Duende Battle Armor
===Overview===
Named after a small malicious creature of Spanish legend, the Duende is a heavy battle armor suit that entered service with the Escorpión Imperio in the 3090's. It proved successful in the low-level conflicts leading up to the Hanseatic Crusade and continued in service with the Scorpion Empire.
===Capabilities===
The Goliath Scorpions abandoned Protomech development by the 3080's. However, growing hostilities with the Hanseatic League proved that the Scorpions still needed a source of integrated long-range fire support for their limited number of Omni units. Naturally, the Scorpions turned to battle armor as a time-tested solution.
Many different sizes and configurations of battle armor were considered. Medium suits could not carry sufficient long-range firepower without making extreme sacrifices in capability. Meanwhile, assault suits and quad designs were not transportable by Omni units. In the end a heavy bipedal design was selected as this was the largest possible Omni-capable suit.
The Duende's primary weapon is a LRM-3 mounted in the left arm. The torso magazine holds enough ammunition for 8 volleys, which is extremely generous for a battle armor unit. A Star of Duende suits can thus send enough LRM fire downrange to give the strongest opponents pause. Specialty ammunition can also be used if the situation warrants. The Duende remains effective at short ranges and against infantry thanks to a Micro Pulse Laser and an anti-personnel weapon mount. A high-power spotlight is used to designate targets during night combat.
Armor protection is comparable to a standard Elemental, which is generally sufficient given this suit's role. Where the Duende shines as a heavy suit is in its mobility. Thanks to a jump booster it boasts the same 90-meter jump range as a standard Elemental.
All told, a Duende suit boasts capability that generally meets or exceeds that of a light Protomech.
==Deployment===
The Duende is a frequent companion to Scorpion Omnimech formations. While it cannot perform anti-mech attacks, its long-range firepower makes it a preferred asset for more conservative Star commanders. With or without mechs these suits are also an ideal asset when used defensively.
Type: Duende
Manufacturer: Scorpion Empire
Primary Factory: Various
Tech Base: Clan (Standard)
Chassis Type: Biped
Weight Class: Heavy
Maximum Weight: 1,500 kg
Battle Value: 548
Swarm/Leg Attack/Mechanized/AP: No/No/Yes/Yes
Equipment Slots Mass
Chassis: 400 kg
Motive System:
Ground MP: 1 0 kg
Jump MP: 3 250 kg
Manipulators:
Left Arm: Manipulator (Basic) 0 kg
Right Arm: Manipulator (Basic) 0 kg
Armor: Standard (Basic) 0 250 kg
Armor Value: 11 (Trooper)
Slots
Weapons and Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass
Micro Pulse Laser Right Arm 1 160 kg
LRM 3 Left Arm 3 105 kg
LRM 3 Ammo (4) Body 1 100 kg
LRM 3 Ammo (4) Body 1 100 kg
Searchlight Body 1 5 kg
Anti Personnel Weapon Mount Body 1 5 kg
Jump Booster Body 2 125 kg
Edited because it seems that the text export of MegaMekLab is not quite complete for battle armor units.
Edit 2: Changed name to more closely reflect an Iberian origin rather than South America.
