Mech Construction Showcase: Gauntlet and Khopesh

Greetings, Dan here!

So last week I said we would be building Gauntlet from Beneath Twisted Earth's prose intro, well as you may have surmised from the title, I lied. We will be building both the Gauntlet and the Khopesh from the prose intro! I figured, since this week's showcase would only be interesting to those purely interested in BTE, why not reward you with a twofur? Now for anyone who didn't read the prose into both mechs are designed to be able to go missions solo. While The Gauntlet is effective at a range, it uses its "tank-cycle" mode to rush enemies so it can switch to a powerful hyper pneumatic punch attack. Meanwhile the Khopesh is a flying sniper, using stealth and distraction to open its opponents up for a powerful ranged attack. Both of these mechs are medium to high grade builds, with The Khopesh on the higher end. 

First, let's take a look at The Gauntlet.

In order to reflect the black mech's ability to frontline in combat we'll install a Blitz Frame for 24 AP. Likewise Blitz Boosters will give it a 2 MR, speaking to its ability to manage mid-range assaults as well. Next we'll install a Blitz CPU for 2 Utilities. Lastly, we'll install an Anodyne Radiator for 12 HR as the Gauntlet can dish out a lot of damage. 

For our utilities, we'll install a Mobility Mode Converter for the depicted "tank-cycle" mode, and a Sensor Suite as depicted in the story as well. The mobility mode gives the Gauntlet a +2 MR at the cost of being able to use its weapons. Because of this the mode is ideal for rushing to the front or booking a hasty retreat. Meanwhile the Sensor Suite gives the pilot more means to perceive the world around their mech by giving them several sensor types to call on. This is particularly useful as it allows the mech to lock on to opponents that may not be visible to one sense, but it does detect on another.

For the weapon systems The Gauntlet has a Gatling Gun for ranged attacks and the Hyper Pneumatic Punch for melee. We'll split the heat evenly across both weapons, building both kits at 6 HR. For the Gatling Gun we'll go with one heat for 1d4 dmg; one heat plus the optimization for a Rate of Fire of 2; two heat for 6 Ammo; and two heat for Medium thru Far Range. We will also install the mod of Incendiary Ammo adding a blanket +2 dmg to all attacks. For the Hyper Pneumatic Punch we'll spend three heat and the optimization on damage for 1d8+3 dmg; and one heat on each remaining feature for RoF of 1, 4 Ammo, and an effective range of Melee. For added flair, we will also install the Explosive Ammo mod for the chance to roll the damage die a second time.

As for the Gauntlet's Disposables, we'll equip it with an Ammo Hopper for the Gatling Gun, a Cargo Locker for salvage, and a repair swarm.

Next, let's take a look at The Khopesh.

While The Gauntlet was mid to close range, The Khopesh is built for stealth and aerial sniping. Because of this, it is the intent to never be on the front line, and to get hit as little as possible. As such, we'll keep a Caballero Frame for 12 AP. In order to ensure that distance can be kept from targets wishing to rush, we'll install Sakura Boosters for a Movement Rate of 4. Next an Anodyne CPU will give us 3 Utilities for versatility. Lastly, we'll settle for a Blitz Radiator with a Heat Rating of 10 as this is a mid-to-high build. For our three Utilities we'll install a Heat Sink for +2 HR, an Aerial Frame allowing for flight, and a Sensor Suite allowing it to always find its target.

The Khopesh has two weapon systems, an Ion Sniper Rifle and a pair of Reinforced Talons. We'll put eight heat into the sniper rifle as its primary weapon, and four heat into the talons. For the Ion Sniper Rifle we'll put a full half of the heat rating into damage for a total of 1d10 dmg; one heat into Rate of Fire for 1 attack per round; one heat into having 4 ammo; and finish up with two heat with the optimization to make it effective from Far thru Artillery Range. We will also install the mod of Irradiated Ammo making it deadlier against technological opponents. This is clearly the primary weapon, meant to take out targets in one or two shots from very far away. As a backup weapon, in case the worst happens, and the Khopesh gets caught in melee, the Reinforced Talons can be used. For these we'll be putting one heat into each feature with the optimization going into the Rate of Fire. This allocation will give us the following stats: 1d4 dmg; RoF 2; 4 Ammo; and Melee Range. While the ammo will expend on the Talons quickly, they are more for last ditch defenses. Even then, the melee range type will allow them to continue to be used at lower damage output even past ammo being expended. As for the low ammo on the Ion Sniper Rifle...

Just like The Gauntlet, we'll equip The Khopesh with three Disposables. The first will be an Ammo Hopper for the Ion Sniper Rifle. Next, we'll install a Stealth Cloak for use getting into ambush position. Lastly, should an opponent corner The Khopesh, a Decoy Drone will come in handy for getting clear.

The Gauntlet and The Khopesh made for two very different builds, but I think either would be quite fun to pilot. It was nice taking a look at builds from the game that were purely within the base descriptions. The Mech Construction System was designed to absolutely take advantage of reskinning the mechanics to fit the player's vision, but even with just the default flavor there is a lot of variety when building your dream mech.

Now as for next time. I'm going to be taking a brief break from Mech Construction Showcases. I'm working on rolling out a version 1.2 of the Free PDF with some tweaks and corrections, as well as a correction to the character sheet. I'll be posting again when that goes up, hopefully in about a week with an explanation on updates, as well as an update on where the print version of the game is (plus possibly some other goodies). Once again, thank you for your continued interest, and I look forward to seeing you all at the launch of the print version of Beneath Twisted Earth!