’Mech of the Week: CPLT-L7* Catapult II
Catapult II. Fairly new descendant of the venerable
Catapult. The scorched coffin, as the colloquialism and pilot derision have struck. Highly efficient when used properly. Testbed for the latest technology. My first experiences with this design (or at least how it looks) was with the AoD Sadia Wolf piece.
Based on her dossier she was both fairly competent and clinically insane.
The
Catapult II began as simply a new
Catapult variant. Initially meant to both continue the long heritage of indirect fire support and as a test platform for the Tight-Stream Electro-Magnetic Pulse (TSEMP) Cannon, stress fractures on the prototypes forced Hollis to add five tons to the final design, which they claimed would add fifteen years to the life-span of the chassis. (Considering that some
Catapults have been around since the first run in the 2600’s…)
The CPLT-L7
Catapult II finally entered service in 3135. Built around an endo-steel skeleton, the design uses four jump jets and a 280-rated GM extralight engine to maintain the same speed and mobility of its forebear the CPLT-C4
Catapult. Also like that design, it mounts two 20-rack LRM launchers. Two tons of ammunition are stored in each side torso. Twin TSEMP Cannons and a pair of extended-class medium lasers. Ten double-strength heat sinks are severely taxed by the heat output of the weaponry (and is one source of the “scorched coffin” moniker). Considering that the ammunition is not protected by CASE, too much heat can end very badly. Ten and a half tons of standard plate give the design 77% of maximum protection in a 9, 26/11, 20/8, 14, 19 pattern (head, center front/rear, side front/rear, arms, legs respectively).
The CPLT-L7L is more of a standard design, and premiered in 3136. The LRM racks were swapped for 9-rack MMLs and the TSEMP and mediums were replaced with two plasma rifles. Armor is the new heat-dissipating armor, which halves the amount of heat a successful hit from things like plasma rifles and flamers generates. Protection is laid out in a 9, 29/11, 21/8, 17, 22 pattern. This variant is not as heat-intense as the first model, but still is a bit hot-running.
Using one of these is a test of patience. You have long-range weaponry to pepper your foes at range, and closer-in weapons that can really ruin his day. The second variant can be quite useful in-close to ruin very heat-sensitive designs (or those that over-rely on TSM). As for the TSEMP version, the chance that you could turn your opponent’s ’Mech off cannot be ignored. I will note that the long recycle time means it would probably be best to only fire one a turn (your heat scale will thank you). Since you are using a mostly (if not completely) Capellan design, using your LRMs (or LRM ammo for the MML) to sow minefields is not out of the question.
Fighting one of these is a different test of patience, especially if he follows the previous suggestion (minefields suck). The first variant has two TSEMPs, which are PITAs if they hit you in the right range. And the second has plasma, the bane of many a machine’s existence. With their heat woes, bringing plasmas is not a bad idea. And even though the second variant has heat-dissipating armor, all that would mean for me is to hit him with more plasma rifles (for some reason the plasma rifle has become one of my go-to’s for replacing Particle Cannons, and sometimes LPLs). Heavy weapons are also nice for ripping big holes in him. Since I like the concept of targeting locations, either side torso works in this case. Both variants store two tons of ammunition in each side.
The
Catapult II is an interesting design that continues the legacy of its predecessor. It has already begun to make marks on BattleTech history through its involvement in the conquest of the Capellan March of the Federated Suns. Time will tell if it can continue to do so.
This machine appeared in TRO 3145.
Catapult II