Not even remotely close to what I meant in changing the format Tack... But I guess it works for planning at the very least... Need to practice properly enunciating what I mean...
(Draignean, if we decide to deploy a prototype, will it be available for deployment immediately? Do we have to pay for the prototype?)
Yes, the answer to the first question will likely decide my vote, if a prototype would be able to be deployed immediately, I will go for a portable cannon. Even if we have to pay for it, it can come out of next turns ore, which due to production and deployment happening simultaneously, we will not be able to use for the immediate reinforcements otherwise... If not, well starting a project won't cost ore, now would it? And if we go for something that starts off very similar to the LAC, it should be easy enough to get a prototype between initial progress and advancement dice next turn.
We need something heavy duty to at least contest the giant spiders so they can't just walk all over us. Rifles cost too much ore, the suppressor definitely is not built to be an arbalest, even with multiple revisions (Remember! Diminishing returns! And we already spent one on boosting the power!), and while I maintain that gauntlets will likely eventually bring one down (via EVENTUALLY melting through its carapace), I will admit that they'll have minimal effect unless we absolutely spam entirely unfeasible numbers of them. As such, we need a Heavy Weapon Design of some variety if we're going to double down on Three Captains, even if it isn't ready in time for the next reinforcement wave.
However, one alternate plan is to leave the current forces at Three Captains to their fates and build up a proper assault force to either belt spire.