’Mech of the Week: Vapor Eagle
Vapor Eagle. Inner Sphere name:
Goshawk. A 55-ton Clan second-line BattleMech. A duelist’s machine, and that of those who like to live a bit on the edge.
At least based on how I learned to use it during a
Tukayyid campaign. (Seriously, the game master had to hate
Vapor Eagles by the time that ended.)
The
Vapor Eagle comes from Technical Readout: 3055, under its Spheroid designation.
There is no indication as to exactly which Clan developed the
Vapor Eagle. Although both Readout entries feature the Steel Vipers, by the time of Operation: Revival, the
Vapor Eagle had spread to all of the Clans. My current feeling is that the most likely suspects are the Snow Ravens, Jade Falcons, and the Cloud Cobras. Part is from the bird name, part is from the resemblance of the name to that given to one of the F-15 fighter jet variants (which all were
Eagles of some form). That said, by hook or crook, the Steel Vipers ended up having the highest concentration of the design by the time of the Invasion.
Now, the
Vapor Eagle was originally designed as a dueling platform. Based on the Clan Trial system (especially those of Position), dueling is not a bad plan. It is possible that the
Vapor Eagle is at least inspired by the venerable
Griffin, if only for the styling of the arm baffles. This might not have been a good thing, as I have heard that the original
Vapor Eagle’s look is considered among the ugliest in history.
The original
Vapor Eagle entered service in 2863, nine years after the advent of the OmniMech. Whether that event had any effect of this design is a bit murky. OmniMech technology took some time to propagate. The design is built around an endo-steel skeleton and mounts a 330-rated extralight engine. Ground speeds are equivalent to the later
Stormcrow. Six jump jets give the design enhanced maneuverability. Nine tons of ferro-fibrous armor was used to give 93% of maximum protection, laid out in a 9, 28/5, 20/5, 16, 24 pattern (head, center front/rear, side front/rear, arms, legs respectively). Eleven double-strength heat sinks do well enough with the heat output. Weapons consist of a large pulse laser in the right arm, three medium pulse lasers (two in the right torso, one in the left), a 2-pack Streak SRM in each side torso, and four machine guns (one in the left torso, three in a handgun-esque housing in the left arm). A half ton of ammunition for the machine guns is stored in the left arm, and a ton of Streak ammo is placed in the left torso. A targeting computer sits in the right torso to make the design even more lethal (and in the old rules set particularly nasty).
In 2912, a much less popular variant, the
Vapor Eagle 2 arrived. This model drops one heat sink, the Streak packs, one medium pulse, and moves another medium pulse to replace the large pulse laser. A Class-10 Ultra autocannon was placed in the left torso, fed by two tons of ammunition (stored in the right torso).
These two variants proliferated across Clan space. So much so that by the time they returned to the Inner Sphere, ComStar could not help but notice them (at least when they got around to dealing with the garrison designs). The
Vapor Eagle almost certainly proved itself against any Inner Sphere raiding parties. Any that managed to be acquired by Inner Sphere groups would have been well-loved (not least of which by the protagonist in
Ghost of Winter).
Then came Operations Bulldog and Serpent. In the ensuing chaos and restructuring, the Steel Vipers got themselves ejected from their Occupation Zone. As one of the ripples caused by this (along with the beginnings of what eventually would doom the Clan), the Vipers reworked the
Vapor Eagle. Much of the redesign appears more like a field refit, though the reworking of its aesthetic profile does call that into question. The
Vapor Eagle 3 arrived in 3062, and takes the original and swaps the large pulse laser for a Particle Cannon, the medium pulses for heavies, trades the Streaks for standard models and removes the machine guns for a 3-pack ATM launcher placed in the left arm. One ton of ammunition was stored with the launcher. Four heat sinks were added, though that does little to help with the added heat output.
The final variant, the
Vapor Eagle 4 arrived in 3066. This is a particularly radical variant. They started by removing the jump jets and weaponry. These were replaced by twin 6-pack ATM launchers (one to each side torso), four medium lasers in the right arm, and three small lasers in the left arm. Two tons of ammunition was stored in each side torso. Seventeen heat sinks do well with the heat output.
How I would use one of these is a bit tricky. I say that as I have only used the first variant with any regularity. And then there is the fact that when I look at a design like this, I tend to act like a brash, borderline insane fighter pilot. You know, the ones you hear about who just want to get into a dogfight. Anyway, I tend to jump forward, strike hard, then (if I lose initiative) jump away somewhere they can’t get to me. And while I should mind my heat, sometimes I just get lost in the fight. That said, the number of enemy pilots I melted out of their cockpits…
Fighting one is a bit of a task. Darn things are hard to hit. Focused fire, targeting computers, and big guns do help a bit. As does precision ammunition, if you are so inclined. If he falls down, make sure to hit him hard while he tries to get back up.
Far as I can tell, the
Vapor Eagle shall continue to be used for some time to come. All of the Clans that remain (Inner Sphere or otherwise) have the design in their toumans. That said, the loss of the Steel Vipers have dropped the number considerably. And it is unclear whether the last two variants managed to propagate outside of the Vipers. There is also the matter of the
Goshawk II which the Raven Alliance has created to fill holes in its touman. Still, this design should last. At least until the end of everything rumored to be approaching.
