So,
I was bored last night and started playing with some of thos designs that never hit a sweet spot with me. I've never been a fan of the original Cerberus, but didn't hate the PPC armed variant. This is what I came up with.
First off, keep the basic components of the original including the electronics, XL engine, and standard chassis. Next, remove everything but the AMS weapons wise. Replace the MPLs with ERMLs which is fairly straight forward. The big change comes from the arms. One GR and ammo is replaced with a Light GR and 32 shots. The other is replaced with an ERPPC and 3 L-PPCs, all in the arms. This is a bit odd, but the idea is you can plink at range with the LGR and ERPPC, so nobody will play the range game, yet increase firepower as you close with the Lights. At point blank drop the L-PPCs for the ERMLs. The extra tonnage goes to extra DHS and as much FF as I could scrape together. It still is not maxed out, but it is much, much improved over the original.
The XL is still a weakness as is the lack of secondary electronics (C3, ECM etc) on the modern battlefield, but in the end you have a assault that can keep up with heavies and packs a good all around punch.
Code:
BattleMech Technical Readout
Custom* Weapons
Type/Model: Cerberus MR-V7
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3055
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 3, Standard design
Mass: 95 tons
Chassis: TermoElectron II Standard
Power Plant: 380 GM XL Fusion
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Aldis Heavy Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
1 Light Gauss Rifle
1 ER PPC
3 Light PPCs*
4 ER Medium Lasers
1 Anti-Missile System
Manufacturer: LexaTech Industries
Location: Hun Ho
Communications System: O/P 3000 OSJ
Targeting & Tracking System: O/P PulseTrack III
-----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Cerberus MR-V7
Mass: 95 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 145 pts Standard 0 9.50
Engine: 380 XL Fusion 12 20.50
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 17 Double [34] 6 7.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 LT, 1 RT)
Gyro: 4 4.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA R: Sh+UA+LA 14 .00
Armor Factor: 278 pts Ferro-Fibrous 14 15.50
(Armor Crit Loc: 2 RA, 4 LT, 3 RT, 1 CT, 2 LL, 2 RL)
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 30 43
Center Torso (Rear): 14
L/R Side Torso: 20 28/28
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 10/10
L/R Arm: 16 30/30
L/R Leg: 20 38/38
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Light Gauss Rifle RA 1 32 7 14.00
(Ammo Locations: 2 RA)
1 ER PPC LA 15 3 7.00
3 Light PPCs* LA 15 6 9.00
2 ER Medium Lasers RT 10 2 2.00
2 ER Medium Lasers LT 10 2 2.00
1 Anti-Missile System HD 1 12 2 1.50
(Ammo Locations: 1 CT)
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 52 77 95.00
Crits & Tons Left: 1 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 26,302,901 C-Bills
Battle Value 2: 2,139 (old BV = 1,653)
Cost per BV2: 12,296.82
Weapon Value: 3,151 / 3,151 (Ratio = 1.47 / 1.47)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 32; MRDmg = 22; LRDmg = 12
BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 7/4
Damage PB/M/L: 5/4/2, Overheat: 2
Class: MA; Point Value: 21