OBT Forum

Nicely unoriginal Bradshaw! 

Nice job!

Edit:
Do you have anybody in particular in mind for the role of the hidden backers of the hidden refit facility? There's no (officially-proclaimed) Word of Blake faction in this setting, right?

IIRC, I only came up with the first of my two years ago because I was impressed by the amount of effort Cray must have put into designing Rifle Cannons out of pure historical completism, even though they've rightly been depicted as an unequivocally obsolete weapon system from the very beginning.

I like them too.

Unlike MasterArminas, I like the 3S but I had two designs made, one based on the standard Banshee and one on the 3S. I also had a fluff idea about an avenging unit. Unfortunately, I lost my notes and since I didn't have time to remake two of them or to rewrite the fluff, so here is my BNC-4S with more "standard" fluff (the other one is just a rumour in the variants, if I have time on Sunday, I will remake it).

And the coolest looking Banshee is the Banshee 1E 


Overview
Between the BNC-3S and the BNC-5S, there was another Banshee, a test-bed for new weapons and systems, that was quickly forgotten as technology was getting ahead and new models were becoming easily available.
However with the loses suffered during the Clan Invasion and the market ready to buy almost any “new” BattleMech available, Defiance Industries saw a market opportunity to build new ‘Mechs and sell upgrade packages to the people who still had BNC-3S or other old models.
This is how the BNC-4S was reactivated and upgraded.


Capabilities
Based on a BNC-3S chassis and model, the idea behind the BNC-4S was to provide more firepower and more efficiency but at the lowest increase in cost. This means that using too much advanced tech like XL Engine, Endo Steel Internal Structure and even Ferro-Fibrous Armour was not an option.

The most advanced tech that would be used was Double Heat Sinks, which would require a change of the Engine but the extra cooling provided allowed an increase in cooling capacity by 50% for a decrease in weight of 24%.

With this extra capacity, the next step taken was to drop all weapons and to focus on two sets of weapons : one for longer ranges and one for shorter ones, with the capability to fire with maximal effect at any range. Once more to decrease price, the selected weapons were either no longer used but still in production or left-overs from previous upgrades.
The first weapons were 3 PPC from Defiance Industries (producer of the Banshee), one in each torso and one in the Left Arm. This mirrored the disposition of the main guns of the BNC-3S while the use of the same weapon (and not two different ones) would be easier on the Targeting and Tracking System that was also upgraded.

At short ranges, the firepower is not less impressive with 4 Medium Lasers (a classical of the Banshee BNC-3S) together with 2 SRM-6 coupled with Artemis IV Fire Control Systems. To protect the 4 tons of ammo, CASE was added.

This was only the first step in improving the defensive systems. With 17 tons (1.5 tons short of the maximum armour, a 95 tons ‘Mech can have) and a Guardian ECM, the BNC-4S can hold its ground and endure a long punishment while firing back, ensuring that anyone taking it down will go down too.


Battle History
The most notable fight of this new designs was on the Periphery border of the Federated Commonwealth raided by the Blades of Death. An unit of the 9th Lyran Regulars faced them on Kwangjong-ni, a rather insignificant world targeted by the pirates.

During the battles on the ground, a BNC-4S fought against one of the customised BNC-3S used by the former mercenary unit. The superior firepower allowed the Federated ‘Mech to take down the BNC-3S Reinesblatt that was trying to close range to make its hatchet count.

With the fall of their heaviest unit, the rest of the pirates retreated off-world.


Variants
A similar upgrade of the BNC-3E is rumoured to have been developed. Its Double Heat Sinks would allow its weapons to be upgraded.
So far none has been seen but the rumour is running in the whole Periphery; which means that something is going on.


Deployment
The BNC-4S is being deployed in the whole Federated Commonwealth replacing the BNC-3S, so common in the Lyran side of the Commonwealth and competing with the BNC-5S thanks to its mix of heavy firepower and protection and low price for an Assault ‘Mech.


Notable ‘MechWarriors
Living with the name of a famous mother can be difficult sometimes and Laurine White Jr is struggling with that. Serving in the 10th Lyran Guards, she tries to leave the shadow of her famous mother and to show that she can be a good Banshee pilot on her own. She has scored several victories against Clanners who don’t know who she is, which seems to put her in the prime conditions for fighting.

Banshee BNC-4S

Mass: 95 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-D-D
Production Year: 3052
Dry Cost: 10 065 120 C-Bills
Total Cost: 10 281 120 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2 080

Chassis: Star League XT Standard
Power Plant: Pitban 285 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32,4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54,0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Longanecker PlastiSteel Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
    3 Defiance Industries/Parti-Kill Heavy Cannon PPCs
    2 Coventry Metal Works/Coventry 90mm SRM-6s w/ Artemis IV FCS
    4 Defiance Industries/Defiance B3M Medium Lasers
    1 Norse-Storm Technologies Incorporated/Norse Guardian ECM Guardian ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Defiance Industries
    Primary Factory: Hesperus II
Communications System: Angst Clear Channel 3
Targeting and Tracking System: Nashan Diana Mark II

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                     145 points                9,50
Engine:             Fusion Engine                285                      16,50
    Walking MP: 3
    Running MP: 5
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             16(32)                    6,00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 1 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               3,00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3,00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA    R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 268                 17,00
    CASE Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT                                             1,00

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     30           42       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  17       
                                           L/R Torso     20           30       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  10       
                                             L/R Arm     16           28       
                                             L/R Leg     20           32       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser                                 HD        3         1         1,00
Guardian ECM Suite                           CT        0         2         1,50
SRM-6                                        RT        4         2         3,00
    Artemis IV FCS                           RT        -         1         1,00
PPC                                          RT        10        3         7,00
SRM-6                                        LT        4         2         3,00
    Artemis IV FCS                           LT        -         1         1,00
PPC                                          LT        10        3         7,00
3 Medium Lasers                              RA        9         3         3,00
PPC                                          LA        10        3         7,00
@SRM-6 (Artemis) (30)                        RT        -         2         2,00
@SRM-6 (Artemis) (30)                        LT        -         2         2,00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 6

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      9    Points: 21
3          5       5       2       0      4     2   Structure:  8
Special Abilities: ECM, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


(nods)

I don't much rate most of the artwork for the XTRO: Primitives series, because after all they're deliberately meant to look clunky and in need of the streamlining they'll get with future models. But that particular piece ain't half bad!

BNC-5LM BANSHEE
 
Mass: 95 tons
Chassis: Star League XT
Power Plant: Pitban 285
Cruising Speed: 32 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Jump Jets: None
            Jump Capacity: None
Armor: Kallon FWL Special Ferro-Fibrous with CASE
Armament:
1 Dragon’s Fire Gauss Rifle
6 Holly Long-Range Missiles 5-Packs
1 Diverse Optics Sunbeam Extended Range Large Laser
2 Magna 400P Medium Pulse Lasers
1 Magna Mk II Medium Laser
Manufacturer: Various (refits only)
Primary Factory: Various
Communications System: Dalban Comline
Targeting and Tracking System: Dalban HiRez-B

Overview:
            The 3rd Marik Civil War forced many worlds to activate their reserve forces in order to survive. Among these units were the massively underwhelming Banshee whose Assault ‘Mech potential could easily be seen but never fully recognized. Armed with lostech knowledge and a lack of Atlases many slower concepts were floated in the Free Worlds during this conflict. It was the BNC-5LM design that both the FWLM and the CCAF had been researching prior to the outbreak of hostilities that really took off. Armed with numerous copies of the testbed concept various factions rushed to convert their rear line BNC-3Es into a modern 'Light Atlas'.
 
Capabilities:
Built on the ancient Star League XT this new Banshee retains alot of the old BNC-3E's interior components. What was replaced was the massive GM 380 Fusion Engine with the smaller Pitban 285 Fusion Engine. While this reduces the overall speed of the design to that of most Assault BattleMechs it, along with the corresponding gyroscope downgrade, results in a weight savings of more than twenty five tons. Designers stocked up with six small Holly Long-Range Missile batteries mounted in the Right Torso that equalled the performance of two larger LRM-15s and complemented them Dragon’s Fire Gauss Rifle placed in the Left Torso. Armed with enough ammuntion to allow sixteen rounds of continues fire these weapons deliver far reaching punishment to any would be opponent. This barrage was further supplemented by an Diverse Optics Sunbeam Extended Range Large Laser mounted in the Center Torso. The cooling system of thirteen Double Heat Sinks was designed to alleviate this long-range fire while walking. Two Magna 400P Medium Pulse Lasers and Magna Mk II Medium Laser are meant for closer range support and should be bracket fired if threats penetrate the Banshee's minimum range. Sixteen tons of Kallon FWL Special Ferro-Fibrous replaced the fifteen tons of older Starshield plating increasing protection by sixteen percent. Two CASEs fitted in the side torsos were also added to protect against catastrophic explosions. With all these new additions interior space is now cramped resulting in more difficult maintenence. Costing less than two hundred thousand C-bills more in overall price from the BNC-3E this difficulty is judged by most as only a minor concern. 
 
Deployment:
            The BNC-5LM has quickly spread throughout the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation as both realms lack heaviest 'Mech available in significant numbers. This lack of Atlases was felt even more particularly by House Liao after the 4th Succession War which now relies on this lostech Assault Banshee to fill its regiments. Several House Marik factions also utilize this Banshee in much the same way despite their dislike of the hated Capellans. 
 
Type: BNC-5LM Banshee
Technology Base: Inner Sphere - Level 2
Tonnage: 95
 
Equipment                                                                                         Mass
Internal Structure:                                                                               9.5
Engine:                                             285                                          16.5
Walking MP:                          3
Running MP:                          5
Jumping MP:                          0
Heat Sinks:                                         13 (26)                                     3
Gyro:                                                                                                   3
Cockpit:                                                                                              3
Armor Factor:                                     287                                          16
Internal Structure            Armor Value
Head                                        3                                  9
Center Torso                           30                                45 / 15
R/L Torso                               20                                30 / 10
R/L Arm                                 16                                30
R/L Leg                                   20                                39
 
Weapons and Ammo            Location                     Critical           Tonnage
6 LRM-5s                                Right Torso                 6                      12
Ammo (LRM) 96                    Right Torso                 4                      4
Medium Pulse Laser               Right Torso                 1                      2
CASE                                      Right Torso                 1                      .5
Gauss Rifle                             Left Torso                   7                      15
Ammo (Gauss) 16                   Left Torso                   2                      2
Medium Pulse Laser               Left Torso                   1                      2
CASE                                      Left Torso                   1                      .5
Medium Laser                         Head                            1                      1
 
Cost = 9,713,340 C-bills

Takiro, I assume the ER Large Laser for your 5LM is in the center torso?