A little history here - back in the 90s I was in a mechwarrior campaign where a pack of mercenaries with grudges battled the Clans in the 3050s. My character piloted a custom Banshee using scavenged clantech to turn it into a deadly duellist he called the
Damocles. This isn't his story... (for one thing, I doubt the Clans would approve of a hatchet) but I remain fond of the Banshee and looking at the engine sources for this category... well. I knew where I was going to get a start on my entrant.
Death Star
Mass: 95 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped Omnimech
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3052
Cost: 11,456,656 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,144
Chassis: Star League XT Standard
Power Plant: GM 380 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Compound H17 Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
20.0 tons of pod space.
Manufacturer: Niles Industriplex Alpha
Primary Factory: Niles
Communications System: CH2 Series Integrated
Targeting and Tracking System: Versiib Gamma-V
Overview:
When the Khans of Clan Hells Horses passed the specifications for a 95-ton
OmniMech using a standard fusion engine to their scientific teams, they left
them with a problem. Chassis of that tonnage were few and far between, with
neither the Gladiator nor the Turkina easily available as a basis since the
Horses weren't on especially good terms with either of the manufacturing Clans.
However, evaluation indicated that there was nothing especially advanced about
the chassis of either design so instead the Hells Horses looked to the past and
found a chassis that already met the basic requirements of weight and engine:
the much maligned BNC-3E Banshee.
Research indicated hundreds of Banshees had survived the Fall of the Star
League and even the Pentagon Civil War - often simply because they'd been
passed over by Mechwarriors prefering more heavily armed machines. Almost every
Clan would have examples in their Brian Caches.
Capabilities:
While the internal chassis and engine remain true to the original Banshee, the
Death Star sports improved armour and electronics taken from the Industriplex
Alpha's remaining Corvus battlemech production line. Armour coverage is no
better than that of the original design but it was felt some improvement had to
be made to weapon payload and the 2.5 tons saved by this measure brought this
up to an adequate 19 tons.
Another ton was found by cutting back the fixed coolant systems to those
contained in the engine - although these have been upgraded to Clan Double
Heatsinks. The designers, in building up the armour, chose to model the 'Mech on
the original Banshee, giving it the skull-like visage that would eventually be
imitated on the Atlas.
Acceptably agile and armoured to survive a modern battlefield - no one has ever
complained the Banshee wasn't tough - the Death Star' configurations are
primarily built around energy weapons to maximise endurance.
In the primary configuration, the Death Star sports advanced electronics of
every kind. Six additional heatsinks are fitted to help handle the heat
generated by the armament: eight extended range medium lasers. Among the most
respected Clan weapons this yields respectable close and medium range
firepower, especially when tied into the targeting computer. Each arm sports a
small laser for flexibility.
The Death Star A mounts a medium laser in each arm and a PPC in the chest,
balanced by an autocannon with two tons of ammunition. Cool-running and
covering all range bands this is the most flexible configuration but by lacking
focus it sometimes famils to make a strong impression.
Modelled on the SLDF's Thug, the Death Star B mounts a pair of PPCs and a pair
of six-shot SRM launchers but it reverses the arrangement, placing the missiles
in the arms and the PPCs in the chest. This can overheat easily as using the
PPCs alone strains the coolant system.
The Death Star C mounts jump-jets and a simple but effective armament of 2
large and 4 small lasers in the chest. Both arms are left unarmed. This leaves
the configuration effectively unarmed when transporting Elementals and some
analysts suggest this may indicate the Hells Horses are leaning towards the
spheroid tactic of using the 'Mech's fists to punch opponents - a dubious
practise under zellbrigen.
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 145 points 9.50
Engine: Fusion Engine 380 41.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 15(30) 5.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous AV - 240 12.50
Armor Locations: 1 HD, 3 LA, 3 RA
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 30 40
Center Torso (rear) 17
L/R Torso 20 30
L/R Torso (rear) 10
L/R Arm 16 21
L/R Leg 20 26
================================================================================
Loadout Name: Prime Cost: 14,365,081
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-E-A BV2: 2,528
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 21(42) 6.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 ER Medium Lasers RT 20 4 4.00
Targeting Computer RT - 2 2.00
4 ER Medium Lasers LT 20 4 4.00
ECM Suite LT 0 1 1.00
TAG RA 0 1 1.00
ER Small Laser RA 2 1 0.50
Active Probe LA 0 1 1.00
ER Small Laser LA 2 1 0.50
Free Critical Slots: 13
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 8 Points: 25
4 8 8 0 0 4 0 Structure: 8
Special Abilities: OMNI, PRB, RCN, ECM, TAG, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
================================================================================
Loadout Name: A Cost: 13,734,987
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-E-A BV2: 2,056
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CASE Locations: LT 0.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC RT 15 2 6.00
LB 10-X AC LT 2 5 10.00
ER Medium Laser RA 5 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser LA 5 1 1.00
@LB 10-X (Cluster) (10) LT - 1 1.00
@LB 10-X (Slug) (10) LT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 29
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 8 Points: 21
4 4 4 3 0 4 0 Structure: 8
Special Abilities: OMNI, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, FLK 1/1/1
================================================================================
Loadout Name: B Cost: 13,808,112
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-E-A BV2: 2,365
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CASE Locations: LA, RA 0.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC RT 15 2 6.00
ER PPC LT 15 2 6.00
Streak SRM-6 RA 4 2 3.00
Streak SRM-6 LA 4 2 3.00
@Streak SRM-6 (15) RA - 1 1.00
@Streak SRM-6 (15) LA - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 30
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 8 Points: 24
4 5 5 3 0 4 1 Structure: 8
Special Abilities: OMNI, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
================================================================================
Loadout Name: C Cost: 13,391,300
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-E-A BV2: 2,230
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumping MP: 4 (Standard)
Jump Jet Locations: 2 LT, 2 RT 8.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeting Computer CT - 2 2.00
ER Large Laser RT 12 1 4.00
2 ER Small Lasers RT 4 2 1.00
ER Large Laser LT 12 1 4.00
2 ER Small Lasers LT 4 2 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 28
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 8 Points: 22
4j 5 5 3 0 4 0 Structure: 8
Special Abilities: OMNI, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA