By the time they have reached License Level 4, pilots will almost certainly have unlocked a new mech chassis to replace the GMS Everest, and have access to weapons and systems from an assortment of Licenses. Combined with their wider array of talents, these Licenses enable pilots to develop new synergies, execute more complex tactics, or enhance their preferred combat style.
Stride forward into danger, returning bullet for bullet. Let your allies take shelter in the safety of your shadow, and take comfort in the thunder of your cannons.
Drop an Auto-Loader Drone behind you, where it can use your mech for cover. If your allies are smart, they'll use you for cover, too. The Drone Commander talent will let the drone keep pace with you, even if enemies rain fire upon it. Let loose a devastating Barrage from your super-heavy Cyclone at targets out to long range, then Skirmish with the Mortar for a turn while the drone helps you reload. Your Armsman talents give the Mortar some flexibility, and Exemplar talents can work with any weapon. The Crack Shot talent can help land important hits with the Cyclone, especially if you enter Fortress Mode. Grease Monkey talents give the mech more longevity, such as extra supplies.
Suggested Talents: Armsman 2, Crack Shot 1, Drone Commander 1, Exemplar 1, Grease Monkey 2
Advancement Bonuses: +2 Hull, +2 Agility, +2 Engineering, +2 HP, +2 SP, 1 CORE Bonus (GMS Auto-Stabilizing Hardpoint), +2 IPS-N DRAKE license, +2 Harrison BARBAROSSA license
SCHWARZENEGGER (DRAKE base)
HP: 8+8 Evasion: 6+2 Speed: 3+1 Heat Cap: 5+2 Sensors: 10
Armor: 3 E-Defense: 6 Size: 2 Repair Cap: 4+1 Tech Attack: 0
TRAITS:
Heavy Frame: The Drake cannot be knocked back or prone by actors smaller than itself
Blast Plating: The Drake has resistance to damage from blast, line, and cone attacks
Guardian: Adjacent allied mechs can use the Drake for Light Cover
Slow: The Drake has +1 Difficulty on agility checks
SYSTEMS: Auto-Loader Drone (x2), Custom Paint, Personalizations, Smoke Grenade (x2), Shield
MOUNTS: Cyclone Pulse Rifle, Mortar (stabilized)
CORE system: Fortress
Active (requires 1 core power): Fortress Mode
When you activate this protocol, you plant your shield and deploy stabilizers, becoming more like a fortified emplacement than a mech. While this system is active, your mech is immobilized. Two line 2 sections of heavy cover unfold, drawn from your mech in any direction. Your mech grants (and benefits from) heavy cover for allied mechs while this system is active and also grants any allies that benefit from this cover its immunity to knockback and prone, and resistance to blast, line, and cone attacks. This system can be deactivated at the start of your turn but cannot be reactivated without more core power.
Sprint across the field, talons out, aglow with flame. Stoke your inner fire with every attack, until you can unleash it on your hapless foe.
The goal of this build is to ride the heat gauge's Danger Zone, gaining lots of armor-piercing bonus damage with its close-combat arsenal. Nuclear Cavalier talents and the Tokugawa's innate traits add extra heat, bonus damage, and Burn damage to its attacks when in the Danger Zone. To achieve this, the mech needs to gain 5 points of heat, which can come from certain weapons or systems, by Overcharging, or potentially from "friendly fire" using Quick Tech. Then, while in the Danger Zone, the Experimental Heat Sink system provides the mech with resistance to heat, cutting further heat gain in half. To maintain this precarious spot in the Danger Zone, once in melee the mech can Barrage with its Charged Blade talons and stay heat-neutral. Using the Plasma Lash still gives at least 1 heat per round, so it must be used sparingly at this point. In an emergency, the final Nuclear Cavalier talent allows the mech to vent some heat as a close-range attack without sacrificing its turn using Stabilize. The Vanguard and Duelist talents provide accuracy for some of the mech's attacks, while Combined Arms makes close combat more viable.
Suggested Talents: Combined Arms 2, Duelist 1, Nuclear Cavalier 3, Vanguard 1 (Will eventually want to take another point in Combined Arms and Duelist, for extra accuracy bonuses)
Advancement Bonuses: +4 Agility, +2 Engineering, +2 HP, +2 SP, 1 CORE Bonus (Stasis Shielding), +2 Harrison TOKUGAWA, +2 Harrison SHERMAN
DRAGON FANG (TOKUGAWA base)
HP: 8+4 Evasion: 8+4 Speed: 4+2 Heat Cap: 8+2 Sensors: 10
Armor: 1 E-Defense: 6 Size: 1 Repair Cap: 4+1 Tech Attack: -1
TRAITS:
Reactor Flare: The Tokugawa’s energy weapon attacks deal +1d6 bonus damage if it has 2 or less reactor stress remaining
Plasma Sheathe: While the Tokugawa is in the danger zone, it’s energy weapon attacks deal all bonus damage as Burn
SYSTEMS: Experimental Heat Sink, Redundant Systems (x2), Personalizations, Smoke Grenades (x2)
MOUNTS: Plasma Lash, Charged Blade (x2), Fuel Rod Gun (Limit 4)
CORE system: Superheated Reactor Feed
Active (requires 1 core power): Radiance
Protocol. Choose 1 energy weapon your mech is wielding. If it is a ranged weapon, its range increases by 5, if it is a melee weapon, its threat increases by +1. For the rest of this combat, this weapon also deals +1d6 Burn damage (roll on each attack). However, each time you fire this weapon, you gain +3 heat.