Rakshasa

Rakshasa
Rakshasa
Production information
Manufacturer General Motors[1]
Production Year 3055[2]
Model MDG-1A
Class Heavy
Cost 18,943,749 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 75 tons
Chassis GM Marauder Special MD Endo Steel
Armor StarGuard Ferro-Fibrous
Engine GM 375 XL
Communications System Dalban Micronics
Targeting Tracking System Sync Tracker (39-42071) with Artemis IV System
Heat Sinks 15 double
Speed 86.4 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) 1,412[3]
BV (2.0) 1,795[4]


Description[edit]

The Rakshasa was designed by engineers at the New Avalon Institute of Science in an attempt to copy the Mad Cat . The finished product, while not as powerful as the OmniMech it emulates, is a powerful 'Mech with an undeserved bad reputation. The Rakshasa is powered by a GM 375 XL engine, giving it comparable ground speed to the 'Mech it attempts to emulate, and built on a GM Marauder Special MD Endo Steel chassis to save weight and allow the 'Mech to carry as similar a weapons payload as possible to the Mad Cat. The Rakshasa also carries eleven and a half tons of StarGuard ferro-fibrous armor giving it slightly less than maximum armor protection.

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The Rakshasa carries as its primary long range weapons a pair of Federated 10-shot LRM-10 launchers. These are mated to an Artemis IV fire control system which gives them greater missile accuracy. The LRM launchers are backed up by a pair of ExoStar ER Large Lasers which provide the 'Mech with respectable firepower at long range. For close combat, the Rakshasa carries two Martell medium lasers and a Martell Medium Pulse Laser. While not identical to the Mad Cat, the Rakshasa is a formidable 'Mech on the modern battlefield.

Variants[edit]

  • MDG-1Ar 
    This variant drops all the weapons except the medium lasers. In their place are a pair of Snub-Nose PPCs in the arms and a pair of MML-7s in the left and right torsos. To protect the missile ammunition, engineers installed CASE.[5] BV (2.0) = 1,675[6]
  • MDG-1B 
    The 1B variant of the 'Mech is a modification made to make the 'Mechs heat levels more manageable. The two ER Large Lasers have been replaced with standard Large Lasers sacrificing range for heat efficiency. BV (1.0) = 1,439[3][7], BV (2.0) = 1,748[8]
  • MDG-2A 
    A departure from the attempt to emulate the Mad Cat, the 2A model removes the 'Mechs arsenal and upgrades it with a new weapons mix geared toward close combat. The primary weapon is a rotary autocannon/5. This is backed up at shorter ranges by a Large Pulse Laser and for point-blank combat, the 'Mech carries four Medium Pulse Lasers. BV (1.0) = 1,480[3][9], BV (2.0) = 1,766[10]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Rakshasa has the following Design Quirks:[11]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Timber Wolf - The Rakshasa was created by the Federated Commonwealth's NAIS in an attempt to replicate the Timber Wolf.
  • Marauder - Though the basis of the Rakshasa was made to counter the Timber Wolf, the mech used parts of the Marauder for its creation.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Handbook House Davion, p. 187
  2. MUL online date for the Rakshasa
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Combat Operations, p. 127
  4. Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 102
  5. Technical Readout: 3085, p. 191
  6. Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New, p. 104
  7. Record Sheets: 3060, p. 196
  8. Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 103
  9. Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 131
  10. Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 104
  11. BattleMech Manual, p. 94 Design Quirk Table - Rakshasa Entry.

Bibliography[edit]