Part 196: Draconis Suns Entires 2
Draconis Suns Entries 211) Leperflesh
quote:
Wildebeest WLD-1B
Mass: 70 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 5,278,840 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,192
Overview:
The Wildebeest is one of the first battlemech designs produced by the
newly-integrated military-industrial infrastructure of the Draconis Suns. The
reality of the situation, however, is that with the Clan invasion of Luthien,
much of the former-Draconis Combine's battlemech manufacturing capability had
been crippled.
The result is that while Yori Mechworks was able to supply engines and armor
manufactured at its Al Na'ir facility, the majority of the mech's parts and all
of its assembly came from contractors entirely or largely controlled by the
Federated Suns. Notably, the oft-fought-over Quentin facility of Independence
Weaponry received significant attention within weeks of the de-facto surrendur
of the Draconis Combine, and it was this retooling and upgrading effort that
proved to be the ideal site for production of the experimental Hyper-Velocity
Autocannon which comprises the Wildebeest's entire weapon loadout.
The mech was built on the new Dorwinion "Standard" design by Jonston Industries
on New Syrtis, making use of mostly-Johnston components including all of the
electronics and sensor packages.
Capabilities:
Envisioned from the outset as a platform for the Draconis Suns to field its
Hyper-Velocity Autocannon as well as two experimental munitions-types, the
Wildebeest carries two HV AC/10s mounted just above and behind the fists on the
mech's forearms. These weapons are fed by four ammunition bins in the torso,
each of which is capable of feeding either weapon. While two bins carry a total
of two tons of standard HVAC ammo, the other two are specifically designed for
Acid Rounds and Guided Rounds respectively. The Acid Rounds are a new
development aimed squarely at the Ferro-Fibrous armor used by the invading
Clans, while the Guided Rounds allow the Wildebeest to fire volleys indirectly
when assisted by a spotter.
With only 13 heat sinks in total, the Wildebeest can run hot if the pilot
insists on firing with both weapons while running, but the decision to mount
two of its heat sinks in the legs allows this problem to be mitigated in
shallow water, and if the mechwarrior can locate a good firing position where
he can remain mostly stationary, overheating is not a crippling problem.
The 70-ton mech can manage only modest speed from its Magna 210 engine, but it
carries 12 tons of armor - considered reasonable, if not spectacular, for a
Mech of its tonnage.
The real limitation of this mech is its ammunition. The HVAC weapon consumes a
ton of ammunition in just eight shots, so even with the specialized ammunition
included, the 'mech can provide only modest firepower for a relatively limited
period. Draconis Suns strategists hope that the surprise of the HVAC system's
superior range over standard AC/10s will give the Wildebeest an edge; in an
extended fight, the mech is likely to lose to even fairly venerable 70-ton
Inner Sphere designs with superior firepower, range, mobility, or (often) all
three.
Battle History:
The Wildebeest is a brand new mech which has not yet seen battle outside
carefully-controlled proving exercises.
Deployment:
The Wildebeest is intended to be deployed as a medium-range support battlemech
which will use the unexpected range, indirect firing capability, and
anti-Ferro-Fibrous ammunition to gain an edge against Clan forces. As such, it
is being included with other new and experimental designs alongside more
numerous, well-established front-line heavy and assault 'Mechs for
counterstrikes and defense deployments along the Clan invasion frontier.
Variants:
The WLD-1A was the original design, which used three tons of standard HV AC/10
ammo and an additional heat sink. While this mech would still have benefitted
from the surprising range of its armament, and had superior heat management
capabilities, the extremely limited ammunition capacity was a significant
concern. When the specialized ammunition types became available during
mid-3033, the Wildebeest underwent a redesign prior to final live-fire testing
and full production. It is unlikely the WLD-1A will ever be produced, although
there are a handful of prototypes maintained on New Syrtis for testing and
maintenance training purposes.
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 13 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 192 12.00
Armament
HV AC/10 RA 7 6 14.00
HV AC/10 LA 7 6 14.00
@HVAC/10 (24) RT - 3 tons standard
@HVAC/10 (16) LT – 1 ton Guided, 1 ton Acid
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: A very nice little `Mech. Sure, it’s a glorified artillery piece but it’s cheap and those Acid rounds are going to be a nasty surprise for the Clanners.
