Kampf Drachen DRG-1FRR and DRG-2FRR

[Black_Knyght]

A pair of 3050 era Free Rasalhague Republic heavy battlemechs for thoughts, opinions, and constructive input.

(Based on designs submitted by a friend for submission here)



==========

Kampf Drachen DRG-1FRR


Mass: 60 tons
Chassis: Alshain Type 56-60H
Power Plant: Vlar 300
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
     1 Lord's Light PPC
     2 Magna Mk.II Medium Lasers
     1 Talos ShortBow-6 SRM Launcher
     1 Hatchet
Manufacturer: Gorton, Kingsley, and Thorpe Enterprises
     Primary Factory: Satalice
Communication System: Sipher CommSys 3
Targeting & Tracking System: Eagle Eye SY10-10
Introduction Year: 3050
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-D-D
Cost: 5,322,880 C-bills

Overview: By the late 3040s the Free Rasalhague Republic knew they needed their "own" battlemech design, one that they could build around, simplify logistics, etc. The FRR did not have the economy to just throw around like the Lyran Commonwealth or Federated Suns. But they did have Gorton, Kingsley, and Thorpe Enterprises, and they did have the schematics for the Dragon, Grand Dragon and Panther. The Grand Dragon chassis was chosen as a basis, and the geometry shows through. But the aesthetics and loadout would be shifted to better match the national identity they had been forced to repress for so many centuries under Combine domination.

The speed was desirable, as was the mass, armor and even the basic loadout. But changes would be made to better suit their tactics and needs.

The Kampf Drachen [Ger. - Battle Dragon] retains the Grand Dragon's PPC in the right arm, and it also kept both the torso mounted Medium Lasers but moved them to face forward. The snout mounted LRM rack, which had given the Dragon it's name, was swapped for an SRM-6 rack to improve it's short range firepower as the Kungsarme would rely on the Archers being built in the same factory on Satalice for long range fire support. The Kampf Drachen is a cavalry mech, through and through.

The 300 rated engine was retained, allowing for it's impressive 84 kph top speed. But it was also to showcase the first recovered technology in the Republic, carrying the brand new Ferro Fibrous Armor, and surrounding it's SRM magazine with the new CASE technology. The armor was reshaped to add hints of the famous Ocular Helms of the ancient Danes, and other subtle cues.

Lastly, an idea was borrowed from their Lyran neighbors, a massive Hatchet was included, adding a cultural Nordic warrior appearance and providing a devastating weapon for melee combat, especially when paired with the lasers and SRMs in it's torso.

Being 90% based on the proven Grand Dragon chassis allowed for a short development time, with much less trial, error and iteration needed before being ready to come online. Production on Satalice would start in March of 3050, with he first runs going directly to the 3rd Drakon.... and then he Clans arrived.

A second and third run were made and shipped out in desperation, but in the chaos, for he most part they were simply assumed to be modified Dragons (which essentially they are). Then in late 3051, Satalice fell to Clan Wolf, and the design disappeared. Along with the factory being re-purposed for Clan use, the addition of the hatchet ensured this line was erased immediately as further evidence of the Spheroids lack of honor.

In total less than 300 were ever produced and it's estimated less than a quarter of that number still exist as of 3055. One advantage they do have going for them is their parts compatibility with Dragons and Grand Dragons, ensuring their relative ease to repair and maintain, but given the fate of the short lived Free Rasalhague Republic, it seems unlikely any new Kampf Drachens will ever be produced, and so the design is for all intents and purposes, extinct.


Quirks: Stable [2pts], Cowl [4pts]

Code: [Select]

Type: Kampf Drachen
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 60
Battle Value: 1,317

Equipment                                           Mass
Internal Structure                                    6
Engine                        300 Fusion             19
    Walking MP: 5
    Running MP: 8
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sink                     12                      2
Gyro                                                  3
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          170                     9.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            20        27   
     Center Torso (rear)               8     
     R/L Torso               14        22   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  5     
     R/L Arm                 10        16   
     R/L Leg                 14        20   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Weapons & Ammo           Location  Critical   Heat   Tonnage
------------------------------------------------------------
PPC                         RA        3        10      7.0   
SRM 6                       CT        2        4       3.0   
Medium Laser                RT        1        3       1.0   
Medium Laser                LT        1        3       1.0   
Hatchet                     LA        4        -       4.0   
SRM 6 Ammo (15)             LT        1        -       1.0   
CASE                        LT        1        -       0.5

==========



Kampf Drachen DRG-2FRR


Mass: 60 tons
Chassis: Alshain Type 56-60H
Power Plant: Hermes 360 XL
Cruising Speed: 64.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: StarSlab-2 Ferro Fibrous
Armament:
     1 Lord's Light 2 ER PPC
     2 Magna Mk.II Medium Lasers
     1 Talos ShortBow-6 SRM Launcher with Artemis-IV
     1 Hatchet
Manufacturer: Gorton, Kingsley, and Thorpe Enterprises
     Primary Factory: Satalice
Communication System: Sipher CommSys 3
Targeting & Tracking System: Eagle Eye SY10-10
Introduction Year: 3051
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Cost: 16,788,480 C-bills

Overview: A prototypical "improved" version of the Kampf Drachen DRG-1FRR, the DRG-2FRR was developed in the early 3050s by the Free Rasalhague Republic.

