Southern Cross SCR-X1
Mass: 45 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Quad
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3055
Cost: 9,416,663 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,523
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 315 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 75.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 118.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 210 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
1 ER Large Laser
3 Medium Lasers
1 Small Laser
Manufacturer: Astrolabe Battlemech Works
Primary Factory: Augustine
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
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The Southern Cross was the first battlemech produced wholly in house by the small Astrolabe Battlemech Works (previously a company that specialized in high technology refits), and nearly its last. Billed as a radical new take on battlemech technology, the mech turned out to be a perfect storm of over-ambition, poor marketing decisions, and bad timing.
The first strike against it was the quad frame, derived from the plans of the Scorpion battlemech, though scaled down and constructed from endo steel alloys. This gave the mech a low profile, phenomenal stability, and some unique maneuvering characteristics, but it also had all the weaknesses of the Scorpion as well. The famously rough ride of the Scorpion carried forward to the Southern Cross (mitigated only slightly by improvements to the pilot's chair), and the association to its much maligned progenitor was by itself almost enough to kill any interest.
Astrolabe's engineers were at least somewhat aware that the bad reputation of the Scorpion might carry over to their design, however they were confident that the mech's superior capabilities, brought about by the liberal use of advanced technology, would eventually win customers over. And it might have, as was seen with later Quad designs, if not for Curtis Millitech. The Southern Cross manages to be a rather effective design. High speed and jumpjets allow for exceptional maneuverability. the all energy armament makes the mech completely ammo independent and thus attractive for independent raiding assignments, and heavy armor makes it tough enough to stay in the fight longer than lighter mechs of similar capabilities.
The only problem is that all of these things could also be said about Curtiss Millitech's Wraith, which entered service at roughly the same time. Though the Southern Cross has a range advantage over the stock Wraith thanks to its large laser, on paper the two mechs were close enough in capabilities that the stigma of the Southern Cross's quad frame was enough for it to lose out to the Wraith. Astrolabe Mechworks managed to sell roughly a dozen hand built examples, barely enough to keep the company solvent, but never attracted the interest of a large buyer or potential licenser. Orders dried up by 3059, and the company set the design aside to focus on their next project. The only example known to have survived to the modern era is a virtual museum piece operating as part of the Augustine planetary militia.
Equipment Type Rating Mass
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Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 83 points 2.50
Internal Locations: 4 LT, 2 RT, 2 FLL, 2 FRL, 2 RLL, 2 RRL
Engine: XL Fusion Engine 315 11.00
Walking MP: 7
Running MP: 11
Jumping MP: 7 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 3 LT, 3 RT 3.50
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 12(24) 2.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: H+UL+LL+F R: H+UL+LL+F
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 168 10.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 14 21
Center Torso (rear) 6
L/R Torso 11 17
L/R Torso (rear) 5
L/R Front Leg 11 22
L/R Rear Leg 11 22
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
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Small Laser HD 1 1 0.50
Medium Laser CT 3 1 1.00
ER Large Laser RT 12 2 5.00
Medium Laser RT 3 1 1.00
Medium Laser LT 3 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 2
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 6 Points: 15
7j 3 3 1 0 2 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
