Elite Arsenal adds several features to build on the core Expanded Arsenal + Elite Forces gameplay:
- + and ++ variants of Expanded Arsenal weapons and gear. If you've outfitted all your mechs with heavy gauss rifles, ER lasers and Streak SRMs, this is the upgrade path you're looking for.
- 200 new variants of Expanded Arsenal mechs, which are deadlier and tougher than even those from Elite Forces.
- 46 new variants of vanilla and Expanded Arsenal vehicles.
- Elite versions of all the regular contracts.
- Randomised drop locations and extra lances, courtesy of the Mission Control mod.
- Tweaks to the AI that make it more aggressive and unpredictable, taken from the Better AI mod.
Installation and use
Elite Arsenal is bundled with Expanded Arsenal, and requires that mod to function. If you are updating an existing Expanded Arsenal install, you should delete the existing ExpandedArsenal, EliteArsenal, EliteForces and MissionControl folders under your Mods folder before installing the new version.
It's possible to enable and disable Elite Arsenal dynamically within an existing game. Once disabled, any existing Elite Arsenal mechs you have in your inventory will continue to function, but you won't encounter any more such mechs until you re-enable the mod. If you do disable or re-enable mods, it's highly recommended that you also delete the .modtek\Cache and .modtek\Database folders so that ModTek will rebuild its cache.
Elite contracts
Elite contracts can be recognised by a "(+)" in the name, at the contract selection screen. These feature an opfor heavy with X- and S-tier upgraded mechs (see below), and should be the hardest fights available in the game. To match this, they also provide a 50% higher C-bill payout on completion of the objective, as well as the opportunity to loot the items that those mechs leave on the battlefield.
Elite contracts serve the following purposes:
- They provide an adequate level of challenge in the late game, when you'll likely have a team capable of demolishing a vanilla opfor without breaking a sweat.
- By cordoning off the top-end opposition into a separate tier, they allow regular contracts to be (slightly) easier, which reduces the difficulty hump in the early game.
New mechs
Elite Arsenal mechs come in two varieties, X- and S-tier:
- X-tier mechs have more effective builds, + weapons and extra toughness compared to regular EA and vanilla mechs. They can be encountered in any mission.
- S-tier mechs have ++ weapons, even more toughness, and added heatsinking capacity; in addition, they are always piloted by ace mechwarriors from Elite Forces. They can only be found in elite missions.
It's entirely feasible for an S-tier mech to destroy an equivalent-tonnage enemy mech in a couple of alpha strikes. On the flipside though, once you do kill one of these mechs, you get to loot all its goodies.
Following are the new mechs that are part of Elite Arsenal. Note that while the list is divided into Clan and Inner Sphere, the mod doesn't make any distinction between the two; indeed, the upgraded IS mechs can be just as dangerous as their Clan counterparts.
Inner sphere
- Annihilator S
- Annihilator X
- Archer S1
- Archer S2
- Archer X1
- Archer X2
- Argus S
- Argus X
- Atlas S
- Atlas X
- Axman S
- Axman X
- Banshee S
- Banshee X
- Black Knight S
- Black Knight X
- Bushwacker S
- Bushwacker X
- Commando S (Close Quarters Combat Suite)
- Commando X (Close Quarters Combat Suite)
- Corsair S
- Corsair X
- Crab S1
- Crab S2
- Crab X1
- Crab X2
- Crusader S
- Crusader X
- Dervish S
- Dervish X
- Fafnir S
- Fafnir X
- Hatamoto-Chi S
- Hatchetman S
- Hatchetman X
- Hellspawn S
- Hellspawn X
- Hollander S
- Hollander X
- Hunchback S1
- Hunchback S2
- Hunchback X1
- Hunchback X2
- JagerMech S
- King Crab S
- King Crab X
- Lao Hu S
- Lao Hu X
- Longbow S1 (Missilery Suite)
- Longbow S2 (Missilery Suite)
- Longbow S3 (Missilery Suite)
- Longbow X1 (Missilery Suite)
- Longbow X2 (Missilery Suite)
- Longbow X3 (Missilery Suite)
- Marauder II S
- Marauder II X
- Marauder S1
- Marauder S2
- Marauder X1
- Marauder X2
- Mauler S
- Mauler X
- Mongoose S
- Mongoose X
- Ostwar S
- Ostwar X
- Phoenix Hawk S
- Phoenix Hawk X
- Rifleman S
- Rifleman X
- Shadow Hawk S1
- Shadow Hawk S2
- Shadow Hawk X1
- Shadow Hawk X2
- Stinger S
- Stinger X
- Talos S
- Talos X
- Thanatos S
- Thanatos X
- Thunderbolt S
- Thunderbolt X
- UrbanMech S (Targeting Baffle)
- UrbanMech X (Targeting Baffle)
- Uziel S
- Uziel X
- Valiant S
- Valiant X
- Valkyrie S
- Valkyrie X
- Warhammer S
- Warhammer X
- Wolfhound S1
- Wolfhound S2
- Wolfhound X1
- Wolfhound X2
- Wolverine S
- Wolverine X
- Zeus S
- Zeus X
Clan
Some upgraded Clan mechs have special abilities like the vanilla Marauder, Warhammer, Archer et al, because there's no reason the Inner Sphere should have all the fun.
