When the Republic liberated Paul Moon’s Smoke Jaguars from Blakist detention camps, the Jaguars left their Clan identities, culture, and even military training behind and became the Fidelis. Precise, secretive, and sophisticated special operations replaced the Jaguars’ overwhelming frontal assaults and aggressive, brutal tactics. Gone were the Warhawks, Dire Wolves, and Iron Cheetahs, replaced by a variety of lighter, stealthier, faster Republic mechs.
When the ilClan resurrected Clan Smoke Jaguar from the Fidelis, Khan Prohaska Moon took note of the ilClan’s Alpha Wolf assault omnimech, a design that seemed to incorporate the stealthy characteristics of certain Republic mechs with traditional Clan assault firepower. Although ilKhan Ward refused to supply Khan Moon with Alpha Wolves, he did make Clan weapons designers, Sea Fox industrial might, Terran factories, and ancient Star League prototypes available to Moon. Driven by Khan Moon’s vision of a design that honored her reborn Clan’s Fidelis and Jaguar heritage, these resources were shaped to create the remarkable Thunder Cat assault mech.
The Thunder Cat is a complete Clantech upgrade of the ancient Thunder Hawk, a late SLDF prototype that did not see full production before the Exodus. The Thunder Cat replaces the Thunder Hawk’s Extralight Fusion Engine, Gauss Cannons, and Medium Lasers with their Clan-grade equivalents. In a nod to the Jaguars’ former use of the Warhawk assault mech, these lighter, smaller Clan systems free up enough volume and mass for the Thunder Cat to add an advanced Targeting Computer, significantly boosting its accuracy over the Thunder Hawk. Most radically, the Thunder Cat incorporates the SLDF’s Null-Signature and Chameleon Light Polarization Systems on top of the Thunder Hawk’s maximally thick armor. To accommodate these stealth systems and the Targeting Computer, the Thunder Cat utilizes a Spheroid Compact Gyroscope, moves one Gauss Cannon from the Thunder Hawk’s torso to the left arm, redistributes the Medium Lasers, and leaves only vestigial battlefists. These changes additionally improved the Thunder Cat’s field of fire and survivability against gyroscope and Gauss damage.
It’s unknown if the Clans retained Thunder Hawk, Null-Sig, and CLPS specifications and samples in the centuries after the Exodus or recovered them from unknown lostech stores on Terra. Regardless, the Thunder Cat’s combination of layered stealth systems and accurate, heavy firepower dominates nearly all armored opponents in ranged engagements. With its ten Clantech freezers, the Thunder Cat can fire its trio of Targeting Computer-assisted Gauss Cannons with both its Null-Sig and CLPS engaged without heat buildup. If opponents close the range, the Thunder Cat can switch from “Fidelis” to “Jaguar” mode by disengaging the stealth systems and adding a quartet of Targeting Computer-assisted ER Medium Lasers to the Gauss Cannon fire and suffer no negative heat effects from this alpha strike.
BattleMech Technical Readout
Name/Model: THUNDER CAT (THUNDER HAWK IIC)
Tonnage: 100
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
Technology Base: Clan (Mixed)
Era/Year: ilClan/3154
Rules: Advanced
Chassis: Norse Heavy XTI-4C
Power Plant: Vlar 300 Extralight
Walking Speed: 32 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: None
Armor: Arcshield Heavy Type K w/ Null-Sig & Chameleon LPS
Armament:
3 Gauss Cannons
4 ER Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Martinson Armaments
Primary Factory: Terra
Communications: Tek BattleCom
Targeting & Tracking: DLK Type Phased Array Sensor System w/ Adv Targeting Comp
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Equipment Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 10.00
Engine: 300 Extralight 9.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 10 (20) 0.00
Gyro: Compact 4.50
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Armor Factor: 304 19.00
Type: Standard
Arm Actuators: RS, RUA, LS, LUA
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 31 50
Center Torso (rear): 11
R/L Torso: 21 32
R/L Torso (rear): 10
R/L Arm: 17 34
R/L Leg: 21 41
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Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
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Gauss Cannon RA 6 12.00
Ammo (Gauss) 8 RA 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser RA 1 1.00
Gauss Cannon LA 6 12.00
Ammo (Gauss) 8 LA 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser LA 1 1.00
Gauss Cannon RT 6 12.00
Ammo (Gauss) 16 RT 2 2.00
ER Medium Laser CT 1 1.00
ER Medium Laser CT 1 1.00
Ammo (Gauss) 8 CT 1 1.00
Ammo (Gauss) 8 H 1 1.00
Targeting Computer LT 8 8.00
Chameleon Light Polarization System * 6 0.00
Null-Signature System ** 7 0.00
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*CLPS occupies one crit slot each in RT, RA, RL, LT, LA, LL.
**Null-Sig occupies one crit slot each in CT, RT, RA, RL, LT, LA, LL.
The totem mech of Khan Moon’s reborn Clan, the Smoke Jaguar assault mech...
