Cyclops. That word typically takes us back to the one-eyed giant of Greek myth. Thanks to Homer, he is typically seen as a loser, not the formidable force of yore, generating the phrase Cyclopean that filled Lovercraft's pages. For the MechWarrior, it conjures a different image, the ninety-ton machine renowned for its role as a communications masterpiece that debuted in 2710 for the Star League. In this episode of the Armchair General, we will look at the top ten versions of this magnificent creation.
Number Ten Many versions of the
Cyclops mount the formidable Zeus-36 Mark III Autocannon, capable of shattering many 'Mechs in one shot. Lacking range, it is a terror in close range combat, and area in which our number ten
Cyclops excels. Joining the autocannon and the typical arm-mounted medium lasers on the CP-11-H are 120 rockets, six sets of twenty, two-third of which reside in the left torso. Protecting this variant is twelve tons of ferro-fibrous armor. Cooling this beast are twelve freezers, typically too many or too few for what this version needs.
It is capable of packing a heavy punch, between the cannon and the rockets, but only in one or two salvos. Ten round for the cannon is generally plenty but for a ninety ton machine, this version lacks staying power and most importantly, range. With the rockets reaching out to 360 meters and the other weapons 270, this
Cyclops doesn't have the reach to attack an enemy capable of staying away.
Number Nine Our number nine finisher is an oddity among Cylopses but could be one of the best machines to fill its original role. Lacking the Zeus Autocannon, the CP-10-Q provides durable, if less than potent, fire support. By dropping the cannon, this version adds a second set of ten LRM tubes with two more tons of ammunition along with two heat sinks to make most heat worries vanish. Perhaps most impressively, this variant piles on the armor, sporting just shy of fifteen tons of thick armor, almost a fifty percent increase over the primary model.
What does this one lack? Pop, for one. At ninety tons, few heavy 'Mechs will be scared by twenty missiles or the short range firepower that rivals a light 'Mech's, with just
twothree lasers and four SRM tubes. The 10-Q may be able to coordinate the battle and keep its pilot safe, but as a threat on the modern battlefield, it lands with a thud.
Number Eight A hundred years ago, this
Cyclops would have ranked on top of our list but in the modern age, the original CP-10-Z just can't compete. Despite having forty tons on the {i]Hunchback[/i], this
Cyclops really only offers ten LRM tubes, having the same movement, armor and nearly the same close-in weapons. It even has one less heat sink than the smaller 'Mech. The biggest asset on the modern battlefield is plenty of ammunition for the Zeus, allowing specialty ammo to add to the 'Mech's potency.
In its heyday, however, the 10-Z was the best of the available
Cyclopses on the battlefield. Well-rounded, the machine had good enough armor and speed to bring its giant cannon to bear. With plenty of ammunition for it, it could take less favorable shots, though the pilot needed to watch the heat levels. The armor was still on the low side, comparable to the maligned Charger, meaning this
Cyclops was best in a team role, hopefully as a reserve in a command group that can tip the balance of the battle.
Number Seven With the
Cyclops production facility being destroyed in 2774 during the drive to liberate Terra, no new
Cyclops have been manufactured, so all modern versions are refits. Our number seven entry increases the long and medium range firepower as well as addressing most heat concerns with just a minor loss of close-in punch. How complicated is this modification? Not very, as the CP-11-A merely swaps out the Zeus for a sleek Gauss rifle.
With four tons of autocannon ammo, this allowed designers to double the LRM ammunition as well as providing an adequate two tons for the Gauss, more than some of the other early refits. While the 11-A can now carry alternate LRM ammo, it still retains the mere 10 tons of armor and just twelve heat sinks. On the modern battlefield, that just isn't enough, especially with the Gauss rifle increasing the level of priority.
Number Six With the
Cyclops often filling a slot in a command lance, this next version was no great leap of logic. A common refit across the Inner Sphere, our number six pick becomes more deadly and efficient by removing the LRM launcher. Still mounting the Gauss and the same short range weapons, the CP-11-C adds a C3 Master control system. Expanding the role as a team player, this
Cyclops becomes even more important, allowing greater efficiency of fire between the units in its network.
This will make the
Cyclops a greater magnet for fire, but unlike the 11-A the 11-C exchanges the LRM ammo for a twenty percent upgrade in armor, shoring up the entire front of the machine. With the removal of launcher, the twelve heat sinks are sufficient, thought the lack of efficiency keeps this command and control 'Mech from moving any higher than sixth on our list.
Now that we are halfway through our top ten
Cyclopses, let's take a look at the versions that didn't quite make our list. Two command consol versions, the 10-Z-DC and the 11-A-DC are used in the Confederation. While beneficial to larger units, they rip out vital ammunition that the
Cyclops will need, leaving the 11-A-DC with a mere eight rounds for the Gauss. Another variant from the Star League stripped out the Zeus autocannon to mount a mobile headquarters unit, a job better performed by a dedicated vehicle instead of a ninety ton BattleMech.
