Cray
07/22/04 01:16 PM
147.160.136.10
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The 3007 "New Republic" "pirate raid" on Chahar brought the "New Republic Pirates" to the attention of the Lyran Commonwealth. Beyond the very unusual nature of the "raid," the LCAF identified a number of unusual features about the "pirates" and their machines. The two pirate Griffins destroyed at a Chahar spaceport illustrated some of these peculiarities.
OVERVIEW
The Griffins used in the Chahar "raid" were in better shape than typical pirate mechs, with no critical component failures. (The number of unrepaired failed components in the mechs were used by the LCAF to estimate the level of smuggling operations that the "New Republic Pirates" conducted in the Commonwealth. It was not as high as first feared.)
The two Griffins used a substantially standard Earthwerk GRF chassis, but differed in weapons. The standard PPC and LRM launcher were gone, replaced with a battery of lasers. Armor was thickened and heat sinks had been added.
Though there might have been a parts shortage for the Griffins, they showed signs of competent tech support. For one thing, both captured Griffins had been fitted with identical (in function) modifications despite very different origins: one had been built in 2563 in the Terran Hegemony, while other had been built in 2919 by the FWL. For example, both had identical gyroscopes (manufactured by a Lyran company in 3002), despite differing mounts for the gyroscopes. The gyros were fitted with well-designed adaptors (as opposed to juryrigged adaptors that might be expected of pirates). Another example came from LCAF Battle ROMs of the Chahar "raid," where the five other Griffins that participated seemed to have the same load out; it takes good technicians to standardize 7 battlemechs to that extent. The armor and several structural components of the captured Griffins could not be traced to known manufacturers. Interrogations of captured pirates confirmed the LCAF's suspicions: the pirates had some level of advanced industry, if not the ability to build new battlemechs or key components like gyroscopes and fusion engines.
(Said a pirate in interrogation, "Duh. And if we did make'em, we wouldn't be risking war by stealing those parts out of the Commonwealth now would we? That saying about military intelligence being an oxymoron sure seems true around you bright lights- ow!")
CAPABILITIES
The "New Republic" [1] Griffins are an interesting exercise in ammo-independent battlemech design. They retain the agility of a Griffin, but have a weapon array suited for short range combat. Their durability has been improved, too, allowing the Griffin to exploit its new weapon array. If the "New Republic" pirates had operated elsewhere, the Griffins would probably have quite respectable battlefield performances. Unfortunately, they operate in Lyran space, home of the "thundering herd" and its many heavy and assault mechs. As noted in Battle History, below, the pirate Griffins have suffered a number of ignoble defeats simply because they are forced into fights against Lyran mechs that excel at short range combat.
[1] It should be noted that the "New Republic" name was applied by the Commonwealth to these pirates. Captured pirates claim to be from a former Rim Worlds Republic world (hence, "New Republic.") The pirates call the world "New Aragon," but no RWR planet had that name. "New Aragon" is used to name a multitude of places across the Inner Sphere, including an entire Federated Suns planet in the Capellan March. To avoid confusion with the FS world, the LCAF refers to the pirates as "The New Republic Pirates."
The traditional shoulder drum mount of the Griffin is present on these mechs, but it holds a quintuple array of Harmon Medium lasers rather than an LRM 10. In other "New Republic" raids, LCAF troops have mistaken this drum launcher for an LRM 5. It is not a critical mistake, but can be a surprise. The pistol-like PPC of the Griffin has been replaced by the rifle-like Harmon Heavy laser of the PHX-1 Phoenix Hawk (another mech apparently popular with the New Republic pirates.) Pirate mechwarriors must exercise good heat discipline with this array of lasers but when used properly, it delivers good firepower at short and medium ranges.
Another change to the pirate mechs is the heavier armor. The leg and center torso armor are significantly thicker, which improves protection of vital components (engine, gyroscope) and improves the chances that the Griffin can flee combat if needed.
BATTLE HISTORY
The 3007 "Chahar Raid" was the first known encounter with the "New Republic pirates," though pirate personnel captured in later years would claim that the "New Republic pirates" had begun operating slightly before the turn of the millennium.
On Chahar, a major Lyran industrial planet and source of several assault mech models, the pirates did not storm the planet, with all the usual raping, pillaging, and looting. In fact, the ten pirate mechs had apparently been on planet for over a week before the fighting began, lurking in a warehouse the pirates were using. (The estimate is nine days. A review of spaceport security camera records identified ten mech-scale crates shipped to the warehouse nine days prior to the battle.) The pirate mechs (and infantry) seemed to be guards for the goods stored in the warehouse and only acted when the operation was exposed by port authorities.
Indeed, it's thought that the pirate mechs had only been deployed when critical, illegally-obtained parts (fusion engines) began arriving at the warehouse and/or when the pirate dropship (a Mule) arrived to pick up the warehouse contents. If the smuggling operation was exposed before then, the pirate mechs would've done little good: they would've been "defending" legal goods (personal computers, machine tools, educational materials) that could be legally exported and/or would've lacked a ride home.
However, the smuggling operation was exposed in that critical time period and pirate troops at the warehouse acted.
The spaceport authorities first sent in a few port police to arrest some suspected smugglers. They were promptly stunned and locked up by pirate infantry. The pirate warehouse workers began an emergency loading effort of the dropship. The port authority next called on a nearby SWAT team, which was allowed to storm fully into the warehouse before the pirate infantry annihilated them. The infantry also sallied out of the warehouse to destroy nearby police units and command vehicles supporting the SWAT team. It was at this point the police and port authority thought they had some House intelligence operation on their hands: the pirate infantry were uniformed (no unit markings, of course) and fitted with standardized gear, both heavy armor and heavy weaponry. It was no wonder the two SWAT squads had been overwhelmed.
Chahar's sizable LCAF garrison and local militia were alerted (after several hours of dithering). Figuring the warehouse was held by special forces infantry, the LCAF allowed a ragged deployment of troops to the spaceport. First on the scene was a lance of Lyran mechs, who were in the air about fifteen minutes ahead of other planetary defenders. The local LCAF commander figured that the typically heavy Lyran lance (Warhammer, Crusader, Archer, Centurion) was overkill for infantry and, if so, other units would not even need to leave their bases.
The lance commander, in the Crusader, tore open the sheet steel wall of the warehouse to overawe and panic the infantry.
It turned out that they faced a light company of Griffins (7) and Phoenix Hawks (3). The pirate infantry did not engage the Lyran mechs. The pirates had apparently been ready for the Lyran lance (infantry spotters were suspected) and obliterated the Crusader with a withering blast of point blank laser fire. The massed fire of the pirates quickly destroyed the other Lyran mechs.
During the interim before the next Lyran mechs arrived, the pirate mechs had set down their large lasers and had assisted loading last stolen goods into the pirate dropship. A garrison Union arrived eleven minutes after the first fight with a full company of mechs. At the same time, police SWAT teams launched a blitz on the pirate infantry.
The Lyrans definitely had a tonnage edge over the pirate mechs, but the pirate mechwarriors showed verve and talent. As the Lyran Union settled onto the spaceport tarmac, the fast pirate mechs charged to the heels of the dropship and disrupted the Lyran mech deployment. The weight of Lyran iron carried the day: the first garrison mechs might've been isolated and endangered, but as the quintessentially Lyran Atlases and Zeus emerged, the Lyrans no longer needed a cohesive battle formation to smash the pirate mechs. The pirate mechs retreated to their dropship after a few more salvos, leaving behind two fallen Griffins and one surviving pirate mechwarrior.
The Lyran police, however, had far less luck. The police touted their success in driving out the pirate infantry in Chahar's media. LCAF review of the SWAT team actions suggested the pirate infantry had retreated in good order after ensuring pirate noncombatants finished evacuating the warehouse and nearby offices; they also brought their wounded with them. The police riot control and light automatic weapons did not really phase the well-armored pirate infantry. A single squad of pirate infantry was isolated by the advancing Lyran mechs and surrendered after (according to the squad leader) refusing aid from the other pirates as being too risky to the overall plan.
And the overall plan was apparently a success: the pirate dropship escaped with most of the warehouse's contents.
The first draft of the LCAF report concluded that the Chahar raid was orchestrated and run more like a parts raid by one Successor State on another than a "true" pirate raid, owing to the degree of preparation and infiltration. The final draft removed the comparison of a dastardly pirate band to noble Houses, like the Lyran Commonwealth.
The "New Republic pirates" rarely launch true raids, and thus examples of this Griffin variant's battle history are limited. The pirates' preferred MO is to operate legal businesses that acquire legal goods and ship them to central receiving planets (like Chahar apparently was) by legal Lyran freight companies, and then pick them up with one of their few jumpships. Their most illegal actions involve acquisition of critical but controlled goods, like military fusion engines, weapons, and battlemech components. These are also innocuously gathered at central warehouses in Lyran space using Lyran shipping firms, thereby avoiding import/export regulations. At some point, these controlled goods are spirited off by pirate ships.
The raids they do launch target military warehouses. From these raids, it's known that "New Republic" pirates are well-trained and show excellent discipline, but are not very elite. Indeed, they are only about on par with regular House troops. However, they pick their fights very well, waiting until most local troops are well away from the base on exercises or some other redeployment.
DEPLOYMENT
The "New Republic pirates" are thought to deploy at least a company of their Griffins, perhaps two companies. Additional "New Republic" pirates captured by the Lyran Commonwealth claim that New Republic's mech procurement methods are similar to that of mercenaries: they send buyers with money to planets with plenty of mechs (Galatea, for example) and purchase salvage- or wreckage-grade mechs. Their focus (for purposes of logistics) is apparently on Griffins and Phoenix Hawks, two plentiful and common mech designs.
VARIANTS
Technically, this is a variant of the standard Griffin.
Code:
NEW REPUBLIC GRIFFIN
55 tons
5.5 tons internal structure
15.5 tons 275 Coretek
Walking: 5
Running: 8
Jumping: 5
4 tons 14 SHS
3 tons gyroscope
3 tons cockpit
11.5 tons armor
Head: 3 9
CT: 18 26/9
RT/LT: 13 20/6
RA/LA: 9 18
RL/LL: 13 26
5 tons Large Laser (RA)
5 tons 5x Medium Lasers (5 RT)
2.5 tons Jump Jets (CT, 2 RT/LT)
Heat Sink Crits: CT, RL/LL
Both hand actuators present
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Tzu
07/25/04 04:43 PM
66.156.90.79
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I see you've posted this here as well as over at CBT. It's a nice design overall, but there is one particularly disturbing problem. If you lose your right torso, you lose all your weapons.
Ever made a 'Mech with 6 Gauss Rifles? I have.
Brick Commander, where Lego and Battletech unite!
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Cray
07/25/04 09:17 PM
68.200.111.168
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Quote:
I see you've posted this here as well as over at CBT. It's a nice design overall, but there is one particularly disturbing problem. If you lose your right torso, you lose all your weapons.
That's no different than the standard 3025 Griffin: PPC and LRM 10 on the right side. This pirate Griffin replaced the LRM mount with 5 MLs, and replaced the PPC with a large laser. The chassis wasn't altered all that much.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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