Lancer: The Beautiful Machine

[YuweaCurtis]

Okay just making sure. I thought I was good, but there was doubt. Should have my character up within three days.

[Bitter]

Thanks a bunch!

Also I pretty much decided on Atlas, but I'll keep the others in mind. Lol, forgot to mention that. Was fixated when you started talking about it lol.

Okay, so got a bit more time to post and can focus on the Atlas.

So firstly, how to use your strengths. You have great evasion and you have fantastic mobility, both from your high speed and systems which allow additional movement like Jager Kunst I. This should make you very difficult to hit with normal attacks as you should often be able to get soft or hard cover or even block LOS entirely if you want to. Realistically as giant cover grants soft cover when you share a space with an enemy, you should never be ending your turn without at least soft cover. If you use auxiliary weapons for your flex mount then also consider Hunter for the additional mobility.

This ability to move and be in cover is also why I think Infiltrator works very well with Atlas, as well as the whole ninja style shenanigans just working well thematically.

Jager dodge is a great trait that helps give additional endurance to your fairly squishy mech if you do take damage. Have a think when you get hit about whether you’re likely to be hit again this turn and if so if it will be harder than what you’re suffering now. Notably this applies to damage, not any specific form of attack. This means that you can Jäger dodge the heat damage from tech attacks so keep that in mind.

Finishing blow lets you hit people for extra damage when prone. As Atlas has a great weapon (Terashima blade) that is a main, it’s common to go Duellist 3 so you can trigger a free ram with your attack. This can also be combined with synthetic muscle netting and siege ram from the Blackbeard and Tortuga for extra raminess. You don’t have to do that though and like half of the weapons/systems Atlas gets can knock people prone.

Giant killer lets you ignore engagement from other characters, get soft cover from them and still ram and grapple most of them freely.

In terms of mitigating weaknesses, the main thing is that aside from your speed, evasion and mounts your stat line is trash.

You have terrible tech attack and abysmal sensors so just don’t bother to hack, it’s not what you do.

You have terrible heat and weak e-defence so you need to try not to get hit by tech attacks. Partially this can be done tactically (Using infiltrator to hide, then jumping out and assassinating the techiest NPC mech) but you also have options like the Iceout Drone from black witch 2 that provides immunity to tech attacks (but only within a small area).

For a striker mech you also have low HP and no armour. Your evasion won’t always work; sometimes enemies will roll well and some enemies have reliable so they’ll do a few damage even if they miss, which is the kind of thing a Blackbeard with 12 base HP and 1 armour can shrug off but you can’t. You will want to invest a few HASE points in Hull as a priority and if you go down the ISP-N route for LL4-6 for add-ons then consider reinforced frame as a LL6 core bonus. Taking that plus a couple of points in HASE suddenly makes your Atlas twice as durable.

The last Atlas I built but never played was a Jager Kunst 2 focused one, using Spaceborn 3 talent and Kai Bioplating bonus to give me a 2d6 advantage on the contested roll for JK2.

Edit: Oh yeah and another weakness that Iceout drones etc won’t help you with is enemies like Hives with smart attacks. These aren’t tech attacks (so Iceout drone etc won’t work) but they target your e-defence which is terrible rather than your evasion which is great. Another reason why I recommend Infiltrator on Atlas!

[ICN]

Had a busy few weeks, ended up losing track of the time. Good luck with the game everyone!

[Zelphas]

As a new player as well, I think I'm leaning towards Pegasus as my goal mech; Death's Head is tempting for seeming to be ridiculously straightforward, but Pegasus has that lovely flavor of strange eldritch weirdness that seems very tempting.

...But then there's another part of me that, when trying to look for recommended Artillery builds and looking through the rulebook, saw that the Barbarossa was repeatedly called "newbie bait", which perversely makes me want to try and make one of those work. I don't think I'm set up for that at all (to be fair, I'm not sure that I'm really set up for anything, at the moment), but it's in the back of my mind.

[Bitter]

...But then there's another part of me that, when trying to look for recommended Artillery builds and looking through the rulebook, saw that the Barbarossa was repeatedly called "newbie bait", which perversely makes me want to try and make one of those work. I don't think I'm set up for that at all (to be fair, I'm not sure that I'm really set up for anything, at the moment), but it's in the back of my mind.

