From: miurad@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (D. Miura)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Book Mechs and AeroTech (was Re: Btech: Favorite Mechs--BOOK MECHS!?)
Date: 7 Nov 92 02:29:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: flop.1df9m2INN3l7
Organization: Oregon State University, Computer Science Dept.
NNTP-Posting-Host: prism.cs.orst.edu

In article <1992Nov6.134959.3750@wkuvx1.bitnet> you write:
>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.

(stuff deleted)

>>>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.  

>> 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.

The Harrasser Hovertank is a great anti-aircraft tank right out of the
book. (Altho. that's about all it's good for)
 
>> Artillery: (and weanie spotters)

>   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

Hmm... but your VTOLs have a +3 to fire (jump movement). Then there's
artillery flak (base 9, ignore VTOL's movement) and cluster flak (-3 bonus
to hit VTOLs). Not sure if ECM counters C3 acting as TAG (since TAG isn't
affected) but I would guess that it does.

And a lot of my stuff has lots of back armor and rear firepower... remember
the PBL-1X Pillbox I posted? That was the prototype... someday I'll post
the production models. Thunder LRMs? Not a problem if you aren't leaving
anytime soon.
That and a few 10-15 moving ECM carriers, or maybe oven 3025 Ravens and
Packrat scout tanks. 
-- 
-miurad@prism.cs.orst.edu
If there is a method to my madness, then I must be mad.