Cray
12/08/01 06:35 PM
12.78.180.42
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Initial hostilities with the Jade Falcon forces taught Savannah that a stalwart, designed-by-committee mech like the M-5C Beauregard presented inadequate endurance and firepower to combat Clan mechs. During the following 2 years of Clan "occupation," Savannah's military quickly laid out specifications for assault mechs. These were designed by master battlemech architects rather than committee and free of the usual politicking. Savannah's first homegrown assault mech would be able to slug it out with Clan mechs, and it would be deployed soon.
However, events moved faster than assault mechs could leap from the drawing board and out the factory door. Preparations to eliminate the Falcons' trump cards (warships) were in place and the campaign of bureaucratic resistance that kept the Falcons from exerting effective control over Savannah's government was wavering. In late 3051, the Savannah military acted without the assault mechs.
The aftermath of the counteroffensive included extensive damage to several cities, mostly from the lunar massdrivers that had engaged Falcon warships, but also partly from the Falcon warships attempting to protect their ground bases from being overrun. Faced with a monumental reconstruction task and an economy with little surplus, cuts were made. The assault mech program was put on hold, then cancelled. Instead, existing mechs would be upgraded.
The M-5C Beauregard, which had traded 34 of its own to destroy 7 Falcon mechs in the campaign, was tapped for the honor of becoming a "pocket assault mech." While the existing M-5C was upgraded to the M-5D (with ferrofibrous armor, DHS, and more weapons), designers also redesigned the M-5C into a "heavy armor" model.
The M-5H "heavy armor" Beauregard carried essentially the same weaponry as the M-5C (twin PPCs and 6 medium lasers). It shed 7 extra heat sinks in exchange for 10 of a more advanced model and gained 7 tons of armor. When it was complete, the Beauregard was as heavily armored as an Atlas, but 35 tons lighter.
M-5H Beauregard
65 tons
6.5 tons internal structure
13.5 tons 260 SMFE fusion engine
Walking: 4
Running: 5
Jumping: 0
0 tons 10 DHS
3 tons gyroscope
3 tons cockpit
19 tons hardened armor
Head 3 9
CT 21 20/5
RT/LT 15 19/5
RA/LA 10 15
RL/LL 15 20
14 tons 2x PPC (RA/LA)
6 tons 6x Medium Lasers (RA/LA, 2 RT/LT)
Both hand actuators present
VARIANTS
The M-5H1 is field refit of the M-5H. It replaces one torso medium laser with a TAG. M-5H1s are assigned 1 to a lance of M-5Hs.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Cray
12/08/01 11:10 PM
12.78.131.62
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And the legs aren't hit often. Interesting point.
Mike Miller, MatE
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
01/28/07 01:14 PM
70.123.166.36
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So have you updated this one any?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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