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Welcome to the Threat Assessment article series. Here, we review and analyze Mechs, weapons, and equipment in brief. Much of this will be viewed from a tabletop and video game standpoint.
Today, we focus the Jenner, one of the oldest existing 'Mech designs in use by the game, appearing even in the first release of the BattleTech Technical Readouts. Specific details of the Jenner can be found at Solaris 7 information page for the 'Mech.
Discussion and further analysis are welcomed, as are suggestions and submissions for art or future reviews and articles. The thumbnail here is rendered in the quick-and-dirty field sketch method used to hint at new 'Mechs in the original MechWarrior 4 manual.
Today, we focus the Jenner, one of the oldest existing 'Mech designs in use by the game, appearing even in the first release of the BattleTech Technical Readouts. Specific details of the Jenner can be found at Solaris 7 information page for the 'Mech.
Discussion and further analysis are welcomed, as are suggestions and submissions for art or future reviews and articles. The thumbnail here is rendered in the quick-and-dirty field sketch method used to hint at new 'Mechs in the original MechWarrior 4 manual.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 109 x 120px
File Size 4.2 kB
It's most important to understand that the Jenner is one of a handful of light mechs able to inflict a piloting check through gunnery.
Its cousin the Panther, a light mech with a PPC and SRM4, cannot do so (only 18 damage), most lights smaller than it cannot do so, and even a few mediums cannot do so (consider the enforcer, 15 tons heavier - it can only deal a piloting check at point blank range by including the small laser in the mix, a high rarity).
The Jenner is a flashbang. It waits until you need it, then shows up and does something spectacular that it is not likely to survive.
Its cousin the Panther, a light mech with a PPC and SRM4, cannot do so (only 18 damage), most lights smaller than it cannot do so, and even a few mediums cannot do so (consider the enforcer, 15 tons heavier - it can only deal a piloting check at point blank range by including the small laser in the mix, a high rarity).
The Jenner is a flashbang. It waits until you need it, then shows up and does something spectacular that it is not likely to survive.
This brings up the difference between the usual fluff and the on-the-board reality of the battle value system.
In the in-universe fluff, larger mechs like Atlases and Battlemasters are more likely to be piloted by veteran or elite pilots than lights, because of the prestige involved, etc.
On the table these large mechs chew up a great deal of your BV, forcing you to reduce your pilots' skills compared to a lighter task force. This means that, since most players focus on gunnery ability in order to get the most out of their hard-hitting weapons, the Jenner is an even better proposition against a big bruiser like an assault class mech, since it can afford a good pilot/gunner, move fast enough to make it unlikely the assault can hit it at all, and inflict a piloting check.
Remember that a piloting check is the same regardless of weight class. If the mech fails, it falls down, period. this makes the Jenner a poster child for the gamey vs fluffy argument of tactical wargaming.
In the in-universe fluff, larger mechs like Atlases and Battlemasters are more likely to be piloted by veteran or elite pilots than lights, because of the prestige involved, etc.
On the table these large mechs chew up a great deal of your BV, forcing you to reduce your pilots' skills compared to a lighter task force. This means that, since most players focus on gunnery ability in order to get the most out of their hard-hitting weapons, the Jenner is an even better proposition against a big bruiser like an assault class mech, since it can afford a good pilot/gunner, move fast enough to make it unlikely the assault can hit it at all, and inflict a piloting check.
Remember that a piloting check is the same regardless of weight class. If the mech fails, it falls down, period. this makes the Jenner a poster child for the gamey vs fluffy argument of tactical wargaming.
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