This contest was a unique one for several reasons not the least of which was my own suggestions getting thrown into the mix. I have tried to steer clear of participating in my contests as not to create conflicts but with this design which is admittedly limited I think we can make an exception. Folks who guessed what I suggested are in very good shape as I already think they are on the right track. As always, I will make my reasoning as clear as possible to explain why I felt each configuration was the very best. I hope you all agree and if you do not please let me know. In any event this will probably be the last time it happens. Like the Mad Dog (Vulture) I wanted to keeping to the nature of the Crossbow as a missile boat.
First up is the InnerSphere designation for the Clan Crossbow and we had some good ones. Ice Hellion had the fourth best suggestion with the Zhuge Nu which is a primitive Chinese crossbow which was sort of on track but off the mark. I was looking for something either Japanese or Draconis or advanced not primitive at least that was my thinking. Arbalest from drakensis was the third-place finisher as it was a good name but made me think of a successor to this design although it is possible for a Spheroid to dub it that. Bradshaw with the Bohiya really captured what I was initially thinking but unfortunately for him there was one better. Enenra or a Japanese monster that emerged from smoke was very visually descriptive and apt for a missile launcher like the Crossbow. Point to marauder648!
Unfortunately, there were only three entries for fluff but luckily all were very good in updating the Crossbow for the Quicksilver Trials. Ice Hellion went very deep into the Blood Spirit effort to modernize the Crossbow and I even liked his notable bandits which I may use. While short I thought marauder648 was mostly on point but ultimately, I went with drakensis entry. His description edged out the competition here narrowly earning a bonus point for fluff. Point to drakensis!
Now as I was saying in my suggestion thread canon primary with its twin LRM-20s both linked to an Artemis IV FCS is a pretty solid entry especially for the limited amount of pod space it has to work with. Even though it has limited ammunition, a dozen rounds, and no backup energy weapons I find it to be acceptable and in the spirit of the missile wielding Crossbow so something else would have to out do it. In my judgement nothing quite did that and realistically it would be pretty damn hard to eliminate this reliable option from the Crossbow’s arsenal altogether. Point canon.
My disgust for canon configuration A made clear in my suggestion segment, canon texts, and common sense means that canon will not go two for two. I’d like to keep with the spirit of that configuration which as a split long range and short range missile carrier. It is a solid idea just done poorly here. I was kind of disappointed in my Crusader idea as I was trying to fit two ER Smalls in order to approximate that 3025 classic especially for possible Viper collaboration with the InnerSphere. Just didn’t have the space to pull it off unfortunately and that was one of my weakest suggestions at least in my opinion. While drakensis A downgrades the Streak SRMs from 6s to 4s in order to double the amount of LRM-5s of the canon A it just wasn’t enough. Better was marauder648 D who dropped the Medium Pulses for ER Smalls allowing an increase to LRM-10s. However, it was drakensis I that simply splits canon Prime and canon B to create the best half and half option. With an LRM-20 linked to an Artemis in one arm and two Streak SRM-6s in the other you get a little bit from both worlds. Point to drakensis!
The best canon configuration in my opinion is B with its four Streak SRM-6s which I retained in my initial suggestions. There were a couple of entries that attempted to improve on this variant like marauder 648 Prime which dropped two Streak SRM 6s for a Large Pulse and Medium Pulse. While accurate and non-ammo reliant these weapons don’t pack the same punch and change the feel of the Crossbow to me. Bradshaw C reduces two of the Streak SRM-6s to 4s and adds two ER Mediums which came the closest to me off breaking canon’s hold here. However, in the end I just think that retaining Canon B is the best way to go. Point two canon.
