If you're creative, and keep an eye on your scale, literally anything. Woodland Scenics modeling flocks are a good general-purpose solution.
Or just paint your bases a flat color, and leave it at that! No shame in that game. So long as they're something, it gets the Nips Seal Of Approval.
It irritates me to no end when someone puts a miniature on a recessed base, but doesn't fill in the gaps. Sets my OCD ablaze, it does!
Ohhh, is that why the recessed bases are made that way? So you can put stuff in there.
Edit: I never understood the recessed bases, just thought that is the way they are made. I printed up a few of them for my BT figures that I have to put on there. Will try out some basing then to make them cooler than just filling it with JB Weld.
Yeah, the recessed bases are made that way so the miniatures with a "pad" under the feet can sit at near the correct height, and then you fill in the remaining gap with putty or epoxy or something.
Something! Just don't leave the gaps and paint over them! Eeeuuuughhh!
If you're creative, and keep an eye on your scale, literally anything. Woodland Scenics modeling flocks are a good general-purpose solution.
Or just paint your bases a flat color, and leave it at that! No shame in that game. So long as they're something, it gets the Nips Seal Of Approval.
It irritates me to no end when someone puts a miniature on a recessed base, but doesn't fill in the gaps. Sets my OCD ablaze, it does!
Ohhh, is that why the recessed bases are made that way? So you can put stuff in there.
Edit: I never understood the recessed bases, just thought that is the way they are made. I printed up a few of them for my BT figures that I have to put on there. Will try out some basing then to make them cooler than just filling it with JB Weld.
Yeah, the recessed bases are made that way so the miniatures with a "pad" under the feet can sit at near the correct height, and then you fill in the remaining gap with putty or epoxy or something.
Something! Just don't leave the gaps and paint over them! Eeeuuuughhh!
Wait, pad? Oh, so the miniatures that already have a base of sorts?
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Yeah, like this:
And JB Weld to fill the gaps is totally fine! I use it all the time! Then you can paint or put basing material over it once it's cured. (Or in it while it's curing, if you're saucy.)
Like, for instance, this Linebacker I reposed. Stock, it has the feet connected on a pad. I cut it apart, sunk the pad into a recessed base (that I made), and then epoxied the ever-loving crap out of it.
Ah ok, that helps thanks! I just remembered the Shadow Hawk you sent me that had the same thing you showed her (I think it was a Shadow Hawk, my memory is fuzzy).
I have never assembled or painted any miniature before so these will be my first attempts before I get the stuff from the Kickstarter.
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
I've not worked with metal minis before, so what glue is recommended?
I kinda, sorta, maybe, definitely ordered a couple Lances from IWM.
I also got my hands on a 1986 Awesome AWS-Q. Which my headcanon tells me is a 2786 Technicron AWS-8Q, absolutely cherry.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Many experienced modelers will tell you that a good cyanoacrylate (super) glue will be sufficient.
This modeler, depending on the model, will tell you that nothing less than pins at every joint plus JB Kwik is the One True Way.
The truth lies, probably, somewhere between those two extremes.
Regardless what you choose: Make good and sure you've scrubbed those new metal models clean with warm soap and water. Nothing will fuck up glue and paint on them more than leftover mold release compound.
Many experienced modelers will tell you that a good cyanoacrylate (super) glue will be sufficient.
This modeler, depending on the model, will tell you that nothing less than pins at every joint plus JB Kwik is the One True Way.
The truth lies, probably, somewhere between those two extremes.
Regardless what you choose: Make good and sure you've scrubbed those new metal models clean with warm soap and water. Nothing will fuck up glue and paint on them than leftover mold release compound.
Dangit, I knew I did something wrong when I assembled mine. I forgot to use pins for all the joints. Just held them there after using JB Kwik with painters tape. Will remember that for next time.
@Henroid if you're still streaming MWO would you mind tossing a link into your sig? Either twitch or youtube. Always down to watch some good MWO content.
Many experienced modelers will tell you that a good cyanoacrylate (super) glue will be sufficient.
