And re-done this one with some changes to the fluff
By equipping front line Mech’s like the Karhu with a melee weapon, the Dominion was officially catering to the Spheroid members of its Tourman. The Kungsarmee had a history of embracing melee combat and designs like the Karhu were seen as an official sanction of this heritage. Whilst Clan pilots preferred the longer ranged Karhu A, the Prime was almost always the ‘ride’ of a Freeborn.
Sensing an opportunity, the designers at Alshain Weapons sought to design a heavy assault and command unit for the predominatly Spheroid Clusters of Omega Galaxy and its associated formations. This in turn would mean that the Kodiak and Kodiak II could in turn be given to the Trueborn Warriors to keep them happy.
The design was just reaching a prototype phase and awaiting approval when the Khan was killed by unknown attackers along with many of the Bloodnamed. During the period of mourning there was a huge surge in production that slowed construction of the prototypes but five where complete and formed up for testing by the time the Liberation of Vega was launched.
The result was a 100-ton assault Mech based on the Kodiak chassis but intended for bruising close quarter action unlike the more recent Kodiak II.
There were structural changes to the Mech and whilst it retained the same base skeleton as the Kodiak family as well as the huge 400 rated XL-engine the design was still renamed so not to offend Trueborn Warriors and instead would be designated as the Cave Bear after a long extinct Terran bear species.
Similar to the standard Kodiak the Cave Bear uses a mixture of medium lasers supported by an ER PPC as its long-range weapon. A heavy bore LB-20 autocannon fed by a somewhat limited 2 tons of ammunition provides heavy firepower at shorter ranges but firepower is not the Mech’s primary strength.
The Mech's real purpose and strength comes when it at point blank range, where it can bring its massive claws to bare on a target, and when affected by the TSM a single hit could devastate all but the sturdiest of Mech's and two would almost guarentee its destruction.
Clan Warriors and Officers aware of the programme decried it as a waste of resources and that facilities used to create it should be put to better use, but the Scientists and Engineers argued from a point of Rasalhague nationalism, which would be at a peak following the apparent assassination of their popular Khan and Prince.
Under the stipulation that the Mech’s future depended on its performance in the coming offensive, and that it would only be issued to Freeborn Commanders who would recognise the respect and honour they were being granted by being allowed to command a Mech that was blatantly a totem, the five were deployed with Omega Galaxy prior to Operation MONSTER.
Cave Bear
Mass: 100 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: X/X-X-X-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 39,585,733 C-Bills
Battle Value: 3,333
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 400 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h (54.0 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h (108.0 km/h)
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
1 (CL) ER PPC
1 (CL) LB 20-X AC
4 (CL) ER Medium Lasers
2 Clawss
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 152 points 5.00
Internal Locations: 1 HD, 2 LT, 1 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine: XL Engine 400 26.50
Walking MP: 4 (5)
Running MP: 6 (10)
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: (CL) Double Heat Sink 12(24) 2.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA
TSM Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 295 18.50
CASE Locations: LT, RT 0.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 0
Center Torso 31 46
Center Torso (rear) 15
L/R Torso 21 32
L/R Torso (rear) 10
L/R Arm 17 33
L/R Leg 21 42
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercharger CT - 1 3.00
(CL) LB 20-X AC RT 6 9 12.00
(CL) ER PPC LT 15 2 6.00
4 (CL) ER Medium Lasers LT 20 4 4.00
Claws RA - 7 7.00
Claws LA - 7 7.00
@LB 20-X (Slug) (5) RT - 1 1.00
@LB 20-X (Cluster) (5) LT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 0
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 10 Points: 33
5 4 4 1 0 4 2 Structure: 5
Special Abilities: TSM, MEL, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, FLK 1/1/0
Although sharing some 'DNA' with the Onager, the Shrike is a different beast entirely. At 95 tons it shares the weight bracket with the Turkina for heaviest front line Mech produced by Clan Jade Falcon, and indeed was built to supplement the older Mech, trading firepower for mobility and accuracy.
Built around an endo-steel skeleton and powered by a powerful 380 rated XL engine that can push the Shrike up to 64kph. The addition of a Partial Wing System allows for leaps of up to 120 meters with far greater control than the typical brute force required for normal jumps.
The Shrike also features a curiosity amongst The Clans, a full head ejection system. The Mech was designed with an eye to it being the ride of an Officer, and with the Falcons suffering such heavy losses amongst their Officer corps something was needed to improve the life expectancy of the surviving officers. Whilst somewhat controversial at first, it was recognised that Spheroid opponents would try targetting a Commanders Mech to weaken the Clans forces coordination and throw battle plans out of sync, so the system was accepted as a 'necessary evil'.
Built to engage at long range the Shrike is armed with a pair of ER Large lasers, each one mounted in a semi-gimbaled mount that allows them to fire at targets off center of without having to turn the Mech's torso, which is handy in a jump. A HAG-20, currently imported from Clan Hells Horses provides additional long range firepower as well as acting as a lethal anti-aircraft weapon and sandblaster against heavily armoured targets. The HAG is fed by three tons of ammunition, giving it long battlefield endurance.
For short range work a SRM-6 is also installed, which is useful when targets close or finishing off a weakened foe or one bold enough to try getting under the HAG's minimum range.
The Shrike also features a potent electronics system, an ECM shields the Mech from hostile C3 systems and targetting equipment whilst a targeting computer is linked into the lasers and HAG.
Whilst lighter on firepower than the Turkina the Shrike's mobility and speed allow it to control the range against an opponent and it can jump a huge distance without relying on massively heavy Improved Jump Jets.
Subject to a brutal trial by fire against a Turkina, the Shrike has started entering limited production with Clan Jade Falcon with one of the pre-production Mech's claimed by Khan Jaina Pryde.
Shrike
Mass: 95 tons
Tech Base: Clan
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 30,163,120 C-Bills
Battle Value: 3,110
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 380 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 120 meters (150 meters)
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
1 HAG-20
2 ER Large Lasers
1 SRM-6
1 ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 145 points 5.00
Internal Locations: 2 LT, 1 RT, 2 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 380 20.50
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4 (5) Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 2 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT 8.00
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 13(29) 3.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard w/ Full Head Ejection System 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 288 18.00
CASE Locations: LA, RA 0.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 30 45
Center Torso (rear) 14
L/R Torso 20 30
L/R Torso (rear) 9
L/R Arm 16 32
L/R Leg 20 39
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECM Suite HD 0 1 1.00
ER Large Laser RT 12 1 4.00
Targeting Computer RT - 4 4.00
ER Large Laser LT 12 1 4.00
Partial Wing LT/RT - 3/3 5.00
SRM-6 RA 4 1 1.50
HAG-20 LA 4 6 10.00
@SRM-6 (15) RA - 1 1.00
@HAG-20 (18) LA - 3 3.00
Free Critical Slots: 9
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 10 Points: 31
4/5j 5 4 4 0 4 1 Structure: 5
Special Abilities: ECM, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, FLK 1/1/1
Quirks;
Distracting
Reinforced Legs
Command Battlemech
Static ammo feed - SRM
Difficult to maintain
Non-Standard parts
Features a Full Head ejection system
Drawn by the amazing -
https://mattplog.deviantart.com/
