Hermes

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Hermes
Hermes
Production information
Manufacturer Irian BattleMechs Unlimited
Production Year 2632
Model HER-1S
Class Light
Cost 2,701,270 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 30 tons
Chassis Irian Chassis Class 10 Endo Steel
Armor Jolassa-328 Ferro-Fibrous
Engine GM 270
Speed 151.2 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) 596
BV (2.0) 720


Description

The Hermes was first commissioned in 2632 by the Star League Defense Force and reached units extremely quickly, allowing it to be deployed immediately as a scout BattleMech. With the rushed nature of its deployment it came as little surprise to the SLDF that 'bugs' began appearing in the Hermes and the 'Mech quickly gained a reputation for having problematic electronics. These problems would eventually be resolved through time-consuming field-repairs carried out by the SLDF.

As for the Hermes intended mission, the 'Mech was originally designed to be as fast as any 'Mech that existed at the time, trading a great deal of potential firepower for an incredible ground speed. While this made the Hermes nearly untouchable at sustained speed, the MechWarriors who piloted them usually had doubts about taking such an under-armed scout 'Mech into battle. The Hermes would serve for nineteen years on the frontline before reassignment to second-line units and, eventually, be mothballed. The Succession Wars would bring the Hermes out of storage to fight again, though repairs and production of new units had to rely on heavier, less advanced components as Star League technology became lost. The rediscovery of this lostech has spurred on Irian BattleMechs to reintroduce the Hermes as a limited production, specialty 'Mech.

Armament

The Hermes is armed with two Hellion V Medium Lasers tied to an Alexis Photon Target Acquisition System and a single Olympian Flamer. The Alexis improves accuracy by painting the target with a low-intensity targeting laser before firing; if the system fails to lock on, the order to fire is suspended until the target can be reacquired. Though the Flamer is of an old design, using a napalm-based fuel mixture instead of directly tapping the fusion plant’s plasma field, it is considered amongst the safest devised. If it is forced to engage other light 'Mechs, the Medium Lasers give the Hermes good medium to close range firepower and will usually be sufficient. In cases where the Hermes is outmatched, the Flamer gives the MechWarrior the option of starting fires to cover its escape. In addition, the Flamer is an excellent deterrent to any anti-BattleMech infantry considering swarming the 'Mech.

Variants

  • HER-1A 
    The 1A Hermes is the downgraded version of the 1S Hermes. The primary changes that have taken place on the 1S are the removal of the Ferro-Fibrous armor and the substitution of a standard internal structure for the Endo Steel structure on the 1S model. Due to these changes, the armor has been reduced by half, but otherwise there were no sacrifices in either speed or weaponry. BV (1.0) = 501, BV (2.0) = 601[1]
  • HER-1B 
    The 1B Hermes is the same downgraded version of the 1A Hermes. The only difference is the Flamer of 1A is removed and replaced with a Medium Laser. BV (2.0) = 687[2]
  • HER-1Sb 
    The Royal Hermes has an upgraded weapon suite with four medium lasers and one small laser in addition to the flamer. It also mounts a Beagle Active Probe and MASC motive system. Room for these improvements were made possible by switching to a XL Engine. As usual with Royal 'Mechs, it also uses double heat sinks. BV (2.0) = 1112[3]
  • HER-3S 
    The HER-3S variant of the Hermes is the first of several upgraded versions of the Hermes that have been modified for use in electronic warfare. Produced by Irian, this variant first saw production in 3043. This variant of the Hermes drops the Flamer and half the armor tonnage of the original design, while retaining the Endo Steel structure, and replaces them with an upgraded electronics suite that uses a Beagle Active Probe, giving it advanced detection capabilities. In addition, a MASC system has been added to the Hermes to allow it bursts of speed up to 194.4 km/h. BV (1.0) = 510, BV (2.0) = 649[4]
  • HER-3S1 
    The 3S1 is the second of the electronic warfare versions of the Hermes and first saw use in 3049. This version has identical modifications to the 3S but instead of the Beagle Active Probe it carries a Guardian ECM Suite. BV (1.0) = 572, BV (2.0) = 726[5]
  • HER-3S2 
    The 3S2 is the most rare and the most extreme of the electronic warfare versions of the Hermes. This version carries almost identical changes to the 3S except that one of the medium lasers has been sacrificed to free weight for a TAG laser designator, allowing the 'Mech to act as a spotter for Arrow IV artillery rounds. BV (1.0) = 466, BV (2.0) = 600[5]
  • HER-4K 
    This version was prepared in the late 3060s for export to the Draconis Combine. It removes the lasers of the 4S and replaces them with six ER Medium Lasers. A C3 Slave Unit is also added to integrate into the the Combine's C3 network. Armor is removed to make room for all this equipment and an ER Small Laser. (This version should not be confused with the HER-4K version of the Hermes II, otherwise known as the Hermes III, which was an export version of the Hermes II.) BV (2.0) = 1,470[5]
  • HER-4S 
    The 4S Hermes is the most recent upgrade of this venerable 'Mech. The design carries over the MASC and chassis from the 3S1 model but has had a complete upgrade of its weapons and engine. The original standard engine has been replaced with an ExtraLight engine and the armor protection has been upgraded to five and a half tons, which is greater than the original 1S model. The weapons on board the Hermes have also been replaced by three Medium Pulse Lasers, giving the Hermes an unprecedented amount of firepower in its long history. BV (1.0) = 787[6], BV (2.0) = 1,010[5]
  • HER-4WB 
    A variant used exclusively by the Blakists, the 4WB swaps out the Ferro-Fibrous armor for Stealth Armor, resulting in a 'Mech that is more difficult to target at the cost of overall armor protection. BV (2.0) = 1,042[5]

Related BattleMechs

  • Hermes II - The Hermes II is a heavy scout BattleMech originally produced shortly after the fall of the Star League. The Hermes II was intended to replace the Hermes; the basic Hermes II mounts an AC/5, a Medium Laser, a Flamer, and 7.5 tons of armor.[7]

Gallery

References

  1. Technical Readout: 3039, p. 251
  2. Record Sheets: 3039 Unabridged, p. 412
  3. Record Sheets: Operation Klondike, p. 34
  4. Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 191
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Master Unit List: Battle Values, p. 108
  6. Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 45
  7. Technical Readout: 3025, pp. 40-41

Bibliography