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[serrate]

Thought it'd be much better to run this by you guys and see what you think. Customizing mechs has never been a big interest of mine, so I'm a complete n00b at it.

Goals:
-Improve armor coverage
-Improve ability to get in close after emptying the LRM racks and do extra damage with MeleeSpec/MeleeMaster
-Possibly improve movement profile

Customizations so far:
-Removed 2 heat sinks
-Added 2 tons of armor

Upcoming:
-Replace engine with XL 325 which improves movement to 5/8/4
-Move 1 CT MedLaser to Head (makes room for the additional JJ)
-Add 1 jump jet to improve movement to 5/8/5
-Replace single Heat sinks with Double (is this even a necessary mod? Can I just say that the XL engine has integral DHS?), and reduce total heat sinks to 10
-Add CASE to both torsos
-Add Artemis IV to both launchers
-Replace standard armor with Ferro-Fibrous (11.5 tons, 206 of 211 armor points)

I end up with a nearly max-armored double-kicking 5/8/5 Catapult, Artemis on the launchers for max pain, and CASE for torso protection.

Thoughts?

[Ad Hoc]

You can purchase the xl engine with DHS already in it for an extra 60,000 CB. Then swap engines, remove any other SHS from mech, this will keep the time down for custom because your not pulling and replacing all those HS. You could also use your free spare part from last contract, if you still have it, to get the engine with the DHS already in it.

[Ice]

Well the ammo in the side torso even with case is still gonna blow out the xl on one side or other and that's not only 3xl hit but ammo crit repair case is a must so the entire mech don't go
I'd assume one ton per launcher is good
the heatsinks are good for crit padding to help try avoid ammo hit

It's about as good as atrue to mech customization as I can think of
it's respectable

[Darrian Wolffe]

Thought it'd be much better to run this by you guys and see what you think. Customizing mechs has never been a big interest of mine, so I'm a complete n00b at it.

-Replace single Heat sinks with Double (is this even a necessary mod? Can I just say that the XL engine has integral DHS?), and reduce total heat sinks to 10

OK, you've got a VERY heavily-involved customization there.  NOTE THAT THIS IS TAKING AD HOC'S COMMENT INTO ACCOUNT; only the 3 external SHS are being removed, and no extras need to be installed since they're all integral with the new engine.

Total duration for this customization is ~154 days.  At least 75% of that time must be at a Factory facility.




You can reduce that time.  By removing the existing armor and 3 external SHS as a REFIT (ie, not a customization), you get this result.  The top chart is for the refit, the bottom chart is the customization.



So you're looking at 13 days to strip the Catapult and get it ready for customization.  Then 85 days (75% of which must be at the Factory) to actually do the customization work.

[ItsTehPope]

does Fedex even ship battlemechs?

[Timberwolfd]

1. Think about the customizations that need to be done at a factory
CASE
XL Engine Swap

2. Maintenance level customizations can be done on the dropship and anywhere we go from Canopus IV could take months
Armor type change is a maintenance level refit iirc.
Moving and installing weapons is also maintenance or field level work.

Separating 1 and 2 will require 2 or more customization rolls, but will prevent the x5 multiplier from the engine change being applied to the armor change, which is noormally a x2 multiplier..

3. Think about the economics of your refits
Artemis Ammo costs more per ton
FF armor costs more and creates a second inventory of armor you need to stock and purchase (how many purchases do you have per month?).

[Timberwolfd]

Try this version on for size. No FF armor, and no Artemis IV, but 1 ton of the saved weight goes to another ton of ammo and the other to making up the difference in armor protection.
Note that FF armor is 20k/ton and Artemis LRM Ammo is 60k/ton.

Catapult CPLT-C1 Merc

Mass: 65 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Advanced Rules
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-F-E
Production Year: 3025
Cost: 14,103,925 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,742

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 325 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
    Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
    2  LRM-15s
    4  Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     104 points                6.50
Engine:             XL Fusion Engine             325                      12.00
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 5 Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 2 LT, 2 RT                                   5.00
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             10(20)                    0.00
Gyro:               Standard                                               4.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 200                 12.50
    CASE Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT                                             1.00

                                                      Internal       Armor      
                                                      Structure      Factor    
                                                Head     3            9        
                                        Center Torso     21           28        
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  11        
                                           L/R Torso     15           22        
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  8        
                                             L/R Arm     10           20        
                                             L/R Leg     15           26        

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LRM-15                                       RA        5         3         7.00
LRM-15                                       LA        5         3         7.00
Medium Laser                                 RT        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 LT        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 CT        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 HD        3         1         1.00
@LRM-15 (8 )                                  RT        -         1         1.00
@LRM-15 (16)                                 LT        -         2         2.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 25

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      7    Points: 17
5j         2       2       0       0      3     0   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, LRM 1/2/2, IF 2

[serrate]

Alrighty then, here's where I'm going, mainly due to lack of enough FF armor in the warehouse.

Refit level: Remove 3 SHS, Move ML to Head, add 1 ton armor

Factory level:
-Install XL 325 with 10 DHS
-Install JJ in CT
-Install CASE (LT)
-Install CASE (RT)

** A couple of those things could also be maintenance-level, but it felt fairer to hit it all once I was in the factory

Later, perhaps much later depending on finances, I'll move towards a FF upgrade, which will also free up room for Artemis IV for the LRMs.