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One Rabid Fox changes the Succession Wars [A Battletech Isekai]

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40MM Sphinx Tank
  • View content
    • why do i imagine this is semi related to my introtech sentry/watchman variant assuming a source of FE 200s is made available for a swordman variant or the like...or is a variant for the swordsman proper needed here?

    also a LRM-5 or 2 is decent long range firepower for a light or medium mech in this period.

    oh i think you randomly mentioned the grasshopper on accident

    edit:
    Sphinx Tank (Standard)
    Mass:     40 tons
    Movement Type: Tracked
    Power Plant: 160 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    2 LRM 5
    1 SRM 6
    1 Large Laser
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3000
    Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 1,240,633 C-bills
    Type: Sphinx Tank
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 40
    Battle Value: 784

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    4

    Engine
    160 Fusion
    9

    Cruising MP:
    4     		 

    Flanking MP:
    6     		 

    Heat Sinks:
    10     		 

    Control Equipment:     		 
    2

    Power Amplifier:     		   

    Turret:     		 
    1.5

    Armor Factor:
    152
    9.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Front
    4
    37

    R/L Side
    4/4
    26/26

    Rear
    4
    26

    Turret
    4
    37

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 LRM 5
    Turret
    2
    4

    SRM 6
    Turret
    2
    3

    Large Laser
    Turret
    2
    5

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    Body
    1
    1

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    Body
    1
    1
    Something I cooked up awhile ago a Myrmidon expy that loses the PPC due to Succession War production scarcity and maintenance hell and also downrates the engine to a 160 for much the same reason and also to add additional weapons in the form of 2 LRM-5s fed by a ton of ammo and a half ton of additional armor upping it to 9.5 tons which among other things means in theory all facings can tank a direct hit from a long tom albeit a TAC is likely. Has a MG variant that loses the 2nd LRM-5 for a pair of MGs fed by a half ton of ammo and a additional half ton of armor bringing the total up to 10 tons and costs 17 less BV and 20,300 C-bills than the stock variant. Overall the design is a bit cheaper than the original tank its inspired by and its big attraction in universe would be that you can buy 2 for 159,534 less c-bills than a single Manticore.
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM Nightstar Swordsman
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    • Introtech Nightstar NSR-8D
    Mass:     95 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 285 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    1 PPC
    4 Medium Laser
    2 AC/10
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3021
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 8,695,440 C-bills
    Type: Introtech Nightstar
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 95
    Battle Value: 1,825

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    9.5

    Engine
    285 Fusion
    16.5

    Walking MP:
    3     		 

    Running MP:
    5     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    16
    6

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    288
    18
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    30
    45

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    14

    R/L Torso
    20
    31

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    9

    R/L Arm
    16
    31

    R/L Leg
    20
    39

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 Heat Sink
    RT
    2
    2

    AC/10 Ammo (20)
    RT
    2
    2

    PPC
    RT
    3
    7

    Medium Laser
    LA
    1
    1

    AC/10
    LA
    7
    12

    3 Heat Sink
    LT
    3
    3

    Medium Laser
    LT
    1
    1

    AC/10 Ammo (20)
    LT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    HD
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    AC/10
    RA
    7
    12

    a introtech nightstar variant.

    Swordsman SWD-3
    Mass:     40 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 160 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    2 Medium Laser
    1 LRM 5
    1 SRM 6
    1 Large Laser
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3023
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 2,885,493 C-bills
    Type: Large Laser Swordsman
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 40
    Battle Value: 964

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    4

    Engine
    160 Fusion
    6

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:
    4     		 

    Heat Sink:
    11
    1

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    128
    8
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    12
    17

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    6

    R/L Torso
    10
    15

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    5

    R/L Arm
    6
    12

    R/L Leg
    10
    16

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    0.5

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    RT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RT
    1
    0.5

    LRM 5
    RT
    1
    2

    SRM 6
    RT
    2
    3

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    RT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    LA
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LT
    1
    0.5

    Large Laser
    LT
    2
    5

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    0.5

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1
    A large laser swordsman I threw together before I saw the authors note and figured I'd post anyways
     
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    • 40MM Fusilier
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    • working on something that's based off the enforcer right now actually. And for that matter the Sentry/Watchman uses most of the same parts as that canonically to speed up/ease production including the frame.
    and for that matter not far back i posted a dual LL enforcer here.

    Imperator Pax said:
    Look at what goes into the Longsword components wise (which Hanse doesn't know, but coincidence I am sure).
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    hint as the designer it totally wasn't

    edit: my newest 50 ton design.
    Fusilier FSR-3E
    Mass:     50 tons
    Chassis: Dorwinion Standard
    Power Plant: Nissan 200
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Starshield
    Armament:
    2 Zeus LRM-15s
    4 ChisComp 39 Medium Lasers
    Manufacturer: Archernar Battlemechs
    Primary Factory: New Avalon
    Communication System: Achernar Electronics HID-21
    Targeting & Tracking System: Federated Hunter Mk. II
    Introduction Year: 3020
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 3,773,500 C-bills

    Type: Fusilier
    Role: Missile Boat
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 50
    Battle Value: 1,155


    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    5

    Engine
    200 Fusion
    8.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    10     		 

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    152
    9.5
     

    Internal
    Structure

    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    16
    22

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    7

    R/L Torso
    12
    18

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    5

    R/L Arm
    8
    14

    R/L Leg
    12
    20
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand


    Weapons
    and Ammo

    Location

    Critical

    Tonnage

    2 Medium Laser
    CT
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    RT
    1
    1

    LRM 15
    RT
    3
    7

    LRM 15 Ammo (16)
    RT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    LA
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    LRM 15
    LT
    3
    7

    LRM 15 Ammo (16)
    LT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    The Fusilier started with me wondering what you could do with a slower Trebuchet. as it turns out a decent amount with the resulting 5 available tons. 2 tons of ammo, 1 medium laser, and 2 tons of armor over the stock trebuchet. And yes its a Achernar design since they have experience with fire support designs including using the Dorwinion Standard frame or close variants of it via the Dervish(which needs a slight upgrade in my POV via more armor and heatsinks via dropping the SRMs for another pair of medium lasers and 2 tons of armor and the 2 LRM-10s being replaced with 2 more heatsinks). The name of Fusilier is a hint over how cranky Achernar is with the Federal Government right now. Well that and I already have a Ranger design so a Fusilier one works naming scheme wise.

    Honestly its basically a mini archer in terms of capabilities and in terms of price comparison vs its in production in the 3rd SW Missile Boat peers its roughly 59.1% of the price of the 2R Archer, 88% of the 5N Trebuchet, 75.6% of a Dervish 6M, 66.4% of a Crusader 3R and 50.9% of the 7Q Longbow.
     
    Last edited:
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    • New Avalon 1.2
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    • New Avalon 1.2​
    He hadn't fully appreciated the interest in the seventy tonners. He'd generated the parts that were to be assembled into the Longsword mechs for Albion due to the interest the Robinson contingent had expressed. It made sense that RBA would want to test the design, and it was supposed to be an easy to use design... so it made sense to make it avialble to Albion as well... after all the NAIS didn't exist yet.

    It probably would.

    He figured since they'd managed to steal even more of the university cache that Ian probably would insure that there was an NAIS he just probably hadn't gotten around to a grand opening yet.

    He assumed it was coming... hopefully. "Fuck." Henry rubbed his eyes, "I need coffee," He remarked to the man on the other side of the table. He had the feeling all of a sudden that this was now so much more than he had initially planned.

    Henry flipped through the paper work. Not that he had immediately assumed everything would necessarily go smoothly but the truth was he was hoping to be able sweet talk Corean into agreeing to his initial proposal... rather than throwing the c bill value of a mobile HPG worth of their stock... because that was the interesting thing, yard space were only in sub eleven hundred range BV wise, but were twenty five billion c-bills of cost.

    A morningstar HPG equipped CCV was just over five billion c-bills.

    ... a vehicle worth a mere 458 BV...

    It was absurd, but it didn't matter if it came to it he'd throw the stock on the table... if it came to that... that was the thing he didn't want to immediately resort to a hostile take over if social niceties from the First Prince and Field Marshal of the Draconis March would get him the preferred answer to in turn answer the logistical problem for a medium trooper mech.

    The Longsword was a heavy mech though, and he should have considered that it would have naturally attracted more attention as something new... he might well have just overshadowed his own attempt to put one over the capellans and the cataphract wholly by accident. He had gotten excited, he had let himself focus on what they could do for relatively little C-Bill price tag, but it didn't change the fact, or that at least from his perspective the Centurion was already in the logistics chain they were already in production and thus the better procurement option.
    --
    There had never been any question where she would attend. That wasn't to say this was her first visit to Albion on New Avalon, but Alexandria had always known she was meant to attend Sakhara. Her expression was carefully schooled all the same as the machines were ooh and ahhed over. The seventy tonners massed the same as Clay's Rabid Fox but were functionally closer to warhammers , that lesson had been driven home.

    It had been her first real experience with the command circuit and that had caught her off balance, where instead of waiting a week for a jumpship's drives to charge it had simply been the matter of decoupling from one star lord to the next in sequence.

    Technically speaking each JumpShip had been different. Uniform paint schemes aside they had had registration numbers in utilitarian block script and different names, but the Star Lords had all looked the same in broad strokes. They felt new but Alexandria supposed that was more upkeep than anything.

    The Longswords though, there was no denying they were new. All twelve machines were painted in the same high vis orange, and had been numberd off in white blocky numbers. She couldn't help but ask if he knew what he was doing.

    Clay frowned almost seemingly offended, and then shrugged, "seventy six million three hundred ninety one thousand one hundred ninety six c-bills." He replied, after a moment of apparent mental math to reach such an outlandish sum, "Yes I know what I'm doing, the techs are very sure they put these together from standard enough parts and weapons. Whatever quibbles I might have over one model PPC, versus another, or one medium laser manufacturer over another these are all standard parts, could we have facilitated more testing yes, but Lord Aaron is very sure that he wants a delivery of them assembled for the RBA and donating to New Avalon is not being altruistic its free advertising."

    Alexandria didn't believe him. It simply wasn't a credible statement coming from someone younger than she was, but there was no point in arguing over whether he was seriously going to protest that this was all about money or not because as it was the Duchess of Victoria, as well as Lord Aaron had made their appearance with a second alumni of Avalon, adding a third duke to their number. The heir apparent to the realm Hanse Davion, the Fox to the First Prince's Hound. Hanse Davion looked much more relaxed, at ease, than he had at his wedding reception... but how much of that was the nuptials, or even for that matter his older brother's rather public intoxication Alexandria couldn't begin to guess.

    "Auntie tells me you unveiled these in sequence, is there anything else in the works?"

    "Mm," Henry paused to consider, or restrain himself from answering Hanse Davion's question, "There are a number of various projects, just never enough time."
    --
    Hanse Davion preferred the BattleMaster. The machine passed down to him as his father's spare suited him better than the Atlas his brother had received as heir. The Atlas was a slower machine, dangerous but ponderous. The longsword was lighter than his battlemaster, and maxed out at the same speed, but it only need a sixteen ton engine to achieve that than the much heavier 340 rating Engine that powered his machine.

    The fact that the Longsword carried two Donal PPCs instead of one somewhat changed the dynamic of its otherwise lighter weapons load out.

    He was in a bright orange and white mech on the gunnery range showing off for the small cluster of senior cadets invited to watch the proceedings. Albion's cadets might pilot this mchine, but they were not the invitees Hanse was watching. They had staged this carefully after all.

    Ian had his hands full at the moment, but it was only a matter of time before he managed to leverage escaping his curated schedule. As a result he knew he needed to have an argument formulated to sway to convince his older brother to support preferably before Ian loudly demanded to be allowed an opportunity at piloting the seventy ton machine. It hadn't been on the official itinerary so he assumed that word had yet to reach the First Prince about the contents, but that wouldn't last long.

    Had Clay advertised he was bringing a new indigenous mech design, and a heavy mech at that, there would have been turn out from New Avalon's elite, and pressure to move for a formal hearing, arguably more of a response than just what Clay was actually hear for. To that end it was ironic, Hanse would admit, that there were likely to be more questions about creation of a new 70 tonner than what Clay wanted to actually spend money on.

    Unless you happened to be the Achenar delegation.

    Hanse guided the machine to the embarkation point he had started the course at, and dismounted from the war machine, but he was satisified it passed muster... and even if it hadn't it was still eye grabbing. He immediately made a bee line back to his party

    He wasn't surprised his auntie was talking about the Battlemaster, after all she had piloted one with the Crucis Lancers. Henry shook his head, "The 340 rating is uncommon for a reason. Things like the Rapier, and the Star League era Longbow fell out for a reason, that leaves really just the Victor and BattleMaster." He scratched at his hair, which should have been impractically long and shaggy for a mechwarrior in the confines of a modern production neurohelmet, and cut a contrast between the buzz cuts many of the Avalon cadets were sporting. "If you're principle aim is an assault mech, that's a different matter something in the eighty ton class is a more practical engine."

    The boy really couldn't help himself at times, Hanse recognized. He was obviously just too accustomed to what he considered normal, and never stopped, or rarely stopped to think about it... it reminded him of Ian at times... and that was probably why the First Prince got along so well with the 'Rabid Fox'. "You'll have to excuse me Lord Henry, but if you don't like the Fox moniker perhaps not painting your machines akin to fox's belt might be a start," He joked rejoining the group, but cognizant of the security detachment from the DMI that must have been his aunt's idea.

    "They're not." Henry started to protest. Then stopped, "You didn't use the JumpJets."

    "I'm quite sure they work," Hanse replied, and he spared a look to his aunt, "Are you sure you can't do something about the BattleMaster?"

    "No, not anytime soon, I'll be blunt I'd sooner allocate resources to produce something in the hundred ton range. Atlas, King Crab, Marauder 2, those Annihilators or Imp things even that the Dragoons brought."

    Hanse started to smirk, but Aaron Sandoval's eyes alit, "The annihilator you say?"

    "Mmhmm," was the grunted reply, "it runs off the same engine as the Centurion, but thats the point its a common engine. Once we have Corean on board and the myomer and chassis process on an industrial then we can do things like branch out, but the Battlemaster at this stage would have only limited shared components with what we can manufacture."
     
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    • 40MM Falchion
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    • Falchion FLN-3C
    Mass:     85 tons
    Chassis: Crusis-F
    Power Plant: Strand 255 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Jumping Distance: 90 meters from 3 HildCo Model 12 Jumpjets
    Armor: Durallex Heavy
    Armament:
    2 Donal PPCs
    4 Martell Medium Lasers
    2 Harpoon-6 SRM 6s
    4 Zippo Flamers

    Communication System: Neil 6000
    Targeting & Tracking System: Octagon Tartrac System C
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 7,780,360 C-bills

    Type: Falchion
    Role: Juggernaut
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 85
    Battle Value: 1,836 (1873 with the quirks applied)


    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    8.5

    Engine
    255 Fusion
    13

    Walking MP:
    3     		 

    Running MP:
    5     		 

    Jumping MP:
    3     		 

    Heat Sink:
    18(22)
    8

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    263
    16.5






    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    27
    41

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    13

    R/L Torso
    18
    27

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    9

    R/L Arm
    14
    28

    R/L Leg
    18
    36
    RA actuators: shoulder, upper, lower, hand
    LA actuators: shoulder, upper, lower, hand


    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 Heat Sink
    LL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    CT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RT
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    RT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    RT
    1
    1

    SRM 6
    RT
    2
    3

    Flamer
    RT
    1
    1

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    RT
    1
    1

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    PPC
    LA
    3
    7

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    LT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    LT
    1
    1

    SRM 6
    LT
    2
    3

    Flamer
    LT
    1
    1

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    RL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Flamer
    RA
    1
    1

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks: Combat Computer

    My latest design a 85 tonner which I've posted elsewhere already and the newest in my line of mechs named after melee weapons. It would run really hot in its brackets it I didn't give it the combat computer quirk(or pulled 2 of the flamers to get the heatsinks back up to 20 vs the 18 is has if the quirk wasn't there). Its basically the kid of a 3 way between a firestarter, a warhammer, and a thug in terms of role
    As always thoughts and comments are welcomed.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • 40MM Ranger
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    • a MML upgrade of my Ranger Design
    Ranger RNG-4R
    Mass:     60 tons
    Chassis: Dorwinion Standard 60T
    Power Plant: Pitban 240 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Starshield A
    Armament:
    1 Parti-Kill Heavy Cannon PPC
    3 Holy 3-Tube MMLs
    3 ChisComp 39 Medium Lasers
    1 ChisComp 32 Small Laser
    1 Zippo Flamer

    Manufacturer: Robinson Standard Battleworks, Achernar Battlemechs
    Primary Factories: Robinson, New Avalon
    Communication System: Achernar Electronics HICS-11
    Targeting & Tracking System: Federated Hunter Mark III
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-X-D
    Cost: 4,978,160 C-bills

    Type: Ranger
    Role: Brawler
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Tonnage: 60
    Battle Value: 1,306


    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    6

    Engine
    240 Fusion
    11.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    16
    6

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    200
    12.5




    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand

     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    20
    30

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    9

    R/L Torso
    14
    22

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    6

    R/L Arm
    10
    20

    R/L Leg
    14
    28



    Weapons
    and Ammo

    Location

    Critical

    Tonnage

    2 Heat Sink
    LL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    CT
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    RT
    2
    2

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    LT
    2
    2

    3 MML 3
    LT
    6
    4.5

    MML 3 SRM Ammo (33)
    LT
    1
    1

    MML 3 LRM Ammo (40)
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    RL
    2
    2

    Small Laser
    HD
    1
    0.5

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks:
    Easy to Maintain
    Rugged (2)
    This writeup also contains all the missing fluff the original writeup of the stock introtech one lacks.

    On another note Achernar not being the top of the trooper medium mech game isn't the end of the world for them since over three quarters of their money comes from non military stuff.


    edit: The introtech ranger
    Ranger RNG-3R
    Mass:     60 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 240 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    1 PPC
    3 Medium Laser
    2 LRM 5
    1 SRM 6
    1 Flamer
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3020
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 4,961,760 C-bills
    Type: Ranger
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 60
    Battle Value: 1,306


    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    6

    Engine
    240 Fusion
    11.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    14
    4

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    200
    12.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    20
    30

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    9

    R/L Torso
    14
    22

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    6

    R/L Arm
    10
    20

    R/L Leg
    14
    28
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand


    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    CT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    RT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    RT
    1
    1

    SRM 6
    RT
    2
    3

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    RT
    1
    1

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    LT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    LT
    1
    1

    2 LRM 5
    LT
    2
    4

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks: Easy to Maintain, Rugged (2)
     
    Last edited:
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    • New Avalon 1.3
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    • New Avalon 1.3​
    The Wolf Dragoons name drop hadn't been really thought out... he knew they were famous, but their sheer impression their name rep and fame had by the time he'd been an adult in another world had come off as the authors wanting to hype up their pet faction... but it probably was also true by that point Battletech as a fandom and IP in that other world had had so much other stuff going on, and had been competing with other things.