This modeler, depending on the model, will tell you that nothing less than pins at every joint plus JB Kwik is the One True Way.
The truth lies, probably, somewhere between those two extremes.
Regardless what you choose: Make good and sure you've scrubbed those new metal models clean with warm soap and water. Nothing will fuck up glue and paint on them than leftover mold release compound.
I still occasionally have nightmares over the OG Ral Partha versions of the King Crab and Marauder.
Nobody on
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Many experienced modelers will tell you that a good cyanoacrylate (super) glue will be sufficient.
This modeler, depending on the model, will tell you that nothing less than pins at every joint plus JB Kwik is the One True Way.
The truth lies, probably, somewhere between those two extremes.
Regardless what you choose: Make good and sure you've scrubbed those new metal models clean with warm soap and water. Nothing will fuck up glue and paint on them than leftover mold release compound.
I still occasionally have nightmares over the OG Ral Partha versions of the King Crab and Marauder.
Oh, they're bad, no question. So far, though, my most nightmare-inducing model to assemble has been the Vulture Mk IV, bar none. Look at this ridiculousness:
Even with pins and epoxy, the joints at where the legs meet the hips and the arms meet the torso are basically like joining the sharp points of two needles together...supporting a ridiculous amount of weight!
I've rebuilt the arm joints on my V-IV at least twice. This last time, I sculpted new surface just to have the arm mate to the torso better. It's finally now at the painting stage, and I'm just hoping it will hold together in perpetuity, which I already know is a fools wish.
All that said, I have a trio of Wobbie Celestials on my docket as well, and I've been somewhat low-key terrified to attempt to put them together. But the Assembly Train is chugging along, and it's just a matter of time before I tackle those bastards...
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
My incoming Mech list. They shall make up my Compagnia da Montefeltro.
Keep in mind Montefeltro is an independent minor Periphery world that runs a Merc unit for the purposes of providing an income to the planet. So I had a couple themes going when I chose these Mechs.
The answer is spoilered in case you are the type of nerd that likes to guess for themselves. :biggrin:
The Mechs are all (mostly) either cheap as hell, easy to maintain (lore wise if not Quirk wise), cast off garbage, stupidly common or ancient designs that are still in service thanks to the Compagnia da Montefeltro's policy of austerity.
When I read the lore surrounding the Quasit I just knew the good people of Montefeltro would have one. Hell, it was probably one of the original four Mechs they bought! In fact I'm thinking of doing up a symbol for the Montefeltro Carabinieri that is a spoof of the American National Guard symbol, but with the Minuteman replaced with a Quasit. Despite the Mech not being a real BattleMech and the people of Montefeltro having been fleeced, I like to imagine that they still have quite a bit of fondness for the design. Probably worked perfectly well for running off Pirates.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Compagnia da Montefeltro paint scheme:
The inspiration:
I think I will paint half the Mechs I've ordered as Compagnia da Montefeltro and then the others as the Montefeltro Carabinieri. The Carabinieri will probably be my main force, combined arms stuff. Seems like it'd be fun.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Wow.
History sure has...some...outfits, huh?
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
If you are familiar with Warhammer Fantasy Battles, they were the real world inspiration for WHFB's Empire State Troops and Greatswords. You may laugh at their colorful outfits, lavish beards, and silly hats, but do you really want to fuck with a bunch of full-time mercs wielding guns & serrated swords that are almost as long as they are tall?
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
Some ilClan Era talk.
Honestly everything after the FedCom Civil War largely doesn't exist for me, but I'm actually quite excited for the ilClan Era (and by extension excited about events happening now). I'm of the very strong opinion that CGL wants this to be something of a soft-reboot. Judging by what little we know it does seem that way to me. But what do we know? Well it ain't too much, but it still paints an interesting picture.
The Third Star League rules the Inner Sphere and some parts of the Periphery.