The Kampf Drachen [Ger. - Battle Dragon] replaces the DRG-1FRR's original right arm mounted PPC with an improved Lord's Light 2 ER PPC. It also kept the the torso mounted Medium Lasers, but moved them to face forward. The snout mounted SRM-6 rack was now supported by an Artemis-IV to improve it's short range accuracy and firepower.

The 300 rated engine was replaced with a 360 extra-light model, allowing for an impressive increase in top speed of 94 kph. But it was also to showcase the first recovered technology in the Republic, carrying the brand new Ferro Fibrous Armor, and surrounding it's SRM magazine with the new CASE technology. The armor was reshaped to add hints of the famous Ocular Helms of the ancient Danes, and other subtle cues.

Lastly, an idea was borrowed from their Lyran neighbors, a massive Hatchet was included, adding a cultural Nordic warrior appearance and providing a devastating weapon for melee combat, especially when combined with the addition of it's Triple-Strength Myomer.

Being 90% based on the proven Grand Dragon chassis allowed for a short development time, with much less trial, error and iteration needed before being ready to come online. Production on Satalice would start in January of 3051, with he first runs going directly to the 3rd Drakon.... and then he Clans arrived.

A second and third run were made and shipped out in desperation, but in the chaos, for he most part they were simply assumed to be modified Dragons (which essentially they are). Then in late 3051 Satalice fell to Clan Wolf, and the design disappeared. Along with the factory being re-purposed for Clan use, the addition of the hatchet ensured this line was erased immediately as further evidence of the Spheroids lack of honor.

In total less than 100 were ever produced and it's estimated less than a third of that number still exist as of 3055. One advantage they do have going for them is their parts compatibility with Dragons and Grand Dragons, ensuring their relative ease to repair and maintain, but given the fate of the short lived Free Rasalhague Republic, it seems unlikely any new Kampf Drachens will ever be produced, and so the design is for all intents and purposes, extinct.


Quirks: Stable [2pts], Cowl [4pts]

Code: [Select]

Type: Kampf Drachen v2
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 60
Battle Value: 1,675

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure                                    6
Engine                        360 XL               16.5
    Walking MP: 6
    Running MP: 9
    Jumping MP: 0
Double Heat Sink              10 [20]                 0
Compact Gyro                                          6
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          179                    10

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            20        30   
     Center Torso (rear)               8     
     R/L Torso               14        22   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  6     
     R/L Arm                 10        18   
     R/L Leg                 14        20   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Weapons & Ammo           Location  Critical   Heat   Tonnage
------------------------------------------------------------
ER PPC                      RA        3        15      7.0   
SRM 6                       CT        2        4       3.0   
Artemis IV FCS              CT        1        -       1.0   
Medium Laser                RT        1        3       1.0   
Medium Laser                LT        1        3       1.0   
Hatchet                     LA        4        -       4.0   
SRM 6 Ammo (15)             LT        1        -       1.0   
CASE                        LT        1        -       0.5   
Triple Strength Myomer RT/LT/RA/LA/RL/LL  1/1/1/1/1/1  0.0

[Ruger]

Rather like the designs and love the picture.

Ruger

[Firesprocket]

Looks pretty similar to the Dragon Bishop Steiner posted earlier this week.  Fairly respectable for 60 tons.   I'd actually remove the CASE.  Make it a CASE prototype or add a negative quirk to it if possible.  House Kurita's early experiments recovering CASE technology wasn't without issues and it is hard to fathom that CASE technology would be obtained from another source.

Personal preference would be to remove the standard PPC for a large laser, a medium laser, and an extra heat sink.  I don't like mixing melee weapons, when or if I use them, with a weapon that has minimums.  For basic tech I love large lasers.  The additional justification, outside of preference of one weapon over another, is it can still offer up some ranged fire with a freak tac to the engine without crippling speed.  The additional medium and the heat sink give it an extra 5 damage reliably in melee with just a slight overheat for movement.

The 2FRR has a weapon suite that makes perfect sense with the upgrades you made from the baseline version.  On the other hand it also makes it difficult to get to 9 heat and maintain it in order to get the optimal performance out of the TSM without using an advanced rule set.  Without trying to rework the entire weapon suite from the ground up and not using to much advanced tech I came about the idea of using single heat sinks and a similar weapons layout to what I suggested above.

