676335
Not enough speed for Ice Hellion, so here's some speed indicating motion blur. Remember: If it's not getting a +4 TMM, it's not an Ice Hellion.
>>43679099
[FIRE MOTH INTENSIFIES]
>>43669630
Unit Design Contest: Design the "Meg" Griffin.
>>43678717
>serbs
>REMOVE LYRAN remove lyran
I wanna see a space Serb unit.
First New Belgrade Volunteers "Tigrovi"? Arkan's Regiment?
In an attempt to remove the stain of having far too many Perseus configurations, have a dumbly optimized Penetrator.
>>43679809
I feel as though that particular subspecies of Serb would have gone extinct some time during the first succession war, fought themselves out of existence and loved every motherfucking second of it
>>43676335
Aw yiss.
>Honey, why did you buy me a thigh holster and shoulder rig?
>No reason, dear. Just put it on.
>>43679859
It's indelible
>>43679915
>>It's indelible
It's only 60 variants. I can wipe it away with enough mixtech bullshit.
>>43679726
Take one Basic 1N Griffin.
Remove one heat sink and all weaponry.
Add modular armor on both side torsos.
>Tits
Add Large R-E Laser and MRM-10 w/Apollo+1t ammo
>Mostly useless except for in very specific situations.
And there you have her...Meg.
>>43679930
Can you, like, dump them somewhere? Or at least the best ones? I wanna see this.
>>43679871
That won't stop me making my tanks and infantry force of Space Serbs. Do I give them mechs?
Convertanon here. Accidentally forgot my meds and wound up cleaning up a bunch of the scanned images from the Mercenary's Handbook (1616 - set in 3024) instead of painting. So, uh, have some pics.
First off is this fine fellow, who's the only really worthwhile color plate.
>>43680220
A lot (like... 80% of them) are retreads of certain configurations. I made 5 different versions of the base chassis to test structure, weapon and fixed equipment placement. Plus a Perseus II with Clan ES.
>>43680242
Laubenstein is trashy and corny, but by God he does the best dynamic illustrations. His excessively-detailed style works really well for differentiating machines and backgrounds.
>>43680287
>>43680301
>>43680242
That pic reminds me of how I kinda miss the simplicity of early 31st century warfare.
>>43680287
>[Laubenstein's] excessively detailed style
nigga I will fight you
You want excessively detailed, look at FD or shimbo
I miss old-style FD, whith much better use of block shading
>>43680287
did he do Chaos March and Periphery 2e? because I really like that guy's art
Is there any downside whatsoever to mounting hardened armor on tanks other than the +1 PSR penalty? Because it seems like the crit reduction is INSANELY good for them
>>43680447
Laubenstein did a lot of Periphery 1e; Chaos March and the other early 4e books had a different set of artists. You're probably thinking of John Paul Loma and Ray Lederer, both of whom have a similar style of plain units and dense backgrounds.
>>43680535
Not sure of the artist on this one, but I suspect it's Marsh or Laubenstein again - Dana Knutson is terrible at doing 'Mechs. Or, really, much of anything. She's the one who did a lot of those horrifyingly insane and distorted units from the 1e books.
>>43680613
Same here. I remember seeing this image re-used in a later book (something in the 4e era?), but I can't find it. FASA tended to re-use their best images several times, once they got out of the "tracing and screentoning official Macross and Dougram art" stage.
>>43680640
I have something of a fondness for support personnel and other non-MechWarriors going about their jobs in BT art. It goes through shifts, since both CGL and FASA hired their artists mostly for mechanical work (and then one or two portrait artists).
>>43680729
Although I must admit, Marsh was not immune to copy-pasting his own work.
(One of the >other< things I love is images that show the same scene from several perspectives. I think that this image >>43680535 may also be intended to be the same event)
>>43680729
>dat Hunchie outside the window
KNOCK KNOCK
>>43680764
Last one from the merc book - the rest are either utter crap or mediocre shots of fashion models wearing mercenary uniforms.
>>43680517
Well, HFF gives you more raw protection, since tanks rarely hit their armor cap or even get close. And the crit reduction doesn't help against motive crits. Other than that, it's one of the best armor options for tanks.
>Lothian League vehicle/Mech with "ROMANES EUNT DOMUS" on the side
I really want to do this.
>>43680862
>Penetrating critical hit checks (including “fl oating” critical hits) against a unit protected by Hardened Armor (such as those caused by rolling a 2 on the
Hit Location Table, or during a successful Swarm Attack) suff er a –2 modifi er to all rolls on the Determining Critical Hits Table (including Vehicle Critical Hits
Tables). If the attack did not strike a location or facing protected by Hardened Armor, this critical hit modifi er does not apply.
Why doesn't it affect motive crits? Don't play with vees much.
Anyway, after that minor diversion, here's the first conversion from last night.
Now, we all know that the Celestial models suck fat donkey cock. I like the general aesthetic (Armored Core torsos, retrograde legs, heads as weapon turrets), but the specific art.. well, I think it's shit. Still, my Level II needed some scouting c3i support besides the Gurkha, and I had the parts for a Malak Infernus.
