26 replies to this topic

[Kaylos Thex]

So, PGI has said in the latest NGNG podcast that the Flea is getting pushed back in the production pipeline ( probably to better balance it in a post HSR world).

So this means that the next mech is going to be a favorite of mine, the Blackjack.

So a stock Blackjack is the 45 ton BJ-1.
2x AC2's and (by the art...) 4x medium lasers, all arm mounted without lower arm actuators. And it jumps.

The TRO art follows this hardpoint layout also, though the text says the lasers are torso mounted.
I would say the text would loose to the art in this case.

So I think that PGI is going to follow that with the BJ-2 and BJ-3.

The BJ-2 has two arm mounted ER large lasers and four side torso mounted SSRMs. This would be a great light mech hunter in my opinion. And PGI tends to like one variant come stock with Star League tech pre installed.

The third one, the BJ-3, is an energy boat. Two PPC's replace the AC-2's, and the four medium lasers of the original BJ-1 retained. This one might be less likely IMHO since it would tread on the Cicada 2A and 2B territory.

What about you? Which ones do you think we are getting?

Edited by Kaylos Thex, 19 April 2013 - 09:13 PM.

[Sparks Murphey]

Alex has already admitted that he was mistakenly following the TRO art when he did the concept for the Blackjack, and it will have the torso mounted lasers in the game, not all arm-mounted. (I'd love to show you a reference, but the search function is down for me at the moment).

I wouldn't be surprised to see the BJ-1DC, either. It would exchange jump jet capacity for a couple of extra energy hardpoints (small lasers in the stock) which could make for an interesting flavour of Blackjack.

[Strum Wealh]

Strum Wealh, on 02 March 2013 - 02:03 PM, said:

The basic Blackjack (the BJ-1 variant) starts with a 180-rated engine.
The engine rating modifier for Medium 'Mechs is 1.3x.
180 * 1.3 = 234 -> rounds up to 235

So, the largest engine that could be fitted to the BJ-1 is a 235 engine, which should grant it a top speed (sans modules and pilot efficiencies) of ~85 kph.

The other timeline-appropriate variants (the BJ-1DB, the BJ-1DC, and the BJ-3; the BJ-2 doesn't come into being until 3052) have the same BattleTech movement profile (walk 4, run 6), so they would use the same engine and would be subject to the same restriction.

The timeline-appropriate variants, assuming the Blackjack is to be released next month, are the BJ-1, the BJ-1DB, the BJ-1DC, and the BJ-3; IMO, we'd likely be getting some or all of those, plus a Hero 'Mech.

[Johnny Reb]

My fear is the BJ is gonna be a doa cross between the cicada/trebuchet

Engine cap will make or break it!

Edited by Johnny Reb, 19 April 2013 - 11:06 PM.

[ho1mes]

I would love to add a mini jager to my stable. PPC and jumpjets on the BJ-3 sound fun..

[Kaylos Thex]

I suppose the main reason I have a torch for the BJ-2 is that most of the other versions are variations of energy boats. With only 3 classes of weapons, it would be such a shame to not dip into all three. It would give the mechs more personality and value.

And I agree, the Blackjack is like a pocket Jagermech.

[Royalewithcheese]

I think there are two potentially solid builds you could make with the Blackjack, assuming it's small enough and PGI puts in the right hardpoints:

• Mini-Splatcat. The version with the 4xStreaks could probably do some damage if you stuffed it full of SRM launchers. The problem is that each torso will only have 4 missile tubes, so unless PGI puts in a third missile slot in each torso (IMO they should do this, because honestly Mediums need to be thrown a bone) you're limited to 16 missiles a salvo. So that's either one accurate 16-missile salvo (with SRM4) or one 16-missile salvo followed by an 8-missile salvo (with SRM6).
  
• Mini-Swayback. This assumes that PGI releases a variant with at least 8 energy hardpoints (not too implausible for the energy boat version.) This would play like a fast, lightly-armored swayback with better arm/torso convergence and jumpjets, so actually not that bad.

(The problem with ballistics is that they're all too heavy to run on something this small.)

Edited by Royalewithcheese, 20 April 2013 - 11:29 AM.

[POOTYTANGASAUR]

I will be running either dual uac5 with some med lasers or dual erppcs with some med lasers and if the largelaser variant of the blackjack is jj enabled jjs also.

[Kaylos Thex]

I have doubts that a BJ-1 would be able to use dual UAC5's. At 65 tons, the Jagermech's have a hard time doing it with enough ammo, armor, and speed.

