Jordan's extraction spider got a bit of attention on the old forum, but I didn't hear as much about the alternative fast-moving options. Certainly locusts don't make the list, with the tissue paper they call armor, but there are still a few options to consider.
First let's look at the 7 speed (8 in tabletop) Spider. The light Spider can hold a smidgen over 6.5 tons of armor, so that leaves 3 tons to spare (or 2.5 tons if you go for 7 tons of armor, but the last half ton barely gives any armor at all). With your remaining tonnage you could fit 6 jump jets in there (or 5 with truly maxed-out armor) for maneuverability.
A respectable alternative is the 6.5 speed (7 in tabletop) Jenner. The light Jenner runs only slightly slower than the spider. In tabletop it's 12.5% slower, but due to HBS bell-curving of speeds, it's closer to 7.5% slower - not bad! The Jenner comes better protected at 7.5 tons of armor, and that leaves plenty of room for a full suite of 7 jump jets, while still having an extra 2.5 tons to invest in a couple heat sinks or medium lasers. A max-distance jump with 7 jump jets generates a whopping 60 heat, so jumping will have to be done in moderation unless you jump shorter distances.
Next is the Cicada CDA-2A. The medium CDA-2A can hold 6.5 tons of armor, and that's literally all it can hold. The 7 speed (8 in tabletop) CDA-2A can sprint exactly as fast as a spider, with the same armor. The two main upshots are more flexibility in where you put the armor since it isn't actually maxed out (so you could strip down the arms to buff up the CT or legs), along with more points of structure behind the armor, while the two main downsides are a lack of jump jets and a later initiative.
And another Cicada variant CDA-3C. The medium CDA-3C can hold 8.5 tons of armor, and 7 jump jets, leaving 2 spare tons for heat sinks or weapons. The 6.5 speed (7 in tabletop) CDA-3C matches the Jenner in speed, so roughly 7.5% slower than the spider or the CDA-2A. The upshot compared to the Jenner is more armor, while the downside again is a later initiative.
While you're trying to salvage up one of these top four options, it looks like you'll get a commando in your starting lance, which is not a serious competitor for this role, but you can make it work. The Commando's 5.5 speed (6 in tabletop) is tied with Firestarter and is the next best thing to a Jenner. At 5.5 tons of armor (I guess you may as well get the tiny bit of extra armor pushing you over to 6 tons) and 6 jump jets, that leaves 3 tons for heat sinks or a bit of weaponry. Obviously you could drop some or all jump jets and add more weaponry (on this or any other chassis) if you want to be more balanced for other mission types.
First let's look at the 7 speed (8 in tabletop) Spider. The light Spider can hold a smidgen over 6.5 tons of armor, so that leaves 3 tons to spare (or 2.5 tons if you go for 7 tons of armor, but the last half ton barely gives any armor at all). With your remaining tonnage you could fit 6 jump jets in there (or 5 with truly maxed-out armor) for maneuverability.
A respectable alternative is the 6.5 speed (7 in tabletop) Jenner. The light Jenner runs only slightly slower than the spider. In tabletop it's 12.5% slower, but due to HBS bell-curving of speeds, it's closer to 7.5% slower - not bad! The Jenner comes better protected at 7.5 tons of armor, and that leaves plenty of room for a full suite of 7 jump jets, while still having an extra 2.5 tons to invest in a couple heat sinks or medium lasers. A max-distance jump with 7 jump jets generates a whopping 60 heat, so jumping will have to be done in moderation unless you jump shorter distances.
Next is the Cicada CDA-2A. The medium CDA-2A can hold 6.5 tons of armor, and that's literally all it can hold. The 7 speed (8 in tabletop) CDA-2A can sprint exactly as fast as a spider, with the same armor. The two main upshots are more flexibility in where you put the armor since it isn't actually maxed out (so you could strip down the arms to buff up the CT or legs), along with more points of structure behind the armor, while the two main downsides are a lack of jump jets and a later initiative.
And another Cicada variant CDA-3C. The medium CDA-3C can hold 8.5 tons of armor, and 7 jump jets, leaving 2 spare tons for heat sinks or weapons. The 6.5 speed (7 in tabletop) CDA-3C matches the Jenner in speed, so roughly 7.5% slower than the spider or the CDA-2A. The upshot compared to the Jenner is more armor, while the downside again is a later initiative.
While you're trying to salvage up one of these top four options, it looks like you'll get a commando in your starting lance, which is not a serious competitor for this role, but you can make it work. The Commando's 5.5 speed (6 in tabletop) is tied with Firestarter and is the next best thing to a Jenner. At 5.5 tons of armor (I guess you may as well get the tiny bit of extra armor pushing you over to 6 tons) and 6 jump jets, that leaves 3 tons for heat sinks or a bit of weaponry. Obviously you could drop some or all jump jets and add more weaponry (on this or any other chassis) if you want to be more balanced for other mission types.
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