I know it's alittle late but I just got finished with the book. But dosen't it bother anyone that comstar is clearly gonna get screwed in the end anyway?

Maybe, maybe not. As I see it, the end of the book just leaves open the possibility of ComStar developing in any of a large number of ways. We have our quacks, the blissfully innocent, and those who feel that ComStar should remain a peaceful organization. Who ultimately gains control of ComStar will determine which direction the organization goes in. I personally hope that Adept Tucker or someone like him manages to gain the reins of power and maintain ComStar as a friendly organization that would at least be neutral in most conflicts, or even ally itself with the Republic. Knight Holt's infiltration could end in a number of ways...we will just have to see on that one.

I can see Adept Tucker Harwell reforming the Com Guards, especially after his actions in the Mobile HQ, and having his illusions about war being dashed. He is getting first hand experience in war fighting. Besides, I have not even finished the book. Off to finish it! :p

you'll see after you finish

I have finished the book! :p

The only problem that I see with ComStar at this point is if Primus Mori is any kin to Sharilar Mori, then ComStar is screwed. Her and Myndo Waterly really screwed up ComStar.

True but she did do the refoms when she was helping fotch

I am not sure what you are trying to say with "refoms" Do you mean "reforms"? If so, I still do not understand what you are trying to say.

I do know this though, Myndo Waterly was going to sell out Focht to the leaders of the Inner Sphere if he failed.

She sort of did anyways. Operation Scorpion was not exactly anything Focht went along with. Besides, thanks to his timely warnings to the Great Houses about Operation Scorpion, I doubt Focht would have done badly with them. Who are you going to trust more...the person who tried to screw you over, or the person who warned you about the former? :p

Well said!

I was just talking about Mori. After operation scorpion failed and Fotch killed Waterly and spared Mori she went along and assisted His "reforms" turning comstar into what it now is. Granted this created WOB but he Changed comstar and I was just commenting on that fact that while she may have been a puppet she did good.

Though we dont know how old Mori was in CBT times, it is possible that this Primus is the same Mori from the old books. Primus is a lifetime appointment. You dont stop being Primus until your dead, be it from old age or the side effects of needler treatment. She may be as old as Victor was and that would explain how Precentor Buhl could get away with such extensive projects and her not have a clue. I dont think she is party to the New ComGuards and since she refered the Republic back to Precentor Buhl when they asked her about these new revelations, it seems like he is a sure candidate for the Precentor who holds the real power until an old Primus finally croaks. Keep your eye out for Tucker Harwell though. He's got a revolutionary vision for the future of Comstar and he's building his own support network even as he is being protected.

The dial stats and point cost was determined used CEF_Soothsayer's "Custom Unit Point Calculator" in MS Access and the Pilot card cost was compared to GCmdr_Arcanix's Pilot cost tables (and I guessed) The gear card I just guessed.

"Defiant"
EXT-4D Exterminator 200 pts 270 deg arc Vent 3
Energy-2 targets 0-8 0 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 0 0 0

Ballistic-1 target 5-14 0 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Movement (Mech) 12 10 10 10 10 9 8 8 7 6 5 4 4
SU
Attack 7 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 7 6 5
SU
Defense 14 20 20 20 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12

Heat Dial
Start 1 2 3 4 Shutdown
E G 0 0 0 -1Red X
B G 0 0 -1 -2Black X
M G 0 0 0 -2Black X

Precentor Chance 19 pts, 39 pts in "Defiant"
+1 +2 +1
SA: After a successful close combat attack, this unit may make a free energy attack against the same target. If this attack succeeds, give this unit one heat.
"A favorite maneuver of Exterminator pilots was to hit the target mech with both fists, then fire their arm-mounted medium lasers into the holes in the armor they just made."

Null Signature System (optional) 61 pts Class H
When this gear is turned on, this unit gains Decoy and +4 DV for this turn. Give this unit one click of heat.

Let me know what you think about stats, the SA, and cost.

Hmm, lessee... total 25 defense with Null Sig (you know, Decoy almost seems like overkill :p ), huge infiltrate distance, 12 attack, 11 movement, and 4 damage at up to 8 inches...scary. :grin:

Like the jump jets, and in particular the reflective armor SE...follows the CBT Exterminator rather nicely.

Whether it changes or not, we will probably have some serious debating over Null Sig...certainly someone will find it a bit too powerful, even for its point cost.

Here's a thought...would Stealth Armor really be worth it in comparison to Null Sig in MW? It would certainly do the same things as Null Sig, with the plus of units targeting it not being able to target other units, and the downside that you could not use any other armor SEs. It could certainly prevent a scenario in which a unit targets the equipped unit and an infantry unit incase the attacking unit couldn't roll high enough (VERY likely), but I do not know if that is really worth having a Stealth Armor SE.