The legs are leftover from a boxed set Assassin, reversed. Torso and head weapon are from a Jovian Chronicles Cerberus, whose legs wound up on something else. The arm MLs are from the Earthsiege models I made my Crabs from. Just primed it.
...fuck. Now I see the flash on the torso. And the shoulder. Time to get the file back out.
>>43681337
Looks good. Love that head gun especially. Legs look a little off, almost inside out. Think they should be bent back more. Like the way the shoulders go back significantly.
>>43681337
Yeah that's pretty good. Like Mu said the legs look a little off but otherwise it looks good.
I'm trying to decide what I want to do with some Legionnaire pieces I have. I loved it in clickytech but I just can't stand the model they made for it in CBT.
>>43678750
Yeah I keep trying new things with each one so they aren't all <grill on left logo on right TEXT>. I am pleased with it even if it's gaudier than a 1970s living room.
>>43679099
I keked. I thought the "speed lines" in the background would be enough, but I was obviously mistaken.
>>43679915
Well she had to put on SOMETHING.
>>43680242
Lindon's Company, 2nd Battalion "Hot Cup Of Dontgiveafuck"
>>43680400
>I hate art direction!
So does he, trust me.
>>43681019
The common vernacular of referring to motive damage as motive crits is the source of the confusion. Motive system damage is not a crit. You roll on the Motive System Damage chart, and the vehicle damage table does not describe Motive Damage as a critical hit (while it does for results that give a crit) but as it's own thing.
Now, vehicle crits ARE a thing that happen on location rolls of 2 and 12, and if hitting from the side they also happen on 8s. You roll on the Vehicle Critical Hit charts for that (there's one each for front, side, rear, and turret). Hardened armor DOES protect against those, as you see in the text you quoted.
>>43681907
Thanks for clearing that up
Man, vees get shafted.
>>43681452
>>43681731
Yeah, not super thrilled with the legs myself. Unfortunately the top half is pewter and I'm really worried it'll just pitch over without the support.
>Don't like the Legionnaire model
You could work off of a Bushwacker torso. Not sure what you'd do for the arms, though. You could also try cutting down a Centurion - supposedly it's built on the chassis of one (although the 'Wacker is supposed to be a bodged Griffin chassis, somehow..). Maybe the Carbine constructionmech torso?
>>43673874
It's on par with the average Atlas, if not very slightly worse.
>>43682148
>the 'Wacker is supposed to be a bodged Griffin chassis, somehow
da fuq
>>43682148
I dont know if I can see using a whacker for parts...
But you DID give me an interesting idea though. Retrograde legs where the arms would be and no arms!
Excuse me while I go a-searchin for some appropriate leg options.
>>43681337
>>43681452
>>43681731
>>43682148
>>43682214
>>43682358
Goddammit guys I am leaving on vacation in two days, I don't have time to start a project right now. Stop tempting me with this kitbashing porn.
How come all the good Periphery powers are gone?
Taurians are fucked, OA is run by tubebabies, Canopians are in bed with the Caps, Fitvelt is Davion II, Marians are doing fuck-all and are the worst off anyways...
I want a periphery faction that can do stuff, without sucking off the IS for everything. Is that too much to ask?
>>43681950
That's a design goal. "Vees are objectively worse than a Mech of equivalent tonnage" has been a design maxim of battletech pretty much forever, because if vees were as good/reliable/effective as Mechs, everyone in-universe would use vees and not Mechs.
As nice as it is to be all hipster and brag about how being a vee-fag makes one a better Battletech player than somebody else, without rules like Motive Damage (or aerospace thresholds, or aerospace double damage, etc), we wouldn't have Battletech at all. A vote for making vees the same as Mechs (or better, given the physics issues between a horizontal and a vertical glacis plate) is a vote for the destruction of the franchise.
>>43682464
I'd actually be happier with mechs being magically better than vees being nonsensically worse.
>>43682464
Now I'm wondering if anyone has ever played an all-vee game.
>>43682497
I don't think they could actually do that, though. Min-maxing the designs more aside, there's only so much room on a 2d6 bell curve for bonuses, and Mechs set the baseline for capability in the first place. Plus you'd have to go have and re-do ALL the designs and rules to make significant changes.
If vees are supposed to be strictly worse than Mechs (at all but a very few jobs, mainly boating multiple, very crit-bulky weapons like arty, and/or recon) then it makes more sense to leave Mechs as the rules baseline and then impose further penalties on the vees.
>>43682508
Vee on vee can work well. All-vee against all-Mech (or balanced forces) tends to not do so well unless you specifically spam things like Savannah Masters or nuclear weapons. In which case, your opponent is totally justified in dick-punching you anyway.
What's the best-looking mech around?
