O'Neal's BattleMechs

O'Neal's BattleMechs
O'Neil-BattleMechs.png
Corporation Profile
Founding Year3049[1]
HeadquartersXolara (Solaris VII)[1]
LeadershipCEO
Product(s)BattleMechs

O'Neal's BattleMechs (also alternately spelt O'Neil's BattleMechs[2]) is one of the many small garage level BattleMech manufacturing firms on Solaris VII serving the Solaris Games.[1][3]

Overview

Located in an old warehouse in Xolara on the Solaris River, O'Neal's is a small team of around ten technicians who opened their doors in 3049, customizing or building BattleMechs from scratch under the direction of its founder Andrea O'Neal for the arenas of the Solaris VII.[1][3]

Circa 3055, O'Neal attracted attention when it received several large purchases from unknown contacts in the Draconis Combine, the shipment arriving at its warehouse under tight security, with the firm going to the extraordinary length of shipping them via the Solaris River rather than the city streets. What the design firm received was unknown, best rumors suggested the shipment contained Clan-technology for inclusion in the firm's designs.[3] Based on later events, it's possible instead that this shipment was the remains of a Royal Spector whose systems O'Neal hoped to reverse engineer.[2]

O'Neal would experience its most notable success when it introduced the WER-LF-004 Werewolf in 3056, the highly mobile and powerful design proving popular in the arenas if not arousing any interest from the Great House militaries, who cited the short-range and lacking ammunition stores. With no major manufacturer expressing interest in manufacturing the Werewolf, O'Neal instead focused on the stables and independents, announcing her plans to sponsor a new stable for testing the firm's designs and new equipment. Drawing a number of dispossessed MechWarriors to visit its warehouse, the firm ultimately focused on its burgeoning relationship with the Banshees Stables who expressed a fondness for the Werewolf.[1][2][3][4]

In 3060, the Banshees approached O'Neal seeking a modifications to the WER-LF-004 model for an upcoming grudge match in the Hartford Gardens against the Huntsmen Stables. O'Neal agreed and proposed additional experimental modifications that the company wanted to field-test — most notably an imperfect and temperamental copy of Star League era Null Signature System. The resulting WER-LF-005 model's debut was a stunning success, with the functional null signature system allowing the Banshee's Alan "Wolfman" Penkerhman to easily best Huntsmen Mark "The Shark" Clark's Hunchback.[2]

By 3067, O'Neal BattleMechs were still one of the more well-known garage level 'Mech design firms of Solaris VII, but aside from a slight expansion to just under fifteen techs, the firm had not produced new designs to rival the Werewolf.[1] While the volume of its losses were unknown, like Solaris as a whole, O'Neal's BattleMechs suffered during the Word of Blake occupation of Solaris at the start of the Jihad, losing its ability to construct BattleMechs like all its competitors save the Vining Engineering and Salvage Team.[5]

Manufacturing

O'Neal's BattleMechs has manufacturing centers on the following planets:

Solaris VII

Components produced on Solaris VII:[2]
Component Type
Mechs
WER-LF-004 Werewolf[2] Medium BattleMech
WER-LF-005 Werewolf[2] Medium BattleMech
Chassis
O'Neal Model II Werewolf[2]
Extralight Fusion Engine
Nissan 200 XL Werewolf[2]
Jump Jets
Rawlings 75 Werewolf[2]
Armor (BattleMechs & Combat Vehicles)
Starshield w/Null Signature System Werewolf[2]
Communications System
Lynx-shur Werewolf[2]
Targeting-Tracking System
Eagle Eye 400XX Targeting-Tracking System - Werewolf[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 148: "O'Neal's BattleMechs (Not Trading)"
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 142: "WER-LF-005 Werewolf"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Solaris: The Reaches, p. 25: "MechTech - O'Neal's BattleMechs (X-20)"
  4. Solaris: The Reaches, p. 62: "Werewolf"
  5. Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 29: "Solaris VII"

Bibliography