Things I've never seen before AND the answer to an old question

[Curtis Cook]

I recently received a notice from the Forum to re-read the posting rules, and one that leaped out at me was not to resurrect threads more than six months old. In that spirit, I'm starting a new one.

First, the answer to the old question. Years ago I asked whether the OpFor mechs made use of the special weapons they carry that become claimable after a mission. The answer is 'sometimes'. A lot of equipment (such as artillery pieces in BullSharks) never get used against me, but tonight I saw a couple of things I'd never seen before and one of them was an Annihilator with two AC-10s that did +10 damage. I know it got the benefit of them because ON CONSECUTIVE TURNS it headshot mechs with armor+internals totaling 61 points in the head and killed the pilots.

I'm not absolutely certain of this, but I can't remember ever previously losing two pilots DEAD in one mission. Certainly never two pilots with a 9 in gunnery and 10s in their other three skills. Fortunately, they weren't people I was attached to, but it still came as a major shock. (Not to mention that it also cost me a +120 meter rangefinder and a +4 communications system, and I have no more of either in stock, so my force is now downgraded.)
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The two things I know I've never seen before (though some of you may have) are:
Starting a scenario so close to the OpFor that you can fire at them on turn one (in that situation I received no command points, or whatever they're called, until turn two.)

I have a male pilot with an enjoyable voice who is reading from the Glitch script. Hearing 'her' words come out of a guy's mouth has been very entertaining.

In addition I saw two maps (Martian base for a double recovery mission, and Desert for an assassination mission) that I had no memory of.

2264 hours in, and the game is still surprising me.

 

[Doctor Machete]

It shouldn't be a surprise. Regular AC10s do 72 damage on an ANH.

 

[Curtis Cook]

It shouldn't be a surprise. Regular AC10s do 72 damage on an ANH.

Well, now I've learned something. I've never had an Annihilator. So that would be the explanation. Thank you.

 

[Doctor Machete]

Well, now I've learned something. I've never had an Annihilator. So that would be the explanation. Thank you.

You have the HM dlc and never bothered to put your hands on an ANH?. I mean, the ANH is one of the poster boys of the dlc, with five ballistic hardpoints, a +20% to ballistic damage (plus a few energy ones as well) and the new shiny UACs to put in there.

You can do 1100+ damage with them while still remaining usable:

... and even way way more if you go full meme.

 

[caffran]

I have a male pilot with an enjoyable voice who is reading from the Glitch script. Hearing 'her' words come out of a guy's mouth has been very entertaining.

I love Glitch, she's great. complete psychopath, deadly piloting a mech, but she's always happy! definite Harley Quin vibes.

"Let's go swimming!"

Always brings a smile to my face

 

[Curtis Cook]

Still running into maps I've never seen before… and an OpFor reaction that was new. This one was an objective base on a mountain overlooking a lagoon, with a second (unimportant to the mission) base off to the right along the board edge. I approached the objective through the 'extra' base and reached the objective without encountering the OpFor, which was a first. As soon as I recovered the hostage the OpFor appeared, naturally between the objective and the recovery point.

Which brings up something I'm seeing a LOT of over the past five planets, and that is missions whose threat levels are overestimated. On the first planet there were four missions available, and two were two threat levels lower than advertised, while the other two were one level down. On the four planets since, every mission has either been estimated correctly (a distinct minority) or overestimated by one level. Because my mission forces have been consistently heavy (even the missions estimated 'correctly' feel easier than I'm being given credit for) the missions have been going fast, but are mostly boring. Never thought I'd long for the days when I had to sweat for a C-Bill!