>>43682561
>If vees are supposed to be strictly worse than Mechs (at all but a very few jobs, mainly boating multiple, very crit-bulky weapons like arty, and/or recon) then it makes more sense to leave Mechs as the rules baseline and then impose further penalties on the vees.
Interestingly, I've been replacing mechs with vees more and more over the past couple of years.
>>43682561
>spam things like Savannah Masters or nuclear weapons
Or bring (i)ATM boats.
>>43682561
>(at all but a very few jobs, mainly boating multiple, very crit-bulky weapons like arty, and/or recon)
Also bringing lotsa missiles. No missile heat is really nice at introtech levels, and still useful in the era of DHS.
>>43682448
>Marians are doing fuck-all
They're invading the reformed FWL, if the stuff from TRO:3150 is any indication.
Otherwise: Yes, because it seems like your idea of "doing stuff" is "having all the toys the big boys do without downsides", which is not something you get in the ass-end of space.
>>43682448
Because CGL. That's why. Nothing is allowed but Mongoloid moron great house nobles fucking their siblings and fighting each other till forever turns yo cheese. Its why the home world clans got BTFO, too. Nothing else is allowed
>>43682646
Hey, I don't mind if they have 1.5 tech.
I mostly just want them to not really be involved with the IS or taken over by clans. I want a periphery faction that's not trying to run ICE mechs, but also not letting Daoshen paw at them so they can tech scraps from the 3060s.
>>43682677
This is why somebody with a track record of good metaplot writing should buy Battletech away from CGL and take over. Imagine Battletech with FFG special dice and movement rulers! Or imagine the level of customizable plastic we could get if GW bought the franchise! Or the level of well-written rules and competitive balance we'd get if Privateer or Battlefront owned the property. Or fuck, even Siembedia and Palladium are producing better giant robot stuff than CGL these days.
Literally anybody short of the assholes who wrote FATAL would be an improvement over CGL. Fuck, give it to Calback and White Wolf in a split decision and we can have vampiric hermaphroditic unicorns piloting Mechs and it'll still be an improvement.
>for hates sake, I stab at Catalyst
>>43682448
Because, to be stone-cold about it, battletech's metaplot is entirely the product of writer favoritism and who's big on the OF, and aside from the MoC( who's patron seems to also be a CapCon fan), and the latter almost universally piss off TPTB, hence the jihad results in the periphery
>>43682628
It's really nasty when you use clantech missiles. Even nastier on mixtech missile boats. I have an "Assault LRM Carrier". 2/3 with an XL, 13.5 tons of heavy FF, CASE, 8 turreted CLRM-20s with 15 rounds each. Fun as hell to bring one loaded with Swarm-I.
>>43682757
I say SJgames; they saved traveller from an equally shitty metaplot, so I think they could save battletech from such
>>43682677
So what would the ideal mix of factions and balance of power look like?
>>43682358
Eh. Couldn't find anything that looked right. That said I found something else that seems to work...and the donating mini was able to be reworked into something else too.
Pics when they're done.
>>43682757
Okay...I was with you when you said FFG...a bit hesitant when you said GW, went back to being okay when you went to Privateer or Battlefront...
But Siembedia and Palladium? What fucking Canopian shit are you smoking anon? Seriously, look at the epic fuckfest that is Robotech Tactics, and trying typing that shit with a straight face...im-fucking-possible. Or better yet, pick up a copy of the Shadow Chronicles RPG, and try making a character...there are so many fucking flaws it's damn near impossible unless you stay strictly to something generic.
I wish Kev and his boys the best, but I'd rather see BattleTech yiff in hell with Calbeck before I'd see it in Palladium's hands.
>>43682757
>imagine the level of customizable plastic we could get if GW bought the franchise!
Purely on a minis basis, I would be on this like white on a polar bear.
>>43682685
Not sure why you're talking about the Marians being the worst off, then. They've got plenty of L2 tech (including several homegrown and pretty solid BA designs), and are freaking rich for the periphery because of that giant germanium lode they were founded off of. They're well ahead of the Tuarians as far as their situation goes, and they're actively doing something.
The Taurians are stuck on the defensive, but have better tech (they make a light with Reflective and heavies with Tcomps, before someone says I'm inflating their tech). Overall they're in a tight spot at the moment because of the split between them and Calderon.
Filtvelt is all the good parts of the FS without all the shit and with delicious L1.5 tech, and spends most of their time fighting pirates with Randis and Calderon. They're not poor enough that they're looking at ICE mechs, and they're doing whatever THEY want to do instead of listening to House Davion. This area (Filtvelt, Tortuga, Randis, Calderon) is the real wild west of the IS.
Also, the MoC is making mechs that are using tech that wasn't even around in the 60s and their military is the most advanced of any periphery state that isn't a half-clan abomination, so "Tech scraps from the 60s" is pretty inaccurate.
Outworlds did get fucked into magpie bitches, sadly.
>>43682807
>things only happen because writers are biased fans!
Herb was a Lyran fan. Look at what happened to them in 3145.
>>43682837
OA extends about 100 LY into Drac Space.
