Catalyst 35644 - Experimental ...

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INTRODUCTION
Are
you
ready for the adventure of a lifetime?
Dear Friend,
Sixteen years ago, I was in a lackluster vacation rut. I thought I’d tried it all. I’d gone on safari and bagged a New Kyoto ki-rian. I’d been sub-
orbital skydiving on Bolan. I’d skied the
Schreirutsche
at
MittenWald
on Tharkad. I’d even raced Skimmer hovercraft. After all that, I was still craving
something more. Months of searching inally led me to a MechWarrior for a Day (MWFAD) experience. I remember thinking I’d inally found my true
north. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Instead of the promised newer ’Mechs, I had my choice between a dilapidated
Jenner
or a careworn
Blackjack
. Both had been modiied with
cockpit command consoles so that my “instructor” could help when I struggled. Apparently my “instructor” thought I was struggling with everything.
I barely got to steer and took less than a dozen shots. That was a huge disappointment. I anticipated unleashing a torrent of staggering irepower but
instead I got low-power weapons and cheap pyrotechnic efects when my shots connected—which wasn’t often. I ended the day sitting in a room
with the common rabble waiting for battle ROM footage of a ight I hardly participated in. I’d paid to be a MechWarior, not a passenger, but I learned
from my mistake and promised myself I’d do it better.
Six years later, I took my dream of running MWFAD the right way, married it to my unique venture capital concept, and started
FrontierTech.
Your adventure
will
be the most amazing experience of your life or I’ll personally pick up the tab. In the last ten years,
FrontierTech
has grown into the
largest adventure travel company in the Inner Sphere. We have exclusive contracts with more than thirty cutting-edge defense developers providing
an unparalleled opportunity to put you at the controls of experimental and advanced prototypes. How is all this possible? Simply put,
FrontierTech
is a reciprocal matchmaking, outsourcing, and insurance company. Our adventure travelers need ’Mechs to pilot. Our defense contractors need test
pilots for their prototype ’Mechs. Both parties need insurance solutions and facilitators. We bring all this together in a win-win scenario.
Your adventure begins with this copy of
FrontierTech Magazine.
Future copies will be tailored for you and, as your skills improve, you’ll become
eligible for additional ofers.
Inside you’ll ind technical details on all of the ’Mechs available next quarter. Adventures are booked three months in
advance on a irst-come, irst-served basis and opportunities are limited. Book early so you don’t miss out! Not interested in ’Mechs? No problem. We
ofer adventures in virtually every type of battleield unit; from battle armor to DropShips. All-inclusive packages start as low as 150,000 C-bills and
come with
FrontierTech
’s 100% worry-free guarantee. Your personal adventure consultant will work with you to develop a customized itinerary that
matches your ambitions, personality, schedule, experience level, and budget; all with your safety as the utmost concern.
You’ll embark on a
FrontierTech
luxury-reit
Gazelle
-class DropShip. After a full breakfast, you’ll spend the day training with your private
instructor in the most advanced simulators currently available on the civilian market. Your training develops and evaluates your skill level to provide
appropriately matched opponents. In the evening, enjoy gourmet formal dining then relax in the posh accommodations of your luxury cabin, test
your luck in our high-stakes casino, or mingle with other guests in one of ive theme lounges. All
FrontierTech
adventures are income-qualiied
outings so you’ll always spend your valuable time with the right demographic.
When you arrive at your destination, your private instructor will complete your check out on the unit(s) you’ve selected and then the fun begins.
At
FrontierTech
, we put
you
in command!
TM
—Cornelius MacGilicutty
CEO,
FrontierTech, Inc.
13 September 3077
1
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The ’Mechs, combat vehicles, and i ghters described in
Experimental Technical Readout: Boondocks
provide players with a sampling of the
various custom designs that have appeared along the militarized borders of the Successor States. The designs featured in this book rel ect limited-
run prototypes and “one-of s” that have yet to reach full factory production—and most likely never will.
The rules for using ’Mechs, vehicles and i ghters 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.
Project Development
: Herbert A. Beas II
Development Assistance:
Randall N. Bills and Jason Schmetzer
BattleTech Line Developer
: Herbert A. Beas II
Primary Writing
: Joel Steverson
Writing Assistance:
Herbert A. Beas II
Art Direction:
Brent Evans
Factchecking/Playtesting:
Joel Bancroft-Connors, Roland M.
Boshnack, Johannes Heidler, Daniel Isberner, Luke Robertson, Peter
Smith and Patrick Wynne.