From here on out I am going to follow my suggestions as a guideline for all the entries and that means I am looking for my improved version of canon prime with two LRM-15s with an Artemis IV FCS. While there were a few like Abele Prime and marauder648 A which were based on dual LRM-15s they lacked the Artemis IV for increased accuracy. Sure, energy weapons are nice for backup or support but I really want to concentrate on doing the very best we can with the main weapons here. Very nearly a copy of my own suggestion was drakensis Prime who instead of an ECM Suite went with two ER Smalls. While the extra firepower is nice it does add potential heat to the design although having such a backup energy complement is good given the ammo dependent LRMs. I prefer the ECM myself as it protects the Artemis and ensures LRM accuracy with no additional heat. So I would like to keep my suggested C here.
My alternate D drew upon drakensis Ebon Jaguar G for its six SRM-6s aided by a NARC launcher. I thought it was very appropriate for the Crossbow to feature a large SRM battery given its traditional missile boat role. Even though I don’t usually see a NARC as a traditional Clan asset because of the ability of multiple units to use the enhanced accuracy here its superior range to the SRMs enhance those close-range missile batteries in single combat. There are a number of entries to compare this suggestion to including drakensis J and Ice Hellion E. I wouldn’t say that either based their entry on SRMs as both have large energy weapons to conduct long range attacks. Bradshaw I with its four SRM-6s and four SRM-4s had by far the most firepower of these entries but it lacked staying power with 8 and 12 rounds of ammo. Abele A sort of was thinking along the same lines as me with four SRM-6s with Artemis IV FCS and 2 ER Mediums. I just don’t care for all those Artemis IV FCS on lightweight Clan SRMs as you start to lose weight efficiency, this is where the NARC does a better job. Of the SRM entries I think drakensis B with six SRM-4s, two ER Mediums, and two Medium Pulses. Sixty-eight points of damage but 36 heat generated by weapons fire which makes for a bracket fire configuration. Not bad but I like my suggested D best here.
With configuration E my suggestion was to go with a ten battery LRM-5 for sustained barrages of fifty missiles from range for fourteen turns. Bradshaw A was identical here and in real good shape for the win but there is also the intriguing Ice Hellion Prime which can do sixty missile barrages! That is pretty damn scary Ice but unfortunately your model has only four rounds of stamina which ain’t too good. Both models do the same amount of heat which is twenty per round which is the max the Crossbow can dissipate. I am going to have to award this one two Bradshaw A here because on turn five the ten LRM-5s are laying out 250 points of damage and still going strong where as the four LRM-15s are done after 240 points of damage after turn four. Ice I could see a Crossbow pilot using your loadout in a Trial where they just want to lay waste as fast as possible but the point goes to Bradshaw!
Abele asks a great question with his entry which to paraphrase asks why no PPCs?! I and several others certainly agree with this sentiment featuring our own variants which turn the missile carrying Crossbow into an energy-based fire support machine. Low pod space and a low number of integral heat sinks (10 could be 13 without using extra space) make the Crossbow friendlier to missiles rather than high heat energy weapons IMO but you can make some work. Both Ice Hellion B and Abele H attempt to use a single ER PPC with either missiles or a ballistic weapon in order to mitigate the high heat of this powerful energy weapon. On the other hand marauder648 B and drakensis J used other energy weapons with a single ER PPC to bracket or reduce overheating. By my suggestion though you can see I was looking for a dual ER PPC carrier which can be done. I feel bad since Abele C was first and ultimately changed his original submission from 2 ER Mediums to 2 Machine Guns along with two additional Double Heat Sinks. Nearly what I feel was best bud but drakensis C matched my own thoughts with two ER PPCs and 4 additional Double Heat Sinks which is truly heat neutral unless standing in water but can alternate fire in other circumstances and monitor the scale depending on battlefield needs for an effective configuration. Design point two to drakensis!!
