OBT Forum
General BattleTech => General Discussion => MechFactory => Topic started by: marauder648 on August 15, 2018, 10:30:57 AM
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Whilst having a bath I was thinking about Quadvees (as you do) and whilst I'm very happy with my Anasi and Phaeton designs I was thinking about different weight classes.
Quadvees are pretty tricky to design, you end out juggling weapons with space and tonnage as you only get the torso to work with (oh and the head) so on the larger ones you tend to run out of space before you run out of tonnage and on smaller ones it swaps and you have to use more weight saving stuff which in turn reduces space.
Anyhow
Abraxas Prime
Base Tech Level: Advanced (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 100 tons
BV: 1,692
Cost: 23,985,000 C-bills
Movement: 3/5
Tracked: 3/5
Engine: 300 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 15 [30]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 160
Armor: 0/323
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 0
Center Torso 31 0
Center Torso (rear) 0
Right Torso 21 0
Right Torso (rear) 0
Left Torso 21 0
Left Torso (rear) 0
Front Right Leg 21 0
Front Left Leg 21 0
Rear Right Leg 21 0
Rear Left Leg 21 0
Weapons Loc Heat
-------------------------------
ER PPC RT 15
HAG/20 LT 4
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
Large Pulse Laser CT 10
Medium Pulse Laser HD 4
Ammo Loc Shots
-----------------------------------------------
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo LT 6
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo LT 6
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo LT 6
Equipment Loc
----------------
Tracks RLL
With the Abraxas I was definately running out of space before tonnage, but you need to use an XL engine otherwise its going to be more undergunned than it already is. The result is a rather hodgepodge mix of firepower but I managed to retain the typical Clan Long/mid range focus.
Skylla Prine
Base Tech Level: Experimental (Clan)
Level Era
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Experimental 3145+
Advanced -
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 75 tons
BV: 2,278
Cost: 17,157,000 C-bills
Movement: 4/6
Tracked: 4/6
Engine: 300 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 16 [32]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 122 (Endo-Composite)
Armor: 224/247
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 31
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 16 24
Right Torso (rear) 7
Left Torso 16 24
Left Torso (rear) 7
Front Right Leg 16 28
Front Left Leg 16 28
Rear Right Leg 16 28
Rear Left Leg 16 28
Weapons Loc Heat
------------------------------
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER PPC LT 15
ER PPC RT 15
Small Pulse Laser LT 2
Small Pulse Laser RT 2
Equipment Loc
---------------------
Tracks RLL
Endo-Composite LT
Endo-Composite HD
Endo-Composite LT
Endo-Composite LT
The Skylla is unremarkable and is basically armed similar to a Warhammer IIC and to save space its got an all energy armament.
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Wait.... what..... there were transformers now in Battletech damn. Takiro didnt we do this years ago with the crusader battlemech
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Wait.... what..... there were transformers now in Battletech damn didnt we do this years ago with the crusader battlemech
Yep! Have been for a while now, here's two non canon ones for you to enjoy
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=59163.msg1359572#msg1359572
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=59167.msg1359692#msg1359692
Quadvee designs are an interesting challenge as its basically a LAM but not so cheddary :p :D
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Are they limited to just tracked and wheeled or could you have a hover one. And do they have in between stages like LAMS
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Tracked and wheeled only and there's no inbetween its either a quad Mech with its torso that acts like a tank turret, or an actual tank. Big advantage is that if they loose their gyro they can just convert into vehicle mode and bugger off.
Also the Horses were dicks with them when they were introduced. They called them tanks when engaging another Clan or foe using bidding. Surprise the tanks are now battlemech's.
