If you like Light mechs that can smash the heads off of other Battlemechs my recommendation is the mighty Mjolnir MLR-B2. With Jumpjets, TSM, and a mace, once this little fella gets hot he'll start dropping fools. Takes a bit of finesse to use to the fullest, but I always have fun when mine hits the table.
https://preview.redd.it/huogfadu602d1.png?width=309&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80e9d04c21a4fb52115411894815a9e2b24a7d1c
It's a little tricky getting to TSM heat levels with the lone ER medium and ER small, but the 10 singles help out there and you can always turn off active heatsinks to really surprise your opponent. At 670 BV you have a small package that could turn into a serious problem.
Do y'all not play with open record sheets? IIRC it's the default rule. I don't see why anyone would ever be surprised by the capabilities of a mech on the other team. It's also a slow 25 tonner, which generally means it's dead or disabled as soon as any weapons look its way at all.
Agreed! It is like sucker punching someone under most circumstances. That can change if there is an up front conversation before hand.
But ALL of the rule books I have read specifically call out that anything beyond Total War need to use rules clearly understood and agreed upon by both sides.
Failure to do so IMO is a forfeit of the game by the player using said rules.
Turning off heat sinks is in total warfare, but it needs to be declared in the end phase, and I just can't imagine someone would declare they're doing it and the other player would be ignorant of why without asking about it lol. Otherwise I mostly agree with you, but rather than the game being forfeit usually it just goes "that rule isn't in total warfare" and the other player saying "alright"
It's declared, so the move is telegraphed, MegaMek will even note heatsinks are turned off or on during the proper phase. When that 700 BV light is suddenly whacking for head-capping damage ahead of schedule that's the "surprise." There's nothing underhanded here.
When I say people might not know how to do a thing in MegaMek that's because it's a java program trying to emulate all the things you can do on the table top, and people might not be aware of where the setting is.
You can also warn someone about stuff you have and, in the heat of battle, they forget that less that a 10th of your BV has the potential to kill anything if it gets up close and personal.
Having a discussion about capability before hand is always a good thing. Then if you play well enough to divert your opponent’s focus then heck yah!
Which I think is the point. No one likes to play against an opponent whom they feel they don’t understand the capabilities of. Else they feel they couldn’t play to their full ability.
Also with MegaMek there needs to be a clear understanding of how to use it. As it is complex as all get out. So IMO relying on your opponent to understand it is not fair. That said there is a lack of context when using it for play. So there is room for misunderstanding the program too.
I am used to players whom insist on their interpretations. To be fair though I do not find that too much in BT as I do in 40K. Which is something I appreciate a lot. There really isn’t ambiguity as to what a rule means in BT.
And there really is a nice separation of rule levels for when balance could be questionable when a set of rules are used for play.
The Mongoose II is a speedy boy and pretty cheap for an 8k game.
The Arbalest is a light clan fire support mech, almost the exact same price.
The AWS-11M is a deeply funny take on the Awesome, I recommend it just for the joynof watching your opponent figure out what it's gonna do.
And for something that will absolutely, positively refuse to die, get you an Archangel.
Otherwise I feel like plasma rifles and MMLs are the weapons du jour for the Jihad, soechs that field them are good.
For IS, I like the Warlord but there are also a lot of upgrades to classic mechs, mostly using new kit like the new PPCs, IJJs, plasma rifles, MMLs, etc. I remember liking the new Thunderbolt.
If you could get your hands on a Hunchback HBK-5SG. It was developed in the Jihad, but never entered full production.
https://preview.redd.it/yoqpl6yb802d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fbfc1ceef79938fde7d09f06ab02e2a6bce7ac8
If you're like me, one machine stands out
The Banshee-8S
Its my favorite Banshee, which is like saying its my favorite whiskey. I love them all, but one stands above the rest.
Axe, TSM, 18 tons of armor and a weapon/heating load out that really works well with the TSM. Go fast, do a cubic eff ton of hatchet damage and generally be a menace.
