Bughunter BGH-3R
Mass: 45 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Introductory
Era: All Eras (non-canon)
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/C-E-D
Production Year: 3025
Cost: 3,576,425 C-Bills
Battle Value: 924
Chassis: Unknown Standard
Power Plant: Unknown 270 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97.2 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
2 Large Lasers
Manufacturer: Black Hawk Mechworks
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
Overview:
A 'Mech with an extremely specific remit, the Bughunter is designed to act as a
direct response to the common nature of so-called 'bugmechs' during the
succession wars. As 'Mechs such as the Wasp and Stinger are the most
commonly-produced and encountered 'Mechs, a design specifically created to
counter them and to work against light scouts in an interdiction role was
perceived to be desirable.
Capabilities:
Moving at a maximum speed of 90kmph, the Bughunter can match pace with many
scout and Light 'Mechs over unbroken ground. While it lacks jump jets, and
therefore is less adept at following scouts over open terrain, its speed is
still adequate for a Light 'Mech hunter and its very presence in an area is
often enough to make enemy scouts think twice about performing recon. 6 tons of
armour protects its chassis - somewhat light when compared with the maximum
amount of armour that a 45-ton 'Mech is capable of carrying, however
commensurate with many other light-Medium designs of its era, and well-suited
to protecting itself from its intended targets. The real meat of the design
comes from its armament. Twin Large Lasers with cooling provided by 14
heatsinks gives the Bughunter the ability to output highly-penetrating damage
capable of crippling many Light 'Mechs in one or two volleys. While care must
be taken to avoid riding the heat scale too hard, experienced pilots will note
that a 2-1-2-1 firing solution allows the Bughunter to perform without
heat-related degradation to its speed. With the speed of a Light 'Mech, the
protection of an (albeit somewhat on the lower end of the scale) Medium, and
first-strike capabilities comparable to some Heavy 'Mechs the Bughunter strikes
a delicate balance between its capabilities and is well-suited to its role.
Deployment:
As the Succession Wars dragged on an 'Mech availability began to dwindle, some
commanders desperate to deploy whatever they could field began experimenting
with the Bughunter in a main battle role rather than relegating it to its usual
purpose. Results from these experiments were extremely mixed. While it tended
to perform reasonably successfully against slower Mediums that it could engage
with at will at its preferred range and easily dictate the terms of the
engagement, deploying it against faster Mediums (or jump-capable Medium 'Mechs
in broken terrain) tended towards disaster as more heavily-armoured designs
tended to win through sheer attrition. Deploying a Bughunter against anything
heavier than 60 tons frequently turned out to be suicide: while its protection
is capable of absorbing up to a PPC bolt to any location without internal
damage, any 'Mech capable of following up a heavy weapons strike with a second,
or an array of secondaries, tended to be able to cripple the Bughunter in only
a couple of volleys. While not always unsuited to the main battle line, canny
commanders recognise it as a glass cannon and often relegate it to
flanking/screening roles to ensure that they are not the main focus of enemy
fire.
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 75 points 4.50
Engine: Fusion Engine 270 14.50
Walking MP: 6
Running MP: 9
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 14 4.00
Heat Sink Locations: 2 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 96 6.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 8
Center Torso 14 15
Center Torso (rear) 5
L/R Torso 11 10
L/R Torso (rear) 4
L/R Arm 7 10
L/R Leg 11 10
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Laser RA 8 2 5.00
Large Laser LA 8 2 5.00
Free Critical Slots: 43
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 3 Points: 9
6 2 2 0 0 2 0 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
