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Old 10-27-2017, 07:21 PM   #11
Racer
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, UK
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

The 'Jackhammer' from ADQ #7/1 : Blast Cannon Front w/Mag , VFRPs Left & Right , Fire Extinguisher , Solid Tires , Good Armour & at $24,300 enough budget left over for a SWC .

Can cause absolute havoc in tight Arenas & putting VFRPs on Auto to fire 2 Rockets per Turn & cause 'property damage' to the area !
Other players tend to stay well away from you for some reason ... X-D

Can be easily converted to a Side Shooter with linked side mounted VFRPs , SBPR Tires & a Targeting Computer .

Nightmare from ADQ 8/1 is pretty good to , & just looks 'mean' !
Load the SMDs Mag with non Napham loads , swap Incendiary Heavy Rocket for Fire Extinguisher & add light Hubs+Guards and you have an extremely nasty Road Mid .

The Python from VG2 is a solid vehicle for Div 20 despite it's PR Tires & no Hubs & Guards ( easily rectified ) & has nasty dropped Weapon load .
Often the very first Car to introduce Drop Spike Plates to opponents - especially nasty as it's bumper triggered ...

While great for their Eras , it's best to tweak all of these for modern games : Large PP w/SCs instead of Super PP , HTMs , beefed up Tire protection , SWCs etc etc .

Technology & design philosophy have moved on light years since then & all vehicles from before 2001 need to be modified to some degree to used in current games .

Since 1984 I must have produced 14 to 18 updates/later marks/variants based on the Hot Shot . No one would use one today even in a Classic game , but we still find it seriously cool ! ;-)
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Last edited by Racer; 10-27-2017 at 07:47 PM.
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Old 10-28-2017, 03:58 AM   #12
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

Coaster (VG1) as a competent courier.

Solid tyres mean no damage from debris, HC3 is good for dodging, MG is good for longevity. Good armour and the -1 to hit for being a compact means it has a better than average survivability. Give your passenger a decent AV weapon and you could use it as an ersatz Q vehicle, for low intensity engagements.

Clearly it would benefit from after market WGs, HTMs and Overdrive to improve it's defence and long haul economy. You might add a computer but I see the MG as a discouragement rather than a serious offensive weapon. With explosive rounds it would however be an efficient pedestrian killer (for those impromptu road blocks). Whilst there is a listed 180lb for cargo this is limited by the plant rather than the chassis (which can take an additional 240lb). Fitting Superconductors or Platinum Catalysts would allow the full chassis load to be used.

Last edited by swordtart; 10-28-2017 at 07:41 AM.
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Old 10-29-2017, 04:47 AM   #13
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

For bikes.

The Rocket RoadMiser (VG1) would be my choice for massed bike attacks. As with all bikes it is a bit vulnerable but for equipping masses of opponents it is a decent choice. They will need to get close for the HR to hit, but even iron clads will take notice of a 3d weapon. Tires are poor, but they are unlikely to be targeted directly. You'll have to dodge DWs and if someone coats the road, stop and go round (eventually they will run out).

You have enough power to haul a sidecar. It will cut your acceleration but might boost your HC, firepower or your ability to carry cargo or passengers. If all you want are the latter, you could rive your mate/extra equipment to the fight zone, unload and detach the sidecar recovering your full ACC.

Once you have fired the HR, I'd replace it with 3 linked mini-rockets, these are cheaper, free up another 40lb (which I'd spend on radials) and increase your chance to hit with at least 1 (by allowing more to hit rolls). Normally I would upgrade to AP rockets but in this case I'd keep the cost down (a 1/2" burst effect is also not a significant threat to your pack mates and you might meet metal armour).

After market HD HTMs will make it fly impact the low price is the main selling point. You might consider 1 pt WGs to discourage hand weapons, but anything more will be a waste. You would need to drop a point of armour but that isn't much of an impact.

The key to the design is fielding 6-10 times the number of opponents. Ride in hard and assume casualties. Unleash rocket hell, and then get out of dodge. Pick up the scraps afterwards.

Alternatively set up in advance in ambush (and preferably stationary to maximise that first attack and preferably from a height advantage so you can target top armour). Let fly and then run along pre-prepared escape routes taking full advantage of your narrow width to squeeze down tracks your opponent can't go.
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Old 10-29-2017, 06:13 AM   #14
Racer
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, UK
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

Unfortunately under current Rules , Light Cycles can't haul Sidercars ...