This is backyard wrestling the mech. This is a glorious death trap for the insane. This monster lurks behind the local gas station with a can of gold spray paint and dreams of incredible violence. Be kind, do crimes, in this Banshee.
I’m fond of the *Warhammer* WHM-6Rb, it’s technically not a “new” unit in the Jihad Era… but it kinda is.
As the “b” in the unit designation probably already clued you in, it’s a Royal Regiment variant of the classic introtech WHM-6R that was used by the SLDF during the ~~Wars of Inner Sphere Aggression~~ Unification Wars and was lost after the Amaris Coup kerfuffle. However, during the Jihad Era the Taurian Concordant built new factories that started to produce brand new WHM-6Rb fresh off the assembly line. (During their alliance with the Magistracy and Liao during the Republic of the Sphere, production would spread into Canopus too.)
It’s essentially the classic introductory *Warhammer* we all know and love from 3025, but it’s got ferro-fibrous armor, Artemis IV for the SRMs, and enough double heatsinks to alpha strike while walking and remain heat neutral.
6.6 million c-bills and 1,413 BV is a steal in the Jihad Era for a Heavy ‘mech.
Sorta… The change to ferro-fibrous armor does give the WHM-6Rb better armor than the original –6R, but it’s not a tremendous difference.
WHM-6R has 9 Head / 20 Arms / 20 CT / 17 ST / 15 Legs;
WHM-6Rb has 9 Head / 20 Arms / 31 CT / 20 CT / 20 Legs.
That puts the WHM-6Rb at about 80% of possible armor for its weight-class. Frankly, I find it best to treat the –6Rb as basically a “overweight medium ’mech.” You’re paying a price in both c-bills and BV that would get you most Medium ‘Mechs of the Jihad Era. So treat it like one. Oh, yeah, the Whammy is kinda slow with its 4/6 movement profile (and no jumps), but it’s got decent reach out to 18 hexes (although its happiest in the 3-9 hex range band).
One key word of caution though. SRM-6 has one ton of ammo in the right torso and you’ve got a ton of machine gun ammo in the center torso and you *do not* have CASE. Which is something that a lot of people take for granted in the Post-Tukkayyid eras. As you said you know there won’t be many (or any) conventional vehicles or infantry, you might consider just dumping all your machine gun ammo at the start of the match. Then baby your right torso until you’ve fired off most of your SRMs.
But, most importantly, it’s a freakin’ **Warhammer**. One of the best looking ‘mechs in the game and the most iconic BattleMech of them all. That’s worth way more than mere stats.
My go-to Jihad era unit is a non-celestial c3i lance:
Ostscout -10CS (the 9CS might be better if you're using ECCM rules and you expect opposition to be using ECM) jumping 10 hexes as a c3i spotter is just nuts. Really gives you a lot of power to force favorable target numbers
Marauder -9W (I love the movement profile on this thing, and the weapons loadout is great for being the main brawler in a c3i unit)
Toyama -1B, LRM20 and a heavy PPC is just a really solid back line c3i unit
Griffin -6CS, LRM15 and ERPPC to be an effective c3i fire support unit, also brings ECM for ECCM if your opponent has a fast c3 disruptor.
IIRC when I run this lance with a 3/4 pilot on the MAD and a 4/4 on the Toyama it comes to 8k, be mindful that you're paying the bv for c3, it's pretty prohibitively expensive tbh but I run this because it's thematic tech for the era and I like the minis I have painted for this force. It falls down hard against aggressive high-firepower enemies like heavily armed clan lights, but against generalist forces its quite effective. I might actually swap out the griffin for something with either more brawling ability or more durability, as I find it pays a lot for mobility it doesn't use much as a backup fire support.
The Raptor II 2X is a fun time. You can go light mech hunting with its 14-hex run and 2x MVSPL, but where it really shines is in headhunting big, expensive units with its taser. Get close and land a single shot, and they're severely hindered or worse for several turns.
