Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Arrow IV mech and spotter
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha)
Date: 26 Jan 1993 02:54:17 GMT
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1juvhjINNgr3@cobra.cs.ubc.ca>, edmonds@cs.ubc.ca (Brian Edmonds) writes:
>bradleah@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (II Andrew Bradley) wrote:
>> Boy, don't let someone get behide you in this mech ;)
>*grin*  From all the mechs I've seen so far, that's a general
>observation

 A simple enough mistake. For Armour I just figure out the maximum amount
and include that along with the engine, cockpit, gyro, internals as part
of the base design, before I add any weapons etc.
 For those who know me, I'm a sticker for max armour most of the time.

>From this I would surmise that you should actually keep at least the 
>upper arms on both sides and then you can remove the lower arm and hand 
>actuators and still have four extra crits to assign to each Arrow IV 
>system.  Even better, keep the whole arm and you'll have enough extra 
>crits easily for the Ferro-Fibrous armour. 

 Endo-steel is more effienct(sp) than ferro. You get more free tonnage for
the crits, though ferro is easier to install than eno. Since ferro can be
"slapped" on to the mek and endo means a complete overhaul or a new mek.

>If you can reconstruct your mech design to fit all these rules, I'd be 
>interested in seeing it again. :)  The Arrow IV designs look promising.
>Brian Edmonds (MSc CompSci)                            edmonds@cs.ubc.ca

 Then try this one out for size. :)

 I designed this mek before I ever saw the Naga in the Wolf Clan sourcebook
or the Clan Crossbow in "Bloodlust" (I credit my mate "Drew" with this retitle
of Blaine's Bloodright :)

Crossbow XBW-1K
100 Tons                Criticals  Locations  Tonnage
IS Standard                0           -        10.0
Vlar 300XL                 6         3RT/3LT     9.5
 Walk  3
 Run   5
 Jump  0
Gyro & Cockpit             0           -         6.0
Heat Sinks    11 ( 22 )    0           -         1.0
Armour          304        0           -        19.0 NB: Use Atlas Stats!

Arrow IV System           15         8RA/7RT    15.0
Ammo (Arrow) 20            4         2RT/2RL     4.0
Large Pulse Laser          2           2RA       7.0
Arrow IV System           15         8LA/7LT    15.0
Ammo (Arrow) 20            4         2LT/2LL     4.0
Large Pulse Laser          2           2LA       7.0
TAG                        1           1H        1.0
Electronics                2           2CT       1.5
                         ----                  ------
                          51                   100.0

Overview:
 When the Cappellan Hussars raided St Ives in 3054, DCMS observers credited
the success to the Liao Catapults and their Arrow IV Missile Artillery
Systems. But the shortcomings of the design were best described in the
comment by a Kuritan Sho-sho as "Good punch, great range, lousy duration!".
When the Cappellans expressed interest in selling their Arrows to the
Combine, the Coordinator asked for "a mech that is worthy of such a weapon"
and so the Crossbow was born.

Capabilities:
 Originally the Combine was to use a 70 ton mech. But it was decided that
a dual system would be used to allow "a greater concentration of artillery
support". Since the immense size and weight of two Arrows was so daunting,
it was decided that the Atlas chassis from Quentein would be used. The
torsos, arms and head section would be totally redesigned.
 An Vlar 300XL was incorporated to standardise with the Atlas for parts.
Extensive ammo bins were introduced without the usual CASE protection as
the mech was not viewed as an "assault mech, but as a fire-support mech".
Since the low speed hampered the now named Crossbow and the extensive
range of the Arrow allowed the mech to engage the enemy from extreme
ranges and by the time any close range combat resulted, the ammo bins
would be near empty anyway.
 The Large Pulse Lasers were a matter of contention between the testpilots
and the designers. Since the Crossbow would rarely engage the enemy in
close range, long range weapons were asked for by the pilots. Since the
upgrades of the Panther, Lord's Light PPCs were in plentiful supply. This
lead to pilots demanding their installation. Since the mech lacked the
"honor and glory of its' station". But due to the extremely low ton:size
ratios of the Arrows this was not possible and the Large Pulse Lasers
were installed instead.
 An additional heat sink was installed to allow the Crossbow to launch
both Arrows on the move. The Wich-Ight targeting system though a very
cheap and effective unit does have the drawback of being unable to
fire a LPL and Arrow at the same time. Pilots saw this as a minor issue
as they either used both LPLs or both Arrows anyway.
 The final trappings of a TAG unit and either a Beagle or Guardian were
added as an afterthought. Rear mounted weapons were viewed as unnecessary
since the LPLs could "flip like a Rifleman" and fire rearward. Though in
reality the design flips underarm to fire rearwards.

Battle History:
 Since the Crossbow has been made. Only simulations have been the Crossbow's
battleground. Several have been sent to Luthien for actual battlefield
trials, two lances are begin assigned to the Genyosha units.

Variants:
 Due to extreme compactness of the design, there are no variants. The sale
of the Arrows to the Combine has a clause that forbid the sale, trade or
exchange with the Federated Commonwealth or to any secondary party.
Ensuring that the AFFC were denied this potent weapon.

 This mek has all 51 crits used and is without hands and lower arm actuators
and is "legal" in it's design. Though the cost of this mek is huge! I figure
it out to some 11,516,000 MC-bills and add 5,000 C-bills for every ton of
homing Arrow rounds. Not cheap, but I have played these againist Dasher
Wolfpacks and won!

 During a normal battle, I was dropping Arrows onto the field like a maniac.
The Clanner sent off a star of Dashers with a Phantom as commander. In next
to no time the lance of Crossbows was located. With Arrows landing on 9s and
with large pulse lasers the entire star was wiped out in five rounds! Though
we did decide that the lance had to relocate as Clan fighters were being called
in and the Crossbows were vunerable to them :( so I lost the Arrow support for
the rest of the original battle, but we did kick some serious a** on some
Clanners. Yes I know that the Dashers were out tonned by the Crossbows, but
I never invited them over to play with my Crossbows either :)

This has been....
 Tony Taia                 (Chu-sa of the Second Genyosha)
 TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz  **Join the DCMS see the Inner Sphere and kill it**
3055-3067: So little time, so many Clan meks to kill! Pussycats -1/2 price :)
**Noone knows what I know, so you know that what I know is only mine to know**
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha