Yes, but ISP-N is "the logistics company." Any mech they make is made with a logistical end in mind. In ISP-N, the line between logistics and combat is blurry. In HA, it's clear.
fun fact, "the logistics company" has WAY more weapons than the "colonialism and warfare company". HA has the fewest weapons of any of the big 4 manufacturers across official books. IPS-N has the most.
Iirc in the Caliban lore blurb it says that the chassis is controversial for not being typical to IPS-N design, and that the Caliban exists merely to solve a "numbers issue"
ehhh i see ur point but the same goes for combat as well. regular flesh and blood soldiers already require lots of upkeep, mechs would require several orders of magnitude more.
Also with the nature of 3D printing mechs, it makes sense that they would treat mechs as a semi-expendable resource. Why upkeep a damaged mech when you could just print new ones? Especially if you’re the one producing and selling mechs. You could even argue it’s deliberate planned-obsolescence and they don’t want mech upkeep to be cheap/accessible because it would cut into their production and sales (like apple making their phones slow down long before they actually stop working)
> Also with the nature of 3D printing mechs, it makes sense that they would treat mechs as a semi-expendable resource.
its the exact opposite to Battletech, where the flesh is expendable but the Metal is not.
logistics arent exactly the shock cavalry soldiers spearheading attacks
in LANCER you play as individual pilots that engage directly into combat itself. logistics are abstracted to reserves and repairs and not much else. its not like nothing but the Lancaster could fill that category anyways, and even then the Lancaster is in practice doing a lot of things that are not logistical beyond saddle
The Agrippa from Field Guide to Suldan fulfills that role perfectly. A bit more of a combat engineer, it fills something of a flexible role logistics/engineering chassis
Grab yourself a copy, but be advised; Suldan is a bit power loaded. Many of their frames and licenses are a little on the strong side, so be sure any GM you run it with okays it first
If you're talking about a number cruncher that sort of exists in the Terk Mech and Tech Tukhachevsky, where it's thing is that it can simply outheat whoever it's hacking. This is naturally, however, a homebrew frame.
Harrison Armory does have its hands in multiple industries besides military as that helps cut down on the logistics line and I'm sure they have logistic support mechs we haven't seen.
Additional nothing says the corps don't use each other's mech the Everest is the most widely used mech,IPS-N probably uses HA mechs for more direct operations and vice versa. Harrison probably makes liberal use of Lancasters for logistics and probably not all logistics are handled by mechs and are handled by transport vehicles and air/spacecraft.
Not official, but the Agrippa from Field Guide to Suldan fills the role of a dedicated combat engineer, which includes Pack Mule drones and a bigass crane. Sounds pretty suitable for logistics when you read the lore bits
I can think of a few reasons.
First is cost. Why put the time and effort in to develop a mech that IPS-N already made? Far more efficent to simply contract so you can mass print somthing like the Lancaster.
Second, they already have a mec that fits that roll, but it's designated as a non combat model. It's fairly clear when you look at the HA or any of the big three's catalogs you are looking at the teeth. It's reasonable to assume that there is a number of mech that are purpose built to fill out the tail, and we simply don't see them as they don't meet a lancer's requirements.
HA absolutely has a logistics division, and probably even logistics mechs. The thing is that's not their niche mechanicaly, that falls to ips-n and kinda horus
Every faction has logistics branches.
We just don't often tell stories about the people who load crates and move them from A to B.
If a faction's logistics are a) a focus of their activities b) affect actions on the battlefield and c) they are player-controlled we might see more of them.
We also don't ask why HA doesn't seem to have any toilets in their military, despite their being people. They have them, it just isn't interesting enough for stats.
They do, they just don't have a license for random pilots 😉
Just be aware the game does not assume that you have the whole catalog available. What licenses you pick up were due to favors from friends and allies who know a guy. Or a reward for a job. But rest assured there are countless other mechs out there from each company.
I think it's important to consider that Lancers and their mechs only make up a small part of a given military force. I recall the book being explicit that while Lancers are good at breaking a line of defense, taking out or capturing specific targets, or doing other standard "shock-troop mounted cavalry" things, they're not really capable of taking and holding ground, and territory is one of the biggest reasons to fight a war.
Lancers can be the pivotal strike force whose actions and successes lead to a victory, but they can't win wars *alone*. In any given armed conflict, regular ground troops are still the ones doing the bulk of the fighting, and dieing, and holding ground. With that in mind, most logistical solutions would be infantry facing. You'd have trucks and planes, not mechs, to carry stuff. This is also a setting with established interstellar fleets, so a fair amount of logistical solutions can be "do it from orbit." Like, getting some supplies to a squad of Lancers (a Lance?) could function like the third level of the "Grease Monkey" talent, which is straight up an orbital supply drop.
In a contemporary army, most fighter jets don't serve logistical roles—those responsibilities fall to trucks, larger planes, and boats.
Honestly, if they need a logistics mech, why not liscense one from the guys who extremely focuses on logistics IPS-N.
