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Jawbreaker6 | Thu Dec-20-07 07:55 PM |
Charter member
1679 posts
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#2. "RE: This is your chance"
In response to Reply # 1
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Your are 90 pages in it and haven't created a charachter yet? Wow. Well give me a little more. What kind of environment(Hot, moderate or cold)? 3015 is pretty much level 2 tech. Any exceptions? Is there a maximum tonnage? Shall the opponents be optimised for a certain role (Assault, Ambush, Hit and Run or more like defenders, sentinels or guardian)? Or shall they just be jack of all trades. Are the meant to be competitors, Vaultguards or arch enemys? Am I right when I assume (because of the Battlemaster) they should be regular House Marik troups and not Marik Milicia? Since the Battlemaster doesn't have Jumpjets shall the lance mates have them or not? Jager Okay---the unit will be from the First Guards (Janos' Favorites)they story line goes that these guys are just the advance party for the First. They were sent to man a Forward Supply Base on the far edge of their space. Security isn't a concern so the mechs can be configured for General Duty. (Jacks Of All Trades) The Irregulars are outfitted with 1 Cursader, 2Archers, 1 Warhammer, 1 Phoenix Hawk, 1 Rifleman and a recon lance of lights. The Battlemaster is plot specific and that is why its there. The rest of the mechs need to be able to go at with that line-up and be a believable match up. The planet is temperate rainforest and swamp lands and of low tech level. No planetary traffic control, no HPG. My idea was that it would be a good place for a commander to put a unit in need of repair/refit and rest. So they can be good warriors in tired machines, but tech level two and the original BT story line says that most mechs are pretty thrashed in general. So--no Gauss packin Atlases or Ravens or Stalkers with pristine Star League heat sinks. Personally I had envision a randomly rolled lance or two of heavies and mediums or lights with randomly generated faults. **Insert witty phrase here** Jawbreaker--"Out."
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Jager | Wed Jan-02-08 01:45 PM |
Member since Jul 23rd 2003
1985 posts
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#12. "RE: This is your chance"
In response to Reply # 11
Wed Jan-02-08 02:25 PM by Jager
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The year 3015 is certainly what the chinese calling "interesting times". At the end of the 3rd succession war and well before the finding of the Star League Library core by the GDL in 3024. Therefore many Level 2 Gimmicks can be considered Lostech for everybody who isn't part of ComStar.
So far, I'm not sure wether CASE, C3-Computers, Double Heatsinks and extralight reactors are awailable or not. Otherwise, the FWL is the one faction with the highest technological potential. So who else is more likly to be equipped with rare or very new experimental technologies than the very elite of the Marik military. The TRO's are not much of a help here too. While the TRO 2750 is listing many old Starleague designs which are all already level 2 tech the TRO 3025 is listing way more mechs which are all Level 1 tech.
House Marik had raided several former Starleague weapon caches right in the beginning of the first succession war. Despite the fact that the Free World League was all over engaged in fightings during the time of the succession wars the factory's on its core planets should have maintained the ability to build lostech gimmiks in limited amounts.
Okay---the unit will be from the First Guards (Janos' Favorites)
The 1st Free World Guard is rated as "elite" unit. BTW, your year of choice calls for some decissions. In 3015 the FWL under Anton Marik went in a pissing contest with the Wolf Dragoons. Anton became killed by Natasha Kerenski and Janos took over. For more info read: http://www.btencyclopedia.com/chrono/2785-3025
they story line goes that these guys are just the advance party for the First.
I haven't found an Info wether the 1st Guard were involved in those fightings with the wolfs but may be you know more. I think that an advance party will be led by one higher ranking officer. Just to pack up the stuff is a job for lesser ranks. In this case the leading officer will be the commader of the 2nd Company, 3rd Btl. of the First FWL Guard.
They were sent to man a Forward Supply Base on the far edge of their space. Security isn't a concern so the mechs can be configured for General Duty. (Jacks Of All Trades)
The Irregulars are outfitted with 1 Cursader(65 tons), 2Archers (2x70tons), 1 Warhammer(70tons), 1 Phoenix Hawk (55 tons), 1 Rifleman (65tons).....
=395 tons. But 6 Mechs? So that's why they are called the "Irregulars"  ?
....and a recon lance of lights.
Another ca 120 tons?
