BattleTech History: Mechs vs BA / Elemental

[Ravir]

Here's a question for you BT history buffs out there.  Outside of using humanoid hands, what methods have Mechs used in BT lore to defend themselves from an elemental who got in too close for their primary weapons?  What do you do when that nasty clanner freak jumps out from under a rock and starts wailing on your back armor?

Remember, you can't submit your own ideas... the challenge is to find an original BT reference.  A pie topped with whipped 42 with a creamy 3.14159 filling goes to the most entertaining solution from books, tabletop, or other official BT/MechWarrior sources!

[KiloEcho]

Test of Vengeance

Jake Kabrinski takes on a Draconis Combine Atlas one on one.  He jets up to it, only to be swatted with an Atlas punch.  Unfortunately, the Atlas falls down due to the swing.  When the mech gets back up the pilot learns to his horror that Jake is on the back armor firing away.  After a futile use of the rear mounted Medium Lasers, the pilots gets a brilliant idea:  fall backwards.  So he jams the foot pedals and causes his Mech to fall on it's back to crush the Elemental.  Almost worked, but unfortunately when the pilot regained consciousness, he saw a very battered Jake blast through his cockpit and stab him with the claw.

Elemental 1, Mech 0.  Better luck next time!

[(TLL) Heretic]

You don't let the little buggers get in that position in the 1st place, Mercs who know their onions prefer to sacrifice a half ton or two to mount their own bug repellant, with reference from the Tech Manual:

Anti-Battle Armor Pod

First developed by Clan Wolf-in-Exile in 3068, the Anti-Battle Armor Pod or B-Pod functions like an Anti-Personnel Pod except that it is designed to blast through the armor of battle suits. It does this by using explosive bomblets instead of shrapnel.


Never leave the hanger without one 
And for those who have never heard of an A-Pod before here's the ref:

Anti-Personnel Pod

An Anti-Personnel Pod is a piece of equipment designed specifically for 'Mechs. A-Pods are carried in the leg(s) of a 'Mech and can be used to attack conventional infantry that is occupying the same area as the 'Mech. It is a one-shot weapon and cannot be reused.

A-Pods were developed by the Clans, but were rapidly adapted by the Inner Sphere. No matter which technology base is used, the half-ton A-Pods function identically.

An Anti-Personnel Pod can only be used against ground units in the same hex as the 'Mech. It deals 1d6 points of damage to conventional infantry and has no effect on other units.

[Stahlseele]

Then unblood Phelan not Kell anymore but Wolf allready used a Trap laid by an Elemental against him.
Elemental had filled up building with Gas, firing his lazor out from behind mirrored windows using a valve to keep the gas from going boom.
Phelan used feedback from speakers and microphones on his mech to get the mirrored windows to shatter so he could see the elemental without going into the building.
once he can see the elemental, he fires his own lazor into the building, making it go boom.

Some other Mechwarrior who had Elementals hanging off of his mechs did something that was pretty hardcore.
He jumped straight up, making the elementals hold on to his mech for all it's worth, then switched off the jets.
he let his mech drop and only just before impact on ground he gave a blast again. Hitting the ground pretty hard.
efectively shaking off any battle armor that might have still been there after that ride.

[Masakari]

You can self destruct and get rid of them

[ARES]

In the first book of the Blood of Kerenky trilogy. Its Shin Yodamas first encounter with Eementals. It says that the exploding core of a Battlemech is like a warm summer rain to other mechs, but has very destructive impact on the Elementals standing to close to that exploding Mech. It is there wenn he uses his JumpJets to geht rid of an Elemental that is crawling on the head of his Mech.

[Ravir]

Heretic gets the pie!

[(TLL) Heretic]

Heretic gets the pie!

Thanks, but I'm not touching it...It's a trap!! 

[Stormin']

Heretic gets the pie!

Agreed.  Nice reference, Heretic.

[Viper]

Here's a question for you BT history buffs out there.  Outside of using humanoid hands, what methods have Mechs used in BT lore to defend themselves from an elemental who got in too close for their primary weapons?  What do you do when that nasty clanner freak jumps out from under a rock and starts wailing on your back armor?

Remember, you can't submit your own ideas... the challenge is to find an original BT reference.  A pie topped with whipped 42 with a creamy 3.14159 filling goes to the most entertaining solution from books, tabletop, or other official BT/MechWarrior sources!

In "Black Thorn Blues" it says that the only ways for a mechwarrior to get rid of Elementals sticking to a 'Mech is by:
1) Removing them with 'Mechs hands (if any)
2) Having the Elementals removed by other Mechs (using their hands or weapons). Such a scene is extensively described in the mentioned book.
3) Rolling the 'Mech the ground
4) Using jumpjets. The jolt when starting or at latest when landing does buck off any BA's.

CBT rules provide method 1, 3 and 4 too (see Total Warfare, pages 221 and 222). All three methods can result in a damage to the 'Mech trying to fight of BA's and can or cannot be successul (meaning there is no 100% safe way to get rid of BA's according to the boardgame rules).

[Flyingdebris]

well JJing doesn't sound like it would damage the mech...

running intio deep water supposadly drops BA off you.  God help you though if there are undine elementals in the water.

[Landros Radick]

well JJing doesn't sound like it would damage the mech...

running intio deep water supposadly drops BA off you.  God help you though if there are undine elementals in the water.

In the last playtest Unearthly was attempting to jump jet ontop of me.. instead I hit the jets and nailed him mid-air. That's one way you can get rid of them

[PukinDog]

Suggested new armament options (due to this topic^)....

Magnetic Armor Inductor[BA]- allows BA to stick to any mech it physically contacts (after like a 5 sec. charge time), this would also cause the BA's armor effectiveness to be reduced to some level for game balance.  The charge time would allow a mech to shake it, before the charge time is completed.

Armor EMP Pack- allows mech to discharge a micro-sized EMP pulse which fries the MAI^ above.  Consequently, after this is used, the pulse affects (somehow..suggestions?) all energy based weapons and ECM/BAP.

[(TLL)Highlander]

well JJing doesn't sound like it would damage the mech...

running intio deep water supposadly drops BA off you.  God help you though if there are undine elementals in the water.

In the last playtest Unearthly was attempting to jump jet ontop of me.. instead I hit the jets and nailed him mid-air. That's one way you can get rid of them

Nice!! Would love to see that! New move: Death from below!

[(TLL)KitLightning]

Nice!! Would love to see that! New move: Death from below!

Termite tactics