Grasshopper IICYou may have already seen my take on the Clan IIC of the Grasshopper, the
Obsidian Mantis. But here she is again in all of her glory.
We drop the tonnage from 70-tons to 65-tons and increase the speed from 4/6/4 to 5/8/5. Pretty solid movement pattern for a 65-ton heavy 'Mech! Armor isn't
quite max, being a half-ton shy, but really it should be good enough. For the weapons, we remove all five lasers (one Large and four Mediums) and replace them with Extended-Range models. The ERLL is mounted in the right arm instead of the center torso for increased fields of fire on the move, while we put the ERMLs in the center torso, right torso, left torso, and head.
Which means we had to dump the head-mounted LRM-5 launcher. But, we still want that crit-seeker on the 'Mech, so instead we go with a left-arm mounted LB-5X autocannon with two tons of ammunition (40 shots, typically 20 each of Cluster and Slug). Sure, we lost indirect fire capabilities, but gained added range, flexibility, and usefulness against ASF/VTOLs; not to mention superb crit-seeking against 'Mechs and vehicles as the Cluster rounds are divided up into 2-5 1-point hits!
Seventeen DHS alleviates all weapons heat and the heat generated by walking. Running and jumping will put us in excessive overheat, but not by that much; and really, for a Clan machine, four points of overheat is
nothing.
That leaves three tons, so . . . what the heck. A three-ton Targeting Computer! Makes the Lasers and LB-5X Slugs hit as accurately as the Cluster rounds; we can also target specific locations on hostile 'Mechs if we so choose.
Grasshopper IIC
Mass: 65 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-D
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 14,866,060 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,705
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 325 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
1 ER Large Laser
4 ER Medium Lasers
1 LB 5-X AC
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 104 points 3.50
Internal Locations: 1 RT, 1 LA, 3 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 325 12.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 5 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 2 LT, 2 RT 5.00
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 17(34) 7.00
Heat Sink Locations: 3 LT, 1 RT
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous AV - 201 10.50
Armor Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 2 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
CASE Locations: LA 0.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 21 30
Center Torso (rear) 10
L/R Torso 15 20
L/R Torso (rear) 8
L/R Arm 10 20
L/R Leg 15 28
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Large Laser RA 12 1 4.00
LB 5-X AC LA 1 4 7.00
ER Medium Laser RT 5 1 1.00
Targeting Computer RT - 3 3.00
ER Medium Laser LT 5 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser CT 5 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser HD 5 1 1.00
@LB 5-X (Cluster) (20) LA - 1 1.00
@LB 5-X (Slug) (20) LA - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 2
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 27
5j 5 5 2 0 3 0 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
There is a single variant, the Grasshopper IIC 2. This model replaces the LB-5X autocannon and its ammunition with an Ultra AC-5 autocannon and two tons of ammunition. It runs a little hotter, but still manageable. And some Warriors prefer the added potential damage over the scatter-shot effect of the LB-5X.
Grasshopper IIC 2
Mass: 65 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-D
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 14,783,560 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,779
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 325 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
1 ER Large Laser
1 Ultra AC/5
4 ER Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 104 points 3.50
Internal Locations: 1 RT, 1 LA, 3 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 325 12.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 5 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 2 LT, 2 RT 5.00
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 17(34) 7.00
Heat Sink Locations: 3 LT, 1 RT
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous AV - 201 10.50
Armor Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 2 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
CASE Locations: LA 0.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 21 30
Center Torso (rear) 10
L/R Torso 15 20
L/R Torso (rear) 8
L/R Arm 10 20
L/R Leg 15 28
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Large Laser RA 12 1 4.00
Ultra AC/5 LA 1 3 7.00
ER Medium Laser RT 5 1 1.00
Targeting Computer RT - 3 3.00
ER Medium Laser LT 5 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser CT 5 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser HD 5 1 1.00
@Ultra AC/5 (40) LA - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 3
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 28
5j 5 5 2 0 3 0 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA