Jenner

Jenner
Jenner
Production information
Manufacturer Diplan 'Mechyards

Luthien Armor Works[1]

Production Year 2784[2]
Model JR7-D[1]
Class Light
Cost 3,198,375 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 35 tons
Chassis Diplan Scout-A
Armor Starshield
Engine Magna 245
Communications System Dawson III
Targeting Tracking System Bk-309
Heat Sinks 10 single
Speed 118 km/h
Jump Jets Smithson Lifter
Armament
BV (1.0) 669
BV (2.0) 875[1][3]


Description[edit]

Introduced in 2784, the fact that the Jenner was the sole property of the Draconis Combine was long a source of national pride. Designed, produced, and, for over fifty years, solely used by the Combine, the Jenner was meant to be a fast guerrilla fighter that would go on to form the foundation for highly mobile lances. Five Smithson Lifter jump jets, two in each side torso and one in the center torso gave it a jumping distance of 150 meters, while its Magna 245 fusion engine allowed for a top speed of over 118 km/h, making it faster than most other 'Mechs. The drawback of the original model was its armament of a Diplan HD large laser and two Argra 27C medium lasers, all mounted in a turret which could be easily disabled with a well-placed shot, while the medium lasers' targeting systems proved to be bug-ridden. After some tinkering, this setup was eventually replaced with the weaponry found in the JR7-D model, creating a good mix of speed and firepower, though only four tons of armor provide paltry protection compared to other 'Mechs in the same weight range.[3][4]

The Jenner became the standard light workhorse of the DCMS with the outbreak of the First Succession War, though its reputation would be forever tarnished following its role in the Kentares Massacre. Construction of new Jenners continued at Diplan Mechyard's factory on Ozawa until a raw mineral shortage caused a halt in 2815, though they continued to produce new chassis. In 2823 production resumed on Ozawa, with some 3,000 chassis shipped to Diplan's subsidiary on Luthien for final assembly, which itself was retooling to begin full-scale production; by 2830 both production lines were producing 1,350 Jenners a year. The sheer destruction of the Succession Wars finally took their toll when the last Jenner factory was destroyed in 2848, though so many Jenners had been produced by then that nearly every DCMS battalion had at least one of these 'Mechs well into the War of 3039. While the other Successor States eventually managed to procure operational Jenners (every AFFS regiment along the Combine border had at least one), the design remained in predominant use by House Kurita.[3][4]

A favorite tactic of Jenner lances was to gang up on larger 'Mechs and unleash a devastating alpha strike. One or two of the 'Mechs would be equipped with inferno rounds, so even if the enemy survived the first strike they were badly damaged and running hot, allowing the Jenners to jump to safety and cool down. A few seconds later the attack would be repeated until finally, the enemy was dead. It was also common practice to pair the Jenner with another Combine 'Mech, the Panther, creating a deadly combination of sheer speed and firepower with the slower Panther providing cover fire for the Jenner's flanking attack. The Jenner was such a favorite among Kurita MechWarriors that it became the benchmark against which all other newly designed Combine 'Mechs were compared.[3][5]

While rebuilding a Jenner production line on Luthien became a top priority under Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita, the necessary construction time along with inexperienced Combine engineers meant that even with ComStar aid this wasn't possible until 3046. The recovery of much lost technology and the Jenner's prominence within the DCMS made it a prime candidate to receive new upgrades, however Luthien Armor Works deliberately avoided any radical changes to preserve the original's core advantages. Hence, while the new JR7-K began replacing the earlier model with little fanfare, it wasn't until the Jenner started to be outclassed by other designs using superior technology that Jenner pilots began complaining. Still, there was reluctance to make any changes, and slowly many commanders began mothballing their Jenners in favor of newer light 'Mechs and OmniMechs. Since then, a few variants have utilized advanced technologies in their design, notably one based on the Clan Jenner IIC, but it would take the devastation of the Jihad for many of the older K models to see frontline combat again.[3][5]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The primary weapons system on the Jenner is four Argra 3L medium lasers, two each mounted in directionally variable mountings on either side. These provide the Jenner with a powerful close-to-medium range striking capability that does not suffer from a lack of supplies when operating behind enemy lines, though the use of only 10 single heat sinks means it has the potential to run hot. The lasers are backed up by a Thunderstroke SRM-4 launcher in the center torso, supplied by one ton of ammo in the right torso, that can be used after breaching an enemy's armor to try and get a critical strike against vulnerable exposed internal components.[3][4][5][6]

