I'm still reviewing Battletech's Technical Readout: Dark Age. I'm reading through all of the entries and giving my thoughts. But as a collection of other TRO's, it's very long so we're going over it in 8 parts.
As always, first impressions are in regular text and later notes are in italics.
Shiro
For a moment there I thought those were MRM ports. But they're LRMs, thank The Coordinator. With an LBX/2, a sword, and hardened armor. Fascinating. And Clan LRMs to boot. That explains how it can carry decent weapons, too much engine, and all that hardened armor.
The fluff seems to nail the Shiro being quite a machine, even if it leans into the kind of "triumph in the face of 4-to-1 odds" that the board game rarely allows.
Sphinx
Um, that's 10 ER Medium Lasers. Battletech, we had an understanding that we wouldn't make a 4/6/4 50-tonner with half its weight in medium lasers and in return, we'd pretend your construction rules weren't fatally broken.
Oh wait; the Nova Prime.
What's to say? It's a well-designed laser boat. The Sphinx 2 uses a cluster of small lasers tied to a targeting computer, which I feel is also a meme design. I know the Total Warfare rules on targeting make it not as potent but if it seems it would be badass if you pulled it off.
Tian-Zong
A solid 'mech with reasonable fluff. I thought to swap the LPPCs for ER mediums, but actually the LPPCs work better with the Stealth Armor. But then there's an ER Laser variant. Plus a Light Gauss variant, which just seems...mean?
Tundra Wolf
For Kerensky's sake
It seems all over the place. Maybe that's to its benefit.
First things first; ATMs do not belong in circles; they belong in three-grouped racks that are angular and ugly.
Maybe that's an engineering necessity to build the launchers around the ammo bin because the alternative is feeding them through those Popeye arms. It just seems like it's all over the place, but good enough to be bland.
What are you, Tundra Wolf?
**checks MUL**
**checks MUL**
...okay.
Warwol-
Oh, fuck off!
Bruin
Imagine if the Tundra Wolf was good. Is that an arbitrary double-standard? Yes.
Looks cool.
Doloire
An omni with integral AES is...compelling.
Primary - Why do you mount 16 Double Heat Sinks on a 'mech that generates 23 heat?
A - I get that you want to impart heat on people. Maybe just chill?
B - ...I guess!
C - Looks like an interesting long range support 'mech that can exploit holes punched by other 'mechs.
D - Definitely a close-in fighter. Are vibroblades any good? I was under the impression they did flat damage and were better used on light 'mechs. Maybe not?
Zeus-X
Zeus-X? Really? We gotta stat out the experimental 'mech from the cover of Maximum Tech? *Sigh*
Yeah, it looks like it fell out of Maximum Tech alright. Right down to the stupid fins.
Omen
Slow, clan beatstick. Simple though.
Stalker
Not as potent as the original, but obviously tougher. I'm intrigued but not impressed. The story is good and...the amenability of Inner Sphere mechwarriors to serve as Clan warriors or engage in duels is...interesting. I read it as an indication of cultural shifts enabling the ilClan to sit comfortably over the Inner Sphere.
Juliano
Named after Julian Davion??? Fucking loco Awesome. Staid, reliable 'mech that can dip down the heat scale when needed.
Too fast though.
Night Wolf
Oooh. Edgy!
Might be fun to drive, but I'm whelmed.
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