Catalyst 35646 - Experimental ...

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INTRODUCTION
Mistakes happen. Even at the best of times researchers can be tripped up by preconceptions and incomplete data. Such was the case for the
team who labored on the inglorious task of sifting through the data from the recently recovered Terran Hegemony memory core from New Dallas.
Overwhelmed by the lood of data provided by this new fragment of the Hegemony’s fabled Prometheus database, the people working frantically
to update threat and combat data iles overlooked critical details when analyzing the proiles of several “RetroTech” designs. In several cases designs
were catalogued with the erroneous assumption that their construction incorporated modern components.
These errors were brought to light by the excellent work performed by my own research assistants as we continued to delve in the digital
treasure trove from the past provided by the late Chandrasekhar Kurita. Rather than wait to add our indings to the next release of the 3075 Technical
Readout and its supporting iles it was decided to include these updates with new information gleaned from the depths of the Hegemony memory
core. The progenitors of modern weapons date back to the bloody Age of War. It was in this crucible that the BattleMechs, combat vehicles, ighters,
DropShips, JumpShips, and WarShips with which we are familiar were irst forged. Many of the details of this fascinating process were all but lost over
the centuries. Those antiquated examples that survived the Reuniication War that marked the birth of the First Star League did not long survive its
death. Stripped down to keep “modern” equipment functioning, they became little more than half-forgotten myths and legends.
It was the pursuit of these myths and legends that brought to light many of the discrepancies in the published material.
In this irst volume of an ongoing series we seek to redress the situation as well as cast some light on several early BattleMech, vehicle, and
ighter designs. In no way is this project an exhaustive collection of what often is referred to as “Primitive” units. Centuries of warfare have spawned
far too great a variety of weapons to be encompassed by the work of a single lifetime of research. Instead the intent is to focus on two classes of
weapon: those common enough to be considered generic or representative of their type, and others which serve as the cornerstones of modern
weapon design.
—Professor Col Hari
18 February 3078
1
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The ’Mechs, combat vehicles, and i ghters described in
Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 1
provide players with a sampling of
designs from the period of time covered by the Age of War and the rise of the First Star League. While the focus of the designs featured in this book
are historical, many of the designs have modern counterparts detailed in other Technical Readouts.
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 primitive nature of these designs also draws upon the Experimental-level rules presented in
Tactical Operations
.
DEVELOPER’S ADDENDUM
Astute readers may notice that several of the designs that will appear in this and future volumes of the
XTR: Primitives
mini-series have appeared
in previous Record Sheets books such as
Record Sheets: 3075
. This redundancy is intentional, both as a means of correcting minor errors in the
original Primitive units’ stats (where conl ict arises, the Primitives XTRs supersede) and as a means of providing a clearer and more focused treatment
of the primitive machines that were contemporaries during the Age of War.
Project Development
: Herbert A. Beas II
BattleTech Line Developer
: Herbert A. Beas II
Primary Writing
: David L. McCulloch
Production Sta
Cover Design
: Klaus Scherwinski
Factchecking/Playtesting
: Joel Bancroft-Connors, Roland
Boshnack, William Gauthier, Joshua Franklin, Keith Hann, Johannes
Heidler, Daniel Isberner, Chris Marti, Luke Robertson, Chris Smith, Chris
Wheeler and Patrick Wynne.
Special Thanks
: To Randall for taking a chance all those years ago
on somebody he has never met. To Herb for allowing me to continue to
manipulate events from the shadows. To all those who undertake the
thankless (well obviously less thankless now) task of trying to keep all the
designs and record sheets straight. And to all the supporters of Thomas
Hogarth for proof that I have equaled the feats of Dr. Frankenstein.
Layout
: Matt Heerdt
Illustrations
:
Doug Chaf ee
Brent Evans
Chris Lewis
Duane Loose
Record Sheets
: David L. McCulloch
©2010 The Topps Company, Inc. All
Rights Reserved. Experimental Technical
Readout: Primitives, 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.
CAT35646
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
 COM-1A COMMANDO
Unit Summation:
Original
Commando
Primitive Chassis
Producer/Site:
Coventry Defense Conglomerate, Coventry
Developing Engineer:
Andre Barcalow
Introduction Date:
2463
Non-Production Equipment Analysis:
Type:
COM-1A Commando
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Primitive)
Tonnage: 25
Battle Value: 475
Primitive Engine
Equipment
Mass
Primitive Cockpit
Internal Structure:
2.5
Primitive Armor
Engine:
150 (Primitive)
5.5
Walking MP:
5
Overview
The Lyran Commonwealth had (literally) stolen the march
over the Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine with its daring
Operation Prometheus. The theft of Terran Hegemony BattleMech
plans gave the Commonwealth a signii cant technological edge,
but it was an advantage that would prove short lived. Kurita
raiders struck Coventry in 2461 and secured data enabling
the Combine to kick-start its own BattleMech program. Then
in 2462, disgruntled workers on Alarion defected to the Free
Worlds League with plans for Lyran designs. Knowing that it was
now only a matter of time before its enemies would have their
own BattleMechs, the Commonwealth rushed into service new
designs, amongst which was the COM-1A
Commando
.
