Battletech: Arctic Fox Mercenary Commanders Thoughts From The Inner Sphere Episode 376

[@imadethistopostponi]

I like these early IS-Omnimechs where they don't know any better. It's that awkward learning phase for their industry and doctrine. A lot of these design flaws would be design lessons for other designs.

[@Helcarexe26]

That's very true about improving on the later designs for mechs after the Invasion era, a good example is looking at the WOB mech designs that came later.

[@CarlosSempereChen]

Those red and black mechs in the photos really pop! As for the mech, I wasn’t familiar with it and thought it’d be a clan mech based on the name. I think I’d be a little annoyed if I’d been playing back when the Clans came out with their super-efficient mechs and then the promised Inner Sphere response came and it was this. So many IS designs of the 3050s feel like they were meant to be disappointing.

[@Helcarexe26]

I like having those red/black mechs in my stable, makes for some interesting games. For a long time the name alone said it was Clan mech until I decided to really look into the information about and found out it was a IS mech design. The crash course of mech design of the invasion era was throw everything on the mech including a kitchen sink and see what worked.

[@Magermh]

The Artic Fox. Kind of reminds me of that old tank video game. Do not ever see this mech on the board. I used it once as it had come up in a campaign. Regretfully using the mech to deliver Gray Death battle armor. Yes, I agree with never taking it against the Clans as I did. A clan ER PPC broke the side torso and triple crit the XL engine. Mech was dead at turn two. I failed to find a replacement engine. I would play with it again as a PPC on a light is rare.

[@Helcarexe26]

It's been a rare mech for the battlefield in our campaigns also, not a popular mech by any means around here to be honest.

[@NewSquallor]

Used it as an objective to fight over. No one wants to use it. 😄

[@Helcarexe26]

@NewSquallor That would be a interesting game

[@Magermh]

@@Helcarexe26 If your going to take it expect attrition to be high and have a Mule Drop Ship fallow you around with engines in spares.

[@Helcarexe26]

@@Magermh The Spare Parts Army on the march

[@nathanbrown8680]

This isn't early enough to be exused. Compare this to the Strider, which is two years old. The Strider has the same movement profile and is cheaper. The sum of armor and pod space is a half ton lower, but that is because it spends a ton on CASE. It has nine hidden heatsinks instead of seven. Since all the IS was sharing data at this point the minimum acceptable 6/9 omnimech for someone capable of manufacturing the advanced tech in the Arctic Fox is "Strider with DHS and CASE on one side." Doctrinally, I don't like XLFE mechs doing less than 7/11 (achieving this via TSM is acceptable) or the low armor. Nor do I like the lack of jumpjets on all configurations except the Alfa, but this is after Clan WiE brought poddable jumjets to the Inner Sphere so the last is at least fixable by the end user. But wasting an XLFE for no benefit is inexcuseable no matter what your opinion on reasonable speeds and armor levels or the value of non-jumping mechs vis a vis tanks.

[@Helcarexe26]

/I totally agree with you about the need of XLFE light mechs being a minimum of 7/11/0 or 7/11/7 for fulfilling the scout or cavalry style mechs and this one could do it if they reduced the pod space. It could still have some good weapons layout