Panther-Class hunter mecha

[EldritchFire]

I wanted to make a slightly-larger-than-person size mecha that hunts light vehicles and infantry. The Panther-class hunter is the result.

It stands half-again as tall as the pilot, with them settling into the center torso and their arms and legs extend partially into the mecha's arm/legs. It has a light autocannon mounted on one shoulder and a hardpoint for a TAC launcher on the other—the launcher can be swapped out depending on the mission (hard point). The mecha's hands are free to hold any man-portable weapons—usually for anti-personnnel work.

I left in all the spaces, cost, and whatnot so y'all can check my work.

Panther-Class light hunter (KCr321.675)

• TL10 light walker
• Skill: Drive (walker)
• Agility: +2
• Speed (Cruise): Medium (slow)
• Range (Cruise): 450 (675)
• Crew: 1
• Passengers: —
• Cargo: —
• Hull: 16
• Shipping: 4 tons (8 spaces)
• Cost: KCr22.5/space (Kcr180)
• Armour +17: KCr30.6; 1 space
  • Front: 20 (+30)
  • Sides: 20 (+30)
  • Rear: 20 (+30)
• Autopilot (skill level): —
• Communications (range): 500km
• Navigation (Navigation DM): +1
• Sensors (Electronics [sensors] DM): +1
• Camouflage (Recon DM): —
• Stealth (Electronics [sensors] DM): -2
  Traits/Weapons
• Fixed mount (light autocannon, improved fire control; 1 space; KCr35)
• Hardpoint 1 space (mission-specific TAC launcher; KCr2)
• Speed: Medium (slow) (1 space; Cr/sp +100%)
• Fuel efficiency: 450 (675) (Cr/sp +25%)
• Enhanced control system: +2 Agility (KCr15)
• Electrostatic armour (1 space; KCr10)
• Improved communications: Encrypted; KCr4.075
• Basic navigation system: KCr2
• Improved sensors: Hardened; 5km range; KCr30
• Improved stealth: KCr10
• Advanced manipulator arm x2: 4 spaces; KCr3

Notes:

• Autocannon is normally loaded with APDS ammo, which provides 1.1km range and AP18, for a cost of KCr5 per mag. For hunting heavy vehicles it is instead loaded with fuel air ammo, which provides 1DD damage and blast 10, for a cost of KCr8 per mag
• It has moderate armour (20) that is enhanced by the electrostatic armour. The first two attacks each round from a non-laser weapon has to deal with the enhanced armour rating of 50. Hopefully that's enough for it to get to its target and get a shot or two off

 

[Rick]

Is it a true mecha, or is it heavy powered armour? The dividing line is a fairly fuzzy one, but the rule of thumb I like is 'Powered Armour is worn like a suit, a Mecha is piloted from a cockpit'.

 

[wbnc]

Is it a true mecha, or is it heavy powered armour? The dividing line is a fairly fuzzy one, but the rule of thumb I like is 'Powered Armour is worn like a suit, a Mecha is piloted from a cockpit'.

Light walkers are that in between breed....not quite mecha not quite Battledress.

 

[EldritchFire]

Is it a true mecha, or is it heavy powered armour? The dividing line is a fairly fuzzy one, but the rule of thumb I like is 'Powered Armour is worn like a suit, a Mecha is piloted from a cockpit'.

Technically it's a vehicle, but I more invisioned it as powered armour. Like battle dress made with the vehicle rules.

In my games it would be armour worn by a character, not a vehicle piloted. Meaning the hull points wouldn't matter and damage would go straight to the 'pilot'.

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

I like this a lot! It's a funny coincidence, cus earlier this week I too started toying with Light TL10 Walkers

Yours is much tankier than mine, very good idea to give it electrostatic armour - and the arms gave me something to think about

Since it does have arms, you could pintle-mount the autocannon so it can pivot a bit.

It looks a bit over-weight, should it be 5 dtons or do you have space reductions that I missed? You've statted 9 spaces, plus one is needed for the pilot, adding up to 10 rather than 8?

I'll post my designs when they're done so thay can play together

 

[EldritchFire]

I like this a lot! It's a funny coincidence, cus earlier this week I too started toying with Light TL10 Walkers

Yours is much tankier than mine, very good idea to give it electrostatic armour - and the arms gave me something to think about

Since it does have arms, you could pintle-mount the autocannon so it can pivot a bit.

It looks a bit over-weight, should it be 5 dtons or do you have space reductions that I missed? You've statted 9 spaces, plus one is needed for the pilot, adding up to 10 rather than 8?

I'll post my designs when they're done so thay can play together

It looks like it should be 9 spaces, not 8:

• Pilot
• Speed boost
• Weapon
• Armour
• Electrostatic armour
• Arms (4)

But I was thinking about reducing the arms to the TL7 arms that are only 1 space each. With the +2 Agility, the DM-1 (DEX 4) from the arms isn't that big a deal. And the weapon isn't hand-held, so the arm's DEX doesn't come into play.

That would give me another space to play with (I am aiming for 8 spaces). Which will allow for the Prismatic aerosol discharges (pg50) to provide +2D 'armour' against laser weapons that would bypass the electrostatic armour.

Thanks for the second look at my maths!

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

Still looks like 10 spaces to me if it has two weapon systems, that is.

Shrinking the arms would save space, yes. And the idea to use the mech's innate agility to compensate for the lack thereof in the arms... brilliant! Creative interpretation, I like it! Not sure I'd personally allow it for 'pure arms'-tests, but when aiming a weapon, the entire body of the mechsuit is involved, so vehicle's bonus for sure!

 

[EldritchFire]

Still looks like 10 spaces to me if it has two weapon systems, that is.

Shrinking the arms would save space, yes. And the idea to use the mech's innate agility to compensate for the lack thereof in the arms... brilliant! Creative interpretation, I like it! Not sure I'd personally allow it for 'pure arms'-tests, but when aiming a weapon, the entire body of the mechsuit is involved, so vehicle's bonus for sure!

It has one weapon system(the light autocannon) and a one-space hardpoint. The hardpoints don't take up space, since they are externally-mounted.

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

Ah, of course! My bad

I'm a bit hesitant regarding hardpoints actually. The description does say

The main bene t of hardpoints is that any weapons mounted upon them do not consume Spaces inside the vehicle.

which is reasonable since the missile or launcher is attached to an external mount, but the thing that messes it up for me is pintle mounts.

A pintle mount consumes no Spaces and costs Cr250, while a ring mount costs Cr750. A weapon of up to 500 kg may be attached to them.

yet in the Honey Badger design example, the pintle-mounted autocannon consumes one space.

I do prefer your interpretation over mine, that hardpoints are free space-wise

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Isn't the basic rule that a weapon takes 1 Space for each 250 kg, and that mounts may take extra space?

 

[EldritchFire]

Isn't the basic rule that a weapon takes 1 Space for each 250 kg, and that mounts may take extra space?

Yes. But the rules for hardpoints specifically say the weapon consumes no space within the vehicle.