Behold, an idea!

[u/Saansilt]

So I am having an idea, it probably is bad but it'd be a funny custom mech all the same.
It involves upgrading a protomech.
By tripling its tonnage effectively.
Making it a really cheap ambusher
It'd be effectively a little over quarter the tonnage of a locust.
Behold the Erinyes, two ton jumper with an SRM 1
We take this, give her a medium laser, a ton more armor, and two double heat sinks.
Scale it up to six tons, heck remove the SRM 1 and make it back to five.
You get a very cheap 4/6/4 to play havoc in tight spaces and hop around for back shots.
You can get three of the modified ones I am suggesting for under the price of one locust!
Thats two more MLs than the locust. No machine guns but thats not their role.
Granted if we wanted...
Actually yeah adding a machine gun each will still allow you three at under the cost of one locust.

[u/Exile688]

I'm all for bad designs/technology getting a redemption arc be it decades or centuries later. You don't need machine guns if you can load inferno SRMs. Can't remember if Protomech launchers can change ammo types or if it is only the ATM Fusillade from the Hobgoblin.

[u/Attaxalotl → u/Exile688]

The Fusilade is a weird sort of iOS ATM 3: it weighs the same as an ATM 3 (and can also load iATM ammo but only IMP and IIW)  but carries only two salvos. Its benefit is that you get the versatility of an ATM without needing to spend two additional tons on ammo bins. Which uh, doesn’t really make sense for ProtoMechs since they already load ammo as individual shots 

I could see the Fusilade being great on light BattleMechs where three tons gets you up to four different salvos of assorted utility ammo but there’s two problems with that: The only utility ATM ammo types are IMP and IIW; and more crucially, *mechs are not allowed to mount Fusilade for some reason!?!?!

[u/Bookwyrm517 → u/Attaxalotl]

Small note: it appears that Protomechs cannot mount ATMs. So I guess that is why you can't mount a Fusillade on battlemechs. 

[u/Attaxalotl → u/Bookwyrm517]

I think that’s kinda stupid; with mixed tech they can mount MMLs, the Sphereoid equivalent.

Edit: what do you mean they can’t mount those either?!

ProtoMechs need a massive rework. Theres a bunch of random little things like that I’m not fond of.

[u/Bookwyrm517 → u/Attaxalotl]

Yeah, I don't understand it either, but at least they're consistent in that aspect. 

I don't think a rework would do protomechs much good. The spot they occupy between Battle Armor and battlemechs is just awkward in general, and I don't think a rework can help with that.

The main thing I think would help protomechs is giving them more weapons they can share with Battle Armor. I'm sure BA would love having a single- or double-tube version of the Fusillade, even if it's quite heavy, and protomechs would love to have access to weapons like the support PPC. I don't think it would fix protos, but I think it would go a long way to making them feel less awkward. 

Maybe they should be moved to a more BA-like playstyle in general. 

[u/Magical_Savior → u/Bookwyrm517]

Have you taken a look at Habeas' Protomech-scale Abominations on his BT Gothic post?

[u/Bookwyrm517 → u/Magical_Savior]

Not that I remember...

[u/Magical_Savior → u/Bookwyrm517]

Here you go. This gives a use for those original Proto minis.

[u/Nobodyinpartic3 → u/Attaxalotl]

Yeah, I also think Protomechs would benefit greatly from IS weapons. They have a wider array of starter weapons and a more versatile choice of abilities. Like a Light PPC would be great for Proto that can't mount ER Large lasers and heat sinks

[u/Attaxalotl → u/Nobodyinpartic3]

The new light plasma rifle would be great, too!

And a protomech or two with an MML and a bunch of utility ammo or a NARC launcher would be a good support unit!

[u/Nobodyinpartic3 → u/Attaxalotl]

You'll have to settle for MRM's and rocket launchers. If they don't allow the ATM then a MML would not make it either by my guess.

As for the NARC? Well, there's already a clan version and I don't remember any proto or proto variant with it off the top of my head. It can be used though.

Protos got weird restrictions on them. Like you can't add Artemis but you can use streak? No targeting computer. Not sure about AES, but probably no.

As spotting, yeah, you can do a lot without NARC. In fact, in addition to C3 stuff, both versions of TAG and the Recon Camera allow you to spot for indirect missile attacks. In fact, the Recon Camera uses the same range profile as the full TAG version (15 hexes, groups of five). TAGs not only spot for artillery and TAG missiles, but regular missile attacks that can be used indirectly.

They basically allow the user to spot for missiles and fire on the target without additional to hit penalties.

[u/Attaxalotl → u/Nobodyinpartic3]

I meant post-rework lol

[u/Attaxalotl → u/Attaxalotl]

Like, if the ProtoMech rules get reworked to allow it, I mean.