What an awesome design, the biggest and tallest of the original 14.... The best one? Dunno... We all know that the Battlemaster is the first in a series of assaults (Cyclops, Banshee) which mount engines that are "too big", but this ain't what the thread is about.
Let's look at the base configuration first, the
BLR-1G - this design is a BRAWLER because of the single detail that it does not carry an AC-20. Otherwise, it works exactly as a JUGGERNAUT would - constantly slowly moving forward, using good armour to get it into close range where it (purportedly) causes a world of pain.
It works fairly well on that account. The one token long-range weapon is just powerful enough to make smaller designs smart a little bit. Even though it doesn't carry a hell of a lot of armament it has two distinct weapon groups firing at different range brackets. And the close-range armament causes more damage than an AC-20.
Really, this falls out of the usual classification, because I see it more as a command 'mech - it is mobile for an assault 'mech, it has good all-round equipment at close ranges (including rear-mounted lasers and anti-infantry MGs) and, if one believes the fluff, it is stated at times that it comes with a default dual cockpit. At any rate it is a comfortable cockpit that allows for a great view of the battlefield (we'll ignore how great a target that huge cockpit must be....).
The Battlemaster is one of those designs that, IMO, has a greater name and legend than it really deserves. It remains, in the original classification, a BRAWLER. A really big and inefficient one.
Well, folks, that is still as good as it gets.
BLR-1D - the Davion variant goes the same way as the Warhammer-D - removing the secondary missile armament. Ok, that is only a single SRM6, what is the problem? And it gains another ton of armour, making it the 3rd best armoured design in 3025 (after the Atlas and the Cyclops-Q). It also has no heat problems!
Ok, that is rubbish. The loss of the SRMs suddenly show the true lack of oomph of a Battlemaster. Even a Jenner has a quartet of medium lasers. Ok, all those heat sinks mean it can always fire the PPC as well, and run. And go into a hot tub.
But seriously, this is 3025. And to me, this is way oversinked. And horribly undergunned. It can no longer hope to even pretend to be a JUGGERNAUT, it loses the fluff appeal to be a command design and a Grasshopper could out-BRAWL this any day of the week!
I don't like this Battlemaster at all.
BLR-1S - HAHAHAHAHA! What WERE they smoking?! Ok, let's get the classifications over with. This is definitely no MISSILE BOAT, mounting a total of only 20 LRMS, in the form of two different sized launchers and some really strange "extreme lack of ammo"TM.
Basically, it still needs to get in close to hurt the enemy. Yes, it is a BRAWLER, too. The coverage weapons now have a longer range. But an average 12 points of damage arriving in a 5-4-3 grouping does not cause as much respect as a single 10-damage punch.
It now has two SRM-launchers, but they add up to less than the original. One is mounted instead of the MGs, to cover their lack. And also to defend its title as "Missilemaster" (*bows to mud*) No rear-mounted lasers. And talk about oversinked?!?!?!?! How does this need *more* heat sinks than the original?!?! The close-in weapons cause as much heat. Meaning that even with 18 HS, it would never feel anything, even in full move. Surely noone expects to use those LRMs once the fight gets close and personal?!
Arguably, this is the most tooth-less of the lot. But tell you what, even in its lunacy it is more inspired than the -1D.
I have one, it is an unexpected design on the board and the conversion was a hell of a lot of fun.
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