BJ-1DA Blackjack

[drakensis]

It occurred to me that there's a BJ-1DB and BJ-1DC, but no BJ-1DA so...

Blackjack BJ-1DA

Mass: 45 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/E-F-D-A
Production Year: 2750
Cost: 3,534,375 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,252

Chassis: GM BJ-1 Standard
Power Plant: GM 180 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Whitworth Jetlift
    Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: StarGuard II Standard Armor
Armament:
    2 Blankenburg ER Large Lasers
    2 Intek Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: General Motors
    Primary Factory: Detroit (Terra)
Communications System: Dalban Micronics
Targeting and Tracking System: Dalban AQ

Overview:
After the end of the Fourth Succession War, ComStar negotiated basing rights for the ComGuards at HPGs across the Inner Sphere. In order to equip their expanded forces they began reactivating production facilities across the Solar System.

Not all of this went smoothly and Pandora MechWorks, whose factory in the city of Detroit had built the Puma tank for the SLDF, found themselves in significant legal difficulty. ComStar's Terran administration elected to purchase the factory under eminent domain and work out a deal with the previous owners, for the site had once been the centre of operations for General Motors - now a solely Federated Suns corporation.

While General Motors expected that ComStar would wish to purchase their flagship 'Mech design, the Marauder, the ComGuards was satisfied with their heavy 'Mech sources. What they wanted was a reliable medium design: the sometimes maligned Blackjack.


Capabilities:
With the Blackjack out of production since 2796, the tooling had to be assembled from scratch. This opened the opportunity for ComStar to request their own variant, the BJ-1DA, be that produced.

ComStar's Blackjack removes the arm mounted autocannon entirely, leaving the arms as relative stubs containing only an Intek laser each. The arms retain complete rotation, letting the pilot fire backwards with ease.

The other pair of Inteks, in the torso, are replaced with Blankenburg extended range lasers which are the new main weapons. These offer longer range with the same hitting power as a large laser - or slightly more than the combined damage potential of the replaced Intek and removed Whirlwind-L autocannon combined.

In order to keep the BJ-1DA from overheating, advanced heatsinks are used and much of the freed up tonnage is devoted to this, with only a single ton of extra protection - although this approaches the limits of what the frame can carry.

Battle History:
There have been no offically reported uses of the Blackjack in action so far. Sume rumours suggest that the BJ-1DA is based on the personal variant of a ComGuards mechwarrior deployed to handle unrest on Terra in early 3030. If so, the exploits remain hidden behind ComStar's usual discretion.

Deployment:
So far the BJ-1DA has only been seen on Terra and a few Explorer Corps bases, with deployment to Light Horse battalions where it supports light tanks and infantry. With a low logistical footprint, it's popular with commanders who consider it sufficient to deal with the likely threats to facilities in or near the Periphery.

Notable 'Mechs & MechWarriors:
No ComGuards mechwarriors have yet proven notable for their use of the Blackjack. Jimmy Meyer of Techwarrior 3031 piloted the new 'Mech for the popular Holovid show and reviewed the design positively.

Code: [Select]

================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                      75 points                4.50
Engine:             Fusion Engine                180                       7.00
    Walking MP: 4
    Running MP: 6
    Jumping MP: 4 Standard
    Jump Jet Locations: 2 LL, 2 RL                                         2.00
Heat Sinks:         Double Heat Sink             15(30)                    5.00
    Heat Sink Locations: 3 LT, 3 RT, 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro:               Standard                                               2.00
Cockpit:            Standard                                               3.00
    Actuators:      L: SH+UA    R: SH+UA
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV - 152                  9.50

                                                      Internal       Armor     
                                                      Structure      Factor     
                                                Head     3            9         
                                        Center Torso     14           18       
                                 Center Torso (rear)                  9         
                                           L/R Torso     11           16       
                                    L/R Torso (rear)                  6         
                                             L/R Arm     7            14       
                                             L/R Leg     11           22       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat    Critical    Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Large Laser                               RT        12        2         5.00
ER Large Laser                               LT        12        2         5.00
Medium Laser                                 RA        3         1         1.00
Medium Laser                                 LA        3         1         1.00
                                            Free Critical Slots: 17

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      5    Points: 13
4j         3       3       2       0      2     0   Structure:  4
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA


[Daryk]

Nice!  The only quibble I have is that I'd have put 20 points on the front of the CT (probably by dropping a point off the head, down to 8, and shaving the other from the back, also down to 8).

[drakensis]

I'm not a fan of reduced cockpit protection. Also, the arm-flip option means the Blackjack is more able to fight enemies behind it, so reducing the rear armour seems unwise.

[Daryk]

In 3025 there's no functional difference between 8 and 9, while 20 points will keep that pesky AC/20 out...

[smdvogrin]

I think it would have made more sense to put the Larges in the arms, so that if necessary you can flip arms and run at full speed while firing at full range behind you (sure, normally you can just jump for your fighting retreat, but if you've got open terrain, you might need 6 hexes of movement, instead of only 4).

[Daryk]

My guess is that decision was made before they got double heat sinks...

[drakensis]

The decision was primarily because the arms were seen as vulnerable, while burying the large lasers in the torso, keeping the main armament behind heavier protection.

[Crimson Dawn]

Hmm this is like an alpha striking version of a blackjack I use in my games.  This one can fire everything and be ok whereas the one I made had only 13 double heat sinks to go with the 2 ER larges, 4 medium lasers, and a small x pulse laser.  It also had ferro fibrous to get near max armor.  Fairly similar but not the same overall though I kept my lare lasers in the arms (to me it just felt right).

It is always fun to get hte drop on somebody with a mech like a blackjack.  Most do not expect much from them.