Marians grab most of those unaffiliated (non-Oriente, Marik, and Andurien) plants on the lower left of FWL space.
MoC planets wiped out to the last tranny, but they're pleasure circuses are allowed to roam around the Inner sphere Quarian-style (or like Nomads, if you're into Infinity)
Taurian space replaces the entirety of FedSuns space on a 1-to-1 basis.
Boom, all faction mix and balance issues fixed.
>>43682986
They aren't rich any more. The germanium was enough to get them going, but it ran out and they're still not on par with the Canopians, Taurians, Fitvelt, OA, etc.
>>43682986
Herb was also a Horses fan. And Herb was also the least biased of the BT devs/authors by a long shot. He was bascially acting as the brake on the fiat trainI miss you, you depressive, divorced disaster
>>43682993
>OA extends about 100 LY into Drac Space.
>Marians grab most of those unaffiliated (non-Oriente, Marik, and Andurien) plants on the lower left of FWL space.
These are both in progress if 3145 and 3150 are any indication.
>>43683012
>not on par with filtvelt
>not on par with the faction that is barely making basic SL tech when they're pumping out multiple BA designs, assault mechs, UACs, AIV, etc...
You need to get your head examined.
>>43682214
>da fuq
Swear on me fuckin' mum, mate.
Seriously, though, I think there was an extremely bad break between the art director, the fluff writer, and Duane Loose on that one. Design guy went "Hey, what's a 55-t chassis the Lyrans make?", the flufferhurrrmade it loosely based on the Vulture, and Loose made it a squat, fatassed hexagonal monstrosity. Thank God for Microsoft (first time those words have been uttered since the nineties..) for paring it down to fit the polygon requirements of Mechwarrior 3.
>>43683088
And the Barghest is a Bushwacker made into a quad according to Sarna, and Sarna says it has a Griffin quad chassis.
![IMG_20151116_215438[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/MGwYUzZ.jpg "IMG_20151116_215438[1].jpg")
It was the arms and their weird connections that bugged me the most about the Legionnaire. (The legs are funky too but I can live with that) So I went about finding some cool replacements for them...courtesy of a Marauder IIC that was lying about in pieces.
>>43682757
>even Siembedia and Palladium are producing better giant robot stuff than CGL these days.
"Producing" is perhaps too strong a word. I'd go with "Lying/talking about producing stuff to keep the lawyers off" at this point. It's a shame, too, because the game system is actually pretty good.
...also, K. Sem would fire all the writers and artists and try to do everything himself. Again. Then there'd be one half-assed and badly-rewritten sourcebook followed by two years of excuses and then somehow his dog would undergo a Crisis of Treachery and eat all the manuscripts that were literally days away from publishing except he hadn't scanned them into the "witch-box" that saves them on its "hard drive" and can we have some free money please?
Not that I'm bitter or anything.
>>43683287
I'm honestly somewhat surprised it didn't fall over in the time it took to take the picture. The arm guns are a bit loarge but overall it looks good. Almost like a "Reseen MAD III" or something, what with the central rotary.
>>43683359
Its on the edge of being front heavy but not quite that bad. Still i'll be happier when its on a base.
I'm gonna tinker with a Legionnaire and see what I can come up with since its still mostly an LGN in the end.
>>43682837
Periphery gets completely ignored, the WoB tosses nukes at the major factories and then walks away. maybe the taurians and MoC gain a few worlds post-jihad purely by expanding into the deep periphery, but that's it. The MoC breaks up with the cappies mid-jihad and looses a regiment or two in the scuffle, and the TC Pleiades regiments desert, go on a fools crusade and die. The OA has nothing happen, because they're suffered enough already.
>>43683510
Well...giving it an XXL Engine and an XL Gyro and knocking the RAC5 down to a RAC2 w/2t of ammo + CASE II instead of the 3t and no CASE leaves me with 12 tons to play with.
Dual PPCs
Dual cERPPCs
Dual SNPPCs
Dual cLPLs
Dual iHLLs
and several other options are all possible with that tonnage.
>>43683656
Or keep it simple by switching out for a RAC2 w/2t ammo, an XL Gyro, dual LPPCs, a Supercharger, and an extra half ton of armor.
Are there any quickdraws worth a damn?
>>43683656
>RAC5 down to a RAC2 w/2t of ammo
why
>>43680791
what is that Stalker doing with its legs
>>43683836
whatever it wants.
>>43683797
>Why?
So that I can fit something appropriately sized for those new arms.
I mean I know big barrels are a thing but I really don't want those honkin big arms to be toting medium lasers or something.
>>43680613
Actually, it looks a bit Knutson-ish, compared to this from MW 2E.
>>43683088
>Thank God for Microsoft (first time those words have been uttered since the nineties..) for paring it down to fit the polygon requirements of Mechwarrior 3.
Nah, it had its usual look way before MW3. At least as early as the cartoon. And TRO 3058 itself has the normal BW on the cover, and it predates MW3 by a few years.