So for me the newbie trap aspect of Barbarossa are that it’s a big solid mech that does one thing really well, stand there and shoot things with big guns. Seems easy and newbie friendly, right?

The trap aspect of it imo is that in Lancer it’s assumed that many/most/all combats won’t be simple “kill all enemy” combats. You’ll be given some other objective for the combat like escorting an NPC across the map, holding certain points, etc. Barbarossa is very slow to begin with and is the biggest mech so it has trouble manoeuvring around terrain and will be even slower in practice. This makes it a bit of a pain for any combats where “stand still and shoot things” doesn’t really mesh with the objective.

[YuweaCurtis]

Okay, so got a bit more time to post and can focus on the Atlas.

So firstly, how to use your strengths. You have great evasion and you have fantastic mobility, both from your high speed and systems which allow additional movement like Jager Kunst I. This should make you very difficult to hit with normal attacks as you should often be able to get soft or hard cover or even block LOS entirely if you want to. Realistically as giant cover grants soft cover when you share a space with an enemy, you should never be ending your turn without at least soft cover. If you use auxiliary weapons for your flex mount then also consider Hunter for the additional mobility.

This ability to move and be in cover is also why I think Infiltrator works very well with Atlas, as well as the whole ninja style shenanigans just working well thematically.

Jager dodge is a great trait that helps give additional endurance to your fairly squishy mech if you do take damage. Have a think when you get hit about whether you’re likely to be hit again this turn and if so if it will be harder than what you’re suffering now. Notably this applies to damage, not any specific form of attack. This means that you can Jäger dodge the heat damage from tech attacks so keep that in mind.

Finishing blow lets you hit people for extra damage when prone. As Atlas has a great weapon (Terashima blade) that is a main, it’s common to go Duellist 3 so you can trigger a free ram with your attack. This can also be combined with synthetic muscle netting and siege ram from the Blackbeard and Tortuga for extra raminess. You don’t have to do that though and like half of the weapons/systems Atlas gets can knock people prone.

Giant killer lets you ignore engagement from other characters, get soft cover from them and still ram and grapple most of them freely.

In terms of mitigating weaknesses, the main thing is that aside from your speed, evasion and mounts your stat line is trash.

You have terrible tech attack and abysmal sensors so just don’t bother to hack, it’s not what you do.

You have terrible heat and weak e-defence so you need to try not to get hit by tech attacks. Partially this can be done tactically (Using infiltrator to hide, then jumping out and assassinating the techiest NPC mech) but you also have options like the Iceout Drone from black witch 2 that provides immunity to tech attacks (but only within a small area).

For a striker mech you also have low HP and no armour. Your evasion won’t always work; sometimes enemies will roll well and some enemies have reliable so they’ll do a few damage even if they miss, which is the kind of thing a Blackbeard with 12 base HP and 1 armour can shrug off but you can’t. You will want to invest a few HASE points in Hull as a priority and if you go down the ISP-N route for LL4-6 for add-ons then consider reinforced frame as a LL6 core bonus. Taking that plus a couple of points in HASE suddenly makes your Atlas twice as durable.

The last Atlas I built but never played was a Jager Kunst 2 focused one, using Spaceborn 3 talent and Kai Bioplating bonus to give me a 2d6 advantage on the contested roll for JK2.

Edit: Oh yeah and another weakness that Iceout drones etc won’t help you with is enemies like Hives with smart attacks. These aren’t tech attacks (so Iceout drone etc won’t work) but they target your e-defence which is terrible rather than your evasion which is great. Another reason why I recommend Infiltrator on Atlas!

What's HASE?

[ProgressPaladin]

Hull Agility Systems Engineering

[Zelphas]

So for me the newbie trap aspect of Barbarossa are that it’s a big solid mech that does one thing really well, stand there and shoot things with big guns. Seems easy and newbie friendly, right?

The trap aspect of it imo is that in Lancer it’s assumed that many/most/all combats won’t be simple “kill all enemy” combats. You’ll be given some other objective for the combat like escorting an NPC across the map, holding certain points, etc. Barbarossa is very slow to begin with and is the biggest mech so it has trouble manoeuvring around terrain and will be even slower in practice. This makes it a bit of a pain for any combats where “stand still and shoot things” doesn’t really mesh with the objective.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense! It's easy to fall into thinking of the mechs like they're strictly for the "Combat" part of the game, when the actual missions have more nuance than "if you're the last one standing, you win". So, if you use the Barbarossa, you have to either find a workaround for it's low maneuverability, or accept that you aren't going to be directly useful for missions that aren't straightforward fights. Thanks, that clears up the idea somewhat in my mind.

