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Cadet
ComStar
Lieutenant, SG
Joined: 17-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 495
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 Posted: 25-Apr-2002 03:23 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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SNK-1V Snake
The Snake Class BattleMech is one of those under appreciated BattleMechs that is a real gem to find. It is a relatively weak medium BattleMech that is a not really a Jack-of-All-Trades, nor is it a master of one. However, if it is used properly, the Snake can be a very useful asset.
According to the fluff text, the primary (and thus far only version of the Snake) is designed as an Elemental killer. It combines an average speed, with a jumping ability, an LB-X autocannon and Streak Short Range Missiles and low armor of standard armor onto a 45 ton frame. The fluff text mentions being designed after the Vindicator, but the Snake trades the long range abilities of its parent to become a nasty infighter.
The XL engine it mounts allows it to have a pretty nasty weapon in the form of an LB-10X with 2 tons of ammo. The 20 shots are more than enough ammunition for a single game, especially if the standard load out is 1 ton slug ammo and 1 ton canister. A common tactic for players is to use the slugs to open up the armor and the canister to find the criticals, but this isn't necessary with 3 Streak SRM-2 launchers and 50 rounds of ammunition. At times, especially in larger engagements that will last many turns or in campaigns, it may be wise to use only solid slug ammunition for opening up the target's armor and use the Streak SRMs to find the criticals.
Unfortunately, the monster autocannon comes at a price: an XL engine. While the reduced engine weight allows the Snake to have that LB-X gun, it comes at the price of an additional 6 engine locations to hit. Given the only average speed of the Snake, this seems an unwarranted risk to take. The armor is not enough to keep the XL safe, especially with the sheer number of high powered weapons on the battlefield. While this might not be a consideration in a BV balanced game that is a single shot experience, in anything like a campaign the XL engine is a serious liability.
The Snake mounts 11 Double Heat Sinks, which is nice, but really makes no sense at all. If the 'Mech jumps, fires its autocannon, and make a lock with all three Streak SRMs, it only builds 13 heat. While redundancy is nice, it only needs to allocate internal critical space for 2 of the DHS. It would have made much more sense for the designer to trade out the extra DHS for another ton of armor which could also have been made into Ferro-Fiberous Armor for extra protection (or design the Snake with an Endo Steel Internal Structure and use the saving in weight to mount more armor). In any event, the Snake is woefully under-armored.
All of the ammunition is contained in the right torso, which is protected by CASE. Even in the event of an ammunition explosion, the 'Mech will be rendered mission destroyed (because the explosion will gut the section including the XL Engine), but the MechWarrior will live Even if the Right Torso armor is breached, a single DHS occupies a quarter of the possible criticals to protect the ammunition and the XL. The three Streak SRM launchers are in the left torso, along with a DHS to suck up some possible hits in an effort to protect the XL engine from a hit. The jump jets take up all four free leg criticals and one of the center torso criticals. The LBX autocannon is entirely contained in the Right Arm which allows the Snake to cover the rear arc by torso twisting to the right.
Tactically, the Snake is a 'Mech that absolutely has to work in a lance; it simply does not have the armor, manueverability, or firepower to work alone. While some standard tactics apply when using the Snake, especially using solid slug ammunition to open up criticals and then using canister ammunition to find those criticals, the Snake really works best when used to provide the finishing blow. Use its lance-mates to wear down the target first and to open holes in the armor, then bring the Snake out to finish the target off. Against Elementals, the Snake does have the range, and maneuverability to employ its weapons, but not the ammunition. It would simply take too much ammunition to kill an entire point with the LBX, and the Streaks take too long to do the job. Against vehicles, the Snake performs wondrously, but then again, nearly every BattleMech does given the fragility of vehicles in the game. Given the lack of armor, the intelligent use of terrain and maneuver is essential when using the Snake. Up close the Snake can give a good deal of punishment, but it simply cannot take the same abuse.
The Snake is one of those 'Mechs that looks mediocre on paper, and it is unless it is used wisely. In a one-on-one duel, the Snake will be outclassed and outfought by nearly anything else on the battlefield. Used intelligently as a part of a unit in an appropriate role, and the Snake becomes an incredibly useful tool for eleminating the enemy.
Well? Good, bad, go to hell? Am I close? Am I out of my gourd? What?
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Horhiro
Draconis Combine
Samurai
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1625
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 07:46 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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now if we could just get a damn mini!
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"I have lived my life trying to be a virtuous man. The Dragon admires tenacity, and the code of the samurai upholds it as well." -Minobu Tetsuhara
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ICER
Clan Hell's Horses
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1663
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 10:31 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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HMPlus has a pic of it. Not a bad looking mech. The mini should not be that hard to make.
