Looks like I am thirteen hours late with this one thinking its still Sunday.
For contest number nineteen I’d like to welcome our designers at long last to our forty-five tonners starting with the Blackjack. Maligned as it may have been in some sort of political or corporate smear campaign this BattleMech actually seems pretty good. I will admit that it is not one that I usually use in my campaigns but I am looking forward to see what our designers can do with the Blackjack for the Salient Horizon setting. Unfortunately, I could not find a Mech of the Week Article on CBT about the Blackjack but there is always sarna!
BattleTechwiki Page for the Blackjack
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Blackjack_(BattleMech)
Optimal Design Thoughts on the BlackjackRole. Originally designed as a medium fire support ‘Mech with insurgency suppression capabilities for the SLDF. I would call the Blackjack a slow moving but mobile harasser with close range punch.
Factories. 2 [1]
[DESTROYED] General Motors (Kathil)
Production of this BattleMech began here in 2757 but it is unclear how many units were made in light of all the bad press it received. No one lost any sleep when this manufacturing line was destroyed by the Capellans during the 1st Succession War in 2796. Presumably all models that fought throughout most of the Succession War were made during this thirty-nine-year span.
Ceres Metals Industries (St. Ives)
The BJ-3 was original built by the Capellan Confederation here sometime during the 4th Succession War and soon thereafter fell into the hands of the St. Ives Compact. Apparently continuing to produce this model all the time it is likely the source of all new Blackjacks right up to the Clan Invasion. Likely a good source of income for the Compact who have a friendly nearby market in the Federated Suns as well as becoming the workhorse for their military going forward.
General Motors (Talcott)
Apparently refit kits and limited production for the BJ-2 began here in early 3052 but full production did not apparently restart for the Davions until 3054 just after the publication of Objective Raids. This new facility will likely play heavily into our contest here and should be interesting to see what becomes of it going forward.
Internal Structure. False claims that the GM BJ-1 had narrow footpads which hampered mobility and stability aside this chassis seems to be very solid. Both the St. Ives and Talcott factories appear to have an EndoSteel foundry for the production of a lighter weight advanced lostech chassis but neither appeared to utilize it in canon but I’d say it is certainly a possibility.
Engine. The GM 180 Fusion Engine is one of those rare power plants made by the BattleMech’s actual manufacturer making it a real single company project. Where the 40-ton designs made a lot of sense to optimize at 5/8 speed, because their 200 rated engines maxed out the abilities of a two-ton gyro, the Blackjack and its 45-ton brethren are a different story. To go 5/8 you'd need a 225 engine requiring a 3 ton gyro and if you are going to go there why not just go 6/9 with a 270?? Personally, I think 4/6 is a Heavy Mech speed while Mediums should go 5/8. That being said a step slow isn't horrible I guess but against the Clans can you really afford to be a slow Medium?
Jump Jets. Four Whitworth Jetlifts mounted in either legs give the Blackjack the ability to jump 120 meters at a time. These components appear to be the same as the Whitworth which is a surprise to me and may assist in the production of that Mech as well.
Heat Sinks. The original BJ-1 featured 11 Single Heat Sinks which were upgraded to Double Heat Sinks for the lostech BJ-2. With the relatively small 180 Fusion Engine only 7 Heat Sinks can currently be mounted integrally meaning at least 3 most be placed elsewhere on the BattleMech. This somewhat limits the amount of firing and maneuvering that this war machine can do at once especially because it traditionally has jump jets as well as a couple of energy weapons. In fact, both models are bracket firing machines which have to alternate long and short-range weapons or face overheating conditions.
Cockpit & Gyro. Nothing much can be done with the 3-ton Cockpit at this time but the 2-ton Gyroscope could be replaced for a larger one depending on the type of engine used in the design. The 180 power plant as I commented in the engine section keeps the gyroscope small while any attempt to increase its speed must also be meet with a corresponding increase in gyroscopic weight.
Armor. Claims that the StarGuard II armor plating was brittle and tended to fall off seem to be fake news if I can steal a modern-day pejorative. Despite these claims most Blackjack models carry about 89% of maximum armor protection (153 max) thanks to eight and half tons of standard plating. Nine and a half tons of standard armor (152 factor) or eight and a half tons of ferro-fibrous (152 factor) would provide the most complete defensive rating this forty-five-ton BattleMech could hope to possess.
Weapons & Equipment. The Blackjack employs a mixed bag of ballistic or missile weapons in conjunction with lasers. The BJ-1 uses two arm-mounted Autocannon/2s fed by a single ton of ammo (22 rounds of continuous fire available) for long range engagements while four Medium Lasers take care of any close quarters opposition. The BJ-2 flips that arrangement replacing the large ballistic cannons with ER Larges while the Medium Lasers themselves are swapped out for four Streak SRM-2s fed by a single ton of ammo for a dozen rounds of lock and fire shots. I should note that the Capellan, now St. Ives, model the BJ-3 goes full energy arsenal substituting the AC/2s for PPCs which adds a lot of long-range firepower.