12) LeschNyhan
quote:
It is politically important for the new Draconis Suns to respect its new diversity. The Super Dragon is an upgrade on the classic Kuritan design meant to provide the Ryuken with some heavy firepower and to show that House Davion is not neglectful of its new citizens.
Although slower than the original Dragon at only 60+ kph, it makes up for the deficit with a jump capacity of 120m. This allows it to find optimum sniping positions for the new experimental Heavy PPC. Once it has depleted its foe's armour, the Super Dragon can close to unleash a barrage of SRM fire. Two medium lasers round out the Super Dragon's armament.
The Heavy PPC puts out a much more heat than a regular PPC, and the Super Dragon has enough heat sinks to compensate. More importantly, these heat sinks allow the Super Dragon to deploy its entire short-range arsenal while jumping for long stretches of combat.
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: Secret Agent…
Super Dragon SDGN-1
Mass: 70 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 6,219,053 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,557
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4 Standard
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 17
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 208
Armament
Heavy PPC – RA
2 Medium Lasers – RT
2 SRM-4s – LT
@SRM-4 (25) – 1 ton LT
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: Not bad, all around. It solves some of the problems with the Dragon being too light to effectively mount an upgraded armament.
13) Vlad Antlerkov
quote:
Sentry SNT-03
Mass: 40 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 2,917,227 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,168
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 4 Standard
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 128
Armament
2 Machine Guns – RA
Heavy PPC – LA
Medium Laser – HD
@MG (1/2) (100) – 1/2 ton RT
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: The Davions would love this. It’s cheap, and has a head-mounted laser!
14) GenericServices
quote:
Jagermech JM6-HV (Draconis Suns)
Quick Summary for PTN: Aggressively sub-par Jagermech JM6-S mod. Replace each pair of ACs in the arms with a HVAC/10, modify two ammo bins to supply Guided HVAC ammo, then pull the medium lasers and replace them with SRM-2s. The third JM6-S ammo bin gets changed into SRM ammo. Intended for indirect fire support, is short on ammo for main guns and suffers moderate heat build-up while moving and firing both ACs.
Mass: 65 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 5,215,925 C-Bills
Battle Value: 944
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 96 6.00
Armament
SRM-2 – RT
SRM-2 – LT
HV AC/10 – RA
HV AC/10 – LA
@SRM-2 (50) CT - 1 ton
@HVAC/10 (8) RT - 1 ton GUIDED
@HVAC/10 (8) LT - 1 ton GUIDED
Design History
With hyper-velocity autocannon reaching low-rate initial production, the NAIS approached Kallon Industries for assistance in devising a capable platform for the new weapon. Known for their production of AC-wielding 'Mechs like the Jagermech, Rifleman, and Enforcer, Kallon eagerly took on the project, foreseeing a future of lucrative deals supplying former Combine troops with new tools with which to take vengeance on the Clans. Examining the technical specifications of the HVAC and its specialized munitions, the engineers immediately seized upon the indirect-firing capabilities of the guided rounds as being ideal for their purposes. With the exceptional range of the HVAC and the ability to fire from behind obstructions, the Clans' potent weaponry could be partially mitigated. Better yet, it turned out that the mass of a single HVAC lined up nicely with that of the pre-existing autocannon in a Jagermech JM6-S. Thus was the JM6-HV born.
Swapping in a HVAC for the AC/5 and AC/2 in each arm produced a 'Mech with nearly the reach of a long-range missile system. Two of the ammo bins within the 'Mech were modified to support the loading of Guided munitions, which the designers belatedly realized solved not only the issue of Clanner range, but also a problem intrinsic to the Jagermech: its frailty. Normally considered thin-skinned at best, allowing the heavy 'Mech to employ terrain as its first line of defense would greatly increase its lifespan on the battlefield. Fortunately for Kallon, this was noticed in time to add it to the marketing copy.
