Orion, my favourite heavy 'Mech from TRO 3025
ON1-K
If you need some heavy firepower in 3025 package, then Orion is the right 'Mech for you.
As usual, we are most interested in information about offensive and defensive capabilities of this 'Mech. Well, we won't be disappointed.
It has average speed 4/6 for heavy 'Mech and what's very important - it has enough heat sinks to keep this speed during combat (10 single heat sinks). That's great advantage when compared with other heavy 'Mechs like Warhammer WHM-6R or Marauder MAD-3R because overheating cause them quite often move around battlefield with only 3/5 speed.
Let's start with weapons. The most important thing is to remember what the primary and secondary weapons are. Usually it's good tactics to keep enemy at range and punish him with AC-10 (20 rounds) and LRM-15 (16 salvos). It doesn't matter that much, if you miss because you have enough ammo at your disposal. With a bit of luck you can force him to make a pilot skill roll. These weapons are very efficient and produce together 8 heat points, so they do not affect your movement. You just should empty your ammo bins and then close to the enemy. By this time his armour should be broken and that's the time for you 2 Medium lasers and one SRM-4 pack (25 round). That's only one explosive critical to worry about. These short-range weapons produce 9 heat points only.
Defensive abilities of Orion are great too. It's 14,5 tons of armor (231 points) gives Orion great ability to stand up against almost anything on the battlefield of yesterday. Just compare it with aforementioned Marauder (184 points; weak side torsos and legs) and Warhammer (160 points). If you search for enemies which could endanger safety of Orion pilot, you should search among top-class heavies like Flashman FLS-7K or Black Knight BL-7-KNT, and of course assaults like Awesome.
Physical combat. If overheating or without ammunition, kick the enemy. Orion is heavy 'Mech and it's 15 point kick are nothing to be taken lightly. And you have 32 points of leg armor if the enemy manges to kick you.
There are 3 other Orion variants:
ON1-V
They tried to repair what wasn't broken and the result was not good. This variant is similar to ON1-K, but there are two important differences. Orion was fitted with second SRM-4 launcher and this fact should make him better brawler. However, this "brawler" lost full 3 tons of armor and its protection diminished accordingly to 184 points. That's not good and it will be worse. No more heat sinks, that's the real problem. Now Orion pilot has a problem how use his arsenal. Long- and medium ranges are okay, but 10 SHS is just not enough for short range. The heat can spike to 15 heat points, if you fire everything except LRMs. Especially if you add movement heat too. And not to talk about some Lyran Commando loaded with Inferno missiles.
I always thought that this variant was something as prototype, but the new MUL shows this 'Mech in common use.
ON1-V-DC
This is "double cockpit" modification used by FWLM. Completely the same as ON1-V, from which is derived. The only difference is the loss of 1 ton of ammunition for each weapon system used by ON1-V, so it was left with 1 ton of AC, LRM and SRM ammunition.
ON1-VA
Well, this is much better machine. The designers removed the LRM-15 launcher and otherwise they kept weapons from previous version, returned armor to 231 points and what's most important, they added another 6 (six!) heat sinks. That's total 16 SHS against 15 point of weapons heat (AC-10 + 2* Medium laser + 2* SRM-4). Yes, this a 'Mech ready to take the fight to enemy.
The renaissance of 3050 changed some important features of this old reliable workhorse. Let's check it.
ON1-M
Chassis is the same, and amount of standard armor diminished only slightly because 224 points is not bad. So how the designers on Kalidasa spared the free weight to change something? Well, they used extra-light engine. Orion is traditionally ammunition-based 'Mech, so the risk of critting the ammo is always high. At least designers added CASE to both side torsos. If ammo explosion occurs, Orion will be out of fight, but not destroyed entirely.
Weapons are not bad, they were swapped for their more modern versions. ON1-M comes armed with LBX-10 autocannon equipped with 2 tons of ammunition, so you can rip apart enemy's armor with slugs and then use cluster rounds to hit exposed inner systems. To finish enemy faster Orion pilot can use his new LRM-20 launcher too. There is no need to close.
Orion is armed for short-range fight too. Two Medium lasers and SRM-4 pack (now with 2 tons/50 rounds) left from previous models add more short-range firepower.
The last thing I should mention is a NARC beacon. That's a surprise! This toy was designed to help with getting more LRM and SRM missiles on target. If you mark enemy with NARC pod, all friendly unit will have higher percentage of missiles hitting the target (if their missiles loaded are NARC compliant of course). And here comes the big problem. The NARC system has so short range, that Orion pilot uses all his LRMs without NARC benefit. And Orion is not particularly fast to close 6 hexes to the enemy to have a reasonable chance to NARC him. Five tons completely lost to this system, dammit.
So how to summarize ON1-M? Positives are strong armor, good firepower and enough double heat sinks to use all weapons without worries. Negatives are the fragility of XL engine, 1 more ton of SRM ammo than needed and the worst is without any doubt NARC Beacon. This system was intended as important part of FWLM equipment, but writers left this idea and only Orion was left as a witness of this abandoned trend.
ON2-M
The last variant worth of wider description is ON2-M. You won't find any autocannons or SRMs anymore. Primary weapon is now Gauss rifle with 2 tons of solid metal projectiles. It is supported by LRM-15 enhanced with Artemis IV fire-control system. Yay! No more stupid closing to the enemy! 2 tons of missiles keep the launcher supplied. Enemy may try to close into minimum range of Gauss rifle and LRM system. Well, 3 Medium pulse lasers will be a nasty surprise for him.
And important notice - ON2-M got rid of fragile XL engine and used standard VLAR 300 reactor.
If you are unsure which 'Mech you should buy, ON2-M is the way to go.
There are three variants left:
ON3-MX
This 'Mech is designed to keep enemy at arm's-length. With improved Heavy Gauss rifle and extended-range LRM-10 it really doesn't need to. The only other weapons is a pair of extended-range Medium lasers. ON3-MX probably won't enter production.
ON1 "Kerensky"
It's hard to say why general Kerensky used Orion when he could select any Royal BattleMaster, Atlas or Cyclops. But he was wise enough to have technicians to customize his ride. KaliYama Class 10 Autocannon was swapped for Gauss rifle. Two Medium lasers and Artemis enhanced SRM-4 pack were allowed to stay, but they were supplemented with brand new Snub-nose PPC. To handle the heat load, Star League "freezers" were installed instead common singles. The price paid for that is lower amount of armor (208 points).
Orion IIC
Clan Wolf produces this BattleMech as symbol which has not much common with our beloved Inner Sphere 'Mech. But that's a story for another occasion.
