02: Military Production

Military Construction :

Production Chart :	Minimum Production	CP Cost
Infantry Platoon (Firearm)	-40	2 (1)
Infantry Platoon (Energy/Missile Weapon)	10	3 (1)
-Motorized Infantry	-15	+1 (2)
-Jump Infantry	05	+2
-Armoured Infantry (12)	10	100
Combat Armor	25	x30 (6)
Installation/Inner Sphere	10	x1 (3)
Installation/Clan	20	x2 (3)
-Orbital Location	20	+x1 (4)
-Jump Point Location	20	+x2 (4)
-Any Outsystem Location	**	+x4 (4)
Scout Unit I (Basic Scouting +5%)	-25	50
II (Saboteur Scouting +10%)	05	100
III (Combat Scouting +15%)	15	250
Command Unit (Battle Setup +10%)	25	800
Engineering Unit (Special)	-15	200
Medical Unit (Morale +10%, Special)	-05	250
Dropship, Light (Capacity 6)	15	3000
Medium (Capacity 15)	25	6000
Heavy (Capacity 21)	35	9000
Ultraheavy (Capacity 45)	50	12000
Jumpship (Jump -1)	75	6000 (5)
(Jump -2)	90	9000 (5)
(Jump -3)	105	12000 (5)
Air or Ground Vehicle	00	x10 (6)
Naval Vehicle	-20	x5 (6)
-Mini-vehicle	00	+x15
-Clan vehicle	20	+x10
-Microfusion Cell	00	x5
-ICE power plant	**	Sp. (7)
Inner Sphere Mech	T-20	x10 (6)
Land-Air Mech	Tons	x20 (6)
Fixed Airmech (If Invented)	T-10	x15 (6)
Aerospace Fighter	T-10	x15 (6)
-Clan Technology	+ 10	+x5
-Omniunit	+ 10	+x5
Raise planetary economy by 1 point	–	3000
Unit Maintence	Sp.	2.5% (10)
Unit Modifications and Upgrades	Sp.	SP (11)
Planetary Colonization Project	15	24000 (9)

 

   Building units costs varying amounts of “construction points” according to the table above. Some units have fixed costs, but others vary according to their tonnage. Such units have an “xA” in the price column rather then a base cost, multiply the “A” value by the units net tonnage8 to determine the total cost. Each unit also has a minimum “production” value listed with it, worlds with a production value lower then the listed value cannot normally produce such a unit. Any other requirements listed must also be fulfilled, such requirements can include; particular resources, having the appropriate plans, or simply spending money. Each planet with a positive production rating generates 50 construction points per point of production each turn. Planets with negative ratings generate 25 construction points per turn. CP cannot be saved, but projects may be completed over several turns if necessary. The cost of normal munitions, support personnel/gear, salaries, etcetera, is included in the basic maintenance expense.

 

Production Notes:

   1) Overproduction of infantry is known as the draft – and is rarely popular. Neither is deploying infantry vrs armored forces on any but the smallest of scales… Either action reduces the planets loyalty value by one. Unlike other units, infantry comes in full platoons.

   2) These use common helicopters or land vehicles to increase their mobility. While these mount no weaponry, they do provide three points of armor while the unit is moving.

   3) Defends any one location, often a resource point with a “value” of 5-10. Such defences are automatically taken if a world is “occupied” for 3 full turns. There are a few standard installations which only cost 80% of the usual CP (QV).

   4) Spaceborne “installations” are generally armored planetoids which’ve been maneuvered into orbit with ion thrusters. Such installations may mount up to 600 tons of armor and weapons, although 15% of the total must be used for airseals, life support, and internal structures. They are considered to have CF’s of 100, “sizes” of six (Ground) hexes (both free), and must use fusion reactors. Like most other installations, they can be bombed using the “ground attack” rules. Orbital installations defend an entire planet. At either one of the two jump points it defends the entire system. Perhaps sadly, forcing a spaceborne attacker to engage one installation normally requires the building of four or more.

   5) Add 1500 per dropship it can carry… Building a jumpship requires a “+5” germanium resource per “point” of jump rating. Germanium may also be obtained through trade, discovery, or cache (if you’re very lucky). War- ships are heavily armed. and cost an extra 6000 CP. Their primary advantage is their near-immunity to hijacking and piracy. Multijump ships cost an extra 1000 CP if built using a Fusion-Orion system, 4000 with a lithium-fusion battery.

