Mech Busters Unnoficial Technical and Tactical
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MECH BUSTERS UNNOFICIAL TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL READOUT Paulo Micchi 1 "BattleMechs reign supreme on the battlefield, but Combat Vehicles can hold their own in battle" (from Classic Battletech - Total Warfare) INTRODUCTION AND GAME NOTES Battletech is not only made of combats between the powerful and expensive BattleMechs. Combat vehicles and conventional infantry also have their place in the battlefield. This readout is compilation of several designs of combat vehicles and conventional infantry. Intentionally, the introduction year is not provided giving flexibility to the players to use them as they wish. In general, they utilize introductory technology and can be used from the Succession Wars period onwards. Tactical recommendations on how to combine them for combat against other units and how to play them at tabletop is also provided in the text comments of each unit. A brief history on an armored cavalry unit fully based on ICE-driven vehicles and conventional infantry during the Third Succession Wars is provided. The BattleMech and other units design were built using the rules from Classic Battletech – TechManual. For a better use of this content the previous knowledge of rules containing in the Classic Battletech - Total Warfare is needed. A few units are based on optional rules from the Battletech - Tactical Operations rulebook. Disclaimer: Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ‘Mech, and MechWarrior are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. No claim or challenge to copyright is intended by this document, which is not to be circulated, shared or copied for profit. 2 INDEX INTRODUCTION 2 WHEELED VEHICLES 4 TRACKED VEHICLES 7 HOVERCRAFTS 12 VTOLS 14 INFANTRY 20 COMBAT UNITS 22 3 WHEELED VEHICLES Greyhound Overview Mass: 20 tons The Greyhound is a light and inexpensive Movement Type: Wheeled wheeled vehicle suited for long range Power Plant: 100 ICE missions. It shares many components with Cruising Speed: 64.8 kph the well know and widely used Wheeled Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph Heavy APC. Armor: Standard Armament: Capabilities 1 Medium Laser The decision for a Medium Laser in an ICE- 1 Machine Gun driven vehicle is mainly due to requirement Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-E-D-D of long endurance missions demanding an Cost: 195,067 C-bills ammo-free weapon capable of dealing Battle Value: 316 armored and unarmored targets. One machine-gun is also provided as a useful anti-infantry weapon. The armor is reduced Equipment Mass but enough for a vehicle not meant for Internal Structure 2 intense engagements. Most of the times, the Engine 100 ICE 6 Greyhound retreat in the presence of Cruising MP: 6 anything but the lightest opposition unless in case of a substantial numeric superiority. Flanking MP: 9 Heat Sinks: 3 3 Deployment Control Equipment: 1 Designed as a cheap recon asset for heavier Power Amplifier: 0.5 and slower tracked units, the Greyhound Turret: 0.5 became widespread utilized as escort car or light attack asset. Armor Factor: 80 5 Internal Armor Variants Structure Value A turretless variant of the Greyhound, armed Front 2 20 with 3 SRM 4 and two tons of ammo is often R/L Side 2/2 15/15 used in urban warfare. The rear armor value is reduced to 14. Rear 2 15 Turret 2 15 Weapons Location Critical Tonnage and Ammo Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 Medium Laser Turret 1 1 Machine Gun Turret 1 0.5 Half MG Ammo (100) Body 1 0.5 4 Puma AFV MkII Overview Mass: 45 tons The Puma AFV (Armored Fighting Vehicle) Movement Type: Wheeled is a medium weight wheeled vehicle. Fast Power Plant: 205 ICE and well-armed, it poses a serious threat to Cruising Speed: 54 kph any light BattleMech or vehicle. Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph Armor: Standard Capabilities Armament: 1 AC/10 Meant as a fast-response medium tank, it is Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-D-D-D armed with one Autocannon class 10. It is Cost: 615,256 C-bills not heavily armored but can deal with most Battle Value: 529 of light and medium BattleMechs in short duration engagements. The good maximum speed allows it to evade from Equipment Mass heavier units. Internal Structure 4.5 Engine 205 ICE 17 Deployment Cruising MP: 5 Mainly deployed in plain areas with scare Flanking MP: 8 vegetation or urban environments, the Puma´s crews are trained in hide-and-seek Heat Sinks: 0 0 tactics and can effectively pursue small Control Equipment: 2.5 enemy units, like mercenaries or pirates. Power Amplifier: 0 Turret: 1.5 Armor Factor: 104 6.5 Internal Armor Structure Value Front 5 30 R/L Side 5/5 20/20 Rear 5 14 Turret 5 20 Weapons Location Critical Tonnage and Ammo Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 AC/10 Turret 7 12 AC/10 Ammo (10) Body 1 1 5 Puma IFV MkII Overview Mass: 45 tons The Puma IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) is a medium Movement Type: Wheeled size wheeled infantry transport vehicle, well-armed Power Plant: 205 ICE and very versatile. It can perform various roles, like Cruising Speed: 54 kph convoy escort, recon, scout and light attack. Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph Armor: Standard Capabilities Armament: The Puma IFV is a combination of the Puma AFV 1 Medium Laser chassis and a Marder turret. One of the SRM4 was 1 LRM 5 replaced by a LRM5 launcher adding a long-range 1 SRM 4 weapon to cover all possible threats in combination Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-C-C-C with on Medium Laser and the remaining SRM4. Cost: 611,581 C-bills Battle Value: 554 Deployment The Puma IFV is often used as escort for fast convoys Equipment Mass or to fight guerrilla armed forces. The infantry bay is too small for a jump platoon but can accommodate a Internal Structure 4.5 full foot infantry platoon. The Puma IFV is usually Engine 205 ICE 17 deployed with its AFV version in case of presence of Cruising MP: 5 BattleMechs or better armed vehicles. Flanking MP: 8 Heat Sinks: 3 3 Control Equipment: 2.5 Power Amplifier: 0.5 Turret: 0.5 Armor Factor: 112 7 Internal Armor Structure Value Front 5 32 R/L Side 5/5 20/20 Rear 5 20 Turret 5 20 Weapons Location Critical Tonnage and Ammo Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 Medium Laser Turret 1 1 LRM 5 Turret 1 2 SRM 4 Turret 1 2 LRM 5 Ammo (24) Body 1 1 SRM 4 Ammo (25) Body 1 1 Infantry Body 1 3 6 TRACKED VEHICLES Light Missile Carrier (LMC) SRM/LRM Overview Mass: 20 tons Light Missile Carriers (LMCs) is a Movement Type: Tracked military version a of civilian tracked Power Plant: 60 ICE utility vehicle. The front cabin is Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph armored with the small engine in the Maximum Speed: 54 kph center of the chassis and a platform Armor: Standard above where the missile launchers are Armament: 4 SRM 4 or 4 LRM 5 installed. LRM or SRM mounts are the Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-D-D-D most common. Cost: 444,600 C-bills (SRM) / 324,000 C-bills (LRM) Battle Value: 362 (SRM) / 388 (LRM) Capabilities LMCs have good off-road mobility but Equipment Mass are slow and often used by militia Internal Structure 2 forces or garrison troops. They are Engine 60 ICE 3 considered more efficient than static turrets for point-defense and useful Cruising MP: 3 fire support units. Flanking MP: 5 Heat Sinks: 0 0 Variants Control Equipment: 1 Many different versions were built, Power Amplifier: 0 combining LRMs and SRMs or Armor Factor: 64 4 removing armament to allow for a small infantry bay Internal Armor Structure Value Front 2 30 R/L Side 2/2 12/12 Rear 2 10 FOR THE SRM VERSION: Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 4 SRM 4s Front 4 8 SRM 4 Ammo (50) Body 2 2 FOR THE LRM VERSION: Weapons Location Critical Tonnage and Ammo Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 4 LRM 5s Front 4 8 LRM 5 Ammo (48) Body 2 2 7 MARDER Mass: 45 tons Movement Type: Tracked Power Plant: 180 ICE Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph Armor: Standard Armament: 1 Medium Laser 1 Machine Gun 2 SRM 4 Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-C-C-C Cost: 704,700 C-bills Battle Value: 519 Equipment Mass Internal Structure 4.5 Overview Engine 180 ICE 14 The Marder is a medium size IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle), combining infantry Cruising MP: 4 transport capacity with firepower and Flanking MP: 6 armored protection to actively participate Heat Sinks: 3 3 in combat. Based on the Sultan Heavy Tank, Control Equipment: 2.5 the Marder has lighter armor and a much Power Amplifier: 0.5 lighter turret. The engine was moved to the Turret: 0.5 front, creating the necessary space to carry Armor Factor: 112 7 conventional infantry units. Capabilities The 6-ton infantry bay is able to carry one Internal Armor full motorized platoon or two foot platoons. Structure Value The weapon arrangement favors close Front 5 32 combat and is very efficient against enemy R/L Side 5/5 20/20 troops and combat vehicles with 1 Medium Laser and two SRM4 launchers. A front Rear 5 20 Machine Gun is added in most of the Turret 5 20 variants when not exchanged for extra SRM ammo. A third variant exchange one or two SRM launchers for LRM launchers. Weapons Deployment Location Critical Tonnage and Ammo Marders are deployed in a proportion of Trailer Hitch Rear 0 0 one for every two Sultan Heavy Tank and are the main transport vehicle for Machine Gun Front 1 0.5 motorized infantry troops.