There is "no distinction" between Clan and IS tech anymore. This is reflected in the new rules they've been regularly releasing for new and old Mechs. In case you weren't in the know, CGL has been basically selling a few pages of the ilClan Era TRO at a time for awhile now. The IS Mechs are either OmniMechs or as good as. Lore wise the Third Star League continues to build Mechs that are aesthetically based on Inner Sphere Mechs (but with all the fancy, fancy tech) because it is a point of familiarity and comfort for the citizens of the Inner Sphere. This just lets players to continue using all the minis they have while (in theory) effectively eliminating the imbalance between IS and Clan tech, which is certainly a big plus.
The Great Houses still exist and I assume all our favorite Periphery nations.
Mercenaries are still a thing.
Gunslingers dress themselves and their Mechs flamboyantly now? /shrug
They have arenas all over the Inner Sphere in which Gladiators fight for glory and riches or reenact famous battles. There is also a team league complete with championships.
There are "Auditor Clusters" that search the Inner Sphere and Periphery for "unauthorized industry".
There is at least two groups giving the Third Star League headaches, the "Lost Command" and "Renegades". If I had to guess I'd say one is likely Inner Sphere flavored and the other Clan. Probably in that order.
The ilClan's Loremaster has a Jade Falcon Blood Name.
Undoubtedly the ilClan Era Star League will collapse. When it does I hope CGL maybe, kinda balkanizes the hell out of the Inner Sphere.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
The game was undoubtedly better pre clan. But you've got huge contingents of clan more fans like me. Doing a full squish where you have both but balance is so key.
"The march of technology across BattleTech’s eras is relentless—but some BattleMech designs never die. Each installment of this PDF-only series not only includes a brand new BattleMech or OmniMech, but also details Classic ’Mech designs from both the Inner Sphere and the Clans, now fully rebuilt with Dark Age technology (3085 and beyond). Allowing beloved units redesigned for the BattleTech: Clan Invasion Kickstarter to be competitive on “modern” battlefields, this series also includes in-universe development notes, battle histories, notable pilots, and record sheets for each ‘Mech. Released as a series of 22 PDF-only documents through the end of 2020 and early 2021, many ’Mechs featured in this series will be collected as a single print volume upon its completion."
The game was undoubtedly better pre clan. But you've got huge contingents of clan more fans like me. Doing a full squish where you have both but balance is so key.
I'm not a Clanner, but I do like what they add. . . setting wise. Gameplay wise, man, that shit was rough. And sure there are BVs to help, but it is a bit annoying that either the IS player needs to bring along a bunch of Mechs or the Clanner player needs to be using less than a Star.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Sounds like the fortress wall tech is insanely expensive and difficult to run, so it’s not what allows the IlClan to take over.
The Capellans are knocking on Terra’s door, and probably have the military and fleet to end them.
The Dracs are in a good place, and have done to the Suns what the Suns did to the Capellans in the 4th
The Lyrans just aren’t in a position to do anything, neither is the FWL.
Ghost Bears, Ravens, and Sea Foxes don’t seem all that on board with following their lead.
Dragoons are pissed, but they also burned all their bridges.
The Home Clans are, at best, going to tell the IlClan to take a flying leap.
Oh, and it sounds like
BLP really hated Stone.
Don't forget the Horses, who are straight pissed that they didn't get an invitation to the big dance. They'll probably eat up the lion's share of the old Falcon OZ, and then...?
Also, the Escorpion Imperio. They might just keep minding their own business, but who knows.
On BLP:
Whether you liked Stone or not, BLP definitely didn't. That said, BLP put up a blog post basically saying "criticism by my readers is meaningless", which....fuck that, my dude. There are genuine complaints about his writing, and he just writes it off wholesale.
Sounds like the fortress wall tech is insanely expensive and difficult to run, so it’s not what allows the IlClan to take over.
The Capellans are knocking on Terra’s door, and probably have the military and fleet to end them.
The Dracs are in a good place, and have done to the Suns what the Suns did to the Capellans in the 4th
The Lyrans just aren’t in a position to do anything, neither is the FWL.
Ghost Bears, Ravens, and Sea Foxes don’t seem all that on board with following their lead.
Dragoons are pissed, but they also burned all their bridges.
The Home Clans are, at best, going to tell the IlClan to take a flying leap.
Oh, and it sounds like
BLP really hated Stone.
Don't forget the Horses, who are straight pissed that they didn't get an invitation to the big dance. They'll probably eat up the lion's share of the old Falcon OZ, and then...?
Also, the Escorpion Imperio. They might just keep minding their own business, but who knows.
On BLP:
Whether you liked Stone or not, BLP definitely didn't. That said, BLP put up a blog post basically saying "criticism by my readers is meaningless", which....fuck that, my dude. There are genuine complaints about his writing, and he just writes it off wholesale.
Just, fuck anyone with that kind of attitude.
Re First spoiler:
Horses sound like they may be getting set up to be the Wolverines for Alaric to act as an example.
Escorpion Imperio seems to be more worried about the Home Clans sniffing around them, though if they're aware what happened they might be able to use that as a distraction to send them off on Clan Invasion 2.0.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
I had a 3D printed Warhammer laying around so I decided to test out a Montefeltro Carabinieri paint scheme I'd been kicking around.
I quite like how it turned out.
I think my head canon shall be that after the Clan Invasion and the Carabinieri's absorption of the Compagnia's remaining assets the Carabinieri adopted the Compagnia's paint scheme as Parade Colors to honor their world's mercenary tradition.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Alright.
I hate LAMs. Mostly because the rules suck, and they're a bad compromise unit, and they're borderline "Magic Robot" in my "Dirt and Grime" Robot game.
But god damn it! I spent well over a week working on the Aero form of this Pixie LAM, and god damnit I'm kinda proud about it.
Take an RRT Valkyrie model, design and print arm, leg (and leg "make it look right"), and booster mods, and assemble...
I still need to figure out the whats and hows of the right-torso Large Laser, but I needed to get to here to suss that out properly.
Jeremiah and Jason Youngblood better fucking appreciate the work I'm putting in here when it's all done!
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Nips, is the right torso large laser perhaps inspired by the Strike Valkyrie loadout from the film SDF Macross: Do You Remember Love*? It replaces one of the Super Valkyrie's fuel pods for the back boosters with a double-barreled beam weapon (presumably the remaining fuel pod has some kind of link to feed both boosters).
*Interesting bit of trivia, Macross doesn't really have a 'canon' per se; the main guy behind it has the stance that each work is an in-universe fiction 'inspired' by something that actually happened. As far as I know, that approach began with DYRL, which was described as being an in-universe film about the events of the original TV series.
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Inspired? Yes. In fact, the so-called "canon" PHX-LAM art is basically a straight rip of the Strike Valkyrie.
Makes any goddamn sense, especially with respect to it being a single Large Laser on a Battletech Phoenix Hawk LAM? Absolutely not.
My goal with this project is to ignore the "canon" BT art, take reference from the original Robotech/Macross sources, and then reconcile it with the TRO data in a way that makes "sense" for a Battlemech.
So, two barrels are right out, as is their placement in the booster.
I recognize I'm being difficult in my line of thinking, here.
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Maybe inspired was the wrong word to use. I know about the production history there. I'd noticed that the model you assembled had the Super kit's boosters, and was trying to gently suggest you'd used the wrong upgrade parts. I would think the easy solution would've been to just take the strike's double-gun and remove a barrel, even if it wouldn't be pretty. But if you don't want asymmetric boosters, then maybe have a horizontally-swinging gun like the Nousjadeul-Ger's shoulder plasma cannon?
Or one that flips forward like the Queadluun-Rau's upgrade from Macross Frontier, the Queadluun-Rhea?
You could mount it alongside one of the boosters such that it looks like it would then rotate into an over-the-shoulder position for firing in battlemech form?
It could mount alongside the booster then rotate into an over-the-shoulder position for firing in battlemech form?
I think this is where I'm eventually going to land, but I'm kinda in "designed from whole cloth" territory for the gun itself so I need to sketch out some ideas for a look.
