Mackie

Revision as of 14:50, 2 April 2010 by Doneve (talk | contribs) (add BV 2.0 to Variants & copyedits)
Mackie
Mackie
Production information
Manufacturer Skobel MechWorks
Model MSK-6S
Class Assault
Cost 8,654,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 100 tons
Chassis Ford Super H QWA3X
Armor Standard
Engine Hermes 360
Speed 54.0 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) 1,180
BV (2.0) 1,461


History

Based on advanced technology that the Hegemony Armed Forces (HAF) had been developing for decades under Director-General Jacob Cameron, the Mackie was the ultimate manifestation of Hegemony military might.

On February 5, 2439, the Mackie had its first combat run piloted by Colonel Charles Kincaid. Facing four remote control Merkava heavy tanks, Colonel Kincaid utterly obliterated the test subjects.

Description

The first BattleMech to be built, the Mackie represents the technological advantage that the Terran Hegemony enjoyed over the other great houses when it was first built. The Mackie remained the pinnacle of military technology until plans were stolen by the Lyran Commonwealth in 2455. It held so much importance as a symbol of the Terran Hegemony's strength that it was produced until the start of the Amaris Civil War, although it hasn't been produced since. Because the Mackie was built with then unproven technologies, and the systems were not as efficient as those on modern BattleMechs, it carries a Hermes 360 fusion engine to reach a top speed of 54.0 km/h. The 'Mech also has a heavier than normal cockpit at five tons. In total, the Mackie has twenty tons of armor protection which is as much armor as the entire mass of some modern light 'Mechs. To keep the Mackie cool, it has fifteen heat sinks.

Armament

The Mackie carries what were considered top of the line weapons for its time. The primary weapons on the 'Mech are a PPC and an Autocannon/10 that both have similar range and damage profiles. For close combat, the Mackie has two Medium Lasers. The weapons systems employed on the Mackie aren't that dissimilar to their modern counterparts, though their exact designations and model names have been lost to time.

Variants

  • MSK-5S - The initial prototype Mackie was designated the MSK-5S and carried a slightly different weapons load than the production model MSK-6S. Using an Autocannon/5 in the right arm instead of the AC/10, the MSK-5S also mounted a Large Laser in the center torso rather than the twin Medium Lasers and had two more heat sinks, but all other systems were identical to those seen on the MSK-6S. The MSK-5S was used by Colonel Kincaid in his now-famous combat trial versus the Merkava tanks. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,436
  • MSK-7A - Multiple variants emerged from factories with a "MSK-7#" designation. Dating to the late 2400s, these variants utilized powerful autocannons and energy weapons.[1] BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = ??
  • MSK-8B - This catchall series of Mackies was used to designate 6S's retrofitted with a wide variety of more modern components.[1] BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 2,019
  • MSK-9H - Though most nations got rid of their cloned Mackies in favor of their own 'Mechs, the Hegemony was proud of their achievement. Moreover, many Hegemony militia units made extensive use of the first BattleMech, resulting in a continuous production of the first BattleMech right up until the Amaris Coup. Many of the various militia upgrades coalesced into the 9H, helped by the fact that Skobel continued to produce small quantities of this design. It mounts two Donal PPCs and an Imperator Autocannon/20, backed up by the pair of Starflash Medium Lasers. Nineteen tons of armor gave it full protection, allowing the 9Hs longevity. Nonetheless, Aleksandr Kerensky could only locate around 100 of the 'Mechs to take with him. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 2,022[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Technical Readout: 3075, p. 186

Bibliography