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Raiden Battle Armor - Technical Readout 3058U page 33
Nowadays sometimes incorrectly viewed as a simple cosmetic copy of the Inner Sphere Standard, the Raiden Battle Armor is the Draconis Combine's homegrown trooper suit, and while it can still be found serving alongside the more common Standard suit, the DCMS may eventually follow the path already trod by the AFFS now that the Combine has apparently lost all of its production lines for the Standard. Despite appearances, the Raiden is actually the result of an independent design process and wasn't developed directly from the IS Standard, unlike the Gray Death version or the Cavalier, and while its final production version may have been influenced by the older suit, it's also likely that it's simply the result of convergent design to satisfy the same requirements.
Unfortunate enough to discover itself directly in the path of Operation Revival, the Combine found a silver lining for the storm clouds threatening to engulf it when DCMS troops managed to capture early samples of Clan technology. By tricking Dietr Osis, the Clan Smoke Jaguar commander who was leading the invasion of Wolcott, into fighting a battle he could not win, the Combine not only earned Wolcott an exemption from further invasion attempts by the Jaguars, but also the invaluable prize of a handful of Elemental suits and OmniMechs. Eagerly reverse-engineering the captured hardware, the Combine began a program to attempt to duplicate the advanced systems and weaponry and put them into the service of the Dragon, with the result being the Inner Sphere's first OmniMechs and the first comprehensive family of Battle Armor.
First appearing in Field Manual: Draconis Combine, the Raiden was the middleweight suit in the trio of Kuritan Battle Armor designs published in that sourcebook, and was the first to begin development and reach production status out of the three. The Field Manual gave a brief overview of the Raiden's in-universe design history, indicating that it originally had lighter armor, plus additional firepower in the form of a single shoulder-mounted missile tube, before being redesigned at the request of the Coordinator so that the suit could withstand a hit from a large laser. That background suggested that the initial prototypes had at most seven points of armor, an observation eventually confirmed in Record Sheets 3058Uu Clan & Star League, although at the time we had no way to be certain and the apparent abandonment of that early version made it a somewhat moot point anyway. After nine more months redesigning the suit to add more armor, the Raiden Battle Armor we know today was born and took its first steps onto the proving grounds. Lostech and Technical Readout 3058U both go into more detail at this point, adding that Dr Guthrie, the 70-year old scientist who led the development project, was so confident that they had succeeded in the task set for them by the Coordinator that he personally wore the suit in the first live weapon trials to test the strength of the armor. Dr Guthrie survived, albeit with some nasty injuries, and was promoted as a reward for his dedication and bravery, and even though he died a year later his example helped popularize the Raiden with many within the DCMS.
After this first test it was nearly two more years before the Raiden was produced in enough numbers to be considered operational, and although no exact date is known for the introduction of the Combine's version of the Inner Sphere Standard it is likely to have entered service a few years later. Why the Combine chose to produce both designs is not certain, perhaps it was simply a matter of hedging their bets just in case one project was delayed or the resulting Battle Armor proved flawed, but whatever the reason it probably wouldn't have been that uncommon to see both types operating alongside each other on the battlefield, particularly when different regiments were involved. With a distinctly Kuritan visual appearance, the production model of the Raiden matches the IS Standard in almost every way, sharing the same ability to jump up to 90 meters at a time and armed via a Modular Weapon Mount on the right arm, although from Lostech we know that it was slightly stronger and easier to maneuver thanks to its fractionally lighter armor, however in BattleTech terms the protection is the same nine points of armor, exceeding the requirement set by the Coordinator. The Genyosha were particularly taken with the Raiden, especially after Dr Guthrie's display, and became skilled at operating them in roles other than simply attacking enemy 'Mechs, using them to directly challenge and defeat enemy Battle Armor or to undertake deep penetration raids, while the Otomo added Battle Armor support to the infantry battalion that they use for the perimeter security detail protecting the Coordinator's Palace. Unfortunately, despite the example of premier units like the Genyosha and Otomo, the 'Mech-centric DCMS as a whole proved somewhat reluctant to accept the new technology, with the equally prestigious Sword of Light leading the pack of those who initially rejected Battle Armor.
This uneven adoption, and apparently low production volumes during the early years of the Raiden's service, hobbled the DCMS' roll-out of Battle Armor. On the surface, the Combine appeared to be in an enviable position, with a pair of trooper designs the equal of anything produced by the other Houses, that were soon supplemented by the Kage and Kanazuchi, giving them a good scout and special operations suit and an outstanding Assault Battle Armor design, the first of its kind seen in the Inner Sphere. Added to that solid lineup, the Combine was also the first Successor State to develop OmniMechs, which should have allowed them to take the lead in implementing large scale usage of Mechanized Battle Armor tactics among the Inner Sphere militaries. Despite all this, instead of stealing a pace on the other Houses, or at least matching the Federated Commonwealth's determined and enthusiastic acceptance, to an extent the DCMS lagged behind, notably fielding the smallest Battle Armor platoons out of the major Houses and assigning most of the few units that they did have to infantry support duties instead of attaching them to 'Mech regiments.
