Overview
Part of the mysterious Project: Evo a relatively unsurprising component of new technology has been found among some pirates in the outer rim. Consisting of a modified aerospace engine design, the jump booster is effectively additional jump jets for use on a mech. Because of the limitations on many mech prevents jump distance from exceeding the power generated from the fusion engine, these jump boosters include several power amplifiers and small amounts of aerospace fuel to create a powerful thrust that when combined with jumpjets exceeds these accepted normal limits. This does not come without a price, as the components run hot, and are somewhat unstable when expoed to enemy fire. The system is also slightly fuel dependant, and while not a drain in a given tactical encounter does lead to strategic concerns.
It is interesting to note that the system has appeared only to date on a smattering of pirate mechs, often as composite/field modifications. This franken-Mech construction may lead intelligence analysts to determine that it is a simple aberrant tech, but the technological skill placed into the materials, and precision of the integration leads us to believe that this is a test bed of some larger technology. This suspicion is reinforced by the Serial numbers appearing on the equipment, all ending in the letters, EVO.
Rules
Jump Booseters are Inner Sphere technology, and may be mounted on Bipedal and Quad Mechs. Because they must modify the fusion engine and Internal structure, they may not be mounted as pods. The boosters take up 2 critical slots in either the LT/RT, or the LL/RL. The system weighs 5% of the total mechs mass (as partial wing).
Jump boosters add 2 jumping MP to the unit, and this additional MP may exceed the normal limits on jumping MP for JJ/iJJ. The system does not vent any additional heat as Partial wing does, instead adding one additional heat to the normal cost for jumping.
If a jump booster is critically hit it explodes, dealing 10 damage to the section, and renders the booster inoperable. A mech with one booster instead only gains 1 jumping MP instead of 2, generates 2 excess heat instead of 1, and must make a piloting skill roll (+2) upon landing or face a random direction after the jump due to the imbalance of the thrust.
For BV purposes, the Booster counts as an explosive item like an LGR. The bonus 2 jump MP and Excess 1 heat both apply to applicable BV calculations (Defensive mod, Speed factor, Heat efficiency). The boosters cost (TT x 4000).
Certainly the Clans could develop a crash jump booster program, but the system would weigh 7 percent (round up to the nearest half ton). This is due to less refined aerospace technology and a relative inexperience with the drive systems. This combined with their supperior Partial wing means that a clan is unlikely to develop the system, with the exception of the Snow Raven/Alliance.
Kyudo KY2-PX
Tonnage: 45
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Primitive)
Internal structure: [4.5]
Engine: 220 Primitive [10]
--walking: 4
--Running: 6
--Jumping: 6 [2]
Heat Sinks: 13 [3]
Gyro: [3]
Cockpit: Primitive [5]
Jump Boosters [3]
Armor: Primitive [8.5]
Weapons
Large Laser RA [5]
Machine gun LA [.5]
MG Ammo LA [.5]
Whatcha think?