[n0ble]

Ah, that makes a lot of sense! It's easy to fall into thinking of the mechs like they're strictly for the "Combat" part of the game, when the actual missions have more nuance than "if you're the last one standing, you win". So, if you use the Barbarossa, you have to either find a workaround for it's low maneuverability, or accept that you aren't going to be directly useful for missions that aren't straightforward fights. Thanks, that clears up the idea somewhat in my mind.

There are zone-based missions that the Barb could definitely excel in due to its large size precluding it getting pushed around but generally Bitter has the right of it with how most scenarios involve a fair amount of constant movement towards something rather than just take and hold. To give you an idea of map dimensions we're playing with, the most experienced GM I know of (Ralf of Interpoint Station) typically recommends map sizes of 30-35x20 hexes/squares in terms of length by width.

That being said, workarounds definitley exist. The Barbarossa has 8 Heat-which is fantastic for a frame-2 armor & 10/above average HP, resistance to explosive damage (which to be fair is the least common between kinetic, energy & explosive but helps mitigate enemy artillery firing back at you) and is from a mech company where 3LL in that company can get you Superior by Design, a core bonus that increases your mech's heat capacity by (sparing you having to spend 2 points on Engineering to get your heat capacity up with HASE). 2 LL in Barbarossa (for the frame) and 1 into Sunzi (from the Long Rim Supplement-also from Harrison Armory) gets you that Core bonus and the Accelerate system which can really, really make you and a team zip all over the battlefield. Similarly, if you wanted to plan for 3 LL in IPSN mechs they have a core bonus that just gives your mech 5 extra HP straight up or 2.5 points in Hull (Reinforced Frame) and one that gives another point of armour, which is generally better the more you have (Sloped plating). Either of those three core bonuses can definitely offset any points you want to invest into Agility for speed increases. Plus theres always the Personalization system available to everyone as base GMS gear that gives you +2 HP for one system point

Of course, this is also Lancer. Mechs are fully modular once you unlock the parts. You can 100% slap the Siege Cannon onto something else or use the Barbarossa's systems with another mech if speed is a huge concern too. Heck, combine it with the Pegagsus for MAX DAKKA (Pegasus did bring Zeus's thunder to other in the mythologies afterall )

[ProgressPaladin]

Okay, so got a bit more time to post and can focus on the Atlas.

So firstly, how to use your strengths. You have great evasion and you have fantastic mobility, both from your high speed and systems which allow additional movement like Jager Kunst I. This should make you very difficult to hit with normal attacks as you should often be able to get soft or hard cover or even block LOS entirely if you want to. Realistically as giant cover grants soft cover when you share a space with an enemy, you should never be ending your turn without at least soft cover. If you use auxiliary weapons for your flex mount then also consider Hunter for the additional mobility.

This ability to move and be in cover is also why I think Infiltrator works very well with Atlas, as well as the whole ninja style shenanigans just working well thematically.

Jager dodge is a great trait that helps give additional endurance to your fairly squishy mech if you do take damage. Have a think when you get hit about whether you’re likely to be hit again this turn and if so if it will be harder than what you’re suffering now. Notably this applies to damage, not any specific form of attack. This means that you can Jäger dodge the heat damage from tech attacks so keep that in mind.

Finishing blow lets you hit people for extra damage when prone. As Atlas has a great weapon (Terashima blade) that is a main, it’s common to go Duellist 3 so you can trigger a free ram with your attack. This can also be combined with synthetic muscle netting and siege ram from the Blackbeard and Tortuga for extra raminess. You don’t have to do that though and like half of the weapons/systems Atlas gets can knock people prone.

Giant killer lets you ignore engagement from other characters, get soft cover from them and still ram and grapple most of them freely.

In terms of mitigating weaknesses, the main thing is that aside from your speed, evasion and mounts your stat line is trash.

You have terrible tech attack and abysmal sensors so just don’t bother to hack, it’s not what you do.

