’Mech of the Week: AS*-* Atlas
Atlas. One of the great Titans of Greek mythos, sentenced upon their fall to hold up the heavens. One whose name influenced that of an ocean (Atlantic) and a mythical continent (Atlantis). The mountain range where he is said to have held the sky up named in his honor. And because of a version where he holds up the world, the name of a book of maps. And whose name graces the monstrous 100-ton BattleMech.
Though, I have heard a rumor that the ’Mech was named after a much closer contemporary general, I can find no place where that inference came from. Besides, it sounds much better to be named for a Titan.
The
Atlas was, in part, created as a result of the rearmaments of the House Lords in the waning days of the Star League. General Aleksandr Kerensky ordered “a ’Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally.” The signature Death’s Head scowl itself took a full year to perfect.
Finally arriving in 2755, the AS7-D
Atlas is built around a 300-rated Vlar engine, giving the machine the iconic speed that was shared by the later
Dire Wolf and
Imp. Nineteen tons of armor three points off of maximum protection, in a 9, 47/14, 32/10, 34, 41 pattern (head, center front/rear, side front/rear, arms, legs). The weapons-load starts with the unique 20-shot LRM launcher in the left torso. Unique as it actually has five tubes, and rapid fires four times in succession for the full output. The Class-20 autocannon in the right torso is also special, though in this case it’s for the missing cooling jacket. A 6-pack SRM in the left torso, and four medium lasers (one in each arm and two rear-mounted in the centerline) round out the weapons. One ton of SRM ammunition, two of LRM, and two for the Class-20 are your supply. Twenty heat sinks provide somewhat adequate heat dissipation.
One quirk in the original write-up is that the author states there are designs that are taller and heavier. Depending on the files that man had, the only design heavier I can think of is Amaris’s Folly.
A commander’s version. the AS7-D-DC, showed up in 2776, swapping the two rear-firing lasers and one ton of LRM ammunition to add a dual cockpit/command console. Then the Exodus came. Most of the SLDF’s
Atlases were left behind. This is stated to be because two-thirds of the pilots who refused the call were
Atlas pilots. There is also the additional detail of the
Atlas II, the Royal variant, having arrived back in 2765, so the more loyal members of the SLDF probably got them and went on the Exodus.
As the Succession Wars got into full fervor, parts for the
Atlas started to run low in certain areas (even though the production sites include places like Hesperus, which until the Jihad had never fallen to an enemy). In order to deal with this problem, some tried to tinker with the design. First showing up in 2892, the AS7-RS variant downgrades the SRM to a 4-rack, the autocannon to a Class-10, and the LRM to a 15-pack (retaining the same tonnage of ammunition) and removed the rear-firing lasers to upgrade the arm lasers to larges. This design at least has better mid-range firepower.
First arriving on-screen in 3025 at the Battle of Galtor III is the personal
Atlas of Warlord Grieg Samsonov. Designated AS7-WGS, this variant drops all weapons save the Class-20 autocannon, adds 6 heat sinks, and puts a Particle Cannon in each arm. This is probably my favorite of the “Introductory” level designs, as I like the PPC.
Warlord Samsonov soon went out and bit off more than he could chew by trying to destroy the Wolf’s Dragoons. I believe that ended with his head and body going separate ways. One of the outcomes of his actions, however was the Dragoons and House Kurita facing off on Misery. There, we catch a glimpse of Captain Danielle Rodema’s modified AS7-D. This variant drops the SRM rack, moves the rear-firing lasers to the arms, and adds two more medium lasers, making it three in each arm. Two heat sinks were also added.
As Star League Tech was rediscovered and spread throughout the Inner Sphere, it was only a matter of time before the
Atlas would get its fair share. In 3049, the AS7-K variant marched out to join the armies of the Draconis Combine. The engine was upgraded to an extralight version. The Class-20 autocannon was swapped for a Gauss Rifle. The SRM pack was removed, the arm lasers upgraded to extended-model large models, with the rear-firing ones turned into pulse variants. An anti-missile system was placed in the left arm, with one ton of ammunition stored in the left torso. Each side torso is also CASEd.
A command variant, designated the AS7-K-DC, uses a command console in place of a ton of LRM ammo and one medium pulse laser. Two field-refit variants showed up in 3050. The AS7-C drops a medium pulse for one heat sink and a C3 Slave unit. The AS7-CM, instead drops the left arm large laser for a C3 Master.
Defiance put out their upgraded variant at the same time. The AS7-S takes the original, swaps the heat sinks for fifteen double-strength versions, adds a ton of Class-20 ammo, and adds two rear-firing 2-pack Streak launchers in the left torso. The single ton of ammo for the Streaks is placed in the left leg.
This is also around the time that the Inner Sphere got to see what the Clans did to their few
Atlases. First appearing for Twycross, and later Tukayyid, the Atlas C takes an AS7-D and upgrades the Class-20 autocannon to a Clantech Ultra variant, the SRM pack to a Clantech Streak variant, and the LRM rack to a Clan version.