Design CriteriaDesign: Blackjack Medium BattleMech
Era: 3052, just following the Truce of Tukayyid
Tech: InnerSphere Level 2
Mass: 45 tons
Tech BaseThe tech base for this enterprise will be InnerSphere Level 2, also known as Star League lostech, circa 3053. Remember some Level 1 standards which Bradshaw and myself think still have value like Large Lasers and PPCs which feature the same damage factor as their higher tech brethren with less range and perhaps most significantly less heat. Here is a list for your design reference. Let me know if there is anything I missed!
Star League LosTechAnti-Missile System
Arrow IV Artillery Missile System
Extended Range Large Laser (ER Large Laser)
Extended Range Particle Projection Cannon (ER PPC)
Gauss Rifle
Ultra Autocannon/5
LB 10-X Autocannon
One-Shot Missile Packs
Pulse Lasers (Small, Medium, & Large)
Streak SRM-2
Swarm LRMs
Thunder LRMs
Artemis IV FCS
Beagle Active Probe
Guardian ECM Suite
Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (MASC)
Narc Missile Beacon
TAG
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE)
Double Heat Sinks
Endo Steel Internal Structure
Ferro-Fibrous Armor
Extra Light (XL) Engine
InnerSphere Low TechBlazer Cannon (or Binary Laser)
Recon Camera
Remote Sensor Dispenser
New InnovationsTriple Strength Myomer
Hatchet
C3 Computer
Design Traits of this Setting The Free Worlds League in particular have embraced massed LRM-5s over the larger batteries to provide closer mass equivalents to Clan LRMs. Thanks to a corresponding increase in NARC units these ‘fire teams’ have become quite effective in the Marik Civil War. Also, the Blazer has made an appearance in the shattered FWLM searching for an advantage over their former brethren.
Both the Federated Commonwealth and ComStar seem to have gone in the other direction with LRM batteries preferring larger LRM-15s and 20s linked to Artemis IV FCS to enhance accuracy.
Many Draconis optimizations have included the C3 System which is accelerated from the canon setting which saw their deployment lag.
Regional factions like the Draconis March and the Periphery have seen the introduction of some ‘simple’ lostech items like Double Heat Sinks, Ferro-Fibrous, Streak SRM-2s, and Pulse Lasers. Extra-Light (XL) Engines remain too expensive and have drawbacks which make their deployment unlikely here. Advanced orbital facilities needed for EndoSteel manufacturing also remain out of reach at this point. They are not beyond using PPCs and Large Lasers either which they view as more efficient than their ER successors.
DeploymentSeems like the Federated Suns was the one Great House who truly valued the Blackjack as Davion Techs worked to keep it operational throughout the Succession Wars until the Battle for Xhosa VII in 3022. Its performance here made several in the AFFS including Hanse Davion take notice and it has gone from service in March Militias to duty with the Deneb Light Cavalry and the Crucis Lancers.
The St. Ives Compact became the second biggest user of the Blackjack after the 4th Succession War when it broke away from the Capellan Confederation or at least what was left of it. Combat losses and this treasonous act may have tainted the ‘Mechs image in House Liao’s eyes. Previously it was the Confederation which had been the second employer of the Blackjack but now they may even try to off load it to others (Isis or Canopians?). Still this Mech’s importance to the St. Ives Military Command (SIMC) should not be overlooked.
If a could pitch a third outside option perhaps just for Salient Horizon if you wish? What about the Lyran Commonwealth?? Certainly, their ties to the Federated Suns might just help proliferate the Blackjack to House Steiner. Second, the German name (Totschlager TG-1) was adopted for the Blackjack’s designation in German language so I thought another possible connection there. Finally, there is the Blackjack system itself which fell to Jade Falcon during the Clan Invasion and could serve as a sort of rallying call for liberation especially in light of the FedCom Alliance. The razing of the Blackjack School of Conflict by Steel Viper in 3052 could also be another powerful motivator for a group armed with this Mech.
Quirky Design The Bad Reputation that the Blackjack supposedly had due to erroneous balance issues and faulty armor kills its resale value according to the letter of the quirk. I wonder if this ‘Mech took another hit to its image when the St Ives Compact broke away from the Capellan Confederation. Previously it had been the other Great House which utilized the Blackjack maybe because it couldn’t afford to be choosy due to its deprived circumstances. After the secession of St. Ives it seems to have been reviled at least until the Compact’s reunification. I just wonder if the sight of this Mech could provoke an unhinged response from Liaoists at this time adding to its poor rep.
Please do your research (think Objective Raids) for available components as this will be another factor in rapid production. I love fluff and your winning designs will be featured in my BattleTech Salient Horizon alternate setting. I'd like to go beyond the refits bought to you by Technical Readout 3050 and delve into extensive redesigns of your BattleTech favorites. Sharpen up your favorite war machines perhaps drawing on past or current variants while remembering the spirit or role of these Mechs. Don't forget to justify the expense of your project and multiple winners are possible. Figure that all entries have to be completed and posted on these forums by Friday June 5th, 2020 by 11:59 PM which should give you all a full two weeks for this contest, good luck!!
