Lorcan Lladd, on 16 October 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:
Maybe not.
But Endo Steel Internal Structure, Ferro-Fibrous Armor, XL Engine and Double Heat Sinks on a OmniMech?
If you're so fond of their technology that you wouldn't want to play without it, that's fine, but let's not pretend that the Clans were ever created with any semblance of balance in mind.
That said, and to actually answer the OP - the developers have stated that the Clans and their OmniMechs might eventually make it into the game, post-release, in maybe a year or so.
Sure they were. People forget that they have various rules that they are expected to adhere to and that (in TT at any rate) the BV of their mechs makes it so that they are frequently out numbered. Ever see what happens when a medium weight star operating under honor level 1 runs up against a comparable point value IS force? Here I'll walk you through the numbers of some invasion era mediums in their primary configurations.
Viper: 1484
viper: 1484
Ice ferret: 1529
Nova: 2448
Storm crow: 1911
That's five mechs with a combined BV of 8856. Against that I can field:
Wolf Hound-2: 903
Sentinel 3m: 614
Hatchetman 5s: 1039
Wolf Trap: 827
Crab 27: 965
Tebuchet 7m: 1206
Axman: 1165
Bombardier 2d: 1277
Total value: 7996
(I realize that the clans have an 800 point advantage but I'm also factoring in training to make sure that the IS pilots are at par or above the clan pilots, and I do have to train more of them)
Let me break down how this fight goes.
The Clan mechs designate their targets and then advance into firing range. Depending on the terrain, the IS pilots either force them to come closer (in order to mitigate their range advantage) by denying them clear targets OR (if the clan mechs are cornered) advance in a tight formation. In either event, the clans will find themselves very quickly in a bad situation.
As the clan mechs go after their targets, the two lances will designate one or two of the mechs for target practice and proceed to bury it under a crap ton of LRMs (this compesition of mechs can deliver 80 LRMs... which may be even worse if the trenchbucket is able to NARC one of the clanners); against these mediums that is likely to ravage (if not destroy) at least one of them, with the sentinel and wolfhound assaulting the target with ER Large laser and UAC 5. The Ice ferret and Stormcrow (being the only mechs capable of returning fire) respond with... 2 ER large lasers and an ER-PPC
Now, the clan forces will most assuredly advance (the vipers and Nova have no choice) which allows the IS forces to do likewise and collectively murder one or two those that have closed (almost assuredly the nova, since it has the most firepower; depending on how long it takes one of the vipers will wind up absorbing the remainder of the firepower and possibly going down) with their AC 10s, Large lasers (If the clan player was very stupid and closed to within 9 then medium lasers, SRM's, a large pulse laser and one AC 20 will be added to the mix). Meanwhile, the bombardier, wolf trap, and trebuchet will continue firing on whoever is hanging back and trying to snipe (probably the Stormcrow and/or stormcrow).
As the clan's In fighters get annihilated the IS will be able to advance, focus firing on the remaining two mechs, possibly losing 2 or 3 of their own in the process. The IS mechs will be beat up fairly bad on a few of their members but this will be an overwhelming victory for them due to the honor rule limitations of the clans and their supperior numbers.
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