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That makes sense and glad no in between should have done the same with LAMs to make them different from Robotech
I need to read more about jihad era and post jihad but too much of it didn't make sense to me originally and i just said f it and quit battletech
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If you want to faff around making them, you can do so in MegaMek :)
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Pretty Cool easy enough to make. There is sooo much tech I don't know when looking at available weaponry and equipment its almost overwhelming. Is there a weight that you find that makes the choice to make a quadvee good. It seems like they are low in weaponry tonnage
Iberian
Base Tech Level: Advanced (Clan)
Level Era
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Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 75 tons
BV: 1,901
Cost: 16,797,375 C-bills
Movement: 4/6
Tracked: 4/6
Engine: 300 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 10 [20]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 122
Armor: 247/247
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 35
Center Torso (rear) 11
Right Torso 16 24
Right Torso (rear) 8
Left Torso 16 24
Left Torso (rear) 8
Front Right Leg 16 32
Front Left Leg 16 32
Rear Right Leg 16 32
Rear Left Leg 16 32
Weapons Loc Heat
---------------------------
AP Gauss Rifle LT 1
AP Gauss Rifle RT 1
AP Gauss Rifle RT 1
AP Gauss Rifle LT 1
Streak SRM 6 LT 4
Streak SRM 6 LT 4
LRM 15 RT 5
LRM 15 RT 5
Ammo Loc Shots
---------------------------------------------
Anti-Personnel Gauss Rifle Ammo CT 40
Streak SRM 6 Ammo LT 15
LRM 15 Ammo RT 8
LRM 15 Ammo RT 8
Equipment Loc
---------------------
Tracks RLL
Artemis IV FCS RT
Artemis IV FCS RT
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That makes sense and glad no in between should have done the same with LAMs to make them different from Robotech
Isn't the Crusader just a QuadVee from second RoboTech? ;)
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Armored Veritechs couldnt transform from what i see on the robotech wiki. I just remember us thinking it was one back when first playing
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Pretty Cool easy enough to make. There is sooo much tech I don't know when looking at available weaponry and equipment its almost overwhelming. Is there a weight that you find that makes the choice to make a quadvee good. It seems like they are low in weaponry tonnage
Yeah it is a bit intimidating, rules bloat is one of the few things that hampers Btech in my opinion. And you're not wrong, you have to balance tonnage with space and on larger ones this usually means a big gun and a battery of smaller weapons and on smaller ones you go laser rave to save space as you're bound to be using endo steel or endo-composites to save weight.
And honestly, i've not found the balancing point for weigh. but heavy/assault ones are easier because then you've got the tonnage, for the most part.
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So I was fiddling with the Abraxas design and came up with this
Seen as the ultimate expansion of the Quadvee concept the Abraxas was designed from the onset to be a 100-ton unit although the design originally started more to see if it could be done and could work and was little more than a thought experiment and simulation. With the introduction of the 80 Phaeton, the Scientists of Clan Hells Horses knew that assault weight Quadvee’s were possible and it was decided to see what the type could be expanded to.
Digital simulations and tests on mock up legs showed that the design could take the weight of a full assault scale unit at 100 tons but there were problems with the test chassis. Although the joints and conversion equipment worked correctly on the units legs, there was issues when armour was added which hadn’t been accounted for in the digital design. Although not a fatal flaw, it did slow the conversion from Vehicle to Mech and was seen as far too unwieldy and vulnerable during a conversion. This lead to the legs and armour layout being re-worked whilst the design was then put on hold to incorporate a split cockpit layout instead of the shared cockpit of the Generation 1 Quadvees.
The resulting alterations to the legs and the cockpit layout hunkered the whole design down, making it more squat and aggressive looking despite only being as fast as a standard 100 ton assault Mech with a maximum speed of 56kph in either mode.
With the space limitations of the Quadvee Chassis the new assault Quadvee was to be built as a multi-role vehicle and would fill the same kind of role as assault tanks, able to take heavy fire whilst giving it out. Armed for long range engagements with a ER PPC, large pulse laser and HAG-20 the new Quadvee could both make holes and then fill them. At shorter ranges a pair of ER Medium lasers can be brought to bear and the final armament was a single Medium pulse laser.
Despite having a fairly limited amount of internal space there was still a lot of Mech/Vehicle for the designers to work with and despite several visual redesigns the Scientists involved found that Insectoid looks were definitely easier to make threatening appearing, rather than equine. Not always the case, but usually. So, with 100 tons to play with and their love of vehicles the Horse Scientists pretty much got it looking right. They realized the "torsos" can be in whatever shape they like, so it became more turret-like, and the legs are just about as well put together as they could manage. The designers were especially proud of how whichever mode the mech is in, the equipment not currently in use is acting as spaced armour for that which is. When walking the tracks provide protection, and when driving the legs protect the tracks.
In either mode the insectoid looking design looked imposing and fearsome whilst also giving the gunner excellent situational awareness and both crew were heavily shielded from incoming fire by the armour of the Mech and its hull shape.
If there is a flaw, it is the distance between the pilots. The drivers position is WAY down low, just above the Medium pulse laser. Whilst in vehicle mode the driver only has a narrow range of vision and has to rely on the sensors and cameras dotted around the hull. This is a different story for the gunner who has a clear view from up above the large pulse laser’s emitter port in between the ‘mandible’ like protusions for the major weapons. So, constant coordinating training of the crews is always on the menu.
