Lancea

Mass: 100 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: X/X-X-X
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 26,145,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 3,580

Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 300 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h (43.2 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Hardened
Armament:
    1  (CL) ER PPC
    1  (CL) ER Large Laser
    1  (CL) Arrow IV Missile
    2  (CL) Medium Pulse Lasers
    1  (CL) ER Small Laser
    1  (CL) SRM-2
    2  B-Pods
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

Overview:
Basically, it is a new Mech which individually is not very great, but in
numbers can operate like massed artillery along with its role as an Assault
Mech. This allows a group of Lancea to defeat many times its number in
opponents in theory, as well as lay siege to a city.


When they are employed in Battalion sized numbers, perhaps even company sized
(I have not tested this yet on the "field" i.e. MegaMek or Table Top ) they
force the enemy of equal or greater numbers to:


1- Stay in a group and get pummelled, likely out of their range.


2- Spread out, and get focused down individually by the Lancea that can stay
grouped.


The Mech is still weak to Artillery counter-bombardment by artillery with
greater range then the Arrow 4s, though the Hardened Armor near maxed will
negate this a little.


The real beauty of this though is that it does not have the weaknesses of a
purely dedicated artillery unit. A pure artillery unit cannot hold ground like
a Mech can because it can be overwhelmed by Strike units, Battle Armor dropping
on top, VTOLs, etc. This is not so with the Lancea, and the idea that the enemy
will send a Battalion of pure Artillery units just to counter the Lancea- well
it can be done, but it will leave them extremely vulnerable in other areas.


The rest of the weaponry more just rounds it out then anything. The ER PPCs and
ER Large Lasers allow the Lancea to easily focus down enemy Mechs individually,
or weakened Mechs if it faces a group.


The B-Pods aid it if enemy infantry or Battle Armor manage to sneak up on it.


The B-Pods are supplemented by Medium Pulse Lasers, an ER Small Laser and an
SRM-2 to engage enemy infantry or battle armor at greater range then point
blank (the SRM comes with Infernos).


An Advanced Targeting Computer is used to help the Lancea attack with greater
accuracy at range, hit battle armor/infantry, hit faster targets and/or to
decapitate a shut down Mech or knocked out Mech (this last being great for
salvage. )


Last I included Triple-Strength Myomer. Likewise, the Mech has many ways of
reaching the magic nine number (it can fire all its energy weapons, or all
minus the small laser while running, or it can stand still and use both the ER
Small and SRMs, or it can fire its Arrow 4s, ER PPC and both medium pulse
lasers while running. )


The TSM and Artillery also negate the effect of Reflective Armor, which could
otherwise become a problem with such an energy heavy design (Reflective Armor
takes twice as much damage from Artillery weapons, like Arrow 4, and with a TSM
kick from an Assault Mech, a Reflective Armored Mech is going to be Legged with
1-hit) .


They also have Hardened Armor, making them far less vulnerable to enemy attacks
as well as friendly fire from their own artillery. Even if they fire their
artillery at closer ranges, they can afford to do this because they are not
likely to be as damaged from their own area of effect weapons as the enemy.


In short, the only way I can think of to counter this design is to mass lots of
artillery, which I imagine can be a nightmare logistically and effectively
means the player engaged in this specific strategy has given up the initiative.
If the other player knows that the only way to counter this design is with
massed artillery, then they can simply bring in some Strike Mechs or VTOLs to
destroy these Artillery Battalions or Companies at very little comparative
resource cost. Likewise, if facing Artillery these Mechs can spread out, and
likely take out the dedicated Artillery units with little worry as they come up
close or get in Arrow 4 range.

You could even bring in your own dedicated Artillery to counter-bombard theirs. That way, you effectively have twice the Artillery, plus the Mechs to guard them, for as much Drop Ship space.

You could argue that you could beat them with Warships or WMDs, but that could
be said about any design when sent in numbers (simply put if the enemy is going
to hit you with Orbital Bombardment or use Neutron Bombs, etc, there is
almost nothing you can do, save conduct a guerilla campaign. )


Another thing I really like about this design is that it saves Drop Ship space.
Not having to take Artillery in one Drop Ship, and Mechs in another, you can
save the other Drop Ships for Arrow space fighters, Battle Armor, Strike
Mechs/Vehicles.


It is Artillery and a Mech in one, and it really does not sacrifice much from
either. A group of these can go toe to toe with other Mechs or Vehicles, and
win hands down, they can bombard fortified positions, and they can take and
hold ground.


The real beauty of this design overall is it can, in higher level numbers
(Company, Battalion, Cluster, Regiment, etc. ) really take on much, much larger
numbers of opponents then you put in. Sort of like a Spartan centurion group or
Roman legion, and it is not as vulnerable as standard artillery units (this
same tactic would not work for a group of Long-Tom tanks because
Mechs/Tanks/VTOLs can get in close and destroy them all easily).


================================================================================
Equipment                  Type                                          Rating                            Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel                             152 points                       5.00
    Internal Locations: 2 RT, 2 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine:                  XL Engine                                  300                                    9.50
    Walking MP: 3 (4)
    Running MP: 5
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:              (CL) Double Heat Sink      14(28)                                  4.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 CT, 1 RT
Gyro:                      Standard                                                                                        3.00
Cockpit:                    Standard                                                                                       3.00
    Actuators:    L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
    TSM Locations: 2 LA, 4 RA
Armor:                    Hardened                                       AV - 300                                37.50
    CASE Locations: LA, RA                                                                                               0.00

                                                                                                          Internal         Armor
                                                                                                          Structure       Factor
                                                                                            Head         3                  9
                                                                            Center Torso         31                49
                                                                 Center Torso (rear)                              12
                                                                                   L/R Torso     21                31
                                                                    L/R Torso (rear)                              11
                                                                                         L/R Arm         17                32
                                                                                         L/R Leg         21                41

================================================================================
Equipment                                                                Location    Heat    Critical    Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CL) Medium Pulse Laser                                   HD        4            1               2.00
(CL) Medium Pulse Laser                                   RT        4            1               2.00
(CL) SRM-2                                                                 RT       2            1               0.50
(CL) ER Small Laser                                               RT        2            1               0.50
(CL) Targeting Computer                                   RT        -            3               3.00
(CL) Arrow IV Missile                                       LT/LA        10         10/2         12.00
(CL) ER Large Laser                                               RA        12      1            4.00
(CL) ER PPC                                                               RA        15      2            6.00
B-Pod                                                                       RL      0            1               1.00
B-Pod                                                                       LL      0            1               1.00
@SRM-2 (50)                                                               RA        -            1               1.00
@SRM-2 (Inferno) (50)                                       RA      -            1               1.00
@Arrow IV (Non-Home) (20)                                   LA      -            4               4.00
                                                                                    Free Critical Slots: 0

BattleForce Statistics
MV        S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:     15    Points: 36
3                 5        4       2       0      4      2   Structure:  5
Special Abilities: TSM, ARTAC, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA