[MilSpec] Project Phoenix Upgrades

[Hobbit]

SCORPION
Scorpion

Type/Model: Scorpion SCP-12K
Mass: 55 tons
Chassis: Brigadier 800F
Power Plant: Vox 330 XL
Walking Speed: 65 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Starshield A Ferro-Fibrous
Armament: 1 Lord's Light 5 Snub-Nose PPC
1 Shigunga MML-9
1 Diverse Optics ER Medium Laser
Manufacturer: None
Primary Factory: n/a
Communications System: Garrett 500A with C3
Targeting & Tracking System: Garret GRNDTRK9

I know I'm down on the Combine a lot, but there aren't too many finer scavengers than the technicians in the DCMS. The wonders they made with refurbishing all of those Wolverines before they opened their new production facilities is nothing short of miraculous, but what they've done on their current-model Scorpions is fairly impressive in itself.

I've seen the data coming out of Tamarind now that Marshall Brett has got himself working samples of the C3 system thanks to some side-deals with the Dracs. One of the fruits of this deal has been a sneak peak at some of the Drac-revised revised Scorpions that use this miracle of technology to make these medium quads just as potentially dangerous as their new BattleMasters.

The Scorpion -12K's capabilities start with a massive C3 control computer embedded in the left torso, where engineers sandwiched it between a massive Vox 330 extra-light engine and the new armor moldings. At a guess, I'd say the DCMS intends this 'Mech to command light lances, giving trios of Jenners or Panthers the support they need to be truly effective. Supporting this supposition is the inclusion of Shigunga's new nine-tube multi-missile launcher (another recent product of the mad dash to reverse engineer captured WoB gear). A pair of ammunition bays provide for a mix of munitions, so the Scorpion can support its lancemates at any range. A 'Mech that can provide bombardments at both long and short range would be highly prized in the Free Worlds—I suspect the Dragon's attitude is much the same.

But unlike previous Scorpions, this version also has teeth when cornered. The powerful Lord's Light 5 snub-nose PPC give this 'Mech a ferocious bite, and a supporting ER laser was added for further support. The inclusion of the extra-light engine frees up enough mass for these upgrades with affecting the 'Mech's speed or mobility, meaning it can avoid any trouble spots that it can't blast its way through.

If the data from Tamarind is to be believed, Brett's MechWarriors are having great fun using a sample Scorp with its C3 system tied into a lance of modified Hammers. Evidently the support 'Mech corps is falling in love with the special missile submunition and C3 combination, and with the Dragon's greater experience with this system, I can imagine they're doing much the same with their home-grown OmniMechs.

Of course, this begs the question of what Jeremy Brett (or his staff) had to trade the Kuritas for this technology, but I'm very carefully not asking those questions. I'm just pleased to see another C3-equipped BattleMech take the field against the Blakists. We need all we can get.

My source on Benjamin couldn't give me precise figures on the refits (yet), but she did send me the text of the order sending a hefty number of Combine Scorpions in for the refit. I've been trying to track down production figures for the C3 computers themselves, but that data hasn't penetrated as far as Irian yet.

[Hobbit]

BATTLEMASTER
Battlemaster

Type/Model: BattleMaster BLR-10S
Mass: 85 tons
Chassis: StarFrame Heavy
Power Plant: Edasich Compact 255
Walking Speed: 32.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: None
Armor Type: ArcShield Maxi
Armament: 1 Defiance 1001 ER PPC
1 Coventry TH4b Streak SRM-4
6 Diverse Optics ER Medium Lasers
1 Diverse Optics ER Small Laser
2 Defiance Razorback ABA Pods
Manufacturer: J.B. BattleMechs
Primary Factory: Storfors
Communications System: O/P 3000 COMSET with Guardian ECM
Targeting & Tracking System: Cyclops Multi-Tasker 10

For hundreds of years, the BattleMaster was one of the most feared BattleMechs to walk the worlds of the Inner Sphere. For entire generations of MechWarriors it was the preeminent commander's 'Mech. The names of pilots of these machines are almost endless, but several names rise above the others: Hanse Davion; the Red Corsair; Wayne Waco. The recovery of Star League technological know-how stymied this 'Mech's primacy of place, but a new Lyran variant of the base model may just steal that gleam back.