The differences being that I added flamers so that a few different combinations of weapons could be fired to keep that +9 heat curve and who doesn't like Dragons that breath fire!?  Compact gyros didn't exist in prototype form until 3055.  Of course in your universe you can do whatever you want.  I subbed in a Beagle Probe and used the extra tonnage for slightly more protection.  I just didn't feel like adding more weapons and make it 'less of' a Dragon.  This is what I came up with:

Code: [Select]

Grand Dragon

Mass: 60 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E-A
Production Year: 3050
Cost: 14,678,080 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,492

Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 360 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 64.8 km/h (75.6 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 97.2 km/h (118.8 km/h)
Jump Jets: None
    Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Ferro-Fibrous w/ CASE
Armament:
    1  Large Laser
    1  SRM-6
    3  Medium Lasers
    1  Hatchet
    2  Flamers
    1  Beagle Active Probe
Manufacturer: Unknown
    Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

Additional:


================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      99 points                6.00
Engine:             XL Fusion Engine             360                      16.50
    Walking MP: 6 (7)
    Running MP: 9 (11)
    Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink             10                        0.00
Gyro:               Standard                                               4.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA+LA+H    R: SH+UA+LA
    TSM Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 2 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL
Armor:              Ferro-Fibrous                AV - 188                 10.50
    Armor Locations: 4 LT, 4 RT, 2 LA, 3 RA, 1 LL
    CASE Locations: 1 LT                                                   0.50

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     20           31       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  8         
                                           L/R Torso     14           22       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  6         
                                             L/R Arm     10           20       
                                             L/R Leg     14           22       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Laser                                  RA        8         2         5.00
Hatchet                                      LA        -         4         4.00
Medium Laser                                 RT        3         1         1.00
Flamer                                       RT        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 LT        3         1         1.00
Flamer                                       LT        3         1         1.00
SRM-6                                        CT        4         2         3.00
Medium Laser                                 HD        3         1         1.00
Beagle Active Probe                          RL        0         2         1.50
@SRM-6 (15)                                  LT        -         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 5

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      6    Points: 15
6          2       2       0       0      3     2   Structure:  3
Special Abilities: TSM, MEL, PRB, RCN, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA



[Black_Knyght]

An interesting note - From what my friend Tim says, with minor changes he apparently more or less copied Bishop Steiner's submission on Facebook for the DRG-1FRR version. And the image is Bishop Steiner's work too. The DRG-2FRR is his take on an upgrade.

Personally I didn't know that was a thing when I posted this, but it looks like Bishop Steiner also left it verbally open for people to use or modify his design as they chose. Both versions and the background data were sent to me by Tim with the request to add it here.

Firesprocket - Your take is an interesting one, though I think I personally make look more into what the FRR had access to or could trade for and then revisit Tim/Bishop's design. I'm intrigued by your preference of a LL over a PPC, since most people around here seem to hate anything with a range of less than 18+.

[Firesprocket]

The Large Laser is a fairly balanced weapon when you take into account, heat, weight, damage, and space.  The problem is that they don't hold up exceptionally well against a Clan opponent.  None the less there are a few examples, most notably, the Gallowglas that I can think of right now that employ them well after the Star League tech becomes common place.  Against an IS opponent it still has a place as it's common component that should be laying around all over the place.  A 5/8 or faster unit should still be able to utilize it well.

Slower units are going to have a more difficult time bringing the LL to bear within medium range.  The Schiltron C is an example of a tank that can use them to great effect by using C3 to make up for their older range bands.  There are certainly better Schiltron configurations, but the C is the cheapest one of the bunch and still puts out some decent firepower.

[Luciora]

Would make a nice mini.

[SD501st]

Just saying, but to a german the Mech's name looks all sorts of wrong.  xp
"Drachen" is the plural of "Drache"/Dragon. You'd want the singular form "Drache". The proper name for this Mech, if it's supposed to be german for "Battle Dragon", would be "Kampfdrache" or "Kriegsdrache"... one compound word, not two separate words.

And even that is a best aproximation. The word "Kampf" on it's own translates to "Fight"... not a real match for "Battle", but the direct translation for "Battle" would be "Schlacht", and no native german speaker would name anything "Schlachtdrache"(or "Schlachtendrache", if we try to make it sound more natural and use the plural of "Schlacht" instead of the singular), because it just sounds and looks wrong. So, because the german language and its rules are very weird and for some reason never uses "Schlacht" as a component of a compound noun(the german word for "Battleaxe" is "Streitaxt" for example... ) in case of weapons or animals, just staying with "Kampfdrache" or "Kriegsdrache"(War Dragon) is probably for the best... :D

Sorry if this seems nitpicky, I like the design and art but the name sticks out like a sore thumb to me.  :-[

[Black_Knyght]

@SD501st:

Not seen as nitpicky at all, and I personally appreciate the corrective information and explanation!

[mbear]

I'd actually remove the CASE.  Make it a CASE prototype or add a negative quirk to it if possible.  House Kurita's early experiments recovering CASE technology wasn't without issues and it is hard to fathom that CASE technology would be obtained from another source.

They could get it from the Lyran Commonwealth. If they didn't do it officially via diplomatic means, then maybe a Rasalhague expat Defiance/CMW/TharHes engineer who moved home after the FRR was formed brought the plans.