• Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 359

Topic: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

I found something interesting...  for ships with a hull 1 or 2, a spinal mount is actually more efficient than actually mounting weapons.
If I am right, a range 18 weapon at 1/1/1 with a 5+ to hit and set to 2 fire arcs (AB) costs 18 points, even on a ship with one Hull. However, a spinal mount costs only 10 points. (Speaking of SU's at the moment) and has a higher range at almost the same firing arc.

I currently am fielding some small ships that are Hull 1, Engines 6 and Shields 2 with PDS and dual Spinal Mounts. The final Combat rating for this ship, per the spreadsheet, is only 9, at tech levels of zero.

I used 12 of them as escorts last night, and although they didn't tear anyone apart, they did provide a lot of support, and pretty much made a waste of my opponents high damage weapons. He had some weapons that were 3/2/2 with Range based Pen, and Range based damage.... but it didn't really matter, as the weapon could only fire at one target per turn and yes, it did kill me, but wasted a lot of dice and points for each kill.

And the best part was that for the price of a single flight of fighters, I could field about 5.5 of these ships....

Right now, I am designing figs for them, to replace my counters.....
As my friend put it, he is just glad that I am not into Anime Spinal Mounts.

If you drop the shields of 2, and just rely on the PDS, you can add engines, until you achieve any speed you want...... I designed one that was speed 20 with the dual mount.  I am wondering if this would work as a counter to the fast ships with expendable weapons....

John

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

Nahuris wrote:

If I am right, a range 18 weapon at 1/1/1 with a 5+ to hit and set to 2 fire arcs (AB) costs 18 points, even on a ship with one Hull. However, a spinal mount costs only 10 points. (Speaking of SU's at the moment) and has a higher range at almost the same firing arc.

Actually, if you think about it, it's pretty durn close.

The range of 21 for the SM, compared to the range 18 weapon, increases its usefulness by 17%. However, the arc only covers half the area, meaning the SM is only 58% as effective -- 18 x .58 = 10.5, or almost exactly the 10 SUs for the SM. (Yes, I'm playing fast and loose with the numbers, but my point is that it's not that out of whack...)

I wonder if Jim could have used something like this against the Treyt? wink

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 359

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

That is what I was thinking....
You get almost the same firing arc, and a longer range.
Not out of whack, but definitely a different way of looking at the spinal mount.
If we consider it a feasible weapon for those ships at Hull 1 and 2, you can used them as fast strike boats.

Medium range would be out to 14, and even short range reaches 7 so you get a lot of variables for the targeting.


I was more pointing out that it is possible to create ships that are effective and dangerous that only had a combat rating of 9....... so you could effectively field a good number of them.... and still have a decent fleet with it.  It also forces your opponent to decide to kill a really cheap escort, or try and go for your more valuable ships, and suffer the fire from these as a result......

Finally, if you want to forgo shields, or even use a screen level of 1 (4 screens) you can make these really fast, and used them to harrass and flank your opponents.  Finally, if your game includes anime spinal mounts, you can use these to fire one mount every turn (alternating mounts to give the off one a chance to re-charge), getting one die on everything in a straight line, per ship.

The important thing would be that with the low cost, you can use these to absorb expendible weapons, or to take fighter wings long enough for another ship to do something about the fighters.

Now, I just need to design figs for them.....(over and under mounts resembling small shotguns ought to work.....LOL)

John

  • Registered: 2005-03-30
  • Posts: 272

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

With anime spinals, they also kill fighters and mines pretty efficiently, at least when you've got enough of them firing.  You need to be careful with your positioning though, or you'll end up killing friendlies with the superguns.  And they cost more...

Rich

  • Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 740

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

Hello everyone!

     I have made some small mass 4 ships with a speed of 5 and six Anime Spinal Mounts.   I use little sub figures for these ships.  I get these figs from the game "Attack", and figs for similiar mass 8 ships from Axis&Allies.  The ships have a cloaking device and cloak (submerge?)<LOL> between shots.  These ships have overthrusters, a must for Spinal Mount ships, and are effective.  They ships are fun to play and snipe, harass & annoy the opposing fleet. 

Steven Gilchrist; Jacksonville, Fla, USA

  • Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 359

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

I am not big into anime' spinal mounts.... and most of my group doesn't like them at all......

But it is an interesting idea......

Although I thought my ships with a 9 hull and 4 spinal mounts were gross enough.....LOL
I envision the mounts as the ion cannons from Homeworld, and use these ships as artillery to support the rest of my fleet.......
But then again, I try to keep the overall cost of the ships down, as I tend to think in 2000 point fleets.

John

  • Registered: 2006-08-19
  • Posts: 2

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

A ship such as this is fast, defendable, cheap, and effective.

SM Gunboat class Various SM Gunboat   (19)
Hull: 2 1
Engines: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 2 1
Hyperdrive [O], Spinal Mount (7/14/21) [OOO]
1[H2EQ], 2[2ES], 3[HES], 4[2EQ], 5[HEQ], 6[2EQ]

TL: E: 0 S: 0 W: 0 Q: 0

Comments anyone?

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

Here's my take on a gunboat.  Lose the shields for a point-defense system and ECM for defense. Add the Overthrusters to make sure they can always have a target and an additional spinal mount.  About double the cost, but I'll trade the higher cost for a little more protection.

Gunboat 2.0   (37)
Hull: 2 1
Engines: 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 0
Hyperdrive [O], Spinal Mount (7/14/21) [OOOO], Overthrusters [O], Point-Defense System [O], Electronic Countermeasures [O]
1[H2EQ], 2[3EQ], 3[HE2Q], 4[2E2Q], 5[HEQ], 6[2EQ]
TL: E: 0 S: 0 W: 0 Q: 0

-Bren

  • Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 740

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

Hello everyone from Jacksonville

Bren, awesome design for your gunboat spinal-mount-firing ship.  I have been using a similiar design since this spring.  These ships do add to the battle by giving you many options,  Mine have anime-style spinal mounts and are useful for AA fire as needed.   They keep my friends who use clouds of small ships from stacking them in one hex or lining them up, which makes 'em more difficult to use.
Another fun aspect to these is that they annoy the other side, sometimes a lot... (!)  [Middle child here]  <LOL>

Steven Gilchrist
Jacksonville, Fla, USA

  • Registered: 2006-01-22
  • Posts: 38

Re: Use of Spinal Mounts in small ships

Ah the Piranha tactic. Lots of little buggers. Just gotta trade out those big guns for lots of long ranged little guns. Usually evens up the odds. Danged swarmers!