   6) Building these units requires having the designs for them. “Standardized” designs cost 20% less to build then usual. New designs become standard after building at least 20 or 500 tons of them – whichever is greater. Designs may be obtained through research, trade, buying old (obsolete) designs, and dismantling intact captured units (Given time)… Units with special equipment have an additional costs, such equipment includes :

 

	Min. Prod	MCr	CP Cost
C3 Command Computer	60	2a	+75
C3 Slave Node	50	–	+25
XL Fusion Engine	50	–	+200
XL IC Engine	25	–	+20
Triple Str Myomer	40	–	+50
Ferro-Fiber Armor	35	–	+x1
Double Heat Sinks	25	–	+50
Endo Steel	30	–	+x1
Secondary Fusion Engine	15	–	+25
Personalized Interface	40	–	+125

      ^{a) 1/2 cost if manufacturing 5 or more (round up)} 

   Designs that employ only Old Inner Sphere Technology (EG; Flamer, S/M/L Lasers, PPC 10’s, AC 2/5/10/20, LRM- 5/10/15/20, SRM 2/4/6, Standard Armor, Engine, Thumper, Standard IS, Machine Gun, Long Tom – and Sniper), enjoy a further 10% price break.

   Combat Armor is a form of miniunit – and is dealt with in that section. While the Clan Elemental’s BattleArmor is the most common form of Combat Armor, there are many other designs available.

   As a note, spaceborne miniunits have re-entery problems – and are hard on pilot morale. Manned spacegoing minifighters are twice as expensive to produce as other miniunits, since the pilots require extensive training.

   Finally, “Having A Design” means “having” a lot more then the blueprints. It includes having special molds, prototypes, specialized assembly gear, and so on. You may not readily copy a captured unit. It’s a job for a full research/industrial team.

   7) Reduce CP costs by 20% – 40% if using a standard design, and by 50% if using a standard Old Inner Sphere design. As a note, small ICE’s are more efficient power sources then small fusion engines. Those who doubt that should inspect a model airplane engine. Fusion is a far better source for the massive energy demands of a laser tank, battlemech, or fighter, but small units are often better off with a common ICE. Revised weights for small ICE engines are given below… This rule will give many of the light vehicles an extra ton or two to play with. As most such vehicles are built locally, players should be allowed to use those tons to customize them a bit.

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Rating	Tons		50-60	1.00		105-110	5.00
10-15	0.00		65-75	1.50		115-125	8.00
20-25	0.25		80-85	2.50		Higher	2x Fusion Weight
30-45	0.50		90-100	3.50

 

   8) Cargo space doesn’t count – except in miniunits.

   9) Also requires some 24 turns, 20 MCr, assigning a jumpship to the project, and patience. The result is an “Other” world. Both the MCr and the CP costs are halved if the target world is already livable. This would cost more – but there are normally quite a few people around who’d like a fresh start in an out-of-the-way location.

   10) The basic maintenance cost is 2.5% of the total CP cost of the units being maintained… This does not apply to Jumpships (Which have apparently been used for many centuries) or Dropships which do not enter combat. Units may be “Mothballed”. This reduces their maintance cost to zero – but it will require a full turn and a 5% maintenance fee to get them out of storage. Units sent on campaign require twice their usual maintenance (5%), and even this doesn’t include any major repairs. Failure to pay maintenance costs will quickly degrade the units involved, reducing their total effectiveness (Opponents may draw one extra battlecard per turn of unpaid cost).

   11) Modifications and upgrades to existing equipment are possible – although it is not possible to mix inner sphere and clan components. The CP cost is normally twice that of the items installed – but rises to 4x that much if modifying the engine, IS, or major weapons.

   12) “Armoured Infantry” comes equipped with military jeeps or some such, as well as with jump gear and heavy infantry weapons. In practice, such a platoon consists of the usual 21 men, bolstered by the firepower and armor of five military jeeps. It isn’t easy to kill armoured infantry, as the jeeps have to be destroyed first. This gives armoured infantry – as a group – a movement score equal to half that of their vehicles, 80 “hit points” – either portable lasers or SRM’s – and whatever weaponry their vehicles mount. They all fit in one hex, and are quite dangerous – even to heavy units.

