I pass
Noted. Since I didn't have an opportunity to answer your questions, I'm still going to answer them.
What kind of penalties can be expected per weather or day time changes for the dropship landing? I know a max washes the drop but wasnt sure of what the next worst condition would be. Also what exactly happens on a failed landing for a dropship lol I am assuming it crashes but to what extent. Also can I shoot the dropship on it's way down?(not that I wish to be anywhere near that)
The DropShip is hugely unlikely to crash unless there's really serious stuff. It has the option to make a "careful landing", which takes longer but gives a fair negative bonus to the PSR. You could absolutely shoot the DropShip on the way down; however, it can of course shoot back. Because the drive plume for a landing DropShip is a LOT of damage, what would most likely happen is that the DropShip would have to land well away from the OPFOR, and they'd have to make a run for it once it's down.
Also is there some way to disable said dropship and what are its thresholds?(where can I find this sheet to decide if a longtom and the rest of that arsenal is worth trying to stave off on something that godly considering its a 3 gun) Also if I remember right that dropships range is pretty much the entire map correct?
The Long Tom can only fire on the ground, and has a dead zone of 6 hexes around the DropShip, and a 0-turn indirect fire range of 17 hexes in all directions, and a 1-turn delay indirect fire range of "the rest of the map". The other weapons have their normal ranges (Ac/20 is 1-9, etc).
Fortresses have ~160 armor aft, ~200 on the sides, and ~220 on the nose. Nothing in your lance can threshold it, except the AC/20 Griffin, and then only from underneath, as it's landing. EDIT: THAT IS A BAD IDEA. However, because any aero unit does have a chance of crashing when hit in atmosphere, you could theoretically make it crash. Crashing doesn't automatically destroy the DropShip, though it's likely to severely damage it and possibly prevent its liftoff. If you crash the DropShip, congrats. It's a risky play, but the reward is...well...a most of a DropShip.
It will be highly unlikely for my lance to keep any of my mechs alive once that dropship comes into play. 8 turns -2 or 3 turns for pretty much to position leaves me 5-6 turns to drop or disable 4 mechs somehow in wooded terrain plus range weather movements and more to stop the dropship from entering. Dealing with it once it enters the map is near suicide. PER SIDE those weapons ffs
8 turns, plus its landing sequence, plus any time you take picking away at units as they move toward and embark on the DropShip. Basically, staying on the move and staying out of 10 hexes isn't automatically suicidal.
7 mechs total would need to be killed for success - I think I could do this without the dropship
You could kill 7 of these Mechs with two of your lance, given the terrain conditions and the fact that 7 units of the 12 are essentially bugs or glorified bugs. The DropShip is essentially a mission "timer"; yes, once it'd on the board and landed, getting near it is generally a bad idea. It's up to you as to how long you stick around and push your luck once it's down.
I'll say the mission is *possible*. I ran it last night using your Mechs/Pilots in MegaMek because Jon brought up a similar set of questions on the phone. Generally speaking, as soon as you've killed off Force #2, and the requisite number of bugs from Force #1, hit /victory and call the game. The DropShip had been landed for 2 turns by the time I won, but couldn't land its only Long Tom shot, and it was firing PPCs/LRMs at long range against running targets in Heavy Woods. Your nice Griffin was on the ground missing both legs, your Ost was gyro'd out, and your WHM had 2 engine hits...but you accomplished the mission and recovered a Marauder, Lancelot, and 2 bugs in salvage, plus the Beemer pilot. The mission is absolutely possible. But I was a lot more aggressive in going after the objective Mechs than most people tend to be in actual play.
EDIT: When I ran it, I didn't have the benefit of Enviro Spec, because that isn't coded into AtB.