Blackstone BattleMechs Limited

Blackstone BattleMechs Limited
Blackstone battlemechs.jpg
Corporation Profile
Founding Year3053[1]
AffiliationLyran Commonwealth
HeadquartersErewhon (Inarcs V)[2]
LeadershipCEO
Product(s)BattleMechs
Parent CorporationBlackstone Industries

Blackstone BattleMechs Limited was a BattleMech manufacturer located on the Lyran world of Inarcs.

History[edit]

One of the relatively new BattleMech manufacturers to spring up after the signing of the Truce of Tukayyid, Blackstone Industries announced they'd formed a BattleMech division in 3053 after signing a production license with the Federated Commonwealth government for the Enfield, an unproduced Star League era design, with the first finished 'Mechs emerging in July 3055.[2]

After successfully completing the bulk of the first production run of the Enfield in 3056, Blackstone announced they had secured plans and a production license for the once popular and advanced Talon. Blackstone's luck in securing two major production contracts for the AFFC, later the LAAF and AFFS, has been a double-edged sword in making the company a big name overnight, but straining to hurriedly expand its limited production facilities and clear backlogged orders.[2]

Notably, the factory has close links with the Blackstone Highlanders mercenary unit, created in 2984 to defend the interests of Blackstone Industries. The Highlanders act as field testers for 'Mechs manufactured by Blackstone BattleMechs, and field the largest volume of Enfields and Talons outside the LAAF and AFFS.[1]

During the FedCom Civil War, elements of the Seventh Crucis Lancers seriously damaged Blackstone's BattleMech lines in 3065. The lines would not return to full production until late 3066.[3]

During the Jihad, the Blackstone factory was not damaged, but production bottlenecks and damage to other facilities did affect production. By 3079, the factory was only at 75% of its pre-Jihad construction rate.[4] Blackstone found itself in an invidious position; all of the production from their plant was going to the military of the Inarcs Archonette, which at the end of the Jihad was refusing to return to the government the executive powers which had been handed to it, prompting rumors of imminent military action as the Lyran government reasserted control.[5]

Manufacturing[edit]

Blackstone BattleMechs Limited has a manufacturing center on the following planet:

Inarcs[edit]

Components produced on Inarcs:[6][7][8][9]
Component Type
Mechs
Ostscout (unknown model)[8] Light BattleMech
TLN-5W Talon[7] Light BattleMech
END-6Q Enfield[6] Medium BattleMech
GTD-20S Götterdämmerung[9] Heavy BattleMech
Thunderbolt (unknown model)[8] Heavy BattleMech
Support Vehicles
Pegasus Passenger Vehicle VTOL Support Vehicles (as of 3067)[10]
Chassis
Blackstone ETG Endo Steel Götterdämmerung[9]
Blackstone MD2E Endo Steel Enfield[6]
Blackstone QTS Light Talon[7]
Compact Fusion Engine
Edasich 300 Compact Götterdämmerung[9]
Extralight Fusion Engine
Edasich Motors 280 XL Talon[7]
Magna 250 XL Enfield[6]
Armor (BattleMechs & Combat Vehicles)
Kallon Light Shield A Talon[7]
StarGuard III Enfield[6]
StarSlab/4 Heavy Ferro-Fibrous Götterdämmerung[9]
Communications System
CommuTech High Band 14 Götterdämmerung[9]
CommuTech Multi Channel 10 Enfield[6]
Lockheed/CBM Comset 100 Talon[7]
Targeting-Tracking System
RCA Instatrac Mark X Götterdämmerung[9]
Sturmfeur Highlight w/ BlindFire Radar Talon[7]
Tek Tru-Trak Enfield[6]
Small Laser
ChisComp 32 Enfield[6]
Medium Laser
ChisComp 39 Talon[7]
Defiance 3BM Enfield[6]
ER Medium Laser
Defiance Model XII Götterdämmerung[9]
Large Pulse Laser
Thunderbolt-12 Enfield[6]
ER PPC
Defiance 1001 Götterdämmerung[9]
Lord's Light 2 Talon[7]
LB 10-X AC
Defiance Disintegrator Enfield[6]
LRM-15
Coventry StarFire Götterdämmerung[9]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 39: "Blackstone Highlanders: Corporate Interests"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Handbook: House Steiner, pp. 141–142: "Blackstone BattleMechs, Ltd. (Blkstn)"
  3. FedCom Civil War, p. 148: "Other Actions - Inarcs"
  4. Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 3: "State of the Industry at a Glance (Dec 3079)"
  5. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 85: "Coventry Province"
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 134: "Produced Enfield Components"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 208: "Produced Talon Components"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 18: "Inarcs"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth, p. 40: "Produced Götterdämmerung 'Mech Components"
  10. Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex, Revised, p. 78: Pegasus/Baronet Passenger VTOL - "Pegasus VTOL produced on Blackstone as of prototyped 3066/ produced 3067

Bibliography[edit]