’Mech of the Week TRO 3145 Special: Loki Mk II (Hel) Loki Mk II (Hel), Technical Readout: 3145 (The Clans). p.43
You can almost forgive Inner Sphere intelligence services for designating the newly observed machine the
Loki Mk II. They had spent the last several decades watching the once and future Clan Sea Fox pumping out ‘Mechs tagged with an Mk II/III/ MMMCXLV/etc. designation. This sixty-five ton OmniMech does bear more than a passing resemblance to the iconic
Loki that, frankly, boggled the minds of those same agencies nearly a century prior. The Clans themselves could recognize that the soul of the ‘Mech had changed. When the Hell’s Horses unveiled their new heavy it was christened the
Hel. Perhaps whatever Technician or Scientist who recommended the moniker was being a bit cheeky as not only is it a shortened version of its predecessor’s proper name, but Hel is also the daughter of the mythological Loki. With the
Hellbringer being such a prominent part of their
touman, it’s not surprising that the Jade Falcons would acquire the rights to manufacture its successor. It has been spotted in the ranks of the other Clans since its introduction a few years before Gray Monday.
While the
Hellbringer spared nearly every expense (rather famously including armor protection) in its quest for pod space and speed, the Horses went for a different approach the second time around. Weight was shaved were ever possible, stopping just short of importing Inner Sphere made gyroscopes. Even the size of the XL engine was reduced. With flank speeds of just 64 kph the
Hel is more in line with its Inner Sphere counterparts and heavier Clan machines. Playfully derogatory nicknames like “Slowki” aside that’s sufficient speed to keep up with a fluid battlefield and bring a frequently long-ranged armament to bear. What was a somewhat eyebrow-raising choice was the inclusion of a small cockpit. Knowing Clan warriors they might argue successfully piloting in such conditions as a mark of superior breeding or some such nonsense. The end result of all that trimming is that the
Hel has forty tons available for pods. Please re-read that last sentence. Yep, that’s just shy of 62% of the Mech’s weight dedicated to readily swapped weapons and equipment. No other OmniMech yet constructed comes remotely close. If you want to find Omnis with an equal or greater volume you have to look to assault class models. Thankfully the Horses learned from the past. This dedication to potential pod space doesn’t come at the price of armor. Or at least to the same degree as the
Loki. Nine and half tons of Compound H17 ferro-fibrous stands between the
Hel’s crunchy internal components and various things attempting to damage them. The forward upper sections actually have protection fairly comparable to other heavy ‘Mechs like the
Flamberge and more recent incarnations of the
Thunderbolt. The center torso passes the double-Gauss slug test with the remaining torso sections and arms capable of handling the heaviest of autocannon rounds. The legs are where the armor is relatively thin. The coverage is only marginally better than the arms. On the bright side, smart terrain utilization can help mitigate this issue. Regardless the popular term “pocket assault” absolutely applies to the
Loki Mk II, though it’s perhaps the smallest ‘Mech to take the label. “Coin purse assault” may be applicable but it’s hardly going to catch on. Still, configurations can make or break an OmniMech. While only three standard configurations are known at this time they certainly make full use of that forty tons.
Loki Mk II (Hel) Prime – Mounting a Gauss rifle and an ER large laser in each arm, the Primary configuration of the
Hel is a terrifying long range combatant. The twin Gauss rifles are fed by three tons of reloads. Some would probably prefer an extra ton of slugs to have been snuck into the chassis but two minutes of sustained fire is pretty solid in my book. A Streak SRM 4 launcher rests atop the right torso for peppering targets that manage to make it into shorter ranges. The final components are a double heat sink mounted in both the head and the center torso. As an aside, the remaining configurations also stuff heat sinks into this available space. Not enough to fire all the long-ranged weapons and stay heat neutral. But the heat buildup is negligible and any MechWarrior worth their neurohelmet should be able to manage.
Loki Mk II (Hel) A – The
Loki Mk II A is reminiscent of the
Hellbringer Prime at least in terms of having an eclectic mix of weapons and equipment. The arms share a pair of ER PPCs like its predecessor’s Prime configuration. Slung under the barrel of each Clan-made MechWarrior nightmare is a medium pulse laser. Tucked in the left torso and supplied two tons of ammo is an LB 10-X autocannon. Prized after all these years for its versatility, the LB 10-X is a favorite of many, myself included. A quartet of explosive weapons can be found in the right torso. Two improved medium heavy lasers and two AP Gauss rifles specifically. Just beware of a chain reaction that could result in the loss of not just the torso but the MechWarrior to boot. Finally the protective bubble of an Angel ECM suite and six double heat sinks round out the configuration. I have a soft spot for “a gun for every situation, a gun for every enemy” configurations and the
Hel A is a shining example. Nearly anything short of a dropship needs to be a wee bit nervous when the A takes the field. Just don’t go off and start alpha striking unless you really need to end an engagement in short order.
Loki Mk II (Hel) B – The long tom cannon occupying the entire left half of the
Hel B is not a common weapon, especially on Clan machines. Capable of damaging anything within a roughly 45 meter radius of the point of impact the cannon is intended to quickly obliterate concentrations of enemy units. Or forces them to scatter and be more easily picked off. Star Captain Henry of Clan Jade Falcon aptly demonstrated that the Clans willingness to be more … tactically flexible using these massive guns. Coming under attack from Wolf-in-Exile forces, he ordered his Star to target the underlying terrain. The ensuing rock slide caught everyone involved in the battle but helped turn the momentum against the Wolf Nova. Complementing the long range of the long tom cannon is an ER large laser and sufficient heat sinks to fire both with minimal heat issues. Should anything actually managed to get within 360 meters of the
Hel B has to deal with quad medium pulse lasers as well. Finally, the cannon has been provided with fifteen rounds. To sum it up this configuration is a horrifying sight to a modern combined arms army.
The Version Delta-II targeting and tracking system also demonstrates how comfortable the Clans have become with Inner Sphere tactics in their century of occupation. The Delta-II is capable of tracking and firing on numerous targets without degradation of the accuracy of its targeting solutions.
[So that was just an overly complicated in-universe description of the Multi-Track quirk] Gone is the culture that designed ‘Mechs solely with single combat and duels in mind; of course taking up the entire left side of the
Hel B with a direct-fire, area effect weapon was a subtle indicator as well.
With the
Loki Mk II in their respective
toumen, it should be no surprise that the combined forces of Clans Jade Falcon and Hell’s Horse were able to so quickly make their terror-fueled descent into the heart of the Inner Sphere. Cavernous pod space, configurations intended to quickly crush opponents, and reasonable armor coverage culminate in a single-minded killer. The
Hel certainly garners even greater fear and respect than its spiritual ancestor when the
Loki first marched across the worlds of the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine generations ago.
