OBT Forum

BANSHEE BNC-3Er

Intro Date: 2689
Obsolete: 2769
Factions: Rim Worlds Republic, Magistracy of Canopus, Taurian Concordat, Outworlds Alliance
Factory: Weigel Armory & Munitions (Kwangjong-ni)

Overview
If the regency of Tadeo Amaris taught them anything, it was that the Republic could not trust the Star League or her member states. War could break out at any time and any military build-up would have to be done away from the BSLA's prying eyes. This led to a resurgence of Terens Amaris' military doctrine of "quality over quantity," emphasizing high quality standards from the few production lines the Republic had within its borders.

After the boondoggle of 2455, the Star League's Weapons Research division decided to cut its losses and remain in the black by selling off its failed Banshee project. While many Houses purchased a entire production runs, only Defiance Industries and Weigel A&M aimed to purchase the plans for further builds. With the blueprints at rock-bottom prices, neither the Lyrans nor the Rim Worlders could afford to pass up a chance at improving their war machine. Though the base chassis would continue in production for several years, House variants soon replaced the standard -3E on production lines in both nations.


Capabilities
While both manufacturers created a cornucopia of variations, only the Rim Worlds Republic chose to put any advanced resources into improving the Banshee. Weigel's engineers took advantage of PanzerSlab's advancements in metallurgy to improve heat sink efficiency. This extreme heat dispersion allowed technicians to push the upper limits of the heat scale, replacing the 50mm main gun with a second particle cannon. The popular Stolz-Harbinger PPC was chosen as a reliable and accurate replacement for the out-dated auto cannon.

Taking a valuable lesson from battle ROMs obtained by AsRoc agents, engineers became aware of the desperate need for close-quarters defense. A sizeable amount of the 'Mech's bulk was re-purposed for short-range armament. Dual Optimax medium lasers were torso-mounted in a cluster housing, paired with a Harvester missile rack for superior defense. Though nearly forgotten by most pilots, the Banshee retained its iconic, head-mounted small laser for emergencies.


Deployment
Despite its apparent improvement over the much-maligned BNC-3E, the Republic's upgraded chassis saw limited use. Heavy cost along with BSLA interference caused production to trickle to a virtual stand-still in the late-27th century. By 2718, it became clear that the design was aging and a new, more versatile design would be required. In 2735, Weigel unveiled its Rampage BattleMech, which was hailed by the General Staff as the new standard in Republican 'Mech design.

As a result, the Banshee's production slowed to a stop in 2755, when Weigel shifted all production to accommodate the wealth of information acquired from the SLDF withdrawal. Only field kits would be produced for the few -3E models still in service, all of which ceased to be produced in 2767 when Kerensky invaded the Rim Worlds Republic.

Banshee BNC-3Er

Mass: 95 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/C-E-D
Production Year: 2750
Cost: 10,163,628 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,703

Chassis: Star League XT Standard
Power Plant: AMC 380 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: PanzerSlab Standard Armor
Armament:
    2 Stolz-Harbinger PPCs
    1 Harvester SRM-6
    3 Diplass Optimax Medium Lasers
    1 Diplass Optimax Small Laser
Manufacturer: Weigel Armory and Munitions
    Primary Factory: Wotan
Communications System: Dalban Comline
Targeting and Tracking System: Dalban HiRez-B

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     145 points                9.50
Engine:             Fusion Engine                380                      41.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             11(22)                    1.00
Gyro:               Standard                                               4.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 240                 15.00

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     30           40       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  17       
                                           L/R Torso     20           30       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  10       
                                             L/R Arm     16           21       
                                             L/R Leg     20           26       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPC                                          RT        10        3         7.00
3 Medium Lasers                              RT        9         3         3.00
SRM-6                                        LT        4         2         3.00
PPC                                          LT        10        3         7.00
Small Laser                                  HD        1         1         0.50
@SRM-6 (15)                                  LT        -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 34

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      8    Points: 17
4          3       3       2       0      4     1   Structure:  8
Special Abilities: SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA