Rifleman
| Rifleman | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Class: | Heavy Mech | |
| Faction: | Inner Sphere | |
| Ticket cost: | 7 upon destruction | |
| Tier: | 4 | |
| Speed: | 64 km/h | |
| Torso yaw: | 360° | |
| Torso pitch: | -35° to +90° while standing -35° to +90° while crouching | |
| Variant Armament | ||
| Variant | Weapons | Equipment |
| Prime: Price: 71 600 CBills Total armor: 51 922 Engine Size: |
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| A: Price: 62 00 CBills Total armor: 48 750 Engine Size: |
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| B: Price: 67 700 CBills Total armor: 45 578 Engine Size: |
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| C: Price: 65 750 CBills Total armor: 45 578 Engine Size: |
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| D: Price: 80 500 CBills Total armor: 48 750 Engine Size: |
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| E: Price: 76 500 CBills Total armor: 48 750 Engine Size: |
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| F: Price: 64 500 CBills Total armor: 45 578 Engine Size: |
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| G: Price: 81 100 CBills Total armor: 45 578 Engine Size: |
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All stats current as of release 0.15.3 </div>
The Rifleman is an Inner Sphere Heavy Mech and was added with the 0.6.0 update as a surprise.
As it is intended primarily as an anti-air mech it sports only moderate speed and armor, but it has the best torso pitch and rotation of any mech.
All variants are equipped for anti-aircraft duty and are therefore very efficient against BA, ASF and VTOL. However, their performance against mechs or tanks of similar weight is poor, and Rifleman pilots might find themselves getting easily overwhelmed by medium or even light assets.
The center torso of the Rifleman is very large and is usually the first and only part of the mech to be destroyed. Mechwarriors are advised to hide their center torso whenever possible such as while waiting for weapons to reload or cool down.
Contents
Roles and Gameplay Hints
Prime
The Rifleman Prime is a well-balanced AA mech. Despite its 2 DHS the Prime runs very hot, as it boasts 2 ERLBLs and 2 ERMBLs. These energy weapons are complemented by 2 UAC5s, making the Prime an excellent anti-BA mech. Two free tons for ammo, coupled with the fact that the Prime is mostly an energy-based mech, give it tremendous staying power for as long as its armor holds. The Prime has a BAP, which, along with the EOptics that all Rifleman variants carry, allow it to spot and effectively engage threats at range, aerospace or otherwise.
Variant A
The Rifleman A is one of the more popular Riflemen variants. The A doesn't have the pinpoint damage output of the Prime, but it more than makes up for that with substantial damage from 4 UAC5s. The A has 4 free tons of ammo, but even so, it quickly runs out. Though the Rifleman A carries GECM in addition to a BAP and EOptics, scouting in such a mech is discouraged. The GECM's primary purpose is to keep the A hidden while it fires at aircraft and targets of opportunity.
Variant B
A variant designed for mid range engagements, a relative rarity amongst Riflemen, the Rifleman B packs the meanest alpha of the bunch. Two LBX10 can engage targets from 700m, but the spread of the pellets means the closer the target the more drastic the results, while a battery of 4 ERMBL deal a pinpoint blow to the weakened components. Make no mistake though, despite its relatively short reach, the hitscan nature of its lasers and the spread of its autocannons allow it to punish aircraft that enter its range. A BAP allows the Rifleman B to acquire radar contacts at long range, staying aware of ground and air movements.
Variant C
While other Rifleman variants rely on putting up a wall of projectiles or a laser show to deter enemy aerospace, the Rifleman C trusts in the cool killing power of the gauss rifle. 2 UAC2s provide close in anti-BA protection, but their main purpose is to help calculate the lead the 2 LtGauss rifles will need in order to send enemy aerospace hurtling to earth. As the two weapons have nearly the same projectile speed, pulling enough lead to start landing hits with the UAC2s ensures that any following light gauss shots will land right on target. The Rifleman C carries the standard BAP and EOptics as well, though like all Rifleman variants it should be wary of close combat with other ground assets.
Variant D
Though the Rifleman D has the same 4 RAC2 armament as the much cheaper Partisan B, it still has its own niche. The D variant is meant as a group support mech, intended to shield its lance-mates from both radar and aerospace alike while keeping up with them over rough or uneven terrain. An AECM unit gives nearby friendlies radar cover, while a BAP helps the Rifleman D sniff out any incoming air or ground assets. Enemy aerospace will have to deal with the hailstorm of RAC2 rounds sent their way, and enemy mech assets will stumble into your lance, expecting only a single heavy mech to deal with.
Variant E
The Rifleman E brings a frightening 4 ERLBLs to the fight. Though the resulting heat spike from firing all 4 lasers at once can be worrying, the immense amount of heat dissipation provided by the 11 DHS it carries means that it's impossible to overheat on anywhere but the hottest terrain. With a steady enough hand, the Rifleman E can quickly deal death to any enemy aerospace that is unwise enough to linger inside its 800m range, and can strip enemy mechs of weapons or armor from the relative safety of the second line. 2 Mguns provide adequate anti-BA protection, or allow the E variant to chip at aerospace flying outside the range of its lasers. A BHP gives even further radar range than most Rifleman variants, preventing most enemies from coming up on it unawares.
Variant F
The F variant is somewhat of an oddball. Theoretically, its armament of 2 AC10s and 2 PPCs can deal a great amount of damage to any aerospace it manages to hit. However, the fairly slow projectile speed of each, coupled with their restrictive (for anti-aero work) ranges of 550m and 700m, respectively, means that the Rifleman F will have a hard time landing hits on aerospace with either weapon. Rather, the Rifleman F is meant as a direct fire-support mech, intended to sit behind the front lines and pound away at otherwise distracted targets. Unlike other Rifleman variants, the F carries no active probes, and must thus be careful it isn't caught alone. Though its armaments can cause a significant amount of damage, its slow speed and light armor mean that any assets in its own weight class will easily overpower it.
Variant G
The Rifleman G is a hybrid, taking the anti-air power of the E variant and blending it with the fire-support role of the Rifleman F. 2 LXPLs can reliably strip armor off of any aerospace that get too close, and when partnered with its 2 AC5s the Rifleman G can bring the hurt to anyone in range. 9 DHS provide good heat dissipation, allowing the G variant to maintain its fusilade of laser fire for a significant amount of time. As with all Rifleman variants, however, armor and speed are both in short supply. Any return fire should be retreated from quickly, or you'll soon find yourself back in the mechbay.
Canon
The definitive anti-aircraft 'Mech, the Rifleman was first fielded in 2505, making it amont the first 'Mechs ever built. Its combination of long-ranged weaponry, including rapid-fire autocannons and it's excellent targeting and tracking system ensured it would remain a viable battlefield unit through half a millennium of combat. The Rifleman's focus on anti-aircraft work dictated a heavy load of long-range weapons to the exclusion of everything else. The 'Mech's heat sinks are grossly inadequate for constant fire, but in an anti-aircraft role, the Rifleman is expected to have time to dissipate heat while the target aircraft turns for its next pass.
Notable pilots include: Gray Noton, Conner Rhys-Monroe, John "Gentleman Johnny" Clavell, and Davis McCall.
BattleTech Reference