Lyran engineers have taken a cue from the bad reports extra-light engines have taken over the years and invested technology in their new BattleMaster to make is as sturdy as possible. A newly-designed compact Edasich fusion engine powers the 'Mech at a slower pace than many older BattleMaster jocks may be used to, but makes it much harder to kill. A complimentary heavy-duty gyroscope further enhances this machine's survivability. The eighty-five ton machine is armored to put the assault back in assault 'Mech, and it carries enough heat sinks to devastate its opponents with an insanely high rate of fire. In addition, a pair of the new Defiance-made anti-battle armor pods protect the machine's legs.

In a blatant (and welcome) effort to recall the original model's lustrous reputation, Lyran engineers have returned to the BattleMaster's customary weapons mix. A weapon with a sterling performance record, the Defiance 1001 delivers heavy damage across the field. A massive bank of six extended-range medium lasers is spread across the new BattleMaster's chest, making it tantamount to suicide to close with this behemoth. I'm sure there will be many a Blakist stooge who will charge to his death against this fine 'Mech. Backing all that energy up is a tried-and-true Coventry Streak missile launcher.

In Marik space, Marshall Jeremy Brett has acquired several chassis, as well as the plans to the Kurita K3 variant and modified it for Free Worlds use. A suite of pulse lasers, light PPCs, multi-missile launchers, and a light Gauss rifle protect the C3 master computer in this fearsome new command BattleMech. A reverse-engineered light fusion engine makes this BLR more survivable, a necessary consideration for a command unit in dangerous Tamarind.

Finally, Jimmy D sent me word of a new Falcon BLR coming out of the captured Pandora factories. I'll not bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, it's nasty. HAG and ATMs, and enough lasers scattered around the torso to light up a black hole. All of it tied into a targeting computer so even the Falcon bondsmen can't miss, and enough heat sinks to give it all a go within reason. Be thankful it's up there and we're down here.

[Hobbit]

VALKYRIE
Valkyrie

Type/Model: Valkyrie VLK-QD2
Mass: 30 tons
Chassis: Corean Model 101AA Endo Steel
Power Plant: Omni 150 XL
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Vicore Thrust-Masters Model L
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor Type: StarGuard III
Armament: 1 Defiance XII Extended Range Medium Laser
2 Myrdron Snipehunter Light AC/2
Manufacturer: Corean Enterprises
Primary Factory: New Avalon
Communications System: Lynx-Shur
Targeting & Tracking System: Sync Tracker (40-TC)

The battles for New Avalon must suck. We don't get much of that news here on Irian, but from what I've seen, neither the Davions nor the Blakists are backing down. I feel for those boys and girls. First a Civil War, and now this. At least I can say with some certainty that the Davions aren't giving up an inch. I just got a juicy tidbit that shows what lengths they're prepared to go to.

We know Valkyries. The Federated Commonwealth was alive long enough for us to face those 'Mechs along the Lyran frontier with some regularity, and we put a lot of that experience into the Hammer. What the Davions are doing now with that puppy is thinking way outside the box. They've taken the missile bay out and replaced it with a pair of the new Snipehunter light autocannons.

The Snipehunters are a work of art. Lighter than a standard cannon but without the ammunition limitations of more advanced guns, the light AC allows Davion pilots to load up with whatever stocks are available, making it almost the perfect weapon for a long siege like New Avalon has turned into. These guns also benefit from the inclusion of the Federated Suns' new targeting computer, which the NAIS managed to copy from the Clans before that institution was vaporized. We've heard that much—the Robes crow that "victory" every chance they get.

Part of the packet I intercepted was gun-camera footage of an engagement, presumable on New Avalon. This Valkyrie was facing a bone-white Blakist Nexus, and it shredded the light 'Mech with concentrated fire from its laser and cannons. From the splash damage I could see, I suspect the 'Mech was loaded with armor-piercing ammunition, but I can't be sure. What I can tell you is that this Valkyrie destroyed that Nexus in under a minute, but left enough of the Blakist 'Mech intact that it must have yielded some excellent salvage.

