Cygnus (BattleMech)

This article is about the 95-ton BattleMech. For other uses, see Cygnus.

Cygnus
Production information
Manufacturer	Transitional Facility HH-Beta WC Site 1
Production Year	3075
Model	(base)
Class	Assault
Cost	24,384,101 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type	Clan BattleMech
Mass	95 tons
Chassis	Type BMH-7 Endo Steel
Armor	Forged Type HH34 Standard
Engine	GM 380 XL
Communications System	CH6 Series Integrated
Targeting Tracking System	Hunter (7a) Dedicated TTS with Targeting Computer
Heat Sinks	15 double
Speed	64 km/h
Armament	2x Ultra Autocannon/10 4x Medium Pulse Laser
BV (1.0)	??
BV (2.0)	2,583

Description

After Clan Hell's Horses invaded Clan Wolf's Inner Sphere territory, the Horses needed to rebuild from the losses they incurred. A surprising partnership with Clan Wolf-in-Exile led to the Cygnus, which entered service in 3075. Based on the Annihilator, the simple design of the Cygnus allows for fewer things to go wrong without losing its lethality. A possible reflection of this design philosophy is that the ammo feed tracks are situated outside of the hull feeding from shoulder bins, while this has not so far been proven to be a vulnerability the design may have been chosen to improve feed reliability. It is a BattleMech, rather than an OmniMech, the decision of a desperate Clan that needed to rebuild as quickly as possible.

The Cygnus is swift for a 'Mech of its size, as its 380 engine makes it capable of 64 km/h, though that comes at an increased vulnerability due to the bulk of the XL engine. An Endo Steel chassis also saves weight.

Weapons and Equipment

Most of the firepower on the Cygnus comes from its pair of Mydron Excel Ultra Autocannon/10s. The Clan engineers decided to use these to match the firepower of the Annihilator's four LB-X Autocannon/10s. They retained the four Medium Pulse Lasers, but upgraded them to Kolibri Omega Series models. The inclusion of a Targeting Computer makes all the weapons more accurate.

Variants

• Cygnus 2 

  Still on the drawing board in 3075, the Cygnus 2 replaces the autocannons, Targeting Computer, and four double heat sinks for a pair of HAG 40s. This change also requires swapping out the lasers for ER medium lasers. This gives the 'Mech some heat problems, but not to a severe extent. BV (2.0)= 3,361

• Cygnus 3 

  Also utilizing HAG technology, this variant uses four HAG 20s. All the weapons, equipment, spare heat sinks, and even some armor is removed from the original version to make this possible. This makes the design completely dependent on four ammo-fed weapons. BV (2.0)= 2,569

• Cygnus 4 

  This variant carries two LB 20-X autocannons, four heavy medium lasers, two ER medium lasers, and two ER Small Lasers. No targeting computer is provided. BV (2.0) = 2,570

Design Quirks

The Cygnus has the following Design Quirks:

• Exposed Weapon Linkage
• Static Ammo Feed

Notable Pilots

Gottfried Amirault - The Clan Hell's Horses Khan would pilot this mech throughout his career from the Dark Age Era up until his death in the ilClan Era following a Trial between him and Fulk Lassenerra.

Gallery

• 

  Cygnus from TRO:3075

• 

  Original Cygnus from MWDA FFE dossiers

Bibliography

• BattleMech Manual
• Record Sheets: 3075
• Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged
• Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge
• Technical Readout: 3075
• Record Sheets: 3145 New Tech, New Upgrades