First, this post from 2013 - images lost when SolarisVII forums died, now recovered.
Given the time for our society to return from self-imposed exile is approaching, it behooves all disciples to become familiar with the state of the armed forces which will face us in the Old Sphere. You should have comprehended by now that the division of Old Sphere society, following the Ascension, into four castes - the Bloodnamed under the IlClan, the Warriors (or Jannissaries), the Taxation and the Consumers is the central factor which must be exploited when we claim our rightful heritage.
Today we shall start examining some of the quasi-humanoid BattleMechs still in use in the Old Sphere. Only Bloodnamed and Warriors have the right to use these machines, and of the two, the Bloodnamed reserve jealously the right to 'fight with light'. Warriors are restricted to older equipment and weapons, lest their greater numbers become a challenge to their betters.
First, let us examine the Blood Falcon:
Warriors of the Falcon Sirkol are the most fearsome, and feared, of the Warrior caste - fearsome for their bloodthirstiness and feared for their short tempers. Even the Bloodnamed keep a wary eye on their 'enthusiastic' servants. Unlike other Sirkols, the Falcon Sirkol dedicates itself to tackling only the most threatening challenges - most typically rebellious elements in other Sirkols, but recently the rise of the Hussmen, together with their own BattleMechs, are posing a new challenge for the Falcons to embrace.
The Blood Falcon is a comparatively recent design, dating back to the turn of the 33rd Century. Sitting in the venti weight class, it carries a heavy iHVAC in its right arm and a medium iUAC in its left (eschewing the use of the Streak ERLL attachment). The Blood Falcon also unusually carries a Streak MML launcher in its left torso; the Falcon Sirkol being one of the few Sirkols to enthusiastically embrace alternate missile loadouts.
Next, a descendant of the Founders, the Dire Wolf IV:
The foundation for this design dates back to the era of the Great Fathers; its basic form had already changed by the time of the Ascension, and the Wolf Sirkol - always traditionalists - continue to produce the current version in small numbers. Another venti class BattleMech, it carries a Clan Rotary Gauss on its right arm, and a Streak ERLL mounted under a heavy iHVAC on its right. Improved boosted myomers give the Dire Wolf IV improved ground speed, and also the ability to leap a hundred meters at a time (hence the massive shock absorbing leg assemblies). The Wolf Sirkol, famed for its softness with the Consumer caste, are often deployed to secure Taxation actions, hence the inclusion of treak inferno launchers in each hip. This particular unit must have seen heavy action recently - note the fresh armour on the left arm & upper torso plate.
Finally, the rebellious Hussmen (believed to be a corrupted form of "House Men", linking these rebels to the old Successor Houses - the Great Burning obviously failed to destroy all traces of the Old Sphere's pre-history) have begun fielding their own BattleMechs.
The ChiConcussion (believed linked to the trenta-class (or super-heavy) Concussion BattleMech of the pre-Ascension weighs in at the top of the tall weight class. Its technology is considerably inferior to even the Warriors' designs, but even this old technology poses a threat in the right hands. A stolen Clan Rotary Gauss cannon and medium UAC provide hard-hitting ranged fire, while the design boasts great speed with which to make hit-and-run attacks. A primitive form of the AES system appears to be in use to help complement the poorer gunnery skills of the Hussman pilots.
Disclaimer: this is purely made-up nonsense with nothing to do with any future CGL developments. It's just for fun. The 'Mechs are from the Russian ZOD line which I've been wanting to paint up for a long time. I was going to do them as post-Jihad units, but decided to have a little fun.
Notes (again, all my own work):
- Streak ERLL: basically an ERLL mounted in line with an autocannon. The AC doesn't fire unless the ERLL hits. If a TC is in use, ERLL & AC would hit the same location.
- Dire Wolf IV: I always thought this ZOD had a Dire Wolf-ish look to it, especially compared to the MW:AoD version.
- Concussion: just thought the torso here reminded me of the David White design, made for the Talon Minis range (now part of CAV).
- Sirkol, grande, venti - work it out for yourself.
Comments as always welcomed, and more to follow - with a reveal of the ilClan and Masters of the Bloodnames!
Again, all my own work totally non-canon made up nonsense!
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