    This, in a real world, he might have thought that was just hype.

    ... but no The Wolfs were a big fucking deal. They were a brand, and they had started their tenure with the Fed Suns so they were a big fucking deal here. Just the mention that that was an option attracted so much more attention from Sandoval than he had been expecting... and he was glad when Yvonne headed things off, "Lets focus one thing at a time."

    "Yeah," He agreed, "Like I said these are a cost effective solution, but the centurion is already in service and you wont have to train techs on a new machine they've never heard of before." He continued quickly. Ugh, there were days he simply despised the marketing presence and cultural phenomenon that the Wolf Dragoons enjoyed... but there was nothing he could do about that. "I will be happy to talk about standard parts with Archenar and Kallon for that matter but the entire reason for the interest in Corean is that it is in service, the Centurion, and that they have recently completed a new factory here."

    Was he really that differently wired than they were when it came to these thing?

    He didn't want to think so... but he had to admit the prospect of having extra universal knowledge shouldn't have been that much greater logistical insight.

    Henry shook his head, took a minute to snag his coffee and drink, which yielded the floor to the other Davion present. Hanse looked like was something back, his posture had shifted a bit when he had mentioned techs, but maybe that had been him commenting about the Dragoons. Ian had been the one who had hired them when they had first appeared in the Inner Sphere after all. "We will have to inform the First Prince of all of this, a new domestic Heavy BattleMech is obviously something that can't be ignored. Its in the national interest."

    Henry couldn't help himself, "You know the Marauder II is a thing right, I mean I absolutely would love the rights to produce that," Arguably to the point where he might have ordinarily joked about killing over it... except someone would have probably taken that all too literally, "But leaving that aside, okay its a heavy battlemech I am open to discussions regarding the Longsword, or other projects." He took a breath, "Look Hanse, make me a list, and I will give an itemized response of what is and isn't practical and why for it is or isn't in a given time frame... but mostly that's going to boil down to if not the production of the major components then lack of trained personnel created bottlenecks in manufacturing then it is is the supply situation in the merchant marine." Another breath, " I mean think about how long it normally takes to get from point a, say Robinson, Or Sakhara in this case, to reach New Avalon, versus what that is with a dedicated full time allocation of JumpShips. This is why this is my priority. With Corean, the machine is established. The centurion is a standard enough common service design within the AFFS logistics system, and there is already a set of experienced workers who have set up one new factory recently. But if the Longsword is of the national interest they're here," Being endowed to Avalon, "For the school to take a look at."

    --
    "You know things would be so much easier if he were just a mech ace."

    "He reminds me of Dr. Banzai. Not identical but they both have that sort of manic energy about them," Hanse replied as the scores tallied. Since Hanse hadn't bothered to use the jump jets... it was new BattleMech design, Henry was currently out on the course. The Rabid Fox had given him a great deal to think about whether he knew that or not. What Clay probably was ignorant of was the true value of what his victory on Halstead Station had won the Federated Suns, beyond just humiliating the Combine and destroying one of the most historically vile units of the DCMS.

    What had been lost to history and then found... and what they had kept out of the Combine's hands. The regiment of sword of light shattered on Halstead station had given them time to strip the vaults of all their valuables. That they had also certainly severely damaged Takashi Kurita's plans to establish a supply depot on Halstead to support offensives.

    With little to do he broached the question, "And there still has been no sign of the 2nd​ Sword of Light being reconstituted?"

    Yvonne Davion shook her head, "No, we assume it has to be coming, but to the best of our knowledge the Regiment disappeared from the rolls. If the Combine means to reconstitute it it will require moving units and personnel from other units in the brigade... we really would have expected to see that take place but we've had nothing to substantiate those expectations."

    The Combine continued to publish an alternative account of the battle in their public narratives. After all the Coordinator couldn't possibly have made a mistake so much as that samurai had been attempting to honorably avenge their predeceased commander, and if that meant pretending they'd been fighting some lostech assault battlemech from the end of the star league well... that seemed to be the route they had committed to. "Even so," Hanse started to protest.

    "From what we understand," The Duchess of Victoria replied as the seventy tonner's ppcs flashed on the screen, "the combine failed to recover much of their equipment, Halstead Station's environment was far from hospitable, but he had expected them to be able to make some gains."

    Aaron Sandoval nodded, "The dome and the magma vault did collapse that could have caused geologic instabilities burying any salvage under thousands of tons of earth."

    "That is the working theory."

    Hanse knew that the vault's breach hadn't critically compromised the area. The fighting hadn't helped, but in his discussions with Ian he had had to make clear to his older brother that even though they had the upper hand they needed to strip the vaults of all their material... and then that they should scuttle the load bearing supports as they withdrew. If they were lucky, if their luck had held then the Combine might well have just written it all off, or wasted the better part of a year digging for some idea of what the AFFS had been after.

    ... but simply denying that find to the Combine was not the same as as effectively utilizing what they had found, and Hanse knew they would need leverage in order to have Ian move... and he was hoping that the prospect of a new shipyard might convince his older brother that the Federated Suns stood at a unique, and historical opportunity by which to move their nation into the future.

    "can he fix the McKenna shipyards?"

    "I believe he has those resources," Yvonne replied. Then it was simply a matter of allowing Ian, receiving his brother's consent to post his youngest vassal to the capellan march, "We have a year, and if in a year the shipyard at Sakhara is operational then we will have our answer."

    Even if it wasn't quite ready, allowing for teething issues with the machinery that by itself would mean that the Federated Suns had a new Shipyard. A new shipyard, not a refurbished star league era one, but an entirely new line to produce JumpShips.
    --
    Notes: this would have been up this morning but my computer decided to freeze up and fucked up the update for this, saturday's update of aoe sunday's update for ghost... anyway so I went to bed without posting as a result this is sans Ian's introduction, which I will rewrite for 1.4 New Avalon.
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM Shogun
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    • My introtech shogun variant

    Shogun SHG-2D
    Mass:     85 tons
    Chassis: Kitushi Shogun
    Power Plant: Strand 255 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Jumping Distance: 90 Meters
    Jumpjets: HildCo Model 12
    Armor: Valiant Lamellor
    Armament:
    1 Magna Hellstar PPC
    2 Coventry Star Fire LRM 15s
    1 Harpoon-6 SRM 6
    4 Martel Medium Laser

    Communication System: HartfordCo COM 4000
    Targeting & Tracking System: HartfordCo XKZ 1
    Introduction Year: 3020
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 7,936,130 C-bills

    Type: Shogun
    Role: Juggernaut
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 85
    Battle Value: 1,841

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    8.5

    Engine
    255 Fusion
    13

    Walking MP:
    3     		 

    Running MP:
    5     		 

    Jumping MP:
    3     		 

    Heat Sink:
    17
    7

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    248
    15.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    27
    40

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    11

    R/L Torso
    18
    28

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    8

    R/L Arm
    14
    26

    R/L Leg
    18
    32
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper. Lower
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper. Lower


    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    CT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    CT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RT
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    RT
    2
    2

    LRM 15 Ammo (16)
    RT
    2
    2

    PPC
    RT
    3
    7

    LRM 15
    LA
    3
    7

    4 Heat Sink
    LT
    4
    4

    SRM 6
    LT
    2
    3

    LRM 15 Ammo (8)
    LT
    1
    1

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    LT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    HD
    1
    1

    LRM 15
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks:
    Barrel Fist (RA) (LA)

    I pulled one of the SRM-6s and its ammo for 4 medium lasers (2 of which take up the position of the pulled SRM-6 and the other 2 occupy the head and CT slots where the original shogun had a medium pulse laser and a medium laser) and since its a strictly introtech design the case got pulled for another much needed ton of LRM ammo.
    Also swaps out the jump jets and the remaining SRM-6 for much more common and reliable models(the Thunderstroke SRM-6 model isn't even listed on sarna it links to the SRM-4 page where there isn't a Thunderstroke model when you look and you know the many problems with the Anderson 21 Jump Jet Model) ditto for the armor which is unique solely to the Shogun( it was also slightly rearranged to give the side torsos and arms some more armor at the expense of the legs which still have plenty of armor) all of which I fell should help remove the non standard parts and difficult to maintain quirks.
    Alas doesn't solve the heat problem but short of adding the combat computer quirk, improved cooling jackets to the PPC and LRMs, or pulling the jump jets its not possible in introtech.

    I kept the coms and targeting systems as is since those are the same as the battlemaster's and so should be able to be produced by the time you can set up a shogun plant and they will help the suns make the battlemaster if that's wanted.
     
    Last edited:
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    • New Avalon 1.4
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    • New Avalon 1.4​

    As duke of New Avalon and First Prince... and all the associated titles by which he had inherited from being the first born son of Andrew Davion. It had taken him decades to get out from under his father's shadow... and while he was far from the ideal first prince his ministers wished for... or at least that his father's ministers would have wished for he had the crown and the rod so to speak... he did have the ceremonial scepter and crown but those largely remained in storage for the thankfully rare functions where they were required for tradition.

    When confronted with the duties of state he had always tried to meet the expectations put on him since childhood. It was easy to talk to people, but being at a party or across a table was one thing... it was the business of states that agreements were arcane agreements drawn up behind closed doors... and that was harder.

    It had been one thing to recognize when a title became open to award long standing government ministers to life peerages... but there were accomplishments which were once in a lifetime that had no comparison. That had been where they had stood when they, he himself as First Prince and the AFFS and the Davion state, had stood victorious over the sword of light on Mallory's world... never mind Halstead Station after.

    It had put him on the spot. This was not some mercenary captain at the helm of his hereditary fief but at that moment on long fallow sandy soils that a seventy ton machine had met another 'mech in the same weight class before it had turned on the other combine mechs and given them the space to breath.

    How Yorinaga had managed what he'd done on that planet, in maneuvering his whole battalion around them like that still baffled the brightest officers and strategists of the AFFS. They couldn't say how he had done it, but it had been gamble that had ultimately turned against the young Kurita, genius or not, he had found that fate had turned against the Combine in that critical moment.

    It had been just over two years since that day in 3013 and less than that since the victory at Halstead station. He understood what his ministers meant now about how it was easier to award rank and rewards to older men, and experienced mercenary commands. Why it would have been so much easier to reward a young AFFS officer who had done the same thing. Saving one's first prince could at least be envisioned on that note... murdering the rest of the would be assassin's unit in a subsequent pitched battle on entirely different world... was a bit of a stretch there but it did make for a smashing holovid success.

    Even the combine's ... fantastical retelling of the battles were popular. That of course demonstrated the limits of how the Combine could massage the truth. He loved every minute of it. It was every breath of it how he would have liked the role of prince to be, the thrill and hum of battle and the rsi on the front lines rather than the stuffy confines of New Avalon and its court.

    There was a lot he would have given to be free of the court and its strictures, but his home was here, and he didn't get many opportunities to exercise his wanderlust. The success of Halstead Station and Mallory's world had won the Federated Suns glory, but it hadn't outweighed the risks he had taken, and the conservatives at court wouldn't allow him to forget it.

    It had been enough to keep him confined to New Avalon.

    He wasn't friendless by any means... but he longed to run through the fields so to speak. Hanse had been able to justify going off world more than he had. So Ian Davion settled into the chair. The chair was old. His father had sat in it. His father sat in it before him. It was an antique. A centuries old piece of furniture of oak, red velvet and and golden gilding in a room that was largely more of the same.

    The fancy box that contained his reports that would open his day, and contained the collection of newspapers from New Avalon's major publishing houses occupied the end table. The box was more of the same dating to before the foundation of the star league.

    Pomp and Ceremony.

    "Your Highness, these have been deemed the most critical to your time."

    "Thank you Martin." He replied to the Minister for New Avalon proper.

    He was a little annoyed that Yvonne hadn't given him more notice. He'd been told time and again at fifteen what a command circuit was, what it cost to operate command circuit. It had been part of growing up as the heir to the throne.

    Ian meandered somewhat unconcerned with his Director of Military Intelligence 2's reports, and Hanse hadn't written him anything as of yet, but it had to be coming. He would have ordinarily skipped straight to the bottom of the boxes to reach the foreign office's briefings but for once the good stuff was on top, even if it didn't give him a complete picture.

    There were notes about BattleMechs being delivered to his alma matter. He wouldn't have ordinarily batted an eye at that despite being the ceremonial colonel of the regiment. He ordinarily wouldn't have had the time to examine nay contributions, usually donated by Alumni either as battlefield trophies or by private purchase though some times less frequently from the estates of alumni after their owner's death. Such donations were generally assembled at the start of the following term to be inspected, usually after being inspected by the school's technical section before hand, in order to receive them into the corp of cadets.


    The reasons that such a contribution were being noted were of course that there were twelve of them. Enough for a company, and they were all identical. They were all identical machines of manufacture that didn't exist because they were a new BattleMech design.

    He looked at the home minister who was standing awkwardly by the couch. The man was old and gray, and was a compromise of sorts, though not a hold over to any of the governments of his father's reign.. but that was just a testament to how long Andrew Davion had ruled that the old men had been able to do things. Ian asked the most obvious question that came to mind, that was of course where exactly his brother Hanse was, to which the answer was at Avalon examining the machines in question.

    Ian felt himself restraining the protest that that really was his job... since of course as First Prince he theoretically had an infinite number of small duties that were ceremonially there but in practice had to be delegated.

    Besides, he'd had somewhat intuited that that was going to be the answer. Hanse's absence in the palace was obvious this morning, as was that of their aunt, which while not unusual given their respective state / intelligence services to his government, but given there was particular dancing around whatever it was that had prompted his youngest vassal to come to the capital... it had to be bigger than just twelve new mechs... well barring that if there were twelve maybe there was a factory or something.

    --
    Notes: this is short, because this was originally apart of 1.3. But Ian Davion, everyone.
     
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    • 40MM Bastion
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    • The latest in my 200 fusion engine using designs that fundamentally is in my opinion at least is at least somewhat a Annihilator like design done semi right.
    Bastion BAS-2T
    Mass:     100 tons
    Chassis: Achernar Type 10
    Power Plant: Nissan 200 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 21.6 kph
    Maximum Speed: 32.4 kph
    Armor: Durallex Heavy
    Armament:
    2 Donal PPCs
    2 Zeus LRM 15s
    8 Magna MK II Medium Lasers
    2 Zippo Flamers

    Manufacturer: Achernar Battlemechs
    Primary Factory: New Avalon
    Communication System: Neil 6000
    Targeting & Tracking System: Octagon Tartrac System C
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 8,290,667 C-bills

    Type: Bastion
    Role: Juggernaut
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 100
    Battle Value: 1,740


    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    10

    Engine
    200 Fusion
    8.5

    Walking MP:
    2     		 

    Running MP:
    3     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    28
    18

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    264
    16.5



    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    31
    40

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    15

    R/L Torso
    21
    30

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    10

    R/L Arm
    17
    30

    R/L Leg
    21
    30
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand



    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 Heat Sink
    LL
    2
    2

    2 Medium Laser
    CT
    2
    2

    5 Heat Sink
    RT
    5
    5

    2 Medium Laser
    RT
    2
    2

    LRM 15
    RT
    3
    7

    LRM 15 Ammo (16)
    RT
    2
    2

    2 Heat Sink
    LA
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    LA
    1
    1

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    PPC
    LA
    3
    7

    4 Heat Sink
    LT
    5
    5

    2 Medium Laser
    LT
    2
    2

    LRM 15
    LT
    3
    7

    LRM 15 Ammo (16)
    LT
    2
    2

    2 Heat Sink
    RL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    3 Heat Sink
    RA
    3
    3

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    Flamer
    RT
    1
    1

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks:
    Extended Torso Twist
    Protected Actuators
    Its protected by some 16.5 tons of armor a full 4 tons more than Annihilator. Its long range punch is 2 PPCs and 2 LRM-15s with 2 tons of ammo each for prolonged downrange fire. Up close it has 8 medium lasers and 2 flamers albeit the later is mostly for anti infantry work or for creating stuff like smoke cover. And it has 28 heat sinks to keep things reasonably cool all things considered in the introtech era.
     
    Last edited:
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    • New Avalon 1.5
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    • New Avalon 1.5​
    The tests were done for the day. Avalon, the military academy, continued to host them but there was a break in the action so to speak leaving them to take lunch... and kill time until the reception that evening. Of course how long this interlude would last depended on other factors.

    Henry preferred sandwiches. It was something she had noticed seemingly on the basis of that it left him with a free hand by which to continue to work as he sat at a table. Like the one he was presently dominated with an array of charts and... tables. His pen scratched numbers trailing into ten figures for single alpha numeric strings.

    Scratch scratch, scratch.

    Hanse, and Yvonne watched the two children, relatively speaking there were days where Yvonne did still consider Hanse & Ian both something of still children themselves. The chart was nothing new per se, Clay had gone through that there were machines that made other machines, and machines that made tools that were then used... and so forth and so on.

    All of it build up onto itself to get forward to where you put final assembly together and then the lights turned on. And if you had done everything right, then there would be a brand new Star Lord class JumpShip. The JumpShip was the final point in production... but the machinery and tooling, and space that went into building the Ship could be reused for the next one.

    It was a monotonous and laborious explanation to the process. Germanium, titanium, and aluminum and other elements by the thousands of tons were needed, and more plentiful elements. She expected that all of the numbers and short hand on the papers were what went into the JumpShips and their shipyards... and most likely Ian would look at it, assume it was accurate and want to change subjects.

    And if the numbers were right, then they were looking at something more than just the space lift capacity to move more troops against the Combine. It had been Ian's intention to try and leverage and press their advantage, to rub his successes in the face of the Coordinator for two years now. That had utterly dominated court discussions ... and not helped by the disturbance to court politics of not just the battles but also other deaths in the realm. Owing to the coronation of a new Duke of New Syrtis had removed Michael Hasek from his post ... and for the moment that was still empty ... but only because they were stalling. Appointing the new Duke of New Syrtis to a sinecurial position wouldn't have been unheard but that Yvonne would have been happy to free Ian's government of any of the Capellan March appointees... if only she could get away with it... and she doubted that. There was too much tradition tied to the great families. The Crucis March families and the great houses of the Draconis March were also looking at the open positions within government that Ian had been loath to fill while still planning to attack the ancestral enemy. That meant that while Hasek was minister for the Capellan March... he wasn't pointed in the right direct as far as Ian was concerned... and hadn't been able to attract Ian's attention.

