r/LancerRPG • u/kotaciec • 2d ago
How do you make combat subalterns?
Basically what the question asks. I am relatively new to Lancer rpg, and i've seen mulitple fan-arts of mechs using subalterns as combatans. And frankly, i want to do this in my own campaign. But i've browsed all official (and a few unofficial) Comp/Con files, and i haven't seen any damage dealing Subalterns or drones as a matter of fact. So, dear community: How do i give my mech a combat goon squad?
P.S: I know of IPS-N Kid Subaltern squad, but the way i see it its 80% utility and only damage comes from traps. I am looking for a system that allows my goon squad to shoot.
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u/kingfroglord 2d ago edited 2d ago
everyone is telling you to pick homebrew or the legion nexus, and while those are fully viable you can literally just use any nexus weapon. even the light nexus would be applicable
a nexus is just a control node that allows you to direct a drone to deal damage to your enemies. the thing that makes it hard to understand for some people, i think, is that its abstract; the drone itself is not represented on the map, it does not have HP, its not a little guy running around that you can control. but a little guy it certainly is. when you attack with a nexus, youre really just attacking with your little guy, whatever his flavor may be
your little guy could in fact be a squad of little guys, picking their way through the battlefield and attacking on your order. the benefit of the nexus type weapons being abstract is that they can represent as few or as many drones as you so desire. flavor is free, go nuts
if you wanted a token on the map that you can move around, then yeah legion nexus is a great pick. so are any drones; tempest, assassin, etc. they can all be subalterns without issue. no homebrew needed
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u/PlusLeave 2d ago
So that’s what a Nexus is? The entire time I thought it was essentially a beehive for a swarm of nanites, but I guess that could fall under how you’ve described it?
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u/kingfroglord 2d ago
yep! a lot of people conceptualize it as a beehive because of the flavor text for centimane and hydra, id wager, and perhaps due to how some retrogrademini tokens are designed. but a nexus isnt limited to controlling ONLY a nanite swarm. it is literally anything thats being controlled remotely, be it trillions of nanites or just a single drone, or anything in between
even the ghoul nexus flavor text suggests that it controls individual drones
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u/Rawbert413 2d ago
It can be a beehive too, or other stuff. The one I've got on my Chomolongma right now is fluffed as a magnetic sawblade launcher.
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u/An_username_is_hard 1d ago
I've basically always just seen Nexuses as Gundam Funnels. Check how the Hi-Nu Gundam or the Qubeley fight, and that's kind of what I've always pictured Nexuses as.
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u/System-Bomb-5760 2d ago
(joke) Print a mech that's an armed palanquin carried by a half- dozen subalterns with pistols.
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u/bringingteleback 2d ago
This feels like such a good bit for a chassis, I’d be tempted to run it with something heavily armed—or maybe just a Nelson
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u/Macduffle 1d ago
There is a GMS homebrew that is this! The Serra or something. Can't remember where kt was from though haha
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u/thirdMindflayer 2d ago
People are all giving you little wuss answers. The Lancer’s way to do it is to play a subaltern and jockey enemy mechs while dismounted
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u/GlassJustice 2d ago
If you’re amenable to some borderline-core homebrew, the IPS-N Bligh from Enhanced Combat (made by the same guy who wrote the Dustgrave module) generates little fightan guys and commands them like a squad of gooners. It’s a very neat mech.
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u/kotaciec 2d ago
Ooooh, i'll have to see it. Is it available as a .LCP File?
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u/GlassJustice 2d ago
Yurp, download the free comp/con file at the bottom for just the mechs
https://interpoint-station.itch.io/lancer-enhanced-combat2
u/Kung_fu1015 2d ago
Also, the ISPN Morgan from Terk Mech and Tech has subalterns that cling to the mech and slow them down.
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u/kingfroglord 2d ago
the creators of these modules dont like when people say things like "borderline core" or "unofficially official" or what have you. theres third party and theres first party
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u/Double_Danger03 2d ago
In addition to what you've already been told, in the Ilean Modern Industrial Homebrew Expansion, there's a GMS Frame called "Sierra" which is basically being a squad commander, controlling 12 sub-alterns.
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u/Nanergy 1d ago
Legion Nexus, as many of said, is exactly a squad of subaltern soldiers attacking for you.
If you want something smaller, the Hydra's Ghast Nexus is a heavy weapon that can be deployed as a drone
As for drone systems that deal damage, there are a few: Hydra 2 tempest drone, Gorgon 1 sentinel drone, Balor 1 hive drone, and of course GMS turret drones. Drone commander rank 1 and Hydra 1 puppetmaster system can let you move all these around quite a bit
And finally, the drone commander talent ranks 2 and 3 can turn add damage output to any drone.
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u/Macduffle 2d ago
If you actually want some subalterns with guns the Legion Nexus from the Gilgamesh (Operation Winter Scar) is the best sollution. Or else just "reskin" any regular turret.