Type: VND-3LB
Production: Ceres Metal Industries (Capella)
EQUIPMENT
Tonnage: 45
Internal Structure (Standard) 4.5t
Engine (GM 180) 7t
Walking: 4
Running: 6
Jumping: 4
Double Heat Sinks: 10(20)
Gyro: 2t
Cockpit: 3t
Armor Factor (Standard): 9t (144 pts)
Head: 3 (9)
Center Torso: 14 (18/9)
R/L Torso: 11 (16/6)
R/L Arm: 7 (14)
R/L Leg: 11 (18)
Quirks: Rugged 1 (2x time between maintenance), No Torso Twist
(Difficult Ejection quirk eliminated in post-3039 redesign)
WEAPONS (17.5t total)
LB 10-X (6cr, 11t, RA)
3x Ammo/LBX 30 shots (3cr, 3t, RT)
CASE (1cr, 0.5t, RT)
2x Medium Lasers (2cr, 2t, H/LT)
Vehicle Flamer (1cr, 0.5t, LA)
1/2x Ammo/Flamer 10 shots (1cr, 0.5t, LA)
3x Double Heat Sinks (0cr, 0t, 2xRT, 1xLT)
The -3LB variant was initially proposed as an infantry support ‘Mech, following lessons learned in the Andurien-Canopian invasion of 3030-35, and further highlighted by the embarassing losses to the Federated Suns as part of CASE JULIET during the War of 3039. The design saw greater appeal in the late 3030s because it also happened to match the political directives from the new Chancellor, Romano Liao; to find cost-effective ways to increase the industrial and military capabilities of the rump Capellan state, by producing and employing as much newly uncovered Star League-era technology as possible.
The Vindicator was chosen, not only because it was the signature inexpensive, rugged, and widely available medium ‘Mech of the Confederation, but also one whose manufacture was controlled completely by the Chancellor – being manufactured entirely by Ceres Metals Industries of Capella. As a result, it fit the economic and political centralization that characterized the Romano government. When it was first unveiled alongside the -3L in 3051, the -3LB was as much a testbed for several weapons technologies as its more widely manufactured variant. As with the -3L, it utilizes Starshield-brand CASE in one of its torsos, as well as Ceres-branded double heat sinks, not only running extremely 'cold', but freeing up a significant chunk of weight to upgrade its armaments.
However, the -3LB’s technological legacy is far more controversial than the -3L. The Ceres Metals design team struggled with their primary mandate: developing a showcase weapons system, comparable in hitting power to the classic PPC. Their goal had been to manufacture a Capellan variant of the Star League era LB 10X autocannon, relatively straightforward given the detailed schematics available from the Helm Memory Core, but ran into difficulty sourcing and vertically integrating all of the sub-components, as demanded by the Chancellor and senior CCAF leadership. These restrictions dramatically limited the wide-spread deployment of both the -3LB and the LB 10-X system, as the sourcing issues were not resolved until the mid-3060s, when Ceres Metals gained the license to the Firestarter Omni’Mech during the reign of Chancellor Sun Tzu Liao; while this resolved the technical and production issues, it also sidelined the “jack-of-all-trades†Vindicator design for decades.
Their remaining efforts were also failures. The -3LB at launch was equipped a pair of Ceres Arms 'extended-range medium lasers', providing a reasonable side-grade to the original’s mix of LRM-5 and standard medium laser. Unfortunately, there were significant problems with the ERMLs, which had been in development since the mid-3040s. The first was that the design was clearly still in the protoype stage, not ready for mass production, and had issues with venting waste heat, as well as being much bulkier than the ER medium laser design that the FWL eventually debuted in 3058. The second (and far more headline-grabbing) problem was that the ERML design led to a contentious legal battle when Diverse Optics immediately accused Ceres Metals of simply stealing their prototype ERML design; the case would not be settled until the early 3060s, providing the transparently self-serving rationale for production -3LBs instead mounting standard medium lasers. The ‘Ceres Arms’ branded ERML in production since 3063 (since the reintegration of St Ives) is actually a completely different design developed in coordination with ComStar for the Helios heavy ‘Mech.
The final weapons system on the -3LB reflects the struggles faced by Ceres Metals in meeting their mandate. Explicitly designed and marketed as an infantry-support ‘Mech, the -3LB was always intended to include a flamer system in place of the original -1R’s small laser. Unfortunately, Ceres Metals did not already produce a battlemech flamer in-house, and was forbidden from simply importing one, most obviously from the Free Worlds League (for example, the Olympian brand produced by Irian). Given the greater emphasis on producing the LB 10-X autocannon system, as well as the time sunk into developing a working ER Medium Laser, design work on a Ceres flamer was delayed repeatedly, until there simply was not enough time even to copy an existing model. Attempting to make lemonade from lemons, Ceres unveiled – to enormous derision – the ‘Ceres Fire Flower’ brand vehicular flamer, using technology over a millennium old (and easily sourced by Ceres Metals). The temperamental and ammunition-dependent ‘Fire Flower’ has since been entirely replaced by imported Battlemech flamers following the ascendancy of Sun Tzu after his mother Romano’s death, but has subsequently been utilized in a variety of conventional vehicles manufactured by Ceres Metals.
The -3LB’s only significant positive legacy was that it firmly cemented the concept of an infantry-support ‘Mech into CCAF doctrine. Although only modest numbers were manufactured initially, it played an outsized role in the earliest ‘Augmented Lances’ utilized in the redesigned CCAF of the 3050s and beyond, and its widely publicized successes in its role (and how thoroughly it endeared itself to the PBI it always accompanied) directly led to the development of the up-engined Snake anti-BA hunter, as well as the popularity of the Firestarter A and G configurations in the CCAF, and the subsequent design and manufacture of the Gun infantry-support Omni’Mech in the 32nd century. Despite having been surpassed by numerous superior examples of the type, dozens of the solid, workman-like -3LBs are still in use many decades after their initial unveiling, a testament to both their utility and durability.
