Thunder Fox

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Thunder Fox
Production information
Manufacturer	Skobel ’Mech Works Defiance Industries Luthien Armor Works
Model	TFT-A9
Class	Medium
Technical specifications
Mass	55 tons
Chassis	Dennenbach-Mitchell Series 8 - Modified
Armor	205 Light Ferro-Fibrous with CASE
Engine	DAV 220
Speed	64 km/h
Jump Jets	Rawlings 60
Armament	Light Gauss Rifle ER Large Laser Streak SRM 4 ER Small Laser
BV (2.0)	1,325

Description

The Thunder Fox is a Medium Quad BattleMech produced at end of the Jihad, with thanks to engineer Lara Harman for the design. Harman, a former Mitchell Vehicles designer, secretly used - principally - the Blue Flame Quad Mech's design specs with other Blakist designs to conceive the Fox. The design became popular with the newly formed Republic of the Sphere. It was later exported to the Draconis Combine and Lyran Commonwealth.

By the 3130s, the design fell into hands of many of the splinter groups or pirates that ravaged the Republic of the Sphere after the HPG Blackout. These included the Steel Wolves, the Swordsworn and the Spirit Cats.

Armaments and Capacities

The Thunder Fox's principle weaponry includes a Corean Light Gauss Rifle and a Diverse Optics Sunbeam Extended Range Large Laser. The rifle has been given only a ton of ammunition to consume. When the 'Mech is in close range, the Fox has a 4-tubed SRM Launcher and an Extended Range Small Laser to rely on. The launcher only has one ton of ammunition which is located in the right torso, along with the Light Gauss rifle's ammunition. Protecting the 'Mech from an ammunition explosion, the right torso has CASE to defend against such crippling damage.

To make up for its 64 km/h speed, are its Jump Jets, which allow the 'Mech to jump 90 meters to prevent enemies from attacking it from behind, or to help it move in difficult terrain.

The 'Mech's hull is protected by 9 tons of Light Ferro-Fiberous Armor.

Variants

• TFT-C3 - A Experimental variant intended for Command and Training developed by the Draconis Combine in 3083. This variant removes the Light Gauss Rifle for a Cockpit Command Console and a C3 Command Unit, the ER Small laser for an ER medium laser, and then add a Medium X-Pulse Laser instead of the Streak SRM-4. The variant also trades the A9's Jump Jets for Mechanical Jump Boosters for each leg. All of these changes have been made possible by replacing the standard Fusion engine of the A9 variant with a Light Fusion Engine. BV (2.0) = 1,104

• TFT-L8 - A Lyran Commonwealth variant, which shares a strong resemblance to the Thunder Foxs parent design, the Blue Flame. The L8 uses the Blue Flames 275 rated XL Fusion Engine, which allows it reach 85 kph. The design's jump jet quantity is also increased to match its cruise movement. The design is mainly armed with a pair of Snub-Nose PPCs and an LB 10-X Autocannon. BV (2.0) = 1,513

Dark Age Variants

The following variants were released during Wizkid's Age of Destruction release. There are no canon specs or record sheets for these variants.

• TFX-A4 - Swordsworn variant. A Thunder Fox with a House Davion field upgrade that is financed by the Lord Governor Aaron Sandoval, with the power as Prefect of Prefecture IV and the head of the Sandoval family on the Republican side of the boarder. The upgrade was commissioned to create a strong tie to House Davion for the private army of Duke Sandoval at the time, with the focus on autocannon firepower and mobility that is known by House Davion. The A4 model replaces the ER PPC that is standard on the Republican Thunder Fox with an Ultra Autocannon 10 model, which requires the removal of the targeting computer, C3 Slave system, CASE, and one ton of armor. The standard 250 rated engine had to be upgraded to an extra-light model for the weight of the UAC 10, yet there is room for a 300 rated engine to give the extra speed to close in on the enemy. Due to the weapon layout being meant for close range combat, the upgrade requires an ECM system, in order to delay missile lock as much as possible.

• TFX-A4-M- Republic variant. In compliance with Devlin Stone's plan after the formation of the Republic of the Sphere. The plan called for a 'Mech that is cost-saving in maintenance and repair, yet still effective in combat against invaders and raiders. The Thunder Fox was chosen as the base for such a plan as it allowed the mech to be hulled down better than a two legged 'Mech, and created a limited signature find from the radar in coverage. With cost-saving in mind, endo-steel replaces the standard structure for weight space. The A4-M is armed with a regular SRM-4 and two medium lasers that are easy to repair and keep the cost low. It carries one ton of ammunition, but with CASE to protect the pilot and the rest of the 'Mech from ammo explosions. The only long range weapon that is called for and allows to be spare at no expense is the ER PPC, which happens to be slaved to a targeting computer. To keep the 'Mech cool, it uses the double heatsink system. In order to enhance and coordinate with the rest of the armed force, the 'Mech also carries a C3 slave system. To better protect the pilot and the value of the limited 'Mechs that are produced within the Republic, the mech carries a maximum armor of 11.5 tons of Standard armor that is allowed for a quad-legged 'Mech. The A4-M is able to run at a maximum speed of 86 kph.

• TFX-B1 - Spirit Cats variant
• TFX-B2 - "Frigga" A Rasalhague Dominion variant.
• TFX-B4 - "Bartlby"
• TFX-C4 -

Notes

The Thunder Fox was originally introduced to the Battletech universe by WizKids in their MechWarrior: Age of Destruction Collectiable Miniatures Game. Originally introduced as the TFX-A1 Thunderfox, the 'mech was not given Battletech style stats. Technical Readout: 3085 was the premiere of a base model developed during the Jihad. It is unclear if Dark Age variants (which were not given full stats) are canon as of this writing.

BattleMech Gallery

• 

  Thunder Fox

Related Designs

• Blue Flame

Bibliography

• Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction
• Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge
• Technical Readout: 3085