Catalyst 35XT009 - Experimental Technical Readout - The Clans [2011].pdf - [2008-......] - Catalyst - trzeci

INTRODUCTION

David,

I can now say with some certainty that we have been able to complete our preliminary survey of the industrial and

technological capabilities of the local Clan militaries. I have also been able to conirm that the recent disruptions in the Clan

Homeworlds—whatever their nature was—have indeed severed all communications and trade between the worlds of the

Pentagon and Kerensky Cluster, and the eight Inner Sphere Clans (including the Exiled Wolves and Nova Cats in that count).

We are still awaiting word from the most distant operatives that we dispatched to the Deep Periphery, but I am conident that

their indings will further reinforce what we are seeing on this end of things: the Homeworlds have indeed ousted their invader

brothers for reasons we can only guess at.

That said, it appears that the local Clans have turned toward upgrading and expanding their local infrastructure, now that

they have been cut of from the more secure caches and production facilities of their original enclaves, and the pace is close to

frantic. Whether fearing predations by one another, or retribution from the Homeworlds—or perhaps even from the nations of the

Inner Sphere—our Clan “neighbors” are struggling to bring a number of heretofore experimental technologies and designs into

production to strengthen their war-battered toumans. This has forced them to look to many facilities in their territories that were

only partially brought up to Clan specs (if at all).

Attached are thirteen noteworthy experimental and prototype designs the various Clans have been working on most recently.

Most are actually in battleield-ready form—testament to a mentality that universally believes in doing nothing halfway—but

have yet to enter mainstream production due to strained supply lines, process reinements, or various other disruptions. You

should ind many of these enlightening with respect to what weapons and concepts the Clans are most actively exploring. I know

I certainly have!

A more extensive analysis should be on your desk by next week. Until then, David, take care!

Sincerely,

—General Albrecht Hof, RAF/DMI, 16 November 3081

INTRODUCTION

How to Use tHis Book

The ’Mechs, combat vehicles, ProtoMechs, ighters, and battle armor described in Experimental Technical Readout: Clans provide players with a

sampling of the various custom designs that have arisen in the technical divisions of the military manufacturers among the Inner Sphere Clans. The

designs featured in this book relect limited-run prototypes and “one-ofs” that have yet to reach full factory production—and perhaps never will.

The rules for using these units in BattleTech game play can be found in Total Warfare , while the rules for their construction can be found in

TechManual . However, the experimental nature of these designs also draws upon the Experimental-level rules presented in Tactical Operations .

Thus, none of the units featured in this volume are considered tournament legal, and their use in introductory games is discouraged. Furthermore,

the extreme rarity of these machines is such that none of them should occur in a BattleTech campaign as a chance encounter, but the capture or

destruction of any one of these prototypes could be potential objective for BattleTech scenarios, tracks and role-playing adventures.

Credits

Project Development

Herbert A. Beas II

Development Assistance

Randall N. Bills

BattleTech Line Developer

Herbert A. Beas II

Assistant Line Developer

Ben H. Rome

Primary Writing

Herbert A. Beas II

Art Direction

Brent Evans

Production Staf

Illustrations

Factchecking/Playtesting: Joel Bancroft-

Connors, Rich Cenarik, Joshua “NCKestrel” Franklin,

William “Mad Capellan” Gauthier, Keith “Xotl” Hann,

Johannes “jymset” Heidler, Glenn “Lobsterback”

Hopkins, Daniel “DarkISI” Isberner, Chris “Alexander

Knight” Marti, Mike Miller, Darrell “FlailingDeath”

Myers, Luke “Jellico” Robertson, Andreas “Gaiiten”

Rudolf, Chris Searls, Chris “Chunga” Smith, Peter

Smith, Eiliotte Want III, Chris Wheeler, Patrick Wynne.

Special Thanks: Herbert Beas would like to

thank his family, friends, and colleagues—whose

collective support keeps him trudging the ifty feet

or so that separates his oice from his bed every

day. (And, of course, loving acknowledgements to

Oscar, Annie, Blaze, Meggie, and Kurita—the feline

overlords who make sure he never forgets his place

in the cosmos.)

Doug Chafee

Chris Lewis

Matthew Plog

David White

Record Sheets

Joel Bancroft-Connors

“BV Smasha!” Sebastian Brocks

Christopher “Chunga” Smith

“Techno Wizard” Jason Tighe

BattleTech Logo Design

Shane Hartley, Steve Walker

and Matt Heerdt

Cover Design and Layout

Ray Arrastia

Reserved. Experimental Technical Readout:

The Clans, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech,

BattleMech, ’Mech and the Topps logo are

registered trademarks and/or trademarks

of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United

States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game

Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are

trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.

