Topic: Quicksilver Upgrades #17: Black Lanner ( ) 55 tons (Read 1379 times)

Takiro · « **on:** May 06, 2018, 10:50:51 PM »

Finishing up our Medium OmniMech selection is one of the newest designs deployed by the Clans, the Black Lanner. First produced at the Ironhold Alpha Complex in 3052 by the Jade Falcon Clan this war machine made its battlefield debut on Tukayyid. According to their Sourcebook five Black Lanners served in separate stars in Turkina Keshik [Trinary Bravo -
Mechwarrior Bendic, Elite & Mechwarrior Billock, Veteran (KIA) - Trinary Charlie - Star Captain Vanna Hazen, Elite (WIA) & Mechwarrior Nistru, Veteran (WIA) & Mechwarrior Cejj, Veteran (KIA)]. TRO3058 says that two stars of this new design proved their worth in this great conflict despite the Falcons managing only a draw against the ComGuards.

As the Clans returned home following the Truce news of an alternative invasion plan named Restoration bought new opportunities for glory for the Black Lanner. Following a furious debate in the Grand Council the Jade Falcons who favored the immediate resumption of the invasion in its original form demanded a combat trial to overturn the results. Two new Black Lanners assigned to the 5th Battle Cluster would be front and center for what would become known as the Trial of Restoration. Unfortunately, Mechwarrior Ditazh was defeated and claimed as a bondsman by Star Colonel Darren Fetladral of the Wolf 3rd Battle Cluster. Her Black Lanner A was utterly destroyed by his Gargoyle leaving no salvage for the Wolves.

Mechwarrior Lerva however achieved a measure of fame in her Black Lanner Prime as she squared off against Star Captain Tomas in a Viper B. Both were among the finest young warriors produced by their Clanâ€™s sibkos and were the first of a new bred. The first strike of the entire battle was a distant ER Large Laser blast from Lervaâ€™s Black Lanner against Tomasâ€™ Viper. Their combat fought at range in the very center of the battlefield featured speed and maneuverability. Eventually Tomasâ€™ ER PPC was knocked out with a well-placed shot by Lerva who was in line for the win. The Trial drew to an end before that could occur and the two ristars parted with a new-found respect for each other. Undefeated and judged by many of her kin to have won her honor duel Lerva and her Black Lanner became a hero of her Clan.

In the Quicksilver Trials which followed this new OmniMech easily won the 55-ton Werewolf (Speedster) spot for the Clans. Currently it remains a Jade Falcon possession but the Ice Hellion decision to halt secondary production of the Stormcrow (Ryoken) following the Quicksilver Trials signaled the start of their shift towards the Black Lanner. A growing Crusader alliance between the Falcons and the Hellions is readily apparent at this time and formalizing such a share of manufacturing will soon occur. These are the only two Clans I can see currently participating in an effort to further optimize the Black Lannerâ€™s performance. Admittedly this one might frustrate some looking for more pod space as you will only have thirteen tons to work with.

Please discuss what you like about the existing configurations (would you keep them as is Quicksilver fluff will give you half a point now) and introduce your alternatives. Please explain why yours is best, what role it plays with your modifications, etc. Remember I love fluff. Again, you are not allowed to alter the base design itself but the configurations are opened game. Clan Level 2 is the tech level for this contest just after Tukayyid so no ATMs, AP Gauss, Heavy Lasers, or Light Active Probes! Teamwork is also very welcomed so if you have an idea it is acceptable to collaborate. Since multiple configurations can win whoever gets the most wins, wins! Bonus points for the best new Quicksilver fluff and if you can think of an InnerSphere designation for the Black Lanner!!

Criteria
Design: Black Lanner (??) Medium OmniMech
Era: 3052, just following the Truce of Tukayyid
Tech: Clan Level 2
Mass: 55 tons
Internal Structure: EndoSteel (3 ton)
Engine: 385 XL (22 tons)
Movement: 7/11(14)/0
Heat Sinks: 10 (20)
Gyro: (4 tons)
Cockpit: (3 tons)
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous (8 tons â€“ 154 armor factor)
Armament: 13 tons available for pod space

You have two weeks to complete this challenge so please have your entries in by Friday May 18th, 2018 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, good luck!!

drakensis · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2018, 04:10:05 AM »

Black Lanner (Harrier)

Mass: 55 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: 16,360,573 C-Bills
Battle Value: 836

Chassis: JF 5 Light Endo-Steel
Power Plant: JF 385 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 75.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 118.8 km/h (151.2 km/h)
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: JF Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
13.0 tons of pod space.
Manufacturer: Ironhold Alpha Complex, Olivetti Manufacturers
Primary Factory: Ironhold, Sudeten
Communications System: JF Integrated
Targeting and Tracking System: Series JFVIII Integrated

Overview:
Having finished development during Operation Revival, the Black Lanner was well placed to be rushed into use to make good the Jade Falcon's losses during the invasion - replacing fast mediums like the Stormcrow, Ice Ferret and Viper. Having been stung by the long supply lines back to the Homeworlds, Elias Crichell had already decided that an Inner Sphere factory would need to be updated to build Clan OmniMechs in the Inner Sphere, choosing to make his headquarters - and the eventual capital of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone - on Sudeten.

