==Overview:==
A favorite of the TDF (indeed, of virtually all known military organizations
in existence today) is the venerable Archer. One of the largest and most
powerful units produced by the Concordat, the Archer was not originally
intended to be included in Project 3000. However, the success of VMIs MAD-3T
Marauder upgrade caused Taurus Territorial to refit both their ARC-2 series
Archer and the TDR-5 series Thunderbolt designs. While the changes are minor,
they did make these ancient designs seem more 'Taurian'. Both the ARC-2T and
the TDR-5T were approved for production in 3000.
==Capabilities:==
It has been said that if one lives long enough and travels far enough, then he
might be able to see every possible variation of the Archer produced. With
more than 100,000 built by the Star League alone, the solidly built and easy
to maintain Archer proved itself as the customization king of all
BattleMechs.
With the ARC-2T, Taurus Territorial decided to address three main issues:
endurance, lack of any anti-personnel weaponry, and heat.
The original Doombud LRM-20 launchers have been replaced with a pair of Aurora
Missiliers Deathscap fifteen-tube LRM launchers, each with a two-ton missile
magazine (16 salvoes per launcher). The quad medium laser battery of the
original (2 rear-firing) was removed and replaced with three forward-firing
Martin-Gordan Rapier medium lasers; one each in the right arm, right torso,
and left torso.
Short-range firepower was further enhanced with the addition of an Aurora
Missiliers Foxglove quad-tube SRM launcher and a one-ton missile magazine (25
salvoes), both set deep within the thick armor of the center torso.
Common to the majority of Taurian designs, TTI installed a pair of Hyades
Weapons Consortium Reaper machine-guns in the left arm, along with a half-ton
magazine (100 bursts total). The Reapers add much needed anti-personnel
capabilities to the design, and add still more anti-'Mech damage at
point-blank range.
A total of twelve heat sinks were fitted to the ARC-2T; enough to fire both
Deathscap launchers and run with fear of overheat. The short-range battery
does build up movement heat, but the TDF considered the small amount of excess
overheat as acceptable.
Finally, the design team increased the already formidable armor protection of
the Archer to a massive 13.5 tons of Renault Composites 216, making the ARC-2T
Archer the single best protected Taurian 'Mech in existence.
==Deployment==
The TDF has whole-heartedly embraced the ARC-2T. Existing ARC-2Rs are rotated
back to VMI, TTI, and PPL and retrofitted to the new standard, while new
ARC-2Ts are directly assigned to TDF regular regiments. So far, only a
handful of ARC-2T Archers have been made available for export.
Mercs using the design miss the punch of the twin Doombuds, but admit that the
added short-range firepower and armor is very nice.
Currently produced by the Big Three at all existing Archer facilities, the
ARC-2T has proven so popular that the manufacturers cannot keep up with the
demand. At the present time, there is a two-year waiting list for
retro-fitted ARC-2Ts--five years for newly built 'Mechs.
BattleMech Technical Readout
Type/Model: Archer ARC-2T
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 1, Custom design
Mass: 70 tons
Chassis: Earthwerk Archer Standard
Power Plant: 280 VOX Fusion
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Maximillian 100 Standard
Armament:
3 Martin Gordan Rapier Medium Lasers
2 Hyades Weapons Consortium Reaper Machine Guns
2 Aurora Missiliers Deathscap LRM 15s
1 Aurora Missiliers Foxglove SRM 4
Manufacturer: Earthwerks Incorporated
Location: (Unknown)
Communications System: Neil 9000
Targeting & Tracking System: RCA Instatrac Mark XII
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Archer ARC-2T
Mass: 70 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 107 pts Standard 0 7.00
Engine: 280 Fusion 6 16.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 12 Single 1 2.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 HD)
Gyro: 4 3.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA+H R: Sh+UA+LA+H 16 .00
Armor Factor: 216 pts Standard 0 13.50
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 22 30
Center Torso (Rear): 13
L/R Side Torso: 15 24/24
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 6/6
L/R Arm: 11 22/22
L/R Leg: 15 30/30
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Medium Laser RA 3 1 1.00
2 Machine Guns LA 0 100 3 1.50
(Ammo Locations: 1 LA)
1 LRM 15 RT 5 32 7 11.00
(Ammo Locations: 2 LT, 2 RT)
1 Medium Laser RT 3 1 1.00
1 LRM 15 LT 5 3 7.00
1 Medium Laser LT 3 1 1.00
1 SRM 4 CT 3 25 2 3.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 CT)
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 22 50 70.00
Crits & Tons Left: 28 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 6,243,024 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,038
Cost per BV: 6,014.47
Weapon Value: 1,206 / 1,206 (Ratio = 1.16 / 1.16)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 16; MRDmg = 14; LRDmg = 8
BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 5/5
Damage PB/M/L: 3/2/1, Overheat: 2
Class: MH; Point Value: 10
Specials: if
