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The Locust is good bang for it's price. It was better in table top, where you could run the numbers up high enough that it was essentially unhittable. Granted it wasn't going to hit anything either, but that would free up tonnage or BV for the rest of your lance. The main problem for the Locust (and pretty much all light mechs) is that the standard game is a short range firefight, which is pretty much exactly what these are not for.

Many years ago I played in a BattleForce (before Strategic Operations) campaign and I had a recon lance that was all 8/12 movement (three Locusts and a Cicada). Still couldn't go toe to toe with another mech unit, but what I could do was go around other mech units to hit strategic targets. My opponent could either park heavy units to garrison those targets, meaning I didn't have to worry about that unit on the front line. In games that were designed to allow mobility to matter (especially blind man's bluff or double blind scenarios) the Locust still can carry it's weight.
 
Week of 4/28/2018-5/5/2018

The Mech of the week is: The Quickdraw

Class: Heavy

Production year: 2779

BY: Technicron

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Quickdraw

3025_Quickdraw1.jpg


quickdraw_mech_by_flyingdebris-d2ysd92.jpg
 
Contrary to what many believe, 60 tons is actually the best weight class for a 5/8 mech, giving you the highest amount of free tonnage. The problem comes when you try to add jump jets, because they weigh twice as much as jump jets for a 55 ton mech, winding up giving you less tonnage overall than a 5/8/5 mech at that weight class. This is the problem that holds back the Quickdraw. If it wasn't for those JJs, it could be better armed and better armored, but as it is, it's a mech that needs to get close to deal most of its damage but lacks the armor to brawl. (It's even worse in TT because two of its medium lasers are rear mounted, giving it a seriously anemic level of effective firepower.) You basically have to treat it like a slower but better armored Jenner, with the bonus of an LRM-10 to harass the enemy during approach. Try to flank to damaged sides and go for back shots, because if the enemy can get a good counterattack on the Quickdraw, it's toast.

An interesting thing about importing the Quickdraw to HBS's game is that it effectively negates one of the variants. The standard QKD-4G has two medium lasers facing backward and an SRM-4 facing forward, and the QKD-4H swaps those around. Because this game has no rear-facing weaponry, those two variants would be identical. Should the timeline advance far enough in a sequel or expansion, this will also apply to the QKD-5K and QKD-5K2.

In the entire timeline, there is exactly one Quickdraw model I actually like: the QKD-9M introduced in 3086. I'm not normally a fan of XL engines in anything besides super fast mechs, but apparently it's what was needed to make the Quickdraw good. It has decent armor, 10.5 tons of light ferro-fibrous, and an arsenal actually befitting a heavy mech: a pair of large lasers and an LRM-15. A targeting computer enhances accuracy, and CASE II protects from explosions from its overkill 3 tons of LRM ammo. 11 double heat sinks means it still runs hot if you're jumping and firing all its weaponry, but it's certainly manageable, and it also has a TAG system. It's not amazing by any means, but it's the one Quickdraw variant that's effective at actually being a heavy mech.
 
Not a fan of the Quicky either in tabletop or HBS. It has a thoroughly uninspired weapon payload that requires it to get right inside to be effective. At that point, it's basically a Jenner at twice the weight. Today on a mission the enemy reinforced directly behind my mechs. Two mechs stepped on the map in weapons range directly behind me; a Quickdraw and a Trebuchet. I targeted the Trebuchet first.
 
I feel sad for the Quickdraw.

It was already a subpar mech that got punished with reduced melee damage completely for no reason (i've no idea how 'weak ankles translates into weak punches' personally)
 
Yeah, the Quickie...

Weak armor, weak weaponry and not enough mobility to make up for the other two.
Now, every mech is a compromise between mobility, protection and firepower, but the Quickraw's designers just botched it.

Add in the initiative drawback in HBS' Battletech of being a heavy that thinks it's a medium and the abysmal melee damage and the Quickdraw is truely screwed.
 
Ive gotten one already in HBS and so far it's somewhat proved itself worthy... However, by the first prince, I've seen BLACKJACKS with better armour. even after tearing out the LRMs and two jump jets.
 
Week of 5/5/2018-5/12/2018

The Mech of the week is: The Alacorn Mk VI
Class: Heavy Tank
Production year: 2590
BY: New Earth Trading Company

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Alacorn

Alacorn.jpg


AlacornWIP.jpg


Sorry for the late post all. I'm getting ready for some R&R. I will be away for 2 weeks. So I will post 2 more mechs this week. Enjoy my favorite mech...FEAR THE TANK!
 
giphy.gif

3 Gauss Rifles with 5 tons of ammo at 54 kph and 13 tons of armor.
I'd trade my Atlas for that thing!
 
A lot of people think of vehicles as basically just fodder, but the Alacorn is one of those tanks that can seriously ruin the day of anything it comes across; it's an assault mech on treads. There's not a whole lot to say about it really: it's a trio of repostionable Gauss rifles with enough armor to withstand heavy counter-battery fire and enough ammo to stay in the fight. Like the Awesome and many similar units, it's not a complicated design, instead choosing to be ruthlessly efficient in doing one thing extremely well, so find a nice sniping spot for it and wreck face.

As of 3063, there's a model equipped with a pair of heavy Gauss rifles, so good luck facing down that thing.
 
If you think Schreks or Demolishers are bad news, think again.

I don't have anything else to say :)
 
Packrat said:
An interesting thing about importing the Quickdraw to HBS's game is that it effectively negates one of the variants. The standard QKD-4G has two medium lasers facing backward and an SRM-4 facing forward, and the QKD-4H swaps those around. Because this game has no rear-facing weaponry, those two variants would be identical. Should the timeline advance far enough in a sequel or expansion, this will also apply to the QKD-5K and QKD-5K2.
Click to expand...

I'm praying someone figures out how to program in rear-facing weaponry and rear firing arcs for flipping arms.
 
Well, the Mauna Kea is a wet naval vessel, meaning the overwhelming majority of BT players will never, ever see one in a game. It seems a bit unfocused to me. The infantry bay means it's rather poorly armed for its size, and its slow speed doesn't really permit any sneaky shenanigans by landing infantry in unexpected locations. Between that and its command functions, It strikes me as the kind of unit that needs a scenario purpose-built for it to shine, but then again that's kind of typical of wet naval units in BT.
 
Never seen this one before, but from what I gather from the Sarna entry, it has dedicated a whooping 15 tons to cargo/infantry. That's a _lot_ of tonnage "wasted".

I agree with @Packrat, that it's un-focused. I mean, I get the need of a platoon of infantry if it is to fill an anit-piracy role, but a whole company? Seriously?

So if I drop the cargo-space and 6 tons from the infantry bay, I get me another 12 tons to play with for, say, a 2nd LRM-15 w. another ton of ammo and an SRM-4 (of course, the bright thing to do would be going Hydrofoil and create a 85 ton, 6/9 moving craft with 7.5 tons _more_ payload)
 
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