Phoenix PX-5R [MekWars: Dominion]

[TigerShark]

Phoenix PX-5R
Intro Date: 2710
Faction: Rim Worlds Republic, Taurian Concordat (2765)

Overview
Although originally considered inferior to its Terran counterparts, the Phoenix BattleMech owned an impressive service record in the War of Reunification. Its agility and range created headaches for the SLDF brass, whose military doctrine centered on decisive battles with a more “cooperative” enemy. Periphery generals focused on asymmetrical warfare, hoping a protracted fight would tire the invaders and force them to quit. Designs like the Phoenix were central to this thinking, causing havoc and retreating before the enemy could effectively respond. While this strategy ultimately failed, the lessons learned were invaluable in the coming centuries.

With the Republic’s industrial might at their disposal, engineers were tasked with rebuilding the Amaris war machine. Instead of trapping themselves in a development boondoggle, design teams were directed to focus on improving the quality of existing machinery. Taking advantage of captured technology, Krauss-Liemann was able to concoct plans for an advanced chassis by the end of the 27th century. After Jonathan Cameron's fateful decision to strengthen the Hegemony's defenses, the Phoenix would become the first design to benefit from the Star League's misguided generosity.

Capabilities
Wealthy MechWarriors have made various field modifications to the chassis, adapting them to harsh terrain and extreme weather. Unfortunately, official upgrades could not be completed at the factory level without drawing the BSLA's unwanted attention. Any enhancements would need to inconspicuous, or else be composed of common materials. Diplass Technologies was tasked with responding to these demands and began work at a hidden assembly yard on Vulture's Nest. Engineers succeeded in developing a repeating launcher, capable of firing at double the normal rate through the existing tubes. This concealed the Phoenix's advanced systems and brought the firepower back to the prototype's four-tube specifications. Adding the bulky repeater caused prototypes to immediately become unbalanced and severely strained the hip actuators.

To compensate for the weight increase, the engine's cooling system was enhanced and the external heat sinks were removed. This improvement spared enough tonnage that Krauss-Liemann technicians could simultaneously maximize armor protection across the entire frame. The final modification, made in 2709, was made possible only through Cynthia Amaris' shrewd dealings in the Star League Council chamber. Endo steel production, jealously guarded by the Hegemony's business magnates, was contracted to be produced in the Stars End zero-G mining facilities by the end of the century. In exchange for exclusive mineral rights on several planetoids, hundreds of tons of the valuable material would be made available to Rim Worlds manufacturers each year. This allowed for CASE-protected ammunition bins to be locally produced, giving Phoenix pilots the assurance they would be alive to fight another day.

Deployment
The nature of warfare during the 27th and 28th centuries required the Houses to exercise extreme caution. Advanced machines were hidden far from the prying eyes of the SLIC, usually on planets considered to have limited strategic importance. As a result, the enhanced Phoenix saw only limited action until the first days of the Civil War. By that time, a sizeable portion of the RWA's BattleMech corps had been upgraded. Approximately 20% of 'Mechs included in operations during APOTHEOSIS were upgraded in some fashion, which included a disproportionate number of Phoenix chassis.

Variants
Several variations of the PX-3R became common during the Hidden Wars, though the vast majority were hastily-assembled from spare parts in Dropship bays. More official refit kits from manufacturers were made on requisition, usually by well-connected officers and elite pilots. The most common of these swapped out the external heat sinks for more advanced models. Due to the scarcity of materials, the hand-assembled freezers were prone to failure and only mounted by pilots who could afford the maintenance costs. Dubbed the PX-3Rr, these machines tended to be scarce for obvious reasons.

A single, advanced prototype came about just after the Amaris Coup. Offering to create a test bed for the Hegemony's pillaged technology, Helmut Krauss put his finest engineers to work on their family-owned PX-5R. The Particle Cannon was upgraded to an extended-range model produced by Stolz and the missile racks traded out for copies of Holly's streak launchers. A skeleton of pure endo steel solved the earlier model's weight problem and proved to optimal for grounding the new particle cannon's feedback. The most impressive addition, however, was a prototype reproduction of the infamous Chameleon system. Assembled by captured scientists, it was intended to serve as a proof-of-concept for an entire regiment of spectral snipers. Dubbed the "Red Angel" and piloted by Helmut's son, Ethan, this 'Mech saw extensive action during the war and the AEAF's defense of Terra.

