ECM 3025

This article is about the apocryphal piece of equipment that was supposedly mounted on the early Raven. For the canonical item that was later revealed to fill that same role in the game, see EW Equipment.

Description

At the end of the Third Succession War when Lostech was rampant, House Liao managed the unlikely feat of developing the RVN-1X Raven, an entirely new BattleMech design that was to serve as an electronic warfare and countermeasures support on company or battalion level. It was a testbed for new electronic warfare components which was usually only referred to as "ECM Equipment".

In its envisioned role, the lightly armed and armored Raven was to stand off in engagements and identify targets for artillery and indirect fire at longer than usual ranges, and to degrade enemy electronic warfare techniques. However, revolutionary as it may have been in its time, the experimental equipment proved to be too heavy and not sophisticated enough and did not live up to expectations when it was prematurely rushed into service in the Fourth Succession War.

No game rules were originally provided for the Raven's ECM equipment. However, non-canonical rules were provided in the German edition of the Solaris VII: The Game World boxed set. It had been expanded to contain rules for the "ECM 3025" as well as additional 'Mech sheets that had not been in the original English version. The rules were identical to the (equally non-canonical) Apocryphal rules previously published by the MechForce Germany.

Tactical Operations rules now refer to the Raven's ECM suite as EW Equipment, providing definitive rules some two decades after the first appearance of the 'Mech.

As the Raven evolved, its electronic warfare equipment evolved as well and was eventually phased out in favor of (or evolved into) more efficient modern systems. As of 3050, the line model RVN-3L mounts a Guardian ECM Suite, a Beagle Active Probe, a Target Acquisition Gear and a Narc Missile Beacon in the place of the original equipment. (Errata later removed the active probe.)

Rules

Game Rules

According to the (apocryphal) German rules, the ECM 3025 weights 7.5 tons and costs approximately 120,000 C-bills. It can theoretically be installed on any 'Mech, although the only 'Mech that was ever designed to carry the equipment was the early Raven. Summarily, it could be described as a combination of a prototype ECM Suite and a prototype Active Probe.

In game terms, the ECM 3025 occupies 4 critical hit slots. Units equipped in this way have the following advantages/abilities:

• Detect hidden enemy units (but not infantry) if passing by them at a distance of less than 4 hexes (16 under Solaris VII rules) or ending movement within that range (similar to a Beagle Active Probe).
• When hitting an enemy with a missile volley, add +1 to the roll that determines how many missiles hit the target.
• Can call indirect LRM fire without the usual +1 to-hit modifier applying to friendly units.
• When used as forward artillery spotter, a -2 to-hit modifier applies to indirect artillery fire.
• According to descriptions the ECM 3025 also has some jamming and ECM capabilities, but no game rules are given.

The original RVN-1X Raven specified the ECM 3025 to be mounted in the Center Torso section. Since this section only provides 2 critical hit slots (while 4 are required for the equipment), it is apparently possible to split the slots for ECM 3025 over two adjacent locations.

For comparison, EW Equipment weighs 7.5 tons and takes up 4 critical spaces. It functions as an active probe and an ECM suite within a radius of three hexes. The combined mass and bulk of the system make it strictly inferior to mounting both a Beagle and Guardian system instead, but the latter systems are of a higher technology level.

Canonicity

The ECM 3025 was never published in any official English source, being an addition to the German edition of the Solaris VII: The Game World boxed set. As such, it is deemed non-canon and is not tournament legal.

Further, Tactical Operations has since introduced EW Equipment and established it as the item canonically mounted on the original RVN-1X Raven, supplanting the ECM 3025 for good.

References

• Arena-Planet Solaris VII (German edition of Solaris VII: The Game World)