BackgroundAnother brainchild of Khan Alaric Ward, the Grimnir was actually developed to be a cheaper and ‘safe’ option should the Warwolf design not be able to perform as needed. At 65 tons the Grimnir is smaller, lighter and consumes less resources but is built to be heavily armed and flexible.
As it used more commonly available resources like endo-steel and normal ferro-fibrous plate armour the Mech was easier to produce in bulk at the mobile factories the Wolves depended on as they were establishing the Wolf Empire.
Its ease of production ensured that the Grimnir was available in large numbers during Operation HAMMERFALL and the foundation of the Wolf Empire. The Germanic sounding name was also a very deliberate choice by Khan Ward, initially seen as a name chosen to appease the Lyran’s who they would be fighting alongside, it became an insult or threat when Khan Ward’s genetic heritage was revealed.
DesignPowered by a 325 rated XL engine the Mech is capable of hitting the more traditional Cavalry speeds of Clan Mech’s that the Wolves had been somewhat lacking, and, at 86kph the Grimnir is as fast on the ground as staples of the Clan Tourman like the Timberwolf or Gargoyle. The Mech’s endo-steel skeleton is draped in 11-tons of Ferro-fibrous plates and its sensors and BCP are all common systems in Wolf service making the Mech easy to repair and service in the field. Although largely overshadowed by the success of the Warwolf which captured the imagination of the Warrior Caste far better than the Grimnir ever did, it remains in production. A common sigh in Empire Clusters, the Grimnir remains a potent reminder of the power of Clan technology, even if the Mech was designed as ‘cheap’.
VariantsPrime – Built to engage targets at long range with direct fire weapons the Prime’s main armament is a Gauss rifle fed by a 3-ton drum magazine, the same kind of layout that would feature in the Warwolf. A pair of ER Large lasers complemented the rifle whilst at shorter ranges a pair of ER medium lasers could engage targets. For anti-infantry defence a pair of machine guns are installed, drawing from a half-ton magazine. Some field refits replaced this with a small pulse laser.
Grimnir Prime
Clan advanced
65 tons
BV: 2,562
Cost: 18,417,678 C-bills
Movement: 5/8
Engine: 325 XL
Heat Sinks: 15 [30]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 104 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 211/211 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
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Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 15 21
Right Torso (rear) 9
Left Torso 15 21
Left Torso (rear) 9
Right Arm 10 20
Left Arm 10 20
Right Leg 15 30
Left Leg 15 30
Weapon Loc Heat
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Gauss Rifle RA 1
ER Large Laser LA 12
ER Large Laser LA 12
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
Machine Gun LT 0
Machine Gun RT 0
Ammo Loc Shots
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Gauss Ammo RA 8
Gauss Ammo RA 8
Gauss Ammo RA 8
Half Machine Gun Ammo RT 100
Equipment Loc
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CASE II RA
!MechView.CarringCapacity!One battle armor squad
A – Although somewhat limited in armament the A is designed to deliver a large quantity of firepower with high accuracy. An ER PPC, Clan RAC-5 and pair of Improved heavy Medium lasers are all tied into a targeting computer whilst the RAC’s 3-tons of ammunition are protected by CASE II. Although a full alpha strike will cause a heatspike its quite manageable with careful weapons management. Unfortunately the large amount of explosive components onboard has given this variant a somewhat bad reputation.
Grimnir A
Clan advanced
65 tons
BV: 2,761
Cost: 18,461,094 C-bills
Movement: 5/8
Engine: 325 XL
Heat Sinks: 16 [32]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 104 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 211/211 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 15 21
Right Torso (rear) 9
Left Torso 15 21
Left Torso (rear) 9
Right Arm 10 20
Left Arm 10 20
Right Leg 15 30
Left Leg 15 30
Weapon Loc Heat
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Rotary AC/5 RA/RT 1
ER PPC LA 15
Improved Heavy Medium Laser LA 7
Improved Heavy Medium Laser LT 7
Ammo Loc Shots
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Rotary AC/5 Ammo RT 20
Rotary AC/5 Ammo RT 20
Rotary AC/5 Ammo RT 20
Equipment Loc
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Targeting Computer LT
CASE II RT
!MechView.CarringCapacity!One battle armor squad
B – Less inspired by the classic Rifleman but rather a direct copy of its weapons load, the B is designed to engage Mech’s and vehicle or air threats. Its main firepower comes from a pair of LB-5X autocannons, each fed by their own 2-ton ammunition supply. A pair of ER Large lasers give the Mech its main punch and they are mounted alongside the autocannons. At shorter ranges, a pair of ER Medium lasers can engage a target. Unfortunately the Mech's cooling system can be easily overwhelmed by the Mech's weapons and a full alpha strike is not recommended.
Grimnir B
Clan advanced
65 tons
BV: 2,159
Cost: 18,403,859 C-bills
Movement: 5/8
Engine: 325 XL
Heat Sinks: 13 [26]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 104 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 211/211 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 15 21
Right Torso (rear) 9
Left Torso 15 21
Left Torso (rear) 9
Right Arm 10 20
Left Arm 10 20
Right Leg 15 30
Left Leg 15 30
Weapon Loc Heat
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LB 5-X AC LA 1
LB 5-X AC RA 1
ER Large Laser LA 12
ER Large Laser RA 12
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER Small Laser HD 2
Ammo Loc Shots
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LB 5-X AC Ammo LA 20
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo LA 20
LB 5-X AC Ammo RA 20
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo RA 20
!MechView.CarringCapacity!One battle armor squad
C – Designed for combat in built up regions and to engage combined-arms threats the C was first encountered in large numbers during the fighting on Tharkad. The main firepower comes in the form of a LB-20X autocannon fed by 3-tons of ammunition. A plasma rifle is also mounted and this draws from a 2-ton ammo and this weapon can do horrific things to infantry forces as well as cripple vehicles. A quartet of ER Medium lasers are backed up by a pair of AP Gauss rifles can engage infantry and battle armour. The sensor suite has been enhanced and tied into an active probe to let it hunt for hidden targets. Although rather specialized the C is a fearsome threat and its autocannon can rip holes in Mech’s that come too close.
Grimnir C
Clan advanced
65 tons
BV: 2,348
Cost: 19,740,772 C-bills
Movement: 5/8
Engine: 325 XL
Heat Sinks: 14 [28]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 104 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 211/211 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 15 21
Right Torso (rear) 9
Left Torso 15 21
Left Torso (rear) 9
Right Arm 10 20
Left Arm 10 20
Right Leg 15 30
Left Leg 15 30
Weapon Loc Heat
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LB 20-X AC RA/RT 6
Plasma Cannon LA 7
AP Gauss Rifle LT 1
AP Gauss Rifle RT 1
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser LT 5
Ammo Loc Shots
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LB 20-X AC Ammo RT 5
LB 20-X AC Ammo RT 5
LB 20-X AC Ammo RT 5
Plasma Cannon Ammo LA 10
Plasma Cannon Ammo LA 10
AP Gauss Rifle Ammo LT 40
Equipment Loc
----------------------------------
Active Probe HD
CASE II RT
!MechView.CarringCapacity!One battle armor squad
D – Designed as a skirmisher, the D is similar to the Prime in its armament but with less of a focus on long range firepower. A pair of large pulse lasers provide the main punch whilst a HAG-20, fed by a 2-ton ammunition bin can sandblast targets at long range and engage air and ground threats. A pair of ER medium lasers provide additional firepower at short range whilst fifteen double heatsinks help the Mech run cool enough to use its three primary weapons at a full run without heat build-up. Sometimes used as a Command Mech in Medium Stars the D’s accurate pulse lasers make it a fearsome killer of fast moving targets.
Grimnir D
Clan advanced
65 tons
BV: 2,447
Cost: 18,499,147 C-bills
Movement: 5/8
Engine: 325 XL
Heat Sinks: 15 [30]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 104 (Endo-Steel)
Armor: 211/211 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
--------------------------------------
Center Torso 21 32
Center Torso (rear) 10
Right Torso 15 21
Right Torso (rear) 9
Left Torso 15 21
Left Torso (rear) 9
Right Arm 10 20
Left Arm 10 20
Right Leg 15 30
Left Leg 15 30
Weapon Loc Heat
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Large Pulse Laser LA 10
Large Pulse Laser LA 10
HAG/20 RA 4
ER Medium Laser LT 5
ER Medium Laser RT 5
Ammo Loc Shots
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HAG/20 Ammo RA 6
HAG/20 Ammo RA 6
Equipment Loc
----------------------------------
CASE II RA
!MechView.CarringCapacity!One battle armor squad
Again another 'missing link' the Warwolf to me seems like an expensive and hard to produce investment, so the Grimnir is designed to be a safer and less advanced Mech that can be produced in larger numbers to rebuild their Tourman.
As always, thoughts, comments and ideas are most welcome