Buccaneer (BattleMech)

This article is about the BattleMech. For the civilian DropShip, see Buccaneer (DropShip).

Buccaneer
Production information
Manufacturer	Gibson Federated BattleMechs
Production Year	Introduction Year::3055
Model	BCN-3R
Class	Medium
Cost	11,664,370 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type	Inner Sphere
Mass	55 tons
Chassis	Standard
Armor	Kallon FWL Special Ferro-Fibrous
Engine	VOX 330 XL
Communications System	Easy Talk 2
Targeting Tracking System	RCA Instatrac Mark XIII w/Artemis IV System
Heat Sinks	10 Double Heat Sinks
Speed	97.2 km/h
Armament	1x SRM-6 with Artemis IV 1x ER Large Laser 4x Medium Lasers 1x Medium Pulse Laser 1x Hatchet
BV (1.0)	1,091 1,092
BV (2.0)	1,434

Description

The Buccaneer is a product of the Word of Blake's voracious appetite for military equipment in its first few years, as the order had far more MechWarriors than they had 'Mechs. The Buccaneer was originally designed to be used by ComStar, but had not begun production. When the schism that created the Word of Blake occurred, the design was modified to accommodate equipment available to the Word of Blake in their temporary home of the Free Worlds League. The Buccaneer is built with a lightweight VOX 330 XL Engine that weighs half as much as a standard fusion engine while giving the 'Mech a top speed of 97.2 km/h. It also carries an impressive ten tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, the maximum amount of protection the 'Mech can carry. The Buccaneer utilizes double heat sinks that dissipate twice as much heat as standard heat sinks.

Weapons and Equipment

Designed primarily for short range combat, the Buccaneer carries a single Diverse Optics Sunbeam ER Large Laser to give it some striking capability at long ranges. With its mostly short range arsenal, the Buccaneer excels at close combat. With the elevation of physical combat to an art in the Inner Sphere, the Buccaneer's most fearsome weapon is its four ton Hatchet. For combat at medium to close ranges, the Buccaneer has four Diverse Optics Type 18 Medium Lasers backed up by a highly accurate Starflash Medium Pulse Laser and an Irian Weapons Works 60mm SRM-6 with an Artemis IV guidance system for increased missile accuracy.

Variants

• BCN-5W 

  This variant of the Buccaneer is almost completely a new 'Mech, with the exception of the Hatchet and XL Engine. The 5W is a vicious city fighter that uses a Ceres Arms Crusher Plasma Rifle to damage enemies and force heat buildup in enemy 'Mechs. It is complemented by a trio of Ceres Arms Model 8 Heavy Machine Guns linked together in a Hellespont Machine Gun Array. The 5W also includes a C3i Computer that allows it to share targeting data with other Blakist units. In order to make room for all of these enhancements, the 5W's engine has been downgraded to a 275-rated VOX (giving it a top speed of 86.4 km/h), but it adds seven improved jump jets that allow it to jump 210 meters at a time. The standard complement of double heat sinks keeps the Buccaneer cool, but space constraints necessitated the downgrading of the armor to ten tons of Light Ferro-Fibrous. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,393

• BCN-6W 

  A Jihad variant of the the Buccaneer revised as a Missile Boat. All weaponry, with the exception of the signature Hatchet, has been replaced by three MML-5 Launchers, which are supplied with a single ton of ammunition. This setup requires the pilot to select one type of ammunition prior to their mission. The 'Mech's equipment includes seven Improved Jump Jets and a C3i Computer. BV (2.0) = 1,212.

Design Quirks

The Buccaneer has the following Design Quirk:

• Improved Targeting (Short)
• Rugged(2)

Bibliography

• BattleMech Manual
• BCN-5W Buccaneer Technical Readout
• Combat Operations
• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3060
• Record Sheets: 3060 Unabridged
• Technical Readout: 3060