OBT Forum

So - I have successfully avoided reading the competition; that said, it wouldn't surprise me at all to create identical configs - there aren't so many roles for a smaller Medium, after all.  Anyway, here's my entry.  Please, if you find a mistake, let me know so I can correct it - working without HMPro/SSW is a pain, but I think I covered everything.  I was going to do an aquatic one, a space one, and maybe a IS-tech salvage unit designed for 2nd-line forces, but ran out of time.

I'd like to note I was denied the opportunity to add a dedicated Arrow IV-based config by a single crit.  I even wrote out the fluff, but just didn't have 12 crits from a Torso/Arm to fit it in.



Shadow Cat (Wildcat)

Mass: 45 tons
Chassis: Type 79-45 Endo Steel
Power Plant: RFUM 270 XL
Cruising Speed: 64 kph
Maximum Speed: 97 kph, 129 kph with MASC
Jump Jets: Model KY Boosters
Jump Capacity: 180 meters
Armor: Compound H17 Ferro-Fibrous with CASE
Armament:
17 tons of pod space available
Manufacturer: Barcella Beta
Primary Factory: Barcella, Irece
Communications System: JNE Integrated
Targeting and Tracking System: Build 2 CAT TTS

Overview
     Designed by Clan Nova Cat after the Ice Ferret’s flaws became untenable to the Clan’s Touman, the Shadow Cat’s uninspiring mix of mobility, armor, and pod space was addressed with the addition of fixed components such as Jump Jets and MASC – leading to a failure to fully embrace the versatility of Omnitechnology, a common mistake even among the Clans.  Chosen for continued production due to the need for a general design to fill slots in the Touman not requiring the Ice Ferret’s mobility or the Sand Devil’s heavy weapons load, the Shadow Cat’s small number of standard Configurations were expanded by the Clans of the Babylon Group at the request of the Nova Cats to participate in the Quicksilver Trials against the Diamond Shark’s Grendel design.
     Including the small number of bondsmen taken by the Diamond Sharks in the Wolf OZ in the project, the former soldiers gave it the reporting name of ‘Wildcat’ for its willingness to hunt any prey it comes across, which was among the information subsequently distributed by the Precentor Martial.

Capabilities
     Providing a hefty punch for its weight class, the Shadow Cat’s original Configurations provide a mix of dueling- and support-variants for larger actions.  Despite its lack of a dedicated Battlearmor transport, the majority of Configurations provide good opportunities for participation in Novas across the Clans.


(P)
     A popular Configuration, the Primary’s Gauss Rifle and twin ER-Medium lasers provide good long-distance firepower.  Fed by a pair of ammo bins in the Right Torso, the Active Probe was exchanged for an ECM Suite to protect it.

Gauss Rifle      12 tons/6 Crits     RA
ER-ML                1 tons/1 Crits     RT
2xAmmo            2 tons/2 Crits     RT
  (Gauss) 16
ECM Suite           1 tons/1 Crits     LT
ER-ML                1 tons/1 Crits     LA

(A)
     The –A Configuration found a great deal of initial success among the Clans deciding to include it among their Toumans – but with the added numbers of excellent scouts due to the competitive pressure of the Quicksilver Trials, the Shadow Cat’s Active Probe was removed in favor of a TAG indicator to take advantage of specialized Artillery units expected to accompany the Clans back to the Inner Sphere.

ER-Large     4 tons/1 Crits      RA
  Laser
(x2) Heat     1 tons/2 Crits     RA
  Sink
SRM-6 (ST)  3 tons/2 Crits     RT
Ammo          1 tons/1 Crits     RT
  (Streak) 30
TAG              1 tons/1 Crits      LT
(x2) Heat     1 tons/2 Crits      LT
  Sink
ER-Large     4 tons/1 Crits     LA
  Laser
(x2) Heat     1 tons/2 Crits     LA
  Sink

(B)
     Replacing the standard –B Configuration, the Babylon Group noted the expansion of LRM-5 production to accommodate the new designs and Configurations developed in the Quicksilver Trials, using a similar Configuration to soundly defeat the Mongrel-A in competition.

ER-ML         1 tons/1 Crits     RA
5xLRM-5     5 tons/5 Crits     RA
Ammo         2 tons/2 Crits     RT
  (LRM) 48
Ammo         3 tons/3 Crits     LT
  (LRM) 72
5xLRM-5     5 tons/5 Crits     LA
ER-ML         1 tons/1 Crits     RA

(C)
     Designed as a mid-range skirmisher, the first of the Babylon Group’s new Configurations takes into account the high ground speed provided by the Shadow Cat’s MASC technology to deploy a fearsome hunter-killer utilizing a battery of Medium Pulse lasers.

