Battletech - Also known as Trannytech

[Bulk Bogan]

The point of the Shadow Hawk is, when you a pissant noble are looking to fit out your planetary guard, what would you rather have? A lance of specialized, high-quality mechs all from different manufacturers and often using expensive bespoke parts, or like a company of dirt-cheap hypercommon do-it-all robots? I know I'd rather have "five Shads and a bunch of bugs" over "one Marauder and one Thunderbolt and one Longbow and one sad lonely Wasp to round out my blown-out budget".

A lot of mechs that are "bad" are that way, they're cheap grunts that are good enough for what you need them for.

 

[Balr0g]

I mean, if you’re not afraid to redline your heart, a great swap on a Shad is to replace the AC5 with a PPC and some heat sinks.

So basically the 2K variant of the Shadow Hawk. The one the Lyrans call a Griffin knock off

 

[DefinitelyNotMe]

if we want to talk actual bad mechs then assassin is on top of the list for me
the only thing this can do is jump

 

[Tactical Wizard]

So basically the 2K variant of the Shadow Hawk. The one the Lyrans call a Griffin knock off

Nothing so drastic. The 2K removes the AC5, the medium laser and the SRM-2 to add the ppc and five heatsinks. The swap I'm suggesting just replaces the AC5 with a PPC and two heat sinks and actually ups the firepower rather than decreasing it... at the expense of turning the thing into a potential pilot-cooker.

 

[StevieLasVegas]

All the fun mechs also second as an oven

 

[#1 Hot Sauce of Kiwi Farm]

Nothing so drastic. The 2K removes the AC5, the medium laser and the SRM-2 to add the ppc and five heatsinks. The swap I'm suggesting just replaces the AC5 with a PPC and two heat sinks and actually ups the firepower rather than decreasing it... at the expense of turning the thing into a potential pilot-cooker.

Oh so it's a worse, but slightly tanker Panther.

 

[Tactical Wizard]

Oh so it's a worse, but slightly tanker Panther.

I like to think of it as a faster, better Vindicator.

 

[#1 Hot Sauce of Kiwi Farm]

I like to think of it as a faster, better Vindicator.

Hold on now the Vindi is a perfectly serviceable mech replace the Vindi with a Clint and we have an agreement.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

All the fun mechs also second as an oven

Average Awesome PPCboat.

 

[Corn Flakes]

All the fun mechs also second as an oven

If your MechWarriors aren't getting out of the cockpit at the end of the fight with a suntan and heatstroke, keep replacing heatsinks with medium lasers.

 

[Tactical Wizard]

Hold on now the Vindi is a perfectly serviceable mech replace the Vindi with a Clint and we have an agreement.

The PPC swap shad most closely resembles the vindicator in its weapons load out.

And I love the Vindicator. It’s a tough little trooper that can put in work at any range.

Edit: With the PPC and fourteen heat sinks, it can jump and Alpha strike and come away with six heat and potentially do twenty-four damage. That’s not great for heat but not horrifying either. If you don’t jump and lay off the SRM2, it starts to look a lot better.

 

[StevieLasVegas]

Funny how much I dislike the Capellans, when they design a good mech they make a damn good mech. Thunderbolt, Vindicator, Cataphract

 

[Tactical Wizard]

Funny how much I dislike the Capellans, when they design a good mech they make a damn good mech. Thunderbolt, Vindicator, Cataphract

The thunderbolt is my favorite mech ever, full stop.

 

[Snekposter]

The thunderbolt is my favorite mech ever, full stop.

This might be a controversial take but a BattleMaster is simply an upscaled Thunderbolt.

 

[not william stenchever]

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

This might be a controversial take but a BattleMaster is simply an upscaled Thunderbolt.

...you know what, I can see it.

 

[Snekposter]

View attachment 7056090
...you know what, I can see it.

Don't forget the armaments, either.

 

[Moja Zemlja]

The thunderbolt is my favorite mech ever, full stop.

Here's a neat trick, a few years ago CGL added a new Tbolt variant and it's pre-Amaris so its available in any time period and its just an AC/20, LRM-10 and 14 SHS. No one expects the Tbolt to be a Hunchback.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Don't forget the armaments, either.
View attachment 7056162View attachment 7056163

Pft, that's funny. I still prefer the Thunderbolt, something about it just makes me like it more.

 

[Snekposter]

Pft, that's funny. I still prefer the Thunderbolt, something about it just makes me like it more.

Yup, right arm big gun energy weapon, torso missiles and medium lasers, and left arm machine guns for both.