The Battlemaster (85 tons level1 with level 2 addons) is plot specific and that is why its there. The rest of the mechs need to be able to go at with that line-up and be a believable match up.
The planet is temperate rainforest and swamp lands and of low tech level.
This usually excludes assault mechs from my wishlist. They are to heavy for moving in swamps and to big for crossing dense woodland. That will make the Battlemaster the most heavy Mech. Laser boats have an advantage especially with single heatsinks in their legs. It's Ambush country. Most of the fighting will be close and personel. Anyway, as a first guard unit, the mechs need to be good in open terrain too.
No planetary traffic control, no HPG. My idea was that it would be a good place for a commander to put a unit in need of repair/refit and rest. So they can be good warriors in tired machines, but tech level two and the original BT story line says that most mechs are pretty thrashed in general. So--no Gauss packin Atlases or Ravens or Stalkers with pristine Star League heat sinks.
Okay, okay I got it. Take my gimmicks, like the Double heatsinks as genuine experimental devices custom crafted for for an elite Mechforce.
Prepare yourself for meeting Djindjic's Ustashi.
Command Mech
My company commander is leading from the front. To give the company comander a less heavyer Mech may confuse opponents about whom to target first. Especially when the Battlemaster stay's a bit behind his lancemates.
Marauder MAD-3 at 75 tons (slightly modified to level 2); Speed: w4 r6 j0, 13.5 tons of standard armor (216 of 231 armor points). Reactor, internals, gyro and cockpit are standard. Marauders are build since 2600 and are available to any faction in 3025. The Dalban Micronics com gear makes the Marauder a very good command mech.(TRO3025)
The replacement of the 2 PPC's by 2 heavy lasers is an official Marik modification (TRO 3025). The 2 medium lasers in the arms are standard.
The use of heavy Lasers and double heatsinks (14) did allow for more extras in the Torso. The mech has now a 25/26 heat ratio (Max heat to heat dissipation).
An UAC5 with one ton of ammo has replaced the usual AC5. The right Torso with the cannon and ammo is CASE protected.
The mech is equipped with a C3 Slave in the head and Guardian ECM in Central torso.
Pilot: Capt. Erkan (Mother Hen) Djindjic. Company Commander.
Second in Command
Battlemaster BLR-1G at 85 tons, modified to level2.
Speed: w4 r6 j0, 15 double heatsinks, 15 tons of standard armor 240 of 263 armor points. Reactor 27 tons standard fusion. internals, gyro and cockpit are standard.
Machine guns and ammo in the left arm are replaced by 2 small lasers.
SRM6 and ammo in the left torso are protected by CASE.
the rear mounted medium laser and one frontal medium laser are removed (Note: this is standard on all remaining Battlemasters according to the TRO3025).
The left over space is filled by a C3 computer.
Pilot: Lt. Ante (Bear) Stepinac, leader command lance and vice company commander.
The Battlemaster became modified to work as a network coordinator. The addition of the C3-Computer is surely a major modification. Still the mech has most of its offensive potential.
Long range fire support:
Bombardier BMB-12d (65 tons) modified. Speed: w4 r6 j0, 11 double heatsinks, 12 tons of standard armor 192 of 211 armor points. Reactor, Internals, gyro and cockpit are standard.
The short range weaponry (SRM 4 and Ammo) are replaced by 2 medium lasers (2 per arm).
The original missiles launchers are replaced by 2 LRM15 with two tons of Ammo each protected by CASE.
The mech has now a 24/22 heat ratio (Max heat to heat dissipation).
The additional space is filled by a C3 slave and Artemis IV.
Pilot: M.Srgt. Tiberius (Angel) Angelus (An imigrant from the Marianian Hegemony).
Original Bombardiers are not any longer available to IS units but many Patchwork versions are still in Service.
Ironically, Bombardiers are original FWL designs from before the first Succession War. The original design was equipped with special guided missiles. Unfortunatly, those missiles are extremly rare and since the manufacturing of this Mech became halted all remaining machines are heavily modified patchworks with spares from canibilised Bombardiers or similar Mechs. Usually, other and less efficient LRM systems have replaced the original launcher. Also considered lostech is the original AMS.
Due to the loss of knowlege to build and maintain the XL-Engines, the Bobardier became equipped with a standard fusion plant. I'm not sure wether the aiming Data of the Artemis system can be shared over the c3 network. If so, than one mech with Artemis IV will be more usefull than one mech with TAG (which is more heavy and range limited to 15 hexes). May be, you can explore this idea in your story.