Olivetti, not unaccustomed to high tech developments after twenty years working with the Gray Death Legion, found themselves suddenly invaded by Clan technicians intent on repurposing their production lines to build the Black Lanner. Initial tensions faded as excitement spread among the workforce - success would to some degree insulate the workers and their families from any negative consequences to the Invasion and the prospect of working on cutting edge technology was a thrill after having been 'left behind' in comparisons to the Clans.

In a degree of cooperation that would probably have alarmed Khan Crichell as much as it would House Steiner-Davion, the two groups not only put the Black Lanner into production in record time but also put their own stamp on the design's configurations. Test pilot Hughie Howard, rated a Technician by the Jade Falcons in their initial assessment of the plant, even won warrior status within the Jade Falcons - albeit in a limited sense, assigned to defend the factory - by defeating Jerad Mattlov in a duel between their two respective versions of the Black Lanner Prime.

Capabilities:
Hughie's Prime is very similar to that of the original Ironhold configuration but removes the SRM 6 that usually provides close in firepower. Reasoning that long range firepower was the Clans' LRMs in any case work perfectly well at even point blank range, Hughie had refitted his 'Mech with four small LRM launchers to double up the LRM throw weight, something that barely stretches the Black Lanner's heatsinks when paired with the large laser and allows full mobility when paired with the mediums. This allowed him to soften up Mattlov's Black Lanner at long range. Hughie's less damaged armour resisted the Jade Falcon Mechwarrior's SRMs once Mattlov closed in while his own alpha strike blew through both torsos and left his opponent disarmed and forced to concede.

The Black Lanner A was another result of work by Olivetti but in this case by the marketing department rather than the hardware side. While selling BattleMechs hasn't been a particularly hard sell since the fall of the Star League (except for a few notorious designs) the concept is completely alien to Clan sensibilities. In a bid to keep his staff from being re-designated as labourers and being dispersed, Director of Marketing Roth Schilds 'rebranded' the department's purpose as data gathering to develop specifications preferred by the end-user. As an example, his staff took on the Black Lanner A and pointed out that the TAG system was unpopular with Jade Falcon mechwarriors uncomfortable with the use of artillery and that the Lanner lacked a jumping configuration. Replacing the TAG unit with a targeting computer and the pulse lasers with jump jets turned the Black Lanner into a heavy scout/skirmisher with a sniping side-line. The design has proved extremely popular with Clan Jade Falcon, convincing the Clan administrators to sign off on marketing as a legitimate part of the design process and therefore as Scientist Caste. Further, the Black Lanner A's performance on the battlefield, harrying AFFC garrison forces during raids, won it the nickname 'Harrier' which has stuck.

The LRM racks of the Black Lanner B impressed Olivetti, accustomed to the much larger Archer. However, the low ammunition stores concerned them and they pointed out that for a cutting edge machine the design didn't use the superb Artemis tracking. Challenged to do better, the Clan technicians determined that an Artemis-enhanced LRM 15 would have almost the same hitting power as a normal LRM 20 since some missiles almost always missed anyway, and would allow greater endurance from the same magazine load. In fact by making this change they freed up a ton for more ammunition or a secondary armament. While sixteen full salvos (almost double the original nine) was tempting, the prospect of leaving a Mechwarrior entirely unarmed once the ammunition ran out convinced the designers to fit a pair of small lasers.

The infighting C-configuration of the Black Lanner mixed the hexagon mounted extended range lasers seen on the Nova and Stormcrow with a Streak SRM 6. Olivetti respectfully pointed out that this design incurred brutal over-heating and also left the design highly vulnerable in the event the left arm was lost. To address the first issue they proposed reducing the arm-mounted lasers by half and fit a pulse laser in the torso. Together with removing a heatsink this freed up the tonnage to allow the installation of a targeting computer and upgrading the SRMs to dual-quad launchers. This keeps most of the weapons in the arms, allowing combat while transporting Elementals, but means losing one arm does not potentially cripple the Black Lanner C.

If there was any configuration which Olivetti approached with trepidation it was the Black Lanner D, a configuration optimised for fighting Elementals and other infantry at close quarters. While the other Black Lanner configurations could be used in battle, the D-configuration was the one that they knew would see service against any insurrection against Jade Falcon occupation. The temptation to leave it unimproved or sabotage the development was considerable but ultimately resisted. Instead the Olivetti Black Lanner D was tweaked in the hope that this would encourage good faith dealing with the Clans that now ruled them. By scaling back the missile launchers and moving the pulse lasers into the torso, the designers were able to fit each arm with a trio of small lasers - giving the Harrier D more scope for direct combat in close quarters. The Black Lanner D hasn't yet been used for counter-insurrection, but the Jade Falcons have stationed two at the gates of Olivetti to secure the facility and to remind all those nearby of the consequences they could face if they don't remain compliant.

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Author Topic: Quicksilver Upgrades #17: Black Lanner ( ) 55 tons (Read 1379 times)