The engineers chose to leave the 'Mech with its standard allotment of heat sinks, figuring that it would be periodically ceasing fire to reposition itself. This still left it running an unpleasant heat surplus, so in a mostly-futile effort to reduce possible heat output the medium lasers were stripped off and replaced with a pair of SRM-2 packs, with the original model's centerline autocannon ammunition bin exchanged for missiles. With so few major changes to the chassis itself, the first batch of JM6-HVs was ready for battle in excellent time, and although veteran Jagermech pilots were concerned by its relatively shallow ammunition capacity and harsh heat curve, the prospect of being able to empty those bins before having them punctured by a PPC was some consolation.
PoptartsNinja’s notes: Ahahahaha, YES! I love aggressively sub-par `Mechs!
15) T.G. Xarbala
quote:
Shadow Hawk SHD-2KDa1
"Dragoon Hawk"
Heart of the Dragon, Edge of the Sword
While the Shadow Hawk is one of the most commonly-seen 'Mechs in the Inner Sphere, compared to other 'Mechs of similar weight the SHD-2H model's performance was considered to be lackluster by any most analysts and even some of its own pilots--especially those who've had the misfortune to confront a Griffin head-to-head. The engineers of House Kurita struck onto a notable compromise, a Griffin-hunter Shadow Hawk capable of matching the Griffin's ground speed while maintaining a more steady rate of fire thanks to a clear surplus of heat sinks. The SHD-2K, as it came to be known, was regarded as one of the most successful Shadow Hawk variants of the Succession Wars. Meanwhile, the notoriously fragile Davion-designed SHD-2D was an embarrassment in comparison. When the NAIS designed a versatile new "Clanbuster" AC/10 capable of loading specialized anti-Clan ammunition while competing with Clan extended-range weaponry, the surplus of Shadow Hawks throughout both the Federated and Combine worlds made it an excellent testing platform. However, the size of the engine limited the size of its loadout and the SHD-2D's dearth of armor severely hampered its ability to survive at standoff ranges. With the addition of House Kurita's resources at their disposal, however, new options emerged. Nissan General Industries produced a line of 220-rated Fusion Engines typically used in Tokugawa Heavy Tanks, produced only on Luthien--the loss of which had robbed them of their most valuable customer. Their newfound surplus of Nissan 220's and the several battalions' worth of -2K Shadow Hawks provided as part of Jannike Kurita's sizable dowry proved a fortuitous fit for the engineers at NAIS, who revamped their "HVAC-X Shadow Hawk" model into a ferociously competitive new 'Mech.
Taking a prominent 'Mech commonly found within both House Kurita's and House Davion's forces, the NAIS, Achernar BattleMechs, and Alshain Weapons' veteran Shadow Hawk "refitter" engineers from Tok Do combined their efforts to design a highly mobile fire support sniper 'Mech for the new Ryuken regiments. Translated to "Dragon's Sword," these are to be a hybrid formation combining the methodologies and tactics of the best of both Kuritan and Davion forces while conspicuously invoking the imagery of both cultures. Fusing the overall damage profile and range bracket of the SHD-2K with a distinctly Davion experimental autocannon, the only compromise made was in ground speed. While a controversial decision to many veteran Shadow Hawk pilots (mostly -2H), the addition of a fourth jump jet has made the new, slower SHD-2KDa1 variant surprisingly popular...
... among Panther veterans.
As of this writing, the SHD-2KDa1 has entered production on New Avalon by Achernar BattleMechs using an SHD chassis design reverse-engineered from the original Earthwerks model by the finest Kuritan Shadow Hawk experts, redesigned to fit the gigantic HVAC/10 and paired with the basic electronics suite used by the Enforcer and Phoenix Hawk. They added back the right-arm fit Medium Laser, however. All parties agreed it helps give it a "classic" look. Armed with three different kinds of ammo for its main gun, the "Ryuken's Own" Shadow Hawk is capable of providing reliable fire support in any situation and against any target. Guided ammo allows the Shadow Hawk -2KDa1 to suppress targets from behind total cover and concealment, one of the few tried-and-true methods of countering the Clans' severe firepower advantage--though early tests suggest these might also prove useful against the Clans' "armored infantry" units. Acid rounds were developed as a hard counter against the advanced lightweight armor the Clans tend to use. And standard HVAC ammo provides a sizable punch at any range against hard targets. To top it all off, the Hyper-Velocity AC/10 has an easily 33% longer effective range than standard AC/10s, allowing it to out-shoot even an IS standard PPC or the Clans' own advanced AC/10 variants. A single extra heatsink allows it to jump 120 meters and fire its HVAC or run and fire both long-ranged weapons, all while running cool as a cucumber--a fact not lost on Panther and Griffin pilots, who have long had to manage a delicate balance between mobility and sustained fire.