You have terrible heat and weak e-defence so you need to try not to get hit by tech attacks. Partially this can be done tactically (Using infiltrator to hide, then jumping out and assassinating the techiest NPC mech) but you also have options like the Iceout Drone from black witch 2 that provides immunity to tech attacks (but only within a small area).

For a striker mech you also have low HP and no armour. Your evasion won’t always work; sometimes enemies will roll well and some enemies have reliable so they’ll do a few damage even if they miss, which is the kind of thing a Blackbeard with 12 base HP and 1 armour can shrug off but you can’t. You will want to invest a few HASE points in Hull as a priority and if you go down the ISP-N route for LL4-6 for add-ons then consider reinforced frame as a LL6 core bonus. Taking that plus a couple of points in HASE suddenly makes your Atlas twice as durable.

The last Atlas I built but never played was a Jager Kunst 2 focused one, using Spaceborn 3 talent and Kai Bioplating bonus to give me a 2d6 advantage on the contested roll for JK2.

Edit: Oh yeah and another weakness that Iceout drones etc won’t help you with is enemies like Hives with smart attacks. These aren’t tech attacks (so Iceout drone etc won’t work) but they target your e-defence which is terrible rather than your evasion which is great. Another reason why I recommend Infiltrator on Atlas!

Might I have some tips like this for Dusk Wing?

[n0ble]

Might I have some tips like this for Dusk Wing?

I'm sure Bitter can do a much more thorough rundown of relevant things than I can but the immediate synergy that stands out to me is things like Flickerfield Projector and OASIS Wall + the Integrated Nerveweave Core Bonus from the same company as the Duskwing that lets you boost an additional two spaces when taking the Boost action. Means you can absoutley fly (literally and figuratively) around with a speed of 8 while boosting. Between that and a normal move you could clear 14 spaces in a turn, 22 if you overcharge. Combined with the fact that a Duskwing is invisible during your turn, you can really get in pop something like the Stuncrown in the thick of an enemy formation and have a pretty reliable chance of getting out unscathed

In terms of talents, at LL 2 it has a launcher type weapon that debuffs on a crit (any role thats 20+ total after modifiers) that synergizes really well with the first two levels of the Stormbringer talent tree (people typically regard Stormbringer 3 as a trap because it requires so much comitment to get value from). It also has the Veil rilfle at LL 1. The Dusk Wings two mounts are also Aux/Aux & Flex so you could potentially field a full suit of Aux weapons if something like the Gunslinger talent tree sounds appealing-in the Mourning Cloak & Swallotail from the same company you have a LL1 Launcher (Vijaya Rockets) & a rilfe (Oracle LMG) at LL2 respectively. Finally, another talent to note is Tactician for Solar Backdrop at rank 2-the Duskwing can hover so it can easily get higher than most other mechs and shoot down at them.

[Bitter]

Noble has pretty much covered it. Some minor bits I’d add:

- No really, do listen to him about getting Tactician 2. Duskwing benefits from it like no other frame.

- Due to your manoeuvrability, you can make better use of Line and Cone type weapons than anyone else. The reason the veil rifle comes with the Dusk Wing license is because you’re better suited to getting in the perfect spot to catch 4 people in that line with a single attack.

- A lot of what I said about the Atlas having good evasion but poor HP, heat, etc applies here too. You’re not as vulnerable to tech attacks as the Dusk Wing’s E-Defence is better, but you still have to worry about tech attacks overheating you as your heat cap is so low and you e-def is still only average, you still have to worry about reliable damage structuring you in a few shots even when those shots miss, you have to worry about smart weapons that ignore evasion and you have to worry about the lucky powerful shot that gets you despite your high evasion. Your best bet is to stay out of range of NPCs which are dangerous to you, always have cover, where you can block LOS and have some hull investment so a lucky shot doesn’t structure you.

- Your extra vulnerability is grappling. You’ll usually not be built for melee, you’re small and if you can’t move you can’t benefit from flicker field projector (which IMO is a must take on Dusk Wing). The easiest way to protect against this is to keep your distance, the funniest way to protect against it is to say screw it go for a melee Dusk Wing build, get synthetic muscle netting from Blackbeard so you don’t care about being tiny and then isolate enemies by grappling them, dragging them into a distant corner and beating them up 1vs1.