    JumpShips would not be enough to get the First Prince's attention that was clear. Hanse was relatively sure that the new Corean factory on New Avalon which had attracted Henry's attention, and had been able to hold Ian's attention could be the focal point for leverage. Once they had sanction they could expand that to the secret collection of resources seized from Halstead Station... and once Hanse's idea was in place then they could undertake.

    It hadn't escaped Hanse's notice that comments or the underscoring Yvonne had laid regarding what the fusion engines being produced could power beyond BattleMechs. There was no shortage of machines that could use the engine in question be they simple tanks, or aerospace fighters that the Federated Suns was preciously short on. They still weren't BattleMechs but they were army equipment the AFFS ground forces could use them against the combine directly.

    As large space assets, in excess of a couple hundred tons, the fusion engines which powered JumpShips and DropShips were often unique to their designs with little overlap. "We need to bring Galax," Federated Boeing, "In to this." She remarked.

    "Our biggest hope is that he's resigned to a Kathil posting and brings it up himself, rather than pushing it ourself. If Ian gets into a discussion with Lord Aaron, and wants to reiterate any sort of DMM chomping at the bit then we will probably lose the opportunity."

    Lord Aaron was currently absent, having been leveraged to enter discussions for Corean on Robinson. The idea was simple. The two new 'mech factories would license produce the Centurion BattleMech and in theory if the capital was there they could produce battlemechs locally. Robinson's proposal was to expand their exist BattleMech refit and repair lines working through their existing network.

    Henry Clay was to build an entirely new factory complex by which to somewhat emulate what had been done on New Avalon. If Corean hadn't already moved its headquarters to the Federated Suns, to New Avalon... well there had been the quip in passing to Ian that Corean might well have moved to Sakhara because it promised to do what the New Avalon move had been intended.

    So far everything looked good. Everything looked fine. Yvonne wasn't worried that Ian would see a problem with it. They were talking about a lot of capital coming into Corean... and that was the sort of thing that Archenar would get nervous by. It didn't matter per se how much of their income came from other sources the Enforcer was a point of pride for the company. Being a prestigious defense contract was part of their national identity and it was looking at things from that direction that Ian, and Yvonne were attempting to head off potential challenges.


    "Okay," The two looked up at Clay tiredly put a handful of papers down on their separate table. "Here this," he indicated a table of numbers, which had no obvious meaning other than that they were large. "I'd prefer eighteen months of testing, particularly to see how they hold up over an entire year with the cadets here, but half of that probably could provide the answers necessary." He was talking about the Longsword, "It is equipped with Jump jets and PPCs historically those are or can be as finicky as autocannons in new designs but since they're established models we don't forsee issues... but having other engineers come in won't hurt. I," He trailed off, "I may send Avalon two more machines," He obviously meant the school, "Just to see if they can run the machines hard enough to see if they can break them, but they're BattleMechs. But these are itemized component numbers of the major parts... and their cost approximate c-bill value..." He paused, "In the interest of standardization this is the engine which will power the Cataphract production type as well, and this is a list of the other mechs I can name which take the same engine ..."

    Warhammer, Archer, Guillotine, Grasshopper... "What's a shootist?"

    "Star league era mech, has an assault autocannon." He shrugged, "Its on there for much the same reason the lighter mechs are being thorough. Even brining engine production up to scale, I'd sooner prioritize archer production, but the Longsword, and Cataphract represent a balanced new production mix, but the Longsword design is intended for rugged simplicity hence lacking the diverse weapon load out of the Warhammer."

    Henry drummed his fingers on the paper looking between the two. There was a question of what the market would buy if there was a larger battlemech supply, yes there was a federal military budget, but there was a question of what the noble houses would buy, and the corporate security would buy... but now wasn't the time. The 280 was a fine engine but the truth was he really hadn't expected as much interest as the Longsword was getting.

    Yvonne looked at the numbers, and the weapons chart.

    He shrugged, "Functionally it was what we had on hand... the Donal is used on the warhammer. The ChisComp well those came out of Achernar mechs, or spare parts for those mechs. Achernar comm suite is commercially available. The objective was off the shelf parts availability." Which to Henry... well there was mountain wolf who seemed to understand the concept so far as he understood the Merlin, but very few other people seemed to have thought about that... even the Marauder II which really appealed to him just... well that was for another day, "Can Achernar produce the Vox 280," Had they even mentioned it, "Because really I would say that would be the bottleneck to production is the limits of fusion engine production." Did Achernar currently produce the engine in house or was it going to need to be sub contracted out for... well he didn't know that, but it wasn't really his problem at least it wasn't right now.

    Hanse waited before posing the question of whether they had brought a cataphract, they hadn't but it was a seventy ton machine running off the same engine, so it wasn't as if there weren't certain parts compatibility though the weapons and electronics suite were different.

    "We should wait on that," Yvonne remarked, "We've just demonstrated the Longsword, and Achernar is interested, too many pies might spoil dinner as it were."
    --
    Notes: Should Ian be this much of a meat head? Probably not, but I also want to underscore exactly how much bad blood is between the Combine and the FedSuns.
     
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    • New Avalon 1.6
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    • New Avalon 1.6​
    Lord Aaron had basically resigned himself that eventually the Capellan March would take notice. This was for a variety of reasons. The Draconis March was foremost the most serious military threat of the realm being on the border as its named implied with the Draconis March, but arguably even in the Star League while the Combine had been the true threat to the security of the Federated Suns as a whole the Capellan March worlds of note were where a significant portion of heavy industry lay... the succession wars had not been kind of the industries of worlds which fell into his portfolio as Minister of the Draconis March... not that the Haseks had escaped unscathed either.

    What Lord Aaron wasn't aware of was the reason Lord Michael hadn't been offered his previous post as minister of trade in Ian's government was pressure within the Crucis Marsh. Michael Hasek had had to take up his father's post, hte hereditary post of the Hasek familyas minister of the Capellan March, and in 3013 Ian had moved to counter the Combine invasion of Mallory's world.

    Michael had somewhat expected a pro forma reappointment as a matter of course. Yvonne knew that and he might even have been right that Ian might have gone through with that, since nothing had substantively materialized regarding talkings with House Steiner. As a result, though he had little reason to remain on New Avalon Michael Hasek Davion had continued to frequent the capital lurking around in expectation of regaining his previous federal post and leaving the business of acting as Minister of the Capellan March while he was away from New Syrtis these last two years.

    "If you're the fox, and Ian is the hound, does that make him the weasel?" Henry questioned leaning to look out over the grounds from where they were sitting on the second floor. "I heard he was having trouble with the Capellans, is that why the RCT is basing off of Spica? Why you want me to garrison the McKenna yards while they're fixed, cause he's not up to it?"

    Yvonne had been starting to interrupt at the weasel comment, even though Hanse had clearly sfound it funny... and Ian would have have actually laughed at the question. It was the sort of joke the reigning first priince would have found great fun. The question about Spica and the yards though well that was something that was still pressingly important.

    Clay was young enough, and if she were being honest, frighteningly capable for his age as a mechwarrior that Hasek and his short career with the Fusiliers might feel inadequate. No, would almost certainly feel inadequate... and Hanse couldn't help himself, "And you're sure you aren't able to do something about BattleMaster production, work a little magic."

    Henry groaned, "I'll look into it..." He replied.

    She didn't miss the look in Hanse's eyes... who certainly recognized what he was doing by discussing BattleMasters as a mech, but she also didn't miss the contemplative expression from the groaning teenager. "What is it?"

    "I'm not commenting to anything, I'll need to talk to Haakon, and I certainly don't guaruntee anything quickly. I just don't see how it would be economical right now."

    --
    Ian ... well hadn't gone ballistic that would have been inappropriate as First Prince.... but he had inwardly fumed at the distractions of his responsibilities ... the truth was he had been hoping to bolster relations with the Lyran Commonwealth... but there were just so many other things to take care of... like fighting the combine.

    ... and for that matter he was tired of Marie's husband complaining and making excuses for lack of progress on the Capellan front. The duke of New Syrtis should have been present on the front leading from the front or at least being present, not hounding around for the job he had held while Lord George had been the head of the family. There had been a good man, whatever complaints he had about Michael his father had been a good man.

    He stirred from the thoughts looking at the mechs, "They're foxes, look, they're orange and white. Foxes." He reiterated with a smile gesturing to the dozen seventy ton Heavy BattleMechs donated to the school's cadre for evaluation.

    "Yes sire." The colonel replied mechanically.

    Hanse would have thought it was funny, and the sooner his brother got down here the better, and Ian decided to be more serious, "I was told there was another design."

    "Cataphract your highness. Also seventy tons, sir."

    "That one has auto cannons, yes?"

    "According to the reports."

    "A pity he didn't bring any, but I see the reasoning behind it." It wasn't as if his youngest vassal had built them especially for him as First Prince, and from the reports the Cataphract was ... well seemed to be a more or would it be less polished design. The notes from auntie were that it had been built utilizing commercially available parts and hardware from a variety of designs. It wasn't really quite a frankenmech from the sound of it but well with the wars having made such a mess of things people should be so glad to have any battlemech. That was the conventional wisdom, "I'm going to ask."

    The colonel stoically responded, no doubt having already guessed that Ian had been planning to ask about the other machine. He turned away from the machines as the elevator bay dinged and the passengers disgorged. "No I fully understand the logic. A heavy battlemech is a higher prestige item, historically they made their start with heavier battlemechs. My interest with having Corean agree to license me the, Us, the Centurion production rights and set up a factory stems from that it is a general trooper design already in the AFFS."

    Michael Hasek-Davion duke of New Syrtis was clearly on the wings of the party. To his right, immediately to his right, was Yvonne, and then Hanse, and the wheel chair bound duke of Robinson and the to the far right were the speaking form of the count of Sakhara Henry Clay himself, and the slim figure of the heiress apparent of the duchy of Kestrel. Us in this case seemed to refer to Lord Aaron.

    "Can you afford to spare the technicians?"

    "Of course I can," Henry responded, "I wouldn't have made the offer if I couldn't." He continued, and the conversation turned to the matter of lawyers. Ian waited and let them keep talking before emerging to greet them, before waving away any attempts to stand on ceremony... he'd have none of that at the moment. "I have my techs planning to see what materials are locally available in the same vein and concept as the Longsword, and the Cataphract, but they'll need several days."

    Ian couldn't resist interjecting, it was such a perfect opportunity, "Yes, I must admit I was very interested in whether we would get the chance to look at that design as well. Its been so long since a new mech design has appeared."

    Henry blinked... and then shut his mouth just as quickly. "Ah.... I will see what I can do."
    --
    Notes: Like I have to wonder exactly how much of it is like this stuff wasn't written like early on, but then like the merlin is the original rules demonstrator. I forget when Marauder 2 was published but like the Merlin as a mech design is out there by this point, and the Marauder 2 is actually in the FedSuns... i don't get the special bullshit wolf dragoons monopoly on a literal new never mind good assault mech. So the apparent lack of knowledge about the machines just bugs the shit out of me. Anyway short, I have DnD I DM tonight, and we get more Ian ... next week. Next week,
     
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    • 40MM Centurion
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    • Posted this over in the general BT thread but given the heavy centurion focus of this story I figured it would also be suited to be posted here as well.


    Centurion CN9-AP
    Mass:     50 tons
    Chassis: Corean Model 7K
    Power Plant: Nissan 200 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: StarGuard III
    Armament:
    1 Magna Hellstar PPC
    2 Holy V LRM 5s
    4 Photech 806c Medium Lasers
    1 Zippo Flamer

    Communication System: Corean Transband-J9
    Targeting & Tracking System: Corean B-Tech
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 3,547,750 C-bills

    Type: Centurion
    Role: Brawler
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 50
    Battle Value: 1,159


    Equipment     		 
    Mass
    Internal Structure  
    5
    Engine
    200 Fusion
    8.5
    Walking MP:
    4     		 
    Running MP:
    6     		 
    Jumping MP:    
    Heat Sink:
    14
    4
    Gyro:  
    2
    Cockpit:  
    3
    Armor Factor: 168
    10.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value
    Head
    3
    9
    Center Torso
    16
    24
    Center Torso (rear)  
    7
    R/L Torso
    12
    19
    R/L Torso (rear)  
    5
    R/L Arm
    8
    16
    R/L Leg
    12
    24
    Right arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower
    Left arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage
    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1
    2 Medium Laser
    CT
    2
    2
    Heat Sink
    RT
    1
    1
    Medium Laser
    RT
    1
    1
    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1
    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1
    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    LT
    1
    1
    2 LRM 5
    LT
    2
    4
    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1
    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1
    Heat Sink
    RA
    1
    1
    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1
    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Something I designed when I looked at the AL Centurion and realized that assuming your using it as a bracket fighter its way way oversinked. and of course using a LRM-10 which is the worst LRM system. Oh and it wastes half a ton to add a single point of armor.
    If nothing else that can be used to make the right arm small laser a medium one. with the saved mass via the 2 cut heat sinks and the 2 LRM-5s vs 1 10 and cutting the LRM ammo to a more reasonable single ton(if your firing 24 rounds of LRMs in a medium mech that's a brawler you probably have been in the battle too long and really should have withdrawn to rearmor so its basically a ammo bomb risk) to add a PPC, a medium laser, upgrading the small to a medium, making the rearward firing medium laser forward facing, and a flamer since anti infantry capabilities among other uses is very useful for a line mech.

    The design does weaken the rear armor compared to the AL by 2 points per torso due to auto placement of the armor and also my POV that a line mech needs as much armor forward as possible especially since I pulled the rear medium laser.
    It runs a slightly hot in the longer range bracket when moving but even then you can just turn off one or both the LRM5s every once in awhile to manage that.
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM Sphinx Introtech
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    • Well its been long enough for this not to count as a double post and since I posted it in the main QQ BT thread so best to post it here as well.

    Sphinx Tank
    Mass:     40 tons
    Movement Type: Tracked
    Power Plant: LVT 160 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: ArcShield Maxi II
    Armament:
    1 Exostar Large Laser
    2 Holy V LRM 5s
    1 Harpoon-6 SRM 6

    Communication System: O/P R Janxiir
    Targeting & Tracking System: TargiTrack 717
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 1,240,633 C-bills

    Type: Sphinx
    Role: MBT/Infantry Support
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 40
    Battle Value: 784

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    4

    Engine
    160 Fusion
    9

    Cruising MP:
    4     		 

    Flanking MP:
    6     		 

    Heat Sinks:
    10     		 

    Control Equipment:     		 
    2

    Power Amplifier:     		   

    Turret:     		 
    1.5

    Armor Factor:
    152
    9.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Front
    4
    38

    R/L Side
    4/4
    26/26

    Rear
    4
    25

    Turret
    4
    37

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 LRM 5
    Turret
    2
    4

    SRM 6
    Turret
    2
    3

    Large Laser
    Turret
    2
    5

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    Body
    1
    1

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    Body
    1
    1
    Quirks:
    Power Reverse
    Fast Reload
    My latest(ish I forgot I had this one file) design that's basically a Succession War era Myrmidion that's made for the resource scarcity of the succession wars and thus uses a FE 160 and a large laser rather than a FE 200 and a PPC but in exchange gains 1 ton of armor and 2 LRM-5s with a ton of ammo split between them. It also has the option of dropping a LRM-5 for a pair of MGs with a half ton of ammo and adding a additional half ton of armor albeit this option has 17 less BV. Overall it has only 24 points less armor and a tad less weapons than the Manticore which is reflected in the BV. It has only 109 BV less than a Manticore and you can buy 2 of them and still spend 159,534 less c-bills than a single Manticore and for that matter it costs some 32,000 C-bills less than a standard Bulldog but has 179 more BV than one. Oh and since it comfortably fits in a light vehicle bay you can haul 2 of them per Manticore or Bulldog assuming you have light vehicle bays available.

    Very much designed with 2nd and 3rd line house units, mercs, and militias in mind while still being solid enough for 1st line and even high end units in the Succession War period. I could have given it better quirks but I give too many of my designs powerful as heck quirks like easy to maintain and rugged so I decided to mix things up this time.

    As always thoughts and comments are welcome.
     
    Last edited:
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    • New Avalon 1.7
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    • New Avalon 1.7​
    Ian... well Ian regarded his brother in law with delighted smugness. This was the high point of perhaps the year maybe. He would have liked to gloat more, but the reality was Michael wasn't useless, his brother in law was terribly annoying at times, but wasn't incompetent ... but today really was a good day. The downside were safety regulations not allowing him to pilot the 'mechs in question there were restrictions for his safety until they were sure they were safe... be embarrassing to get thrown from the horse as it were.

    That been doubly true with the projects the technicians had worked round the clock to facilitate. Truthfully he expected that while Yvonne had hope to get something done, it hadn't been at this scale... breadth perhaps By itself this would have warranted patents, state sanctioned monopolies... they hadn't even discussed the shipyard issue as of yet but he could already see that well if that were the case, if this were the case... the Federated Suns had to make other investments to make all of this possible... and to take advantage of it. Hanse had been talking about planning for utilization of what they had taken from the Combine, stolen right out from under the snake's noses and there could be no denying that there needed to be more science and investment into the realm, investment into education, and into industry but the succession wars had proven to b e lean years for the most part.

    Blackwell, and Mountain Wolf were going to have to be talked to, especially Blackwell... but apparently .... that was under way. Still that it hadn't made the news was appalling.

    "I'm going to need time. Haakon is supposed to talk with Mountain Wolf, and I expect... I really expect he'll need to make several trips to have everything worked out," There was a pause as a massive bull necked man leaned to not really whisper but attempt to remind the count of Sakhara of something. Ian didn't quite catch all of it, "Yes, we'll have to speak with the dragoons about production sign off, but I think an agreement can be managed to garner their consent." He paused again, "yes," He replied to the hulking infantry officer, "we can reach an accord so long as they don't take contracts with House Kurita, or for that matter anyone else who sided with Amaris not that I expect the Dragoons are going to sign on with the Taurians, I will make that clear just in case."

    "I'm sorry what?"