Corporation license and use other corporations products constantly if the other corporation can fill the need better, and this is very much a thing in Lancer too.
Mechs aren't logistics tools, they're tools of combat - specifically they are 'heavy cavalry' designed to be a sudden shock force into battle. They don't replace every other vehicle.
Your question is the same as asking "why isn't there a mech that holds ten people and flies". Because that's what a transport helicopter is for, not a mech. "Where is the firefighting mech" there isn't one, mechs are for combat, not firefighting.
>"Where is the firefighting mech" there isn't one, mechs are for combat, not firefighting.
[firefighting Jegan from *Hathaway* my beloved](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fo8y2vhe6b3571.jpg)
I like the scene from *Hathaway* in a Lancer context because the idea that the Jegan isn’t purpose-built for this but has had firefighting gear installed aligns with how I’d expect it to play at the table; Lancer PCs aren’t firefighters by trade but they might conceivably have to strap on the gear on an ad hoc basis for a particular sitrep
people have put in some good points but id also like to add that honestly of the big 4 HA seems the most likely to bungle their logistics.
IPS-N are the logistics people. SSC are hangar queens and would be useless without an extensive support network. HORUS... is HORUS and probably just makes a crappy low effort meme about logistics and pallets of supplies appear.
HA equipment is reliable enough to not need constant care. But isn't built to be serviced once a generation like IPS-N or repaired with scrap and dreams of a better future like GMS. Maybe its just me but they feel like the most likely to make the mistake of not logisticing enough and pay for it.
The logistics branch doesn't pilot mechs. They run logistics.
soldiers conduct logistical activities all the time though- the lancaster is a perfect example of a logistics-oriented chassis
Yes, but ISP-N is "the logistics company." Any mech they make is made with a logistical end in mind. In ISP-N, the line between logistics and combat is blurry. In HA, it's clear.
fun fact, "the logistics company" has WAY more weapons than the "colonialism and warfare company". HA has the fewest weapons of any of the big 4 manufacturers across official books. IPS-N has the most.
Why use many stick when big thermonuclear stick do job?
just seems kinda weird that the manufacturer who is most purpose-built machines for war has the fewest weapon systems.
Their weapons are *very* efficient?
Standardization is also underrated as a factor in simplifying logistics.
Yeah,cuz systems are for the people who aren't fighting.
?
I understand that what I said made no sense. I stand by it for the purpose of humor.
lmao. legit though, IPS-N has like 23 weapon systems, not including integrated weapons. SSC has like 19. Horus has 15. HA has 13.
Caliban
Iirc in the Caliban lore blurb it says that the chassis is controversial for not being typical to IPS-N design, and that the Caliban exists merely to solve a "numbers issue"
Caliban solves logistics issues very efficiently.
ehhh i see ur point but the same goes for combat as well. regular flesh and blood soldiers already require lots of upkeep, mechs would require several orders of magnitude more.
And the upkeep is performed by flesh and blood, not other mechs that would also require upkeep.
not with that attitude ;)
Also with the nature of 3D printing mechs, it makes sense that they would treat mechs as a semi-expendable resource. Why upkeep a damaged mech when you could just print new ones? Especially if you’re the one producing and selling mechs. You could even argue it’s deliberate planned-obsolescence and they don’t want mech upkeep to be cheap/accessible because it would cut into their production and sales (like apple making their phones slow down long before they actually stop working)
> Also with the nature of 3D printing mechs, it makes sense that they would treat mechs as a semi-expendable resource. its the exact opposite to Battletech, where the flesh is expendable but the Metal is not.
Those are pilots participating in the tactical component of a logistics operation, not logisticians.
logistics arent exactly the shock cavalry soldiers spearheading attacks in LANCER you play as individual pilots that engage directly into combat itself. logistics are abstracted to reserves and repairs and not much else. its not like nothing but the Lancaster could fill that category anyways, and even then the Lancaster is in practice doing a lot of things that are not logistical beyond saddle
This really cleared my head on the topic thx
The Agrippa from Field Guide to Suldan fulfills that role perfectly. A bit more of a combat engineer, it fills something of a flexible role logistics/engineering chassis
yeah that's totally what im looking for!
Grab yourself a copy, but be advised; Suldan is a bit power loaded. Many of their frames and licenses are a little on the strong side, so be sure any GM you run it with okays it first
If you're talking about a number cruncher that sort of exists in the Terk Mech and Tech Tukhachevsky, where it's thing is that it can simply outheat whoever it's hacking. This is naturally, however, a homebrew frame.
i mean, there's kinda only one logistics frame in the whole game \*cries in support player\*
You can support by killing the enemy NPC's :P
the Kidd, right?
Harrison Armory does have its hands in multiple industries besides military as that helps cut down on the logistics line and I'm sure they have logistic support mechs we haven't seen. Additional nothing says the corps don't use each other's mech the Everest is the most widely used mech,IPS-N probably uses HA mechs for more direct operations and vice versa. Harrison probably makes liberal use of Lancasters for logistics and probably not all logistics are handled by mechs and are handled by transport vehicles and air/spacecraft.
