Sweet. Nice little improvement. Was Noton's ride ever specced out?
Technical Readout 3075 page 169. Just a small paragraph really detailing its radical upgrade (80 tons, XL Engine, EndoSteel), armament (2 LB-10Xs and 2 LPLs) and a reference to Gray Noton's ride. When I was quickly putting a Rifleman IIC together last night I remembered it and said "hey, Rifleman II now with C!" Hence the real Rifleman IIC.
In your fluff, the Smoke Jaguars are idiots. Sure, it's designeded to be an anti-aircraft platform. However, with those weapons it also makes for a damned good general combat 'Mech. Punch holes with slug ammo and crit seek with cluster. Plus the pulsers have enough range to strike enemies as they close.
So I pegged the Jags pretty good you are saying?
I mean when did the poor Smoked Kitties ever get written as anything but the stupid black hat.
It is a solid assault weight design certainly Abele but it does cost a bunch. Also it is a BattleMech amid a world of developing Omnis plus the Mongoose's did not emerge successfully from their crisis. Those factors combined with some steep Jaguar losses at its hands or rifles (in character as written, no?) result in its demise.
I should note that it was a quick bit of fluff.