Well looking at the Adder (Puma) for this contest revealed it as a long-range light weight fire support asset for the Clans. Most of its original configurations make it a light Archer or Warhammer with far reaching weaponry. While not that fast, although 6/9 is my speed floor level for light Mechs, this distant scope might make it the finest light Mech hunter ever developed.
This one was another tight contest with easily the most entries resembling or all out copying others. Tie breakers came down to fluff first then time of entry second on these identical twins. For the fluff winner I loved the “Black Adder†project from Abele but ultimately thought that marauder648’s was slightly better for the all-important point.
Primary Configuration – There were plenty of good contenders here but for me the canon configuration is just so damn good. Look I know it over heats (by 10 on an Alpha Strike) but getting popped by two ER PPCs with a Targeting Computer is pretty awesome from a light Mech. Again, the challengers were good but this is perhaps my sacred cow among the Adder configurations, so point to canon. Look for the other contestants later on though.
Alternate Configuration A – I liked the LRM 20s from the canon configuration and I think drakensis picked up on that with his submission. He replaced the two Small Pulses from canon A with a quartet ER Smalls for the win here. I might have had to debate if someone went with two ER Mediums but I wanted to stick with the LRM 20s for maximum fire support even if the ammo is kind of limited. Again, you will see the LRM 15 contenders in another configuration soon to come. Point to drakensis!
Alternate Configuration B – The small LB 5X AC of the canon variant kind of kills it for me but I guess it would make a pretty good anti-aircraft platform. I liked the LB-X theme for this configuration so marauder648’s B while good I swapped here for his D. This was identical to drakensis B which paired an LB 10-X AC with an ER Large Laser for another good long ranged anti-air variant. It would have been a tough choice between them if not for Abele’s B which reminded me a little bit of the Snake from TRO3055. Upgrading the LB-X to a 10 while downgrading the Pulse to a Medium and keeping the 2 ER Mediums of the original canon variant. Could be a nice conventional vehicle and infantry killer, point to Abele!
Alternate Configuration C – I didn’t have a problem with a twin LRM-15 configuration that featured a bit more ammo but that Narc Missile Beacon was a deal breaker for the canon config. This left me with two entries that featured a straight dual LRM-15 like Abele’s A which had two Medium Pulses and two ER Smalls supporting them. It was marauder648’s A that I liked with two Artemis IV FCS linked to the LRMs along with another ton of ammo. Two ER Mediums are adequate support for this one, point to marauder648!
Alternate Configuration D – The smaller Ultra AC/5 again kind of killed the canon configuration for me but the Streak SRMs gave me the inspiration for the basis for a new D. This bought marauder648’s E with two Streak SRM 6s, four Machine Guns, 2 Medium Pulses, TAG, and an Active Probe into competition with Abele’s C which had 3 Streak SRM-4s, 2 ER Mediums, 2 ER Smalls, a Double Heat Sink, and 6 Jump Jets. I liked drakensis C better however with its twin Streak SRM-6s, eight ER Smalls, a Double Heat Sink, and six Jump Jets. This mobile knife fighter earns point two for drakensis!!
Alternate Configuration E – For the first supplement configuration I wanted to go with the three twin ER Large Laser competitors which all featured four additional Double Heat Sinks to help dissipate all the extra weapons fire heat. It was the lack of an ECM which doomed drakenis E for me which could hamper operations somewhat. Abele Prime traded in the Targeting Computer for six Jump Jets which was intriguing but I love the ranged accuracy which marauder648’s Prime bought. Point two for marauder648!!
Alternate Configuration F – Large Pulses is what I went to for the second supplement configuration and while I liked Abele’s G the cheesy nature of drakensis Prime was just too good for me to pass up. A straight up copy of canon Prime that simply exchanges Large Pulses for ER PPCs it works on so many levels for me. Scary period but especially in an anti-aircraft role which the Clans might prefer to augment their defenses against InnerSphere opponents who aren’t as over matched by their Clan aerospace contemporaries. Point three for drakeniss!!!
Alternate Configuration G – Gauss Rifle became the focus of this variant which had two identical contenders. Both marauder648 C and Abele D were mirror images featuring a Gauss with two tons of ammo backed up by twin ER Mediums. Going with the tie breakers I thought that marauder648 with slightly better fluff capabilities pointing to a tougher Kit Fox variant and the fact he posted first was the narrow winner here. Point three for maruader648!!!
Alternate Configuration H – Here I embraced the trooper role for the Adder and looked at a few different competitors like drakensis D which took half and half of the Mechs base configurations to create a whole new one. With a single ER PPC and two LRM 10s tied to Artemis IV FCS you get a really effective combo. I also liked marauder648’s B with its Large Pulse, 4 ER Mediums, SRM-4, and six Jump Jets for mobility. However it was Abele’s F with its Wyvern like ER Large, LRM-10, ER Medium, Streak SRM 4, ER Small and six Jump Jets which I thought was the best for this role. Point two for Abele!!
Alternate Configuration I – For a light OmniMech I always prefer a recon package that features every electronic system available for a high-tech Clan scout. Unfortunately, there was only one true entry in that fashion but I did run it against marauder648’s E which was also an outside contender. Also, we kicked around a five Medium Pulse Laser special tied to a Targeting Computer but Abele’s E with its six Jump Jets for maximum mobility was pretty solid. He kept an ER PPC from Prime which gave some reach and backed it up with 2 ER Smalls and a Medium Pulse. Along with an Active Probe, ECM, and TAG it was a nice addition to the new Adder vairants. Point three Abele!!!
So, it is another tie for the configurations with the fluff determining the winner, marauder648! Your first one bud, congratulations!! Thanks again everyone for participating. I am going to halt here for a month and catch up with what we have done so far. Plus, it is getting really super busy for me going into the holidays. I will see you guys here again on January 1, 2018 for the start of our mediums. Looking forward to it. See ya next year – be here before you know it!
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Topic: Quicksilver Upgrades #6: Adder (Puma) 35 tons (Read 1502 times)