CAT35XT009

STAR LEAGUE ERA

CLAN INVASION ERA

JIHAD ERA

Under License From

SUCCESSION WARS ERA

CIVIL WAR ERA

DARK AGE ERA

COUgaR-XR

Field Testing Summation: Cougar Experimental Reit

Producer/Site: Olivetti Weaponry, Sudeten

Supervising Technician: Scientist Holman (Goodall)

Project Start Date: 3070

Non-Production Equipment Analysis:

hard-trained Clan MechWarriors unfortunate enough to be assigned to

one of these machines.

Overall, the technologies used in the Cougar-XR ’s design appear to be

viable, especially given reports that many of the experimental technologies

it employs may soon be entering the mainstream as the Jihad winds down.

Nevertheless, less than a handful of these prototypes have been seen in

the ield to date. It thus remains unclear if the Olivetti factories in the Jade

Falcon Occupation Zone will be upgraded to produce this particular model

in the future, or something merely based on these principles.

Note: *Partial Wing adds +2 Jump MP, and –3 heat per turn in Standard

atmosphere. See p. 295, TO for additional rules. Features the following

Design Quirks: Unbalanced, Prototype, Modular Weapons

Inner Sphere Small Cockpit

Partial Wing

Laser-Relective Armor

ER Medium Pulse Laser

Artemis V FCS

overview

The Cougar-XR (Experimental Reit) appears to be a concept machine the

Jade Falcons recently began toying with. Though it is based on the frame of the

Cougar OmniMech, the extent of this reit is so extreme that our intelligence

believes it to be incapable of employing modular, pod-mounted weaponry.

In one instance, for example, Falcon technicians were observed having to

dismantle several components of a misiring missile launcher before the

weapon itself could be detached from its mount—a process that took over an

hour in the repair bays at Sudeten’s reit wing of Olivetti Weaponry.

At a glance, the Cougar almost looks like a Land-Air ’Mech, and

indeed it was rumors of Clan-made LAMs that drew our attention to this

development. After all, reports of failed Jade Falcon LAMs on Huntress during

the inal days of the Clan war led many to believe the Falcons—and their

fellow Clansmen—considered the concept a dead-end. Thus, a resumption

of such a possible new Clan LAM unit came as some surprise. In truth, closer

inspection revealed that the Cougar-XR was no ighter-BattleMech hybrid,

but a standard ’Mech built around the added lift capabilities of a partial

wing system. Using ordinary jump jets for a ’Mech its size, the Cougar-XR can

ly for an additional sixty meters per leap in standard atmosphere, gaining

almost the same mobility as it might otherwise achieve with improved jump

jets for the same overall tonnage. The additional cooling capabilities of the

wing system, however, provides a bonus that improved jets cannot deliver—

providing the Cougar-XR the ability to launch a powerful alpha strike while

executing a full jump, all at negligible heat.

The Cougar ’s weapons and armor are also enhanced. Its right arm

mounts an extended-range pulse laser that ofers more accurate energy

damage than the conventional Clan ER medium laser, at virtually the

same range. Twin, ifteen-tube LRM racks in the side torsos provide long-

range support ire potential, with the enhanced accuracy of the Clans

experimental Artemis V ire-control system. Protecting this entire chassis are

seven tons of laser-relective armor, likely installed based on the calculated

belief that a ’Mech so light and so maneuverable will likely draw more ire

from energy-based weapons such as pulse lasers and particle cannons than

from ammo-hungry ballistics better used on heavier, harder prey.

Making room for all of these modiications clearly challenged even the

Clans’ engineering eiciency, but nowhere is this more apparent than in the

ultra-cramped cockpit system the Cougar-XR employs. Undoubtedly based

on Inner Sphere small cockpits, the Clan version takes the notoriously tight

conines of their BattleMech control systems and makes them downright

claustrophobic. This saves another ton of weight, but impairs even the

Type: Cougar-XR

Technology Base: Mixed Clan (Experimental)

Tonnage: 35

Battle Value: 1,783

Equipment

Mass

Internal Structure:

Endo Steel

Engine:

175 XL

3.5

Walking MP:

Running MP:

Jumping MP:

Heat Sinks:

10 [20]*

Gyro:

Cockpit (Small (IS)):

