'Mech of the Week: MCY-100 Mercury IIClan Wolverine was, for a long time, a rather enigmatic presence in BattleTech lore, the infamous Not-Named bogeyman of the Clans. Whatever your opinion on the speculations of Chandraeskar Kurita and his assistant Peter Abdulsattah about possible connections between the Word of Blake and the Wolverines in
Jihad Secrets: The Blake Designs, we got a few more hard facts in the bargain including information on three of the Wolverines' 'Mech designs. One, the
Pulverizer, was previously covered to good effect by wantec, though the article is
in the archive. The
Stag is currently projected to be covered in April.
The original
Mercury is a BattleMech with an interesting place in the setting's technological history as the precursor to the OmniMech thanks to a "plug and play" methodology that dramatically streamlined maintenance and repair. As fleet-footed on the battlefield as it was in the maintenance bay, it was a popular BattleMech and the 'Mech's performance slated it for improvements at the hands of Clan Wolverine.
Jihad Secrets suggests that their motivations, along with those of other Clans, may have involved a desire to eliminate the taint that clung to the Inner Sphere in Clan eyes. Whatever their motives, the
Mercury II wound up as a complete redesign from roughly above the hips, though the legs seem similar, and the overall effect is one I find aesthetically pleasing.
Whether a deliberate starting point or not, the Wolverines doubled the tonnage to 40 tons. A 280-rated extra-light fusion engine provided power, enough to dash at nearly 120 kph in open terrain, and jump jets were added for a full 210 meters, giving the 'Mech maneuverability similar to the
Assassin and superior to the Draconis Combine's beloved
Jenner. 7.5 tons of ferro-fibrous armor was wrapped around the 'Mech, just under the theoretical maximum, and carefully distributed with 12 points on the arms, 15 points on the side torsos, 16 on the centerline, 20 points on the legs, and 5 points for the back plates. The
Mercury's classic armament was two medium lasers and two small lasers, a warload preserved here and supplemented with an extended-range large laser. I'm not especially impressed by the small lasers (mounted alongside the ERLL in the left arm) but the medium lasers in the center torso and right arm turn in their usual solid performance. The ERLL gives you a good mix of range and power; considering the light warload and ten freezers in the engine, the heat isn't an issue for this 'Mech under most circumstances. Completing the 'Mech's equipment load is a Beagle Active Probe and a Guardian ECM in the right and left torsos respectively.
Overall, the
Mercury II is well-equipped as a scout, scout hunter, or raider. It's not quite as fast as some lights are but can very nearly pace your average
Locust or
Locust IIC. Other scout hunters are going to have their hands full trying to put one down as it has considerable ability to fight if compelled to or opportunistically prey on someone's reconnaissance assets. As tough and capable as it is for a 40 ton 'Mech, operators should keep their speed up if possible - fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee is a very,
very good idea here. When using the jump jets aggressively, watch your heat load and consider the implications not just for this turn but for your options next turn. Be aware of your electronic warfare options - ghost targets can make you an even harder target if you don't need the ECM for something else. Should one somehow fall into the possession of a belligerent party in the Jihad, the design is also well-suited to disrupting C3 networks with enough speed to outmaneuver spotters and enough armor to slow down attempts to bring it down.
Your first challenge in fighting a
Mercury II is hitting it, which is made more complicated by the fact that of my usual range of recommendations, only IS pulse lasers and the LB 10-X are readily available in the design's most prominent era, though the other LB-Xs are in the prototype stage and Clantech is just around the corner. The number of skilled pilots facing it will also cut the problem down somewhat. In more anachronistic games, precision ammo is an
excellent choice. Since getting close means obliging yourself to take the risks inherent in fighting a 7-hex jumper, settle in for the long haul and keep hitting it. The XL engine means crit-seekers definitely have things to find other than the given cockpit or gyro. The one ground unit this 'Mech will have major problems dealing with is conventional infantry. Unfortunately, given its mobility, active probe, and the reach afforded to it by the ERLL should the enemy elect not to close in, exploiting that inability to kill ground pounders is easier said than done.
Art References: Imagery of the artwork for the
Mercury II is available
at Brent Evans' website. In addition, let me recommend the CamoSpecs
Jade Falcon and
Mongoose paint jobs, both high quality works that show off the miniature to good effect. Try the
7th Amphigean paint job on the
Mercury to get an idea of the differences between the two 'Mechs.