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Optional Infantry Enhancements;

• ECM Equipment; Hidden infantry with this gear can’t be detected until they move or fire. +2 CP.
• Heavy Armor; -1 “To Hit” but can take two points of damage apiece before being “killed”. +2 CP.
• Paratroops; Can be airdropped successfully on a 4+. A 3- scatters them, as per Battlemech drops. +3 CP.
• Squad Weapons; These carry one TAG unit or one-shot Narc Pod launcher per 7 men. Use SRM ranges, they may split-fire, but may not also attack normally.
• Submersible; Can act like “submarines” only. +2 CP. Full land/water mobility. +5 CP.
• Swarm Training; Anti- Mech/Vehicle/Building. +2 CP.

 

Special Units :

   Command, Engineering, Medical, and Scout, units are a good deal more complex then most “units”. They consist of a variety of equipment, minor vehicles, and people. Transporting them usually requires both a cargo slot and an infantry slot, while getting them out of a dropship and ready to go requires hours. This is rarely much of a loss in battle since, while such units do have light combat capabilities, they’re not very good at it. They can, however, employ a special defensive tactic – they can scatter. This breaks them up into six pieces; two larger, and several smaller, vehicles, which head off in various directions as quickly as possible. This leaves them almost totally ineffective in combat situations – but very difficult to catch. Unsupported special units will either surrender or scatter (Depending on morale) if they get caught by any significant enemy force. Any of the individual smaller units will surrender if they find themselves unable to escape. As a note, Infantry units may scatter as well, effectively “disappearing”. Any unit which scatters will, however, require several days to reorganize itself. For simplicities sake, and because they’re made up of assorted smaller units, the special units have no “Facing”.

   Command Units are expensive. This has little to do with their makeup – around twenty officers and support staff with good computers, some communications gear, and a selection of light reconnaissance/sensor equipment – and a lot to do with their training. War games, military academies, massive competitive tests, and endless study, are not cheap. They are, however, the only way to pick out/train good commanders on a regular basis. Catching a command unit is a notable coup – allowing the victor to draw three extra battlecards to use over the course of the current campaign. An active command unit allows the side using it to draw two extra Battlecards if the opposing side does not possess a similar command unit, and provides a +10% on relevant battle setup tables. If attacked, a command unit can take 80 points of damage, is armed with 2 medium lasers and 4 SRM-2 launchers, and moves at 6/9. Scattered, a command unit consists of a Mobile Headquarters Unit (A Battle Command Computer is not necessarily included), 1 APC, 2 light reconnisance vehicles – and 2 reconissance-style VTOL’s or scouting units. Command units often put up more resistance then other special units, simply because their morale tends to be very high.

   Engineering Units consist of a crew and a selection of bulldozers, trenchers, and heavy construction gear. They’re not especially combat-worthy – but can be very useful; A force equipped with at least one engineering unit per battalion can create “improved positions” one step above the usual, enjoys various benefits whenever there’s time for them to operate (QV; the Battle Setup Tables) – and receives a resistance check of 9+ whenever the terrain would normally penalize the CP presence of some sort of unit. Given time, an engineering unit may clear hexes, build bridges and roads, and repair damage to other units (Forces without engineering units, or some similar support force, may only repair 1/2 of whatever damage they suffer in the field). If they’re attacked, engineering units can be fairly formidable. Bulldozers and such are quite durable – and the military versions commonly mount SRM launchers. An engineering unit can withstand 80 points of damage, mounts five SRM-2’s – and moves at 6/9. Scattered, these usually consist of one heavy Engineering Vehicle, a Light Military Truck, and four Light Military Constructors.

   Medical Units closely resemble the classical “MASH” units of earlier periods – although fusion engines and improved transport vehicles have made them more mobile then they used to be, and medical improvements have made them even more effective. Medical units normally treat casualties from both sides, and so are normally regarded as noncombatants – although most carry enough weaponry to chase off bandits and such. A force equipped with at least one medical unit per battalion gains a 10% bonus on it’s morale. Actually attacking a medical unit is a very bad idea; it causes a 10% morale drop in your own forces, counts as a “minor atrocity”, and has a 2 in 6 chance of causing 1D6 randomly selected major units to defect to the enemy. Unlike most “desertion” results, this can affect personalities. If attacked, a medical unit can withstand 60 points of damage, is presumed to be equipped with 2 small lasers, and has a movement rate of 5/8. If “scattered”, a medical unit normally breaks up into a mobile army hospital unit, a service unit, a couple of “civilian”-model light trucks, and a couple of fast, ambulance-equipped, minivehicle helicopters.