>>43683287
Finalized two versions that I like. Both based off the standard LGN.
>RAC2 w/2t ammo, XL Gyro, no TComp, 2 LPPCs, and 2 SPL
The RAC and LPPCs have the same range brackets which appeals to me.
>XL Gyro and 2 HMLs
Simplicity.
Both would have the barrels of the arm weapons massively over built for melee purposes of course.
>>43683656
>Dual PPCs
PPCs are 7 each, you'd need 14 tons instead of the 12 you say you have.
>>43683872
A pair of LLs would let you keep the RAC 5, though you'd have to settle for 2 tons of ammo or no CASE.
Please, some anon with photoshop skills, i implore you to place a neurohem on this hercules, so that i may caption it "cool story sibkin"
Hello /btg/, I'm sure you get this question a lot, but - where do I start from?
I've started looking at Battletech stuff, and I'd like to pick up the miniature game, but the Catalyst website is not terribly clear.
From what I understand, there's a "boardgame" version with a starter kit, and a "alpha strike" version which has faster gameplay. Is that correct?
If so, considering that I have very limited experience with miniature games, what should I pick up to get started?
>>43684575
First thing, pick up the box set; it's the best intro to the rules and the game. After that, dig up a copy of the Battletech Master Rules (revised), preferably hardcopy, but if your FLGS don't got it, the OP mediafire certainly does.
That's it for rules. As stat stuff goes, either pick up ancient TRO:3025 and 3026(only the oldest editions) or else Technical Readout 3939 and 3026(revised). They have all the important basic units. Once you're comfortable with the basic stuff, dig up either old-edition TRO:3050 or modern TRO:3050 revised, whichever you can find, plus 3055 and 3058, if you want, though they aren't THAT important.
Once you've got 100+ games with all sorts of special stuff under your belt, pick up the Total Warfare set, but that's a long way in the future
>>43684575
>>43684692
*TRO:3039
>>43684575
The minis are more or less completely irrelevant to battletech play, FWIW. So don't worry about that aspect. The minis are purely a "for the fun of it" part
>>43684575
The Intro box set is a great value no matter which you play, simply because of all the minis you get.
The introductory rules it comes with are simplified versions of BT proper, so those are as good a place to start as any. If you like those and want more crunch added, get the core rulebook, Total Warfare.
Alpha Strike being its own thing is something you would look to on its own, while it can be an alternative if you aren't digging the intro rules, but even if you like them it's not a bad idea to take a look, maybe you'd like AS better, or maybe use them for larger games, or faster games when you have less time.
>>43684692
>>43684750
>>43684721
You guys are great, thank you.
Can you tell me something more about Alpha Strike too?
>>43684786
Basically, Alpha Strike is a more simple than Battletech.
In BT, you fire weapons individually, each one has its own range brackets and heat, and damage is tracked by multiple hit locations, ie arms legs, head, center/left/right torsos, each with their own armor and structural values.
The detail is such that standard description of it is thus: In BT, you can blow off somebody's arm, then pick it up and beat them with it.
In AS, units simply have a single armor and structure value, and similarly they all have universal range brackets, with attack values for those brackets. So thing go a lot swifter, but you lose some detail.
To put it visually, here's a standard BT record sheet for a mech and its AS unit card.
>>43684786
Alpha Strike is basically fast battletech; things are simplified for ease and speed of play. It lets you run battles faster, or else rim a bigger battle in the same amount of time; it let's you play company-on-company to battalion on battalion rather than the lance-to-company scale of regular battletech.
Has XTRO Marik been uploaded? If so, can't find it.
>>43686040
It is there in TRO
>>43686123
You have magic eyes or something? Looking right at the folder, nada.
>>43686163
It's right there, between XTRO Liao and Mercs.
>>43686209
Those are just the regular 3145 TROs. I need XTRO Marik.
>>43686402
Farther down, anon.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/sy148q36tbqjm4g/XTRO+Marik.pdf
>>43686163
No, I just know how alphabetical order works
>>43682148
>>43682214
>>43683088
Makes sense. Now I know my main ride in the pre-Bushwacker days.
I hate you all
>>43686596
I love you too.
>>43686760
I'm largely indifferent to you people.
I'm a little confused, but how did the FedCom get the Griffin 3M from capturing Oliver in the 4th Succession War when the 3M wasn't designed until like 3049?
Were the Mariks experimenting with XL engines and double heat sinks back then?
Which of the original 16 omnis do the Ghost Bears like and might have in the Jihad or later?
>>43687761
They mainly like Dashers (they love Elementals so naturally they love a high speed taxi for them), Dragonflies, Vultures, and Gladiators, Masakaris were also notably common with the Bears though the Jaguars were the main users.
They might have any of them Jihad+, the Masakari probably being the least common, IIRC there are no factories left in the IS.
>>43687979
What weapons do da burrs like?
>>43688349
Bearhunters....Bearhunters everywhere...
>>43688394
That seems backwards
Why is there not a Kong Mech? I'm seeing Piledrivers and TSM, or something, oh and prolly Jump jets, an AC-t10 in each side torso and a Medium laser in the head.
>>43688616
>AC-t10
meant AC-10, I am bad at typing things today.
>>43688616
Unless you're thinking of a different Kong, piledrivers won't work, you have to yank the lower arm and hand actuators, which would mean climbing is impossible. And they don't benefit from TSM either.
>>43688402
>People assume the mechs refer to the hunters of bears, big fuckoff tough things meant to attack large and angry monsters larger than themselves.
>They really refer to themselves; The Bears that are also Hunters. The power and fury of the Bear. The skill and precision of a Hunter.
>Bearhunter. Fear them.
>>43688979
well I was thinking of Donkey Kong, which may have been stupid
I just had a rather silly idea, a Commando LAM.
>>43687300
Presumably it was designed back during the Star League, or maybe First Succession War.
>>43689512
Why not a dire wolf LAM. They could go up to 100 tons in the original aerotech
>>43689803
Commando makes more sense, though you'd need to fiddle with it's SRMs a bit maybe split them so it has one three-tube and one two-tube launcher under each wing and mount the ML in the nose.
But I can see a Dire Wolf LAM working, AC-10s under the wings, LRM-10 fiddled with so its mounted in a turret on the back, and Im not really sure where to put the lasers, maybe mount the for Large lasers in the Nose and the four MPLs as two, two-gun turrets in the side of the fuselage. I'm seeing its ASF mode looking like the unholy lovechild of a B-52 Superfortress and a A10 Warthog
>>43689803
LAMs don't work with Omnipods, dungus.
>>43690633
Fuck the omnipods. 100 ton LAMs or we riot
>>43691048
Aaaand 4chan ate my post, on an unrelated note, do you like my idea for the weapon placements on the Dire Wolf LAM?
>>43691048
Better LAM rules or we riot. IntOps Beta rules are unbalanced BS.
>>43689512
So a LAM without jump jets? Sounds legit.
>>43691222
>So a LAM without jump jets?
Crap, forgot the Commando didn't have those, there goes any chance of the thing working.
>>43691187
I like the missile turret
>>43691222
I mean, would a LAM that has a land mode, an air mode but no land-air mode be that awful?
(Yes)
>>43691383
>I like the missile turret
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the Lasers, where were they on the original Dire Wolf?
>>43691383
>I mean, would a LAM that has a land mode, an air mode but no land-air mode be that awful?
Given air mode has it's MP based off the JJs, you essentially have a mech that can handicap itself at will, as if the 10% initial tonnage and equipment restrictions didn't do that already for unit that's getting nothing from them.
>>43692246
>Given air mode has it's MP based off the JJs
You realise that Air-mode movement is in AeroTech MP, right?
Effectively one BT mapsheet per AT hex. Air-mode is a licence to escape the battle and re-enter combat from anywhere else in a few turns, or just GTFO the planet entirely.
>>43692693
>Effectively one BT mapsheet per AT hex
So could you give a LAM a Thumper and use it for Bombing runs? In AT terms it has a range of 21 hexes, right?
>http://www.ourbattletech.com/2015/october-2015-kickstarting-tripods-and-skinwalkers-oh-my/
Have you listen this? There's a lot of blablabla and autistic noises, but Rome's interview is very good
>Milestones: Operation DAMNATIO
>they'll finally reveal who's behind the Black Monday
>>43692693
Yes, I know that. But we're talking about making a mech with no JJs into a LAM here, which if the lack of JJs is kept makes airmech and fighter modes useless as they have no MP to fly. Context is important.
>>43693276
>>43693276
>>43691222
The COM-7B has jets, so it's possible. It's even Blakist.
>>43676956
wow nice wallpaper!
is there something like this but for Kurita?
>>43693450
You should talk to ShimmeringSword, he's the one who did this (it's a fan-commission). He's really backed up right now, though, with a major project. In the interim, if you don't mind Dark Age stuff...
>>43693765
looks great! thank you very much
That Lyran FanTRO updated.
Now with even more 100 tonners.
https://www.mediafire.com/?xz60mstt48z42q9
>>43693834
>jumping Gurtelier
WHAT THE FUCK
>>43692763
Can't fire artillery from the air, sadly. Not even Arrow IV (unless it's an externally carried one, anyway)
Theoretically, you could throw an arty piece on a regular ASF, but you would have to land before firing.
>>43693834
My favorite FanTRO until we got ours. Shit is so cheesy it is good. I am surprised at the omni trailer, it looks good and it seems a good idea (if you have vehicles strong enough to carry it without reducing its speed to 1/2)
But man, haven't he realized tsemp carriers are a bad idea? Not even RotS is that crazy
>>43693834
>6 100 tonner NTNUs
>3 100 tonners, one an Omni
>100 ton trailer
>100 ton jump tank
>Demolisher II NTNU
>Jumping Gurtie
>all those CERPPCs
>dat warship
WHY
SOCIAL GENERALS PLS GO
>>43693834
>All negative quirks on the units they invented are irrelevant or nearly so in gameplay, all units are minmaxed.