I'd recommend that that's changed so they can use Light Sidecars only , but it's unlikely this will get official acceptance now ...
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Old 10-29-2017, 02:50 PM   #15
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Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

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Originally Posted by Racer View Post
Unfortunately under current Rules , Light Cycles can't haul Sidercars ...

I'd recommend that that's changed so they can use Light Sidecars only , but it's unlikely this will get official acceptance now ...
[snort] The list of "recent rulings I'm ignoring" would crash the servers here. :)
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Old 10-29-2017, 03:04 PM   #16
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Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

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Originally Posted by 43Supporter View Post
[snort] The list of "recent rulings I'm ignoring" would crash the servers here. :)
Only matters if the schedule another world championship ;)

And let's be honest. If they did that, it wouldn't be the edition we all love.
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Old 10-30-2017, 10:49 AM   #17
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

Quote:
Originally Posted by Racer View Post
Unfortunately under current Rules , Light Cycles can't haul Sidercars ...

I'd recommend that that's changed so they can use Light Sidecars only , but it's unlikely this will get official acceptance now ...
Hadn't noticed that before (usually there isn't enough weight allowance left for it to make a difference), but I'll probably ignore it anyway as I can't see any logical reason why a light bike can't have a sidecar (and every extra exception is an extra rule to have to remember).

It probably wouldn't be weight efficient anyway with the extra tire etc. Your mate'll have to walk ;)
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Old 10-30-2017, 03:00 PM   #18
juris
 
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Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

A Rocket RM attack is madness - they destroy themselves with BA lol. If you're going to go for an exposed cyclist bike nothing beats the original RM - just hang WAY back and snipe with a MG for around $2500.

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Originally Posted by swordtart View Post
For bikes.

The Rocket RoadMiser (VG1) would be my choice for massed bike attacks. .
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Old 11-01-2017, 06:37 AM   #19
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

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A Rocket RM attack is madness - they destroy themselves with BA lol. If you're going to go for an exposed cyclist bike nothing beats the original RM - just hang WAY back and snipe with a MG for around $2500.
I haven't found long range sniping with cheap bikes that effective. with no dedicated gunner or computer you will generally be dusted long before your own shots start telling on an opponent. The MG is barely going to have an effect on anything road-worthy and even HS nibbling is less effective in a stern chase. Most bikes only get two or three shots off before being taken out (usually just enough to build up a sustained fire bonus). If you are only getting a few shots anyway that large mag is wasted. You might as well carry only the ammo you expect to get off. A 3 shot MG is a very expensive way to deliver 3 x 1d damage.

At long range you are ironically more bunched up than if you are close in (consider that at range you effectively have only 1 degree of freedom). I would normally attack from an overpass or from a side road to get in close enough to have an effect, without giving my opponent lots of time to take my mob out piecemeal. Once there I can slip in amongst the herd (any misses from him, might hit his own side).


I would normally go AP to avoid the burst from the HR for pedestrians (as they seldom have armour that will intervene). With mini-rockets the burst is so small, that it doesn't really matter. On these bikes the HRs are front mounted and you should always have an intact vehicle between you and the burst (and are therefore not exposed). You'll need to coordinate your attacks to avoid hitting your mates, but that isn't hard as you will be attacking in waves anyway and you are not idiots.

Edit - Actually you might be idiots, but that doesn't mean you have to drive like one ;)

Last edited by swordtart; 11-01-2017 at 11:24 AM.
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Old 11-02-2017, 08:26 AM   #20
Racer
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, UK
Default Re: Your favorite Official Vehicle Design

From the CWC 2.5 Era , the Xenon in the Compendium ( & updated VG2 variants based on it ) is a great Road Compact - especially after a few tweaks .

Vlad the Impala is a brilliant pun ( if your North American & not dyslexic ... ) & a pretty formidable Luxury . Again various tweaks make it better - HRTC , Front Guards swapped for Hubs , HD Shocks etc add to Combat effectiveness . And also remember that the FPSBPR Radials have 11DP rather than 10 to .
Expensive certainly , but when you can walk down some streets in London & every third Car is worth OVER £150,000 , it makes some sense to have a few Top End Combat Vehicles around ?

Badger Tractor from VG2 is pretty good - more so when Front HRs are swapped for Gauss Gun Mags & IFE is added . Don't think much of the Badger Trailer though ?

Rolling Fortress Trailer is an excellent Convoy Escort Vehicle ... unfortunately no Tractor is tough enough to survive most heavy combats it could win ... ( hint: in our games we allow modified Armoured Cars to haul 40' Trailers as well ;-D )
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