[YuweaCurtis]

Hmm gonna take a point in Hull, unsure if my other point should go in Systems or Engineering. Then I'll switch between the two as I level and/or throw in Agility to keep it up.

[Bitter]

Hmm gonna take a point in Hull, unsure if my other point should go in Systems or Engineering. Then I'll switch between the two as I level and/or throw in Agility to keep it up.

Just a reminder that you get bigger bonuses on even points e.g your 1st, 3rd and 5th point in hull give you 2hp but your 2nd, 4th and 6th give you 2hp AND raise your repair cap.

You don’t have to but I always allocate my points in groups of two because that second level is more valuable.

2 Hull is generally thought to be a good starting investment by the Lancer community. I haven’t taken it in my build but that’s because I’m focusing on long range fighting which should keep me out of the line of fire a bit and with a hacker build the extra tech attack is nice to get ahead of the curve.

[ProgressPaladin]

I will change my build, with the tips in mind.

» Rowen Holden // POLTERGEIST«
Spy, LL0
[ SKILL TRIGGERS ]
Act Unseen or Unheard (+2), Hack or Fix (+2),
Spot (+2), Stay Cool (+2)
[ GEAR ]
Stealth Hardsuit, Medium Signature, Medium A/C, Omnihook, SSC Sylph Undersuit, Smart Scope, Stims
***
-- GMS Everest @ LL0 –
« GHOST »
[ LICENSES ]
N/A
[ CORE BONUSES ]
N/A
[ TALENTS ]
Infiltrator 1, Tactician 1, Skirmisher 1
[ STATS ]
H:0 A:2 S:0 E:0
STRUCTURE:4 HP:12 ARMOR:0
STRESS:4 HEATCAP:6 REPAIR:5
TECH ATK:+1 LIMITED:+0
SPD:6 EVA:10 EDEF:8 SENSE:10 SAVE:10
[ WEAPONS ]
MAIN MOUNT: Thermal Rifle
FLEX MOUNT: Pistol, Pistol
HEAVY MOUNT: Anti-Materiel Rifle
[ SYSTEMS ]
Rapid Burst Jump Jet System, Pattern-A Smoke Charges, Personalizations, Custom Paint Job

[ProgressPaladin]

I haven’t heard almost anything about IPS-N Zheng. Is there a reason for this?

[Thunder999]

I haven’t heard almost anything about IPS-N Zheng. Is there a reason for this?

Not particularly, nothing wrong with the Zheng, all the stuff in the license is solid, it's a durable mech that's more mobile than 3 speed implies thanks to solid frame traits/core systems, makes it's own cover and it's really hard to go wrong 2x Main Mounts and a Heavy.
Zip around meleeing things, blowing up terrain and generating your own cover to hide behind, which you can blow up later.
I guess it's got quite a few moving parts for someone new?

Only frames I regularly see criticised are Nelson (having to burn an action boosting for your 1d6 bonus damage kind of sucks compared to all the other ways to get it) and Barbarossa (very slow, allies can't help you fix it thanks to Heavy Frame and the Core Power requires you to waste time then sit perfectly still, this would be managable if not for the fact that many sitreps require you to be moving to objective zones)

[Bitter]

I haven’t heard almost anything about IPS-N Zheng. Is there a reason for this?

There’s a lot of mechs and that one isn’t in the core book! I think most of the Long Rim mechs haven’t been mentioned, can’t recall anyone brining up the Lich, Kobold, etc.

The worst thing I’d say about it is that when I have the urge to play a tough close-combat mech that likes grappling and has a giant super-heavy punchfist it’s second on my list after Empakaai, the Blackbeard alt frame from Siren’s Song.

[Dusk Raven]

Finally got a character concept. Unfortunately, I've procrastinated on actually learning the system... well, it's an eventual goal anyway, might as well start even if I can't get a character finished.

[CateranEnforcer]

It's really not that hard to learn. All these frames and such everyone is taking about realistically won't become a reality until months down the line most likely. LL0 is fairly straightforward. Combat is move and shoot or move and use tech.

[Bowerbird]

Yeah character creation seemed pretty straight-forward, most of this seems to be preparing builds for higher LLs. I didn't even need to dig up the rulebooks for chargen, COMP/CON was really easy to use, the only difficulty I had was enabling the non-core content but it wasn't too hard. My (limited) understanding of the Goblin Frame so far is that I want to be fast, sneaky, and just not get hit by anything. I'd probably then head towards licences that offer stealth and speed on top of being able to hack other people's mechs.

