From earlier thread topics a month or two ago there was discussion about adding new or modifying SE's. I am coming back to the ECM SE which seems to be underpowered for its type. Fluffwise ECM (electronic countermeasures?) is supposed to be the electronics suite/jamming radar that confuses enemy sensors, disrupts targeting computers, or scrambles radar. There were several proposals for more useful abilities for ECM if I remember like:

1) ECM units are immune to indirect rams, charges, dfas
2) Cannot be targeted by an IT attack
3) Immune against indirect artillery fire or plus defense against it

If the evade SE gives +2 defense against ranged attacks, why not add a defense bonus for ECM units? Isn't the ECM suite suppose to make a targeted unit more harder to hit or identify by enemy sensors/targeting computers? Could a ranged +1 defense bonus be worthwhile for an ECM unit?

Thoughts, suggestions, yays, or nays welcomed. :)

I like #2

I have a #4.........half range to all balistic attacks against this mech......frankly that is what ECM does...LRMs no you dont get to target me yet!!!!

#5. ECM is like anti-Improved Targeting against artillery. If an ECM equiped unit is hit by the inital blast radius of an artillery strike, the own that that unit can force the owner of the artillery unit to reroll one of the attack dice. This only works once per artillery strike.

We tested this extensively and found that it really makes you think about those low end ECM units and ECM equipt 'Mechs and slows down artillery just enough to make them not as overpowered.

Any are good, but I would try the simple ECM equipped units do not take damage from artillery attacks that do not have line of sight (don't ask me for a real world explanation, something about it messing up the artillery targeting signals perhaps....). Easy way to tone down artillery just a bit...

ECM is one of the minor things we looked at under that ruleset we use locally. Keep in mind that although it sucks horribly currently, you dont want it to be too good either, as it doesnt cost very much. Good example, compare Alyson Pelayo the LE Donar and the SC nonunique Donar. Virtually identical but Pelayo has ECM and is 4 points more expensive.

FWIW, in the local ruleset we use, it protects against indirect fire, streaks, and IT. That is it. We experimented with granting this protection to all units within a certain radius (we tried several diff values) but ultimately just kept it simple.

I like the half ranging for Ranged Combat attacks thing. Simple and to the point! You'll have to live with artillery as it is an area strike.