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
In spite of how bad LAMs are by the rules, and that they don't really fit Battletech's general milieu, if they didn't have the arbitrary tonnage cap I would be sorely tempted to stat out a Marauder LAM based on the Variable Glaug that shows up in some of the Macross games and ancillary stuff:
H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Speaking of Marauders, I was just playing around in SSW with the idea of what a 55-ton Marauder Jr might be like (akin to the Mad Cat mk. III), and I think I like it? To be true to the original's hard points it should mount 2 MPL's and no ECM (you could use the ton and a half for a heat sink and max armor), but 4xMLas and ECM seems better. It gets a little hot if you alpha, but the mediums are mainly there to cover the minimum range of the other weapons.
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 18 28
Center Torso (rear) 7
L/R Torso 13 19
L/R Torso (rear) 7
L/R Arm 9 17
L/R Leg 13 23
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
Light PPC RA 5 2 3.00
Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
Light PPC LA 5 2 3.00
Medium Laser LA 3 1 1.00
Ultra AC/5 RT 1 5 9.00
Medium Laser RT 3 1 1.00
Medium Laser LT 3 1 1.00
Guardian ECM Suite LT 0 2 1.50 @Ultra AC/5 (40) RT - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 13
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 6 Points: 16
5 4 4 2 0 2 0 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: ECM, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
Edit: The name is fun, but it would probably be called the Reiver in an official product (surprisingly Sarna says that isn't taken yet; whereas I know raider, pillager, and viking all are). RVR-1R for the model code, I guess?
Drop the MLas to ERSLas and you can add more DHS. More in line with what they're there to do, and an ERSLas is sort of a "mini" MLas
The potential for ilClan era to redo the tech base and blur the lines between IS and Clan even more has me thinking about "cross tech base" things and how, like, for IS tech, if there was exactly one piece of Clan tech to have, it's kind of a hard choice! Like, there's a lot of Clan stuff that's such a huge upgrade. ERMLas basically replace LLas for instance. Maybe, like, Clan S-SRMs? Like, as a whole. They could arguably replace both SRMs and MRMs. But then you have all the non-weapon upgrades, like XL engines being great, and FF armor being relatively a huge upgrade (basically Heavy FF armor for Light FF crits). EndoSteel would basically become nearly automatic if the IS got their hands on it.
For the Clans? There's very few IS tech that's really something you'd want. MRMs are nice for the massive amount of missiles they can carry, but for the weight/crit, ATMs are competitive, depending on ammo. The various PPCs and Gauss options might be popular among the Clans, being able to have a more mission-specific weapon is something I could see them liking, but the weight-to-damage ratios of the IS PPCs isn't really competitive with the cERPPC and while the Heavy Gauss might be nice, the damage fall off at range works against the Clans primary combat style.
So I'm really just not sure. Like. Say you're the Khan of a Clan, and you're doing a Trial of Possession against a Great House. What tech would you even want?
And in the reverse situation, what one Clan tech would you as the Lord of a Great House most crave access to?
Clan tech to IS? DHS hands down. More space efficient and can finally fit into the feet.
The reverse is harder, maybe plasma rifles for anti-infantry work
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
I only have one of the ilClan Recognition guides so maybe I am mistaken, but now that I think about it for all the Clans Mechs I saw all their weapons were just MLAS or pulse or ERPPC or what-have-you. I don’t remember seeing any that had the “c” designation. I’ll have to double check though.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Posts
Yeah, the recessed bases are made that way so the miniatures with a "pad" under the feet can sit at near the correct height, and then you fill in the remaining gap with putty or epoxy or something.
Something! Just don't leave the gaps and paint over them! Eeeuuuughhh!
Wait, pad? Oh, so the miniatures that already have a base of sorts?
Steam: betsuni7
And JB Weld to fill the gaps is totally fine! I use it all the time! Then you can paint or put basing material over it once it's cured. (Or in it while it's curing, if you're saucy.)
Like, for instance, this Linebacker I reposed. Stock, it has the feet connected on a pad. I cut it apart, sunk the pad into a recessed base (that I made), and then epoxied the ever-loving crap out of it.
