Mackie MSK-8H
Mass: 90 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-D-A
Production Year: 3063
Cost: 9,910,400 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,643
Chassis: Ford Super H QWA3X Standard
Power Plant: Hermes 360 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Kallon Royalstar w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Johnston High Speed Long Range Particle Projection Cannon
1 Mydron Excel LB 10-X AC
2 Diverse Optics Extended Range Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Hell On Wheels
Primary Factory: n/a
Communications System: CommuTech Multi-Channel 10
Targeting and Tracking System: BlazeFire Sightlock
Overview:
In early 3063 the mercenary unit Hell On Wheels followed up on a lead on a Hegemony militia cache located on New Dallas while they were crossing the Terran Corridor, using uninhabited systems to avoid Loyalist pursuit. Under a bombed out base they found a long abandoned boneyard containing ‘Mechs obsolete even by the standards of the Succession Wars. Among the most common frames that had been stripped and stored there were a full regiment of MSK-6S Mackies once used by the New Dallas militia and retired prior to the Reunification War.
While the Mackies were far from combat-worthy, the mercenaries had no expectation of resupplying as all available factories were supplying or being fought over by Allied and Loyalist forces in the Federated Commonwealth Civil War. Using available parts they had in store or could trade for, the unit gradually refitted the Mackies, working on a few at a time. The new designation fits with the Hegemony conventions where MSK-8 series numbers were for upgrades to MSK-6S Mackies.
Capabilities:
The biggest change to the Mackie is that the newer actuators and power cabling fitted cut the power demands by 20% and replacing the armour with Kallon Royalstar cut more than 6% of the Mech’s weight. Further weight savings ultimately allowed Hell On Wheels to refit the Mackie down to a 90 ton Mech and use the now excess reactor power to push it up to a top speed of almost 65km/h.
Refitting the engine for this allowed the installation of double heatsinks which supports the heat generated from the modern extended range lasers and PPC installed in place of weapons that had been removed before the Mackies were cached. The right arm’s autocannon was similarly upgraded and the rounds for it are contained in a cellular ammunition store in the right chest, solving a weakness in the original design.
The original electronics were stellar but fitting them for modern weapon systems was more than the mercenaries could manage so these were ultimately sold off and replaced with spares intended for AFFC Cataphracts.
Deployment:
While Hell On Wheels was able to expand their ‘Mech forces with the Mackies, their expenses led them to trade several companies to Allied forces, with the Davion Assault Guards as the primary recipients.
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 152 points 10.00*
Engine: Fusion Engine 360 33.00**
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 14(28) 4.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 212 13.50
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 8
Center Torso 31 30
Center Torso (rear) 10
L/R Torso 21 20
L/R Torso (rear) 10
L/R Arm 17 24
L/R Leg 21 28
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
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2 ER Medium Lasers CT 10 2 2.00
LB 10-X AC RA 2 6 11.00
ER PPC LA 15 3 7.00
@LB 10-X (Cluster) (10) RT - 1 1.00
@LB 10-X (Slug) (10) RT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 37
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 16
4 3 3 2 0 4 0 Structure: 7
Special Abilities: CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, FLK 1/1/1
* the chassis remains the original 10ton from before tonnage was reduced, thus greater weight of structure and internal structure points.
** the engine on the MSK-6S and MSK-5S are both listed as Hermes 360, not as overweight 300s, so it seems that ‘primitive’ reactors are more a matter of needing an extra 20% power rather than being correctly rated but over-sized. With the refits, that extra 20% isn’t needed.