The Davions are not the only ones upgrading their Valkyries, however. The Lyran Allaince, left with an abundance of discarded and abandoned Valkyries in the wake of the Civil War, is sending their VLKs to the refit yards of Arcturus, where the 'Mech is being slightly modified to make a more flexible impression on the battlefield. The Devastator LRM battery is being replaced with a Doombud multi-missile launcher. This MML is supported by two separate ammunition magazines, capable of carrying a mix of missiles for maximum flexibility.

We can only hope that these new Valkyries help turn the tide against the Word.

[Hobbit]

LOCUST
Speed Demon

Type/Model: LCT-6M Locust
Mass: 20 tons
Chassis: Corean-II Delux Endo Steel
Power Plant: 240 Hermes XL Fusion
Walking Speed: 151 km/h
Maximum Speed: 226 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Kallon FWL Special Ferro-Fibrous
Armament: 1 Magna Mk IV ER Small Laser
2 Magna Mk VI ER Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Corean Enterprises
Primary Factory: Stewart
Communications System: Garret T10B
Targeting & Tracking System: Corean CalcMaster


You know, you have to wonder when people can’t leave well enough alone. I mean, there’s hardly a more ubiquitous ’Mech in the entire Inner Sphere (or anywhere there are ’Mechs, for that matter) than the humble little Locust. There are more variants and one-offs running around than I have fingers and toes, it seems like, and we just keep adding more.
It’s a little ’Mech, and a weak ’Mech, if you can call anything that moves around two hundred klicks an hour weak, but it has always been fast, and reliable, and usually available, so I guess its no surprise that people keep tinkering with it. At least this time they seem to be doing things right.
Here in Marik space we’ve had the fastest Locust on the market for years. That was its great selling point, you see? We souped it up so it could compete with all these Darts and Fireballs and other little speed machines. The latest model to come out of Alys’ refit yards takes that a step further, stripping some of the excess lasers out in favor of myomer signal acceleration circuitry and fitting an extralight gyro to make space for an even larger engine. This new Locust can burst to speeds over three hundred kilometers per hour!
Another model has been spotted in Davion space, in the hands of those little persistent Taurian buggers in the Pleiades Cluster. They’ve taken a stock Locust and replaced the engine with an extralight of the same size, relayered the armor with a ferro-fibrous weave, and then bundled a trio of light machine guns in each arm mounted to those new arrays. They’re playing hell with the infantry contingents in any RCT they face, and merry havoc with the disused planetary militia they run up against. While the little MGs are weaker than the usual, they reach further, which means that units that are expecting to be beyond the range of aimed fire are getting mowed down before they’re under cover.

[Hobbit]

WASP

Type/Model: Wasp WSP-7MAF
Mass: 20 tons
Chassis: Hellespont Type W Endo Steel
Power Plant: 160 Hermes Fusion
Walking Speed: 86 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129 km/h
Jump Jets: Hellespont Leapers
Jump Capacity: 240 meters
Armor Type: Jolassa 328
Armament: 1 Diverse Optics ER Medium Laser
1 Doombud Multi-Missile Launcher 5
Manufacturer: Hellespont Industries, Taurus Territorial Industries, Detroit Consolidated MechWorks
Primary Factory: Sian, Taurus and Detroit
Communications System: Hellespont Tight Beam
Targeting & Tracking System: RadCom TXXI

There are almost as many Wasps running around as there are Locusts or Stingers. While the Locust is faster and the Stinger is more plentiful, the Wasp has always been a favorite of light ’Mech pilots for its combination of speed and firepower. While a middling laser and a pair of missiles doesn’t amount to much on a larger ’Mech, on a Wasp they mean constant firing without much heat—which means the Wasp, like its namesake, keeping spinning around you and stinging when you least expect it.
The Magistracy, with some help from the Capellans and most likely using the factories on Detroit, have taken this philosophy to heart and moved the Wasp another order of magnitude more dangerous.
A one-sixty-rated extra-light fusion power makes this Wasp as fast as a Succession War-era Locust, while additional jump jets give the -7MAF the jump capacity of a Spider. The medium laser has been replaced with an ER model, increasing the Wasp’s range, while the old two-shot short-range missile system in the left leg has been stripped out and replaced with a five-battery multi-missile launcher in the left torso. Ammo bays for both long and short range missiles are fitted around it, giving the MAF Wasps capabilities that mimic the uses of several other ’Mechs. We could do well to copy this one, I think.
Consider: this ’Mech is as fast and can jump as far as a Spider. Using LRMs, it can mount a comparable barrage to a Hornet or half a Hammer. Switch it over to short range and, in concert with the Diverse Optics laser, it can almost match the short-range barrage of a classic Commando. Where the old Wasp was pretty much limited to harassment duties, this new one can fulfill many roles, some of them together at once.
Even the Periphery gets it right sometimes.

