Dig King

Dig King
Production information
Manufacturer	Achernar BattleMechs
Use	Mining
Model	RCL-1
Class	Light
Introduced	2573
Technical specifications
'Mech type	Inner Sphere IndustrialMech
Mass	30 tons
Chassis	Unspecified
Armor	Heavy industrial armor
Engine	Fuel cell engine
Communications System	Unspecified
Targeting Tracking System	Unspecified
Heat Sinks	1 single heat sink
Speed	54 km/h
Armament	1x Rock cutter 1x Mining drill 1x Lift hoist
BV (1.0)	409
BV (2.0)	599

Description

Designed as a light IndustrialMech design used for underground tunnel mining, the Dig King is one of the earliest known examples of MiningMechs. Introduced in 2573, this durable, dependable design became the basis for many offshoots produced over the centuries.

During the Succession Wars, the need for combat 'Mechs became urgent. The militarized version of the Dig King soon would appear in desperate moments in combat. A civilian variation of the Dig King would be commonly used in the late 3090s to mid-3130s in the Inner Sphere. But after Gray Monday in the late Dark Age, many of these 'Mechs were once more converted into make-shift combat 'Mechs and pressed into service for many splinter groups after the collapse of the HPG network.

Weapons and Equipment

This design is equipped with a mining drill in place of its left hand actuator, while a rock cutter is mounted in place of its right hand actuator. The 'Mech is also equipped with a lift hoist in left torso, to haul ore or other equipment around.

Variants

• RCL-1M MiningMech MOD 

  Created during the Succession Wars, this refitted and weaponized version was used by various factions, militia, and other military concerns of the period. In place of the lift hoist, the 'Mech has been equipped with two SRM-4 launchers with one ton of ammunition while a pair of machine guns and their ammunition have been mounted in place of the left arm. The design has slight increase of armor overall, but retains the rock cutter in the right arm.BV (1.0) = BV (2.0) = 460

Related Designs

• RCL-4 Dig Lord - Heavy-Class IndustrialMech design which first premiered in 3057. The Dig King resembles this 65 ton design.

• Burrower and Ground Pounder - Low-tech Dig Lord and Dig King imitators.

Notes

• Originally known simply as the MiningMech & MOD (variant), these two Mech's were introduced by WizKids as part of their original release of their MechWarrior Dark Age Collectable Miniatures Game. A part of bridging the gaps between the older "Classic" BattleTech franchise, a Dark Age Record Book was created which included early stats for the MiningMech and its armed variant. The MiningMech's BattleTech stats were designed prior to introduction to Total Warfare and TechManual in which introduce industrial grade and commercial type armor. The MiningMech was conceived originally with standard BattleMech armor which sets it aside from other designs and had an ICE power plant versus the current version's fuel cell engine. At the time, there was little of anything written about the MiningMech aside from appearing in Dark Age novels. The MiningMech MOD-B has some fluff on which manufacture had this "refitted" of the design. The MOD-B's hydraulic pile driver suggests this is a variant of the civilian version of the MiningMech. It did appear in the novel, Fortress of Lies, where it was used as part of the defense of St. Andre against House Liao's invasion of the Republic of the Sphere.

• In Technical Readout: Irregulars, the Burrower and Ground Pounder were introduced to directly represent the MiningMech MOD and MiningMech MOD-B, and the Dig King's MOD was noted as an ancient common ancestor.

Bibliography

• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: MechWarrior Dark Age I
• Record Sheets: Vehicle Annex, IndustrialMechs & Exoskeletons
• Technical Readout: Irregulars
• Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex Revised