From: fannicm@wkuvx1.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Book Mechs and AeroTech (was Re: Btech: Favorite Mechs--BOOK MECHS!?)
Date: 6 Nov 92 13:49:59 CST
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

In article <1992Nov5.230744.13904@midway.uchicago.edu>, arp2@ellis.uchicago.edu (andrew robert polis) writes:
>>I can smear any mech lance with artillery (no problem--none).
>>I can take out a city with artillery. 
>>I can take out a lance with elementals.

   Under the right conditions, I would agree.  In open terrain against such
and such lange which uses PPC's (blah, blah) the elementals get shot at too
far away, unless of course you are dealing with say, an entire trinary of
elementals, but then you are still dealing with conditions.

>>I can take out anything that I want with an AeroTech fighter.

   I used to think that myself, and while I agree with you, all it takes is
one mech loaded down with nothing but medium lasers or large lasers with no
regard to heat to lay waste to the fighter, and he doesn't have to be in
the strafe arc.

>>I can take out infantry with Mechs, elementals with artillery (or AeroTech).

   Agreed.

>>All I really have to do is say "I want all artillery (plus some of my handy  
>>spotters: 30/45 5-ton heilos with...C3 (or TAG--take your pick), or all  
>>AeroTech fighters (configured to strafe, of course)", and you can't win.  
>>
>>Period.

   Unless I take similar forces.

> Oh,  is ths so?  What if against your fighters, my mechs were to hide in 
> heavy woods, giving you a 10+ to hit us (not even counting movement, its 
> impossible for you to hit if Ijump 5 alo), and giving us 6+ to hit if
> you strafe, and 10+ if you just fly overhead( again not counting 
> movement). Even though you get more shots, it looks like the odds aer 
> against you.  And you can't bide your time like we can, what with
> that fuel expenditure.

   I like that stratagy, but I haven't used Aerotech with Battletech in so
long that I'm not sure how effective it would be. 
 
> Artillery: (and weanie spotters) those spotters would have to be TAG,
> since those C3 computers (the master units, anyway) weigh as much as the 
> chopper (so sorry).  These spotters unfortunately wouldn't work very well,

   Make 15 ton choppers that move a minimum of 10, have fusion engines and
the C3 slave unit, and a (10 or 12) small lasers just in case you are
fighting an idiot (no reflection on anyone here).  Put the master units on
your artillery, 1 to a system.

> since it really only takes one hit to destroy them.  Even though their to hit
> chances would consistently be about 1-3 better than mine( depending on what 
> mechs I had)., we each get many shots of which only 1 needs to hit, and also
> they would have to come in close, to not waste their precious homing missels
> (we are talking about a campaign after all) on 10+(long range & flank speed)
> or harder shots. So they would each last through one or two spots, and then
> we would beat up your artillery with their 9+ base direct fire shots.

   You try targetting 30 helos moving 10 (cruise) apiece, that comes out to
about +5 to hit, and that doesn't say anything about your movement or
terrian modifiers.  If you let even just 1 or 2 of those little guys get
by you, you will find out just how fast a helo can shred your back armor,
and as her turns to run, he can TAG you in the butt.  This tactic works
well even against intelligent opponents, especially when you give them
something else to worry about, like a 100 LRM carrier cutting loose with
Thunders and normal munitions (Oh, yeah, he has a C3 master, too, so he can
sit back at long range and shoot as if it was whatever the little spotter's
range was.)  If you haven't guessed, the whole idea here is misdirection.
   Also, we may just be talking about a single battle.  You don't need an
entire campaign to take a world all of the time.

> And you would be sorry.  Period.

   In Battletech, as in any game where you use random dice rolls, there are
no definitive "period"s, just high probabilities.
-----
Master Hawk
Leader of the Night Parade

   "And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and
the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall
once more lay his hand upon the world of man."
                              -from The Karaethon Cycle:
                               The Prophecies of the Dragon.