Clint

This article is about the 40-ton BattleMech. For other uses, see Clint (disambiguation).
Clint
Clint
Production information
Manufacturer Andoran Industries Ltd.[1]

Colonial Tractors[2]


Defiance Industries[3]


Pinard Protectorates Limited

Production Year 2608[4]
Model CLNT-2-3T[1]
Class Medium
Introduced 2607[5]
Cost 3,572,380 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 40 tons
Chassis Andoran Model III
Armor Durallex Medium
Engine Pitban 240
Communications System Raldon R1
Targeting Tracking System Sloane 220 Lockover System
Heat Sinks 10 single
Speed 97 km/h
Jump Jets Andoran Model JJII
Armament
BV (1.0) 672
BV (2.0) 770[1][5]


Description[edit]

The Clint was first created in 2607 as a direct result of the Star League Armaments Act, a law meant to provide border areas with the latest in battlefield technology. The next version, CLNT-2-3T, was mass produced starting in 2608. The Clint was primarily designed as a cheap recon unit, with the capabilities of a well-armed, low-end medium weight 'Mech, and in this regard it served well. With a top speed of 97.2 km/h and a jumping capability of 180 meters, the Clint can easily keep up with other recon elements and maneuver through mountainous or urban terrain. Its Sloan 220 Lockover T&T system in particular shines, as it is simple to use and provides the pilot with excellent battlefield data. Although the 'Mech has limited ammunition reserves for its autocannon, the Sloane 220 ensures that whatever the Clint shoots at, it hits.[5][6]

However the design's manufacturer, Andoran Industries Ltd., a minor BattleMech firm located on Bell, won the bid by undercutting its competitors using cost-cutting design features. Not only was the Clint built with shoddy parts which rarely lasted a year, but it also used very few standard components; modular parts which were easily exchanged between many different 'Mechs could not be used in the Clint without a great deal of modification. The machine became a technician's nightmare, taking longer to repair than comparable 'Mechs, and allowed Andoran to recoup the Clint's low sales price with a hefty service contract. Over 300 Clints were produced before the Star League fell and Andoran's factories were destroyed during fighting between the Federated Suns and Capellan Confederation.[5][6]

House Davion and House Liao took possession of the lion's share of remaining Clints and shipped them off to remote locations within their realms for defense purposes, though the Capellans still maintained several of the 'Mechs in front-line units. Nevertheless, the destruction of the Bell facilities destroyed not only the original Clint blueprints, effectively ending the production of new units and spare parts, but also records of the exact number of Clints produced and variants created. During the Succession Wars therefore Clints could be found throughout the Inner Sphere, proving quite popular in the Periphery, but the origins of many of these machines and whether their differing loadouts were official factory variations or simple field-refits remained unknown. In addition, the Clint's non-standard components quickly went up in price—in particular the gyro quickly became worth its weight in gold—and many were simply stripped for parts to repair damaged machines.[5][6]

Despite the inherent maintenance difficulties in the design an estimated 200 Clints remained in service up through the Clan Invasion, mostly in the hands of the Capellans or scattered along the Suns' border regions. The Confederation also introduced the 3U variant, which was quickly adopted by the Federated Commonwealth after the Bell Refit Yards were built upon the remains of the original factory complex. The design's blueprints eventually found their way to Defiance Industries of Furillo, which in 3055 began producing new Clints for the first time in centuries.[7]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The Clint was originally designed to carry an Armstrong Buster AC/10, but due to problems involving the stress limits of the 'Mech's chassis, the autocannon was downgraded to an Armstrong J11 AC/5 with one ton of ammunition. As secondary weapons, the Clint carries two Martell medium lasers. This well-balanced mix of weapons when combined with the Clint's above-average maneuverability for its size make the Clint a highly effective multirole BattleMech.[8]

Variants[edit]

