Split/Dual Weapons Question

[Mantisking]

This has never come up in my experience so I'm asking the creators for a clarification.

If you have two seperate weapons, one that functions at HtH and another that functions at Direct and HtH, how many dice do you roll when you're attacking at HtH range? Is it 1d6, 2d6, or 3d6?

[MikeDamrat]

All weapons systems give 2 dice.

In this case, you are assigning 1 weapon system purely to HtH (+2 HtH), and splitting one across HtH and Direct (+1 HtH, +1 Direct), for a total of 3d6 HtH and 1d6 Direct. If you attacked in HtH range, you would attack with 3d6.

The only strange rule here comes into play if you put 4 into a single range (two weapon systems fully allocated to a single range). Instead of getting 4d6, you get 2d6 + 1d8. I believe that is the peak effectiveness for a given range, and adding more systems that add dice to that range wouldn't bring you any higher (I could be wrong, though). It would just provide redundancy in the case of lost systems?

[Xca|iber]

I believe that is the peak effectiveness for a given range, and adding more systems that add dice to that range wouldn't bring you any higher (I could be wrong, though). It would just provide redundancy in the case of lost systems?

I vaguely recall that you cannot have more than 2 of any type of system, so two weapons systems (for a total of 4d6, which becomes 2d6 + d8 if they're in the same range band) is the maximum number of weapons systems available to a frame.

[MikeDamrat]

I believe that is the peak effectiveness for a given range, and adding more systems that add dice to that range wouldn't bring you any higher (I could be wrong, though). It would just provide redundancy in the case of lost systems?

I vaguely recall that you cannot have more than 2 of any type of system, so two weapons systems (for a total of 4d6, which becomes 2d6 + d8 if they're in the same range band) is the maximum number of weapons systems available to a frame.

Ah hah. Figured it was covered somewhere.

[Mantisking]

In this case, you are assigning 1 weapon system purely to HtH (+2 HtH), and splitting one across HtH and Direct (+1 HtH, +1 Direct), for a total of 3d6 HtH and 1d6 Direct. If you attacked in HtH range, you would attack with 3d6.

Which I should have realized because it's the Range that matters, not the number of weapons.

I vaguely recall that you cannot have more than 2 of any type of system, so two weapons systems (for a total of 4d6, which becomes 2d6 + d8 if they're in the same range band) is the maximum number of weapons systems available to a frame.

Ages ago I clarified with Vincent that you can have a frame loaded with two Double weapons. So you can do 2d6+1d8 at two different ranges.

[Xca|iber]

I vaguely recall that you cannot have more than 2 of any type of system, so two weapons systems (for a total of 4d6, which becomes 2d6 + d8 if they're in the same range band) is the maximum number of weapons systems available to a frame.

Ages ago I clarified with Vincent that you can have a frame loaded with two Double weapons. So you can do 2d6+1d8 at two different ranges.

Ah, good to know.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Ages ago I clarified with Vincent that you can have a frame loaded with two Double weapons. So you can do 2d6+1d8 at two different ranges.

That guy will do great until he has to move or someone shoots at him or he goes at the beginning of a round or has to help another frame.

Not to sound discouraging! I'd love to see that guy in your company, especially if I'm playing against you!

[Dukayn]

That guy will do great until he has to move or someone shoots at him or he goes at the beginning of a round or has to help another frame.

Not to sound discouraging! I'd love to see that guy in your company, especially if I'm playing against you!

I was thinking a similar thing. Great firepower, but otherwise pretty much useless.

[Mantisking]

Ages ago I clarified with Vincent that you can have a frame loaded with two Double weapons. So you can do 2d6+1d8 at two different ranges.

That guy will do great until he has to move or someone shoots at him or he goes at the beginning of a round or has to help another frame.

Not to sound discouraging! I'd love to see that guy in your company, especially if I'm playing against you!

Just because it's possible, doesn't mean it's optimal.

I do have a frame that's set up that way but I've never had the chance to use him in a game.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

It's great firepower If he gets to use it. in all likelihood, he'll be taking hits before he has a chance to roll those dice. He'll have a har dime getting in position with neither the speed to get there fast nor the armor to keep him safe along the way.

So, no, not optimal. If you fielded a bunch of them, maybe they could do constant enough hurt that it would be worth it though!

[Mantisking]

It's great firepower If he gets to use it. in all likelihood, he'll be taking hits before he has a chance to roll those dice. He'll have a har dime getting in position with neither the speed to get there fast nor the armor to keep him safe along the way.

It might work as a poor man's variant of the "Closer". Use the Artillery on the first turn as you're outside Direct range. Then use them as ablative shielding while your breaking forward for the opponent's station.

So, no, not optimal. If you fielded a bunch of them, maybe they could do constant enough hurt that it would be worth it though!

Pull the "I've got the most Mechs and Attachments" trick and field a full force of eight of these puppies. Set up heavy outside the Defender's perimeter and lumber in for the kill.

[Soren]

I'm not sure it even offers you that much more damage. You're not going to have all four weapons that long, you can still only use 2d6+1d8's worth of it at a time, and if what you want is excessive damage it's probably better to take a double-direct weapon and a one-shot (2d6+2d8 at Direct for one attack is just a little broken) plus 2B heavy armor. She can just hang out and shoot all day with that setup.

Two weapons already do plenty of damage. You really don't need that many of them.

[Demon G Sides]

Need isn't the problem... it's for the pure sake of having it sometimes.

Just rolling up bristling with tubes. Porcupine mech.

[Mantisking]

Need isn't the problem... it's for the pure sake of having it sometimes.

Just rolling up bristling with tubes. Porcupine mech.

True. It's more of a thematic build than one that's sound strategically.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Nothing broken about rolling 2d6+2d8 (or 4d8 for that matter). It's an expensive move that you do when you need to make an attack stick.

[Soren]

Nothing broken about rolling 2d6+2d8 (or 4d8 for that matter). It's an expensive move that you do when you need to make an attack stick.

'strue, I was a touch hyperbolic there. But it's still a lot more damage than it seems like just from reading the rules.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Nah, it's at most 14 hit dice, just like with 1d8, a spot of 6, and a defense of 0. It's just more likely to get toward the high end of those numbers. I regularly see games where 11 hit dice come into play more than once.

I've also seen a lot of big handfuls of dice totally fail to hit.

[Dukayn]

Nah, it's at most 14 hit dice

And of course the flip side - it can be as low as 4.

[Mantisking]

I've also seen a lot of big handfuls of dice totally fail to hit.

I saw a few of those when I demoed the game at PAX East.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Nah, it's at most 14 hit dice

And of course the flip side - it can be as low as 4.

Well, the lowest is still 0. Defense 6, spot 0, roll all your red d8s and none of them are 7 or more. It's actually pretty likely. Even if you get an 8, that's only two hit dice. If it's that important to be shooting that guy despite the high defense and no spot and you can't get a spot on the guy before rolling those attack dice, things are already pretty desperate.