Mass: 55 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 4,394,973 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,081
Movement: 4/6/4
Armor: 9.5 tons, Starguard II Standard
Heat Sinks: 11, SHS
Armament
LRM-5 – RT
HV AC/10 – LT
Medium Laser – RA
@LRM-5 (24) – 1 ton RT
@HVAC/10 Standard (8) – 1 ton RL (REALLY?)
@HVAC/10 Acid (8) – 1 ton LL
@HVAC/10 Guided (8) – 1 ton LL
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: AHAHAHAHA! … Not a fan of the leg-mounted ammo, but I suppose you gotta put it where it fits.
16) b0lt
quote:
Lets take a gun and glue a mech to it!
[quote]Sniper SNP-1A
Mass: 55 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 4,718,407 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,033
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 5 Standard
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 120 7.500
Armament
HV AC/10 – RT
@HVAC/10 Acid (8) – HD PoptartsNinja’s Notes: I still have issues with head-mounted ammo
@HVAC/10 Guided (16) – LT
@HVAC/10 (8) – RT
5/8/5 medium with an HVAC/10 and 4 tons of ammo (2 guided, 1 acid, 1 normal) that hides behind terrain all day shooting indirectly.
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: Quick-ish, but very Lyran. It’s also probably carrying too much ammo for its weight, it’ll probably never fire it all before something kills it.
17) TildeATH
quote:
Yorinaga YGA-1X
Mass: 70 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 5,419,940 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,393
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 27 17.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 144 9.00
Armament
4 Small Lasers - LT
Heavy PPC - RA
Heavy PPC - LA
Named for the Hero of Luthien, the Yorinaga began as a platform for a host of new technologies, including higher capacity heatsinks similar to those fielded by the clans, lighter internal structure and new munitions, all in support of a pair of Lord's Light 3 heavy PPCs.
But delays in development of any of the new technology except for the Heavy PPC resulted in what many in the new DS military regard as a white elephant. To fit enough standard heatsinks to even fire the two particle cannons, the engine on the Yorinaga was downgraded so that it can barely keep pace with an Atlas. Without the weight savings expected from the improved internal structure, the machine saw its entire secondary armament suite replaced with a box of small lasers on its right shoulder. And at every design meeting, when the engineers threw up their hands and pointed out that you couldn't mount two HPPCs on a standard heavy mech, a new way was discovered to reduce the Yorinaga's armor, until it ended up with a ton less armor than even the thinly-protected Warhammer.
Given that adaptation of the Yorinaga to take advantage of any coming new technology it was designed for would require a total refit, and in the case of internal structure be simply impossible, most Ryuken assume the mech is meant as a political statement. A powerful mech fielding the newest, most dangerous weapons available to the Draconis Suns and named after a famous Kurita warrior looks great on the holovids and recruitment posters. But its low speed, fragility and heat all make it a tough sell to experienced mechwarriors.
PoptartsNinja – Ouch, that speed; ouch that heat… but as far as Warhammers go, I’d still field one. The damage of an Awesome for 80 tons less.
18) Magni
quote:
==Overview:==
Designed as a larger version of the venerable Rifleman, the Gunslinger debuts the new Hyper-velocity Autocannon technology pioneered by NAIS to create an all-round fire-support plattform in the assualt-weight category.
==Capabilities:==
The experimental Class 10 Hyper-velcoity Autocannon is a superb long-range weapon system, combining striking power with a range rivalled only by LRM-launchers, tolerable heat buildup and the ability to use specialised novel ammunition types. While plagued by minor jamming problems, the weapon has been attested to have great future potential by MechWarriors and technicians alike.
Unlike its predecessor, the Gunslinger has not to worry about ammunittion as much, carrying a full four tons of ammunittion. These include one-ton bays specifically intended for experimental guided rounds that allow the Gunslinger to conduct indirect bombardements at long range. Three medium lasers give the Mech a modicum of ammo-independent short-range firepower.