    "House Kurita fed SLDF positions through the ISF to Rim World forces during the Terran campaign... like its why the Eridani got bushwhacked on Talitha." He glanced up towards the RAC infantry officer, who nodded. "I will make it very clear to Colonel Wolf our terms are contingent on him picking his employers carefully." Henry shook his head, "if it works, and if they agree to it, we have legal cover for future production..." and if not... well the Epona was Clan Hells Horse, but truthfully he wanted the Badger, and Bandit for more cover... and for Mercury mechs as an excuse... "Whatever the case as production increases there is going to be a demand for more techs, that means schooling." He said throwing the bait in the water so to speak. "So yes, the Marauder II..."
    --
    As an idea, he was inclined to agree in principle with Lord Aaron. He really did dislike the idea of denying one of his more capable martial vassals the opportunity against the hated hereditary enemy... but then his brother and auntie had decided to bring forth the facts and logic... and they made a relatively compelling case.

    It was also true that the duchy of Bristol sat vacant... or more correctly had returned to House Davion, sitting an empty title... a world he didn't have time to visit a world that needed a leader who could spend time there... Marie had wanted him to award it to one of their poorer relations, but he had been inclined to make it Hanse's problem... but Hanse was his heir... and he could afford to send Hanse to Bristol regardless of how 'close' it was to the capital. He needed Hanse here, and he needed Hanse here more than he needed Bristol to have a competent and trustworthy ruler... and it now looked as if he had an option for that.

    "So then we wait,"

    "Yes," Yvonne agreed.

    Leaving aside the obvious, that Clay needed to finish his time at Sakhara and a proper education did take time they were waiting to see results. "Once the yard is operational there will be no concealing what it si." He remarked.

    Again, his aunt agreed.

    Hanse had said nothing this whole time. "And once he has his commission you want me to post him to," He paused looking at the hand written report, the principle problem of the Federated Suns was in Clay's view economics, the carrying trade between worlds, "Kathil." Sakhara to Bristol was seven jumps.

    "Bristol to Kathil is only four jumps," Hanse supplied, he paused, "And if anything, rebuilding the James McKenna Shipyards at Kathil would substantively alleviate the purportedly central issue of shipping tonnage. The yard at Sakhara would be thirteen jumps to Kathil. If I understand Clay's argument correctly this is better, at least for us as Kathil, and Sakhara's yards would both be six jumps from New Avalon."

    Ian tilted his head to acknowledge the point, and hoped that Galax wasn't brought up as well, but that would have been getting ahead of themselves. That made sense, and he was willing to admit to a consensus on the matter. Lord Aaron would probably protest, but he hoped to be able to ameliorate some of that by avowed federal support to providing for the expansion of efforts of military assets... that was to say that he was willing, because of course he was, to support the battlemech expansion efforts.

    They would find some comfortable arrangement to improve the Draconis March Militia's preparedness... perhaps they could also bolster the New Ivaarsen Chasseurs as part of this.

    ... and speaking of mechs, "I understand we have time," that time had been made for, "in the morning?"

    --
    Henry shoved his hands in his windbreaker. New Avalon had been colonized in the early 23rd​ century and its largely temperate mild climate had lead to a fairly rapid growth from western and northern european immigrants. It was the capital and had been since there had been a Federated Suns, and as a result of manufacturing that existed on world and the first prince's prescence, and that of his court even for companies that didn't have factories on the planet, parts for their machines for their creations could be found, though they were a little lesss common than say Corean or Achernar.

    In this case Kallon came to mind.

    All of these were test bed concept models put together from spare parts so in a sense they were kind of sort of frankenmechs in the same way that the Cataphract could be considered a franken-mech. Sort of, but not quite.

    The truth was doing things by hand and the sweat of ones brow like the periphery did was time consuming... and the projects in question were more a case of what's in the local market? What is it that the Federated Suns either manufactures parts wise, or can reasonably import from someone else that we can build a design around.

    There was one other thing. The MML wasn't his first choice per se, the Zorya that the RAC used were fielding iATM but he was keeping those in the backpocket for the time being. It hadn't been hard to pull a centurion apart and just replace as needed as a nominal 'test bed' because, well the ten shot LRM rack was atrociously inefficient compared to other options. He wanted to demonstrate it but it would only appear on the lone centurion they had assembled while all the other machines would field standard missile launchers.

    The idea was that in the future if they needed to introduce MML equipped units, to field mechs that theoretically could in a pinch swap roles then they could just refer back to this and if anyone brought it up... well it would be a case of showing the 'test' on New Avalon. The lawyers were supposed to be diving through what licenses, and how licenses were supposed to work specifically in the Federated Suns so that they could capitalize on that. There were a lot of things to do on that front, Centurion, Marauder II, Merlin, but also licensing out of the Long Sword.

    The conversation with regards to New Valencia and the wolf dragoons had only driven part of that of course. That conversation though had lead, in part due to other conversations to some of what was now on display. The two Strand 255 Engines hadn't been that difficult to wrangle though they had gone into two different designs one was a ... what he thought of a 'fixed' Shogun, and the latter into something that might catch Kallon's eye, maybe, but if it didn't it would catch someone else's and they might be able to provide for a better trooper Rifleman.

    Shogun. Falchion. If they had to focus on an assault weight the eighty ton Alecto running off of the Pitban 240 would have been more practical than the 255 engine designs. The fifty ton Fusilier would have been a good in house design. There were enough parts to put together another Centurion as a well as a variant of the Enforcer still laying around the mechbay, but he doubted they would go to the trouble of putting them together.

    Rounding out were a ShadowHawk variant put together, and then two more lighter mechs, an introtech Sentry and a thirty five tonner using the 210 engine, the Antares. Two Lances of Mechs.
    --
    Notes: Among other things, later https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fox_(BattleMech). Though probably not with all of those machine guns. This is somewhat abridged in so far as the first scene doesn't touch on, Omni-Vehicles, or the just oddity that is Blackwell situation

    As for the inevitable Dragoons reaction; canonically lore does seem to be increasingly moving towards allowing warriors to go off into the wilderness and in this case, with the RAC that's going to be a case of hey Stefan Amaris has living descendants and the combine collaborated with Amaris in the the 2760s so fuck those guys because this story is somewhat adopting ideas from Ghost, EWSG, and similar ideas in broad swathes will appear in Aurigan as well
     
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    • 40MM Warden
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    • Derp I forgot to post the warden over here after I even gave it the fluff to be a suns design. Give me a bit to correct that.

    Warden WRN-D3
    Mass:     80 tons
    Chassis: Achernar Type 8
    Power Plant: Pitban 240 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Armor: Valiant Lamellor
    Armament:
    1 Defiance 'Mech Hunter AC/20
    1 Magna Hellstar PPC
    1 Harpoon- 6 SRM 6
    3 Magna Mk. 2 Medium Lasers
    1 Zippo Flamer

    Communication System: Neil 6000
    Targeting & Tracking System: Octagon Tartrac System C
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D

    Cost: 6,840,540 C-bills
    Type: Warden
    Role: Juggernaut
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 80
    Battle Value: 1,594



    Equipment         		 

    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    8

    Engine
    240 Fusion
    11.5

    Walking MP:
    3     		 

    Running MP:
    5     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    18
    8

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    247
    15.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    25
    38

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    12

    R/L Torso
    17
    26

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    8

    R/L Arm
    13
    26

    R/L Leg
    17
    34
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower, Hand


    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 Heat Sink
    LL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    CT
    1
    1

    AC/20 Ammo (10)
    RT
    2
    2

    AC/20
    RT
    10
    14

    Heat Sink
    LA
    1
    1

    PPC
    LA
    3
    7

    2 Heat Sink
    LT
    2
    2

    2 Medium Laser
    LT
    2
    2

    SRM 6
    LT
    2
    3

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    RL
    2
    2

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Flamer
    RA
    1
    1
    Quirks:
    Improved Cooling Jacket (Right Torso AC-20)
    Command Mech
    Improved Communications
    And yes its a atlas knockoff that doesn't have battlefists as a quirk. Something something too many postive quirk points and more importantly in universe there's the fact that its arms are different from the atlases since it has to fit a PPC in one of them and the other fits a flammer. And yes if wanted I have a modernized variant that uses such fun things as a ER PPC, a Gauss rifle, and MMLs
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM Star lifter sting, Maidens, Missle carrier Demolisher sharpe
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    • HunterxReader said:
    It certainly is a discount Atlas but in a good way. The Suns right now is starved for proper Assault mechs, excluding the other ones Henry is planning to introduce/bring back. A more affordable command juggernaut will certainly be helpful. It's less maneuverable than the alternative of a Victor for a heavy command mech but it's cheaper, tougher, has actual bonuses for leading and has more versatile firepower. Plus there's the 240 FE goodness. I suppose it depends on the commander if they'll prefer the short-range punch of the Warden versus the additional fire support and mobility of the Alecto.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    they do pair pretty well together albeit they do need something to provide more indirect firepower to their formation since otherwise they can potentially get LRM spammed to death


    edit cross posting more designs over here that i have posted elsewhere on QQ and the like so I can readily copy them here
    here's my militarized jumbo refit. probably more so keeps the engines of the design than anything else. which to be fair is the hardest part of building a dropship by far
    Starlifter
    Type:     Military Spheriod
    Mass: 14,800 tons
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
    Introduced: 3025
    Mass: 14,800
    Battle Value: 10,766
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 679,352,800 C-bills
    Fuel: 400 tons (12,000)
    Safe Thrust: 3
    Maximum Thrust: 5
    Heat Sinks: 456
    Structural Integrity: 30
    Armor
    Nose:     484
    Sides: 408/408
    Aft: 332
    Cargo

    Bay 1:
    Small Craft (2)
    1 Door

    Bay 2:
    Fighter (6)
    2 Doors

    Bay 3:
    Mech (16)
    1 Door

    Bay 4:
    Heavy Vehicle (24)
    1 Door

    Bay 5:
    Infantry (Foot) (4 platoons)
    1 Door

    Bay 6:
    Light Vehicle (24)
    1 Door

    Bay 7:
    Cargo (1181.0 tons)
    1 Door
    Escape Pods: 24
    Life Boats: 24
    Crew: 9 officers, 26 enlisted/non-rated, 13 gunners, 478 bay personnel
    Ammunition: 120 rounds of Long Tom ammunition (24 tons), 120 rounds of AC/20 ammunition (24 tons), 270 rounds of SRM 6 ammunition (18 tons), 360 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (60 tons)
    Notes: Mounts 108 tons of standard aerospace armor.

    Weapons:     		 
    Capital Attack Values (Standard)     		 

    Arc (Heat)
    Heat
    SRV
    MRV
    LRV
    ERV
    Class

    Nose (111 Heat)     		           

    2 PPC
    20
    2(20)
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    3 Large Laser
    24
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    2 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (60 shots)
    12
    2(24)
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    LRM

    1 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
    7
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    2 SRM 6, SRM 6 Ammo (45 shots)
    8
    2(16)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    SRM

    2 Long Tom, Long Tom Ammo (120 shots)
    40
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Artillery

    RS/LS Fwd (71 Heat)     		           

    2 PPC
    20
    2(20)
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    3 Large Laser
    24
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    2 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (60 shots)
    12
    2(24)
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    LRM

    1 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
    7
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    2 SRM 6, SRM 6 Ammo (45 shots)
    8
    2(16)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    SRM

    RS/LS Aft (71 Heat)     		           

    2 PPC
    20
    2(20)
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    3 Large Laser
    24
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    2 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (60 shots)
    12
    2(24)
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    LRM

    1 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
    7
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    2 SRM 6, SRM 6 Ammo (45 shots)
    8
    2(16)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    SRM

    Aft (71 Heat)     		           

    2 PPC
    20
    2(20)
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    3 Large Laser
    24
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    2 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (60 shots)
    12
    2(24)
    2(24)
    2(24)
    0(0)
    LRM

    1 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
    7
    2(20)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    2 SRM 6, SRM 6 Ammo (45 shots)
    8
    2(16)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    SRM
    and here's my flying murder blender that is the sting variant of the drost.
    well one variant of it anyways.
    DroST IIa Transport Sting assault dropship variant
    Type:     Military Aerodyne
    Mass: 5,300 tons
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Introduced: 3025
    Mass: 5,300
    Battle Value: 18,783
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 754,804,800 C-bills
    Fuel: 200 tons (6,000)
    Safe Thrust: 5
    Maximum Thrust: 8
    Heat Sinks: 472
    Structural Integrity: 40
    Armor
    Nose: 904
    Sides: 760/760
    Aft: 616
    Cargo

    Bay 1:
    Small Craft (2)
    2 Doors

    Bay 2:
    Infantry (Foot) (2 platoons)
    2 Doors

    Bay 3:
    Cargo (262.0 tons)
    2 Doors
    Escape Pods: 6
    Life Boats: 6
    Crew: 4 officers, 8 enlisted/non-rated, 12 gunners, 66 bay personnel
    Ammunition: 160 rounds of AC/20 ammunition (32 tons), 390 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (65 tons)
    Notes: Mounts 180 tons of standard aerospace armor.

    Weapons:     		 
    Capital Attack Values (Standard)     		 

    Arc (Heat)
    Heat
    SRV
    MRV
    LRV
    ERV
    Class

    Nose (142 Heat)     		           

    4 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (120 shots)
    24
    5(48)
    5(48)
    5(48)
    0(0)
    LRM

    2 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
    14
    4(40)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    4 PPC
    40
    4(40)
    4(40)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    8 Large Laser
    64
    6(64)
    6(64)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    RW/LW (110 Heat)     		           

    3 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (90 shots)
    18
    4(36)
    4(36)
    4(36)
    0(0)
    LRM

    2 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
    14
    4(40)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    3 PPC
    30
    3(30)
    3(30)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    6 Large Laser
    48
    5(48)
    5(48)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    Aft (110 Heat)     		           

    3 LRM 20, LRM 20 Ammo (90 shots)
    18
    4(36)
    4(36)
    4(36)
    0(0)
    LRM

    2 AC/20, AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
    14
    4(40)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    AC

    3 PPC
    30
    3(30)
    3(30)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    PPC

    6 Large Laser
    48
    5(48)
    5(48)
    0(0)
    0(0)
    Laser

    Battle Maiden BAM-D4
    Mass:     35 tons
    Chassis: Ironworks Type 6B Chassis
    Power Plant: GM 175 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 54 kph
    Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
    Jumping Distance: 150 meters provided by 5 Rawlings Model 55 Jumpjets
    Armor: StarGuard III
    Armament:
    3 Martell Medium Lasers
    2 Holy V LRM 5s
    1 Zippo Flamer
    1 Magna Small Laser
    Manufacturer: Bath Ironworks
    Primary Factory: Markesan
    Communication System: Radcom TXX
    Targeting & Tracking System: Datacom 26
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 2,607,773 C-bills

    Type: Battle Maiden
    Role: Skirmisher
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 35
    Battle Value: 950

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    3.5

    Engine
    175 Fusion
    7

    Walking MP:
    5     		 

    Running MP:
    8     		 

    Jumping MP:
    5     		 

    Heat Sink:
    10     		 

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:     		 
    7.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3     		9

    Center Torso
    11     		17

    Center Torso (rear)     		  5

    R/L Torso
    8     		12

    R/L Torso (rear)     		  4

    R/L Arm
    6     		12

    R/L Leg
    8     		16
    Actuators: Right Arm Upper, Lower, Hand. Left Arm Upper, Lower, Hand

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    CT
    1
    0.5

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    RT
    1
    1

    2 Jump Jet
    RT
    2
    1

    2 LRM 5
    RT
    2
    4

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    LT
    2
    2

    2 Jump Jet
    LT
    2
    1

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Small Laser
    HD
    1
    0.5

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1
    Quirks:
    Easy to Maintain
    Narrow/ Low Profile
    .

    War Maiden WMD-5E
    Mass:     45 tons
    Chassis: Iron Works Type 8W
    Power Plant: GM 180 Fusion Engine
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Jumping Distance: 120 meters provided by 4 Rawlings Model 55 Jumpjets
    Armor: StarGuard III
    Armament:
    2 Martell Medium Laser
    1 Holy V LRM 5
    1 Harpoon-6 SRM 6
    1 Sunglow Type 2 Large Laser
    Manufacturer: Bath Iron Works
    Primary Factory: Markesan
    Communication System: Neil 6000
    Targeting & Tracking System: Octagon Tartrac System C
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 3,236,690 C-bills

    Type: War Maiden
    Role: Skirmisher
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 45
    Battle Value: 1,036

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    4.5

    Engine
    180 Fusion
    7

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:
    4     		 

    Heat Sink:
    13
    3

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    152
    9.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    14
    21

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    6

    R/L Torso
    11
    17

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    5

    R/L Arm
    7
    14

    R/L Leg
    11
    22
    Actuators: Right Arm Upper, Lower, Hand. Left Arm Upper, Lower, Hand

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    0.5

    2 Heat Sink
    CT
    2
    2

    2 Heat Sink
    RT
    2
    2

    LRM 5 Ammo (24)
    RT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RT
    1
    0.5

    LRM 5
    RT
    1
    2

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    LT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LT
    1
    0.5

    SRM 6
    LT
    2
    3

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    LT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    0.5

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Large Laser
    RA
    2
    5
    Quirks:
    Easy to Maintain
    Rugged (1)
    Improved Cooling Jacket (RA Large Laser)

    SRM Carrier Sane version
    Base Tech Level: Introductory (IS)
    ---------------------------------------------
    Level Era
    Experimental -
    Advanced 2470-2504
    Standard 2505+
    Tech Rating: E/C-C-C-C

    Weight: 60 tons
    BV: 935
    Cost: 1,712,800 C-bills
    Source: TRO 3039 - Age of War
    Role: Ambusher

    Movement: 3/5 (Tracked)
    Engine: 180 ICE

    Internal: 30
    Armor: 176
    -----------------------------
    Internal Armor
    Front 6 40
    Right 6 34
    Left 6 34
    Rear 6 28
    Turret 6 40
    ---------------------------
    Loc Heat
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    SRM 4 TU 3
    Machine Gun TU 0
    ----------------------------------
    Ammo Loc Shots
    SRM 4 Ammo BD 25
    SRM 4 Ammo BD 25
    SRM 4 Ammo BD 25
    SRM 4 Ammo BD 25
    SRM 4 Ammo BD 25
    Half Machine Gun Ammo BD 100

    Rational LRM Carrier
    Base Tech Level: Introductory (IS)
    ---------------------------------------------
    Level Era
    Experimental -
    Advanced -
    Standard 3025+
    Tech Rating: E/X-C-C-C

    Weight: 60 tons
    BV: 988
    Cost: 1,648,000 C-bills
    Source: TRO 3039 - Age of War

    Movement: 3/5 (Tracked)
    Engine: 180 ICE

    Internal: 30
    Armor: 160
    --------------------------------------
    Internal Armor
    Front 6 35
    Right 6 32
    Left 6 32
    Rear 6 25
    Turret 6 36
    ------------------------------------
    Weapons Loc Heat
    LRM 20 TU 6
    LRM 20 TU 6
    ---------------------------------------
    Ammo Loc Shots
    LRM 20 Ammo BD 6
    LRM 20 Ammo BD 6
    LRM 20 Ammo BD 6
    LRM 20 Ammo BD 6
    LRM 20 Ammo BD 6

    Demolisher variant (Von Luckner expy)
    Base Tech Level    : Introductory (IS)

    Level
    Era

    Experimental
    -

    Advanced
    -

    Standard
    3025+
    Tech Rating: E/X-X-X-D

    Weight: 80 tons
    BV: 1,063
    Cost: 2,172,600 C-bills
    Movement: 3/5 (Tracked)
    Engine: 240 ICE
    Internal: 40
    Armor: 176

     
    Internal
    Armor     		   

    Front
    8
    45     		   

    Right
    8
    30     		   

    Left
    8
    30     		   

    Rear
    8
    26     		   

    Turret
    8
    45     		   

    Weapons
    Loc
    Heat     		 

    AC/20
    TU
    7     		 

    SRM 6
    TU
    4     		 

    SRM 6
    TU
    4     		 

    LRM 5
    TU
    2     		 

    LRM 5
    TU
    2     		 

    Machine Gun
    TU     		   

    Machine Gun
    TU     		   

    Ammo
    Loc
    Shots     		 

    AC/20 Ammo
    BD
    5     		 

    AC/20 Ammo
    BD
    5     		 

    AC/20 Ammo
    BD
    5     		 

    SRM 6 Ammo
    BD
    15     		 

    SRM 6 Ammo
    BD
    15     		 

    LRM 5 Ammo
    BD
    24     		 

    Half Machine Gun Ammo
    BD
    100     		 

    Sharpe SHR-3P
    Mass:     65 tons
    Chassis: Crussis-S
    Power Plant: Magna 260 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Jumping Distance: 120 meters
    Armor: Duralex Heavy
    Armament:
    1 Donal PPC
    4 Martel Medium Lasers
    1 Holy SRM 6
    1 Zippo Flamer
    Communication System: HartfordCo COM 4000
    Targeting & Tracking System: HartfordCo XKZ 1
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 5,713,235 C-bills
    Type: Sharpe
    Role: Brawler
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 65
    Battle Value: 1,446

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    6.5

    Engine
    260 Fusion
    13.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:
    4     		 

    Heat Sink:
    16
    6

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    208
    13
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    21
    31

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    10

    R/L Torso
    15
    23

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    7

    R/L Arm
    10
    20

    R/L Leg
    15
    29
    Actuators: LA Upper, Lower, Hand. RA Upper, Lower, Hand.

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    CT
    2
    2

    2 Medium Laser
    RT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    RT
    1
    1

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    LT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    LT
    1
    1

    SRM 6
    LT
    2
    3

    SRM 6 Ammo (15)
    LT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    Quirks:
    Command Mech
    My newest design the Sharpe. Sort of looks like a thunderbolt variant but actually started out as a mini Battlemaster. as it turns out even with the 4 jump jets added all you lose from the 20 less tons of mass is replacing the MGs and their ammo with a single flamer, the 2 aft facing Medium lasers, 2 heatsinks, 1.5 tons of armor and a ton of SRM ammo and 73 BV. Of course it does cost a lot less than a Battlemaster. It costs some 2,788,008 C-bills less than one or in percentage terms a Sharpe is only 67.2 % the price of a Battlemaster.
    As for the name it totally wasn't from me rewatching part of the Sharpe series when I was designing it. And yes it's a Kallon design.


    Designers note: Ignore the manufacture and chassis information on the battle maiden and war maiden designs. meant to be for something else that i never got around to. feel free to edit if needed for this fic.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • New Avalon 1.8
  • View content
    • New Avalon 1.8​
    Ian Davion had quickly come to view this as the high point of his year, and it wasn't even Christmas yet. There were quite a lot of parts in various stages of disassembly or in crates that dominated one side of the interior of the space set aside for Clay's technicians ... techno wizards might have been a better description to work for the past week.

    Of all the designs present the ShadowHawk was the one he had spent the least amount of time looking at, perhaps it had been fabricated solely to have an old standby to round out the two lances. That was to say maybe they had just needed an eighth mech for the sake of even-ness. He had almost joked aloud that the shoppe must have run out of ChisComp type 39s since there was a marked transition from that model of Medium Lasers to a competing Martell design of laser for the two eighty five tonner designs. In addition to sharing an engine and medium lasers they also, the two eighty five ton assault mechs, shared the same model of JumpJets, and relied on the same model of Harpoon Six launchers. They used different model PPCs.

    "So," He remarked conspiratorially to his younger brother, "What exactly is the impediment to the Battlemaster." Their brother in law stiffened.

    "The engines I think." Hanse responded in complete seriousness. "It uses a different engine than these do."

    "Mm, that's unfortunate. What can be done about it?"

    He was then assured, "Its being looked into."

    "Mm, very good." They had yet to tell Michael about the plan for Kathil's shipyards ostensibly because Sakhara's yard wasn't ready yet. He probably wouldn't even bring it up to his brother in law until that first star lord was completed... maybe the second. He made a show of consulting the 'program' so to speak, the Shadow Hawk was unfortunately first. There was a volunteer cadet from New Avalon who had been chosen to pilot the 'Hawk.

    The pilot in question had not quite made the cut for a chance at the long swords of which were being vied for for a special testing section by the corp of cadets best scoring pilots. Of course that test had been organized and planned when there were just twelve machines... and Avalon was getting to keep those machines.

    There were a handful of 'sketches' as he was thinking of them in terms of what it was going to cost. Spares tools, raw materials, the time to 'tool up' for production that and a significant amount of other, but the techs had been working around the clock, the past week first searching for what was available, and then consumed by the work of making machines.

    It had apparently utterly befuddled his youngest vassal that while the Shadow Hawk was common the Federated Suns could not domestically manufacture it. It wasn't fair to the pilot that she was piloting the least interesting of the machines present here... if Ian were honest the Centurion had probably been put together if for other reason than to show off this new missile system. Something about logistics but as a result the Centurion was being piloted by one of Clay's people.

    Ian had wracked his brain to consider if he had ever seen a Shogun Assault Mech... in anyone's possession other than the Dragoons, but Jaime Wolf's command was the only instance he could think of on the matter. It did tickle his fancy a bit to be in such an exclusive number.

    The impediment again, as with the idea of the BattleMaster seemed to be the fusion engine which powered the Shogun, or also the impediment to the eighty five ton 'Falchion' design which had been developed as well... fusion engine manufacturing was the bottleneck... and he didn't really need to be told that, nor that there were obviously things that the Federal Government could do.

    The Federated Suns would need to do something about that, and with a bevy of new mech designs, one might even say a renaissance there were things that could be done.

    Smaller still than the Shadow Hawk, and the Centurion were the Antares and the Sentry, thirty five and forty tons respectively. Intended as, they had been described, Strikers easily maintainable. That both designs carried flamers and no ammunition to speak of well, they had obvious anti infantry capabilities while having a reliable enough amount of close range firepower for mechs in their weight class... and the Sentry's PPC would allow it to reach a bit further still.
    --
    "I would say those tests went well." Which was on its face an understatement. Twenty BattleMechs, nominally speaking nine either wholly new designs, or variants never tested before, designs across the entire weight class range, an entirely new weapon system capable of firing either short range missiles or long range missiles. Went well was an understatement.

    "It should keep the duke of New Syrtis distracted particularly," Especially since the command circuit Henry had established would soon be returning him and Lord Aaron to the Draconis March. It was very tempting to simply give Clay what he wanted, and send him on his way to Bristol, but he recognized it was the correct decision to wait. There were going to need to be lengthy discussions with between the existing manufacturers of battlemechs within the Federated Suns... and as he had been unpleasantly informed that would mean potentially facing a riot from General Motors over the Marauder II.

    It was amazing he'd never even heard of the domestic assault mech and yet it starts making the rounds and then all of sudden the lawyers come trundling out of the woods like ogres. It was despicable, so that needed to be seen to. Clay needed to return to Sakhara, and they could return to discussions of this at some point next year.

    "I'm actually surprised Achernar wasn't able to put forward a proposal of its own." Yvonne remarked, "Corean was all but tripping over itself to send engineers to Sakhara,"

    Yes, Ian recognized that they were more interested in seeing Sakhara than Robinson but they had agreed to both... not simply because of the issue of money, but because of recognition of what this might mean for them... not the least of which was the demonstration of the 200 engine fusilier had probably been a surprise, and probably not a pleasant to have rolled out.

    Achernar just didn't seem to have the engineers on hand ... not when they were probably all sequestered away with the dangling prospect of a Heavy BattleMech and the leadership eyeing that, and if the Long Sword could be put into production more broadly all the better.

    Yesterday had gone well. Ian had even been 'allowed' to sit in a few of the machine and even the opportunity to fire a few rounds from the auto cannon of the Alecto, which was a small compromise.

    "What is it?" He asked after a minute.

    "It was Clay's comment regarding the loss of the 19th​ Striker Regiment, and the Dragoons. The Eridani Light Horse has been in the employ of the Federated Suns for some time now, I believe it would be a mistake if we didn't, personally inform Brevet General Kerston of the matter."

    "I don't see why not." Ian replied, "But I assume there is something else?"

    She paused, "Lord Henry's retinue is at least three distinct factions I suppose. Two of whom, the Battle Company particularly has clear SLDF lineage, and the Robinson Assault Cluster is almost certainly accordingly to my analysts descended from 19th​ Army of the SLDF potentially even units which were thought to have departed with General Kerensky's Exodus."

    "Henry?"

    "No, from what we have pieced together the RAC seems to have joined Clay's retinue in response to ... from what we understand some conflict with a descendant of Stefan Amaris, and specifically that Clay considers an Amaris, revanchist Rim World threat at least as concerning as the Combine, at least that is my reading of his behavior."
    --

    The Duke of New Syrtis was not happy. Michael Hasek-Davion had been looking to consolidate his position for the last two years, nearly three since he had become duke-elect of New Syrtis when his father had died in the spring of 3013. The ascension of which had removed him from New Avalon and the Federal Government on the expectation of taking up the hereditary position of Minister of the Capellan March... and Ian had been consumed with martialing to relieved Mallory's World...

    ... and that was when the problem had started .

    Ian had won one victory after another. Inaugurating a new house, naming a young mech warrior as Count of Sakhara for the matter of slaughtering one of the regiments of the Sword of Light... since of course the Victory at Mallory's world had then been followed up on by the Victory at Halstead Station where the First Prince of the Federated Suns had secured a victory against his opposite number.

    Something that New Avalon had allowed anyone present on the capital to possibly forget. There was no end of it in sight, even before the Rabid Fox had returned to New Avalon. The dozen Heavy BattleMechs he had brought him had yet to reach the the papers, never mind the rest of it.

    ... and what was he supposed to do? Suck it up. Suck it up as the Draconis March consumed ever more resources and were lauded for their success while he was blamed for 'failures' in the capellan march. Hanse, his brother in law, was married to one of the Stephenson daughters had moved forward the notion that this could be the opportunity to rebuild those units... as if they otherwise deserved some special consideration over troops fighting on the capellan front.

    ... and of course it was no secret that the reason for the RCT posting to Spica and that base was a brazen questioning of his ability as Field Marshal of the March, and the soldiers of the Capellan March to protect the border.

    It was infuriating.
    --
    Notes: Updating this, nominally nominally the plan for the rest of the month is the lit rpg, aurigan renaissance, the drow fic in theory. So thus in theory that should be the updates for Thursday the 26th​, Friday, Tuesday (the 31st​) with a normal tuesday update finishing out New Avalon 1 on the 24th if that makes sense....​.
     
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    • New Avalon 1.9
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    • New Avalon 1.9​
    Alexandria looked at the twenty mechs.

    She hadn't been privy of course to discussions regarding the shipyard matter. All talk of that had, must have occurred behind closed doors but the public spectacle had been the Battlemech demonstration. It hadn't escaped her that hey would be leaving soon, and then it would be a rapid series of jumps through the circuit back to Sakhara.

    The dozen heavy battlemechs stood out, Henry ignored them though, "The Fusilier might be worth it for what we plan on doing, they seem to have some interest, no," He said to the other man beside him, "I like the trebuchet fine, and I understand the faster speed is to disengage but using a standard engine with the Centurion provides certain advantages." The talk continued missiles, and engines and such, and something about mass production.

    Then something about how the lawyers would be busy, and how Blackwell would be needing to make an appearance on New Avalon. The exact situation eluded her, but then that had proven par the course at the sudden confusing situation. They would be here, and then they would be back at Sakhara, and she would still be no where close to explaining to her family exactly how she had become involved in this, or what this was.

    "We must do this again sometime." The First Prince declared, he was vibrant and exuberant, and in a way reminded her surprisingly of her cousin Justin. He was more energetic than Henry was who really was more like the other Fox in the room. There was the same kind of energy to their demeanor... just that there was the age gap.

    The first prince remained animated, highlight the ability of the command circuit to make such visits feasible.

    "The Cataphract next time." The First Prince insisted, to which Henry replied that they were still working on the design. "And speaking of next time, with the circuit being established, you really must come for the holiday bash." The invitation hadn't been something Alexandria had expected , apparently neither had Yvonne either though she reasserted herself much more quickly.

    Alexandria wondered how familiar Clay actually was with the notion of the New Years Prince's Honors which would open and be published the gazette for New Avalon and be read across the Federated Suns over the first couple months of the year by high society. Probably not very, it didn't seem at all the sort of thing that the still only recently created Count of Sakhara would pay heed to, especially when so much of his time seemed consumed by other matters.

    The Duke of Robinson intervened before she could speak up, insuring the First Prince did get the answer he wanted in all of this, and that they would all receive invitations even if invitations was more of a formality, not receiving an invitation would have been a serious indication of the 1st​ Prince's displeasure to a member of the aristocracy and Alexandria hd never heard of a case where the current First Prince had pointedly not sent a head of house an invitation...

    ... but that wasn't what the First Prince had said; they would all receive invitations even though Lord Aaron, and Henry likely would have received them anyway.
    --
    There hadn't been much time on New Avalon to do much. They had arrived done some wining and dining but largely they had spent the time at Avalon's military academy, and he had received assurances that there would be federal support for his projects, and that Hanse would make it happen...

    ... which probably wasn't fare to Hanse being volunteered like that by his brother.

    It did also convey the seriousness with which the Prince was taking this. Hanse well, there was a discretionary military budget and House Stephenson was supposed to be visiting Robinson soon and presumably Lord Aaron would talk to them, with or without Ian and something would go on. The Centurion would help pad out the Chasseurs rank and improve their combat effectiveness, and so forth and so on.

    Henry didn't really care what unit in the DMM or even the AFFS received the first production orders just so long as they were being used to improve the defensive readiness of the realm against the Combine... and thus potentially better shore up the Federated Suns against the Clans if they came a knocking.

    He put aside the paperwork, "I didn't realize the Two Delta," Shadow Hawk, "Was so abundant," especially given that the Federated suns didn't produce the mech, and given its limitations. The best option would be to market the Two F system as an overhaul. They didn't plan to go further than that at this stage, but not without being able to insure there was going to be adoption. The other alternative was to try and persuade units to trade in 2D Shadow Hawks for new production Centurions for the sake of uniformity... but he doubted that would go over especially well right now either ... they needed to build up their reputation first.

    That included the Cataphract, which they hadn't brought here. Then of course there were other designs. Never mind the matter of non BattleMech production, nor of spare parts.

    The report on the 5th​ Davion Guards RCT was in front of him courtesy of Yvonne. He suspected somehow or another that this step was to specifically bypass going through the Capellan March's own logistics bureaucracy.

    He still personally thought the red white and blue striped parade paint was a bit much, but that wasn't particularly relevant, "They have integrated tanks, and are historically a medium weight unit,"

    "They are." Yvonne tapped her pen, "I'm sure you'll have no shortage of opportunity to talk with the Chasseurs," New Ivaarsen, "You had stated to the Duke of Robinson that tanks were vastly less complicated than BattleMech production."

    He had, and the truth was he was over exaggerating that after a fact, especially with regards to the involvement of Corean to justify putting the mech factory together, and also on other worlds. The supposed ... well the real benefits of relying on engineers being there from the very start of the factory was something he was exaggerating but it seemed the safer play than simply magiking up the mech lines without any help at all.

    It was one thing to gather up mountains of parts and have the techs assemble things, factory production done properly should be producing more machines.

    "Henry?"

    "Hmm, oh yes in some cases an order of magnitude more economical than some battlemech options even fusion powered tanks are simpler, but if you are asking for something in large numbers it will have to be something running one of perhaps two standard engines."

    "The 240."

    "Then you are in luck," He replied, "There isn't really an impediment to rolling out tanks using the pitbans and I had already been talking about fusion engine refit packages being prepared for the Rangers," Robinson Rangers, particularly for the Partisans, but there were plenty he was looking at that he wasn't going to mention, "I intend to establish, to make so ubiquitous the parts in question that this extinction of certain systems is a thing that is gone." And a part of him was glad that Ian hadn't actually gone forward with giving him Bristol to 'fix' yet...

    If she was skeptical that Robinson had the discretionary funding she didn't bring it up. The Federal Government of the Suns could afford the upfront costs of buying such tanks. That was what he was really banking on, because once there was money coming in he'd feel a lot better. Tanks first once production of BattleMechs were up and running that would be one thing.

    She had other things to consider, "The 240 is the same engine for your proposed ASF production."

    "The Stingray and F 77 designs required some degree of reworking for our need," The original swept wing 77 wasn't in production anywhere so far as he was aware, but the stingray was, he intended to get around that at market by using the 240 engine coupled with weaponry produced commonly in Davion Space, and other materials... but also by having the design feature via the essence the easy to pilot quirk.

    He didn't expect it to be a problem, especially once they started arriving in numbers to market... and as for other models with better weapons for home use it would be easy to miss.

    "Fusion engine production won't be an issue?"

    "For the 240 no." He replied, it had been the first factory space for engines they had set up for, and those factory spaces didn't require personnel, though he wasn't going to advertise that. They were black box, all they needed was to feed resources in, and the engines would come out and be trucked to an assembly or distribution point for whatever they were going into. "We have the space, and tooling allocated to take the engines being built and put them into the housings needed for tanks, aircraft, or mechs." and he was banking on production volumes in the new year obfuscating his expanding air coverage for Sakhara and tanks while they waited for a response from Mountain Wolf, and whoever else talks needed to be conducted with regards to mechs.
     
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    • 40MM MML Centurion
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    • HunterxReader said:
    ​
    Huh, I just realized that since they only had Longswords in the cargo coming from Sakhara, Henry spawned/had his techs construct the other designs on New Avalon. No wonder Ian was calling them tech-wizards before, even assuming Henry was running them ragged, it doesn't change the fact that those are several new mech designs spanning across all four weight classes.

    Hmm, I suppose the Rabid Fox will be a guest of honor this New Year, probably when Ian's planning to drop the new title/s on him as well. The 5th DG RCT on Spica, so Yvonne's doing him a favor and giving him a direct line to Justin's unit.​
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Forget tech wizards these dudes are miracle workers since they apparently didn't bring any tools or parts for them....which uhh yeah. That or they finished them elsewhere and shipped them to NA separately which might be a good idea in universe so people don't godamm notice magically appearing mechs including assaults since that would make NA security have a collective heart attack and also cause so many problems for Henry


    edit: was that MML centurion using a PPC or a large laser as its main gun. need to know so I can maybe draw up its stats.

    PPC MML Centurion
    Mass:     50 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 200 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    1 PPC
    1 MML 7
    3 Medium Laser
    1 Flamer
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3145
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-X-D
    Cost: 3,582,250 C-bills
    Type: MML Centurion
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Tonnage: 50
    Battle Value: 1,102

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    5

    Engine
    200 Fusion
    8.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:     		   

    Heat Sink:
    14
    4

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    160
    10
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    16
    24

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    7

    R/L Torso
    12
    18

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    5

    R/L Arm
    8
    16

    R/L Leg
    12
    21

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    2 Medium Laser
    CT
    2
    2

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    MML 7 LRM Ammo (17)
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    LT
    2
    2

    MML 7
    LT
    4
    4.5

    MML 7 SRM Ammo (14)
    LT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RA
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    PPC
    RA
    3
    7
    something like this for the PPC variant


    LL MML Centurion
    Mass:     50 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 200 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
    Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    3 MML 3
    1 Large Laser
    3 Medium Laser
    1 Flamer

    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3145
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-X-D
    Cost: 3,717,250 C-bills
    Type: LL MML Centurion
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Tonnage: 50
    Battle Value: 1,124

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    5

    Engine
    200 Fusion
    8.5

    Walking MP:
    4     		 

    Running MP:
    6     		 

    Jumping MP:
    4     		 

    Heat Sink:
    14
    4

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    160
    10
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    16
    24

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    7

    R/L Torso
    12
    18

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    5

    R/L Arm
    8
    16

    R/L Leg
    12
    21

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Heat Sink
    LL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    0.5

    2 Medium Laser
    CT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    RT
    1
    0.5

    Flamer
    LA
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    LT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    LT
    1
    0.5

    3 MML 3
    LT
    6
    4.5

    MML 3 SRM Ammo (33)
    LT
    1
    1

    MML 3 LRM Ammo (40)
    LT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RL
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    0.5

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    RA
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    Large Laser
    RA
    2
    5
    and something like this for the LL variant

    In both cases I tried to balance the heat levels which resulted in different MML loadouts (1 MML-7 vs 3 MML 3s due to the heat difference in the PPC vs the LL albeit you could probably just use wise heat management to rock 3 MML 3s on the PPC Centurion) and in the case of the Large Laser one the saved mass gives it the jump jets that previously it lacked and the enforcer had which massively increases its versatility and mobility albeit still not to calvary medium mech levels. and no the fluff isn't there since its a centurion and we have the fluff for that elsewhere
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM MML Valkyrie
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    • Imperator Pax said:
    large laser is on point for what i had in mind
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    In that case....well I'd say the enforcer is in trouble but it's way way too established in the AFFS to be so. Not to mention the sheer number of my designs use its base frame or modifications( ranger, Fusilier, sentry, antares) of it and share a lot of systems and parts from it which greatly increases its logistical ease to sustain and produce compared to the centurion which is basically sharing parts with just other centurions.

    Edit on another note it occurs to me the valkyrie probably is the mech that benefits the most of in production suns mechs from mml. I'll probably get around to a refit for that soon enough

    edit 2:
    MML Valkyrie
    Mass:     30 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 150 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 54 kph
    Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    1 Medium Laser
    3 MML 3
    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3145
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-X-D
    Cost: 2,289,820 C-bills
    Type: MML Valkyrie
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Tonnage: 30
    Battle Value: 719

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    3

    Engine
    150 Fusion
    5.5

    Walking MP:
    5     		 

    Running MP:
    8     		 

    Jumping MP:
    5     		 

    Heat Sink:
    10     		 

    Gyro:     		 
    2

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    104
    6.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    10
    15

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    4

    R/L Torso
    7
    11

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    3

    R/L Arm
    5
    10

    R/L Leg
    7
    14

    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    2 Jump Jet
    LL
    2
    1

    Heat Sink
    CT
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    CT
    1
    0.5

    Heat Sink
    RT
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    LT
    1
    1

    3 MML 3
    LT
    6
    4.5

    MML 3 SRM Ammo (33)
    LT
    1
    1

    MML 3 LRM Ammo (40)
    LT
    1
    1

    2 Jump Jet
    RL
    2
    1

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1
    that MML Valkyrie variant
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM Hammerhands
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    • a slight redesign on my older hammerhands variant that has a better heat balance among other slight change mostly in the the secondary weapons.
    Hammerhands HMH-4R
    Mass: 75 tons
    Chassis: Achernar Special Type 4-reinforced
    Power Plant: Dav 225 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Jump Jets: Hildoco Model 12 Jumpjets
    Jumping Distance: 90 Meters
    Armor: StarGuard III

    Armament:
    2 Donal PPCs
    1 Harpoon-6 SRM 6
    5 ChisComp 39 Medium Lasers
    1 Zippo Flamer

    Communication System: Achernar Electronics HICS-11
    Targeting & Tracking System: Federated Hunter
    Introduction Year: 3025
    Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
    Cost: 6,465,375 C-bills

    Type: Hammerhands
    Role: Brawler
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Introductory)
    Tonnage: 75
    Battle Value: 1,683

    Equipment Mass
    Internal Structure7.5
    Engine225 Fusion10
    Walking MP:3
    Running MP:5
    Jumping MP:3
    Heat Sink:2010
    Gyro:3
    Cockpit:3
    Armor Factor:23114.5

    Internal
    Structure     		Armor
    Value
    Head39
    Center Torso2335
    Center Torso (rear)11
    R/L Torso1624
    R/L Torso (rear)8
    R/L Arm1224
    R/L Leg1632

    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower

    Weapons
    and Ammo     		Location Critical Tonnage
    Heat SinkLL11
    Jump JetLL11
    Heat SinkCT11
    Jump JetCT11
    4 Heat SinkRT44
    SRM 6RT23
    SRM 6 Ammo (15)RT11
    Heat SinkLA11
    Medium LaserLA11
    PPCLA37
    Heat SinkLT11
    3 Medium LaserLT33
    FlamerLT11
    Heat SinkRL11
    Jump JetRL11
    Heat SinkHD11
    Heat SinkRA11
    Medium LaserRA11
    PPCRA37

    Quirks:
    Barrel Fists (RA/LA)
    Protected Actuators
    Rugged (1)
     
    Last edited:
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    • 40MM RAC Hammerhands
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    • RAC Hammerhands
    Mass:     75 tons
    Chassis: Standard Biped
    Power Plant: 225 Fusion
    Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
    Maximum Speed: 54 kph
    Armor: Standard
    Armament:
    2 Rotary AC/5
    4 Medium Lasers

    Communication System: Unknown
    Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
    Introduction Year: 3145
    Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-D
    Cost: 6,562,500 C-bills
    Type: RAC Hammerhands
    Role: Brawler
    Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
    Tonnage: 75
    Battle Value: 1,943

    Equipment     		 
    Mass

    Internal Structure     		 
    7.5

    Engine
    225 Fusion
    10

    Walking MP:
    3     		 

    Running MP:
    5     		 

    Jumping MP:
    3     		 

    Heat Sink:
    14
    4

    Gyro:     		 
    3

    Cockpit:     		 
    3

    Armor Factor:
    231
    14.5
     
    Internal
    Structure
    Armor
    Value

    Head
    3
    9

    Center Torso
    23
    35

    Center Torso (rear)     		 
    11

    R/L Torso
    16
    24

    R/L Torso (rear)     		 
    8

    R/L Arm
    12
    24

    R/L Leg
    16
    32
    Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower
    Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper, Lower



    Weapons
    and Ammo
    Location
    Critical
    Tonnage

    Jump Jet
    LL
    1
    1

    Heat Sink
    HD
    1
    1

    Jump Jet
    CT
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    RT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    RT
    1
    1

    Rotary AC/5 Ammo (40)
    RT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    LA
    1
    1

    Rotary AC/5
    LA
    6
    10

    Rotary AC/5 Ammo (20)
    LA
    1
    1

    2 Heat Sink
    LT
    2
    2

    Medium Laser
    LT
    1
    1

    Rotary AC/5 Ammo (40)
    LT
    2
    2

    Jump Jet
    RL
    1
    1

    Medium Laser
    RA
    1
    1

    Rotary AC/5
    RA
    6
    10

    Rotary AC/5 Ammo (20)
    RA
    1
    1
    a Hammerhands that uses just RACs as the sole advanced tech in it. Something I bet the Davions would drool over. no fluff since its a Hammerhands and I've posted several builds with fluff attached albeit I might change that later. Let me know what you think.
     
    Last edited:
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    • Sakhara 3.1
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    • Sakhara 3.1​
    Justin blanched as another DropShip touched down, he had known that his father had been high up in the diplomatic service, but the fact that his family had been able to send mail along with the dropship was the telling factor. He looked at the student council president, his cousin, "Di-"

    "Of course I didn't read them." She growled, "I left a letter for my father and I hope to have a response, but I have no idea how long that will take. You are invited to the Prince's New Years Honors by the way, with your cataphract, I should add. The First Prince is very interested in the new designs."

    Oh, oh, that was a surprising. She, also, might as well have told him not to fuck up, but he knew that. He'd been about to comment on the Rifleman designs being overhauled, but she saw them as they came into view. "That must be why they were able to just scrounge around for parts then, and assemble from common parts." She muttered, seeing other examples of the several machines in the high visible text colors.

    "I like the Rifleman," Henry declared adjusting his scarf as the wind picked up, "We'll introduce them and a few other designs over the next few weeks, but realistically your class needs to be preparing for graduation," before either could protect, though he doubted they would, he decided to head off any claims of that being months away, "and for your duty stations. There will be large scale combined arms actions where I expect your class to interact and operate effectively alongside tanks and airpower." He paused, "Oh look there is Colonel Coleridge, I'd better go see what he wants."

    Justin watched him cross the field, "Why do I have a bad feeling about that?"

    "I would expect either he means to pit us against the Longswords or he had yet something else in the works." She paused, "What exactly did I miss?"

    "We practiced lance on lance... that didn't go well," He replied, "The RAC's mechwarrior component is supposedly cycling back from the periphery soon, from wherever they were, that's about the only rumor to speak of." Justin stretched and racked his hands behind his head walking backwards, "So the longswords?"

    She shook her head, "No, that's important I'm sure but the invitation to the prince's honors far outstrips that. The cataphract has the first prince's attention, so you need to make a good impression." She remarked.

    Her advice was not grounded in anything other than stating the obvious. The main attraction would be the machine itself, but if he could pilot it well then that would win Justin some acclaim, he certainly could use some positive fame to trade on.

    Justin predictably began to protest, "You know, well look," He declared a bit more firmly, "the RAC is starting to deploy Cataphracts like mine, and there isn't any shortage of the smaller engines in the warehouse," He declared deflecting by arguing that his mech was unique... which wasn't the point. Clay had sent a dozen Long swords to New Avalon as bequest., so of course there would have been other examples of the machine, and it was entirely natural that those machines would begin fielding his household guard as such.
    --
    Clay looked at the class, "So as you are aware my recent absence to New Avalon dealt with the ongoing efforts in BattleMech logistics. We will leave aside the assault class mechs, they are not relevant to today's lecture." There was some grumbling. He tapped the holographic display causing it to unpack into a fusion engine schematic. "This is a Nissan 200 Fusion Engine. It is is one of the more common fusion engines, and can be used to power Assault BattleMechs but is more commonly found powering venerable Medium designs like the Hunchback, the Enforcer, or the Centurion. Never mind when the engine is used to power tanks for the moment, it is the medium mech which is the matter." The engine hologram reduced in size and a battlemech wireframe appeared. "This is a Dorwinion Standard Chassis, the single largest issue with auto cannons is that they require ammunition, and if logistics ships you the wrong ammunition say for another model of auto cannon it does you no good." The Fifty ton Battlemech's representation took an animated step forward. This is arguably my most serious complaint about the Enforcer, and Centurion debate. The Fusilier doesn't carry an auto cannon, it instead mounts two Zeus LRM 15 launchers. It thereby uses the same engine as the Centurion and Enforcer indeed uses other common parts, and highly in my opinion, doesn't add a third auto cannon or weigh in on the auto cannon debate at all, it is an effective fire support platform capable of close range self defense or support." Provided by Four readily available ChisComp model Medium Lasers. "So what is the unique logistical challenge of this mech?"

    It was an easy softball question.

    The answer was feeding the missile launchers.

    While the Star League had never been able to standardize launchers, long range missiles, and their short range counterparts had been standardized. There were many different sorts of launchers but they fired a standard chassis missile.

    "The boxes in front of you are notebooks, and range tables, and calculations for how much in the way of supplies units in different conditions on average consume. This a look at operational warfare, not tactical war gaming. This is not a look at tactical engagements but rather the maneuver of company and battalion elements and what it takes to keep them operation over a period of weeks and months."

    It was a look at how many trucks you needed, how many trailers carrying how many tons of things other than ammunition. The table detailed estimates on how much food a unit needed, and that varied depending on the environment. How many tankers of water did you need reflected local conditions... and if the atmosphere of a planet was uncooperative things like filters for atmospheric cleaners .

    These students, Justin, Alexandria, Don Juan too were all graduating in the spring. They'd be lieutenants soon, and thus needed to have some idea that war really was more than just finding the other guy and shooting him before he shot you. So to acclimate them to operational concerns for their final semester at Sakhara, they were going to be war gaming much longer campaigns.... and what would make this interesting would be in next semester's continuation of this would be that their packets that they'd receive after the return from break would have realistic unit tables.

    Their units would reflect the mixed lances, companies, and battalions that were the norm in the succession wars. They would have to account for that, keeping track of individual machines that had individual specific weapons. Position and maneuver were also going to be counted on a map that only showed certain features to the two student 'players', which referees made rulings that might not come into play that session.

    --
    He was repeating it silently in his head.

    Logistics were what won wars. That's the mantra, that's the doctrine, that is the orthodox truth of the 19th​ and 20th​ centuries, it was the truth of pre modern and early modern war. Armies marched on their stomachs then, and the tides of iron needed fuel and ammunition in the 1900s and so needed carrying capacity fr in excess of what their grandfathers had needed. Logistics predated industrial warfare.

    To that end, the Enforcer was not something Clay intended to try and replace. It had its niche it was in production and it was set up, so it used different guns, it used enough other common parts that it was fine... the logistical reality of things meant he was trying to rush back to star league era technology.

    The Count of Sakhara leaned on the console behind the transparent ferro aluminium window of the observation deck. The consequences of his drive towards logistics were something he hadn't realized... so far as he could observe the scrapping of parts for either their C-bill, or BV cost was irrelevant... what he wouldn't realize until years later was that there was a cost, creating those HPGs and selling them deposited ground mobile hpgs into the inner sphere, or in the periphery, and that that would have consequences.

    Consequences he wouldn't start to see for years even.

    So the billions of c-bills went towards purchasing the infrastructure to produce engine factories, like for the Nissan 200. He had already told the lawyers they could license out designs to Kallon, to Achernar, to Corean, he'd extend that to GM if it came to it. The 240 engines being assembled in front of him were for aircraft for export, the same for tanks, and the same for battlemech spares. The truth was... the truth was Ian had issued summons to Colchester for General Kerston to visit him on New Avalon.

    ... Colchester was two jumps from Sakhara. Henry watched the holographic lights unfurl into a stylized 19 on an angry horse. The officer behind him straightened. "I'll allocate you personnel and resources by the 1st​ of the year colonel."

    The fight was lost, the story told with truth and lies. Maybe some men had slipped away from the Rim World's total victory, but perhaps only a handful too few to be anything more than walking ghosts of a dying era. They were however still professional soldiers not knights as too many battlemech pilots were. "We'll be ready sir."

    "I'll need the company ready for exercises for the weekend." He answered in response, and was met with a positive, confident affirmative.
     
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    • Sakhara 3.2
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    • Sakhara 3.2​
    The Tuesday lectures had been more of the same, up until they'd been told today's exercises were supposed to help prepare them for exercises at the end of the month, which was fast approaching "AH, fuck," Justin hissed as his restraints arrested his momentum. The Battle Company fought like an avalanche, they had boxed his lance in and pummeled them to the point his simulated gyro overloaded and pitched him sideways. The simulator was a pain in the ass, and tried to force the computer to let him stand up his mech, but another wave of blistering LRM fire flashed. The incoming fire warning went silent as his screen went black.

    The simulator pod reset and he leaned back, grumbling to himself as he worked the harness loose, before rotating his sore arm.

    He couldn't console himself that they'd at least heavily damaged the company again. Oh sure that was true, but he hadn't been expecting six Trenchbuckets to floor it once they'd wiped out the only mechs that could hope to physically catch them.

    That was part of where his mistake had been was losing any outrider to warn them of an enemy maneuver before they were right on top of them... even if some of that was just the limitations of the simulators and their fake battle space.

    "Fuck," One of his lancemates grunted all but falling out of his own pod, "And that was without any of the new mechs too." ...that detail hadn't escaped Justin either, having to contend with a jumping seventy tonner in the canyon map would have been a mess.

    "Stop talking," Clay growled coming around the corner, "Go to the debrief room, and start writing what you think happened, and where you went wrong. Go." He gestured towards the door. Justin wasn't surprised that they weren't the first ones in here, he'd seen the sensor returns in the simulator disappear as the conflict had gone on... but the number of people strongly suggested the class had lost.

    He'd expected that, but he didn't have to like it... what was worse was that his lance mate was right how would they have done against other machines ... probably not better.

    Henry checked the display, but they were still waiting on final scores... which really meant they were waiting for a final review from the other instructors. This wasn't the first time the cadets had run this map of course, but the decision to do so had been at the insistence of other instructors ...