Phoenix PX-5R

Code: [Select]

Phoenix PX-5R
Mass: 50 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/C-F-D-A
Production Year: 2710
Cost: 4,559,750 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,293
 
Chassis: 12b Krauss-Liemann Standard
Power Plant: Magna 250 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Gerard Special A
    Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: PanzerSlab Type 3 Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
    1 Stolz Harbinger 2 PPC
    2 Harvester XR SRM-4s
Manufacturer: Krauss-Liemann Incorporated
    Primary Factory: Wotan
Communications System: Vex/Holden TriComm Plus
Targeting and Tracking System: Dillon QuadTrac with Particle Cannon Suite

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      83 points                5.00
Engine:             Fusion Engine                250                      12.50
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 5 Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL                       2.50
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             10(20)                    0.00
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 168                 10.50
    CASE Locations: 1 LT                                                   0.50

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     16           24       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  7         
                                           L/R Torso     12           19       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  5         
                                             L/R Arm     8            16       
                                             L/R Leg     12           24       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPC                                          RA        10        3         7.00
2 SRM-4s                                     LT        6         2         4.00
@SRM-4 (50)                                  LT        -         2         2.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 36

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      6    Points: 13
5j         2       3       1       0      2     0   Structure:  4
Special Abilities: CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA, SRM 1/1/0

Phoenix PX-3Rr

Code: [Select]

Phoenix PX-3Rr
 Mass: 50 tons
 Tech Base: Inner Sphere
 Chassis Config: Biped
 Rules Level: Tournament Legal
 Era: Age of War/Star League
 Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/F-X-X-X
 Production Year: 2710
 Cost: 4,270,250 C-Bills
 Battle Value: 1,158
 
 Chassis: 12b Krauss-Liemann Standard
 Power Plant: Magna 250 Fusion Engine
 Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
 Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
 Jump Jets: Gerard Special A
     Jump Capacity: 150 meters
 Armor: PanzerSlab Type 3 Standard Armor
 Armament:
     1 Stolz Harbinger 2 PPC
     2 Marklin Mini SRM-2s
 Manufacturer: Krauss-Liemann Incorporated
     Primary Factory: Wotan
 Communications System: Vex/Holden TriComm Plus
 Targeting and Tracking System: Dillon QuadTrac with Particle Cannon Suite
 
 ================================================================================
 Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Internal Structure: Standard                      83 points                5.00
 Engine:             Fusion Engine                250                      12.50
     Walking MP: 5
     Running MP: 8
     Jumping MP: 5 Standard
     Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL                       2.50
 Heat Sinks:         Prototype Double Heat Sink             10(16)                    3.00
 Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
 Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
     Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA
 Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 160                 10.00
 
                                                       Internal       Armor     
                                                       Structure      Factor     
                                                 Head     3            9         
                                         Center Torso     16           24       
                                  Center Torso (rear)                  7         
                                            L/R Torso     12           18       
                                     L/R Torso (rear)                  5         
                                              L/R Arm     8            15       
                                              L/R Leg     12           22       
 
 ================================================================================
 Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PPC                                          RA        10        3         7.00
 2 SRM-2s                                     LT        4         2         2.00
 @SRM-2 (100)                                 LT        -         2         2.00
                                             Free Critical Slots: 36
 
 BattleForce Statistics
 MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      5    Points: 12
 5j         2       3       1       0      2     0   Structure:  4
 Special Abilities: SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
 
Phoenix PX-5R (Krauss)

Code: [Select]

Phoenix PX-5R (Krauss)

Mass: 50 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/F-X-X-A
Production Year: 2767
Cost: 5,614,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,511

Chassis: 12b Krauss-Liemann Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 250 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Gerard Special A
    Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: PanzerSlab Type X Mimetic Plate Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
    1  ER PPC
    3 Harvester XS Streak SRM-2s
Manufacturer: Krauss-Liemann Incorporated
    Primary Factory: Wotan
Communications System: Vex/Holden TriComm Plus
Targeting and Tracking System: Dillon QuadTrac with Particle Cannon Suite

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel                    83 points                2.50
    Internal Locations: 1 HD, 1 CT, 4 LT, 4 RT, 4 LA
Engine:             Fusion Engine                250                      12.50
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 5 Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LL, 1 RL                       2.50
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             13(26)                    3.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 1 RT, 2 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               3.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 168                 10.50
    CASE Locations: 1 LT                                                   0.50

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     16           24       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  7         
                                           L/R Torso     12           19       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  5         
                                             L/R Arm     8            16       
                                             L/R Leg     12           24       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC                                       RA        15        3         7.00
3 Streak SRM-2s                              LT        6         3         4.50
@Streak SRM-2 (50)                           LT        -         1         1.00
Chameleon LPS                                *         6         6         0.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 7

* The Chameleon LPS occupies 1 slot in every location except the HD and CT.

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      6    Points: 15
5j         3       3       1       0      2     0   Structure:  4
Special Abilities: ECM, STL, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


[TigerShark]

A big thanks to Stephen Huda for the re-design of the Phoenix BattleMech! This is intended for my (planned) TRO:2765 fan project. More to come!

[TigerShark]

If anyone has submissions, I would love to hear them. PM me :)