Couldn't they have modified the ship like some other Dropships, say the Leopard, to carry a Battalion of Mechs by converting the other bays into Mech Bays?
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He could just be using hyperbole to intimidate you. Or shorthand: "a mixed battalion of 'mechs, vehicles, and infantry" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue while you're trying to threaten someone.
It is also somewhat peculiar how he threatens to use the single Fortress as some sort of magical instrument that will annihilate the opposition. Sure, Fortress is somewhat better armored than the rest. But not all that well. Single Atlas has (in total) more armor than what single side (which is the part that would be attacked) of a Fortress has. A lot more. So it is quite clear that a determined mech or vehicle assault would be the end for the Fortress. Sure it would likely take more attackers down with it than what Union or the like would but it still would be a easy pickings. But it is a plot tool so i guess that just has to be accepted.
Apparently he think that the sniper artillery gun is some kind of a magic wand, instead of an almost useless weapon against moving mechs and vehicles. It is really useful only against static emplacements or if you don't know where the shot will land.
The standard Fortress class dropship does not have a Sniper class artillery piece but a Long Tom artillery piece.
See:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fortress
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Long_Tom_Artillery_Piece
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Sniper_Artillery_Piece
Especially since, based on the about 11 Unions & 19 Leopards in the final invasion cinematic, the Restoration is dropping with about six battalions.
A Fortress matters in that context, but its not quite the "oh crap" moment the story tries to sell it as.
To be fair, Kamea's fleet is most likely rag tag while the Commodore's battalion is made up of an experienced and well trained military unit that likely outclasses the mechs she has access too. Also, I doubt the Commodore is using just one dropship, hes probably only taking about his own personal dropship. Theres mention the Tuarians were preparing to send even more dropships into the Aurigan Reach so basically the Tuarians were going to grind the restoration into dust.
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That was before the Taurians learned that is was actually the Directorate which committed the chemical weapons attack killing IIRC 11 000 Taurian civilians.
The standard Fortress class dropship does not have a Sniper class artillery piece but a Long Tom artillery piece.
See:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fortress
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Long_Tom_Artillery_Piece
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Sniper_Artillery_Piece
I can be wrong, but I am sure that in game they say it has a sniper gun. Maybe it is a refit.
You would think there would be at least one Overlord somewhere. I know these folks are poor but really.
Its mentioned in the second to last story mission that the tuarian commodore is using a fortress class dropship:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fortress
They can hold a combine arms battalion. Thats 1 company each of Mechs, heavy tanks, and infantry.
Its quite possible that if he does mentions having a full battalion of mechs that its either an error or he meant a mixed battalion. Errors do happen in games. Shrug.
Also, note that the Fortress has a lot of firepower which would be hard to deal with if most of Kamea's army is light mechs and vehicles. Which is likely the case since this is the Periphery. Kamea's army is likely split across different parts of the planet while that Fortress can drop down and deploy its army to crush any one battalion of the restoration.
It does not carry an army. Just a battalion. And a mixed one at that. Meaning the offensive punch consists just of 12 mechs and 12 vehicles. And it is very unlikely that full battalion would remain operational - after all the crew of the Fortress had already mutinied against the Commodore. And the single arty piece it carries changes very little. Given that Kamea's army had come down to assault static defenses of the capital, they too would have arty - and there really is no better target for artillery than a grounded dropship... So even in the odd case it would have landed it would have led to a trashing - just not the way implied in the story.
Well, I just used army as short hand for battalion. lol
The Fortress has a lot of firepower beyond just the Long Tom. We don't know what Kamea's army consists of so we can asusme her best mechs are fighting the directors forces already. A bunch of light mechs vs a Fortress wouldn't be an easy fight.
The Fortress has a lot of firepower beyond just the Long Tom. We don't know what Kamea's army consists of so we can asusme her best mechs are fighting the directors forces already. A bunch of light mechs vs a Fortress wouldn't be an easy fight.
Hmm, watching the cutscene of the commodore's dropship crashing, it looked like he was trying to land it in the middle of a battle right on top of the restorations forces. So yeah, 1 fortress alone might not do much vs the restorations army but landing amiss an ongoing battle could swing the tied of the war.
two points.
1) he was likely using hyperbole when threatening you. It is not intimidating to tell your opponent: "I have an entire battalion of battlemechs... by which I mean a combined arms battalion consisting of 12 mechs some vehicles and infantry... minus the mechs I was unable to salvage from the frozen wasteland of Artu... and the few whose pilots mutinied... but still a battalion!"
2) I got the impression restoration and directorate forces were about neck and neck with the restoration having the slight edge. The landing of an entire company of battlemechs, some of which are heavies would likely have had a considerable impact. Of course by that point he is completely bonkers and the notion that he could even deploy his ship as anything more than a glorified artillery piece is a product of shear delusion. "Ya I am proud to fight from my insane ass commodore FOR the people who gassed 11,000 of my countryman!". The single most damaging thing he could have done would be to intentionally ram the battlefield at orbital speeds with the dropship.
6000 tons (metric) is 6 million kg. 6 million * 0.5 * 7400^2 = 1.83 e14 joules.
1 ton of tnt = 1.484 e9
total energy of fortress class dropship in Low Earth Orbit 43.623 Kiloton
Even if the dropship lost 3/4 of its energy during reentry it would still land with an energy equivalent to that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. That could have caused some damage to Kamea's army.
1) he was likely using hyperbole when threatening you. It is not intimidating to tell your opponent: "I have an entire battalion of battlemechs... by which I mean a combined arms battalion consisting of 12 mechs some vehicles and infantry... minus the mechs I was unable to salvage from the frozen wasteland of Artu... and the few whose pilots mutinied... but still a battalion!"
2) I got the impression restoration and directorate forces were about neck and neck with the restoration having the slight edge. The landing of an entire company of battlemechs, some of which are heavies would likely have had a considerable impact. Of course by that point he is completely bonkers and the notion that he could even deploy his ship as anything more than a glorified artillery piece is a product of shear delusion. "Ya I am proud to fight from my insane ass commodore FOR the people who gassed 11,000 of my countryman!". The single most damaging thing he could have done would be to intentionally ram the battlefield at orbital speeds with the dropship.
6000 tons (metric) is 6 million kg. 6 million * 0.5 * 7400^2 = 1.83 e14 joules.
1 ton of tnt = 1.484 e9
total energy of fortress class dropship in Low Earth Orbit 43.623 Kiloton
Even if the dropship lost 3/4 of its energy during reentry it would still land with an energy equivalent to that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. That could have caused some damage to Kamea's army.