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I didn't expect you to let it go through. It was baslly a design exercise, anyhow. Plus, I wrote it's demise into the fluff.

I noticed Abele, you did a nice job even if it was pricey.

May as well get crazy then

Loupe Garou

Mass: 35 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Quad Omnimech
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-F
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 15,055,312 C-Bills
Battle Value: 463

Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 350 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 108.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 162.0 km/h (270.0 km/h)
Jump Jets: Unknown
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
    6.0 tons of pod space.
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

Overview:
The Loupe Garou wasn't an official project for Clan Wolf. It was more... well,
there are sometimes people so talented you simply need to give them some
leeway. But you don't put them in the public eye.


Technicans Bo and Luke weren't brought with the Invasion force since this would
have too great a chance of having them spotted by other Clans and unveiling
just how paper-thin their punishment for illicit sale of intoxicants to the
Jade Falcon civilian castes was.


We'll leave you to imagine how strong their product was that the _Falcons_
prohibited it's consumption. After an undisclosed number of kegs of the stuff,
Bo and Luke put the time on their hands at a remote Eden research station to
use and cobbled together the Loupe Garou.


Khan Natasha Kerensky had the choice between censuring the duo for costing Clan
Wolf over 15 million C-bills in parts or finding somewhere in the budget for
this new toy...


Capabilities:
The Loupe Garou demanded a quad arrangement for the extra stability. When
speeds of upwards of 270 kph on open ground have been demonstrated, this is no
small requirement. Many warriors testing it hesitated to bring out its full
power, two others caused severe damage losing control at high speeds.


The most common configurations use lasers for hitting power, with the Prime
also test-bedding a laser AMS intended for saKhan Phelan Ward's assigned 'Mech.
B and C configuration sacrifice endurance for missile salvos while the D
configuration mixes a large laser with machineguns useful for pouring fire into
armour breaches created by the lasers.


================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel                    62 points                2.00
    Internal Locations: 2 FLL, 2 FRL, 1 RLL, 2 RRL
Engine:             XL Fusion Engine             350                      15.00
    Walking MP: 10
    Running MP: 15 (25)
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             10(20)                    0.00
Gyro:               Standard                                               4.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F
Armor:              Ferro-Fibrous                AV -  48                  2.50
    Armor Locations: 1 CT, 3 LT, 3 RT

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            8         
                                        Center Torso     11           7         
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  1         
                                           L/R Torso     8            6         
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  1         
                                       L/R Front Leg     8            4         
                                        L/R Rear Leg     8            5         

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 15

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 5
15         0       0       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


================================================================================
Loadout Name: Prime                                          Cost: 16,320,937
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F                         BV2: 1,461

Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F

Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Small Laser                               HD        2         1         0.50
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
ER Medium Laser                              RT        5         1         1.00
ER Small Laser                               RT        2         1         0.50
Laser Anti-Missile System                    RT        5         1         1.00
(R) ER Small Laser                           LT        2         1         0.50
ER Small Laser                               LT        2         1         0.50
Active Probe                                 LT        0         1         1.00
ECM Suite                                    LT        0         1         1.00
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 7

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 15
15         3       3       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, AMS, PRB, RCN, ECM, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


================================================================================
Loadout Name: A                                              Cost: 15,527,812
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F                         BV2: 2,101

Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F

Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
ER Medium Laser                              RT        5         1         1.00
Medium Pulse Laser                           RT        4         1         2.00
ER Medium Laser                              LT        5         1         1.00
Medium Pulse Laser                           LT        4         1         2.00
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 11

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 21
15         3       3       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


================================================================================
Loadout Name: B                                              Cost: 15,392,812
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F                         BV2: 1,517

Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    CASE Locations: RT                                                     0.00
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F

Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
2 LRM-5s                                     RT        4         2         2.00
3 LRM-5s                                     LT        6         3         3.00
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
@LRM-5 (24)                                  RT        -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 9

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 15
15         0       0       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, LRM 2/2/2, IF 2


================================================================================
Loadout Name: C                                              Cost: 15,645,937
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F                         BV2: 1,211

Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    CASE Locations: RT                                                     0.00
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F

Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
2 SRM-4s                                     RT        6         2         2.00
3 SRM-4s                                     LT        9         3         3.00
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
@SRM-4 (25)                                  RT        -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 9

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 12
15         0       0       0       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, SRM 3/3/0


================================================================================
Loadout Name: D                                              Cost: 15,527,812
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F                         BV2: 1,504

Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    CASE Locations: RT                                                     0.00
    Actuators:      L: H+UL+LL+F    R: H+UL+LL+F

Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger                                 CT        -         1         1.50
3 Machine Guns                               RT        0         3         0.75
ER Large Laser                               LT        12        1         4.00
3 Machine Guns                               LT        0         3         0.75
MASC                                         RLL       -         1         1.00
@MG (1/2) (100)                              RT        -         1         0.50
                                            Free Critical Slots: 7

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 15
15         3       1       1       0      1     0   Structure:  2
Special Abilities: OMNI, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA



Nice drak, unfortunately the supercharger is too advanced to be considered but I'll review it none the less.

And that is it folks another contest has come and gone, I'll be writing the review and hopefully have it up by tomorrow or Sunday!

Sigh . . . that does not bode well for my Ice Ghost. 

MA

First off I have to congratulate everyone who participated. With nine very impressive entries this contest was the best yet. While there were only seven designs that really qualified there could have been many winners. The only negative is there was only four designers this time around. I missed out on Lord Grayson and Shadow Wraith along with others whose ideas could have been valuable. As a result I will be limiting the number of entries to one until or unless I call for multiple. I hope we will see more turnout the next time around but before we get to that lets rank this contest.

The uber illegal but ultra fun Blur by Abele leads off my review but fails to qualify for this contest. Why? The insanely expensive 385XXL engine which is way too level three to appear on front line service is the reason. The fluff, which includes its demise, is pretty darn good except for the fact I can’t tell which Clan is making it. You refer to Ice Hellion merchants once but is this a Society project? Also the fluff mentions the Hayabusa which is interesting but again is a non Standard Star League English name and you know how I don’t like them among the Clans. Still the speed of this Quad OmniMech is impressive to say the least at 11/17 with a MASC that takes it to 22. However pod space of only six tons is among the lowest entries that shows despite the engines high tech nature its massive size. An 86 armor factor isn’t too shabby but again would not be described by me as high end. So a nice job demonstrating what possible speeds could be achieved however it just doesn’t qualify.

The other non qualifier was the Loupe Garou by drakensis which was submitted just under the dead line to showcase the very best possible speed. The inclusion of a Supercharger as fixed equipment is too level three for this potential front line Omni. However in combination with the massive 350XL (10/15) this Quad reaches 25 MP which is the fastest entry in our contest. The 6 tons of pod space make it light end but the 48 armor factor give it the lowest amount of protection of any design. Another two negatives are its a Wolf design and I was looking for an Ice Hellion and my preference for Star League Standard English Clan ‘Mech names especially during the 3052 era. The fluff was cuff em and stuff fun but I think Bo and Luke may be in a bit of trouble from ole Merchant Factor Boss Hog – hopefully Uncle Jessie can help em escape that Sheriff Cluster who will no doubt be after them again for this design. Lets just say Drak got a little crazy before the curtain came down on our little contest here.

Finishing in seventh place was the Hellion (version 2) by JPArbiter. While a good Ice Hellion design I really had my heart set on a true speedster. I’d say this is a low end werewolf with its 7/11 movement profile with a MASC that boosts it to 14 MPs in certain situations. Yeah the Hellion is fast but the other designs presented clearly outpace it. The fluff is excellent and very Hellion in nature – I liked the temper tantrum which I’d love to use in some fashion.  The 105 armor factor is high end for this contest but most impressive was the 14.5 tons of pod space which was the most for any design here. Unfortunately I wanted more speed and the name (Hellion v2) is just too plain jane for me. I do want to make it clear that this could have been a contest winner but the competition was just that good this time around. So thank you very much excellent job just six contestants who I thought were better.

Sixth place goes to the Feathered Cobra by drakensis whose name seemed a little off to me. I would have preferred the Feathered Serpent of Mythos but it is a good mix of Snow Raven and Cloud Cobra I suppose. That unfortunately is the big minus for this design as it isn’t Ice Hellion. This beefier Fire Moth has the most impressive movement profile of any qualified entrant thanks to its MASC which allows 20 MPs at times on the battlefield based off its 10/20 base. The 6.5 tons of pod space is toward the lower end with a 67 armor factor which I found to be acceptable for this contest. I liked the allusion to Clan Burrock’s Dark Caste ties mentioned in deployment which made your fluff pretty good however it wasn’t Hellion so I had to place you here drak on this one.