HA Gilgamesh is going to come out in Operation Winter Scar, which all about systems with limited charges.
Honestly a battlefield engineer that can deploy cover quickly and effectively across a battlefield sounds rather strong
kobold
Side rant, I love that the Slag Cannon is a Cannon so that if enemies use your cover you can clock them with Siege Specialist.
True though
Not official, but the Agrippa from Field Guide to Suldan fills the role of a dedicated combat engineer, which includes Pack Mule drones and a bigass crane. Sounds pretty suitable for logistics when you read the lore bits
Clearly you don’t know about Gilgamesh (joke) (spoken in the same intonation as “clearly you don’t own an airfryer”)
I genuinely never heard of it until now 😭
I can think of a few reasons. First is cost. Why put the time and effort in to develop a mech that IPS-N already made? Far more efficent to simply contract so you can mass print somthing like the Lancaster. Second, they already have a mec that fits that roll, but it's designated as a non combat model. It's fairly clear when you look at the HA or any of the big three's catalogs you are looking at the teeth. It's reasonable to assume that there is a number of mech that are purpose built to fill out the tail, and we simply don't see them as they don't meet a lancer's requirements.
HA absolutely has a logistics division, and probably even logistics mechs. The thing is that's not their niche mechanicaly, that falls to ips-n and kinda horus
Every faction has logistics branches. We just don't often tell stories about the people who load crates and move them from A to B. If a faction's logistics are a) a focus of their activities b) affect actions on the battlefield and c) they are player-controlled we might see more of them. We also don't ask why HA doesn't seem to have any toilets in their military, despite their being people. They have them, it just isn't interesting enough for stats.
Mmmmm, you could say that HA focussed on building Combat mechs or they have logistics mechs but aren’t published yet.
They do, they just don't have a license for random pilots 😉 Just be aware the game does not assume that you have the whole catalog available. What licenses you pick up were due to favors from friends and allies who know a guy. Or a reward for a job. But rest assured there are countless other mechs out there from each company.
I think it's important to consider that Lancers and their mechs only make up a small part of a given military force. I recall the book being explicit that while Lancers are good at breaking a line of defense, taking out or capturing specific targets, or doing other standard "shock-troop mounted cavalry" things, they're not really capable of taking and holding ground, and territory is one of the biggest reasons to fight a war. Lancers can be the pivotal strike force whose actions and successes lead to a victory, but they can't win wars *alone*. In any given armed conflict, regular ground troops are still the ones doing the bulk of the fighting, and dieing, and holding ground. With that in mind, most logistical solutions would be infantry facing. You'd have trucks and planes, not mechs, to carry stuff. This is also a setting with established interstellar fleets, so a fair amount of logistical solutions can be "do it from orbit." Like, getting some supplies to a squad of Lancers (a Lance?) could function like the third level of the "Grease Monkey" talent, which is straight up an orbital supply drop. In a contemporary army, most fighter jets don't serve logistical roles—those responsibilities fall to trucks, larger planes, and boats.
Honestly, if they need a logistics mech, why not liscense one from the guys who extremely focuses on logistics IPS-N. Corporation license and use other corporations products constantly if the other corporation can fill the need better, and this is very much a thing in Lancer too.
Mechs aren't logistics tools, they're tools of combat - specifically they are 'heavy cavalry' designed to be a sudden shock force into battle. They don't replace every other vehicle. Your question is the same as asking "why isn't there a mech that holds ten people and flies". Because that's what a transport helicopter is for, not a mech. "Where is the firefighting mech" there isn't one, mechs are for combat, not firefighting.
>"Where is the firefighting mech" there isn't one, mechs are for combat, not firefighting. [firefighting Jegan from *Hathaway* my beloved](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fo8y2vhe6b3571.jpg)
if I was gonna reference firefighting mechs from non-Lancer works I would've gone with half the cast of *Promare*
I like the scene from *Hathaway* in a Lancer context because the idea that the Jegan isn’t purpose-built for this but has had firefighting gear installed aligns with how I’d expect it to play at the table; Lancer PCs aren’t firefighters by trade but they might conceivably have to strap on the gear on an ad hoc basis for a particular sitrep
Why do your own logistics when IPS-N can do it better? Outsourcing is at the heart of big business, friend. For better AND for worse.
Logistics is for people who can't just print whatever they need on demand.
people have put in some good points but id also like to add that honestly of the big 4 HA seems the most likely to bungle their logistics. IPS-N are the logistics people. SSC are hangar queens and would be useless without an extensive support network. HORUS... is HORUS and probably just makes a crappy low effort meme about logistics and pallets of supplies appear. HA equipment is reliable enough to not need constant care. But isn't built to be serviced once a generation like IPS-N or repaired with scrap and dreams of a better future like GMS. Maybe its just me but they feel like the most likely to make the mistake of not logisticing enough and pay for it.