’Mech of the Week: NDA-*** No-Dachi
The
No-Dachi, the first BattleMech design to feature the sometimes loved, sometimes much maligned sword. Originally appearing in
Field Manual: Draconis Combine, the
No-Dachi weighs in at seventy tons, and named for the two-handed Japanese sword used for removing a horse and rider from action in one stroke.
Somewhat amusingly, the BattleMechs that bear the names of the smaller, yet more famous,
Katana and
Wakizashi are both fifteen tons heavier. (Though I must admit, I preferred the old Tech Factory
Wakizashi. It fit my personality.)
As for real-world experience… well, let’s just say my luck goes from scalding/frozen to absolutely insane when using one of these. Once I waded into five assaults, cut off all their heads, and emerged having several places with one spot of internal left, and the only armor on the machine being a single point on the head. Considering those assaults included an
Atlas and a
BattleMaster, my opponent was not pleased.
(Then again, he hasn’t had the best luck with
BattleMasters…)
The genesis of the
No-Dachi and the sword it carries can be traced back to the success of the Federated Commonwealth with the
Axman and
Hatchetman BattleMechs. Seeing this, Combine manufacturers began designing prototypes for new machines carrying hatchets. Unfortunately for those prototypes, they received lukewarm (at best) reactions from the MechWarriors of House Kurita. This was because the hatchet was seen as a barbarian weapon to the ingrained samurai mindset of the culture. Though it took some time to perfect the sword (the earlier ones tended to snap), the designers did manage the feat eventually.
Alongside this feat, the Cosby Myomer Research Firm managed to reverse-engineer a batch of new triple-strength myomer from a Davion BattleMech. Shortly thereafter, the Eleventh Legion of Vega approached them to create a machine to use these two technologies. The result is one of the best close-combat machines in the game, the NDA-1K.
The look of the design is fearsome, up to and including the “mask” on the head. Aside from the right-arm mounted sword, there is a left-arm mounted ER PPC, taken from a stock removed by
Panther pilots. (This has led to me envisioning a pilot thrusting the PPC forward as it holds the sword aloft behind it.) Twin shoulder-mounted medium-range-missile 20 racks allow for additional close-in power (as well as annoying one’s opponent). A head-mounted medium laser, a centerline 4-pack SRM, and a 2-pack SRM in the left arm round out the firepower. Each missile rack has a ton of ammunition allocated to it. Ten double-heat sinks allow you to pick and choose your weapon’s fire (though an Alpha Strike will put you in bad shape, especially if the TSM is already active).
A 350-rated extralight engine pushes the machine to similar speeds to the
Mad Cat, and active TSM will allow it to keep up with much lighter designs. Standard armor plate is used to grant 88% of maximum protection, which is laid out somewhat smart. All front locations can pass the Class-20 test, with the center torso one point off taking two Gauss slugs without breaching. The rear is a little less protected, though each rear torso can withstand a large laser, and the center rear can take an Inner Sphere PPC. An endo-steel skeleton underlies all of it. There is no CASE on this machine, but considering where the ammunition stores are, there’s rather little point.
A year later, the second variant, designated the NDA-2K was field-tested by the Legions of Vega. The differences start with the downgrading of the MRM’s to twin 10-packs, each fed by two tons of ammo (which might be a bit much). The PPC has been replaced with an extended large laser, and the rest of the original weapons were removed. They were replaced with five medium pulse lasers, two in the left arm, two in the left torso, and one in the right, a small laser in the head, and a Guardian ECM suite in the center. An additional heat sink allows for somewhat more firepower. Finally, the armor has been upped to 95% of maximum, most of it to the legs.
A third variant, the NDA-2KO is the penultimate in-fighter of the variants. First the large laser was exchanged for a large pulse. One of the medium pulses was repositioned from the arm to the right torso, a small pulse added in its place. An additional medium pulse was placed in the center, since the ECM suite and MRM launchers were removed. A centerline flamer, and a rear-firing extended medium was placed in each torso. Two additional heat sinks allow for a variety of firing schemes, sure to tear holes in one’s opponents. Finally, the armor was increased to 99% of maximum (one point from max on the center). The front center and legs can now take two Gauss slugs without breach, and all the rear torsos can take a PPC blast.
According to the variant notes in TRO: 3067, the ECM in the -2K had been installed because a C3 Slave unit was seen by the Legion members as not suitable for samurai (they didn’t want to share their kills). Amusingly, in TRO: 3085’s Old is New New section, someone took a -2KO model and replaced the right torso’s rear-firing medium with a Slave. Whether this NDA-2KC model is popular with those same samurai may be a moot point, as it appears to have shown up after the Jihad ended.
Sometime in the course of the Jihad, a variant designated the NDA-3S showed up. This variant mounts three medium pulse lasers, one small pulse laser, two extended-model medium lasers, three standard small lasers, and two medium variable-speed pulse lasers. Additionally this variant swaps the sword for a bulkier mace, allowing for extremely brutal hits up-close. Fourteen double heat sinks provide cooling.
Finally, there is the NDA-3X, an experimental unit first seen in the Experimental TRO: Kurita. Based on the -1K, this variant strips out everything except the engine and endo-steel skeleton. Clan ferro-fibrous armor gives the machine maximum protection (and apparently CASE). The sword has been replaced with a large vibroblade (probably from the
Hachiwara). Since (in their view) TSM was no longer necessary, a Supercharger was used to give the design even higher speeds. A Clan PPC replaces the Inner Sphere version, twin Clan LRM 15 racks with Artemis IV replace the unguided rockets, with one ton of ammunition allocated for each launcher. One rear-firing Clan small laser is in the left torso, and a Clan medium in the head. Fifteen Clan double heat sinks help to moderate the heat produced by the weapons. Finally, an armored cockpit was used to help with the survivability of the pilot (though by the time you need it, it might be a little late).
Use of one of these machines varies only slightly with the variant. All of them are meant for close combat. My preference is to get in the enemy’s face and then slice and dice it like a ginsu blade. However, some might wish to pick their spots more carefully. The -1K, -2K, and -3X have weapons systems that allow you to snipe from range. On the other hand, the -2KO, and -2KC find it necessary to be in-close. Watch your heat carefully. While it is relatively easy to activate TSM, and to keep it running, those who forget to mind it can find themselves either shutting down, suffering ammunition explosions, or not have the extra power they need when they do try and smack their enemies. While the -3X does not have this problem, be careful not to overuse your Supercharger. A failed roll there can have catastrophic results.
Just remember, once you engage, do not stop until your opponent is dead. Also, if he happens to fall down before you can put him to the sword, feel free to kick him.
Fighting one is a question of firepower. Bring as much as you can. Since he will be trying to close with you, hitting him repeatedly while he is doing so will make him less effective when he finally arrives. If he does. With the -1K, -2K, and -3X, critting an ammunition bin will almost certainly take him out of action. Now, if you like to fight fire with fire, there are several machines out there that can assist you in this. There is at least one variant of the
Black Knight, as well as a
Banshee, and a
Charger variant. And of course, the TSM
Berserker can be a good choice (though even I might think twice about closing with that beast). There is also the possibility of using one of the
Hachiwaras from Solaris VII. Considering those machines used the
No-Dachi as a basis, it would be ironic, to say the least.
