’Mech of the Week: ENF-** Enforcer III
Enforcer III. Revamp of the classic
Enforcer. Marketed with the phrase, “Updated for more enforcement.”
Which sounds like something out of
Robocop.
The
Enforcer III comes to us from Technical Readout: 3060. There are a pair of variants in the 3085 document’s Old is New New section. And a final variant comes to us from
Experimental Technical Readout: Davion.
The
Enforcer III came about partly as a response to the need to give Victor Steiner-Davion some good press. His ascension to the throne of the Federated Commonwealth was quickly marred by the machinations of his sister, who directly lead to the split of the Lyran half from the Federated half. The Free Worlds League invasion added to the chaos and ill will. The name appears to just be a marketing gimmick, at least for the first model. The original model
Enforcer III is little more than an upgrade of the “advanced” ENF-5D
Enforcer that arrived in 3050.
As to why there is not an
Enforcer II, I cannot be sure as to whether that was an oversight, or whether the ENF-5D was unofficially that. While some might call the
Enfield the “real”
Enforcer II, I think it to be its own design, and frankly may have been a separate design from the
Enforcer, based on the different dates the plans were discovered in (2777 for the
Enforcer, 2870 for the
Enfield).
The
ENF-6M Enforcer III arrived in 3059, and is built around an endo-steel skeleton. A Magna 250-rated extralight engine and five jump jets retain the movement profile of the ENF-5D. Ten tons of standard plate is laid out in a 9, 24/7, 19/5, 16, 20 pattern (head, center front/rear, side front/rear, arms, legs respectively). The twelve heat sinks of its predecessor are now double-strength models. Weapons consist of a Class-10 Ultra autocannon, an extended-model large laser, and an extended-model small laser. Two tons of ammunition feed the autocannon.
It was not until 3062 that other variants would arrive. The first was the
ENF-6G, which traded the autocannon for a Gauss Rifle, the large laser for a medium pulse laser, and two heat sinks for three extended-model medium lasers. The left hand actuator was installed, because a good left hook is never to be discounted. The second was the
ENF-6T, which removed all but the Gauss and one medium from the -6G to install a targeting computer and a ton of armor (four points to each leg).
The next variant arrived in 3064. The
ENF-6H swaps the -6G’s Gauss Rifle for a Class-20 Ultra autocannon (fed by four tons of ammo). The medium pulse and small laser were also removed to install CASE.
This was all until the outbreak of the Jihad. With the Blakists descending upon New Avalon, mass devastation occurred. In that devastation, new ideas were implemented, sometimes out of desperation. Two new variants first arrived in 3074, both carrying advanced technologies. The first was the product of whatever remnants of the NAIS that survived the early days of the Jihad. The
ENF-6NAIS uses eleven double-strength heat sinks, and mounts a Snub-Nose-class Particle Cannon, an extended-model small laser, and a large-class variable-speed laser. All of these were tied into a targeting computer. Additionally, there was a Guardian ECM suite and a C3 Slave unit. Light-class ferro-fibrous was used, laid out in a 9, 23/7, 19/5, 15, 22 pattern.
The other is designated
ENF-7X, and is the result of Project MUSE COMPACT. This variant uses a slew of Clan technologies. The endo-steel skeleton, 250-rated extralight engine, the twelve double-strength heat sinks, and the eight and a half tons of ferro-fibrous armor are Clantech. The armor is laid out in a 9, 25/7, 19/5, 15, 21 pattern. An extralight gyroscope was used. Eight improved-class jump jets were used to give the design enhanced maneuverability. Weapons are a pair of Binary laser cannons. Eleven of this design were created, of which seven survived the Battles of New Avalon. After that, it is unknown what happened to them.
In 3075, the
ENF-7C3BS entered service. Appearing to be a refit of the ENF-6T, it mounts a heavy-class Particle Cannon, a medium pulse laser, and an extended-model medium laser, tied to a targeting computer. It also mounts a Boosted-class C3 Slave unit.
The final variant has an official intro date of 3076, though refits could have been done in the style all the way back to the beginning of the
Enforcer III. The
ENF-6Ma swaps the ENF-6M’s Ultra-class autocannon for a standard model, with three tons of ammunition.
Using one of these is like using its predecessor, the
Enforcer. To me, this is a harassment unit, that can be hard-hitting. Probably the jump jets talking. Anyway, my view is you jump in when you win initiative, smash a foe, then get behind cover when you lose. Keep moving, as it helps prevent return fire from being more effective. Gang up, if possible, on bigger targets to take them down.
Fighting one is also simple enough. Hit him hard and bring him down. Use heavy weapons to breech, and if he falls over, capitalize. If targeting is your thing, ammunition is in the right torso of those variants with ammo (though the Gauss variants have that gun in the right arm). Even with CASE on one variant, the extralight engine means he goes down if the ammo goes off. For those without ammunition, the center is always good.
The
Enforcer III is likely still being used, as its production line was restored by the end of the Jihad (at least according to the Davion Objectives document). Being one of the iconic Davion BattleMechs, it is almost certain to be around in some number. And mercenary commands will have more, if only from their spread in the Jihad itself. Its legacy should continue on for long into the future. That is, unless House Davion is a casualty of the conflicts to come.