3x MP     6 tons/3 Crits     RA
  Laser
ER-ML     1 tons/1 Crits     RT
TGT         3 tons/3 Crits     LT
  Comp
ER-ML     1 tons/1 Crits     LT
3x MP     6 tons/3 Crits     LA
  laser

(D)
     Taking a page from the popular Adder-P, the –D Configuration was designed to allow the Shadow Cat to provide fire support with the remainder of the design’s pod space assigned to five (x2) Heat Sinks across the Arms and Torsos to deal with the heavy heat burden.

ER-PPC          6 tons/2 Crits     RA
(x2) Heat      1 tons/2 Crits     RA
  Sink
2x(x2) Heat  2 tons/4 Crits     RT
  Sink
2x(x2) Heat  2 tons/4 Crits     LT
  Sink
ER-PPC          6 tons/2 Crits     RA

(E)
     Confronting the hordes of armored vehicles and the growing Battlearmor threat expected in the Inner Sphere, the Babylon Group used the tried-and-true combination of an LB-X Autocannon and a brace of ER-Small lasers to address the threat.  The versatility of the Configuration allows it to address several other roles in an emergency, including scouting and aerospace defense.

LB 10-X     10 tons/5 Crits     RA
Ammo         3 tons/3 Crits     RT
  (LRM) 30
Active          1 tons/1 Crits     LT
  Probe
ECM             1 tons/1 Crits     LT
  Suite
4xER-Small 2 tons/4 Crits     LA
  lasers

(F)
     Designed to provide support to larger units with the ammo-efficiency of the –F, Technicians of the Babylon Group used a quartet of SRM-6 (ST) launchers fed by two tons of ammunition to threaten larger units.  To allow it to remain in the field, the remaining tonnage is used for a suite of arm-mounted lasers, with a flamer for incendiary purposes.

ER-SML       .5 tons/1 Crits     RA
ER-ML          1 tons/1 Crits     RA
Ammo          1 tons/1 Crits     RA
  (ST) 15
2xSRM-6     6 tons/4 Crits     RT
  (ST)
2xSRM-6     6 tons/4 Crits     LT
  (ST)
Ammo         1 tons/1 Crits     LT
  (ST) 15
ER-ML          1 tons/1 Crits     RA
ER-SML       .5 tons/1 Crits     RA

(G)
     A new Configuration intended to allow the Shadow Cat to skirmish with a variety of Inner Sphere forces, the –G is able to threaten a variety of opponents.

ER-SML       .5 tons/1 Crits     RA
ER-ML          1 tons/1 Crits     RA
(x2) Heat     1 tons/2 Crits     RA
  Sink
Ammo         1 tons/1 Crits     RA
  (SRM) 25
2xSRM-4     4 tons/2 Crits      RT
(x2) Heat     1 tons/2 Crits     RT
  Sink
2xLRM-5     2 tons/2 Crits     LT
TGT             2 tons/2 Crits     LT
  Comp
Ammo        1 tons/1 Crits     LT
  (LRM) 24
(x2) Heat    1 tons/2 Crits     LA
  Sink
ER-ML          1 tons/1 Crits     LA
ER-SML       .5 tons/1 Crits     LA

(H)
     Proposed by the Warriors of Clan Smoke Jaguar, Technicians mounted the massive Ultra/20 AC in the Shadow Cat’s Left Torso.  Fed by three tons of ammunition with only a pair of ER-Medium lasers to act as back-ups when the ammunition runs out, the design is particularly suited to the heavy weapon, with different Configurations working together to rapidly destroy Inner Sphere forces in exercises.

2xER-ML            2 tons/2 Crits     RA
3xAmmo            3 tons/3 Crits     RT
  (AC)
Ultra/20 AC     12 tons/8 Crits     LT(5)/LA(3)

Deployment
     The sole manufacturer of the Shadow Cat, Clan Nova Cat has begun negotiations with the Steel Vipers to manufacture the Shadow Cat at the former THI facilities on Twycross in the Inner Sphere, where the small amount of Clan-exclusive technology limits the possibility for sabotage and theft of the various components although skeptics point out that by providing the Steel Vipers with access to the design the Smoke Jaguars now have a second Clan to challenge to Trials for a larger percentage of their production.
     With a fearsome performance in the invasion and a solid record among the Clans before that, Clans such as the Star Adders, Nova Cats, and Diamond Sharks have declared their preference for the design while others such as the Cloud Cobras and Ghost Bears are still testing it to confirm it proves a good match with their individual doctrine.  The remaining Clans either use small numbers of the Shadow Cat with others of the same weight class or prefer other designs.

Do you not know the Way of the Clans? Trial of Possession! 

Point to whoever has the better fluff!

Loremaster Takiro will decide the winner!