Special Thanks:
To Herb Beas (for the opportunity), Joel Bancroft-
Connors, the factchecking, playtesting, art and development teams (for
their tireless ef ort, breathtaking art, and wonderful record sheets), the
previous XTR authors (for opening up this fabulous series), Esther, Jim
and Lara (for their continual support and encouragement), my friends
(for understanding when
BattleTech
comes i rst), and i nally, the fans. I
hope you enjoy
Boondocks
.
Production Sta
Cover Design and Layout
: Matt Heerdt
Original Illustrations
:
Doug Chaf ee
Brent Evans
Chris Lewis
Jim Nelson
Record Sheets
: David L. McCulloch
©2010 The Topps Company, Inc. All
Rights Reserved. Experimental Technical
Readout: Boondocks, 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.
CAT35644
STAR LEAGUE
STAR LEAGUE ERA
ERA
CLAN INVASION ERA
CLAN INVASION ERA
JIHAD ERA
Under License From
SUCCESSION WARS ERA
CIVIL WAR ERA
CIVIL WAR ERA
DARK AGE ERA
DARK AGE ERA
®
2
 WTH-5S WHITWORTH
Field Testing Summation:
Prototype WTH-2 Chassis Reit
Producer/Site:
Spillman Provincial Reit Facility, Acrux
Supervising Technician:
Eric Spillman
Project Start Date:
3074
Non-Production Equipment Analysis:
has a medium X-pulse laser weapon mated with the stability of an
actuator enhancement system. This combination is highly accurate
to 270 meters, rivaling the more recently developed variable-speed
pulse lasers seen elsewhere.
Ten freezers give the WTH-5S a manageable heat curve,
though care must still be exercised when continually jumping and
alpha striking.
FrontierTech
Skill Requirement:
’Mech: B80
Composite Internal Structure
Engine Supercharger
Actuator Enhancement Systems
Medium X-Pulse Lasers
CASE II
Type:
WTH-5S Whitworth
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Tonnage: 40
Battle Value: 1,320
Overview
The
Whitworth
has never been a popular chassis, and the
replacement of several systems on the WTH-2 with multiple
experimental components has done little to assuage disenchanted
MechWarriors. This presents diiculties for those assigned the
design, and their commanders, but it gives
FrontierTech
signiicant
bargaining power when contracting for use of the ’Mech. It is
the second-most available ’Mech in this quarter’s oferings. Wait
times for an adventure seldom exceed two weeks and extended
adventures are usually available at a reduced rate. Produced on
Acrux, the WTH-5S is an extensive reit-yard modiication currently
deployed in the Kaumberg Archonette for trials. Prospective
adventurers for this machine should adequately prepare for action
in forested environments.
The 5S has solid irepower for its weight class but is slow
by any measure of medium BattleMech performance. Spillman’s
redesign successfully addresses many of the WTH-2’s shortcomings
with a radical reit, but how he’s acquired the parts for a traditionally
Kuritan chassis—or the more experimental tech used in their
upgrades—remains a mystery.
As of this writing, the Spillman facility on Acrux has reportedly
modiied a lance of WTH-2s to this 5S coniguration. This glacial
pace of roughly one reit every ten months is largely due to the
need to break the ’Mech down to its skeleton and rebuild it almost
from scratch to install the composite bones it uses. The resulting
frame is half the weight, but twice as brittle as standard structure
in combat. The engine compartment—reframed to accommodate
the installation of an LTV 160 XL fusion engine—also features a
supercharger that allows for short bursts of speed approaching
ninety kph.
The
Whitworth
’s armament upgrades are ideal for urban or
woodland combat. A pair of Streak SRM-6s replaces the original
LRM-10s, with only a single ton of ammunition for both launchers
residing in the right torso. (Given the enhanced accuracy of Streak
technology, Spillman’s team considers this a suicient magazine.)
A remarkable CASE II system protects this torso in the event of an
ammo explosion far better than standard CASE, a modiication
that could keep the
Whitworth
functional even under catastrophic
conditions—and explains why Spillman’s team disables the
’Mech’s auto-eject system as a design default. A matched set of
experimental upgrades has also been installed in the arms: each
Equipment
Mass
Internal Structure:
Composite
2
Engine:
160 XL
3
Walking MP:
4
Running MP:
6 (8)
Jumping MP:
4
Heat Sinks:
10 [20]
0
Gyro:
2
Cockpit:
3
Armor Factor:
128
8
Internal
Armor
Structure
Value
Head
3
9
Center Torso
12
16
Center Torso (rear)
7
R/L Torso
10
12/12
R/L Torso (rear)
6/6
R/L Arm
6
12/12
R/L Leg
10
18/18
Weapons and Ammo
Location
Critical
Mass
Medium X-Pulse Laser
RA
1
2
Actuator Enhancement Sys. RA
2
1.5
Medium X-Pulse Laser
LA
1
2
Actuator Enhancement Sys. LA
2
1.5
Streak SRM-6
LT
2
4.5
Streak SRM-6
RT
2
4.5
Ammo (Streak) 15
RT
1
1
CASE II
RT
1
1
Supercharger
RT
1
.5
Guardian ECM Suite
CT
2
1.5
Jump Jets
RL
2
1
Jump Jets
LL
2
1
3
MLN-SX MERLIN
Field Testing Summation:
Customized MLN-1A Prototype Rei t
Producer/Site:
Sabanillas Mining Company, Sabanillas
Supervising Technician:
Major Caleb Gruber (Ret)
Project Start Date:
3075
Non-Production Equipment Analysis:
and the nearby Filtvelt Coalition. As a controlled environment
is not available, any prospective adventurers must complete
the platinum package waiver and life insurance paperwork. The
Merlin
is not available to i rst-time MechWarriors.
FrontierTech
Skill Requirement:
’Mech: C110
Endo-Composite Internal Structure
Armored Engine
Type:
MLN-SX Merlin
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Tonnage: 60
Battle Value: 1,181
Laser Insulators
Bombast Laser
Overview
First produced in 3010, the MLN-1A didn’t feature any
advanced technology in its debut, but it was still a technological
breakthrough as the i rst new ’Mech design to be introduced
in the Inner Sphere after a decades-long production drought
during the latter Succession Wars. Updated versions of this
machine appeared in the 3050s and 3060s, and now in the ‘70s,
yet another new
Merlin
is trundling around the FedSuns fringes,
thanks to retired AFFS major, Caleb Gruber.
The MLN-SX is technically a “garage-level” i eld rei t, but
its experimental Endo-Composite internal structure demanded
extensive use of the company’s MiningMech repair and re-
assembly facilities to implement. While technically possible to
perform these upgrades in the i eld, the time and ef ort involved
are prohibitive because the upgrade involves the replacement of
the
Merlin
’s entire skeleton with experimental Endo-Composite
structure, of ering half the weight savings of Endo-Steel for half
of the bulk. Furthermore, where the MLN-1A featured an eleven-
point-i ve-ton standard fusion engine, the SX replaces it with
a nine-ton light fusion engine, but then strengthens it with an
additional i ve tons of armored shielding. The resulting engine
is heavier and bulkier, but can take far greater punishment
in battle—up to and including the destruction of a side torso
section.
MechWarriors who have previously qualified on the
Merlin
’s weaponry must re-qualify for the MLN-SX configuration.
The new
Merlin
’s long-range firepower now comes from a
single Magna bombast laser. Similar to a standard large laser
in range and damage profiles on its standard-power setting,
the bombast can be “overcharged” by almost seventy percent
for significantly more damage. The added complexity is a
distraction for most MechWarriors and often results in reduced
accuracy, though those who master this erratic weapon swear
by its effectiveness.
The SX’s secondary weaponry consists of a pair of medium
variable-speed pulse lasers. All three of the
Merlin
’s lasers are paired
with “RetroTech” laser insulators. The insulators require precise
handling to manage. Altering the cooling parameters can cause
a dangerous build up of waste heat and damage the weapons.
Proper operation of the insulators reduces heat build-up, giving the
already cool
Merlin
an even more favorable heat curve.
Three MLN-SXs have been deployed on Sabanillas for i eld
trials against vagabond pirates that frequently target that world
Equipment
Mass
Internal Structure:
Endo-Composite
4.5
Engine:
240 Light
9
Walking MP:
4
Running MP:
6
Jumping MP:
4
Heat Sinks:
14 [28]
4
Gyro:
3
Cockpit:
3
Armor Factor:
176
11
Internal
Armor
Structure
Value
Head
3
9
Center Torso
20
31
Center Torso (rear)
8
R/L Torso
14
22/22
R/L Torso (rear)
6/6
R/L Arm
10
18/18
R/L Leg
14
18/18
Weapons and Ammo
Location
Critical
Mass
Bombast Laser
RT
3
7
Laser Insulator
RT
1
.5
Medium VSP Laser
RA
2
4
Laser Insulator
RA
1
.5
Medium VSP Laser
LA
2
4
Laser Insulator
LA
1
.5
Armored Component
LT/CT/RT
—
5
(Armored Engine)
Jump Jets
RL
2
2
Jump Jets
LL
2
2
4
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