Lafeel
07/21/08 09:47 PM
157.157.83.10
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Ok, this one's been around un finished, in my files for a while now, but until now I couldn't just quite complete it. And it was even originally intended as a omni mech, just as the fluff says.
Is-3a Ishida
Mass: 55 tons
Chassis: Chadran Arms M-3 Light
Powerplant: 330 XL
Cruising Speed: 64 kph
Maximum Speed: 97 kph
Jump Jets: none
Jump Capability: none
Armor: Durallex medium
Armament: Lords Light Heavy PPC
Chadran Arms LL-1 Large Laser
Manufacturer: Chadran Arms ltd. (prototypes only (in production by mid 3072))
Primary Factory: Nykvarn
Communication System: Chadran True Talk with C3 Master
Targeting and Tracking system: Chadran Cat's Eye
Overview:
The second mech in Chadran Arms's “Samurai” series, each named after famous Samurai of 16th and 17th century Japan, the first being the Sakhon, the Ishida is a dedicated command vehicle for fast C3 slave equipped mechs.
Built off a modified Shadowhawk chassis, this design does bear but a slight resembleance to the parent design, due to the completely redesigned weapons, and armor, loadouts.
As for the name, how could they have done differently than to name it after Sakhon's last master, after all the two designs were intended to work together in a scout lance, and thus would almost certainly share fates, if worst came to worst, just as their historical counterparts had, all those centuries past.
Initially it was intended to use a quad chassis for this design as well, but space issues forced the designers to use a bipedal one instead, and, seeing as the design team had chosen the fifty five ton weight class, the Shadowhawk's was chosen, mostly because both the Griffin, and the Wolverine, had both been remade, and entered into service in the DCMS already.
Completely remodeled on the outside, the Ishida has a very samurai like appearance, all it is lacking is a sword to complete the image, but this was ruled out, as it was felt a unwise idea to risk a master equipped mech in actual physical combat. The designers having even gone so far as to re design the lower leg assemblies to a more bird like configuration to try to throw observers off even more.
Short history lesson:
Mitsunari Ishida was recruited at a very young age by Hideoshi (Toyotomi), who would become the second of the three unifiers of Japan, and served him loyally for the entirety of Hideyoshi's remaining years.
After Hideyoshi's death in 1598, Ieasu Tokugawa began maneuvering to gain power for himself, at the expense of Hideyori, Hideyoshi's infant son. While the opposition against this was nominally lead by Mitsunari, in the name of his young lord.
Matters came to a head in september 1600 ad at the battle of Sekigahara, where the Tokugawa, and Toyotomi, loyalists faced each other in a full scale battle, each army numbering around eighty thousand men
While Mitsunari had a slight numerical advantage, this was more than offset by divided loyalties in his force, and it would, ultimately, be this that cost him the battle, when one of his largest units turned coat at a vital moment and attacked his own forces.
Captured at the end of the battle, Mitsunari was forced into committing seppuku, along with the other heads of the pro Toyotomi forces, a fate that was shared by his loyal subordinate, Sakhon Shima, who had also been a major figure in the pro Toyotomi army.
Capabilities:
Primarily the master equipped companion design to the Sakhon, the Ishida's speed, however, means that it could, in theory at least, be used alongside such designs as Independence Weaponry's Ninja-To design, without any serious trouble, seeing as it can also match it's speed, if not the jump capability.
To increase the compatibility of the Ishida with the Sakhon, and to reduce the number of different parts in production, it uses the same communication and targeting systems, although this version has sorted out the gremlins that plagued the original Sakhon prototype.
Initially Chadran Arms had intended to make the Ishida a omni design, but after considerable discussion it was decided that a fifty five ton omni design with a fixed master would not be worthwhile.
It should be noted that the eventual version picked was not the intended primary, but instead one of the alternate configurations.
With it's deadly one two punch of a heavy ppc, and a large laser, the Ishida can give it's lighter lance mates plenty of supporting fire, without having to worry about running out of ammunition, and the fact that both of the main weapons are chest mounted helps protect them, and the vital c3 master, which shares the right chest with the hppc, from damage.
Even though this loadout has a brutal heat curve, the mech's twelve double heat sinks keep the mech very cool, even when firing both weapons, and running.
Deployement:
A single prototype has been built, and sent, along with a trio of Sakhons, one example each of the three main variants of that design, to the Sun Zhang academy, with the request that they “test them to their limits and beyond”, as they have done this in the past with the Hitman and Kabuto designs.
While the mechs have not been in testing for a long time, initial reports seem promising. In particular the ability of the designs to go for long times without needing to re supply has been identified as a strong point.
Battle History
Recently the four 'mechs went on a extended test run through much of New Samarkhand, managing to successfully evade the attentions of the 1st Battalion, 14th Sun Zhang Cadre, which had been assigned the job to hunt them down.
While the four 'mechs were eventually hunted down and “destroyed”, the two week long exercise did certainly catch several eyes, including ones from the Amphigean Light Assault Groups, which have shown considerable interest in both designs, seeing as they seem to fit their m.o. quite well.
Variants:
None at this time, although the various other configurations might eventually end up as the basis for different variants instead of omni configurations.
Code:
Type: Ishida
Technology base: Inner Sphere
Configuration: Bipedal
Tonnage: 55 tons
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure Endo Steel 3
Engine 330 XL 12.5
Walking mp 6
Running mp 9
Jumping mp 0
Heat Sinks 12(24) 0
Gyro 4
Cockpit 3
Armor 168 10.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 18 27
Center Torso (rear) 8
R/L Torso 13 21
R/L Torso (rear) 5
R/L Arm 9 16
R/L Leg 13 20
Weapons
and ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Heavy PPC Right Torso 4 10
C3 Master Right Torso 5 5
Large Laser Left Torso 2 5
Cost: 13.467.640 C-bills
Ouch, that is one expensive mech. Could've been worse though, it would have been even more expensive as a omni. 
Edited by Lafeel (07/21/08 09:49 PM)
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Dester
07/22/08 11:13 AM
216.57.96.1
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Very nice fluff and good concept. That all said, i have never been a fan of the 55 ton weight class with a speed of 6/9... its just to inefficant. If you scale back the tonage to 50, you will lose all of 1/2 ton because of the weight saveings of the structure, engine and gyro. Not to mention the savings in c-bills.
Also to help its protection out, consider slaping in an Anti-Missle system and a Gardian ECM suite (probably drop the HPPC down to a standard ERPPC)
I have never been a big fan of the IS large laser, so i would probably swap it out for a battery of med lasers incase something managed to close with this mech.
I see it as a support mech and force multiplier for the rest of its lance so its weapons don't really need to be all that spectacular but should be able to lend something to the lance.
Hope this helps.
Dester
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Lafeel
07/22/08 09:04 PM
157.157.83.10
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Update:
While I didn't reduce the weight, this variant might fit better, even if it is more expensive:
Variant Weapons
and ammo Location Critical Tonnage
ER PPC Right Torso 3 7
C3 Master Right Torso 5 5
LRM-15 (with Artemis) Left Torso 4 8
Ammunition (LRM(16)) Left Torso 2 2
Cost of variant: 13.808.890 C-bills
Note that it only has 10 double heat sinks, instead of 12, which would make modifications in the field between the two frankly impossible (for anyone looking to recreate this mech, all the endo steel crit's are in the arms)
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