MotW: Clint/Clint IIC

[Paul]

Certainly seems plausible, given that early FASA named other mechs and vehicles after people too. J. Edgar hover tank...

And the Jenner.

[Intermittent_Coherence]

Anything that can match its speed, it can outgun or stay at long range, with the exception of the Phoenix Hawk. Of course, once you have Star League technology (level 2 tech), all this goes out the window.

Well, it outranges the PXH, and if it comes to a confrontation the heat burden means it has a good chance of getting away.
Only downside is the thin armor, which admittedly wasn't too bad for its role and speed during the Succession Wars. Would have helped if they'd transitioned to better armor protection at an earlier point though. I loved the IIC for that. IIC has almost no downsides, good armor, ballistic weapon with a really deep ammo reserve, same speed as before. Only part I don't like about it are those oversized ears.

[Balian d’Ibelin]

It looks cool, one of the best reasons to field a mini, and the 2-3U and UL are passable for a lower priority force. The original AC/5 one isn’t good but there are worse mechs in the 3025 era.

[garhkal]

Don't think i have ever played a Clint, other than at Grinders.  Seems decent for the cost/bv, but from my recollection, its just a nusance to enemies.. not really a threat.

[Wrangler]

So, I'm not 100% certain of that- mostly sure, but not absolute. I suspect it's the case, but didn't bring it up in the article (humor image aside) as a result. To the best of my knowledge and research, there's nothing that's ever definitively stated where the Clint's name comes from- certainly open to anyone else's evidence (actual evidence, not fan theories- we have plenty of those).

I'm pretty confident it's was named for Clint Eastwood.  There too many mechs and vehicles from TRO: 3025/3026 books that have inside humor / pop culture references.

Looks at these names:
Jenner = Bruce Jenner (at time of naming amazing athlete and runner)
Enforcer = Another action film reference and yet another Clint Eastwood connection.
J Edgar Hover Tank = Named for J. Edger Hoover, who was famously accused (not confirmed) to have been cross-dressing, thus skirt reference.

There plenty example of nudges and winks in BattleTech history to real world references.  However, unless author's of those individual entries would be only ones who would be able pitch a light on that.   
 

[Balian d’Ibelin]

Shame the Clint’s particular AC/5 isn’t noted as the most powerful AC/5 in the IS.

[SteelRaven]

Shame the Clint’s particular AC/5 isn’t noted as the most powerful AC/5 in the IS.

Because it's a AC/5, not something that will blow your head clean off like a Clan ER PPC. More likely a reference to Eastwood's Man With No Name character than Dirty Harry (the Enforcer makes a little more sense in that regard)

[Luciora]

Or maybe it was meant for the AC/10 version.  That would make the "Do you feel lucky, punk?" line,  a reference to possibly critting the head and blowing it off.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Unfortunately for them, you can look at the record sheet to see if they fired nine shots or ten.

[Rince Wind]

It could do with a RAC variant.
(There is one in Roguetech for HBS Battletech, but that one uses a very non canon RAC20.)

[JadeHellbringer]

It could do with a RAC variant.
(There is one in Roguetech for HBS Battletech, but that one uses a very non canon RAC20.)

I tried tinkering with one when I worked on the article, but honestly I never was enamored with the results. It CAN be made to work (and if you make one you like, Fan Article that thing!), but I found I either had a Mech that made too many sacrifices to cram a RAC-5 on, or got a RAC-2 and might as well not have bothered, or got the RAC-5 but had to use so many expensive weight-saving tricks that it wouldn't be financially sound to do all of that to a mere Clint to begin with (Apollo's Law doesn't only apply to Clan tech!).

From a fluff standpoint, it would make some sense for engineers to look into it, but I would suspect FedSuns engineers ran into the same issues I did- it can't be done without being either a boondoggle, or an overly expensive also-ran.

[Starfury]

A financially sound Battlemech in Battletech? Looks at Stalker 5S.. Who needs one of those? Not the Inner Sphere!  You could always do a Clint IIC with a RAC/5...