Number Five The top half of our list become much more effective on the modern battlefield. Taking the 11-C model and improving it, the 11-C3 lands in our number five spot. Able to ignore ECM interference thanks to a boosted C3 Master, this version is the first we see on our countdown to mount freezers besides the 11-H. With the tonnage freed up from the removal of two heat sinks, the SRM launcher was upgraded to a Streak model and the protection is increased even more thanks to the use of heavy ferro-fibrous armor.
Despite the improvements to the 11-C3, it is still lacking the throw weight of an assault 'Mech. In addition, despite the increased armor the explosive ammunition remains right beneath the fusion engine while the right torso is unprotected with an explosive Gauss rifle. One errant shot could destroy an expensive refit and command unit, resulting in the fifth place finish.
Number Four Narrowly beating out the 11-C3 for the fourth spot is a similar electronic marvel. Rather than controlling a lance of machines, the 11-C2 mounts dual C3 Master systems, to run an entire company in conjunction with two other C3 Master systems. To make room, the Gauss system was replaced with an extended range PPC and a pair of standard medium lasers. The long range damage is the least of all the 11-C* models, but the additional lasers give it a greater close-in punch.
The greatest increase to the firepower is an entire company able to focus fire easily. The armor isn't any different from the 11-C3, but the lack of an explosive accelerator actually increases the survivability of the
Cyclops. Sadly, no one thought to move the SRM ammunition, still nestled deep in the middle of the
Cyclops's chest. With increased durability and endurance combined with an entire company of fire coordination pushes the 11-C3 just shy of the top three.
Number Three Our bronze medal winner is a big departure from the originals and refits we have seen so far. Despite the downtime and expense, House Kurita felt the need to reshape the
Cyclops, this time with an endo steel frame to free up tonnage. Taking this tried and true command unit from a long range plinker back to the brawler that the original had, they did throw us some twists along the way. The CP-12-K has the new frame, but CASE in the side torsos as well, mitigating ammunition explosions.
Strangely these side torsos have less armor than contemporary models, but each limb has close to a half ton of additional armor grafted onto it. The streak missiles and extended range arm lasers aren't new, but the class ten ultra autocannon and the twenty tubes of medium range missiles are not what we would expect from a
Cyclops. It has enough heat capacity for most tasks, though it can get warm if the pilot isn't careful. This new take on an old 'Mech is the most potent and durable
Cyclops we have seen yet.
Number Two Similar to our number three finisher, the runner-up in our top ten
Cyclopses of all time also relies on an expensive rebuilt frame. What the CP-11-G does with that frame isn't revolutionary or innovative but is rather effective. The secondary weapons are the streak/ER combo we have seen before while the long range attack is the effective Gauss paired with ten long range tubes, good enough for a decent gunner to knock down an enemy machine rather reliably.
Where the
Cyclops makes this decent firepower live up to a ninety ton machine is with durability. A CASE protects the right torso while this variant has the heaviest armor that has been placed onto a
Cyclops. This 'Mech can provide fire support while also doing its communications job, yet not be easily threatened by the first group of recon units that show up. This well rounded machine still has its weak points, especially the right torso which is loaded with a Gauss rifle and two tons of explosive ammunition. While the CASE will save the machine, it will have to beat a hasty retreat with one mere ER medium laser to defend itself.
Number One Our top spot belongs to a
Cyclops that sets itself apart from the others. Every one we have seen sports a 360 rated engine for a top speed of over 60 kph. This is a ninety ton war machine and the designers of the CP-11-B make no bones about it. The missiles and lasers are not changed from the 10-Z that is being refitted. There is no complex rebuilt skeleton but simply a smaller engine, dropping a mere 10 kph off of walking and maximum speed.
What does the smaller engine allow? The heavier armor slathered on, ferro-fibrous to boot, is nice but still falls short of some other models. The CASEs are helpful in each torso, but we still find SRM ammunition nestled next to the new engine. Rather this model finally packs the wallop that one expects from an assault 'Mech. Replacing the Zeus cannon is familiar Gauss firepower, but this time it takes on the form of two Gauss rifles, one in each torso. Ten freezers keep it cooler than it can ever get unless an enemy goes crazy with infernos. Even then, don't worry about shutting down, just use the two Gausses to remind him to go home.
Is it a perfect 'Mech? Few are, but if you are assigned a
Cyclops, this is the model to take. The combination of firepower and armor more than make up for the small loss of speed. The enemy will place a higher priority on this model but it is a deserved threat with fifty percent more protection than its parent design.
References: The first stop is generally the
Master Unit List and there's a variety of units over at
CamoSpecs.
