(The author first begs the apology for being a bit late getting this posted- illness is a poor excuse but does happen now and then.)
Four-legged Mechs didn't have a great start in this universe. The Goliath was respected but had major flaws, and the Scorpion was... less said the better, in-general. It remained such for many years, with only those two oddballs as options, before we started to see other designs, with TRO: 3055 finally bringing us something new to see with the Tarantula. Corean took a huge gamble on that design, creating a fast, jump-capable scout that could sting targets, but having to literally give them away at first to try to cover for the four-legged stigma. The risk was huge- if it had failed, Corean would have lost an enormous amount. Instead, the gamble paid off over time, with the design becoming very popular (and it's not hard to see why, if you've used them!). The stigma began to be erased, with even the Clans getting in on four-legged designs, and by the 3150s it's not uncommon to see a four-legged Mech on the battlefield. The Tarantula though really was the first time we saw a quad have real success in terms of production and use, and with that success in mind Corean moved forward on coming up with something a little heftier for their second effort.
Registering in at a beef 95 tons, the Sirocco is one of the largest Mechs built in the Free Worlds League. Built at Corean's Stewart facility in the aftermath of GUERRERO, the Mech has the usual limitations a quad has- lack of ability to hit targets outside its forward arc, primarily. It also has the bonuses, such as incredible armor and stability. The original-style Goliath's unique gait is clearly an influence here, with its tall, almost graceful appearance. As an assault Mech, the machine's performance is less than impressive- a 285-rated standard engine moves the Sirocco at a stately 3/5. The heavy engine is an unfortunate necessity- with far fewer crit spaces to use than a biped, designers had to keep the space used to a minimum. As we'll see though, the Mech makes the most of what it has regardless. Suffice to say, if you're using an assault Mech- quad or not- for speedy operations, you're doing it wrong anyway.
Quads lack the internal space of their two-legged brethren, but where they lack space they make up for it in armor. We again see heavier, space-saving standard plate used (same with the internal structure, no endo to be found here, but to be fair we have 19.5 tons of the stuff. The layout is thick in all locations (head aside, of course), but it's worth pointing out that the beast has enough to withstand two AC-20 hits to any leg without going internal, and even the rear center torso can take it once. That's impressive stuff- and important when you can't engage targets in your flank. Throw in the standard engine, and it takes a remarkable amount of work to put a Sirocco down- particularly if it takes partial cover behind a low hill or in Lv.1 water. However, the lack of CASE to protect against ammunition explosions is surprising for a Mech coming out ten years after the Clan invasion.
"Speed, armor, firepower, pick two. We didn't pick speed. So... hello guns. We saved all those crits by not using endo, ferro, or XL- what did we do with them, then? We put in a couple of big ballistic weapons, of course. And here , on the 3C model, we see the first real shortcoming in the design, as the Ultra AC-10 is the gun chosen for the work. While a ten point hit is nothing to sneeze at, and the potential is there to throw four of them per turn at decent ranges, they feel very underwhelming on a 95-ton machine, particularly with the Awesome 9Q able to throw the same amount of heavy firepower per turn on fifteen tons less weight with no ammunition concerns. Speaking of ammunition, twenty rounds per gun is adequate for most operations, with two tons in each rear leg- something to consider in case your legs start getting a bit thin on armor. It's not the worst choice a Mech could make, but one does wonder about the utility of switching to LB-10Xs for the scattershot effect, or something along those lines.
Backing the cannons are a whole mess of ER medium lasers. Each front leg has one in the kneecap, while two more sit in the side torsos next to the cockpit assembly. Two more sit in a similar position aft to guard the rear, never a bad thing on a quad design. A medium pulse laser under the cockpit rounds out the offensive firepower. An A-pod (purchased from House Liao) provides a bit of anti-infantry protection, parked in the front legs. Thirteen double-strength heat sinks keep the design fairly cool so long as you don't push too hard. Overall, at mid-to-short ranges a Sirocco can be a terrifying sight to have approaching you, and should not be underestimated!
A variant, the 5C, strips out the autocannons for a pair of light Gauss rifles because have you met the Free Worlds League in this era before? The setup is similar- side torsos with ammo in the legs (though far less volatile this time, and only one ton in each). Other smaller changes include losing the 'cheek' lasers for SRM-4 launchers (a questionable upgrade), adding CASE (why only NOW?), and doubling the amount of A-pods because reasons of some kind or other. One wants to like the 5C's added range, but the odd changes elsewhere and the fact that at 95 tons it only spits a pair of eight-point hits per turn at its intended range makes this a hard Mech to really love- one of those rides that you don't mind if you get handed one for your operation, but won't really want to go out of your way to acquire.
The Jihad brought about new variants for just about every Mech in service- some were basic changes that didn't do much to alter a machine's role, others were near totally new designs. Perhaps no Mech saw more changes than the Sirocco though, as the 6C went into service. Light ferro-fibrous armor keeps the protection much the same, but loses a couple of tons to be used for the new weapon suite. One of the light Gauss weapons remains from the 5C, in the left side, with the ammo moved in with it (and bumped to two tons). The other side has an array of lasers, an ER large backed by four ER mediums. No silly A-pods this time, but we DO have a C3 slave (odd for a Marik design) and a Guardian ECM. Heat is kept manageable by tend double heat sinks, but firing it all will spike you dangerously. If this all feels underwhelming, it is- but there's one more thing to be noted- the improved jump jet in each rear leg and the center torso. Seeing a Sirocco leap five hexes at a time must be quite the sight- take a moment to look at the artwork and then imagine that thing leaping thanks to jets in the belly and rear legs. Go on. I'll wait.
So how to use a Sirocco? This is Marik- advance under a cloud of LRM fire and LGR slugs, and make life miserable when you get into laser range. The 6C provides an ability to clear large obstacles and get behind targets, as well- and all versions are shockingly hard to put on the ground due to their elephant hide armor, so they can afford to advance slowly and take a few hits along the way. Marik doesn't have many 'oh god it won't die' assault designs- usually their assaults are a bit fragile, like the Albatross and Cerberus. This thing though is in the vein of the old Atlas in that it takes a very lucky hit or a whole lot of pummeling to make it go away.
Fighting one is equally simple though- because as with most quads, there's no ability to target in its flanks, and only a couple of lasers on the first two variants can hit rearward (and none on the 6C!). Flank a Sirocco and you can pummel it at will. Smart commanders will pair a Sirocco with units to act as bodyguards (the author is fond of using the Ontos in this role, because no one likes to see one of those blasted things around). Since A-pods aren't exactly the most terrifying anti-infantry weapon out there, the tried and true Vulcan is another good thing to have around, keeping a Sirocco's legs safe from satchel charges. It's a powerful beast, but has very easily-exploited limitations, as with so many Marik units-and like most of them, a well-built Marik force will support and cover each other's deficiencies. Fail to do that, and your Sirocco will go down hard in no time.
The author was surprised to see that at no point did a C3i version come along, and has tinkered with such an idea off and on for some time. Apollo's Law also is one to throw to the wolves here, and see if a little Clan weaponry makes the Sirocco's foul wind even deadlier (in particular, the 5C lends itself nicely to Clan Gauss rifles). Any ideas for what you'd do? Stories of use? Dive in!
