From: arp2@ellis.uchicago.edu (andrew robert polis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH:  On artillery
Date: 8 Nov 92 02:59:29 GMT
Reply-To: arp2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <1992Nov7.174339.2182@gacvx2.gac.edu> phygod72@nic.gac.edu (Phil ) writes:
>
>There have been several suprised readers out there who seem to think that  
>arrtillery 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.  

This is incorrect, the correct damage for a homing missile is 20 pts. to
the target and 5 pts to others in the _same_ hex.
>
>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.  
>
>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...
>
>*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.

The modifier is +5, the =+3 is a modifier to your fire.  Against an average 
mech that runs 7 or *8 (or runs 5, with one point of cover, say light woods)
sure he has +7 to hit you, but you also have +6 to hit him.  That's a 10+ at
short range which is only a 1 in 6 cance.  At those odds, with five missile
carriers, you have about a 60% chance of hitting with at least one (five
missiles, that is) which will probably desrtoy one mech.  However, if your
opponents use LB 10X's they have better chances of hitting than you do
(-3 to hit VTOL's and LAM's with cluster FLAK),  btu that would only be
a way to pass the time while moving in on your artillery.  
>
>I can put three of the buggers on the mech that I want to hit (improve my  
>chances by three).

Well, you could do that, if you mean by that that you will divide your missiles
into three groups of about 8 missiles each ( but this would decrease your
chances of hitting with at least one group to about 42%).  If, however, you
mean that each of them will spot for all the missiles, you can't do that.
A single Arrow IV missile can have only one spotter, designated when launched.
Your best bet would be to use a separate spotter for each misssile.(in which
case you'd hit with about 1/6 or 4 of them in the situation I described.)
>
>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)...

Actually, smaller mechs would die off slower , since they tend to be harder
to hit( might be able to jump 7 into light woods, for +5 and your +3 +base
of 4 for short range = 12 to hit).
>
>And you think that artillery isn't too powerful?!?!?!?!?!?!?


Yes!  And if the above isn't enough let's try an example using a fairly 
standard (3050 tech) combined arms company.: (against your artillery unit)

      The company includes:
            3 light air lances (Trident's) , 400 pts of bomb per foghter= 120

            2 artillery vehicles(Chapparal')  =                           100

            2 recon vehicle lances (Beagle, 3Gabriels) =                   60

            1 mediem mech lance ( Rifleman, Griffin, Hermes II, Snake)    200

            1 medium mech lance (Hatchetman, Nightsky, Enforcer, Wolvrene)200

            1 light mech lance (Raven. Sider, Hitman, Mongoose) =         120
                                                                         ----
                                                                          800

 Note that the tonnage is the same as your artillery unit, and it uses only
units from the Technical Readouts .  

  Now assume these two units encountered each othr.  The fighters would unload
their bombs on your artillery, which is defenseless against them, and all the 
others would run full speed (taking advantage of cover, jumping, and making
the occasional pot shot at the copters) toward the artillery, in case the
bombs did't get all of them.

  Total losses for this company would amount to 1 or mabe 2 mechs, whereas
the artillery unit would lose all the Arrow IV's, and probably 1 or 2 
VTOLs before retreating.

   And this was an average force, not specially designed to defeat you.

  But don't take this the wrong way, and now assume that fighters can beat
anything.  Against anything but defenseless artillry, they probably would
be shot down.  And people are careful about not lining up for a good strafe
(at least I am).
>
>Tomorrow (or the next day)...AeroSpace, and death strafes from hell!
>You still have to get me, which may or may not happen...



Bring it on , Boy!


-Andrew Polis