Flea

Flea
Flea
Production information
Manufacturer Earthwerks Incorporated
Production Year 2475[1][2][3]
Model FLE-17[4]
Class Light[4][[Category:Light[4] BattleMechs]]
Cost 1,728,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 20[4] tons[[Category:20[4] ton BattleMechs]]
Chassis Earthwerk Trooper II Endo Steel[4]
Armor Livingston Ceramics[4]
Engine GM 120[4]
Communications System Neil 2000[4]
Targeting Tracking System Dalban HiRez-B[4]
Heat Sinks 10[4]
Speed 97[4] km/h (119[4] km/h with MASC)
Armament
BV (1.0) 371[5]
BV (2.0) 510[4][6]


Description

Focused on speed and firepower, the lightly armored Flea was an extremely rare sight until the arrival of the Wolf's Dragoons mercenary unit, with the design experiencing a revival as an inexpensive recon and anti-personnel militia 'Mech.[7][8]

Initially called the TRP-1 Trooper when it was introduced as the Free Worlds League's first light scout BattleMech in 2475, the design was so heavily flawed that it took twenty-five years before all the issues were corrected, with a new name selected to escape the bad press. While produced on and off until the early Succession Wars, excessive losses of the lightly armored design led Earthwerks to switch its production line to manufacturing heavier designs. This changed with the arrival of the Wolf's Dragoons, who brought with them a large number of Fleas and reached an exclusive production arrangement with Earthwerks that resulted in the company opening new lines to replenish the Dragoons' losses in the Fourth Succession War. [9] With multiple lines on Asuncion, Bernardo and Victoria, after letting the Dragoons' exclusivity clause lapse, Earthwerks started selling the easy to manufacture, easy to maintain 'Mech by the DropShip load across the Inner Sphere.[4]

Originally produced exclusively for the Dragoons until the Capellan Confederation acquired the design's blueprints via a Maskirovka raid during the 3040s, the post-Helm Memory Core FLE-17 variant is based on the older FLE-15 model. Retaining the design's maximum speed of 97.2 km/h, the addition of an Endo Steel chassis frees up weight for a MASC system that allows the 'Mech's speed to be pushed up to 129.6 km/h in short bursts. The increase of speed is required to ensure survival on the modern battlefield, as the FLE-17 is only clad in a pitiful three tons of Livingston Ceramics armor plating.[4][8]

Weapons and Equipment

The FLE-17's primary weapons are two Martell Medium Pulse Lasers, replacing the FLE-15's more mundane standard lasers. These are backed up by an Olympian Flamer which works well for anti-personnel use. The Flea also has two rear-mounted Martell Small Lasers for point defense.[4][8]

Variants

  • FLE-4 
    An original Flea model, the FLE-4 is built on a standard chassis and has a maximum speed of 97.2 km/h. The 'Mech was armed with a Martell Large Laser, allowing it to attempt to keep any heavier 'Mechs at a stand-off range if they attempt to engage. The 'Mech carries two Martell Small Lasers for close in work as well as a Olympian Flamer for anti-infantry purposes. The cost of its relatively heavy weaponry and high speed is its two tons of armor, half that of even the venerable Locust and the reason why the 'Mech was discontinued. BV (1.0) = 360[5], BV (2.0) = 427[9]
  • FLE-14 
    Entering production in 2519 the FLE-14 Flea was an attempt to create an ultra-light BattleMech. Weighing a mere fifteen tons, it could arguably be regarded as a different 'Mech design. It was capable of a maximum ground speed of nearly 150km/h, with an average cruising speed near 90km/h. This variant also had a 120 meter jump capability. Its weapons and armor however were very light: Only one ton of armor protected the unit, and the single Medium Laser mounted in the right arm was barely enough to make it a viable battlefield unit. Intended to replace the Wasp or Stinger scout 'Mechs, the FLE-14 was definitely quicker but the low armor protection and limited jump range made it vulnerable. In fact, a Small Laser could inflict heavy damage on the unit. As a result, it saw only one production run and was phased out once its shortcomings were revealed.[10] BV (2.0)=270[11]
  • FLE-15 
    Another early variant, the FLE-15 features a more common light 'Mech offensive payload with two Martell Medium Lasers as its primary weapons. For close combat and anti-infantry work, it mounts two Martell Small Lasers, two Sperry Browning Machine Guns and a Olympian Flamer. Lighter weapons allows it to carry an extra ton of armor over the FLE-4.[9] BV (1.0) = 352[5], BV (2.0) = 430[12]
  • FLE-16 
    Built as part of the Wolf's Dragoons exclusive contract with Earthwerks Incorporated to replenish the Dragoon's losses at the end of the Fourth Succession War, alongside renewed production of original Fleas, the FLE-16 was the first new production model of the extremely rare 'Mech in centuries. The variant remedied the earlier FLE-14's weaknesses by combining incredible speed with additional armor and weaponry on a 20 ton chassis. The engine was upgraded to a GM 180 in order to reach a similar maximum ground speed of nearly 150 km/h. It mounts two Martell Medium Lasers and an Olympian Flamer while retaining an armor profile like the earlier FLE-15. Even though the FLE-16 carries more weaponry than its ultra-light predecessor, the armor is still too low to endure direct combat. [13] BV (2.0) = 506[14]
  • Fire Ant 
    A vicious anti-infantry variant, the Fire Ant's origin is a mystery, though it was first seen sometime after 3058 and disappeared after 3068. Possibly the predecessor to the 19 and 20, the Fire Ant removed a half ton of armor in favor of six Machine Guns and three Flamers.[4] BV (2.0) = 332[17]

Design Quirks

The FLE-14 Flea variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:[10]

Notes

  • The Fire Ant variant is derived from the 'Mech of the same name found in the video game MechCommander 2. Although the 'Mech in the game is never referred to as a Flea, the in-game art, the specifics, and the reference to the design in Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade and the stats for it in Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrade (Inner Sphere) imply that the Fire Ant is, at least now, canonized as a Flea variant.
  • There was a non-canon version appearing in Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries that sported two Machine Gun Arrays, two Small Lasers, and a Flamer.
  • The Flea was the sixteenth BattleMech announced for MechWarrior Online, however it was never added to the game and the developers have indicated it may never be developed, to the point of hiding and obscuring the annoucement page for the 'Mech.
  • The very first model of the FLE-16 was obtained by Sergeant Ulzanna Whitehead after she joined the Wolf's Dragoons Home Guard stationed on Outreach, after the world was 'gifted' to the Dragoons following the Fourth Succession War.[13]

BattleMech Gallery

References

  1. Era Digest: Age of War, p. 11
  2. Wolf's Dragoons, p. 105, "...the Trooper name was abandoned in favor of the more descriptive Flea."
  3. Technical Readout: 3039, p. 242, "...the FWL renamed [the Trooper] the Flea."
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 8, "FLE-17 Flea 'Mech Profile"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Combat Operations, p. 130
  6. Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrades Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 6
  7. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 50, "Flea Profile"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Technical Readout: 3050 Revised, pp. 46-47, "Flea 'Mech Profile"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Technical Readout: 3039, p. 242, "FLE-4 Flea Profile"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1, p. 3
  11. MUL Profile for FLE-14 includes BV2.
  12. MUL online entry for FLE-15
  13. 13.0 13.1 Technical Readout: Succession Wars, p. 6
  14. Technical Readout: Succession Wars, p. 7
  15. Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrades Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 7
  16. Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrades Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 8
  17. Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrades Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 9

Bibliography