Number five is the Lithe Kill by Abele which is a very Ice Hellion design. First off I like the name a lot and general animalistic appearance with which you describe this OmniMech sounds cool. Added to the way you tied two entries into one via your fluff makes it very solid. The design ain’t that bad either with a 9/14 movement, 76 armor factor, and 11 tons of pod space. Really don’t have that many knocks against this one just thought there were four better. Nice job and I actually considered this Omni proposal for conversion to normal BattleMech but that was undone by a later entry.

Just out of the medal count is the fourth place Ice Ghost by masterarminas. This Ice Hellion, Goliath Scorpion, and Ghost Bear effort certainly pushed the boundaries with a Null Signature System, Chameleon Light Polarization Shield, and an ECM Suite all integral parts. These stealth capabilities are clearly unClanlike but very interesting in the way they are presented. The basis on the Hussar is also nice touch making the fluff outstanding, one of the best of the competition thus far. The 315XL engine give it a 9/14 movement with a MASC that boosts it to 18. The 115 armor factor is very high end and the 7 tons of pod space is adequate for this challenge. The first negative to me was the name which didn’t grab me for some reason but that isn’t a huge concern. The question I have to ask is could this design ever reach widespread deployment among the Clans or is it plausible within the story? Unfortunately I really can’t say that it is so while your level three stuff isn’t all that bad (good enough to qualify) it is too much to consider for championship standing, sorry!

The bronze medal and third place in this contest goes to the Frost Talon presented by drakensis. The Ice Hellion – Burrock pairing is an interesting one given their light fast tactical natures and Crusader mentalities. The basis on the Talon is a nice touch and fluff which is simple is effective even though I would have liked to have seen more. Using the 280XL engine is a nice choice as it will be used on the OmniMech formerly known as the Nova Cat (it will be renamed in this alternate setting). This power plant gives it an 8/12 movement which is bolstered at times added with a MASC for 16 MPs and 6 jump jets! This movement profile akin to the Spider is something I thought I would see more of in this contest and is an excellent setup to me. Combined with an impressive eight tons of pod space and 113 armor factor made the Frost Talon a formidable challenger. Only two better IMO!

The silver medal goes to the Hunter Kappa / Dingo by JPArbiter which is a Society / Coyote venture. While this wasn’t an Ice Hellion creation this was a fantastic entry which I really feel in love with. It has an impressive movement rating of 9/14 thanks to its 315 XL engine making it a definite speedster. Ten tons of pod space and 94 armor factor give it excellent qualities for such a design. The only reason it did not win was the fact it was not an Ice Hellion ‘Mech which I wanted. However it was so good I considered it in spite of that. I will be converting this design to a standard Coyote BattleMech that will see use in their touman and many others in my Clarion Call setting. Congratulations and great job JP!

First place and the gold goes to the aptly named Quicksilver by Abele which was an Ice Hellion that ran against the grain. First off the name grabbed me and in conjuction with the fluff as played very well. I liked how this design played off against the Lithe Kill but was more generic in feel which gave it a more untied Clan feel. It really felt like it was “the other submission” by the Hellions which overlooked by them would be appreciated more by others like the ilKhan for example. I also love the fact that you pointed out this Omni uses the same 350XL that the Summoner does. This gives it a 10/15 movement factor which is high end with a good mix of pod space (7 tons) and protection (76 armor factor). Super work Abele, your fluff wasn’t the best but it was good. The design, name, and story behind the Quicksilver got you the win. Very nice!

Okay folks, that is it for this challenge thank you all for partaking and I’ll see you soon for the next challenge which will finish Clan Light OmniMechs.

always the bridesmaid...

First, thanks for the good tidings, Second, that's two in a row. Now it is time to go for the hat trick and get three. However, I'm not happy with any of the 35-ton zombies I've got going. Both have about a third of their weight for pod space, but I'm not liking my configs. I may put a third together as a multi-clan project.

Well done to all the contenders. I was really impressed and inspired, reading all the entrants, thus sending in 3 candidates. I'll have to be more judicious in the future.