SUNKILLER (STARSLAYER IIC)

[Natasha Kerensky]

When Grand Duchess Callendre “Calamity” Kell took Arc-Royal back from the Jade Falcons, she inherited many ruined factories and production lines but also considerable Wolf-in-Exile technology and Falcon salvage.  Seeking a bulwark against renegade Lyran and remnant Falcon forces in the Hinterlands, Kell directed Arc-Royal MechWorks to reach out to nearby Lyran military producers like Blue Shot Weapons of Loxley and J.B. BattleMechs of Storfors for partnerships that would help Arc-Royal rehabilitate its manufacturing in exchange for access to Clan technologies.

One of those partnerships focused on upgrading the ancient Starslayer battlemech, a Late Star League era design produced by Blue Shot on Loxley for decades.  The resulting Sunkiller integrates the reach of a Griffin, the armor penetration of a Hunchback, and the brawling ability of a Wolverine on a single medium trooper platform.

To make room for these capabilities, the Sunkiller employs Clantech Endo-Steel, an 250-rated ExtraLight Engine, and maximal Ferro-Fibrous Armor.  The Sunkiller replaces the Starslayer’s twin Large Lasers with dual Clantech ER PPCs augmented with PPC Capacitors.  When fully charged, each of these weapons is capable of blasting AC/20-sized holes in enemy armor at ranges up to 690 meters distant.  With 13 freezers, the Sunkiller typically alternates fire, shooting one ER PPC and expending one PPC Capacitor while charging the other.  By alternating fire in this fashion, the Sunkiller can maintain Hunchback-like firepower with Griffin-like range indefinitely.

As the range closes, the Sunkiller switches to “Wolverine mode”, and dual Pulse Medium Lasers and a Clantech SRM quad-pack come into play, seeking to exploit the holes created in enemy armor.  The Sunkiller usually combines these closer ranged weapons with fire from one unaugmented ER PPC and can maintain this salvo without heat buildup.  Five jump jets allow the Sunkiller to reposition itself for close combat as nimbly as a Wolverine.

Against difficult opponents, the Sunkiller can enter melee combat with powerful leg- and headcapping strikes from its Triple Strength Myomer-enhanced battlefist and legs.  TSM activation normally requires fire from both unaugmented ER PPCs, the close-range weapons bracket, and one or both of the ER Micro Lasers that guard the Sunkiller’s rear flank against infantry.

Flexible and dangerous at all ranges, the Sunkiller has become a standard-bearer for the Arc-Royal Liberty Coalition and has begun filling many gaps and roles in the battered Lyran Alliance Armed Forces.

Code: [Select]

                 BattleMech Technical Readout

Name/Model:           SUNKILLER (STARSLAYER IIC)
Technology Base:      Clan (Mixed)
Tonnage:              50
Configuration:        Biped BattleMech
Era/Year:             ilClan/3153
Rules:                Advanced
Chassis:              Thor 4C Endo Steel
Power Plant:          Magna 250 Extralight
Walking Speed:        54 kph (65 kph)
Maximum Speed:        86 kph (97 kph)
Jump Jets:            Odin’s Own Model 34z
    Jump Capacity:    150 Meters
Armor:                Arcshield Heavy Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:             
    2 ER PPCs w/ PPC Capacitors
    2 Pulse Medium Lasers
    1 SRM-4
    2 ER Micro Lasers
Manufacturer:         Arc-Royal MechWorks/Kell Refit Facilities and Blue Shot Weapons
    Primary Factory:  Arc-Royal and Loxley
Communications:       Tek BattleCom
Targeting & Tracking: FireScan w/ IndirecTrack

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                         Endo-Steel                 2.50               
Engine:                                   250 Extralight               6.50                 
    Walking MP:                                 5(6)                                       
    Running MP:                                 8(9)                                   
    Jumping MP:                                 5                                     
Heat Sinks:                                    13(26)                  3.00               
Gyro:                                        Standard                  3.00                   
Cockpit:                                     Standard                  3.00                     
Armor Factor:                                   163                    8.50               
    Type:                            Ferro-Fibrous w/ CASE II                                         

                                    Internal         Armor     
                                    Structure        Value     
    Head:                               3              9       
    Center Torso:                      16             25
    Center Torso (rear):                               7
    R/L Torso:                         12             20
    R/L Torso (rear):                                  5
    R/L Arm:                            8             15
    R/L Leg:                           12             21

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                       Location          Critical     Tonnage   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC                                                    RA                2          6.00
PPC Capacitor                                             RA                1          1.00
ER PPC                                                    RT                2          6.00
PPC Capacitor                                             RT                1          1.00
Pulse Medium Laser                                        LT                1          2.00
Pulse Medium Laser                                        LT                1          2.00
SRM-4                                                     LT                1          1.00
Ammo (25)                                                 LT                1          1.00
CASE II                                                   LT                1          0.50
ER Micro Laser                                           H(R)               1          0.25
ER Micro Laser                                          CT(R)               1          0.25
Triple-Strength Myomer                                    LA                2          0.00
Triple-Strength Myomer                                    RL                2          0.00
Triple-Strength Myomer                                    LL                2          0.00
Jump Jet                                                  CT                1          0.50
Jump Jet                                                  RT                1          0.50
Jump Jet                                                  RT                1          0.50
Jump Jet                                                  LT                1          0.50
Jump Jet                                                  LT                1          0.50
================================================================================================

[nerd]

Wow.

It's a bet over the top, but it works for the 3145 era.

It's a bit more fragile than the original mounting a standard engine, but, it's got to be a tough medium trooper.

I approve.

[Natasha Kerensky]

Wow.

It's a bet over the top, but it works for the 3145 era.

It's a bit more fragile than the original mounting a standard engine, but, it's got to be a tough medium trooper.

I approve.

Thx, Nerd.

I was disappointed in the -4C from the recent Rec Guide.  It can only use both of its Heavy Large Lasers once with its Coolant Pod before one of Heavy Large Lasers becomes useless (or the -4C dangerously overheats).

The Sunkiller assumes alternating capped ER PPC fire, with one ER PPC and PPC Capacitor firing while the other charges.  This allows the Sunkiller to send a 20-point hit downrange every turn, instead of two, 16-point hits only once in a game like the -4C.

The TSM on the Sunkiller is also much easier to use than on the -4C thanks to a couple ER Micro Lasers instead of one ER Small and keeping a regular SRM-4 instead of turning it into a one-shot.  A lot more tools for precision heat management throughout a game.

Honestly, I don’t understand why one salvo wonders like the -4C make it into the Rec Guides.  They belong in an XTRO.  The -4C didn’t need to be as powerful as the Sunkiller or go the XLE route.  But it needed to be a lot more usable.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

I honestly think I was going to say the exact same thing as both of you in regards to overheating tans then alternating PPC fire lol.

Although with a Clan XL engine I’ll usually risk it. Depends on the mech because some designs can truly zombie with a Standard Engine (looking at you Kingfisher) and giving up that ability for more weapons on a Clan design is usually a no-brainer decision to me.

[Natasha Kerensky]

I honestly think I was going to say the exact same thing as both of you in regards to overheating tans then alternating PPC fire lol.

PPC Capacitors are an iffy piece of equipment.  You’re usually better off with two, 15-point hits per turn than one, 20-point hit.  But sometimes they work well on a smaller, constrained design like the Sunkiller, or on a variant/configuration of a larger design specifically intended to blow the biggest holes possible in enemy armor at range.

Although with a Clan XL engine I’ll usually risk it. Depends on the mech because some designs can truly zombie with a Standard Engine (looking at you Kingfisher) and giving up that ability for more weapons on a Clan design is usually a no-brainer decision to me.

Yeah, I never use Spheroid XLEs because of the side torso risk.  But as long as the design is maximally armored (and I’m not going for a cheap, low-tech, secondline design), I’m okay with LFEs and Clan XLEs, even in something that may close and brawl like the Sunkiller.

The key to the Sunkiller is to stay at range until it has scored a 20-point hit or two or three, then go in for the kill.