    --
    A few hours later Henry punched up the diagrams. Sakhara had been an SLDF paradigm school, that was to say it had been founded to produce cadets fit to serve in the SLDF and it still retained a corpus of material that dated to the Star League which weren't really applicable to the armies of the modern inner sphere. They were slightly more applicable to his own house troops, but that wasn't the lesson he was trying to drive home per se.

    "The Terran Hegemony made the decision fairly early on to simplify logistical foot prints in army units by consolidating on a number of front line designs, and by establishing standardized formations around battlemech weight classes." That was to say generally at company level all machines were the same model.

    The Battle Company that he frequently used against the cadets had League pilots at their core, but the formation while built around a common logistics basis and weight and with a degree of uniformity wasn't an original SLDF formation.

    A series of diagrams unfolded. "No one expects your class to fight a significantly larger formation than your own on your own. What that actually means is that while simulated lance mates are never as particularly intelligent or as effective in responding to a changing battlefield, on graduation you will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the AFFS. So what we will be doing is immersing you into the expanded combat simulation. Where each of you is commanding a lance, now this will not strictly speaking be particularly realistic at least in some ways."

    Justin must have done the mental math, and realized they were going to be fighting a massed combined arms formation, because he groaned looking at the charts.

    Don Juan had other interests in the chart, "That says experimental, so we're fighting the new BattleMechs this time am I right?"

    "You are indeed." Henry replied. The class's square company expanded turning from the roster of cadets into pips with space for three mechs underneath their listed 'mech. That put them as an over strength Battalion by default. "Ordinarily this would be run against the Rangers, and you will play against them at a later date. This weekend however we will be focusing on putting you against a combined arms task force. This is intended to give you somewhat more hands on experience with the tactical aspect of wider operations, the war gaming you will do with pen and paper over the next few months is to ground in the costs and realities of maintaining forces in the field... this is to look at what happens when there are a hundred plus combatant units are active in an engagement. This is organized chaos, as you will know doubt experience first hand."

    The table for the opposing force was left up. He had decided ahead of time not to use the Shogun in his line up, which Coleridge hadn't objected to when he had put a response forward to the Vice Chanellor's 'suggestion'. He had also made the decision not to include the Zoryas in the line for other reasons. Leaving the Falchion off had been an easy enough decision

    The Cataphract, and Longswords would have been the main focus of the force, what the cadets were not likely going to enjoy was that while they had a larger margin than in the normal games all of his 'mech lances would be outfitted, paired with a pair of ASF, which no one seemed to have commented on at this stage. They would all be slantbacks for simplicity sake he wasn't going to field death stalkers, the F 77, against the cadets.

    A single binary worth of tanks was being borrowed from the RAC with probably predictable contingent of demolishers and shreks. The cadets might well have been taking that too in stride, it did remind him though that he needed to handle familiarization with some of hte other tank designs being worked on in conjunction with the lighter machines, BattleMechs.

    Two Fusiliers, Two Rifleman -P, two more slantbacks. Two Cataphract, Two Longswords, two more F 90. 1 Centurion, 1 Alecto, 1 Sentry, 1 Antares two more birds for the nest. Two companies of 'Mechs total. Twelve ASF

    Alexandria raised her pen, "Is this the prototype Centurion?"

    "Its not," He replied, "The 9AP variant Mitchell will be running is distinct but isn't carrying the MML 3 Launchers you saw on New Avalon." The comment attracted looks.

    Still no one commented on the twenty eighty ton tanks. He supposed some of that might well have been a result of this morning's simulation and having the terrain turned against them. The last lance was more of a demonstration of the Sentry and Antares, but also to facilitate using the mixed lance as a blocking force and ... depending on how things went as a tactical close air support controller element.

    The other matter was that the cadets would be facing all human opponents, not digital simulations of hostiles... not occasionally bone headed AI. This would in all likelihood turn into a centerline mech slug fest... but...

    "Do we know where we're going to be fighting?" Another cadet asked.

    "Do you know where we're going to be fighting?" Some one else asked.

    He shook his head, "Colonel Coleridge hasn't announced a battle map at this time." There were only so many he could pick from in the simulator, but thus far Henry hadn't been told so he didnt' even know if the vice chancellor had selected one. "It gives you time to prepare. You should have packets of your lance composition in your emails by the end of the day."

    Which was another thing he'd yet to be told either, but that was okay.
     
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    • Sakhara 3.3
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    • Sakhara 3.3​
    He was less worried about potential security vulnerabilities with this lot. There were just enough in the class to be annoying, but he was confident that letting them see the growing 'mech works wouldn't provide a real danger to the works proper...

    ... in the sense of having them watched while they were here. They were still going to be minded, but he was more worried about what they might inevitably say to people who didn't attend Sakhara but there was no helping that.

    He had made a point of showing them the Shadow Hawk 2F package, which was being loaded up as self contained storage systems designed to be shipped out one unit per mech. Thereby One package going to an existing Shadow Hawk and allowing local techs and engineers to pull the old weapons suite and supplement it with the new additions that comprised the 2F load out. There were in addition to those the extra jump jets ...

    It really vexed Henry there wasn't an active production line, but he had had to reiterate to himself that at this stage formal production, rather than producing spare parts would be a distraction. It was a useful commentary on making spare parts, and improvements on what was already in use for the class of cadets.

    In the mean time the mechanical arm was tensioning via a rotating bit, the Myomer across the otherwise naked frame of a battlemech that was slowly coming together. "Long range missiles, like what will be eventually fired from this Fusilier allow for indirect fire, and in this case of the two Zeus launchers this machine will eventually carry the opportunity to be significant fires down range." It was effectively a smaller archer, and more importantly as a missile boat cheaper coming off the factory floor than its potential competitors, "The issue is filling the ammunition requirements in the field. The Fusilier is intended to operate in a given tactical niche as part of a battlemech, and broader force," But not intended to attempt to do the job of larger mechs, or for that matter battlemechs with equally specialized roles, "As a design it was built with parts commonality in mind and the same dorwinnion chassis that this was built on, as well as the Nissan 200 engine are used as the basis for the lighter," 40 Ton, "Sentry a design which while carrying a similar suite of Medium Lasers is not ammunition dependent."

    The class were sent down to look around from the various vantage points, there were large barriers and safety chains but he didn't expect anyone to try and cross. Most of the tensioning work on the myomer bundles was done with the area clear of people anyway. It allowed for 360 view of the machine.

    Because the Sentry was lighter that same fusion engine designed centuries ago by Nissan was capable of pushing the lighter mech faster allowing the Sentry to respond to a changing battlefield, even though he didn't' really envision it as a scout per se. Whether it ended up used as that, well that would be to the end user... unfortunately what the intended end use was versus what soldiers ended up using things for were not one to one.

    The decision to fit the Sentry with a Parti-Kill, gods there was some marketing right there, had been in part due to the other thing using the 200 rating Fusion engine forty ton vehicle... in this case the Myrmidons being constructed, and its larger 240 powered Manticore, as well as the Rifleman 4P and the Ranger design.

    What he wasn't going to tell the cadets was that the reality of the market meant that sometimes ... well there were irrational forces at work in the market. People had attachments to designs, had preferences for weapons and so on. As it was they were probably going to be fielding three separate models of PPCs on designs but all had Davion suppliers already it wasn't as if they were introducing an entirely new model of PPC to market.

    What he was potentially less enthused about was fielding or more correctly having to weigh into the auto cannon debate over which models to field, never mind in the discussion that would eventually come forward for producing 'LosTech' or future tech autocannon systems. In a sense though he had already stuck his toe in that pool, even discounting ASF, and tanks, especially his Demolishers the Alecto carried an Assault Auto Cannon. For all intents and purposes he had endorsed, with the Cataphract, the Imperator-A platform as well and the AC 10 carried by the heavier engined version. He resigned himself that he had to before they left for Christmas break to really commit himself to the Cataphract design's load out in terms of the class ten.


    Not at the moment though, today they could deal with the nice and mostly uncontentious topic of medium mechs being outfitted with energy weapons. The Fusilier wasn't intended, nor was the trebuchet to be the center of an engagement line. When the Trebuchets were out of ammo, they were supposed to move around or disengage using their larger engines there were limits to that and it was why the battle company's centurion model dropped the ammunition dependent auto cannon; and that was without discussing historical problems with the feed system.

    Justin coughed slightly, looking over a packet for the Sentry "Uh, Henry this says intended market is for militia troops? You mean Draconis March Militia right?"

    --

    The simulation booted up as a lance of Sentry were supported by the Myrmidons it was a brief animation for the cadets. The simulated challenge of fast moving Combine favored Light BattleMechs were aiming to get close with Jenners rushing forward, and their Thunderstroke launchers being answered by six missile replies from the tanks.

    What interrupted the simulated fighting was the freeze frame projection of the machines as they appeared. Nominal cost per unit, not counting sustainment, projected the Jenner at just shy of 3.2M C-Bills. Part of that was the heavier fusion engine driving the 35 ton machine. Thus the Sentry was therefore slower because it used a smaller engine and was five tons heavier.

    The difference was the Myrmidons were acting as fire support, part of a PPC battle line yes, but also out there as a nasty surprise once short range missile range was reached. It didn't help that the Combine Mechs often outpaced any infantry support they might have had along with them, and thus the BattleMech force was acting unsupported as was fairly typical of the Company centric battlemech centric doctrine favored by Takashi Kurita's regime.

    It still didn't address the question of air power of course. He'd been drafting the notion of exports of 240 engined ASF which could be produced en masse... the historical limitation of mechanized warfare tanks or fighter aircraft across the 20th​ century had been engine manufacturing even as air frames became more complex, and avionics continued to develop.

    So far as he was aware the cadets had yet to be given their 'lance weight'. They could probably reasonably intuit what they were going to get though if they were on either end of the extreme though...

    There were three simple categories that Coleridge or the Colonel's staff could dump them in for the war game. Heavy Medium Light. That was something of a misnomer. If anyone had an assault mech they were going to be commanding a heavy lance, with up to three actual 'Heavy BattleMechs', and up to two Medium Mechs. For Light or Medium Weight 'Mech pilots they had the chance of either being in command of a light Lance or a medium lance... what Coleridge was unlikely to do was position a Medium 'Mech pilot in charge of a Heavy Lance. The Vice Chancellor might decide to do that... but Henry doubted he would.

    Sixteen cadets would be handed a designation... and then they'd go from there. The Vice Chancellor wasn't being particularly up front with how he intended to set them up.

    The simulation ended, "The Sentry is a less expensive mech option. It is a medium battlemech a balance of capabilities to forces on the home front. The Myrmidon complements it nicely." He couldn't quote a price at them, or rather he felt he shouldn't because he was the one introducing it to market... and they were just cadets. "Its forty tons and is a simple, fusion powered tank. That makes it five tons heavier and firing two more SRMs than the Combine's Panther BattleMech." A slower light 'mech that had been outpaced by rushing Jenners. In fact the Myrmidon Medium Tank was faster than the Panther, not in the grand scheme of things by much, but it was faster. "As your recent drill demonstrated, being aware of changes in the terrain is critical. A battlemech doesn't make you invincible, a PPC hit is a PPC hit."

    A planetary militia couldn't reasonably expect to have a budget to afford whole companies. Realistically there would probably have to be federal or march subsidies for purchases to supplement local nobles riding out from their steadings, but that was the more or less norm across human space.

    The costs though were in what it could cost a raiding force. It was true though, that the Panther was a cheaper battlemech than the Jenner... but how the Combine used its BattleMechs was in his opinion reckless both on an individual level, and operationally especially with the emphasis on the company rather than the Battalion.
    --
    Notes: I am aiming to update Eminence this week, Aurigan renaissance hopefully next week with Kamea and Victoria being somewhat front and center, I'm still working on the dogs of war chapter for EWSG even though I have kicked around ideas of going back and moving it back to where it was in the original outline since it is basically a large wake up call. I'm probably going to bite the bullet on that and do that. Anyway Wednesday just to make my life less complicated will probably be an AH update, I have a lot of those and I'm currently rewriting and overhauling 4714 for Pathfinder... and I have DND tonight and tomorrow.
     
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    • Sakhara 3.4
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    • Sakhara 3.4​
    It wasn't a surprise that as Cadet Leader that despite piloting an Orion, that was a heavy mech, Alexandria had been 'awarded' a Heavy Lance to command. Justin had been slotted a 'Medium Lance' that included a Black Jack and a Rifleman. That was probably to Justin's detriment... since it made him more of a target. The presence of the AA 'Mechs would mean taking them out would reduce the threats to his air power.

    ... and there was also the possibility Coleridge had considered that and specifically provided those mechs... or that there had been yet other reasons. It was hard to guess the vice chancellor's motives especially with the term rapidly approaching its end.

    The other students looked over their rosters. This was going to be a large engagement. Their simulated battalion was going to be a test of whether or not they could also operate as a battalion together. It might not have seemed like it was that much of a difference going from large company to a large battalion given the inflated numbers were computers that could be ordered to do things, but only doing the exercise would prove that hypothesis.

    Two dozen mechs, a dozen asf, twenty eighty ton tanks. The cadets would have a slight numerical advantage still, but they had all known that... and realistically the twelve stingrays meant the cadets real numerical advantage might be larger on the battlefield.

    The map the vice Chancellor had chosen though was emblematic of Sakhara's terrain. Wide open spaces, and a river crossing, with sandy dunes, but also some large hills and the river valley. Officially the map was eighty odd square miles of exercise space, but in practice it was going to be smaller than that. There were terrain features that both sides would most likely avoid.

    He spied the brown haired enforcer pilot squirm nervously as she studied the map. Her and Valkyrie pilot naturally also commanding a light lance had Don Juan's attention as he made clear he wanted them to scout a sector, recklessly forward of the Cadet's side of the river. On the other hand they were going to have to cross the river at some point and the two light lances would be the better optimized to get across faster.

    If that was actually what they did, and then his Medium lance crossed that would be mech company over the water... it would be twelve mechs... but it wouldn't be a lance of cadets over. Alexandria was clearly weighing whether she should try and cross immediately leading with her heavy lance from the front or if that was a risk of disorganzing the battalion, and would be too aggressive of a move.

    Given even the realistically limited area of operations she would probably be better off crossing first in his opinion. It would have insured she was over by the time real contact was made. They knew what his troops would be compiled of and it was very unlikely that even if he was at the edge of his deployment zone that he could catch them crossing the river.

    That was the disadvantage to assault weight tanks. He also couldn't be sure where they would cross, so even if he could find somewhere on the map overlooking their crossing... or more accurately the RAC tankers found a vantage to perch and shoot down into the river crossing it would be a very very brief window.

    He mentally calculated that the move from the red circle of his deployment zone to the river and the blue of the cadets deployment zone said it was possible... and it might be an opportunity. They would have to see ... there was always the possibility that there might be some other factor that was added to the simulation... maybe inclement weather?

    Justin had gotten up to talk with the pilots that comprised his usual lance mates. In theory that turned a lance into a square company.
    --
    No sand storms, no sudden rain storms. They hadn't been able to get across the space in time to direct effective fire into the river crossing. Alexandria had dispersed her forces perhaps a little further apart than she probably should have ... or maybe he was meta gaming in recognition that the pretend war map only allowed for so many places.

    That was the other difference. Theoretically there was nothing stopping him from issuing orders to his troops in the field. That was probably unfair to Lex who had to be in a simulation of her Orion's cockpit, but it was part of the simulation.

    The Shreks had been able to take pot shots at some of the crossing mechs, but then disengaged rolling backwards over the hills as a pursuit had started from faster mechs who had crossed earlier... which had chosen to pursue despite that being reckless. Maybe it had been too much to hope for that the lesson they would take from teh Sentry Myrmidon vs Combine light company was not to recklessly over extend.

    A shrek firing on a light mech's center torso, and hitting could tear through the protective armor quickly. The star of tanks hadn't been alone either... and unlike the cadets the entire OpFor were living breathing people and that started to show pretty quickly versus the computer pilots. It was true that MechWarrior Board piloting the Antares had little to do in that opening engagement as the Alecto and Sentry pilots had joined Bobby Mitchell in a supplementing PPC line.

    The pursuing cadet had realized their mistake too late as the lance disintegrated under the baker's dozen of PPC firing units... a lot of thirty three particle projector cannons. The lack of damage and the lack of ammunition expended was the more important sign.

    The lack of ammunition expenditures did last... as the other two lances of his second company came in to open up on another cadet's lance from the north east. His 2nd​ Company had more new mechs, mechs that the cadets had only limited experience with... so encountering designs like the Longsword in action was a surprise, backed up by the two Rifleman -P well it was the same output of damage and coming from North of their original heading.

    Losses, and and intermittent contact resulted in an attempt to stabilize the front, but that merely compounded the original problem of her initial deployment overlooking too wide of a front ... at least in the sense of a pure BattleMech force with limitted scouting elements.

    Hit and fade attacks from the Medium BattleMech company's mixed Centurion and Trebuchets followed, and when they were chased the SLDF pilots faded back into the desert. Over protests Alexandria did managed to force an end to attempts at pursuit and she managed to get her forces over the river.

    In that time though it had allowed the tankers to reposition and resume taking long range shots at units out in the open with their backs to the river. The Star's tankers could easily reverse an drop back behind the cover the hill they were firing from if they needed to and could withdraw to their fellow RAC tankers fighting positions if they had been chased.

    Alexandria made the decision to mass for an open field advance, but again that meant putting the remaining cadets into order and in this case marching up country. It wasn't a major terrain differential but it was enough to slightly obscfuscate sightlines against the red sands of Sakhara... and that was when the PPCs had started opening up on the Cadets various missile carriers and also Justin's subordinate rifleman... and its miserable seven and a half tons of protective battleplate.

    It certainly didn't hurt that the clan's place a premium on ranged combat even if... most of them disdained the tank, and it seemed like Hells Horse was the only one in any sense at that ... at times.

    He sighed, and glanced to the vice chancellor, qued the mike, "Striker, Primary."

    A dozen ASF fusion signatures simulated entering the battlefield and navigating for an attack run... but the primary target was the Orion commanding the battalion, as a secondary target there was an assault mech still on the field too, but the Demolishers were waiting fro the cadets to coming into range of their fighting positions as the shreks fell back behind them.

    Don Juan at least would make it into auto cannon range. Two other cadets lead their lances against the Battle Company and acquitted themselves well, especially since by the time they retired from the field the Centurions and Trebuchets had expended their ammo and the cadets were prepared to confront that. The battle company suffered significant losses, but the heavier mechs acquitted themselves well since the Fusiliers suffered a similar issue as their fellow fifty tonners. For the latter weights consolidation had followed as the Alecto had entered assault auto cannon range allowing the surviving lighter machines to arrange on one wing closing a western path as the second star of tanks entered the fray.