Armor Factor (Relective):

112

Internal

Armor

Structure

Value

Head

Center Torso

Center Torso (rear)

R/L Torso

R/L Torso (rear)

R/L Arm

R/L Leg

Weapons and Ammo

Location

Critical

Tonnage

ER Medium Pulse Laser

LRM 15

3.5

Artemis V FCS

1.5

Ammo (LRM) 8

Partial Wing*

RT/LT

LRM 15

3.5

Artemis V FCS

1.5

Ammo (LRM) 8

Jump Jets

Jump Jet

Jump Jets

URsUs-PR

Field Testing Summation: Ursus Prototype Reit

Producer/Site: Bergan Industries, Alshain

Supervising Technician: Technician Josef

Project Start Date: 3074

Non-Production Equipment Analysis:

Protecting the Ursus-PR , the Bears are using standard

Clan-made ferro-ibrous armor, but this has been augmented

with the use of CASE II for superior protection against internal

damage should it sufer catastrophic damage to its more volatile

components. This, combined with the use of a less bulky standard

engine, ensures that withdrawal will remain an efective option if

the Ursus-PR inds itself overwhelmed.

Improved Heavy Medium Laser

CASE II

Inner Sphere Improved C 3 Computer

overview

Echoing the political and social amalgamation with the

resident Rasalhagian population that has become so central

to their non-military eforts, Clan Ghost Bear’s engineers have

apparently begun working to integrate Inner Sphere technologies

into their military forces. At an R&D facility attached to the Bergan

factories on Alshain, a small number of second-line BattleMechs

have been set aside for use as experimental test-beds. One of the

irst fully operational results of this efort, debuting in 3075, was

the Ursus-PR (Prototype Reit).

Based on the chassis of a irst-generation Ursus , the Ursus-

PR is built for close-range combat, either as a result of the Bears’

experiences with urban resistance in the former Rasalhague

Republic, or perhaps with the idea of deploying ’Mechs like these to

defensive commands. It is also built to be a pack hunter, employing

improved C3 computer technology likely derived from former

ComStar parts stockpiles. The integrated C3 units can network the

targeting and sensor data of up to six Ursus-PR s, granting them

the ability to coordinate in even the most densely packed cities.

(Interestingly enough, the Bears have built only ive of these

machines to date, demonstrating their preference for Clan-style

organization at the expense of what would be a more optimum

use of the C3i equipment.) A combined team of Rasalhagian and

Ghost Bear engineers evidently smoothed out any diiculties

arising from the use of Spheroid tech in an otherwise Clan design,

as the Ursus-PR s seen while undergoing trials demonstrated few

signs of malfunction.

The weaponry carried by this design is cutting-edge for Clan

technology, but not exactly overpowering. Two heavy ProtoMech-

scaled autocannons mounted in the right arm are useful against

lighter ’Mechs, vehicles, or battle armor, but would hardly deter

heavier ’Mechs, and these are backed up by a pair of torso-

mounted improved heavy medium lasers, which deliver greater

accuracy than older heavy medium lasers, but carry a signiicant

explosive risk in the event of an armor breach. For additional

irepower against conventional infantry, the Ursus-PR rounds

out its weapons with a trio of anti-personnel Gauss riles, and an

extended-range lamer. Taken together, these weapons give the

Ursus-PR an efective kill zone of over 200 meters, but the ’Mech is

positively murderous at ranges of ninety meters or less.

Type: Ursus-PR

Technology Base: Mixed Clan (Experimental)

Tonnage: 50

Battle Value: 1,194

Equipment

Mass

Internal Structure:

Engine:

200

8.5

Walking MP:

Running MP:

Jumping MP:

Heat Sinks:

10 [20]

Gyro:

Cockpit:

Armor Factor (Ferro):

163

8.5

Internal

Armor

Structure

Value

Head

Center Torso

Center Torso (rear)

R/L Torso

R/L Torso (rear)

R/L Arm

R/L Leg

Weapons and Ammo

Location

Critical

Tonnage

2 ProtoMech AC/8

Ammo (PAC) 20

CASE II

Improved Heavy Medium LaserRT

ER Flamer

Improved C3 Computer (IS)

2.5

Improved Heavy Medium LaserLT

3 AP Gauss Riles

1.5

Ammo (AP Gauss) 80

CASE II

Notes: Features the following Design Quirks: Camped Cockpit,

Prototype, Protected Actuators

Catalyst 35XT009 - Experimental Technical Readout - The Clans [2011].pdf

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