AA Role:
Awesome AWS-8Q at 80 tons with the following modifications to fit level 2;
Speed: w4 r6 j0, 14 tons of standard armor (224 of 247 armor points). Reactor, internals, gyro and cockpit are standard.
The power plant became stronger (22,5 tons) to gain the higher speed.
The mech has now a 28/28 heat ratio (Max heat to heat dissipation).
The Torso mounted PPC's are replaced by Large Lasers. Thanks to the higher effectivity of double heatsinks, their number became reduced to 14. The weight reduction did allow the installation of a Targeting Computer. Since heavy lasers have no minimum range, no short range backup is necessary. The small laser in the head became replaced by the C3-slave. A Guardian ECM is in the CT.
Pilot: 2nd Lt. Pawel (Hotshot) Filipovic.
Awesomes are in the arsenal of all IS factions. Heavy modifications are usual (TRO 3025)
Alternativ AA:
Thug THG-10E at 80 tons (with the slight modifications to fit level 2);
The Thug became designed in 2572 as the better Warhammer and did well in this role. According to the TRO 3025 The Thug is build by Earthworks Incorporated in the Free World League (ever since the destruction of the Maltex Plant in 2853). Trouble is that earthworks has several battlemech production facilitys on Keystone, Calloway VI, Bernardo and Asuncion in the Free World Legue (TRO Objectiv Raids). None of them lists the Thug for beeing in production. According to a fanbased analyses of all sources (including novels) the Thug is extremly rare in Marik Forces.
Sums up to 305 Tons
Henchmen (just to fit the six-mech-bill)
Centurion CN9-A at 50 tons or one Shadow Hawk (slightly modified to level 2) with C3-slave and CASE.
Pilot: Srgt. Karel (Splash) Milic.
Trebuchet at 50 tons (slightly modified to level 2) with C3-slave, CASE and Beagle Activ probe.
Pilot: Srgt. Jaroslav (Swift) Safdic.
Overall Tonnage is 405 tons. So far my First Guard are slightly heavier than your Regulars in weight. Of course, it is up to you to fit two more light mechs to complete a scout lance.
Agenda:
The mechs will work best in a the described environment but their heat ratios will be okay for more hot environments too. All rearward weapons are replaced. In my oppinion, weapons for protecting a backside are a waste. That is what lancemates are for.
The henchmen are completing this setup. They are designed to work as either taking point when the unit is on the move, as a pair when on patrol and as mopp-up-support when in battle. All mechs are up armoured to nearly the maximum. So even the smaller ones can take some damage and still go on. Concentrated fire from all the lancemates can bring down any target fast.
Note: The Ustashi (or Ustasha) have been a paramilitary fascist organisation in the former Croatia during WWII. As a fascist puppet regime for Nazi Germany, they did the dirty work with performing genocide on Roma, Jews and especially Serbs. Ustashi are strongly catholic with many catholic priests and monks in their ranks. Since 1990, during the Yoguslavian civil war, the Ustashi became reborn by many right wing groups. Again the Ustashi became known for atrocies against civilians. Resulting in many war crime trials in front of the international court. While the showing of Ustasha insignia is forbidden in Croatia today a majority of 60 % of the population has still strong positive feelings for the Ustashi in 2005.
If you are interested in my setup give me a hint and I iron out the details and sent you the record files made with "the Drawing Board".
JagerA mech in its bay is safe. But that's not what mechs are made for.
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Jager | Thu Jan-03-08 02:29 PM |
Member since Jul 23rd 2003
1985 posts
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#14. "RE: This is your chance"
In response to Reply # 13
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Thank you, but your outfit is not bad either.
And yes, I played around with several yougoslawian names and all are ending of -c.
Anyway, I'm not sure even wether Jawbreaker is looking for just an opponent or for a villain too.
If he is looking for a villain the Ustashi will certainly fit the bill.
The Ustashi are still held in high regards in Croatia. In Battletech national characteristics are still surviving heritage. The planets of the Marik Commonwealth (one third of the FWL) has been settled mostly by people from the balkan states. Ustashi are militaristic fascists. During WWII they supposedly murdered 290000 Serbs and most of those 40000 Roma and those 20000 Jews in croatia.
