Pakige
The 21st Centauri Lancers box I ordered has finally arrived. This is an interesting and varied but incoherent grouping of mechs, therefore making it perfect for a merc command element. Big "PC Party" vibes.
First up we have the two returning chassis with refits of the Box, the Shadow Cat I and Stalker 8S. The Scat is a close range striker, being equipped with a a pair each of streak SRM-6s, improved heavy medium and ER medium pulse lasers, with the energy weapons linked up to a targetting computer. This loadout sucks- if neither of the Streaks lock the I builds 8 heat on a running alpha, the short ranged weapon loadout means you can't even use the Shadow Cat's mobility to bounce around at range much for survivability, and it costs 2,408 BV, meaning there are a number of Clan Heavies that can beat it into a pulp for lower cost than it.
Fortunately the Stalker 8S kinda rips. 2 PPCs and a heavy gauss rifle that can be fired on a run for +2 heat and just over 2000 bv. In close you can drop a PPC to swat people with the paired medium pulse and er lasers as well for +3 heat. Stalkers are hateful braclet firing machines and this is no exception. The lack of CASE on the gauss rifle kinda stinks given the XL engine but also with the new ammo explosion rules the light engine means there is a decent chance the stalker can stagger through the boom and continue to limp around for at least a bit.
The shockwave is a fucking weirdo of a mech for one simple reason and I want you to play a game with me here, don't look at sarna. It's a 50 ton medium fire support mech with a 5/8 speed. It's armed with an ER large laser, LRM-10 with artemis fire control, and a rotary AC/5. The great house responsible fpr this mech is obvious isn't it? Say it with me:
D-wait what Marik-Stewart Commonwealth what are you doing here?
Yes, purple birb made a Centurion/Legionnaire clone. The Shockwave is kinda the definition for TV static medium for me- all its configs are relatively cheap, hot, fast fire support with a kitchen sink of different guns. In testing I liked the 6H with the UAC/10 the most--the extra range on the AC let me keep the Shockwave's soft internals away from fire a little longer and I appreciate the marginally cheaper price.
And finally the Jade Hawk. Man this thing is so fucking cool looking for how completely fucked it's variants are. Based on the jet plumes I Think (???) this is the JHK-03, a Sea Fox produced export model built with 24 tubes of clan SRMs, a quartet of clan er small lasers split between the arms, claws, tripple strength myomer, a supercharger, a partial wing, and 3 jump jets for a deranged movement profile of 5(6)/8[10](9[12])/4. That's terrifyingly fast for a 75 ton battlemech but also with a partial wing and no weapons that deal odd heat, it requires either a jump or walk to remain at +9 and avoid slowing down. This is a truly terminal case of Shadow Cat-itis and while a number of the variants do a better job of it (IMO the fully clan built 3 to best effect- retaining the identity of a jumping, close range missile boat), it's still a mech that's in search of a variant to make it sing. Still dripped the fuck out, though