[Bitter]

IMO it’s a bit more complicated move and action because even as an Everest you have to remember your frame traits, you have the option to overcharge, there are different systems and different actions beyond simple attacks (like ram, grapple, etc) and then you have to make sure you remember to apply all your talents and tags on your weapons.

That said it’s still relatively simple and if you’re used to D&D then it should be a breeze to pick up, both because it’s comparatively simple and because it’s d20 based.

I can’t vouch for it as I haven’t used it myself but there’s a combat cheat sheet available for free here: https://heliospectral.itch.io/lancer...eference-sheet

And yeah, you’ve nailed it. Goblin’s role is to stay back and throw out hacks.

[ProgressPaladin]

Would the Ace talent work with a hovering speed?

[Bitter]

Would the Ace talent work with a hovering speed?

Yes, hovering counts as flight so Ace is good with Dusk Wing.

[Simsimillia]

I haven’t heard almost anything about IPS-N Zheng. Is there a reason for this?

The Zheng is one of my favorite frames and my favorite IPS-N frame. I just love the background of it and the rugged design.

Some notes:
- The D/D-288 like almost all Superheavy Melee's is a bit of a meme weapon and a little hard to use because it's a true 2 turn commitment that slows you, turning off your fun Frame Trait that gives you an extra 3 spaces of movement each turn. You're usually better served sticking a simple Heavy Weapon into that slot. I once ran a Zheng and stuck a Heavy Machine gun into the Heavy mount using Grappling, Ramming, etc. when up close and personal.

- The Zheng and Kobold Core Powers interact in hilarious ways. The Kobold can go before the Zheng in initiative and activate Core Power, funniest if you use them to encircle a tough Elite or something and then the Zheng can activate their Core and blow up the terrain the Kobold just made. for a lot of potential damage. Even outside of that specific, very funny interaction the Kobold and Zheng can support each other well with their terrain creation however. Giving the Kobold more Mimic Carapace spots to hide out in and in return dropping more Minecraft blocks for the Zheng to smash into.

Some nice systems from other frames to potentially consider for Zheng:
- Iceout Drone from Black Witch 2, because your Mech runs Windows 95. Though ideally the drone is provided by an ally for you. Blackwitch 2 also has the Perimeter Command Plate, which doesn't rely on sensors and gives you some nice battlefield control. It also gives you an immobilize option to land those DD-288 hits.
- Blackbeard has very good Melee/Grappler upgrades in Synthetic Muscle Netting, Chain Axe, Nanocarbon Sword and Reinforced Cabling is also kinda nice as it actually upgrades your base movement by 2 in most situations.
- Javelin Rockets from Monarch 1 can be nice, because Zheng actually has a number of Knockback systems to knock them into the Rockets...or just drag them through them while grappling.
- Pinning Spire or Ferrofluid Lance from White Witch 1 can be nice with a little Agility if you want to utilize the DD-288. As you can charge the DD, Immobilize someone so they can't run. To escape they have to hit you. Which is harder because you have Soft Cover now.

[BelGareth]

I just wanna play at this point.

as my eldest would say LETS GOOOOOO!

[Dusk Raven]

Hmm... trying to think of what frame I would want. Originally, back when a friend of mine was talking about the merits of Lancer, I'd decided on the Hydra, but I don't think I really want that for this character. I wanted something less... esoteric, more down-to-Earth, with a simpler purpose. Leaning towards a long-range sniper/artillery type, or failing that, support. Seems in line with my character's personality. Tentatively looking at the Swallowtail. In the long run, of course. I like the focus on stealth, but I could probably switch things out based on feedback or party needs.

I will say, though, the aesthetics of a lot of the mechs, at least in the core book, are... I hesitate to use the term "anime" because I haven't actually seen an anime with this aesthetic, but I feel like it would not be out-of-place in some anime. Normally this isn't a problem for me, as my own settings draw inspiration from anime on a regular basis. Hell, my own PC is based on a certain character from a mecha anime. However, as far as mecha go, I was effectively "raised" on Battletech and Armored Core, and while those series don't always place function over form, they do look much more down-to-Earth and... mechanical. And tend to look like things someone would actually put on a battlefield.