With two prototypes complete and undergoing testing the as yet unnamed design received lots of support from Galaxy Commander Saul DeLauriel of Iota Galaxy, which fielded the largest number of Quadvee’s and had the biggest compliment of TankWarriors in its ranks as well as the somewhat ‘fanatical’ Quadvee proponent Zarak Hawker. Touting the flexibility of the Quadvee design as well as savings in crew by allowing the design to replace comparable weight assault tanks whilst reducing crew requirements by more than 50% and saving on personnel whilst being considerably more flexible than normal tanks despite similar performance and firepower. Petitioning the Khan, the new Quadvee was authorized for limited scale production as the Horses production facilities were already running at full tilt to keep up with current production runs and developments. But several would be shipped to Iota Galaxy for combat testing prior to any wider production runs.
Variants
Prime – Built to engage at long to mid-range the Prime’s armament is a pologot mix of ballistic and energy weapons with an eye towards flexibility. To this end a HAG-20 fed by a 3-ton ammunition hopper can engage ground and air targets with ease and an ER PPC can add its formidable punch at long range. As the range drops a large pulse laser can be brought to bear before an ER Medium laser and a single Medium pulse laser also open fire. Although this produces a vicious heat surge that can easily overwhelm the 15 double heatsinks built into the Abraxas, careful weapons choice when firing can limit the heat issues that so often plague Quadvee designs.
Abraxas Prime
Base Tech Level: Advanced (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 100 tons
BV: 2,661
Cost: 24,395,000 C-bills
Movement: 3/5
Tracked: 3/5
Engine: 300 XL
Laser Heat Sinks: 15 [30]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 160
Armor: 323/323
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 31 47
Center Torso (rear) 15
Right Torso 21 32
Right Torso (rear) 10
Left Torso 21 32
Left Torso (rear) 10
Front Right Leg 21 42
Front Left Leg 21 42
Rear Right Leg 21 42
Rear Left Leg 21 42
Weapons Loc Heat
-------------------------------
ER PPC LT 15
Large Pulse Laser CT 10
HAG/20 RT 4
Medium Pulse Laser LT 4
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser HD 5
Ammo Loc Shots
-----------------------------------------------
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo RT 6
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo RT 6
Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo RT 6
Equipment Loc
----------------
Tracks RLL
A - Another long-range design with a heavy punch the A’s armament is built around a pair of ER large lasers and a single Gauss rifle. At shorter ranges a single Improved heavy large laser provides plenty of knock down punch and for point defence a small pulse laser is installed for anti-infantry work. A full alpha strike can easily overwhelm the A’s sixteen double heatsinks but it will only start overheating if a gunner uses all its weapons at once whilst at long range it runs quite cool.
Abraxas A
Base Tech Level: Experimental (Clan)
Level Era
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Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 100 tons
BV: 2,589
Cost: 24,380,000 C-bills
Movement: 3/5
Tracked: 3/5
Engine: 300 XL
Laser Heat Sinks: 16 [32]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 160
Armor: 323/323
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 31 47
Center Torso (rear) 15
Right Torso 21 32
Right Torso (rear) 10
Left Torso 21 32
Left Torso (rear) 10
Front Right Leg 21 42
Front Left Leg 21 42
Rear Right Leg 21 42
Rear Left Leg 21 42
Weapons Loc Heat
---------------------------------------
ER Large Laser CT 12
ER Large Laser HD 12
Gauss Rifle RT 1
Improved Heavy Large Laser LT 18
Small Pulse Laser LT 2
Ammo Loc Shots
-------------------------------------
Gauss Rifle Ammo [Clan] RT 8
Gauss Rifle Ammo [Clan] RT 8
Gauss Rifle Ammo [Clan] CT 8
Equipment Loc
----------------
Tracks RLL
B – Like the Prime and A, the B config is built for long range engagements with a pair of Streak LRM-20’s each fed by 2-tons of ammunition. A large pulse laser provides accurate saturation firepower, whilst a quartet of ER Small lasers can do considerable damage at short ranges. Finally, an ECM is installed to foul hostile targeting systems. Although the main armament does not stress the Quadvee’s heatsinks a full alpha strike will cause a notable heat spike but one that is not too severe and easily dealt with by simply dropping some of the ER small lasers.