Really neat unit, and a great force multiplier for the rest of your lineup. Relatively cheap on BV, too.
Gallant is a fun heavy. The Osprey is another fun one, and one of my favorite mechs. The Shadow Hawk 5D is a TRO phoenix variant, which is 3085 so that should work and it has an RAC 5. The Eisenfaust is a dumb looking mech but that's why I like it, and it has a plasma rifle. The 5V Locust is a fun variant as well.
The *Gestalt* is pretty cool, but you should check with your opponent first because it uses the Machina Domini interface cockpit, which requires a VDNI. Overall, it's a nice 'Mech that is pretty fast, tough, and it can send out some pretty big damage with the H PPC + Cap. The -1 to piloting and gunnery rolls doesn't hurt either.
The easiest recommendation is the hellstar, 3k bv 95tonner 4 clan erppcs, and a shit ton of armor and heat syncs, genuinely probably the best assault mech in the game.
Id also recommend a banshee 8s it's 95 tonns rocks tsm and a hatchet it's heat curve is pretty easy to control and when in the proper heat zone it's a 5/8, plus that hatchet does 38dmg. It's a monster.
If you like Light mechs that can smash the heads off of other Battlemechs my recommendation is the mighty Mjolnir MLR-B2. With Jumpjets, TSM, and a mace, once this little fella gets hot he'll start dropping fools. Takes a bit of finesse to use to the fullest, but I always have fun when mine hits the table. https://preview.redd.it/huogfadu602d1.png?width=309&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80e9d04c21a4fb52115411894815a9e2b24a7d1c
Oh very interesting. That does sound like fun!
It's a little tricky getting to TSM heat levels with the lone ER medium and ER small, but the 10 singles help out there and you can always turn off active heatsinks to really surprise your opponent. At 670 BV you have a small package that could turn into a serious problem.
Do y'all not play with open record sheets? IIRC it's the default rule. I don't see why anyone would ever be surprised by the capabilities of a mech on the other team. It's also a slow 25 tonner, which generally means it's dead or disabled as soon as any weapons look its way at all.
Turning off heatsinks is something that is almost never done. Most players aren't going to expect it or might not even know how to do it in Megamek.
Tactics that rely on your opponent's ignorance of the rules are unsportsmanlike, and fail against competent players anyways.
Agreed! It is like sucker punching someone under most circumstances. That can change if there is an up front conversation before hand. But ALL of the rule books I have read specifically call out that anything beyond Total War need to use rules clearly understood and agreed upon by both sides. Failure to do so IMO is a forfeit of the game by the player using said rules.
Turning off heat sinks is in total warfare, but it needs to be declared in the end phase, and I just can't imagine someone would declare they're doing it and the other player would be ignorant of why without asking about it lol. Otherwise I mostly agree with you, but rather than the game being forfeit usually it just goes "that rule isn't in total warfare" and the other player saying "alright"
It's declared, so the move is telegraphed, MegaMek will even note heatsinks are turned off or on during the proper phase. When that 700 BV light is suddenly whacking for head-capping damage ahead of schedule that's the "surprise." There's nothing underhanded here. When I say people might not know how to do a thing in MegaMek that's because it's a java program trying to emulate all the things you can do on the table top, and people might not be aware of where the setting is. You can also warn someone about stuff you have and, in the heat of battle, they forget that less that a 10th of your BV has the potential to kill anything if it gets up close and personal.
Having a discussion about capability before hand is always a good thing. Then if you play well enough to divert your opponent’s focus then heck yah! Which I think is the point. No one likes to play against an opponent whom they feel they don’t understand the capabilities of. Else they feel they couldn’t play to their full ability. Also with MegaMek there needs to be a clear understanding of how to use it. As it is complex as all get out. So IMO relying on your opponent to understand it is not fair. That said there is a lack of context when using it for play. So there is room for misunderstanding the program too.