   Scout Units vary a lot. Unlike most military units, scout units consist of a variable group of individuals equipped with whatever-it-is they like. They may drive their commanders nuts – but a scout who becomes overly predictable, recognizable, “standardized”, or expected swiftly becomes dead. Sensible scouts never get invol- ved in fights unless they pick up some heavy equipment somewhere – and would be impossible to give standardized statistics for anyway. Scout Unit III’s are a kind of exception to this general rule, in that they generally operate on the fringes of battle anyway. If sent into open battle, class III scout units can be treated as a unit of Armoured Infantry. This is foolish and expensive – but happens in emergencies. Unlike most units, scout units cannot be taken over by capture. The people, not the hardware, are the important part of a scout unit.

Special Unit Components :

Light Military Constructor-10

• Tracked, Moves 6/9, R-60 ICE (1), IS / Control (1), Turret (.1), Armor-53 (2.5). Old Inner Sphere, 45 CP.
• -Front : 12 -L/R Side : 9/9
• -Back : 12 -Turret : 11
• Turret SRM-2 (1), and 25 SRM Ammo (.5), Engineering Gear (3, assorted heavy systems) – and Cargo Space (.9).

   -While they were never designed for serious combat, these vehicles were nevertheless equipped to take care of themselves. They’re usually deployed in engineering units – but there have been some reports of them being equipped with improvised armor, extra SRM Ammo, and even another SRM launcher, in place of the engineering gear and cargo space. While such improvised tanks aren’t very effective compared to dedicated military designs, they can give the local militia a good deal of extra punch. The so-called “Deconstructor” Ultralight Tank has been somewhat more “formally” redesigned for militia use… This variant carries Armor-74 (F; 20, R; 12, L/R Side; 12/12, T; 18), Three Turret-Mounted SRM-2’s, 50 Ammo – and only .2 Tons of Cargo Space. The wheeled version is basically the same, but moves at 8/12. Both only cost 49 CP, and are favored by local forces and the sort of minor mercenaries who deploy armoured infantry, ultra- light vehicles, combat armor, and miniunits, for cheap local defence.

Light Military Truck-10

• Wheeled, Moves 8/12, R60 ICE (1), IS / Control (1), Turret (.1), Armor-32 (1.5). Old Inner Sphere, 25 CP.
• -Front : 8 -L/R Side : 6/6
• -Back : 8 -Turret : 4
• Turret SRM-2 (1), 25 SRM Ammo (.5), and Cargo Space (5).

   -Variations on this unit abound… Purely civilian versions usually drop the SRM systems in favor of more cargo space (6.5 Tons, 17 CP), military versions meant for frontline trips often drop a ton of cargo space in favor of extra armor (+21 points, 30 CP) – while those intended for service in guarded convoys often drop the SRM in favor of extra armor (+31 points, still 25 CP). One rare variant is designed to look like the standard model but carries four turret SRM launchers instead of one, as well as another half-ton of Ammo, and another 21 points of armor, but no Cargo. This (50 CP) version is occasionally deployed in areas where bandits and raiders have been attacking supply trucks – as a “surprise”…

   As a note, a few light military trucks have been found with a dozen or more paint jobs, apparently the result of being captured over and over again.

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Service Unit-20

• Wheeled, Moves 6/9, R100 ICE (3.5), IS/Control (2), Armor-50 (2.5). Old Inner Sphere, 40 CP.
• -Front : 15 -L/R Side : 10/10
• -Back : 15
• Cargo Space (12, usually supplies, portable kitchen, and assorted light cleaning and repair gear. A service unit suffices to provide basic support services for 120 men – commonly a full battalion. Service units are usually ignored, if only because they’re so often supplied and manned by the local civilians… In exchange for this consideration, they provide a hot meal for any serious combat unit which happens to drop by).

   Capturing a command unit is a coup. An engineering unit is useful. Physicians and surgeons are, at least, expensive to train. Capturing the cooks and the people who wash laundry is an embarrassment – but is worth 5% off the enemy morale for a couple of weeks. Emergency rations and dirty clothes may be tolerable, but they are not exactly encouraging. The statistics on this thing are only included in case someone “scatters” a medical unit. Most of the time the support staff can simply be assumed as part of the campaign background and the usual maintenance cost.