    It didn't have time to become a rout. Mostly because the AI was too simple for that... and well sixty SRMs from the intact Star, coupled with the deafening roar of twenty assault autocannons belching lead, metaphorically, mechs hastily dissolved before anyone could get out of the box.

    Coleridge grumbled, "It was too soon to expect them to manage crossing a river at their sizes, we should have had them fight here instead of the canyon," referring to the previous engagement during the week. Fighting the cadets in the canyon though arguably would have been worse since he would have arguably had less issues using the airpower, or his tanks... especially given the jump capabilities of some of the mechs... but again as with here. It was the surprise and the effectiveness of the tanks, especially for their cost which was the factor operationally.

    "And to be fair Colonel most actions wouldn't be this aggressive or concentrated," He was obligated to point out.

    "True, but quite frankly you're not one to say such things are you Mister Fox?" The vice chancellor replied "We have one more term to get them as ready for the real world as we can. I'll leave the class to you then"
     
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    • Sakhara 3.5​
    He drummed his fingers on the lectern looking at them all. Almost the entire back row were fidgeting, most of the front row students were the opposite, rigidly sitting in place "An Orion costs a little shy of 6.7M C-Bills." Assuming you could find one and it wasn't marked up due to the factors at market, but disregarding that, "A Shrek costs 3.8M, A Stingray costs just under 3 Million," Again barring mark up due to limited supply, but this wasn't a discourse on market economics, supply and demand effecting prices.

    Alexandria schooled her features at the opening of the lecture as his fingers tapped.

    He continued, "The Shrek does one thing and," [That is] "it provides long range fire support very well. Veteran tankers can use the Shrek's gun to maintain accurate and continuous fire across open terrain. If every shot from a Shrek is on target the ppcs will burn through nearly two tons of standard battleplate per shot." That should have been well established. "Then there is what an hundred eighty five millimeter assault auto cannon does at close range."

    A video replay showed Don Juan's charge into the range of a demolisher's guns.

    40 pips of digital representation ... more than he had normally on his center torso ... flashed red and signified blasting into his internal structure.... and realistically in a real fight shredding the machine's fusion engine.... but in all likelihood Diaz's decision to commit to the attack had been born out of not having any other options beyond maybe surrendering by that point.

    "You should have all been given the after action reports. You'll see the damage break downs and the expenses incurred, I believe you all have pen and paper homework to contend with as well. You're dismissed."

    There was an immediate shuffling and most of the cadets fled with their papers.

    "You couldn't reasonably have expected to know the enemy commander that early." Lex protested.

    He dipped his pen into the corner of the page, "You pilot an Orion, even if it wasn't a reasonable intuit to hit your machine out of the sixteen lances present was the machine on that alone, there were few other priority targets. In fact of those targets it was the machines on the outside capable of reasonably targeting air craft effectively that were suppressed or destroyed first... by my Particle projector cannon equipped units." Whether those had been Shreks or BattleMech units. "You were in the center of the formation, you were putting off significant electronic signatures, you were a valid target." He reached over and handed over a folded paper.

    "This is-" It was an alternate configuration,

    "That's what Coleridge asked," He frowned, "or I should say he asked, what I would have picked if I wanted to make sure you couldn't win." As much as he liked having air power on call, as much as it was a force multiplier he could have dropped the 12 sixty ton ASF, "You needed an experience with what airpower used correctly in this its use is to suppress or head hunt enemy commands. So given the choice I opted to provide that, other than dividing half of my formation into a Striker Regiments recon force and building a hussar formation to ride down." Because Coleridge would have allowed him to field a dozen longswords, which would have made up some of the difference for reduced armor component as well.

    ... and it would have been wholly unfair to deploy along dragoon lines with so few assaults in the opposite ranges, that would have just emphasized the Lyran idea that assaults were to hammer the opposition into the ground.

    What the proposal did was focus on Longswords, which wasn't to say those were prefect. Yes the jump capabilities provided additional mobility but they were line of sight directed energy weapon machines, which fit them in a specialist niche. They were also not significantly cheaper than an Orion's nominal price.

    ... admittedly he expected that would mean less if he could sell them in volume, but they weren't there yet. For the moment given the course work the Academy expected the cadets to finish in their final year it was better to emphasize the lesser logistical burden the Longsword provided.

    He plucked the paper back, "Neither Coleridge nor I wanted to steam roll the cadets, you can learn lessons by losing, but being brutally overmatched isn't typically helpful. You wouldn't have gained as much fighting a formation rolled out meant to rip and tear through the Sword of Light's ranks." He commented.

    She viewed the comment as unnecessary. She'd been irritated at being hit during the exercise but that had largely left, the wind was out of her sails, because it had been a mistake to complain about it... and only Henry's comparatively ignorance, or just unwillingness to act on that mistake was saving her from significant embarrseement. The last comment was just a reminder that Clay was willing to bait and kill Combine elites across an open field because he knew they would rush at him if given the opportunity.
    --
    Yvonne Davion had the report in her metaphorical back pocket. The cadets had been predictably blind sided by losing leadership to a sudden air strike. That would have worked on most people, because twelve aircraft suddenly appearing was not a common occurrence. Two three air craft would have been one thing, not twelve. It was a wake up call, but they needed to understand about managing large combat units, both on the field, and off of it.

    She had other priorities. Most of the cadets were being groomed already fro leadership roles, they wouldn't have been in this class if they hadn't, they wouldn't have been at this school... but some were more likely to see front line fighting first, and others would be needed elsewhere. Where her priorities did lay was still related to the cadet's unpleasant wake up call. There were hundreds of fusion engines sitting in a warehouse waiting to be installed in the chassis for aircraft, tanks, and battlemechs that shared the design

    "There isn't anything wrong with the air frame of the Centurion," Henry remarked, glancing at the man in coveralls.

    "Ah yes thats right," The air tech drawled, "None wrong with the frame, we took some of the original Centurions and pulled the guns and the guts of the avionics out. We swapped those old maxwells for Magna Mark 2s that we had and they bluntly they talk better with the Instatrak we put in. Nothing really changed with the Pitban 240, we work with those all the time."

    All of that, and the rest of the man's explanation for the centurion were all perfectly reasonable. There was the tiny nagging issue of finding, or more correctly recruiting and training the pilots and aircrew for aircraft that was to be the problem of the AFFS High Command, both to find funding for recruitment and for training.

    "And your heavier aircraft?"

    "Outside of the 77, and F 90," Henry paused fighting back a yawn, "There are the Enyo, and Wildcat using the same engine. They have different mission profiles, and we're reasonably confident that production of the Enyo could supersede the heavier Stuka across the Combine border. We have plans for Nissan and 210 engine aircraft, but again engine production remains the principle bottleneck so its in that order after the 240."

    ... and of course Yvonne understood that was what made Sakhara very important looking forward, because there were so few ASF manufacturers in the Federated Suns the ability to locally produce the aircraft engines, and the body of the aircraft insured they were entering a very select club even among industrial concerns in the Federated Suns... or really anywhere in the wider Inner Sphere.

    She wouldn't have been surprised if given the numbers of aircraft currently patrolling the skeletal masses that were taking shape in orbit if Clay's inheritance hadn't somehow included more eighty ton aircraft than he had possibly inherited BattleMechs. That seemed ridiculous to most people, but as the shipyards were taking shape, admittedly that did relieve her concerns about the security around Sakhara. It would probably elicit complaints from Michael Hasek-Davion but not ones that either the Field Marshal of the Draconis March or the First Prince would take seriously especially in the face of a shipyard being present in the system.
     
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    • Sakhara 3.6​
    The same 210 engine that powered the slower of the two cataphract versions also powered the down tech-ed Night Hawk, which was good enough to justify just refitting one of those into an intro-tech Wolf Hound... and for basically the same reasons as creating the Wolf Hound in the first place... having a machine that could effectively combat Panthers, and Jenners. When the time came it would be easy to slot an ER large laser, and DHS in, but that was in the longer term, and for now what they had would be good enough.

    He did find it amusing that the Night Hawk had already had the easy to maintain quirk, just like the Wolf Hound... but the Star League era Night Hawk's weapons hardly entered into anything other than the long term planning.

    The truth was he was hoping for Haakon to get a positive first response from Mountain Wolf. It was true he'd given the captain dispensation in the vein of money but he was still anxious for a response. There were a number of other designs which would use other engines, but things he didn't expect to be able o produce any time soon... and the truth was he wanted to be able to protect or insulate any 'lostech' production on Bristol further away from the Combine front, even if he intended to employ a similar strategy of large volumes of Aerospace fighters to defend the original Fury factory site's massive underground complex.

    A complex he intended to brazenly lie about and bring back online just as soon as he could get there and do that.

    ... but he needed to get the shipyard up and running first so that was his priority ahead of even BattleMech production. As he had told Yvonne he expected the yard itself to be done, if not by the end of the year, then early in 3016, certainly by the time the cadets graduated. That didn't account for the time to have the hull segments cut, or building a drive. That would take time, and to make sure everything worked but he was confident that they'd have a star lord actually built here next year... and he was anxious about that.

    He didn't expect though that the yard would actually be constructing its first Star Lord prior to his departure, or even his return from the New Avalon holidays, and thus not before the start of the new turn... but once it did. Well, there would be other things that would need to be dealt with.

    Henry stretched and got up to the carafe of coffee. There just wasn't room on the table for it, and if it knocked over it would have been all over the papers.

    It was purely personnel preference that mechs on the lighter end of the spectrum didn't appeal to him, he couldn't help it... it just struck him as a better idea to have a fast ground vehicle with some firepower do the scouting outside of narrow specialty roles... but there was a market of Light Mechs that had grown up around the conditions of the succession war as well as what had been left as a result of the Star League era.

    Hence why he had tables, and tables of what parts went into domestic production of light mechs identified and what cross compatibility existed. It was one more thing to consider as he waited for a response from Haakon, and as he considered how to shape his outreach towards New Valencia's Blackwell Industries.

    Other than that though, were the 160 rating Fusion engines manufactured on New Avalon, and what all could be done with them. Then there was the review of what could be done with the 340 rated Fusion Engines since a request from New Avalon had ... well New Avalon in the sense it was Hanse Davion asking on behalf of the First Prince... been tendered to 'look into it'. He was pretty sure that had been written before they had left but that it was just being slipped in now.
    --
    "So what's the deal with New Avalon?"

    He moved off the safety railing, and glanced over to Justin, "What do you mean? We'll get on the transports from there its a simple series of hand offs." It would be exactly like the previous outing... in so far as transit went. Of course when Justin graduated he'd be looking at a much longer, much more boring trip to his first duty station... on Spica... but so far as the trip to New Avalon went, "You won't be missing any class," He replied matter of factly.

    Justin snorted. "Your priorities are always the best." The older cadet observed, but the conversation did turn to the issue of what the jump circuit to New Avalon represented... being able to leave for the festivities without a series of transit and stop times at the residences of other feudatories. In earlier times that had been one of the major factors which had contributed to the development of Neo Feudalism across the inner sphere not just within the Federated Suns. With JumpShips constrained in use having stop overs that could last weeks was simply part of society. In the normal face of an invite they might have needed to leave Sakhara early enough to arrive at Kestrel and then move as part of a larger group towards the capital of the Federated Suns, and that would have entailed being hosted at the ducal residence, and so on and so forth.

    The Circuit now that it was confirmably in place though presented another matter. Justin's father would already be on New Avalon, as would Justin's younger brother who was also apparently something of a hotshot mech pilot as well, and was being groomed for an early command role... which somewhat jived with what Henry loosely remembered of the canon books. It had also made his way around that the Duchess of Victoria's son... or one of her sons was classmates as well to Justin's brother and similarly slated for rank and post in the Davion elites.

    That was how things were, after all the posting on Spica whatever else was going on was not with some second rate unit. Still, Henry felt the need to exercise caution on Justin's behalf... "Anyway," he remarked, "Mymomer as a component should be easy to produce, the weapons can be produced... its the fusion engines and the mech's chassis which are really the thing that's such a pain in the ass." Henry continued... and shortages of engines were what had resulted in such desperation moves as pulling fusion engines of the correct weight out of tanks in order to put them in 'mechs over the course of the succession wars, "but the shipyards up there, well the yard itself will be -"

    "Do you really not get that being able to do any of that is freaking amazing?" Justin cut him off, and the outburst drew a series of looks out from the battalion's worth of techs in the mech bay assembling Cataphract Heavy BattleMechs. "Fuck, sorry, no go on."

    The truth was in terms of components they would assemble the hulls in pieces and fit them together. That would e what took the longest time. They'd make the germanium core and check its integrity but building the rest o the ship was time consuming part given they had Germanium available. That alleviated a major strategic resource for Jump Drive production, but that was harder to make sound as simple as it was for Justin's sake.
     
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    • Sakhara 3.7​
    Alexandria rolled her eyes as her cousin recounted the exchange... she wasn't surprised per se... right now Clay was maneuvering a BattleMech through the course. The seventy ton Longsword had a versatility to it, its jump jets flaring and lifting the Heavy BattleMech over a barricade and a crater as its torso articulated slightly to bring the medium lasers into the exposed targets. This one wasn't nearly the eye sore of the high contrast orange and white of the machines delivered to New Avalon and was more muted, it was still a reddish hue but more in line with the naturally iron rich sands that predominated skahara's sea of dunes.

    In another ninety seconds it was over, the scoring boards populating with a clean course clearance, and the Longsword stood down to disembark between two large, by hovercraft standards, fifty tonners carry massive class twenty autocannons.

    The tankers must have had something that needed his attention, because he didn't immediately come over.

    "I don't think he noticed how quickly his technicians work, certainly not on New Avalon," Admittedly parts had been sourced locally but it had taken the various techs a week or just over working around the clock in order to provide the demonstration designs... the 70 ton Longswords had been brought and presumably, she had to assume there had been some spare parts it was one of Clay's DropShips and it had been his JumpShips that had carried them... but regardless the machines demonstrated on New Avalon had been put together quickly, and with such rapidity that it might as well have served as secrecy. "So you're right," She was still dancing around the matter of the growing form in orbit. The Shipyard was 'visible' in hte sense it was basically a new star in the heavens above Sakhara now, you could see the light reflected off of it in the night's sky.

    She knew what they were but while some of of the other students probably hadn't quite put it together, but it was only a matter of time before the revelation. She dreaded it. She dreaded it more than the once the tongues started wagging about BattleMech production... because while there was prestige in the production, in a family own the production of BattleMechs, there could be no interstellar trade without JumpShips that ferried cargo between star systems across the light years...

    Justin was already turning, "So what are those?"

    "Atropos, mobile assault guns," They were relatively expensive Henry would, at least internally, admit, Mech expensive in BV terms since they were clan technology, but they incorporated no XL fusion engines... and were built around a single large assault auto cannon... though in their configuration those were Ultra Autocannons not standards or LBXs. Of course, being in a ground vehicle, the autocannon's heat management was much easier, and thus managing that increased rate of fire was much easier. "Don't worry about them, there were just some concerns that the Combine might decide to show up. Its a fairly decent protection for the factories." and with that Henry waved away the issue of the hover tanks, the name Zhukov as a series of tactical doctrines and equipment procurement wouldn't appear in Sakharan Curriculum for several more years... and as an objective action against the Combine.... and nominally, officially the combine would profess that... the shipyards at Sakhara had nothing to do with the first of those attacks.

    "The last time you said not to worry-"

    "Its more likely you'll fight the Cluster's MechWarriors than these," He replied, which was true, Justin's concern was valid, but it didn't change the fact he had held the F 77 back from excercises as well, and the Atropos could pass for just a large angry hover car unless it happened to actually have to shoot, and even then, you could override the safeties on normal autocannons and increase the rate of fire it just raised the issue of jamming... "and that will be later in the new year when the old men get here, so don't sweat it." No it was both of them who didn't look convinced, so Henry just shrugged.

    --
    Officially Sakhara presented it students with written exams, but so much of the course work was self study, that the marks were generated over the process of drawing diagrams or writing reports. It was subjective,, but also focused on reflective summaries of actions. The question of where had something gone wrong in an exercise, or gone right in some cases.

    And while it had been less important given the age of cadets, even during the Star League era there had been expectations of where in the social hierarchy of 27th​ century Inner Sphere status cadets had stood in, and that meant accommodations for the upcoming winter holidays.

    What Henry really expected was that due to his ... unique circumstances his own evaluations were Coleridge watching and observing how he handled the other cadets and his summaries of their summaries ... and maybe how he planned the deployment of his own troops. The truth was he already had a reputation.. not the jumpships, but the havoc wreaked upon the sword of light. There was actually a standing order from the Chancellor, the actual commandant of the academy, prohibiting challenges err 'exchanges of pointers' in mechs simply because it would have been too likely to cause a ruckus on campus.

    The vice chancellor had wanted to circumvent that during the Robinson visit, but he'd been denied that request. That wasn't likely to change given the planned endowment of new aerospace fighters to the college responsible for their training, as well as contributions of Demolishers, and Shreks to the armor school. Admittedly that might have seemed a little premature, generally such endowments were done by alumni but ... well he held the feudatory rights as count of Sakhara and it made sense... it was a hell of a Christmas gift though.

    He made a brief notation on his palm pilot sized handheld as Justin tossed the duffle to one side. "I think that's everything," He remarked, "My dress uniform is in a garment bag already," which was admittedly probably where it spent most of the year since the cadets were responsible for that uniform but it was so infrequently worn having it stores away was the norm.

    "Is that what you plan on wearing?"

    "I mean yeah," Justin replied to his question, prompting a long suffering sigh from Alexandria as she looked at her cousin and his simple plain travel bag. He started to defend the position but they all decided to just allow the conversation to drop. There was little to hash out, the Prince's Honors were likely to be unique this year... and the truth was that there were other rumors starting to make their way around the Davion campus.

    The Federated Suns still expected that Ian Davion would do his duty and eventually marry and sire a legitimate heir, but in the absence of any movement on that front, the gazette had gone out announcing that Hanse Davion and his wife Dana Stephenson were expecting the birth of their first child in the near future, which helped to insure the royal house of the Federated Suns and the stability of the Realm at large.

    It was a serious announcement one which overshadowed the variety of expected awards, and recognition for service to the Davion state, such would include military as well as civilian contributions including those of the civil service. It was to be the announcement which was to hold everyone's attention for as they moved into the last month of the year.

    --
    Notes: Short, and we're proceeding forward. I had planned to update EWSG tomorrow but that may not be the case due to scheduling issues.
     
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