Well, a 25 is still hitable by another 12 AV mech (though it would be rare), of which there are plenty in AoD. The Decoy I added because this is Null Sig. It is more powerful than Void Sig which gives Dave Rees in his Raptor II a 25. So I added Decoy. Really it should be something more like "no opposing units may use IT or rerolls when attacking and they can only attack with a range of 8" instead of Decoy since they basically have to shoot by eye and lose all assisted aiming from the tracking system. Maybe it should be that the +4 is only against ranged combat attacks. It can be seen (a little) but it CANNOT be targeted. It also has an AMS which cant be used as a gear card addin so i want to reflect that in the Null Sig system.

The damage was modelled off of the 4 medium lasers and 1 small laser on the EXT-4D. 23 pts damage CBT /6 = 3.78 more or less 4 at medium range = 0-8
The LRM10 wouldnt scratch the paint on any mech heavier than the Exterminator so the 2 damage with no SE seems right. An Assault mech would shake that off.
Poor Bloody Infantry, however, is another story.
The 10 movement is based on MV for CBT mechs now in MW. the EXT was a 6/9/6 and so I compared it with the Phoenix Hawk, Stinger, and other lights that were 6/9/6 in CBT. The average was 10. Almost all heavies in AoD have 10AV and at least 21 DV so I used those to do the start values. I had an earlier design that had slightly higher stats further down the dial which did not have the SU infiltrate for 12 and thus started out ready to fight. it was also 200 pts. i think the SU infiltrate for 12 reflects the stealth mission. though i could be convinced to cut it down some. i may change this to 22DV with evade and just choose for Null Sig to be "built-in" to the design, thus allowing for Pulse, AMS, or AP, or even ECM to be put in as gear, but I like the idea of having to watch the heat while using the null Sig just like in CBT. I could make it an SA lie Dave rees' but I know i read somewherein one of the TROs that Exterminators did a move impossible in CBT of hitting a mech with both fists then shooting into the holes to score internal damage. I really want to bring that back. But the Null sig is more important if I had to choose. The other could be reflected damage-wise with Rapid Strike SE, though its not entirely accurate. I honestly think if the opponent is silly enough ot park their fatty mech in the front 2" of their deployment zone, and I get first turn, that this mech would very accurately be able to infiltrate 12" (or 13"- does the pilot card +1 factor into Infiltrate?), asault for 6" + 8" energy weapon range and hit for 4 damage. And if they are really silly and park it right up front in their DZ, then it would reallistically iniltrate 13"? and assault 11", putting it in base contact with the front edge of the DZ and close combat for 4 with a possible point blank energy attack for +4. Possible 8 damage, turn 1 over. Add 1 heat for assault, 1 heat for SA exra energy attack, and 1 heat for the Null Sig which the only chance of surviving the huge formation attack about to happen from all those units still in the DZ. If it indeed survies, it has to vent next turn to keep from shuting down, and keep Null sig on, net vent 2. this gives the baddies another chance to retaliate. Or the mech would need to run turn 2 (or at least walk back 11). and risk shutting down either way and not restarting for 2 turns. its very risking ofr onl 4 - 8 clicks of damage.

i included an SU Command on the first click in case for some reason hte mech couldnt infiltrate, so it can still get to a fighting click in the first two turns. An example of this is how I imagine a Beagle Active Probe gear card. If on a mech at the beginning of a game, no opposing mechs or vehicles could infiltrate and, maybe, infilrating infantry can only move their MV instead of 2x MV. jsut an idea, if that were in play, then this mech would be hurting until it could find a way to take only 1 damage. So it has SU command, too. the controller can decide when it gets a click of damage and thus when it starts fighting.

BTW i put repair markers on the second, third, and fourth clicks so the best stats plus command, once they are lost, they are lost. However, the mech can be repaired up from salvage to the 4th click, which isnt terrible> i think that is a good way to reflect Comstar's Guards in the design paradigm. Excellent starting stats and a special SE that are in the first couple clicks. After these pristine star league mechs are damaged, however, that advantage is negated. Stats are more normalized but still good. And there are no more repair markers so Comstar is very repairable but not as much as BR or CSF as our mechs cannot be restored to pristine condition. Its an interesting thought. Feedback welcome.


I think that Stealth Armor has been reflected by high amounts of Decoy on Liao units which often are included with Elec camo. I dont think they really need a separate SE, jsut like Comstar shouldnt have a C3i SE because its specific to us. (C3 is not, but they are not the same.) It should be a faction ability or faction pride card or maybe a C3 gear card, even though that also opens it up ot other factions. To date, only the DCMS ever invested heavily in C3 systems. so that would seem a waste.