Ok, last one for a while I promise. I finally hit a point where I felt I had a logical upgrade to the original Thunderbird that still kept the original feel. More importantly, both variants still have a point BV less than an Elemental totting either an APGR for a micro pulse laser. :D
Thunderbird II Battle Armor
Manufacturer: Barcella Battle Armor Facility
Primary Factory: Irece
Tech base: Clan
Chassis Type: Humanoid
Weight Class: Heavy
Maximum Weight: 1,500 kg
Swarm/Leg/Mechanized/AP: no/no/yes/yes
Notes:
Equipment Slots Mass
Chassis 400 kg
Motive Systems:
Ground MP: 1 0 kg
Jumping MP: 3* 250 kg
Manipulators
Right Arm: Basic Manipulator 0 kg
Left Arm: Heavy Battle Claw 20 kg
Armor: Standard 300 kg
Armor Value: 12 +1 for trooper
Weapon or Equipment Location Slots Mass
Modular Weapon Mount RA 2 10 kg
AP Gauss Rifle (20) - 2 200 kg
ER Small Laser (20) - 2 350 kg
Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount LA 1 5 kg
SRM-2 (OS) Body 2 40 kg
Jump Booster Body 2 125 kg
Overview:
After the Second War Clan Nova Cat sought to improve the capable but rushed Thunderbird suit. As a starting point technicians looked to the warriors for feedback. It was found that of the three weapons typically installed in the modular mount, the small pulse laser was was rarely utilized. Eliminating the pretense of possibly mounting the pulse laser freed up much needed weight. This was used to address a major complaint of regarding the comparatively low armor protection for a heavy suit.
For the most part the Nova Cat Elementals were satisfied with the Thunderbird and had little else to recommend. The only other significant modification stemmed from the Spook Battle Armor developed some years earlier. Like with the Clan tech upgrade of the Combine's Void Battle Armor, the vibro blade assembly was removed from the heavy battle claw. Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount is installed in the same arm to compensate against unarmored infantry. The weight freed was used to mount a One-Shot SRM-2 launcher over the left shoulder. Surprisingly, the rack is most often loaded with Inferno rounds. Many warriors opted to give the suit's one flight of missiles a devastating impact against a range of targets. The loadout is so common that the Thunderbird II is nicknamed the "Firebird" by many of Clan Nova Cat's elementals.
Much like the first iteration of the suit, the Thunderbird II Battle Armor features a high level of craftsmanship as well as a ban on exportation. As older suits are rotated out for repair and maintenance they are being upgraded to the new standard. While there is more than sufficient weight to mount a wide range of weapons in the right arm's Modular Weapon Mount, nearly every warrior fielding the new armor selects the traditional AP Gauss Rifle or ER Small Laser depending on mission and terrain.
