Catalyst 35646 - Experimental Technical Readout XTRO Primitives Vol 1 OEF.pdf - [2008-......] - Catalyst - mad_pablo

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

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

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

JIHAD ERA

Under License From

SUCCESSION WARS ERA

CIVIL WAR ERA

DARK AGE ERA

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:

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:

Jumping MP:

Heat Sinks:

Gyro:

Cockpit (Primitive):

Armor Factor (Primitive):

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

Mass

Large Laser

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)

Walking MP:

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:

Jumping MP:

Heat Sinks:

Gyro:

Cockpit (Primitive):

Armor Factor (Primitive):

101

9.5

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

Mass

Large Laser

Ammo (LRM) 12

LRM 10

Catalyst 35646 - Experimental Technical Readout XTRO Primitives Vol 1 OEF.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: