Crossbow60-ton Lyran BattleMech
Technical Readout 3075, p.278-279
First debuting in the Age of War section of TRO 3075, the
Crossbow caught my eye when I first leafed through the book. With a menacing stance, smoking missile barrels and a silhouette that screams “Don't make me mess you up”, the
Crossbow makes a strong impression: This is one good looking machine. The fluff, as well, appealed to me. A fast heavy design, with an emphasis on mid-to-long range firepower? Sign me up! The
Crossbow, however, turned out to be a reminder of that classic adage: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Introduced in the Age of War era by the Lyran Commonwealth, the sixty ton
Crossbow was the third homegrown design from this nation, following the Ymir and Commando. Arcturan Arms, a tank manufacturer, looked eagerly upon the military spending lavished upon companies like the Coventry Defense Conglomerate, wanting a slice of the pie for itself. The Crossbow was their proposal for a “medium” design, at least when compared to the
Mackie and
Ymir (or perhaps this is an early indication of soon-to-be traditional Steiner heavy bias). As a fast cavalry 'Mech, it would be able to support its allies with missile fire from range as it closed, and then join the brawl with energy weapons of its own. How successful was it at its given role? Let's take a look.
CRS-XExperimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Vol. 2, p.6
Representative of the six early prototypes for the
Crossbow project, the CRS-X model mounts a quartet of LRM-5 launchers, two Medium Lasers, and a Large Laser. 123 points of primitive armor, a primitive cockpit, and a 290 primitive engine round out these early models. Mounting the smaller lasers and missile launchers in the arms gives all the
Crossbow models great arcs of fire, but putting the ammunition there as well can leave it vulnerable to ammo explosions from lucky hits against the less-armored arms.
When looking at a primitive design such as this, you need to keep in mind what it would have been fighting against. While 4/6 is average for a modern heavy design, for the Age of War, it is strikingly fast. Indeed, the only 'Mechs of the day that would be able to outrun a
Crossbow are the
Wasp and
Commando, both nearly a third of the CRS-X's weight. The closest competitors of the time would be the Terran Hegemony’s 60-ton primitive
Griffin and 55-ton
Shadow Hawk, both of which share the same speed and are aimed at a similar role. Against the
Griffin, the
Crossbow mounts less armor and no jump capability, but has greater potential firepower. Against the
Shadow Hawk, the Crossbow again loses on armor and jump capability but wins on firepower, but in this case the Shadow Hawk can keep on plunking away with its AC/5 and Medium Laser while the
Crossbow will soon find itself with a crippling heat burden should it utilize the Large Laser in conjunction with the Mediums. Really, the majority of the problems present on the CRS-X stem from the inclusion of the Large Laser. Due to the standard allotment of ten heat sinks, there are very few situations where the Large Laser can be fired without generating heat, and it cannot effectively be used in conjunction with the 'Mech's other weapons. Overall, for the time it was conceived, the CRS-X isn't a terrible design, but it isn't the best. The only real competition the design faces is the primitive
Kyudo. The CRS-X wins in terms of volley size, armor, and close-up protection, but the Kyudo has an easier-to-manage heat curve, and can contribute its Large Laser to back up its LRM barrage more effectively than the CRS-X. Two years after the CRS-X was introduced, the primitive
Ostwar was released and effectively eclipses the CRS-X in every respect barring speed.
The CRS-X was rejected for several reasons (as the Design Quirks show, it wasn't exactly effective as a long range fighter, which would force it to close against much heavier designs that could turn it to scrap), but Arcturan Arms continued to tweak the design, and with more modern components, they were sure to take the problems of the CRS-X into account when they developed their successor. Right?
CRS-6BTechnical Readout: 3075, p.278-279
Five years after the CRS-X was developed, Arcturan Arms aimed to perfect the concept with the CRS-6B, boasting modern components and upgraded weapons.
They missed.
Let's get the positives out of the way. The CRS-6B is FAST, especially for an Age of War design of this weight. Clocking in at 5/8 it can keep up with the current
Commando and
Wasp on the ground. Indeed, for six whole years the
Crossbow is one of the fastest BattleMech available, prior to the introduction of the
Stinger. In order to do this, however, they skimped on pretty much everything else. The thin armor of the prototypes is virtually unchanged, with a mere five points of armor added during the shift from primitive to standard armor. No heat sinks were added, so the 'Mech still runs hot when leaning on its energy weapons, especially given that they made the boneheaded decision to slap a PPC in a 'Mech with only ten single heat sinks. I don't know if there was some sort of back-door, greased-palm deal going on here, but installing a weapon system that will cause heat buildup if the user moves on a design that already should never be standing still was a horrible idea. What is the point of a PPC for long-ranged firepower when you can't even use it in conjunction with the main long-ranged weapons on a design? The fluff argues it could be used as an alternative long ranged weapon once the LRMs run out of ammunition, but saddling a 'Mech with a 7-ton dead weight for at least twelve turns (assuming the thin-skinned Crossbow even lasts that long) seems like a waste of space, and without the heatsinks to move and fire, attempting to lean on it for long isn't a good idea. The only real function I've found for the PPC is for attacking enemies in the narrow band between the minimum range of the LRM launchers and the short range of the Medium Lasers. This choice also reduces the CRS-6B's close-quarters defense, but given that the Large Laser of the CRS-X was already nearly unusable in conjunction with the lasers it isn't that much of a loss. Two Mediums and a sixty-ton kick is enough to disuade most enemies that can close under the PPC's minimum range. The other issue the CRS-6B faces is that better LRM toting designs are introduced at or around the same time. The early
Ostwar for instance, while significantly slower, has better armor, more ammunition (eighteen rounds of twenty missiles, compared to the CRS-6B's twelve), and none of the heat troubles (assuming you aren't alpha striking every turn). A mere year later the
Archer was introduced, and while it still can't match the Crossbow's speed it has double the ranged firepower and a more potent strike up close. In the end, the CRS-6B seems to be an idea that desperately needed Star League technology to work properly. With standard tech, there just isn't enough tonnage to make this concept work without the severe trade-offs seen in the CRS-6B. Still, the Lyran Commonwealth put the design into production.