The next variant did not arrive until 3061, the AS7-S2, and is thanks to the Lyran big gun-fetish. What better machine to try out their newly acquired (stolen) light fusion engine? Or more importantly the Heavy Gauss Rifle. This required the removal of the Class-20 autocannon, the SRM packs, and the centerline medium lasers. The arm-mounted lasers were upgraded to extended-model large versions. Finally the LRM rack was downgraded to a 15-shot version, but given Artemis IV fire-control and the side torsos were CASEd. Four tons of ammunition feed the big gun. A Guardian ECM suite gives added protection.
The AS7-S3 model arrived the following year, and instead uses a standard Gauss rifle, using the weight savings to trade the arm lasers for Particle Cannons with underslung small lasers, a head-mounted small laser, and an anti-missile system. Two heat sinks were also removed.
The fires of the Jihad hit and the
Atlas was forced to undergo changes. First, all of the production sites for the
Atlas were captured by the Word of Blake (Al Na’ir, Quentin, Hesperus II). Second, such wars cause innovation. The first small steps were made in 3070, with the AS7-Dr. A refit of the original, this one swaps the big gun for a Heavy-class Particle Cannon, a Guardian ECM suite and a C3 Slave. The SRM pack is upgraded to a Streak version. Finally, two heat sinks were added.
3074 saw the first combat of the AS8-D model during the Battles of New Avalon. Notably by picking up a
Thorn and chucking it into a
Grand Crusader… who promptly fell off a cliff. Mounting fourteen double heat sinks and triple-strength myomer, the weapons-load consists of a Class-5 Rotary autocannon with three tons of ammo, two Light-class Particle Cannons, one Snub-Nose Particle Cannon, two 9-pack MMLs, with two tons of ammo, an extended-model small laser, and two standard small lasers.
In 3079, an outfit in the Periphery created the AS7-00 Jurn model. Extremely experimental, the design mounts two Light-class Particle Cannons, a Snub-Nose Particle Cannon, a Class-15 Thunderbolt launcher, a Class-10 Hyper-Velocity autocannon, a Beagle active probe and two remote sensor dispensers. Sixteen double heat sinks deal with the heat output, and the design has an armored command console.
Because of the loss of Hesperus II, Defiance’s engineers decided to rework the
Atlas into a new form. Finally entering full production in 3082, the AS7-K2 uses ferro-fibrous armor, changing the look from a walking avatar of Death into… a football player. Additionally, the armor has actually decreased to a 9, 42/14, 31/10, 33, 41 pattern. The engine is now a 400-rated extralight model, giving the design ground speed comparable to the Clan
Scylla. Ten double heat sinks struggle with the output. Weapons consist of a Gauss Rifle, two 6-pack Streak launchers, two extended-model large lasers, and a Guardian ECM suite. The ammunition is in the CASEd right torso. A variant, the AS7-K3 showed up in 3083, dropping one Streak launcher, and downgrading the second to a 4-pack to add three jump jets and a ton of armor, bringing protection up to maximum (9, 46/16, 32/10, 34, 42).
Sometime between 3085 and the Blackout, the AS7-K4 variant entered service. This model uses twin ER PPCs, twin 6-pack SRM launchers, and a Class-5 Rotary autocannon. A Guardian ECM is placed in the center torso. Three heat sinks are also added.
The final variant (so far) is the AS7-K2 piloted by Jedra Kean, self-styled Lord of Vega. Built, in part, with help of undercover Kuritan agents, his
Atlas uses twin Light Gauss Rifles, five extended-model medium lasers, and twin 4-pack SRM launchers. Twelve double heat sinks deal somewhat with the heat output. His dreams of power were soon shattered by the Ghost Bears.
Using one starts with taking stock of your variant. Some variants are great at sitting back and shelling the crap out of advancing foes. Others, like the iconic AS7-D have an issue with range. As intimidating as that machine is said to be, someone had to realize it has only one weapon with a range beyond 9 hexes, and that’s an LRM rack. In comparison, the slightly lighter BNC-3S
Banshee has two PPCs and a Class-10 autocannon. And then there is the aptly named
Awesome. And though some later variants do take care of this, the proliferation of other designs does not help the situation.
Wading into the enemy is also a valid tactic (and one I tend to use with many designs). If you can avoid the lucky shots, you probably will last long enough to put the fear of Death in the enemy. That said, you are also likely to get a lot of attention. Keep an eye on your heat dial, as most of these variants have heat issues.
Fighting one starts with getting your heavy hitters ready. Give him as much attention as you think he deserves. Gauss Rifles, Particle Cannons, and other means of removing his head should always be used (considering how often any
Atlas loses it in the games I play…) Thing is, any friends he has should also get due consideration. Especially if you know that
Atlas has a Slave installed. (Conversely, if you think he’s the -CM, target that arm.) Which reminds me. Lots of explosive ammo to deal with. If you have the will and the skill, targeting the side torsos can prove very useful.
I must say the
Atlas has never really impressed me. Might be because every time I see one on the board it dies from losing its head or an ammo explosion or like when I went through Tukayyid by critting Focht’s Gauss Rifle. Might be because my first game that I can remember someone handed me a
Berserker, which suited my thought process better.
Two descendants of this design have been seen. The
Atlas II, which was the Star League Royal upgrade, and the
Atlas III, the newer Davion creation which looks alternatively like the Terminator or Jason with a minigun. As for the original, it should continue to soldier on long into the future. At least, up until some new faction or event comes along that turns the Inner Sphere and the Homeworlds in to dead worlds.