[SteelRaven]

If you want to go crazy, give a Clint a Gauss and drop it in a double blind match. Sound? No! Funny? Yes!

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Let's keep that to the fan designs boards?

[SteelRaven]

Right.
Like the 3U and 5U, makes a good lance mate along with a Wolfhound, P-Hawk, ect. Good range, decent fire power, no ammo so logistics are easier and no ammo explosion to worry about.

[smdvogrin]

Something to note for those of us that use quirks - the Clint boasts Improved Targeting (Medium, Long), meaning that medium range is only +1 and long is only +3.  Combined with the long range weapons that pretty much every variant mounts, this makes it pretty easy to trade at good numbers - if you're running 7+ and both at medium, you're taking +3 from movement/range and giving him a +5.  Even better if you can stay at your medium and his long, which isn't too hard with an ER PPC, ER Large, or AC/2.

[butchbird]

Something to note for those of us that use quirks - the Clint boasts Improved Targeting (Medium, Long)

This.

Sure, in the 3039 setting, the AC/5 is one of the worst "main weapons", but the quirk breathes new life into it. Suddenly, it becomes both a great light mech hunter (still not in the same league as the pixie, but then, nothing is) and also a great option for a light sniper for a mobile lance.

Lets face it, if you need a sniper below 45 tons in 3039, your options are limited. Panther is a staple, but its mobility leaves to be desired, gimping it in some occasions. With quirks, the clint rises up to the challenge...not in a stellar way, an ac/5 will never be more then an ac/5, but its still a good option.

I've used it with success, taking down the lighter opposition before using it as a backstabber on heavier units...it's also enough of a threat (depending on the tonnage allocated to each team, of course) to pressure the opponent to make mistakes in its movements. Not a game changer, sure, but a good 40 ton mech...with quirks.

My only regret when choosing it for a game is that I've forgotten which unit my clint's paint scheme was supposed to represent.

[Hellraiser]

Enter the CLNT-2-3U. This is, and I'll die on this hill, the single best upgrade any Mech got in that book- period.

Regardless the CLNT-5U (wait, a normal-ish designation?) sees an LFE installed along with endo structure, freeing up a lot of weight. The main gun is now an ER large laser, a good choice for a sniper, with three ER medium lasers backing that up (two in the left torso, one in the center). Anyone looking at this and thinking 'didn't you guys already make this and call it a Wolfhound?' can be forgiven for that assumption- clearly the WLF influence is strong here. But the bigger Clint adds in those jump jets, and here it also gains another neat trick- a C3 slave module, allowing those sniper shots to work even better. A TAG spotting system allows for calling in artillery as well, a handy backup job.

We have two custom variants to discuss as well. The first, the CLNT-2-3T 'Denton', is a simple changeout on the original 3025 model, dropping the AC/5 for a large laser, then filling out the remaining tonnage with heat sinks. This. Is. GOOD. Better firepower, no ammo, only a minor loss of range, and a full jump plus the new laser is heat neutral, not words used often in that era.

An odd duck shows up in the hands of one Natalia Porter, later by her daughter Carolyn Fischer (I see what you did there, devs. Cute.)

1.  The Archer-4M or Locust-3M might debate that, but yes, its a very solid field refit, I love it.

2.  My only problem w/ the 5U is it really didn't need the LFE, as you noted, its over-heating & under sinked.
With the drop from ERPPC/MPL to ERLL/ERML, you saved 4 tons.  Add 2 for the Electronics & stack on some Armor/DHS & call it a day.
I'm not sure what they really got for the LFE outside of that 3rd ERML that overheats anyway.
They really could have gotten this effectively as another field refit to add the electronics & new ERMLs.

3.  I love the Denton, such a nice custom.

4.  Agreed.  Someone got sneaky

Oddly, this really is one of the very, VERY few times I am okay with the IS medium pulse laser.

I don't mind them here, BUT, I really would have preferred 2 more tons of ammo & a swap to Ferro.
I suppose that might be asking for it to be too good or something.