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Gangrene
Federated Suns
Leftenant General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 939
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 11:28 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Quote:
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On 2002-04-25 03:23, Cadet wrote:
SNK-1V Snake
Well? Good, bad, go to hell? Am I close? Am I out of my gourd? What?
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Good work, Cadet. I have to agree on most points that you made. The Snake has a terrible weapon load for its supposed mission profile. Really - who goes hunting elementals with an LB-X? There is a Kurita mech in the same book with 10 med lasers that is much better at the job.
The only thing I disagree with is that you seemed to be stretching to try to find good aspects of the Snake. Even in a lance acting as fire support the mech sucks. The Snake is one of the worst designs I have ever seen. Give me a 3025 mech any day over the Snake. I applaud that you made a more critical analysis of it, but really all that needs to be said is "the Snake is a walking piece of garbage."
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Gangrene
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 12:05 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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It's a good Solaris 7 Areana mech...
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Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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ICER
Clan Hell's Horses
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1663
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 12:18 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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There is an idea. I have found alot of mechs that suck on the field, Make great area mechs.
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Cadet
ComStar
Lieutenant, SG
Joined: 17-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 495
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 12:37 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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I've had a lot of luck when using the Snake as part of a lance. I just keep it back from the fighting and use it to make the finishing moves on a target. It seems to only be useful in that capacity. As far as in Solaris, it just doesn't have the armor to stand up to that abuse.
Of course these are just my opinions and your milage may vary...
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Horhiro
Draconis Combine
Samurai
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1625
Location: United States
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 17:12 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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I was just thinking that the Snake would work very well against vehicles. Using cluster rounds to get multiple chances for crits,and loading the srms with infernos for the possible instant kills!
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"I have lived my life trying to be a virtuous man. The Dragon admires tenacity, and the code of the samurai upholds it as well." -Minobu Tetsuhara
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Cadet
ComStar
Lieutenant, SG
Joined: 17-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 495
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| Posted: 25-Apr-2002 23:27 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Excpet it mounts Streaks and not SRMs. It can't use Inferno Rounds.
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Horhiro
Draconis Combine
Samurai
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1625
Location: United States
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| Posted: 26-Apr-2002 08:59 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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You are correct! Dang, that renders my insight useless. It appears that this design will require more study......
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"I have lived my life trying to be a virtuous man. The Dragon admires tenacity, and the code of the samurai upholds it as well." -Minobu Tetsuhara
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2039
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| Posted: 26-Apr-2002 10:55 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Quote:
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On 2002-04-25 23:27, Cadet wrote:
Excpet it mounts Streaks and not SRMs. It can't use Inferno Rounds.
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No...it simply can't use Streak-inferno rounds...all streak launchers can be loaded with standard ammo and simply act as standard launchers that weigh a half ton more...
IIRC that is...
Ruger
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Cadet
ComStar
Lieutenant, SG
Joined: 17-Mar-2002 00:00
Posts: 495
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| Posted: 26-Apr-2002 12:00 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Nope. Nowhere in the section on SSRM does it say it can fire normal ammo (BMR-R 140-141).
Furthermore, the rule for carrying Infernos is:
"Any unit with a standard SRM launcher, and SRM equipped infantry (but not battle armor) can carry Inferno munitions." (BMR-R 141)
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2039
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| Posted: 26-Apr-2002 12:19 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Quote:
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On 2002-04-26 12:00, Cadet wrote:
Nope. Nowhere in the section on SSRM does it say it can fire normal ammo (BMR-R 140-141).
Furthermore, the rule for carrying Infernos is:
"Any unit with a standard SRM launcher, and SRM equipped infantry (but not battle armor) can carry Inferno munitions." (BMR-R 141)
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Hmm...could have sworn I read that rule somewhere...might have been a house rule...
Oh well...thanks for pointing out my error...
Ruger
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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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| Posted: 26-Apr-2002 12:33 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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BY ALL THAT IS HOLY! (specifically.... Me.)
Ruger made a mistake! DEAR GOD! THE FOUR RIDERS JUST RODE PAST MY DORM ROOM! ITS THE END OF THE WORLD!
Raven, gently teasing, but is glad Ruger can admit mistakes and take his porridge like most people, rather then being an egotistical bastard like some people of my personal aquantance WHO LIVE DOWNSTAIRS AND I'M GOING TO JUMP UP AND DOWN ON THIS FLOOR AT TWO IN THE MORNING TILL THEY SCREAM CAUSE THEY SUCK.
But i'm not bitter.
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 28-Apr-2002 11:55 Post subject: Assesment of Snake Class BattleMech |
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Quote:
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On 2002-04-25 07:46, Horhiro wrote:
now if we could just get a damn mini!
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Here Here..... I have always loved it, both function and look.
AWAD- even a lvl 1 version rocks
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