[rELH_Fox]

Если я правильно понимаю, то "проект Феникс" - это некая линейка мехов времён первой Звёздной Лиги, которая была позабыта, но кто-то где-то что-то откопал, и люди узнали об этих мехах, так?

Я совсем недавно стал вникать в детали Вселенной, поэтому объясните, пожалуйста, по-подробнее?

[IronHawk-711]

rELH_Fox
Это так сказать, их рестайлинговые версии, ибо оригинальные дизайны нарушали авторские права всяких там Макроссов, Гандамов и т.д.

[ShadowBlade]

Не совсем так или совсем нет. В общем как-то так.
По просту говоря Проект Феникс это апгрэйд старых мехов с использованием новых технологий.

[Hobbit]

Если я правильно понимаю, то "проект Феникс" - это некая линейка мехов времён первой Звёздной Лиги, которая была позабыта, но кто-то где-то что-то откопал, и люди узнали об этих мехах, так?

Я совсем недавно стал вникать в детали Вселенной, поэтому объясните, пожалуйста, по-подробнее?

Ты, скорее всего, имеешь в виду базу данных с Нового Далласа, которую откопал командир "Бригады Дьявола" Алекс Келлер и которая представлена в Tecnical Readout 3075. Правда, в основном там техника "Века Войны" и ранние попытки Великих Домов и периферийных государств на тему создания боевых мехов (за редкими исключениями, вроде "Атласа II" и "Джэкрэббита").

А "Проект Феникс" это в первую очередь редизайн т.н. "ансинов" и их апгрейженые версии, как уже было отмечено выше.

[rELH_Fox]

Вот, про эту заворуху с авторскими правами я знал.

Ааа.. Кажется, разобрался.

По порядку...

Изначально ФАСА выпустила ТРО 3025 (в 86 году), в котором было много мехов, в том числе созданных еще при первой Звездной Лиге (Райфл, и т.п.) Но потом начался срач из-за позаимствованных японских дизайнов, и ФАСА выпустила ревизию этого ТРО, удалив оттуда Райфла и т.п. - правда произошло это аж в 96 году!

Хотя, возможно срач начался еще в 80-е, и поэтому в ТРО 2750, выпущенном в 89 году, было очень мало мехов. Покрамсали прилично.

А позже (правопреемники ФАСА) решили этих мехов реанимировать, и выпустили апдейт Феникс, в котором перерисовали их дизайны. Не понятно только, куда делись даты из описаний мехов??

Вот как наверняка узнать полный список мехов, существоваших, скажем, к 3000 году?

[rELH_Fox]

Hobbit, про найденную базу - ясно, видимо я напутал.

[rELH_Fox]

А... кажется я понял. В проекте Феникс, всё-таки, именно апгрейды. А оригинальные "исторические" версии этих мехов нужно смотреть в ТРО 3039, так?..

[Hobbit]

Вот как наверняка узнать полный список мехов, существоваших, скажем, к 3000 году?

Смотря иметь ввиду под "существовавших" Большая часть ранней техники "Века войны" или продвинутых моделей поздней Звездной Лиги к этому моменту уже успела исчезнуть. Если говорить о технике, которая использовалась в эпоху 3-й Наследной войны, то TR 3039 - лучший источник.

А... кажется я понял. В проекте Феникс, всё-таки, именно апгрейды. А оригинальные "исторические" версии этих мехов нужно смотреть в ТРО 3039, так?..

Да

[rELH_Fox]

Всё понятно, спасибо.