>muh vehicular jump jets
>"The data contained no less than what is essentially a blueprint to the ton for ton arguably most deadly warship ever developed by man."
Wow. This is Twilight/HP crossover fanfic tier bad.
>>43693834
>20 HNGauss on the nose arc
Munchkin much?
>no AMS
>ton-for-ton the most deadly warship designed by man
KEK
>>43694127
Just let the inner Elsie out.
You know you want to.
>>43693946
That was there before.
Isn't it great?
>>43694150
TRO Amathyst Eagle when
>>43694319
Lemme dig up my ELRM carriers and LGR boats.
>>43694422
>>43694319
Oh, and get CA's Perseus configs and Perseus II design.
>>43694440
We could make TRO: Perseus and Perseus Accessories with all the one's he's made.
>>43694150
>This is Twilight/HP crossover fanfic tier bad.
Oh brother, you have much to learn. I've seen shitfic that would make that fantro look like fuckin dostoevsky by comparison
>>43694540
>I've seen shitfic that would make that fantro look like fuckin dostoevsky by comparison
I want links.
>>43694617
on my phone, but when I'm home from work, I'll send you some shit
in the meantime, just for a taste, search for "how I became yours". it's avatar, a fancomic, and it's staggeringly bad
>>43694492
>TRO: Perseus and Perseus Accessories
30 seconds in MS Paint later:
>>43694666
oh, I was hoping for BT stuff
>>43694288
I'm a PURPLE BIRD, though. I like my assaults 4/6 and with unnecessary rear-facing weapons.
>>43694702
Oh, I can find that stuff, too. I'll post it here around 11
>>43694440
>Implying you don't get a purple boner every time you see a Perseus
>>43694949
That is true.
>>43694797
>4/6
Pfft.
3/5, 4(5)/6(8) or 5/8/8 are some REAL assault speeds.
>TRO: PURPLE BIRD
If there isn't a reference to PBW in there, I'd be disappointed.
>>43695007
I want a fanTRO Marik just so I can have a Longinus II.
It's a magnetic Longinus but with additional SRMs/a ML. Because fuck you.
>>43695382
I just want a good heavy BA for the Dark Age. The Kopis kinda rendered the Phalanx obsolete.
>>43694949
I love Amethyst Avian as much as the next /btg/er but the Perseus just doesn't do it 4me
>>43695559
Phalanx was never really good tbqh senpai
>>43693243
>CGL revealing mysteries
Finally!
>>43695881
It was decently armed for a bodyguard. The Kopis, however, is just MURDER.
>>43695559
>good heavy BA
[CUCHULAINN INTENSIFIES]
>>43695897
Their explanations are typically retarded, though
>>43695559
r8 my Phalanx II
2 ground mp
10 points advanced
2 David LGRs
SRM-5 with 3 shots
LTAG
Two battle claws
>>43693974
>Not even Arrow IV (unless it's an externally carried one, anyway)
No, standard Arrow IV works. They just can't make direct fire attacks.
>>43696071
>2015/3150
>still being a rumpsore grog
>>43694540
Roy Calbeck did nothing wrong.
>>43687300
They didn't. The FedCom was building the -1DS as its primary Griffin upgrade but imported (in limited numbers) the -3M, either in whole or as upgrade packages.
At least 50% of what you read on Sarna is something someone has pulled from their ass and will keep reverting any changes to if corrected.
>>43688402
The Bearhunter is an unholy monster in the RPG, to-hit penalty and all. You can reliably kill or render ineffective a Kanazuchi with the average burst.
It's a complete and utter dud in BT rules unless you apply the TacOps option for them to deal extra damage to BA though.
>>43692693
>Implying that they ever intend to use the design outside of AirMech mode, hence the kvetching over how the dedicated ground recon mode is shit at fighting.
>>43694179
>Lyrans simulate the design of what is actually a pretty min-maxed ship
>A Leviathan III would kill it in two turns or less without much actual effort, sustaining minor damage at best in return
>Jellico posts again about how the Lev III is neither that great nor that game-breaking, and you "only" need 1,000 ASFs to beat one any way
>>43694150
>>All negative quirks on the units they invented are irrelevant or nearly so in gameplay, all units are minmaxed.
Yeah, it's pretty dull stuff really. Some people like playing like that. The rest of us are decent human beings who know how to have objectively correct fun.
>>43696487
Tangential but
Someone called me a grog at an LGS because I was playing Necromunda with some old pals who were in town
Do people use it as a compliment now, is he a retard, or am I a grog in denial?
>>43695810
Anon, those configs are clones of the base chassis in an effort to make it good. Or else give it LGRs as Janos intended.
>>43696582
Like any word it gets misused, or sometimes used ironically or affectionately.