I have never assembled or painted any miniature before so these will be my first attempts before I get the stuff from the Kickstarter.
Steam: betsuni7
I kinda, sorta, maybe, definitely ordered a couple Lances from IWM.
I also got my hands on a 1986 Awesome AWS-Q. Which my headcanon tells me is a 2786 Technicron AWS-8Q, absolutely cherry.
This modeler, depending on the model, will tell you that nothing less than pins at every joint plus JB Kwik is the One True Way.
The truth lies, probably, somewhere between those two extremes.
Regardless what you choose: Make good and sure you've scrubbed those new metal models clean with warm soap and water. Nothing will fuck up glue and paint on them more than leftover mold release compound.
Dangit, I knew I did something wrong when I assembled mine. I forgot to use pins for all the joints. Just held them there after using JB Kwik with painters tape. Will remember that for next time.
Steam: betsuni7
I still occasionally have nightmares over the OG Ral Partha versions of the King Crab and Marauder.
Oh, they're bad, no question. So far, though, my most nightmare-inducing model to assemble has been the Vulture Mk IV, bar none. Look at this ridiculousness:
Even with pins and epoxy, the joints at where the legs meet the hips and the arms meet the torso are basically like joining the sharp points of two needles together...supporting a ridiculous amount of weight!
I've rebuilt the arm joints on my V-IV at least twice. This last time, I sculpted new surface just to have the arm mate to the torso better. It's finally now at the painting stage, and I'm just hoping it will hold together in perpetuity, which I already know is a fools wish.
All that said, I have a trio of Wobbie Celestials on my docket as well, and I've been somewhat low-key terrified to attempt to put them together. But the Assembly Train is chugging along, and it's just a matter of time before I tackle those bastards...
Charger CGR-1A1
Swordsman SWD-1
Ostscout OTT-7J
Battleaxe BKX-7K
Quasit QUA-51T
Wasp WSP-1
Quickdraw QKD-4G
Assassin ASN-21
Keep in mind Montefeltro is an independent minor Periphery world that runs a Merc unit for the purposes of providing an income to the planet. So I had a couple themes going when I chose these Mechs.
The answer is spoilered in case you are the type of nerd that likes to guess for themselves. :biggrin:
When I read the lore surrounding the Quasit I just knew the good people of Montefeltro would have one. Hell, it was probably one of the original four Mechs they bought! In fact I'm thinking of doing up a symbol for the Montefeltro Carabinieri that is a spoof of the American National Guard symbol, but with the Minuteman replaced with a Quasit. Despite the Mech not being a real BattleMech and the people of Montefeltro having been fleeced, I like to imagine that they still have quite a bit of fondness for the design. Probably worked perfectly well for running off Pirates.
The inspiration:
I think I will paint half the Mechs I've ordered as Compagnia da Montefeltro and then the others as the Montefeltro Carabinieri. The Carabinieri will probably be my main force, combined arms stuff. Seems like it'd be fun.
History sure has...some...outfits, huh?
If you are familiar with Warhammer Fantasy Battles, they were the real world inspiration for WHFB's Empire State Troops and Greatswords. You may laugh at their colorful outfits, lavish beards, and silly hats, but do you really want to fuck with a bunch of full-time mercs wielding guns & serrated swords that are almost as long as they are tall?
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
Yeah, the design I picked was one of the. . . tamer examples I came across.
I love it and hate it in equal measure. :razz:
I'm not looking at camospecs for painting inspiration anymore! Only historically accurate landsknecht uniforms.
Remember to get yourself some MIGHTY CODPIECES for your Mechs!
Mercenaries cramming spare booze wherever they can store it? It's the Oosik way!
Comic's by "Centurii-chan". I have no idea what kind of rating their other content might merit, so browser beware!
Honestly everything after the FedCom Civil War largely doesn't exist for me, but I'm actually quite excited for the ilClan Era (and by extension excited about events happening now). I'm of the very strong opinion that CGL wants this to be something of a soft-reboot. Judging by what little we know it does seem that way to me. But what do we know? Well it ain't too much, but it still paints an interesting picture.
