1
Just as an example.
Keep in mind, this is based on the given scale art of a Shadowhawk 2D, which is an archaic 55 ton scout mech that's still in production. The 5-series of Shadowhawks are notably 1 to 2 meters taller and girthier (endo steel, double heatsinks; note the more 'space' the equipment consumes, the larger the mech tends to get to accommodate them. Also worth noting: despite having extra slots available, the "Atlas" is specifically stated to not be big enough to carry a proper LRM-20, and as such no variant built prior to 3050, as the K first entering mass production after that is the first Atlas to carry a 20 tube launcher, split in two columns of 10 on either side of the chest with the meat of the launcher in the left torso. That's worth noting as it says something about how mechs can't 'hold' everything we think that they should since mechlab has spoiled us rotten).
Here are two different variants of the same mech (Crusader) given within the same book (Battletech Compendium)
The point being that there can and often are significant differences between variants of the same mech; especially when the "number" changes. Just sharing it as an example that between variants, sizes can also change in order to facilitate what they have.
(The most noteworthy one is the Hunchback. Between conception up til TRO 3025, HBK runs Komiyaba Type VII chassis/skeleton. One incompatible with double heatsinks and noteably short for a 50 ton mech, standing at almost the same height as a Commando [as you can see in MechCommander's intro]. After some time, TRO lists that new ones run the Crucis Type V, after Kali-Yama WI gets the license and redesigned them from scratch, making it bigger, stuffing it with doubles, improving things and starting the 5 series. It wasn't as 'liked', though, so they also began a 'classic' line with HBK-4 mechs that could be upgraded to double heatsinks. They were however, completely incompatible with the refit kits for the original HBK 4G as they weren't the same size and didn't have the same skeleton. This was on purpose, so that people would buy the factory made variants instead of Marian Hegemony's ready-made mod (refit) kits for the original HBK-4G, as all non-4G variants up til that point were made exclusively by refit-kitting the original HBK-4G. Reception of it had been mixed, there were merits to the new 'classic' model but it lost some of the 'soul' of the original as remakes often do.)
Anyway, with the tallest mech being 14.4 meters, The M1Abrams is 9.77 meters long with the gun forward or 7.63 meters to the length of the hull.
The usual mech goes between 7 and 14 meters. Some suggest 6 meters. So they aren't really that tall.
For fun:
65 feet is 19.812 meters.
Admittedly, most semi trucks with trailers are not actually that long.
But that should help ground the "scale" that you might be thinking of.
So they aren't "Wanzer" sized (Front Mission), but they are (Gundam) 08th MS Team-sized.
Which is why conventional aircraft, tanks, etc., can be so dangerous to them if they are not careful.
But as mentioned before, while tanks can compete directly and aircraft have more than a chance if not caught first, a mech can engage multiple targets in rapid succession, with an agility between movement, aiming and firing that the others just could not compete with. A tank still has to pivot its turret after you get its attention from behind. A mech can just flip its arm and shoot you, and given the motion is powered by mechanical muscles, its just as fluent as you swinging your arm. Recall the original Robocop and his parade through the drug lab?
Ironically, if the short story "The First Mech" is to be believed, this is what drone tanks with remote operators first experienced when facing the Mackie. Their shots (worth noting they were using "Light" and "Medium" rifles) would mostly just bounce off the armor of the Mackie as it paraded through them.
Unfortunately, some of the novels have mechs practically moving like the 2014 Robocop, minus the motorcycle.
Which you can do in the tabletop with level 3 rules + AToW, MaxTech, TacOps, every bit of it -- except throw. Have not figured out if you can 'throw' something, but you can bash someone with another someone's limbs or even your own. The pilot of such would certainly have to be a pilot/gunner with rankings of 2/2 or lower[better] (Clan regular is 3/4 and IS regular is 4/5) and the mech would have to be in perfect condition. Wolverines and Phoenix Hawks are the most notable for being 'this' epic in a fire fight, against lighter vehicles and light mechs.
Edited by Koniving, 26 January 2018 - 07:27 PM.