- Adder S
- Adder X
- Arctic Cheetah S
- Arctic Cheetah X
- Bane S
- Bane X
- Black Lanner S
- Black Lanner X
- Blood Asp S
- Blood Asp X
- Cougar S
- Cougar X
- Dire Wolf S1 (Assault Enhancement Package: +10% damage, -10% heat)
- Dire Wolf S2 (Assault Enhancement Package)
- Dire Wolf X1 (Assault Enhancement Package)
- Dire Wolf X2 (Assault Enhancement Package)
- Ebon Jaguar S
- Ebon Jaguar X
- Executioner S
- Executioner X
- Fire Moth S
- Fire Moth X
- Gargoyle S
- Gargoyle X
- Hellbringer S (Optimized Capacitors)
- Hellbringer X (Optimized Capacitors)
- Hellfire S1
- Hellfire S2
- Hellfire X1
- Hellfire X2
- Hellhound S
- Hellhound X
- Highlander IIC S
- Highlander IIC X
- Huntsman S
- Huntsman X
- Incubus S
- Incubus X
- Kit Fox S1
- Kit Fox S2
- Kit Fox X1
- Kit Fox X2
- Kodiak S
- Kodiak X
- Mad Cat II S (Lance Command Module)
- Mad Cat II X (Lance Command Module)
- Mad Cat S (Lance Command Module)
- Mad Cat X (Lance Command Module)
- Mad Dog S (Missilery Suite)
- Mad Dog X (Missilery Suite)
- Medusa S1
- Medusa S2
- Medusa X1
- Medusa X2
- Mist Lynx S
- Mist Lynx X
- Night Gyr S
- Night Gyr X
- Nova S1
- Nova S2
- Nova X1
- Nova X2
- Orion IIC S
- Orion IIC X
- Piranha S
- Piranha X
- Rifleman IIC S (Rangefinder Suite)
- Rifleman IIC X (Rangefinder Suite)
- Shadow Cat S (Vectored Thrust Kit)
- Shadow Cat X (Vectored Thrust Kit)
- Stone Rhino S
- Stone Rhino X
- Stormcrow S1
- Stormcrow S2
- Stormcrow X1
- Stormcrow X2
- Summoner S1
- Summoner S2
- Summoner X1
- Summoner X2
- Sun Spider S1
- Sun Spider S2
- Sun Spider S3
- Sun Spider X1
- Sun Spider X2
- Sun Spider X3
- SuperNova S1
- SuperNova S2
- SuperNova X1
- SuperNova X2
- Turkina S
- Turkina X
- Vapor Eagle S (General Intercept System)
- Vapor Eagle X (General Intercept System)
- Viper S1
- Viper S2
- Viper X1
- Viper X2
- Warhawk S
- Warhawk X
New and upgraded gear
Elite Arsenal includes the following new items, including + variants:
- Passive Defensive Matrix
- Hybrid Defensive Package
- Heavy Defensive Suite
- Short-Range EW Suite
The defensive buffs from the Passive Defensive Matrix, Hybrid Defensive Package and Heavy Defensive Suite do not stack with each other. Note that the + variants of the Passive Defensive Matrix, Hybrid Defensive Package and Heavy Defensive Suite are only found on S-tier mechs, and cannot be bought from stores.
Elite Arsenal includes the following upgrades of existing items from vanilla and Expanded Arsenal:
- PPC Capacitator +, ++
- Targeting Computer ++, +++
- Artemis IV +, ++
- Clan Artemis IV +, ++
- Clan ER PPC +, ++
- ER PPC +++
- Heavy PPC +, ++
- Light PPC +, ++
- Clan UAC2/5/10/20 +, ++
- Clan LBX2/5/10/20 +, ++
- RAC2/5 +, ++
- Clan Gauss Rifle +, ++
- Gauss Rifle +++
- Heavy Gauss Rifle ++
- HAG20/30/40 +, ++
- Clan ER LL +, ++
- Clan ER ML +, ++
- Clan ER SL +, ++
- Clan Improved Heavy LL +, ++
- Clan Improved Heavy ML +, ++
- Clan Improved Heavy SL +, ++
- Clan Pulse LL +, ++
- Clan Pulse ML +, ++
- Clan Pulse SL +, ++
- VS Pulse LL +, ++
- VS Pulse ML +, ++
- VS Pulse SL +, ++
- MRM10/20/30/40 +, ++, +++
- Clan SRM2/4/6 +, ++, +++
- Clan LRM5/10/15/20 +, ++
- Clan ATM3/6/9/12 +, ++
- IATM 3/6/9/12 +, ++
- Clan MG +, ++
- Clan HMG +, ++
- Clan LMG +, ++
- Streak SRM2/4/6 +, ++
- Clan Streak SRM2/4/6 +, ++
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