Variants[edit]

  • JR7-C 
    The JR7-C was a basic upgrade of the JR7-K, removing one of the medium lasers and replacing it with a C3 slave unit. Combined with its speed this made the Jenner an ideal spotter for a C3 company. BV (1.0) = 651, BV (2.0) = 836[5]
  • JR7-C3 
    An upgrade along the lines of the C2, the C3 stays true to the heart of the Jenner, making it easier to do as a field upgrade. The lasers are upgraded to ER medium lasers and the heat sinks are accordingly upgraded to double-strength versions. The missile launcher and its CASE are dropped for an additional heat sink, an additional ton and a half of armor, and a C3 slave unit. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,069[8]
  • JR7-F 
    After the failure of the initial Jenner model and its weaponry, the JR7-F was the Combine's first attempt to rectify this problem. While it mounts the same four Argra 3L medium lasers as the -D model, it does not mount the SRM-4 launcher, in its place carrying three more tons of armor. While lacking any ammunition-based weaponry made it a superior raider, additional testing found that it lacked in short-ranged firepower, which led to the addition of the missile launcher. A few of this variant survived into the thirty-first century.[1][4][3] BV (1.0) = 792, BV (2.0) = 1,011[10]
  • JR7-K 
    The JR7-K adds a higher degree of survivability to the Jenner by upgrading the armor to ferro-fibrous, while removing a half ton of the armor. This provides virtually the same armor protection while allowing space for CASE to protect the SRM-4 ammunition. BV (1.0) = 694, BV (2.0) = 889[11]
  • JR7-N 
    This variant uses the chassis and heavy ferro-fibrous armor of the JR7-C4 as a baseline, but returns to a weapons configuration reminiscent of the original Jenner. It carries a pair of ER medium lasers in each arm, and an SRM-4 in the center torso. An XL engine allows it to reach a top speed of 111 km/h, and seven jump jets allow it to cover 210 meters at a time. 11 double heat sinks control the heat, while a Beagle active probe allows the Jenner to find hidden units. A single ton of SRM ammunition is carried in the right torso in a CASE II-protected ammunition bay. BV (2.0) = 1,233[12]
  • JR7-31 
    The Rattlesnake variant of the Jenner and its (sub-)variants is typically considered a distinct 'Mech but shares its predecessor's "JR7" alphanumerical code.

Custom Variants[edit]

  • JR7-D Jenner Webster 
    Nicknamed "Crow", this is the personal, black-clad 'Mech of Seventh Sword of Light MechWarrior Shelly Webster, to both reward and support the aggressive warrior's frequent Death from Above attacks. A swap to double heat sinks allows a number to be removed and replaced with additional jump jets.[14]
  • JR7-K Jenner Grace II 
    Refitted prior to the Jihad, the prototype chassis and armor of Grace's Jenner were swapped for now refined production grade components. While retaining the Narc missile beacon, dropping its ammo to a single ton along with the removal of her 'Mech's jump jets allowed it to replace the two medium lasers with a pair of light PPCs and add a C3 slave unit to enhance her spotter role.[17]
  • JR7-K Jenner Samuli 
    A customized Jenner for MechWarrior Samuli Rinne, which is in the service of House Kurita. The 'Mech's engine was upgraded with a 245-rated XL engine and protection was provided by three and a half tons of ferro-fibrous armor. By removing the standard SRM-4 launcher, DCMS techs freed enough room to add CASE and a single LRM-15 with two tons of ammunition. Rinne's Jenner keeps the standard complement of medium lasers. BV (1.0) = 774[18]

Apocryphal Variants[edit]

Apocryphal Content Starts

The information after this notice comes from apocryphal sources; the canonicity of such information is uncertain.
Please view the reference page for information regarding their canonicity.