Some sources describe them as bloodthirsty, tough and fanatically loyal to their leader. Where else if not in an elite guard unit of a ruthless military leader might somebody expect to find this kind of people? The Ustashi of 3015 will certainly be different. May have cooled down a bit.
The time set 3014/3015 is very interesting. The events are refered in the BT-novels (Wolfs on the border, Blood Legacy, Wolf Pack). There is a lot of interesting "history" behind this plot.
3014
Maximilian Liao and Anton Marik meet on Terra to discuss alliance. The Wolf Dragoons where working for Liao but where lent to Anton Marik.
<22 May> Anton Marik proclaims himself Captain-General of Free Worlds League. Civil war in Free Worlds League between Captain-General Janos Marik and his brother Anton.
Anton Marik declared outlaw. Andurien, Sirius and Regulus announce their neutrality. 1st and 2nd Regulan Hussars support Janos; 4th and 5th Regulan Hussars support Anton. 4th Regulan Hussars battle 9th Marik Militia, supporting Janos Marik, on Nova Roma.
Snord's Irregulars face Wolf's Dragoons on Loric and reach a stalemate. So far, this explains the presence of the Irregulars in the FWL.
Sirius and Regulus declare for Janos Marik.
Wolf's Dragoons Beta Regiment, Seventh Kommando, Special Recon Group, and Zeta Battalion hit Nova Roma.
Loyalist attack on New Delos repulsed by Wolf's Dragoons.
3015
1st and 2nd Regulan Hussars fight 5th Regulan Hussars on McKenna. Rebel forces pushed back to several systems around Ling. Anton Marik orders Wolf's Dragoons regiments broken up among rebel forces but Jaime Wolf refuses.
<8 Mar> Anton Marik takes Wolf's Dragoons' dependents hostage. He arrests Joshua Wolf, tries him for treason and executes him.
<22 Mar> Wolf's Dragoons assault New Delos. Anton Marik killed by Natasha Kerensky.
Free Worlds League civil war ends with Janos Marik still in power.
<12 Apr> Janos Marik visits New Delos. Treason trials.
1st Regulan Hussars formed. Treason trials on New Delos end.
Wolf's Dragoons hired by Free Worlds League.
Anton Mariks side was strongly supported by the Capellan Confederation. Without surprise, most of the fightings where on planets closer to the capellan border. While many of the Hussar Regiments have taken sides, none of the Guard Regiments seem to be involved. Why?
Note: Interestingly, in the Comstar Archivs there is no activity cited from any FWL Guard unit earlier than the year 3028.
So who became supported by the FWL Guards? For a unit that is described as "fanaticaly loyal" neutrality is no option. Jawbreaker seems to think they did support Janos Marik (Janos's Finest).
The first guard is based on Callison. On the map of 3025 Callison is very close to the Lyran Border and close to the center of the IS.
Given the fact of regular clashes between LC and FWL during the succession wars this place is a logical choice for an elite unit.
If the Guards were supporting Janos and the Wolfs where fighting for Anton there might be a chance for a clash between both.
If the Guards did fight for Anton then there would be a chance for them to fight the Wolfs on New Delos when Anton tried to split up the Wolfs.
In both cases there is a possibility that they were able to gather some of the Wolfs starleague era equipment (Double heatsinks, xl-reactors and may be an Annihilotor or Battlemaster?  ).
A connection between Jawbreakers story and the civil war would make sense in more then one way.
Jawbreaker described the units condition as "tiered". They are in need for R&R. Probably in need to fill empty slots on the rooster too. That could be very much the result of a fight against the Wolfs but also very likely the result of fighting other FWL or Capellan units.
But what will bring such a unit to the rim border of the FWL? Why not sending them back for R&R on Callison?
The FWL is prone for treason and conspiracy. So what might be logical outcome for the Guards if they took the wrong side? Even if the guards had not openly opposed Janos, did their loyalty became questioned? Is the sending of them to a low tech "Sibiria" at the edge of civilisation some kind of punishment? Did somebody just wanted them to be out of sight from the political hotspots?
Of course everything of this is pure speculation (I love to do that from time to time, you may know). Jawbreaker told us that the story will be dated "somewhere around 3015". I hope my speculations will not discourage him from taking on a hot iron. I usually enjoy his story's a lot and this one would hold so many possibilitys.
Jager A mech in its bay is safe. But that's not what mechs are made for.
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