The Third Star League rules the Inner Sphere and some parts of the Periphery.
There is "no distinction" between Clan and IS tech anymore. This is reflected in the new rules they've been regularly releasing for new and old Mechs. In case you weren't in the know, CGL has been basically selling a few pages of the ilClan Era TRO at a time for awhile now. The IS Mechs are either OmniMechs or as good as. Lore wise the Third Star League continues to build Mechs that are aesthetically based on Inner Sphere Mechs (but with all the fancy, fancy tech) because it is a point of familiarity and comfort for the citizens of the Inner Sphere. This just lets players to continue using all the minis they have while (in theory) effectively eliminating the imbalance between IS and Clan tech, which is certainly a big plus.
The Great Houses still exist and I assume all our favorite Periphery nations.
Mercenaries are still a thing.
Gunslingers dress themselves and their Mechs flamboyantly now? /shrug
They have arenas all over the Inner Sphere in which Gladiators fight for glory and riches or reenact famous battles. There is also a team league complete with championships.
There are "Auditor Clusters" that search the Inner Sphere and Periphery for "unauthorized industry".
There is at least two groups giving the Third Star League headaches, the "Lost Command" and "Renegades". If I had to guess I'd say one is likely Inner Sphere flavored and the other Clan. Probably in that order.
The ilClan's Loremaster has a Jade Falcon Blood Name.
Undoubtedly the ilClan Era Star League will collapse. When it does I hope CGL maybe, kinda balkanizes the hell out of the Inner Sphere.
I ... would like to know more!
The Capellans are knocking on Terra’s door, and probably have the military and fleet to end them.
The Dracs are in a good place, and have done to the Suns what the Suns did to the Capellans in the 4th
The Lyrans just aren’t in a position to do anything, neither is the FWL.
Ghost Bears, Ravens, and Sea Foxes don’t seem all that on board with following their lead.
Dragoons are pissed, but they also burned all their bridges.
The Home Clans are, at best, going to tell the IlClan to take a flying leap.
Oh, and it sounds like
Ask and ye shall receive.
"The march of technology across BattleTech’s eras is relentless—but some BattleMech designs never die. Each installment of this PDF-only series not only includes a brand new BattleMech or OmniMech, but also details Classic ’Mech designs from both the Inner Sphere and the Clans, now fully rebuilt with Dark Age technology (3085 and beyond). Allowing beloved units redesigned for the BattleTech: Clan Invasion Kickstarter to be competitive on “modern” battlefields, this series also includes in-universe development notes, battle histories, notable pilots, and record sheets for each ‘Mech. Released as a series of 22 PDF-only documents through the end of 2020 and early 2021, many ’Mechs featured in this series will be collected as a single print volume upon its completion."
I'm not a Clanner, but I do like what they add. . . setting wise. Gameplay wise, man, that shit was rough. And sure there are BVs to help, but it is a bit annoying that either the IS player needs to bring along a bunch of Mechs or the Clanner player needs to be using less than a Star.
Also, the Escorpion Imperio. They might just keep minding their own business, but who knows.
On BLP:
Just, fuck anyone with that kind of attitude.
Re First spoiler:
Escorpion Imperio seems to be more worried about the Home Clans sniffing around them, though if they're aware what happened they might be able to use that as a distraction to send them off on Clan Invasion 2.0.
I quite like how it turned out.
I think my head canon shall be that after the Clan Invasion and the Carabinieri's absorption of the Compagnia's remaining assets the Carabinieri adopted the Compagnia's paint scheme as Parade Colors to honor their world's mercenary tradition.
I hate LAMs. Mostly because the rules suck, and they're a bad compromise unit, and they're borderline "Magic Robot" in my "Dirt and Grime" Robot game.
But god damn it! I spent well over a week working on the Aero form of this Pixie LAM, and god damnit I'm kinda proud about it.
Take an RRT Valkyrie model, design and print arm, leg (and leg "make it look right"), and booster mods, and assemble...
