Next, onto the cool stuff… Battlemechs.
Oh, and vehicles.
As I have said this game will be a little different as it will operate on multiple levels. The first and most dominant level is the character level, your PC. Most of the 'role-playing' aspects of the game will be at this level. As will a generous amount of combat. The second dominant level is the strategic level where players take the role of a single play piece, being a battlemech, tank or infantry squad. At the strategic level combat is more zoomed out.
Also, I reserve the right to switch to a hybrid mode, being tactical combat. Where players may take on the role of a squad of infantry. And finally I may possibly shift up to strategic operations level where you are effectively in control of a squad of strategic assets (good for big final fights??? If there even is one). No I have no plans to use the planetary of interstellar engagement rules.
The good news is the rules at all levels are very similar, its just that detail falls off as you zoom out.
Ok, Mechs… There are over a thousand Mechs in the Battletech universe. As I have no expectation that you could select a survey field stating you are a 'living Battletech wiki'. I plan to simplify things.
First, it’s a frontier world, so no assault mechs, they are simply to valuable to waste on garrison duty. Next, minimal heavy units, they will be unique where they exist. Finally Medium and Lights (being 20 to 55 tons). To cut things down I am going to select six units from each category that are appropriate to the setting, and three of each of these will be considered common and likely opponents (these are the ones worth remembering). Here are the lists:
Common Light Mechs:Stinger (20 tons, 5R model) - this is your bog average all rounder scout with jump capability.
Commando (25 tons, 2D and 4H models) - this represents a recon strike unit.
Hammer (30 tons, 3M, 3M2 and 3SH models) - Light fire support unit, effectively a light attack unit.
Rare Light Mechs:Locust (20 tons, 5V and 1v2 models) - This is a fast scout, the fastest unit in the list.
Panther (35 tons, 9R and 8Z models) - A light unit that thinks it’s a heavy thanks to its PPC. A little on the slow side but compensates with jump capability.
Hollander (35 tons, F3 model) - A pure sniper, would be available as post clan war surplus since the manufacturer moved to a 45 ton model.
Common Medium Mechs:Phoenix Hawk (45 tons, 1 model) - The fastest of the medium units, historically this would command a light lance of stingers. Well armoured, and moderate weaponry.
Centurion (50 tons, A and AL models) - An all round medium attack unit.
Dervish (55 tons, 6M and 7D models) - An fast mobile missile boat.
Rare Medium Mechs:Clint (40 tons, 3-3T model) - Recon command and mobile sniper.
Crab (50 tons, 20 and 27 models) - A laser unit, would be found as a star-league relic or as clan war surplus. The refuge faction may have brought some with them.
Hunchback (50 tons, 5H, 4P and 4G) - a short range killing machine. Possibly one of the nastiest 'engagement baskets' of all the mechs you are likely to encounter. Stay out of range and stay alive people.
Air Assets?You may be asking where the aircraft went, well you may have noticed this planet has feral weather. As a result they are just not deployed on world. This also makes deploying hovercraft more difficult, so they will be rare too.
VehiclesA range of vehicles will be in common use, simpler and cheaper than battlemechs, tanks lack the mobility of legs and the durability that comes with a million c-bill construction cost.
Scorpion Light Tank (25 tons) - expect to see a lot of these, they don’t get much cheaper or simpler than the classic scorpion.
Striker Light Tank (35 tons) - Basic missile carrier, LRM10 and SRM6.
Scimitar Medium Hover Tank (35) - hover tanks will be rare on planet given the winds. But these represent a common unit mounting an AC5 and two SRM2s.
Myrmydon (40 tons) - expensive for a tank, these are fusion powered PPC packing monsters.
Bulldog Heavy Tank (60 tons) - Cheap and flexible, the basic platform fields a heavy laser allowing for minimal supply costs.
Zhukov Heavy Tank (75 tons) - rare, but low cost makes it fairly common. This unit is two Tigers smashed together and given an attitude problem. Good for garrison duty.
In Closing...Everything else exist, but I am just limiting the options to keep thing s under control. Oh, and if you want more info google the unit name followed by battletech. Go to links at Sarna.net. Or just go there and search -
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
