Nukeops Incendiary Mech: The (Twisted) Firestarter

[1g88a]

(Just a concept sprite recolor, if some absolute madman actually tries to implement this idea feel free to use something else)

This terrifying modification of the Odysseus has begun to see use by Syndicate Operatives in the sector. While it lacks the armor of the Dark Mauler or the sprint functionality of the Dark Gygax, this mech makes up for these downsides with its arsenal of fire-based weaponry. It comes with
-A basic gas-based flamethrower. Useful for deterring crowds of greyshirts or when retreating, or eating up oxygen.
-A chemical sprayer unit filled with a cocktail of incendiary chemicals (Or just napalm along with a negligible amount of CFL3/Phlogiston to ignite it).
-A thermite breaching charge launcher with # charges. These are not offensive weapons, they're meant to burn (small-ish) walls.
-A Hades carbine as a backup armament.

Despite its fearsome arsenal, the Dark Odysseus' armor is little better (or equal to) that of the Dark Gygax. Since its weapons are flame-based, the exosuit is near-helpless if attacked while conducting EVA. Armed crewmembers in firesuits and hardsuits that provide high-complete fire resistance are an extreme threat to the Dark Odysseus. In addition, none of its weapons are energy-based, so it must be used with care unless the ops somehow have the time to pour welding fuel into a near-empty chemical sprayer.

Potential problems
-It would probably be too good against greyshirts
-It would probably dunk on unprepared sec too
-Unprepared Atmos techs/Engineers would be easily dipsatched by the supporting operatives
-Other ops would have to buy Elite hardsuits just in case the pilot sets them on fire
-Nobody buys or uses combat mechs despite how cool they are
-A ripley that manages to corner it could probably bully it to death no problem

[Incomptinence]

I say make it a light mech, the mech line for syndis needs more price variation. Optimally making it possible for most of the team to be in really bad mechs.

Maybe an all directions flame spray as main armament so it can't be too closely supported?

Or encourage support by another mech. I think a carbine is too heavy an armament if we are going light mech theme with emphasis on flame, maybe a light pistol but with a bigger clip (to recharge as normal ugh mech ballistics).

[DemonFiren]

Hades Carbine is a ridiculously awful weapon last I used it, so I think it's OK.

[Amelius]

It's useless for one major reason:

Nuke op firesuits are not fireproof, ergo it's suicide to use something that spreads fire. This mandates elite hardsuits which are fairly expensive.

Combat mechs mean only one person gets all the fun and the pilot is almost always piss-poor, making them less than ideal choices.

[onleavedontatme]

Could easily afford elite hardsuits in challenge ops though.

[Amelius]

Could easily afford elite hardsuits in challenge ops though.

The point is that getting a suit that does the same thing as your own with added fire immunity for 8 TC (last I checked) is not worth it. Damage is pretty much irrelevant for most ops anyway - a death is almost always preceeded by a stun.

Challenge ops or not, there are better things to use TC on. ESPECIALLY since you're looking at 40-100 TC for the mech then 40 TC for the elite hardsuits alone as a bare minimum.

[lumipharon]

flamethrowers are unironically awesome these days, with the way fire stacks work.
Hades needs to get the amount of fire stacks it applies buffed though, it's pretty shit.

[TheNightingale]

Could easily afford elite hardsuits in challenge ops though.

The point is that getting a suit that does the same thing as your own with added fire immunity for 8 TC (last I checked) is not worth it. Damage is pretty much irrelevant for most ops anyway - a death is almost always preceeded by a stun.

Excuse you, it has buffed armour as well (better than the Captain's, I think, and it covers the whole body). It has more stun resistance too, so you can get back up quicker after being tased. I could look into making it cheaper, but the magboots are 3TC, and they're literally just magboots.

[lumipharon]

why would ops use magboots ever though? They have jetpacks, which also have a stability setting if they need it.

[TheNightingale]

Exactly my point - if magboots are 3TC, something actually useful should be more expensive. (I'd still vote for three blocks of C4 over a set of magboots.) I guess they're useful if you disable gravity and need your backpack to store guns or something?

E: Okay, good point, someone make the syndielite cheaper. I love seeing people use it anyway. And make magboots 1TC, jetpacks are free and better.

[Amelius]

Exactly my point - if magboots are 3TC, something actually useful should be more expensive. (I'd still vote for three blocks of C4 over a set of magboots.) I guess they're useful if you disable gravity and need your backpack to store guns or something?

If anything, the inverse argument makes more sense - magboots aren't purchased because they have hefty slowdown and aren't worth 3 TC for something that makes you LESS agile. Considering you get jetpacks, there's little reason to use them.

[lumipharon]

But that point make no valid sense. "literal useless item costs 3tc, useful items should cost more".
Does the point of "remove literally useless item because it is useless" not make more sense?

[1g88a]

flamethrowers are unironically awesome these days, with the way fire stacks work.
Hades needs to get the amount of fire stacks it applies buffed though, it's pretty shit.

The hades being shit is a good thing in this case because I feel an incendiary chem sprayer and a flamethrower are already pretty strong

[1g88a]

It's useless for one major reason:

Nuke op firesuits are not fireproof, ergo it's suicide to use something that spreads fire. This mandates elite hardsuits which are fairly expensive.

Combat mechs mean only one person gets all the fun and the pilot is almost always piss-poor, making them less than ideal choices.

Well you could in theory just be sure to stand behind the mech at all times, or operate in a different area from the mech entirely.

Combat borgs often steal the show but I don't see many complaints about them "having all the fun".