BRAWLER
So there isn't much of a dynamic of changing roles there. So maybe I'll have to look at it from a different angle?
ON1-K - I am not overly impressed by the standard Orion. With its potpourri of weapons, it never really impresses. A base 10 heat sinks should just start ringing mental alarm bells instantly when seen on a design this heavy that does not specialise on fire-support. And really, the effective volume of fire from an Orion is not all that great, especially if you increase the range beyond 9.....
What it does have going for it, is the proportionally HEAVIEST ARMOUR of ALL 3025 'mechs!! There is a simple reason for that: In the original 3025 book, they stuck to the rule (which was later discarded) that you have to be able to allocate all armour points. Ie - you had to be able to use all the mounted armour points. If a design could only mount 7 more points of armour, it was NOT allowed to mount another half ton of it. The Orion oringinally mounted 14 tons of it, the max without conflicting with that rule. However, either due to bad editing, or to the fact that maybe it was not clear yet at that stage that half-tons of ammo were restricted to MGs, the Orion actually mounted 1.5 tons of SRM ammo - 37 shots! This became illegal later (or maybe had always been) so that extra half ton was put into armour at a time when that became legal. Hence the Orion is the only 3025 'mech that mounts its true maximum armour!
But apart from that, I am not impressed with this design. Falling back onto the Marauder after all, that is a design that would always add something to my force (a really cool and powerful sniper). With the Orion, well, there are just too many alternatives.
ON1-V - THIS 'MECH DOES NOT EXIST!!!! According to fluff, the Orion V, as we have it on the RS, is nothing but an experiment. A prototype, if you will. And that is my beef, if you will. I think this design should only, if ever, be used for scenario purposes.
In the fluff, the 2nd SRM launcher was simply added and overtaxed the battle computer. On the RS, the design came through with 3 less tons of armour. So basically, it reduces the main strength of the base design while exacerberating the weak heat dissipation at close ranges.
ON1-VA - ....or production variant of the Orion V. And rightly so. I'll say it up front: this is easily my favourite variant of the Orion. It retains the 2nd SRM launcher but looses the missiles. This enables the armour to stay at the original very heavy full strength and allows for an additional 6 (!) heat sinks.
The fluff cites minor problems in AA work, which apparently the LRM15 worked great in for the original design.
So why do I like this design so much? Well, the variant not only focuses more on the original role (BRAWLER), but in doing so naturally becomes MUCH better at it!
It can wade into the thick of the enemy, protected by good armour and a good medium-range gun and just open up at short ranges, where it will be a horror with solid weapons, good weapons placement and an incredible rate of fire (meaning it won't overheat even if it alpha strikes until kingdom come).
This I like. Sorry, mud, I cannot see a Blackjack (which I love fiercely for on-board performance) or a Jagermech (which I still love for pure style) take it out. Ever.
And it was also my favourite conversion job of my plastic 'mech tinkering!
What do you think?
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