  • CLNT-1-2R 
    The 1-2R Clint was the original prototype variant that carried an Armstrong Buster AC/10 with a single medium laser as a secondary weapon and no jump jets. Only 20 of these were produced, and while some left with Aleksandr Kerensky none have yet resurfaced, though attempts to emulate them have appeared.[1][5] BV (1.0) = 621; BV (2.0) = 707[9]
  • CLNT-2-4T 
    This variant of the Clint carries two AC/2s in place of the single AC/5, giving it one of the longest ranges possible on such a small chassis. It also bears a single medium laser as a secondary weapon. Like the 1-2R variant, the 2-4T also has no jumping capability. BV (1.0) = 531; BV (2.0) = 619[10]
  • CLNT-3-3T 
    Produced by the Taurian Concordat at the outbreak of the Jihad, the 3-3T modifies the original 2-3T. It adds ferro-fibrous armor to the design and swaps out the AC/5 with a light AC/5, presumably supplied to them by the Word of Blake. This lighter weapon makes room for the inclusion of CASE and two tons of ammunition, ensuring it is able to carry various types of munitions. BV (2.0) = 901[10]
  • CLNT-6S 
    Put into production following the fall of Hesperus II to Blakist forces at the outbreak of the Jihad, the 6S uses the 5U as a base, dropping the jump jets in favor of a larger 280-rated XL engine and heavy ferro-fibrous armor. Two ER large lasers provide long-range firepower with two ER medium lasers as backup, while the TAG and C3 slave unit have been removed and a small cockpit used to make room for a head-mounted ER small laser. BV (2.0) = 1,334[10]
  • CLNT-3-4T
    The latest iteration of the Clint provides a sensible upgrade rather than a full revolution[12]. The 3-4T upgrade makes the Clint share components with the Cadaver, removes troublesome features, while also providing a weaponry and armor overhaul. The weapon overhaul would bring in X-pulse technology, first used by the Taurians on the Brahma, in the form of two Medium X-Pulse Lasers along with a LB 5-X taken from the Marauder due to supply bottlenecks affecting the LAC/5[12][13]. The armor overhaul replaced the ferro-fibrous commonly seen on other variants with Reflective Armor[13][12]. The LB 5-X is supplied by 1 ton of ammunition.[13] BV(2.0) = 1,157[13]

Custom Variants[edit]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Clint is subject to the following Design Quirks:[15]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Clint IIC - The SLDF took several of the prototype Clints with them on the Exodus. These were the basis of an upgraded version that was designed using Clan technology.[16]

Notable Pilots[edit]

See Category:Notable Clint Pilots

Notes[edit]

  • Author Blaine Lee Pardoe stated in a blog entry that, according to his memory which he admitted could be wrong, the Clint was among the BattleMechs for which he wrote the original background as initially published in TRO:3025, after being given only its name, image, and game stats to work with for the TRO entry.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Technical Readout: Succession Wars, pp. 56–57: CLNT-2-3T Clint". Previously featured in Technical Readout: 3025, pp. 38–39: "CLNT-2-3T Clint"; Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, pp. 36–37: "CLNT-2-3T Clint"; and Technical Readout: 3039, pp. 120–121: "CLNT-2-3T Clint"
  2. Field Manual: 3145, p. 189: "Fronc Reaches"
  3. Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 12
  4. MUL online entry for the CLNT-2-3T Clint
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Technical Readout: 3039, pp. 120–121
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Technical Readout: 3039 Revised, p. 36
  7. 7.0 7.1 Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 38
  8. Classic BattleTech Introductory Record Sheets, p. 8
  9. Master Unit List: Battle Values, p. 79
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Master Unit List: Battle Values, p. 80
  11. Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 63
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 31, p. 13
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 31, p. 32
  14. Record Sheets: 3039 Unabridged, p. 183
  15. BattleMech Manual, p. 90: Design Quirk Table - Clint Entry
  16. Technical Readout: 3060 Revised, p. 151

Bibliography[edit]