Just playing something old doesn't make you a grog. There has to be an element of complaining or dislike for new stuff. If the guy just called you a grog and meant it, he's the same kind of idiot who'd call you autistic for knocking something over, or post *tips fedora* on /tg/ at people who like elves. He's heard (or seen) the words, didn't know what they meant, taken a wild stab at their general meaning and then used them to try to fit in.
>>43696548
>At least 50% of what you read on Sarna is something someone has pulled from their ass and will keep reverting any changes to if corrected.
I dunno about Sarna, but what he's talking about is actually from original TRO 3050.
Probably just one of those things like 3025's tendency to mention the Star League despite the thing it;s talking about predating the Star League.
>>43696548
Stormfury detected.
Pls go.
>>43696548
>The Bearhunter is an unholy monster in the RPG, to-hit penalty and all. You can reliably kill or render ineffective a Kanazuchi with the average burst.
Oh yeah, the only weapon with a higher base damage is the Radium Sniper Rifle, which is exactly what it sounds like.
>>43695184
PBW?
>>43696548
>Jellico posts again about how the Lev III is neither that great nor that game-breaking, and you "only" need 1,000 ASFs to beat one any way
Jellico has turned into a massive cockmunch lately
>>43696871
PURPLE BIRD WAIFU
>>43696527
Not bad, but I think the meme you're looking for is:
>Roy Calbeck is the hero the BT fanbase deserves
>>43696901
Natural reaction to getting a yellow Beemer. It was inevitable. Everyone connected professionally in any way to the CGL becomes a massive cockmunch. The only way to recover is to sell the franchise to WotC or something and start over.
>>43696918
Honestly, considering the shit that catalyst has unleashed on battletech, we'd probably be better off if malcomson had won the lawsuit
>>43696948
>The only way to recover is to sell the franchise to WotC or something and start over.
>>43696978
You're insane, or Malcomson.
If he'd won the lawsuit, he was planning on making Battletech explicitly a furry game. That;s really what you want? Really?
>>43697037
Better a game filled with cocksucking herm furries than what we've gotten from Catalyst. At least the furries are honest about being faggots.
>>43697109
I'm afraid your proposal isn't modest at all.
>>43694319
Haha my time has come!And so have I!
>>43697037
You see, if he did that, it would be immediately obvious that things were going in a totally retarded direction, and people would all bail to their own versions of the setting. With CGL it's gradual and people still hold on to the 'canon' setting, even when it gets retarded. So the obvious upfront fuckry is better than the slow shitslide as such
>>43697109
Wow. That is some genuine grade A butthurt you have there. Mind giving us a price on setting up a farm there? I know some people that would love to have some of the primo stuff.
>>43694617
Here's the first bit that I could find; there's not a ton of BT stuff on ff.net, and the other places where it'd aren't really accessible on a phone, so I'll only get to those later
Anyways:
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11610220/1/The-Chronicles-of-the-69th-Virginia-Expeditionary-Force
>>43697528
>falling for this low-grade trolling
C'mon son.
>>43697423
>not naming it the Noyuu
pleb
>>43698270
Im pretty sure I named a BA that actually. Not certain where I squirreled it away however.
>>43696548
any response to >>43696804 ?
what are some decent babby's first (Davion) mech? aside from bugs. Any era.
>>43698934
Valk.
>>43698270
>>43698471
Found it!
>>43698934
Warlord or Dire Wolf.
>>43698934
Shadow Hawk-2D
But seriously, the thunderbolt is common in the AFFS and a solid all-rounder, a perfect learner's mech
>>43698690
>>43696804
Hm. Fair enough, it's canon. Retarded canon that you can't really tell apart from the usual BS you see on Sarna, but canon nonetheless.
It really doesn't make sense that factories captured before the Helm Core's LosTech was understood allowed them to design stuff that could be built nearly 30 years later. FASA, everybody!
>>43698934
Devastator, Nightstar, Warlord, Falconer, Penetrator, Thunderbolt-9NAIS, RACshasa, RACturion, Phoenix Hawk-3PL/-6D, Wolfhound, Jackal.
>>43694617
>>43697662
>Oh anon...
In the 31st Century, humankind has spread to thousands of planets in the Inner Sphere. Once united under the glorious banner of the Star League, the Successor States and their noble houses now fight bitter wars over the scraps of empire. When a JumpShip carrying a special task force from the Federated Suns suffers a catastrophic misjump, the occupants find themselves stranded above a strange, beautiful world at once alien and eerily familiar.
Meanwhile, in the peaceful realm of Equestria, Ponyville’s resident bookworm , Twilight Sparkle, has stumbled upon hints of a secret buried for centuries. A secret that may lay bare long-forgotten aspects of Pony history and culture.
Our story begins on the planet Valexa, where the beleaguered Militia has launched a last-ditch effort to call for help against overwhelming odds.
http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/07/story-thessalonica-legacy.html
>>43700387
>vulture
This may be the only time that I am thankful that the Clans exist. They'd think the ponies are Genecaste, and genocide them.
That's what happens, right?