For Configuration G I went with a Goliath Scorpion inspired two ER Larges, four ER Mediums all tied to a two ton Targeting Computer. With two additional Double Heat Sinks this is strictly a bracket fire suggestion with either long range sniper or deadly medium range offense possible but not both unless you want to shutdown. Entertaining other ER Large based entries there were a couple I have already commented on or you will see again like marauder648 A (2 LRM-15s) and drakensis J (ER PPC, 2 SRM-6s) which use only one ER Large to mitigate heat. Ice Hellion has three entries with a single ER Large teamed with other weapons like his A (2 Streak SRM-6s, 2 Medium Pulses) which is a bracket machine or his H and J which pair it with a mid-size ballistic (Ultra AC/10 for H and LB 10-X AC for J). Mid to large size ballistic weapons seem to really be badly balanced for the low pod space on this design and consume too much mass to be efficient. Ice Hellion E with two ER Larges and four SRM-6s again brackets for long and short-range offense which isn’t bad but I think others were better. A little too light hitting but admittedly heat efficient was drakensis G with two ER Larges and two LRM-5s cooled by four additional Double Heat Sinks. It was Abele D with two ER Larges, two ER Mediums, and four additional Double Heat Sinks that came the closest to my suggested configuration which I think is ultimately the best course to take. It has accuracy and is set as a bracket firer where Abele D tries to cool too much while not being able to cool everything. Again I would like to retain my suggested G.
With smaller aerospace support (although I find Wolf and Smoke Jaguar only attach a Star of ten fighters to a Cluster) then Clan standard for a Cluster (30 fighters) you would think that Steel Viper would have numerous anti-aircraft platforms to chose from. I suppose long range missiles from the Crossbow aren’t that horrible at downing enemy fighters but can’t we do better. My Configuration H with two Large Pulse Lasers tied to a Targeting Computer and supplemented by a Double Heat Sink is designed just for that. Although it is only twenty damage and can’t be aimed per say that minus three to hit really can wreck some fighters as well as some would be fast movers. Plus your heat neutral so you can fire all day long without the need to worry about overheating or ammunition. While marauder648 Prime and Ice Hellion G used one Large Pulse each in conjunction with missiles or ballistic weapons I really wanted two Larges although Ice comes closer here with the LB 5-X as a nice anti-air companion. Bradshaw H, Abele E, and Ice Hellion I all used two Large Pulses in their entries as well as other shorter ranged weapons which are nice backup but can cause overheating. There were two entries, Bradshaw D and drakensis D, which matched my own so in a three-way tie who gets the win. Well fluff and date of entry tie breakers both go to drakensis by a large margin here for design point number three!!!
For the final configuration I the Ultra AC/20 suggested by myself was done to fit the Vipers creation of that formidable weapon system. However, as I stated above mid to large scale ballistic weapons are not a great match with the Crossbow whose low pod space is not good for overall design balance. This dooms Ice Hellion H which featured the Ultra AC/20 and Gauss carriers like Ice Hellion D and Abele B which were considered here. Other honorable mentions here go to Bradshaw Prime, drakensis E, and Abele H who all took a shot at a recon package for this heavy ‘Mech but I just do not see that being a common use whatsoever. Next closest was the Eight ER Mediums from drakensis F and Ice Hellion F along with Abele F who only had six but featured jump jets. Unfortunately Jump Jets, high tech surveillance packages, and ballistic weapons didn’t make it here on the Crossbow. What did lastly was a Blood Spirit inspired dual LRM-15 and ER Large config by marauder648. His A submission pairs to big LRM batteries with a big energy weapon for solid ranged firepower and thanks to an additional Double Heat Sink is pretty heat neutral except for movement. Point to marauder648!
Tallying up the points I see that drakensis with a total of four (three design points and one fluff point) earns another victory. Two canon designs remained and marauder648 got two points as well with a design win and naming rights earned. Bradshaw walks away with one design win and I am sorry to say Abele and Ice Hellion got blanked. My apologies gang as marauder648 said this was a tough egg and my three suggestions didn’t help open up spots. I’d like to thank everyone again for their participation which makes these contests so much fun and interesting. Hope you will join me again next week for our next Quicksilver Upgrade.
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Topic: Quicksilver Upgrades #22: Crossbow (??) 65 tons (Read 2639 times)