Taken directly from its smaller cousin, the Garret D2j tracking system provides excellent acquisition of swift-moving aerial targets, which combined with the long range and high muzzle velocity of the HVACs turns the Mech into a terrifying anti-air plattform.
Although well-suited to the fire-support role, the armament of the Gunslinger is comparatively mediocre and even with a more than adequate 13.5 tons of armor, its pilot would be best advised to evade short-range fights against opponents of similar weight.
==Variants:==
Intended for use against the mysterious Clan invaders, the GUN-X2 is a minor modification that replaces the storage bin for guided rounds in the right torso for one used to store specialised acid rounds.
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Type/Model: Gunslinger GUN-X1
Mass: 80 tons
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 16 Single 7 6,00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA R: Sh+UA 12 ,00
Armor Factor: 214 pts Standard 0 13,50
Armament
1 HV AC/10 (THB) – RA
(Ammo Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 Guided LT, 1 Guided RT)
1 HV AC/10 (THB) – LA
1 Medium Laser – RT
1 Medium Laser – LT
1 Medium Laser – HD
Total Cost: 7.057.800 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1.117
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: Interesting. I think you’ll regret not having Acid rounds, but they’re more powerful than they look.
19) Magni
quote:
Type/Model: Kensai Kami KEN-X1
Config: Biped BattleMech
Mass: 60 tons
==Overview:==
The Kensai Kami is an experimental heavy attack Mech, based on on the venerable Dragon. As much a symbol to the former Combine population of the Draconis Suns as a weapon of war, no expenses were spared in trying to design an agressive and maneuverable short-range attacker.
==Capabilities:==
While slightly slower than the Dragon, the Kensai Kami is still intended as a close assault vehicle, possibly evne moreso than its venerable ancestor. While the addittion of more heatsinks and a slight increas ein armor led to a loss of speed, the designers ar ehoping that this is compensated for by the addittion of jumo jets.
The Kensai Kamis' design serves this purpose well. The 'Mech's overall squat shape makes it both a small target for weapons and a difficult opponent to knock to the ground in a brawl. It's armament further enhances this role, replacing the LRM of the Dragon with a six-tube short-range system and a third medium laser. The only long-range weapon of the Mech is an experimental Heavy PPC that provides a fearsome punch at long ranges with a damage potential equalling the combined output of the old autocannon/LRM combo. THe addittional heat sinks incorporated into the design are barely enough to keep up with the heat produced by this impressive piece of weaponry.
Ammo capacity has gone down to 15 shots for the SRM-rack, but this is considered a fair tradeoff given the large amounts of energy-based firepower now avaiable to the Mech.
As a final improvement over its ancestor, the hip actuator problems plaguing the Dragon were finally solved during the design stage, giving the techs maintaining it cause for joy.
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Type/Model: Kensai Kami KEN-X1
Mass: 60 tons
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4
Heat Sinks: 15 Single 6 5,00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA R: Sh+UA+LA 14 ,00
Armor Factor: 168 pts Standard 0 10,50
Armament
1 Heavy PPC* - RA
1 Medium Laser – RT
1 Medium Laser – LT
1 SRM 6 – CT
(Ammo Locations: 1 LT)
1 Medium Laser – HD
Total Cost: 5.148.800 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1.150
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: It’s nice to see the experimental `Tech broken up between two designs. They’d actually work fairly well together.
20) Helter Skelter
quote:
Ryo-Guchi RGC-2A
Mass: 90 tons
Chassis Config: Biped
Cost: 7,811,375 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,494
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 17
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 208
Armament
Small Laser – HD
SRM-6 – RT
2 Medium Lasers – LT
HV AC/10 – RA
Medium Laser – RA
HV AC/10 – LA
Medium Laser – LA
@HVAC/10 (Guided) (16) – 2 tons, RT
@SRM-6 (15) 1 ton RT
@HVAC/10 (Guided) (16) – 2 tons LT
PoptartsNinja’s Notes: An excellent bombarder; but it’s probably a bit limited by using nothing but guided ammo. You still need a spotter for indirect fire, so acid or standard ammo would’ve been decent back-up tools.