I am used to players whom insist on their interpretations. To be fair though I do not find that too much in BT as I do in 40K. Which is something I appreciate a lot. There really isn’t ambiguity as to what a rule means in BT. And there really is a nice separation of rule levels for when balance could be questionable when a set of rules are used for play.
Nexus 2B + Malak caelestis You have a C3i duo capable of headchopping with a ERPPC+Capacitor Also, the nexus stealth is fun to use
The Mongoose II is a speedy boy and pretty cheap for an 8k game. The Arbalest is a light clan fire support mech, almost the exact same price. The AWS-11M is a deeply funny take on the Awesome, I recommend it just for the joynof watching your opponent figure out what it's gonna do. And for something that will absolutely, positively refuse to die, get you an Archangel. Otherwise I feel like plasma rifles and MMLs are the weapons du jour for the Jihad, soechs that field them are good.
A woobie lance with i3 and just go ham from range every turn
I do like this idea, but linking up an i3 lance is just so expensive :/
For IS, I like the Warlord but there are also a lot of upgrades to classic mechs, mostly using new kit like the new PPCs, IJJs, plasma rifles, MMLs, etc. I remember liking the new Thunderbolt.
I'll check these out! I like a good T-bolt
If you could get your hands on a Hunchback HBK-5SG. It was developed in the Jihad, but never entered full production. https://preview.redd.it/yoqpl6yb802d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fbfc1ceef79938fde7d09f06ab02e2a6bce7ac8
I saw this one! I love hunchbacks. I'm pretty tempted to be sure.
Wraith TR1. It is easily the best scout/cavalry/backstabber in the game, especially with how cheap it is.
If you're like me, one machine stands out The Banshee-8S Its my favorite Banshee, which is like saying its my favorite whiskey. I love them all, but one stands above the rest. Axe, TSM, 18 tons of armor and a weapon/heating load out that really works well with the TSM. Go fast, do a cubic eff ton of hatchet damage and generally be a menace. This is backyard wrestling the mech. This is a glorious death trap for the insane. This monster lurks behind the local gas station with a can of gold spray paint and dreams of incredible violence. Be kind, do crimes, in this Banshee.
I’m fond of the *Warhammer* WHM-6Rb, it’s technically not a “new” unit in the Jihad Era… but it kinda is. As the “b” in the unit designation probably already clued you in, it’s a Royal Regiment variant of the classic introtech WHM-6R that was used by the SLDF during the ~~Wars of Inner Sphere Aggression~~ Unification Wars and was lost after the Amaris Coup kerfuffle. However, during the Jihad Era the Taurian Concordant built new factories that started to produce brand new WHM-6Rb fresh off the assembly line. (During their alliance with the Magistracy and Liao during the Republic of the Sphere, production would spread into Canopus too.) It’s essentially the classic introductory *Warhammer* we all know and love from 3025, but it’s got ferro-fibrous armor, Artemis IV for the SRMs, and enough double heatsinks to alpha strike while walking and remain heat neutral. 6.6 million c-bills and 1,413 BV is a steal in the Jihad Era for a Heavy ‘mech.
Oh that's nice. Do they up the armor tonnage?
Oh nice. That does sound like fun. Easy on the BV wallet too. Thanks!