From MechWarrior Online:

  • JR7-D(S) Sarah's Mech 
    This upgraded Jenner-D replaced the standard SRM-4 launcher with paired Streak SRM-2 launchers, upgraded the armor to ferro-fibrous, the engine to a 300-rated XL engine, and the chassis to endo steel. Double heat sinks allow it free use of four medium lasers, two in each arm, and a Beagle active probe prevents enemies from escaping detection. It is instantly recognizable due to the colorful paint job, which includes rainbows, teddy bears, and a unicorn.
    This 'Mech was created for MechWarrior Online in memory of all child cancer patients and particularly Sarah Parries, a five-year-old girl who passed away from brain cancer in mid-2013. It is based on her preferred loadout. This 'Mech could only be purchased with actual money, rather than in-game currency, from May to August 20th, 2013 with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.[19]
  • JR7-O Oxide 
    The Jenner Hero 'Mech, the Oxide mounts an SRM-4 in each arm supported by a pair of LRM-5s in the center torso. Fitted with 10 double heat sinks and carrying one ton of reloads for each missile launcher, such a heavy weapons loadout is made possible through the use of an endo steel chassis, a downgrade to a 235-rated engine and the removal of Jenner's signature jump jets. [1]

From MechWarrior 5: Heroes of the Inner Sphere Expansion Pack:

  • JR7-P 
    Introduced in 2857, this variant uses a supercharger and replaces two of its medium lasers with medium chemical lasers with one ton of ammunition. The SRM-4 launcher is downgraded to an SRM-2, but retains its ammunition supply of one ton. The 'Mech is protected by four and a half tons of armor.[20]

Apocryphal Content Ends

Design Quirks[edit]

The Jenner has the following Design Quirk:[21][22]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Rattlesnake - A derivative of the Jenner design which is considered a distinct BattleMech but could arguably be regarded as merely a variant.
  • Jenner IIC - Even though the Jenner was constructed only months before the SLDF left the Inner Sphere, the Exodus fleet brought along at least one production model (seen in the Wolf touman on Barbados in Betrayal of Ideals). When the Clans returned they deployed an enhanced IIC version using Clan technology called the Jenner IIC. BV (1.0) = 1,024, BV (2.0) = 1,047
  • Owens - An upgraded Omni version of the Jenner, the Owens debuted shortly after the Raptor and Black Hawk-KU OmniMechs.[23]

Notes[edit]

  • In French products, the unit's proper name was translated as Genêt, a name generally applied to the Genisteae tribe of shrubs.
  • The 'Mech's name is presumably a nod to Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner, and its OmniMech derivate seems to be named for Olympian Jesse Owens.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Technical Readout: Succession Wars, pp. 36–37: "JR7-D Jenner"
  2. Technical Readout: 3025, p. 26
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Technical Readout: 3039, p. 113
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 26
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 26
  6. Classic BattleTech Introductory Record Sheets, pp. 4
  7. Record Sheets: 3039 Unabridged, p. 170
  8. Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 26
  9. Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New, p. 65
  10. Record Sheets: 3039, p. 85
  11. Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 27
  12. Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 18, p. 14
  13. Experimental Technical Readout: Kurita, pp. 3, 16 - JR10-X Jenner's fluff and stats.
  14. Combat Manual: Kurita, p. 30: "Sword of Light - Seventh Sword of Light - Tai-i Shelly Webster"
  15. Turning Points War of 3039: Vega, p. 33
  16. Starterbook: Sword and Dragon, p. 39, 86
  17. Starterbook: Sword and Dragon, p. 105
  18. Record Sheets: Unique 'Mechs p. 2 - Jenner Samuli - Custom Variant published by BattleCorps website.
  19. Be A Hero!, MechWarrior Online Mercenaries donation page, "Sarah Parries"
  20. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, Heroes of the Inner Sphere
  21. BattleMech Manual, p. 92 Design Quirk Table - Jenner Entry.
  22. BattleMech Manual Errata (Version 6.01), p. 9
  23. Technical Readout: 3058, p. 82

Bibliography[edit]