Built around a single Odin Heavy Laser, the
Commando
represented a marked departure from previous Commonwealth
designs such as the
Ymir
and
Crossbow
. Light and fast, the
Commando
was better suited to the role of scout or raider—and
it would excel in both duties during the campaigns to retake
Nox and Skondia. In 2475, Lyran
Commando
s faced of against
Kurita’s heavier
Gladiator
s on Nox in the i rst large-scale ’Mech
vs. ’Mech battle. There, the more experienced Commonwealth
MechWarriors used their numerical advantage to overwhelm the
Kuritan machines.
It was the campaign that would become known as the “Long
March” that exposed the critical l aws in the Odin’s cooling system.
Excessive heat buildup resulted in the breakdown of lubricants
in the actuators of the ’Mech’s right arm. The result was a high
failure rate for these components and irate MechWarriors who
found they could not aim their only weapon accurately. Several
attempts to i x the problem failed before Coventry switched to a
predominantly missile-based weapon mix for its more advanced
COM-2D
Commando
. This change was so successful, in fact, that
the Commonwealth’s second-generation COM-2Ds began to
replace the COM-1A in 2486.
Some decommissioned COM-1As found their way into
private hands, such as with the First Tamar Hussars (later known
as the Tamar Tigers) regiment raised by the Duke of Tamar as his
own personal BattleMech force. Others lingered on in service with
Militia forces until the disarmament following the Reunii cation
War provided a ready supply of modern equipment with which
they could be replaced.
Running MP:
8
Jumping MP:
0
Heat Sinks:
10
0
Gyro:
2
Cockpit (Primitive):
5
Armor Factor (Primitive):
53
5
Internal
Armor
Structure
Value
Head
3
5
Center Torso
8
7
Center Torso (rear)
3
R/L Torso
6
5
R/L Torso (rear)
3
R/L Arm
4
5
R/L Leg
6
6
Weapons and Ammo
Location
Critical
Mass
Large Laser
RA
2
5
3
KY2-D-01 KYUDO
Unit Summation:
Original
Kyudo
Primitive Chassis
Producer/Site:
Martinson Armaments, Terra
Developing Engineer:
Brian May
Introduction Date:
2443
Non-Production Equipment Analysis:
Type:
KY2-D-01 Kyudo
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Primitive)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 748
Primitive Engine
Equipment
Mass
Primitive Cockpit
Internal Structure:
4.5
Primitive Armor
Engine:
220 (Primitive)
10
Walking MP:
4
Overview
Martinson Armaments unveiled their irst production
BattleMech, the KY2-D-01
Kyudo,
in 2443. The company was at a
disadvantage, having not been amongst those to participate in
the development of the Terran Hegemony’s
Mackie
. With only
limited access to the blueprints, Martinson had been forced to
develop many of the KY2-D-01’s systems almost from scratch.
Consequently, the result incorporated a number of radical design
concepts—some innovative, others downright peculiar.
Armed with the rugged Conan LRM launcher and a single
Sorenstein large laser, the
Kyudo
is well suited to its primary
support role. Deployed alongside heavier armed and armored
’Mechs and assault tanks, the KY2-D-01
remained in service
with the Hegemony Armed Forces during the Reunii cation War.
Unfortunately in the war’s aftermath, cutbacks in SLDF spending
curtailed plans for a wholesale replacement program with the
upgraded KY2-D-02. The older
Kyudo
was gradually shu
ed
of into the Hegemony’s reserve, mothballed away in caches of
obsolete equipment or sent to serve with rear echelon or militia
commands. There they languished until gunned down by the
forces of the Rim Worlds Republic when they seized control of
the Terran Hegemony. The ensuing collapse of the Star League
and subsequent Succession Wars eliminated the few surviving
examples of this early BattleMech.
Although the
Kyudo
faded from memory, many of the
innovations introduced by Martinson Armaments became
standard features on modern BattleMechs. The unique suspension
and leg actuator layout was ef ective, but its vulnerability to
infantry attack meant that the concept was not adopted in
later designs. On the other hand, the technique used to couple
myomer bundles to actuators proved more reliable and easy to
maintain than the bulky stem bolts Skobel introduced on their
Mackie,
and Martinson’s solution became the de facto standard
that continues in use today. Likewise, the layout of the
Kyudo’s
internal systems made i eld maintenance easier and quicker
than on the committee-spawned nightmare that was the
Mackie
.
Future BattleMech designs were inl uenced heavily by Martinson’s
concepts, and it is little wonder that HAF technicians preferred
assignment to commands equipped with the
Kyudo
.
Running MP:
6
Jumping MP:
0
Heat Sinks:
12
2
Gyro:
3
Cockpit (Primitive):
5
Armor Factor (Primitive):
101
9.5
Internal
Armor
Structure
Value
Head
3
9
Center Torso
14
14
Center Torso (rear)
4
R/L Torso
11
11
R/L Torso (rear)
3
R/L Arm
7
9
R/L Leg
11
14
Weapons and Ammo
Location
Critical
Mass
Large Laser
RA
2
5
Ammo (LRM) 12
LT
1
1
LRM 10
LA
2
5
4
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