Abraxas B
Base Tech Level: Experimental (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 100 tons
BV: 2,669
Cost: 26,522,000 C-bills
Movement: 3/5
Tracked: 3/5
Engine: 300 XL
Laser Heat Sinks: 11 [22]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 160
Armor: 323/323
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 31 47
Center Torso (rear) 15
Right Torso 21 32
Right Torso (rear) 10
Left Torso 21 32
Left Torso (rear) 10
Front Right Leg 21 42
Front Left Leg 21 42
Rear Right Leg 21 42
Rear Left Leg 21 42
Weapons Loc Heat
------------------------------
Streak LRM 20 LT 6
Streak LRM 20 RT 6
Large Pulse Laser CT 10
ER Small Laser LT 2
ER Small Laser RT 2
ER Small Laser LT 2
ER Small Laser RT 2
Ammo Loc Shots
--------------------------------
Streak LRM 20 Ammo LT 6
Streak LRM 20 Ammo LT 6
Streak LRM 20 Ammo RT 6
Streak LRM 20 Ammo RT 6
Equipment Loc
-----------------------
Tracks RLL
ECM Suite [Clan] HD
C – Built for operating in built up areas in support of friendly infantry forces and Aithon Assault tanks and their variants, the C is built to engage infantry and tanks. To this end a LB-20 autocannon forms its main punch although the 4-tons of ammunition is somewhat precariously spread around the Quadvee’s hull. A pair of plasma rifles each with their own ammunion bin can do horrific damage to infantry forces and vehicles whilst a pair of medium pulse lasers, a pair of small pulse lasers and an ER medium laser can add to the carnage. Finally, an active probe lets the C hunt for targets. The Abraxas C is very capable in its role, but its main constraint is its lack of ammunition as well as a lack of ranged weapons, meaning it is reliant on both friendly supporting units, and readily available supply drops. But as part of a combined arms approach it performs very well.
Abraxas C
Base Tech Level: Experimental (Clan)
Level Era
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Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-F
Weight: 100 tons
BV: 2,332
Cost: 26,624,000 C-bills
Movement: 3/5
Tracked: 3/5
Engine: 300 XL
Laser Heat Sinks: 12 [24]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 160
Armor: 323/323
Internal Armor
----------------------------------------
Head 3 9
Center Torso 31 47
Center Torso (rear) 15
Right Torso 21 32
Right Torso (rear) 10
Left Torso 21 32
Left Torso (rear) 10
Front Right Leg 21 42
Front Left Leg 21 42
Rear Right Leg 21 42
Rear Left Leg 21 42
Weapons Loc Heat
--------------------------------
LB 20-X AC RT 6
Plasma Cannon LT 7
Plasma Cannon LT 7
Medium Pulse Laser LT 4
Medium Pulse Laser LT 4
Small Pulse Laser LT 2
Small Pulse Laser LT 2
ER Medium Laser None 5
Ammo Loc Shots
----------------------------------
LB 20-X AC Ammo RT 5
LB 20-X Cluster Ammo CT 5
Plasma Cannon Ammo LT 10
Plasma Cannon Ammo LT 10
LB 20-X AC Ammo CT 5
Equipment Loc
--------------------------
Tracks RLL
Active Probe [Clan] HD
(https://i.imgur.com/JpqezIM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AFp4lju.jpg)
As always, thoughts and comments are most welcome!
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I understand so little about the QuadVees but I see Plog is doing some drawing again for you which is awesome! Your investments in the BattleTech community are really excellent marauder648. It helps to keep things rolling outside the mainstream of canon texts and video games. ;)
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TLDR - Quadvees are basically a tank that can walk. In Mech mode it operates exactly like a Quad Mech, same movement quirks etc. But its a quad that's also a normal mech as in they have a torso twist and can rotate their guns to face a direction.
And when they convert into vehicle mode, they operate like a tank and their torso is a turret they can rotate as per a tank. Construction rules wise they get heavier cockpits and the tracks/conversion equipment fills up the legs and is heavy. So designing them you ONLY get the torso's to work with.
(https://i.imgur.com/PVxeye5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/y0AV1Uj.jpg)
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Do they avoid the criticial damage of vehicles which makes them so much more fragile compared to Mechs?
Looks pretty awesome btw! ;)
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Makes me think of rhinoceros beetle
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could one put jumpjets on a Quadvee?
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As far as we know, you can't, not that you'd want to, you need all the space and weight for anything else, and jump jets are just a luxurious indulgence in this case, if they could be fitted.