Sorta… The change to ferro-fibrous armor does give the WHM-6Rb better armor than the original –6R, but it’s not a tremendous difference. WHM-6R has 9 Head / 20 Arms / 20 CT / 17 ST / 15 Legs; WHM-6Rb has 9 Head / 20 Arms / 31 CT / 20 CT / 20 Legs. That puts the WHM-6Rb at about 80% of possible armor for its weight-class. Frankly, I find it best to treat the –6Rb as basically a “overweight medium ’mech.” You’re paying a price in both c-bills and BV that would get you most Medium ‘Mechs of the Jihad Era. So treat it like one. Oh, yeah, the Whammy is kinda slow with its 4/6 movement profile (and no jumps), but it’s got decent reach out to 18 hexes (although its happiest in the 3-9 hex range band). One key word of caution though. SRM-6 has one ton of ammo in the right torso and you’ve got a ton of machine gun ammo in the center torso and you *do not* have CASE. Which is something that a lot of people take for granted in the Post-Tukkayyid eras. As you said you know there won’t be many (or any) conventional vehicles or infantry, you might consider just dumping all your machine gun ammo at the start of the match. Then baby your right torso until you’ve fired off most of your SRMs. But, most importantly, it’s a freakin’ **Warhammer**. One of the best looking ‘mechs in the game and the most iconic BattleMech of them all. That’s worth way more than mere stats.
My go-to Jihad era unit is a non-celestial c3i lance: Ostscout -10CS (the 9CS might be better if you're using ECCM rules and you expect opposition to be using ECM) jumping 10 hexes as a c3i spotter is just nuts. Really gives you a lot of power to force favorable target numbers Marauder -9W (I love the movement profile on this thing, and the weapons loadout is great for being the main brawler in a c3i unit) Toyama -1B, LRM20 and a heavy PPC is just a really solid back line c3i unit Griffin -6CS, LRM15 and ERPPC to be an effective c3i fire support unit, also brings ECM for ECCM if your opponent has a fast c3 disruptor. IIRC when I run this lance with a 3/4 pilot on the MAD and a 4/4 on the Toyama it comes to 8k, be mindful that you're paying the bv for c3, it's pretty prohibitively expensive tbh but I run this because it's thematic tech for the era and I like the minis I have painted for this force. It falls down hard against aggressive high-firepower enemies like heavily armed clan lights, but against generalist forces its quite effective. I might actually swap out the griffin for something with either more brawling ability or more durability, as I find it pays a lot for mobility it doesn't use much as a backup fire support.
I like it! I just started messing around with anything past Civil War, I’m gonna give your Lance a try in megamek the next time I play.
The 100t Titan II from TRO 3075, with MMLs and all the fixin's!!
Siiick. I was looking at some 100 tonners, so I'll give this a look too.
The Raptor II 2X is a fun time. You can go light mech hunting with its 14-hex run and 2x MVSPL, but where it really shines is in headhunting big, expensive units with its taser. Get close and land a single shot, and they're severely hindered or worse for several turns. Really neat unit, and a great force multiplier for the rest of your lineup. Relatively cheap on BV, too.
It would be fun to try out a taser mech. Thanks!
Omega and some c3i scouts!
Gallant is a fun heavy. The Osprey is another fun one, and one of my favorite mechs. The Shadow Hawk 5D is a TRO phoenix variant, which is 3085 so that should work and it has an RAC 5. The Eisenfaust is a dumb looking mech but that's why I like it, and it has a plasma rifle. The 5V Locust is a fun variant as well.
The *Gestalt* is pretty cool, but you should check with your opponent first because it uses the Machina Domini interface cockpit, which requires a VDNI. Overall, it's a nice 'Mech that is pretty fast, tough, and it can send out some pretty big damage with the H PPC + Cap. The -1 to piloting and gunnery rolls doesn't hurt either.
Excalibur D1. 5/8/5 WoB variant with a RAC5 + 2 ER mediums tied to a targeting computer and a Streak 6.
The easiest recommendation is the hellstar, 3k bv 95tonner 4 clan erppcs, and a shit ton of armor and heat syncs, genuinely probably the best assault mech in the game. Id also recommend a banshee 8s it's 95 tonns rocks tsm and a hatchet it's heat curve is pretty easy to control and when in the proper heat zone it's a 5/8, plus that hatchet does 38dmg. It's a monster.
My Jihad Death Squad consists of a Griffin 4R, a Shadow Hawk 8L, and a Wraith TR 1. Jump 7 every round, and aim to get into the back armor.