Arcturan Arms would introduce one more
Crossbow variant eight years after the last model. This one drastically changes the Crossbow's role from a skirmisher to a brawler. Would this radical design change finally give the Inner Sphere a Crossbow worth using?
CRS-6CRecord Sheets: TRO 3075 Unabridged – Age of War, p.196
Short Answer: Not really.
Long Answer: Removing the LRM-10s and one of the Medium Lasers of the -6C, the CRS-6C straps an AC/10 to the right arm. Couple this cool-running autocannon with the PPC from the CRS-6B and a medium laser for some up-close work, and it sounds like you have a winner, right? While the CRS-6C is an improvement over the CRS-6B in some respects, it still suffers from mediocre armor and a punishing heat curve. Once again, the PPC is a major detriment to the CRS-6C, as it simply can't be fired while moving unless you want to generate heat. Coupling the PPC and AC/10 for a twenty-damage smash will generate at minimum three heat, so staggering your fire is a necessity if you want to keep your targetting numbers low. However, a single ton of ammunition for the Autocannon means you're going to have to ration those low-heat shots carefully, since once you're out it's either back to base or ride that PPC for dear life. The switch to the shorter range autocannon forces you to stay in closer proximity than is healthy for a heavy with less armor than most mediums of its time. If you need a 'Mech to fill this role though, there really isn't much choice this early in the timeframe. Besides the testbed Gladiator GLD-2R, the CRS-6C is basically the only 5/8 striker available until the Capellans introduce the
Koschei twenty three years later.
So that's the
Crossbow. An idea that was ahead of its time, forced to make too many tradeoffs to work with existing technology. After dealing with constant labor disputes and other problems with the production line, Arcturan Arms was bought out by MacEnroe Motors, who would end production of the design in 2550, after a mere 337 of the design were constructed. It can be inferred that the design didn't survive long past the Reunification War. That would be the last the Inner Sphere would hear of the
Crossbow for over five hundred years. (Yeah there is the Clan
Crossbow, but it's not even a direct descendant and it deserves a separate article from a guy who actually plays Clan.)
However, in the midst of the Jihad, a refit facility built upon the old Arcturan Arms facilities began cranking out a new
Crossbow variant in 3071. Boasting some of the best technology available at the time, will the CRS-9A be the Crossbow that vindicates the design?
CRS-9ARecord Sheets: TRO 3075 Unabridged – Age of War, p.197
Taking a similar layout to the CRS-6B while tailored more towards the role of the CRS-6C, the CRS-9A takes the best aspects of the previous models and finally fixes the flaws that plagued the line, presenting the first truly good Crossbow. The major upgrades are double heat sinks and Ferro-Fibrous armor, giving the CRS-9A solid if unexceptional heat dissipation and nearly maximum armor. Coupled with the classic standard engine that gave the old Crossbow its swift 5/8 movement, the revamped CRS-9A is a tough customer. In terms of weapons, the CRS-9A doesn't deviate too much from the layout set by the CRS-X and CRS-6B, boasting a pair of ER Medium Lasers in the arms and an ER Large Laser in the right torso for long range punch. Dropping the LRM launchers of the CRS-6B for Streak SRM-6 launchers gives the CRS-9A a hefty punch when it closes with the enemy, and it finally has the armor to stay there. Bracket firing will be necessary to get all that you can out of this design. Open at range with the ER Large Laser, add in the ER Mediums as you close, then drop the ER Large and open up with the crit-seeking Streaks once you get in close. The CRS-9A isn't flawless, mind you. The ammunition in the arms remains a vulnerability, seeing as the design lacks CASE. Just like its forbearers, the CRS-9A has a heat curve that demands fire discipline to manage, and even a single unlucky engine critical mucks with the firing brackets severely. These complaints are minor, and the CRS-9A is head and shoulders above the rest of the model line. If you're looking for a fast, tough heavy with a solid punch (or kick), this is one 'Mech to consider.
All things considered, the
Crossbow generally isn't the kind of 'Mech you're bringing when you're in to win (besides the -9A). Like the
Jackrabbit, this is the kind of design you bring for its quirky charm, and perhaps as something your opponent would never expect. If you take the time to master the eccentricities of the
Crossbow, you'll find it to be a dangerous addition to your games, while still having endearing flaws and imperfections that give a machine character.
P.S. If you're fighting a player with a penchant for
Crossbows, bring heat-generating weapons. None of them, bar the -6C perhaps, can handle much additional heat.