I still need to figure out the whats and hows of the right-torso Large Laser, but I needed to get to here to suss that out properly.
Jeremiah and Jason Youngblood better fucking appreciate the work I'm putting in here when it's all done!
*Interesting bit of trivia, Macross doesn't really have a 'canon' per se; the main guy behind it has the stance that each work is an in-universe fiction 'inspired' by something that actually happened. As far as I know, that approach began with DYRL, which was described as being an in-universe film about the events of the original TV series.
Makes any goddamn sense, especially with respect to it being a single Large Laser on a Battletech Phoenix Hawk LAM? Absolutely not.
My goal with this project is to ignore the "canon" BT art, take reference from the original Robotech/Macross sources, and then reconcile it with the TRO data in a way that makes "sense" for a Battlemech.
So, two barrels are right out, as is their placement in the booster.
I recognize I'm being difficult in my line of thinking, here.
Or one that flips forward like the Queadluun-Rau's upgrade from Macross Frontier, the Queadluun-Rhea?
You could mount it alongside one of the boosters such that it looks like it would then rotate into an over-the-shoulder position for firing in battlemech form?
I think this is where I'm eventually going to land, but I'm kinda in "designed from whole cloth" territory for the gun itself so I need to sketch out some ideas for a look.
Marauder Junior MDJ-1R
Mass: 55 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Production Year: 3067
Dry Cost: 8,707,900 C-Bills
Total Cost: 8,725,900 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,580
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 275 Light Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Ultra AC/5
2 Light PPCs
4 Medium Lasers
1 Guardian ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 91 points 3.00
Internal Locations: 1 HD, 2 CT, 2 LT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL
Engine: Light Fusion Engine 275 12.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 10(20) 0.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 176 11.00
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 18 28
Center Torso (rear) 7
L/R Torso 13 19
L/R Torso (rear) 7
L/R Arm 9 17
L/R Leg 13 23
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
Light PPC RA 5 2 3.00
Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
Light PPC LA 5 2 3.00
Medium Laser LA 3 1 1.00
Ultra AC/5 RT 1 5 9.00
Medium Laser RT 3 1 1.00
Medium Laser LT 3 1 1.00
Guardian ECM Suite LT 0 2 1.50
@Ultra AC/5 (40) RT - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 13
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 6 Points: 16
5 4 4 2 0 2 0 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: ECM, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
Edit: The name is fun, but it would probably be called the Reiver in an official product (surprisingly Sarna says that isn't taken yet; whereas I know raider, pillager, and viking all are). RVR-1R for the model code, I guess?
The potential for ilClan era to redo the tech base and blur the lines between IS and Clan even more has me thinking about "cross tech base" things and how, like, for IS tech, if there was exactly one piece of Clan tech to have, it's kind of a hard choice! Like, there's a lot of Clan stuff that's such a huge upgrade. ERMLas basically replace LLas for instance. Maybe, like, Clan S-SRMs? Like, as a whole. They could arguably replace both SRMs and MRMs. But then you have all the non-weapon upgrades, like XL engines being great, and FF armor being relatively a huge upgrade (basically Heavy FF armor for Light FF crits). EndoSteel would basically become nearly automatic if the IS got their hands on it.
For the Clans? There's very few IS tech that's really something you'd want. MRMs are nice for the massive amount of missiles they can carry, but for the weight/crit, ATMs are competitive, depending on ammo. The various PPCs and Gauss options might be popular among the Clans, being able to have a more mission-specific weapon is something I could see them liking, but the weight-to-damage ratios of the IS PPCs isn't really competitive with the cERPPC and while the Heavy Gauss might be nice, the damage fall off at range works against the Clans primary combat style.
So I'm really just not sure. Like. Say you're the Khan of a Clan, and you're doing a Trial of Possession against a Great House. What tech would you even want?
And in the reverse situation, what one Clan tech would you as the Lord of a Great House most crave access to?
The reverse is harder, maybe plasma rifles for anti-infantry work
Are they considered bad? I thought the 15-18 heatless jump in Airmech mode was huge.