And yet, I think I actually like HORUS mechs the most aesthetically, since they reinforce the designers' shtick of bizzare, almost alien technology.

Anyway, just finished the mechanics of my character, but I won't post the full details until I've actually got backstory.

Edit: Backstory for Jay Dreizehn has been made. Open to expanding it, of course.

Spoiler: J13

Show

Name: Jay Dreizehn
Callsign: Rook
Mech: Primus
Combat Role: Sniper
"Dreizehn" means "thirteen" and so Jay's full name could be interpreted as simply J13 - an impersonal designation. But a fitting one for a person who tends to be very impersonal. It's unclear what he did to end up in Golgatha - perhaps he was even born here to condemned parents. He's certainly been here for most of his young life. He did, however, have a slightly better position than others for two reasons - one, he's quite good with machines, and two, he never made a fuss of any sort, or oppose what the prison administration wanted of him. If they wanted him to fix something, he wouldn't ask questions - not even where the device in question was or what was wrong with it. He could figure those out himself. He likely escaped suspicion of being a collaborator by the other inmates due to his tendency to blend into the background. Either he was unseen, or others simply didn't think there was anything to see in him. He was simply there, whether anyone noticed or not.

It was probably a surprise to everyone who knew him when he joined the revolution, his apparent ambivalence replaced with steady determination. In reality, his cold persona was never the result of emotionlessness or sociopathic indifference, but self-discipline - and an instinct to keep his emotions hidden at all times, to show no sign that he wants something until the time has come to take it. Good traits to have in prison - not being prone to agonize over what you want but can't have, and the ability to wait until the perfect moment to act. He is genuinely withdrawn emotionally, however - if he weren't in prison he would have been diagnosed with some form of autism. And prison has taught him nothing about how interpersonal relationships normally work. He's not too old to start learning, however - and perhaps his fellow rebels can help with that.

Skill Triggers:
- Act Unseen or Unheard
- Hack or Fix
- Investigate
- Stay Cool

Talents:
- Crack Shot I
- Grease Monkey I
- Infiltrator I

Mech: Everest - "Primus"

Skills: Agility 2
System Points: 6

Structure: 4
HP: 10
Armor: 0
Stress: 4
Heat Capacity: 6
Repair Capacity: 5
Attack Bonus: +0
Tech Attack: +0
Limited System Bonus: +0
Speed: 5
Evasion: 10
E-Defense: 8
Sensor Range: 10
Save Target: 10

Frame Traits:
Initiative (Encounter)
1/scene the Everest may take any quick action as a free action.

Replaceable Parts
While resting, the Everest can be repaired at a rate of 1 Repair per 1 structure damage, instead of 2 Repairs.

Core System:
Hyperspec Fuel Injector
ACTIVE - Power Up
PROTOCOL
For the rest of this scene, you gain +1 Accuracy on all attacks, checks, and saves; additionally, 1/turn, you can Boost as a free action.

Equipment Loadout:
Main Mount: Thermal Rifle
Flex Mount: Segment Knife x2
Heavy Mount: Anti-Material Rifle

Systems: Rapid Burst Jump Jet System, Pattern-A Jericho Deployable Cover, Pattern-A Smoke Charges

Note: For the sake of speed, I just took the basic "Sniper" package in the character creator on COMP/CON, with no modifications.

[Bitter]

Yeah, each corporation has its own aesthetic that is very unique to them. SSC is the most anime and tends to go sleek and lightweight, Horus weird and semi-organic seeming, ISP-N was built in a garage by some dude down the road who wants it to look cool (like a cowboy) and HA are corporate “We are building a mech, here is our 70 page corporate style guide, no unnecessary anthropomorphic feature like faces please” style mechs.

[CateranEnforcer]

I definitely feel you, I gravitate towards IPSN and HA because of Battletech since they look and feel more like machines. Big stompy robots. A lot of the SSC mechs remind om me of Zone of the Enders style frames or Gundams or, in the case of Atlas, Metal Gear Revengence. Horus gave of a more Evangelion vibe of weird barely understood technology.

[Ishikar]

SCC mechs are certainly interesting and I appreciate the aesthetics. Wanted to avoid any Horus wackiness for my first character though but once I get the systems understood it may make for an interesting experience in another game.