From: clarka@netcom.com (Andrew Clark)
Subject: Re: BTECH:  On artillery
Followup-To: rec.games.board 
Summary: ARROW IV 
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Distribution: world 
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 23:46:00 GMT

phygod72@nic.gac.edu (Phil ) writes:
>
>There have been several suprised readers out there who seem to think that  
>artillery is not an overpowering force in BattleTech.  Let me be a little more
>specific on just *why* this is:
>
>I don't have my handy dandy rulebook with me, so some of these actual figures  
>may be incorrect.  However, the general argument is still valid:
>
>ARROW IV: artillery from hell.  When a target is TAGged, they are pretty much  
>get screwed.  20 points of damage to his hex, 10 to the surrounding hexes.  

Actually, 20 and 5.  A good medium 'Mech can take about two 20-point hits.

>So that doesn't sound like much. Add an artillery tank: move 1/2, 100 tons, 4  
>Arrow IV systems (and pleny of ammo) or 5 Arrow IV systems (with bare-bones  
>ammo).  It then becomes 80/100 points of damage, 40/50 in surrounding hexes.  

No damage to surrounding hexes for Arrow IV guided systems.  Sorry.

No other weapons on that artillery, and minimum armor.  I could destroy
your entire force with four VTOLs.  They run straight at you, keeping
out of LOS from your VTOL spotters.  When they get on your mapsheet,
they drop off four platoons of jump infantry.  Oh, I'm sorry, you can't fire
Arrow IV guided missiles at infantry . . . 

>Multiply that effect by five, due to five tanks (500 tons)...
>
>As to on-board/off-board, it doesn't matter too much...I'd take the off-board  
>since ARROW IV is fired against a mapsheet, and not too many things can move a 
>mapsheet per turn (in an attempt to out-run the artillery).  Off board also  
>allows me to be safe from other nasties that might want to kill me...

Against straight artillery, it makes all the difference in the world.
With normal arty, you have to hit a hex, and I'm moving my forces so that
you can't predict what hexes my forces will be in a few turns from now.

Off-board means that we're racing to get you.  Each board is (+/-) 30
hexes; that's 150 hexes that I have to cover to get you.  Heavy VTOLs
and medium hovers move about 10/15, as do some of my 'Mechs.  My pursuit
'Mechs move 7/11 [14] or 7/11/7 -- they'll be there in 20 turns.  My
fast units will arrive in fifteen turns.  Your units are only moving 1/2,
thus are sitting ducks.

My artillery is usually 'Mech mounted (I use custom designs) and moves
with my command element and reserves.  I haven't even mentioned hover
artillery yet . . . VTOL artillery isn't practical (rats!)  It is well-
protected from enemy threats by my reserve force (the heavy mecha I
use to breach an enemy weak point, follow up a successful advance, or
hold a key spot) and dedicated vehicle units.  I would never mount
an artillery piece in a static installation!  (Move 1/2 is static.  By
the way, how did you get your 100 ton dream tanks into the battle area?
Almost all bridges would collapse under the weight, and you can't
drop a tank from a DropShip (you can land the ship, but that gives me
lots more possibilities . . .)  :) 

>*BIG DEAL* you say...you still have to hit me.
>
>Right, but that is not a problem, as I have mentioned before.
>
>5 ton heilos, moving 30/45, carrying TAG.  Sure, they don't have armour, but I 
>don't *need* armour:  it's a +8 to hit them (+5 for fast movement, +3 for  
>jumping--heilos are always considered jumping)...I think that might be wrong,  
>but no matter...it is +5 if I am...*plus* your movement...I'll take 60 of the  
>buggers (at 300 tons)--not committing all of them at once, either.

Sorry.  VTOLs on defense get a total of +5.  (+1 for jumping, +4 for max
movement modifier.)  My attack VTOLs are cruising (+1) at twelve, firing
large pulse lasers.  I agree that sixty spotters would be irritating --
stepping outside the Btech universe for the moment, where the hell did you
get SIXTY trained pilots/spotters?  And SIXTY TAG units?          

The attack helos and my air-defense vehicles set up an 4-hex perimeter
around my key units; any TAG unit will have to enter their optimum fire
ranges in order to get a shot.  By the way, your TAG gunner has to make
her to-hit as well.  You're jumping (+3), medium range (base 6), I'm
moving at least five (+2) . . . to-hit eleven.  You have to fire a 
missile (or volley) to get that chance.  This assumes that you're at
range ten from the target unit.  At eleven hexes or more, you cannot
hit unless you hover to get rid of the jump bonus, at which point 
you're dead.

My return fire will be medium lasers from the air defense vehicles and
a large pulse laser, PPC, or LB/10x from the attack VTOLs and less
important 'Mechs.  To-hit: short range (4), +5 defense, +1 for my move.
A ten, and any hit will blow you up.  If you dive in to five hexes range 
(your to-hit becomes 9) my air-defense vehicles will be at short range
(4, +5, +1 = 10) with four medium lasers each.  

You could always concentrate on blowing up my outer defensive layer,
but you're wasting fiendishly expensive missiles on 16-ton tracked
vehicles and (more expensive) heavy VTOLs.  I predict that you'll
waste a lot of missiles and find it hard to deal with the other units    
racing towards you from other directions.    

You would be much more efficient if you simply rammed my 'Mechs with
unmanned VTOLs.  (And you don't need TAG to do that!)  We outlawed that
in our local games because it was just too cheesy.  But it's still legal.

>I can put three of the buggers on the mech that I want to hit (improve my  
>chances by three).
>
>What it boils down to is this:  kiss any one mech on the board good-bye per  
>turn (smaller mechs will die off more quickly)...

Ok.  Again, you have too many targets.  If I come at you with eight 100-ton
mechs, I'm gonna die.  But I'm coming at you with a combined-arms force,
with lots of small and medium units to worry you, and you have to worry
about counter-battery fire.  You said those tanks move only 1/2?  I can
bracket them with Sniper 'Mech-mounted artillery; have you looked at
the vehicle hit location tables recently?  You've got about a 25% chance
per hit that a vehicle is going to suffer from adverse hit results --
some of which are instant kills.  (VTOLs are even worse -- about 50% 
chance of destruction per five-point hit!)   

>And you think that artillery isn't too powerful?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Nope.  Not at all.  Irritating at times, but not too powerful.  It
also cuts both ways; artillery is one of the few things where the 
Clan doesn't automatically outclass the Inner Sphere . . .  

>Tomorrow (or the next day)...AeroSpace, and death strafes from hell!
>You still have to get me, which may or may not happen...

Looking forward to it very much.
-- 
clarka@netcom.com     Andrew Clark     My ignorance is my own fault.
"We have virtual reality today: Pete Wilson lives in it." | Bad cop! 
"Macs are to computing what television is to journalism." | No donut! 
Secondary account at aclark@UCSD.EDU -- prefer mail at netcom site.   
Organization: Doctoral student, Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA