CLASSIC BATTLETECH CATALYST game labs

Decidedly an odd bunch, the 'mechs designed solely for arena combat on Solaris VII first appeared in a couple products(or were they all in the Solaris box?), but were later compiled and upgraded in TRO 3055U. Almost all mount experimental tech, and some in extremely bizarre configurations that make the Hellbringer design team seem staid and sober by comparison. Here's my quick impressions of them:

PRC-1N Porcupine: Smallest of the bunch, it's decently fast even without the supercharger, and 4 medium lasers is very good firepower for a 20-tonner. Armor's okay at best for a 'mech this size, though the spikes help against physical attacks and make chargin attacks positively dangerous. Given a choice though, I think I'd drop some or all of the arm or head spikes in favor of more raw armor, especially since I think it's only about a ton shy of max coverage. Nasty in the arenas, but I think it'd be even more so in actual combat, where the terrain often would allow it to use its speed to the fullest, making a cheap yet deadly fast strike or guerrilla unit.

KTO-2A Koto: They wanted an up-gunned Locust, and boy, did they get one! Mounting over twice the firepower at substantially increased ranges, this thing is well suited to hunting other light 'mechs, and the range and raw power of the X-Pulse laser means it even stands a chance against Clan 'mechs(okay, not the Puma, but a lot of others). Near-max armor and 8/12 speed means it's speedy and tough too, I'd mark it as very useful both in and out of the arenas.

CPR-HD-003 Copperhead: On the low end as far as speed or armor goes, this thing makes up for that through sheer firepower, easily able to take other light 'mechs apart in no time, and heavier designs will want to keep an eye on it, lest it wander into their vulnerable arcs and get into a probing mood. The light armor is balanced out by the fact that what armor there is is reflective, protecting it from the energy weapons that are most often a light 'mech's primary armament. Limited jump ability means this would be a deadly fighter in an urban environment, but I'd actually be wary of taking it into an arena because of the armor's brittle nature and many arena fighters having a penchant for physical attacks. One of the few Solaris designs regularly used in actual combat, apparently Kurita fields a fair number of them in their regiments.

FLS-P5 Flashfire:Tough and with moderate speed, the Flashfire is definitely an up-close fighter, and an unpredictable one at that, owing to the fact that few people are all that familiar with the fluid guns that are its centerpiece armament. I'd keep this one in the arenas, though carrying water or fire-retardant foam in the fluid guns can make it useful in line battles, cooling down friendly 'mechs, allowing them to keep up a higher rate of fire. Perhaps a good escort for fire support or command units?

MTS-S Mantis: A pure infighter, from good speed to close quickly, to a laser array of ER mediums and smalls, and finally to a pair of claws for physical mayhem. I love this thing, though mostly because of looks. Looking at the stats objectively, I'd keep it in the arenas, though it is fast enough to make a good backstabber or independent strike ‘mech.

LST-2 Longshot: A brute among light battlemechs, this thing's array of X-Pulse lasers and SRMs can be deadly to ‘mechs and tank alike. Good speed and heavy armor just make it better, and the reactive nature of the armor makes it well suited to facing things with missile or ballistic armament. Also looks like it could hunt battle armor pretty well. My only beef with it is the looks. In a section dominated by sexy or intimidating machines, the Longshot looks decidedly ‘bleh’.

SVR-5X Silver Fox: Fast, protected by near-max amounts of reflective armor, and mounting a bevy of medium-range weapons(including the biggest cluster of Magshots outside a Puma suit company) tied into a tarcomp, this is one deadly Fox. The Angel ECM only makes it harder to hit, which is good, since the XXL engine means that once the hits pile up and the armor goes away, you're not going to last long. Again, another one I'd rather take onto a real battlefield than an arena.

TS-P1D Tsunami: The lightest of the Solaris mediums, the Tsunami's speed is acceptable but nothing special, and the short-ranged weapons array is decent, but probably more suited to a lighter ‘mech. Where it stands out is the combination of a standard engine, near-max armor, and CASE for the ammo. It may not kill you quick, but it's tough enough to hang around until the job's done.

WER-LF-005 Werewolf: Slow, but well-armored and packs one hell of a punch. The combination of a null-signature system, X-Pulse, and heat sinks to use both lends this thing well to ambush or sniping tactics. In addition, the secondary guns are very effective against battle armor and tanks alike.

DAD-3D Daedalus: Fast, tough, and mounts a crapload of lasers tied into a tarcomp(including a Large X-Pulse). Oh, and it mounts TSM for the heck of it. What's not to like? About the only downside is the small cockpit, so make sure only to give it to a skilled an experienced pilot.

VKH-1 Volkh: Definitely one of the weirdest ‘mechs out there, it starts by having four ER medium lasers sticking out of what should be its face. Its true claim to fame is the hardened armor making it nearly impossible to kill, and the pair of lances that means that its main method of attack is to close with you and stab your giblets out. Mmm…juicy, juicy crits…

AQS-3 Aquagladius: Okay, I'm of the firm belief that almost everything can be useful, even if only in a narrow niche, but I honestly can't see the right way to use the Aquagladius. I mean, the name certainly implies its intended submarine use, especially when combined with the HarJel packs and UMUs. Then we get to the weapons. A flail, when physical attacks are much less effective underwater. And the only other weapon, a ‘mech taser. A taser, for submerged use. Seriously. I got nothing.

BMB-013 Bombard: A rarity among arena ‘mechs, the Bombard eschews almost all speed and melee ability in favor of raw, ranged firepower. Twin TBolt-15s certainly work, giving it devastating firepower, though it is horribly vulnerable to AMS interception. Plenty of ammo though, allowing for several salvos to be loosed even on chancy shots, and the presence of two such launchers means you can easily overwhelm most AMS-toters, and they usually only mount one of the chain guns. DO NOT take this into obstructed terrain, as the 2/3 speed and minimum ranges on the missiles means it is almost defenseless at close range, with only twin ERMLs for defense.

SA-RN7 Ronin: A generalist rather than the specialized designs we usually find on Solaris, the Ronin can do almost anything, but excels at nothing. Twin LRM-10s are decent ranged firepower, the LPL is a good close-in gun, while the claw and M-Pods are there for pointblank fighting. Possibly most effective on a real battlefield, where it can adapt to a variety of situations.

PWR-1X Prowler: Built by Spheroids for Clanners, and mounting Clan tech, this ‘mech is a duelist's dream. It has the speed to dictate the range of any engagement, and ER-Pulse lasers make it accurate at any range. The armor can weather heavy salvos, but be careful, as the composite IS will fall apart FAST once the shell is breached, and the XXL engine doesn't help matters either. My only question is, how on/off earth did these Clansmen get authorization to give a Spheroid manufacturer the specs for experimental Clan prototype guns?

PAL-2 Paladin: A RAC-2 and ten SRM tubes? This thing is definitely built to deliver the death of a thousand paper cuts. Easily fast enough to bring these weapons to bear, it’s definitely a dangerous infighter and lethal against tanks or battlesuits. I'm still not a fan of it though, preferring a heavy ‘mech to have some form of heavy gun to punch holes in targets, and the medium X-pulse that rounds out the weapons load just doesn't cut it for me. Your mileage may vary of course, and it also boasts max armor, though the composite structure should keep you careful when that gets thin.

SP1-X Spatha: I love this bugger. Fast, well-armored, and a combination of reflective armor and a L-AMS means that this is an extremely hard bugger to hit solidly. While it carries a sword and TSM, I see those as incidental. Don't go physical with this if you can avoid it. Instead, use that PPC(with capacitor!) and the speed to snipe at foes, carving chunks out of them at range, and using TSM only as a speed boost. Twin M-XPLs and a Streak-6 provide close-in firepower, or for when the randomness of the L-AMS drives your heat up too high and you need to cool off a bit. One of these days, I want to see how well this thing fares against a Blood Kite. I doubt I can kill one, but it'd be interesting to see just how much damage a Spatha can do to.

MRP-3S Morpheus: A pure infighter bar none, this thing is built purely for the arenas. With only limited ranged firepower(3 ERMLs and one Magshot), you can't hope to defeat even a light ‘mech without getting up close, and fortunately, you're well equipped for fighting in the phone booth. 6/9/6 is wonderful speed for a heavy ‘mech, easily able to close or withdraw at will. Once in close, your claw is a powerful weapon, to be followed up with a punch, or simple kicks are also very useful.

HCA-3T Hachiwara: Like most Solaris fighters, the Hachiwara is fast and tough, and geared for close-in fighting. A vibroblade and battery of M-Pods make this one nasty bugger up close, while ranged firepower is provided by an Ultra-10 and twin ER medium lasers. Not much firepower, but enough to keep foes honest until you get close and start doing serial slasher impressions. Definitely better in the arena than the battlefield.

SA-OS2 Onslaught: I should stop calling these things fast and tough, almost all of them are fast and tough. The Onslaught is no exception, with near-max armor and medium ‘mech mobility. Firepower is respectable, with a LAC-5 and L-XPL providing punch at range, and twin SRM-6 packs combining with 6 MGs, while an Angel ECM suite provides additional protection. Not really a fan of anything this big that relies on machine guns for firepower, but this one’s serviceable. At least the LAC-5 can use a variety of ammo types to keep foes on their toes, but still one for the arenas rather than the open fields.

CDG-2A Cudgel: A horrible brute, the Cudgel is an excellent introduction to the assaultweight fighters of our group. Max armor and 5/8 speed means you'll have no trouble getting in close, and that's when your claw and mace start tearing new maintenance hatches in your foes. Until pointblank range, a massive array of medium and ER medium lasers provides firepower, and heats you up for your TSM. Yes, as fast and physically nasty as this is, they still put TSM on top of all that.

SQS-TH-002 Sasquatch: My favorite of the assault designs, the Sasquatch takes a novel approach to toughness, combining max armor with a large shield that renders over half the ‘mech almost invulnerable until the shield is disabled. While the shield reduces the speed and leaves only the Gauss rifle able to fire when in active use, you still have a ‘mech that can snipe all day and take very little return damage. (trust me, every time I use it, the entire left side of the datasheet is almost blank even once the ‘mech is dead. And I keep forgetting to maneuver so that damage comes in on the left side.) Once the shield is gone(or the rifle is dry), the medium X-Pulse lasers provide close-in firepower, along with all the brute fun that comes with any assault ‘mech’s physical attacks.

JG-R9T2 Juggernaut: A pure gunship, the Juggernaut eschews any melee weapons in favor of pure firepower. No less than six X-Pulse lasers of the large and medium variety provide this firepower, with twelve machine guns for pointblank defense. Unfortunately, all those lasers are far more than the heat sinks can handle, but a handful of coolant pods are a temporary fix for that. Definitely an arena fighter, as it lacks the endurance for a battlefield engagement.

CLS-4S Colossus: Another pure close-in gun design, the Colossus is similar to the Sasquatch in supplementing armor with a shield, though while the CLS’s twin small shields provide less total protection, they can cover the whole ‘mech. This allows you to close safely, which you need to do since you are neither fast no long-ranged. On the upside, once you do get close you're a beast, with X-Pulse lasers backed up by an LB-20X cannon. Yes, the 20-blaster is the backup gun. Fun times, fun times…

GTR-1 Great Turtle: Emphasizing toughness over speed or firepower, the Great Turtle is even slower than most 100-tonners, and while the firepower is respectable, it would be more suited on a fast heavy than this ultra-slow assault. Fortunately, all these sacrifices are worth it. Between the compact gyro, torso-mounted cockpit, and over forty tons of armor, this walking slab is about as tough as your average DropShip. It needs it, as the guns are both close-ranged and weak. But with that armor, you have time both to close, and to put those X-Pulse lasers to work. Definitely needs to fight in an arena, or at least a very built-up environment, otherwise enemies can simply outmaneuver it all day.

