MechDB Misadventures, Part 18: Annihilator as Devastator

MechDB Misadventures, Part 18: Annihilator as Devastator

With the Devastator still a long way away from being introduced to the lineup of playable 'Mechs in MechWarrior Online, I decided to have a go at adapting the stock loadout of one of its variants in MechDB. I chose the Annihilator ANH-1X as the basis for my build, which aimed to match the downgraded, Succession Wars-era DVS-1D variant as closely as possible. The result was as follows:

Above: This Annihilator ANH-1X had been configured to mimic the loadout used by the Devastator DVS-1D, which was downgraded from the DVS-2 due to much of the latter's equipment and weaponry (especially the Gauss Rifles) becoming lostech during the Succession Wars.

I had to take some liberties with the loadout, given that the ANH-1X has two energy hardpoints in its arms but none in the side torsos - the opposite of the DVS-1D's arrangement - and also because MWO doesn't support rear-facing weapons (which forces both center torso-mounted Medium Lasers to face forward). This forced me to place an Autocannon/10 in each side torso, since there was too little space for a Medium Laser and a Large Laser in the arms if the AC/10s were to be moved there. However, the number of heat sinks (15 standard) and armor mass (18 tons, one less than its maximum capacity of 19) still exactly match what the DVS-1D had.

In addition, my attempt at replicating the original, Lostech-equipped DVS-2 was subject to the same constraints as the DVS-1D, as shown below.

Above: This attempt to match the Devastator DVS-2 using the Annihilator ANH-1X, with its 14 Double Heat Sinks, Dual Gauss Rifles, XL engine, and dual PPCs, is plagued by the same weapon location and orientation problems as the DVS-1D replica, but it still has the same weapons as its Lostech-enhanced inspiration.

As much as I love the Devastator in all its forms, I can't help but wonder how a Standard-engined, all-energy version of it (which I'd call the DVS-1E) would look like, with all of its weapons facing forward, and an additional head-mounted energy hardpoint for good measure. The resulting 'Mech would have a pair of ER PPCs in its side torso in addition to a trio of Medium Pulse Lasers (two forward-facing ones in its center torso, and a third in its head). In addition to this, it would have 22 Double Heat Sinks (10 in the engine, with two more attached to it via expansion slots, another pair in each side torso, and a trio of them in each arm) to absorb its immense heat load. Extrapolating this loadout to the ANH-1X would yield this result:

Above: This is my attempt at replicating my proposed Devastator DVS-1E variant on the Annihilator ANH-1X. Due to hardpoint location limitations, this ANH-1X carries its ER PPCs on its arms (each of which also houses a Double Heat Sink) and a quartet of Double Heat Sinks in each side torso, whereas my DVS-1E would instead have a pair each of side torso-mounted ER PPCs and Double Heat Sinks, leaving the arms free to carry a trio each of additional Double Heat Sinks. Also, both center torso energy hardpoints face forward and carry a Medium Pulse Laser each, with the newly added head-mounted energy hardpoint being used for a single example of the same weapon.

Such a variant, though not as powerful as the DVS-1D or DVS-2, would not suffer from ammunition depletion problems or vulnerability to weapon or ammunition explosions. Also, having as much armor as its chassis can carry (19 tons of standard armor on a 100-ton chassis), in addition to backup energy weapons in its head and center torso, ensures that it qualifies as a zombie 'Mech (slang for any BattleMech that could only be immobilized by destroying its center torso, head, or legs), and with 22 double heat sinks in total (equivalent to 44 under tabletop rules), it would have more than enough staying power to stay relevant in any battle. In other words, it would be an Awesome AWS-8Q on steroids: 25% heavier, and commensurately more heavily armed and armored.

In short, I had a lot of fun trying to get as close to the Devastator DVS-1D and DVS2 variants as possible using the Annihilator ANH-1X, even with having to make some compromises due to its different hardpoint configuration. I also shared key details on my proposal for an ER PPC-based loadout on an all-energy Devastator variant (again represented by the Annihilator ANH-1X, although the Stone Crusher legendary variant, with its side torso-mounted energy hardpoints, could be even better suited to this purpose) with an additional head-mounted energy hardpoint. Such a build pushes the idea of a zombie 'Mech in MWO to its limits, without resorting to some of the more exotic technology (such as Hardened Armor, quadripedal chassis, small and/or torso-mounted cockpits, compact engines and gyroscopes, and directly armored components) in the BattleTech tabletop game.