As for the missile boat option, PGI is most likely going to keep doing the custom weapons on the hard points. They have even said that the older mechs are going to be updated to use them too (like the Catapult K2 ballistics points).

So the limits of a SRM 2 launcher should be going away.

[slayerkdm]

Kaylos Thex, on 20 April 2013 - 06:11 PM, said:

I have doubts that a BJ-1 would be able to use dual UAC5's. At 65 tons, the Jagermech's have a hard time doing it with enough ammo, armor, and speed.

As for the missile boat option, PGI is most likely going to keep doing the custom weapons on the hard points. They have even said that the older mechs are going to be updated to use them too (like the Catapult K2 ballistics points).

So the limits of a SRM 2 launcher should be going away.

Not sure what you mean by this, but curious.

[Kaylos Thex]

I was refering to the mini splat cat. The limit of tubes on mechs is going away, rather the tubes displayed on the launcher will change depending on the weapon installed. Especially on new mechs. No more shooting three volleys of two missiles from an SRM 6 launcher where a 2 used to be.

Edited by Kaylos Thex, 21 April 2013 - 09:46 AM.

[Escef]

The problem I see with the Blackjack is that it is yet another pocket heavy, based on the speed. I expect at least one person to throw in a huge XL engine and try to run or poptart with an AC20 or gauss.

I am honestly expecting this to play like a Cent with jump jets.

[Royalewithcheese]

Kaylos Thex, on 21 April 2013 - 04:36 AM, said:

I was refering to the mini splat cat. The limit of tubes on mechs is going away. Especially on new mechs. No more shooting three volleys of two missiles from an SRM 6 launcher.

Oh ho ho. Mini-splatcat might actually see the light of day, then!

[TELEFORCE]

A little off-topic: Can someone please show where the devs said that missile port limits were going away? That would be pretty awesome!

Edited by TELEFORCE, 21 April 2013 - 01:47 PM.

[Kaylos Thex]

They didn't say it, they did it.

The highlander can have no ports, or at most 50. With variations in between.

An SRM 2 will have two ports.
A SRM 6 has 6.
The big chest hard point has all of them from 2 to 20. The second side torso and the two arm points have 10 at most otherwise they get stupidly small.

They did say that the older mechs are going to get updated to match these new dynamic hard points.

The catapult K2 already being first with dynamic ballistic hard points (MG, AC2-20, gauss, and none).

Edited by Kaylos Thex, 21 April 2013 - 04:08 PM.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

Look, everyone and their mother is going to be running an XL235 with an AC20 or guass and as many medium lasers as they can cram on the thing. That and builds with a crap ton of medium lasers for the energy hard point heavy chassis.

However, I'll probably pick one us since I need a new chassis to play and I like speedy AC20 toting mechs.

[One Medic Army]

If this thing's engine cap isn't at least a 250 I am going to ignore it.
Slow mediums are bad enough, but one that isn't even getting all 10 engine HS (the "true" doubles) is worse.

[Spheroid]

Kaylos Thex, on 21 April 2013 - 04:06 PM, said:

They didn't say it, they did it.

The highlander can have no ports, or at most 50. With variations in between.

An SRM 2 will have two ports.
A SRM 6 has 6.
The big chest hard point has all of them from 2 to 20. The second side torso and the two arm points have 10 at most otherwise they get stupidly small.

They did say that the older mechs are going to get updated to match these new dynamic hard points.

The catapult K2 already being first with dynamic ballistic hard points (MG, AC2-20, gauss, and none).

I actually don't want them to do this on some mechs. If there is no variation in missile port number why should I keep my Atlas-D? Fewer mech variants needed means less mechbays are required which supposedly is how PGI derives income.

[sarelk]

love the blackjack in classic tabletop... I have made a variety of variants for myself there and hope that some of them can come to light in game. One thing I hope they are not gonna do is limit the engine too much... as mediums have hard enough time standing up to other mechs just via armor/weapon output... they need speed, my mediums always have speed online and tabletop... I like most of the ideas for the proposed mech varieants...
any word if they will make either hero variant or champion?

[Liberator]

One Medic Army, on 22 April 2013 - 12:03 AM, said:

If this thing's engine cap isn't at least a 250 I am going to ignore it.
Slow mediums are bad enough, but one that isn't even getting all 10 engine HS (the "true" doubles) is worse.

Hopefully all heat sinks regardless of location will get one value in the future, the whole double heat sink system is a nightmare.