DCMS commanders eventually became more confident and comfortable with the new form of infantry, however grudgingly, and despite all the traumas inflicted upon the Combine in the past couple of decades, Battle Armor is now available in enough numbers to allow many planetary militia to upgrade some of their conventional infantry, with the Raiden and IS Standard likely to be the most commonly assigned suits. Despite losing the Luthien manufacturing plant for both its trooper designs, the DCMS can at least still rely upon supplies of Raidens being delivered by New Samarkand Metals, although the IS Standard may not be so lucky, unless Cosby Myomer Research manage to put it back into production once they finish rebuilding after their relocation from Vega to Kajikazawa. Increased production of the Raiden may be able to pick up the slack, but it's possible that the DCMS will have to rely more and more upon the Void as a replacement, however that would require some significant changes in how the Combine's line Battle Armor units operate.
When first fielded, the Raiden was equipped with the familiar Small Laser, Flamer and Machine Gun configurations; however the DCMS omitted a missile-based armament as one of the standard options, perhaps because of memories of the original prototypes that were deemed unsatisfactory by the Coordinator, resulting in a conscious decision to avoid SRMs rather than an omission. The available selection eventually expanded to include the Tsunami Heavy Gauss Rifle, originally fielded in 3056 as an anti-Battle Armor support weapon for conventional infantry, and then after the Ghost Bear-Combine War the Raiden finally got a missile weapon in the form of a multi-shot MRM launcher. Both of the new weapons offer a range advantage over the initial three configurations, however they inflict little damage, and more significantly still leave the Raiden without an Inferno option. As a note, the visual imagery first introduced in Lostech and still used in Technical Readout 3058U also indicates an Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount on the left arm, but that has never appeared in the stats nor has it been addressed in any write-up, however in Technical Readout 3085's Old Is The New New section we get the sole Raiden variant, that can be represented by the artwork with a little squinting. The Raiden (Anti-Infantry) has actually been available since 3058 and upgrades the Battle Claw to a Battle Vibro-Claw, while mounting both a Flamer on the left arm and a Machine Gun on the right, with the extra mass these changes require coming from a switch to Advanced armor plating.
Like many other Inner Sphere Battle Armor designs, a good choice for a new configuration would be the Light Recoilless Rifle, while the David Light Gauss Rifle would be a superior replacement for the Tsunami, plus hopefully the Combine will eventually overcome their aversion to mounting SRMs on the Raiden. Given the Combine's close proximity with Clan territories and the salvage they undoubtedly gained from the Smoke Jaguars, it's even possible that certain elite units within the DCMS may be equipped with Micro Pulse Lasers or ER Micro Lasers, something that's often overlooked by players, who tend to concentrate Clantech on larger units such as 'Mechs when allocating a regiment's upgraded technology. The AP Gauss Rifle is a Jade Falcon development and was introduced after Operation Bulldog, so the Combine would probably have had little access to the Clans' premier Battle Armor weapon, at least no more than any other Inner Sphere faction.
It should go without saying that the standard Raiden operates effectively identically to the Inner Sphere Standard, with the option of Mechanized Battle Armor perhaps being more commonly available for some DCMS units. Although not as hard hitting and flexible as the Short Range Missile launcher on other suits, the Raiden's Medium Range Missile system does make for a useful anti-vehicle weapon, potentially achieving mobility kills and other critical hits from a relatively extended range for a Battle Armor weapon, although the reduced accuracy can be an issue. The Raiden (Anti-Infantry) is simply a more capable Raiden, despite its lack of flexibility, performing especially well against conventional infantry - as the name would suggest - and also when undertaking Anti-'Mech attacks. When fighting alongside the larger, more powerful Kanazuchi, the Raiden can leave some of the direct combat duties to the heavier suit, while it acts as a mobile reserve or fills in the gaps between the zones of control set up by the slow moving Assault squads. The Raiden gets to play the role of heavy fire support when operating with both Kages and Voids, although the latter is perhaps a better choice for confronting certain enemy Battle Armor designs, leaving the tougher and more flexible Raiden to confront the opponent's 'Mechs and conventional forces.
On the whole, the Raiden is a solid and uncomplicated design, exactly the qualities you might pick for the trooper Battle Armor that's intended for the majority of your line units. While its similarity to the IS Standard is perhaps a little uninspired, its in-game history at least has more flavor than the Cavalier, what could be considered its twin from across the border, and its later weapon configurations do add to its distinctiveness, although perhaps not in a wholly positive way. The DCMS' early history of Battle Armor is in my opinion a good example of how not to do it, with the Combine having spent lavishly to provide its military with some of the best Inner Sphere designs produced in the first decade after the Clans attacked, for that same military to then mostly reject it, simply because it was still viewed as infantry, a low status unit in the hidebound mindset of most Kuritan Mechwarriors and senior commanders. Overcoming that inauspicious start, the Raiden has proven its worth on the battlefield, against both Clan and Inner Sphere foes, changing or at least marginalizing the opinion of those neo-Samurai who first ignored its potential. Alongside its original pair of stable mates, the Raiden continues to serve the Draconis Combine as a valued part of the Pillar of Steel, as much a Kuritan icon as the Panther or Dragon.
Next up:
- Kanazuchi
- Gnome
- Achileus
- Longinus