Tactics and Secrets
“Thomas Tabor? Well, Max, he’s a good chap, a gentleman through and through. With a little more effort on his part, he might even win more often. If nothing else, though, you have to admit that he’s got style…”
—D. Pinnick, guest announcer, Solaris VII event

When choosing a ’Mech for a Solaris VII competition, it is important to consider carefully the pilot’s ability. Thomas Tabor’s ability (GS-008) to have “eyes in back of his head” lends itself well to the map-based play of Solaris VII. His Solitaire, “Metablade” (#008), was named by its original owner for the speed with which he used to cut apart his opponents. In that regard, Thomas and Metablade are a perfect match.

Unit Notes
This light unit is well balanced, but its dial will take some getting used to. Its initial speed of 10 comes with Evade for two clicks, compensating for your relatively shorter weapon ranges. You have a primary energy weapon with 10 range and several clicks of Pulse, and a secondary ballistic weapon with an 8 range. The energy weapon damage drops off by the fourth click, but right around that point, your ballistic damage kicks in with a vengeance. This balance makes it possible to take some hits and still remain potent. In Solaris VII, where damage is dealt simultaneously, your opponent will weaken while this unit remains strong. Its attack value, coupled with the pilot’s bonus, gives this unit a monstrous 12 attack with Pulse on the starting click. And just in case you thought Metablade was a pushover, its second-to-last click has quite a surprise for unwary opponents.

Metablade’s dial is pretty typical at nine clicks. Its speed remains relatively stable for the whole dial, while its attack and damage values vary depending on the individual click. After all, Thomas likes to keep people guessing! Its heat dial is its Achilles heel, however; even with a vent rating of 3, you will need to keep an eye on your reactor. Watch your heat and you’ll stay out of trouble. Keep in mind, though, that if you use a vent order when you’ve reached your shutdown markers, you will pass over your start up roll.

Thomas Tabor gives you +1 bonuses across the board to speed, attack, and defense. His pilot ability, “Eyes in the Back of His Head,” gives you a free spin at the end of the movement phase and whenever he’s declared the target of an attack. This gives you an edge on movement, because if Metablade becomes the target of an attack you can change its facing. You need not worry about positioning and can instead concentrate on strategy and tactics. Very nice.

Let’s do the math. Metablade will run you 123 points; Thomas Tabor is an additional 22 on top of that (or 10 in another ’Mech). So for 145 points, you get a contender with a starting speed of 10 with Evade, 12 attack, and 21 defense against ranged combat attacks. This combination is a solid one, and with your help perhaps Thomas can make good in the arena!

Design Notes
by Kelly Bonilla

Just about all of WizKids’ games actually have two designers; one who works on the game primarily and one who serves as a secondary, who can pick up the game if the primary designer/developer isn’t available or the primary just needs some help. For MechWarrior, my second is Ethan Pasternack, an exceptional game designer and conceptor. Ethan assisted in dial creation for the Solaris VII release, and had this to say about Metablade:

“This ’Mech is designed to keep its distance using its speed and maneuverability while pounding on its opponent with Pulse lasers. If anyone manages to get up close and personal, Metablade has a triple serving of machine guns to make them wish they hadn’t. The pilot is known for his comebacks, surging recklessly at the last moment to rally and take his enemy down.”