So what do you think? What are your impressions of them, either in or out of the arenas?

I haven't used it yet, but plan to in my group's next Solaris game. It's definitely an infighter, owing to the fact that it's heavy punch is provided by ER Small lasers. It definitely has no concentrated punch, but don't let this distract you, as the total amount of damage it can put out is actually pretty high. Between those lasers and the SRM rack, you've got a pretty good backstabber right there. Then you've got the Fluid Guns, which share two tons of ammo, letting you take different kinds of ammo. I'll give a quick rundown of each ammo type, not the whole thing, but more detailed than the post that sent you here.

Coolant ammo: Pretty self-explanatory, you shoot it at someone, and they dissipate extra heat that turn. Can also put out fires. My planned use is to load Coolant Trucks with this stuff and have them accompany high-heat assault 'mechs, hosing them down constantly and allowing them to keep up a much higher rate of fire.

Oil slick ammo: One of my favorites. You spray a hex with this, and anyone passing through must make a skidding check, even if only walking. Also makes a hex easier to ignite. Uses are obvious, hose down some strategic hexes in a city or arena, and you can send folks careening down side paths and into buildings or walls, or even off cliffs. Given the Flashfire's jump capability, one or two could easily harass a larger force in a city, keeping ahead of them and 'preparing' intersections in their path. You can quickly drive a commander mad this way...

Corrosive ammo: The most damaging option, it's exactly what it sounds like, spraying your target with acid and doing damage immediately and in the end phase of that turn. Damage is in one-point clusters like an LB-X cannon, so you load this, and your Flashfire is an even nastier critseeker. Damage per shot is also surprisingly heavy with total damage averagins around six points up to a max of nine, again like an LB 10-X. So basically, you load this stuff, and your light 'mech is carrying a free pair of heavy clustercannons. I think anyone can see the potential in that, especially in the aforementioned role as a backstabber.

Water: Pretty much a support option, I don't see this being used much on 'mechs, but could be useful loaded in a support unit. Not all that useful in cooling things down, it can put out fires, wash off paint(see below), or put down civilians(or infantry) without killing them.

Flame-retardant ammo: Pretty limited stuff. You can put out fires really easy, and if you hose down a hex with it, it becomes harder to ignite afterwards. another support unit option, though it could come in handy if you know someone who loves their infernos.

Paint ammo: This stuff's weird. You shoot it at a unit, and on a 10+ or so, you've managed to cover up a targeting sensor, which imposes a to-hit modifier until washed off. Probably best in an arena or when you've got multiple units harassing one big one, so you can take the time to use non-damaging attacks like this.

Oh, and in my earlier writeup, I forgot one of the obvious ones.

Inferno ammo: Exactly what it sounds like, only more so. You hit something with this stuff, and it's treated as multiple Inferno SRM hits(I forget how many). I'll group this in with oil and acid ammo as being one of those most likely to be really useful in a 'mech-on-'mech fight.

Oh, and remember that this ammo isn't limited to Fluid Guns. Anything mounting a Sprayer or Vehicle Flamer can also use any of these, though Sprayers get less shots per ton. See things like the Coolant Truck, various IndustrialMechs, practically half the things in TRO:VA...all of them can use any of these things. If you're not getting an evil grin yet, you lack imagination.

Sounds about right to me too. I suspect any sprayers meant for firefighting uses will have that stuff preloaded as their main ammo, especially aboard a ship. They might have other stuff in secondary tanks, but the ability to put out a large fire FAST would be invaluable. I mean, this stuff puts out an entire HEX of fire almost automatically, and even has little trouble against infernoes. You have an alert crew with this stuff on hand, a ship could probably neutralize even an ammo explosion with little damage aside from the boom itself.

I'm familiar with the Forrestal fire as well, though admittedly probably not in as much detail as you are. As for the BSG episode, I don't know them by name. The only major fire I remember was in the miniseries, where they simply spaced the flames.