Silenced_Sonix
03/13/04 03:40 AM
168.209.97.34
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More quasi-Italian 'Mechs...
PST-3MR Pipistrello
Chassis: Argile H/09
Power Plant: Pitban 280 XL
Cruising Speed: 86
Maximum Speed: 129
Jump Jets: Swingline X-1000
Jump Capacity: 240 meters
Armor: PanzerSlab Type 5
Armament:
4 PAF Modello VII Medium Lasers
6 Marian Hegemony RLauncher-10s
Manufacturer: Planetario Armatura Fabricca di Bergendale
Primary Factory: Bergendale
Communications System: Garret T-11C
Targeting and Tracking System: Garret D2j with Short-Range Targeting
Overview:
Built by the BattleMech company Planetario Armatura Fabbrica di
Bergendale (Planetary Armor Factory of Bergendale), a small Word of
Blake-controlled company in the FWL, the Pipistrello (Bat) was
designed as a highly mobile light BattleMech (a Battaglia Meccanico
in the director's language) to be used not for scouting, but for
melee in-fighting at short ranges, where its array of jumpjets (a
capacity to jump up to 240 meters has been noted), specialized
short-range targetting, and the sixty OS missiles arrayed on its
torso and arms gives it teeth to threaten even heavy to assault
'Mechs.
Capabilities:
Outfitted with four Star League-era medium-grade lasers, the
Pipistrello does not offer much damage in that category, and the
lasers are most often used only as secondary weapons. The
Pipistrello's primary weapon set is a total of six ten-shot rocket
launchers mounted on its torso and arms, giving it the ability to
launch off a salvo of rockets when needs arise that is potentailly
fatal to many 'Mech designs. This massed firing ability, coupled with
a specialized targetting system that favours targets at short (less
than 200 meters) range, gives the Pipistrello a useful edge against
other light 'Mechs. Its maneuverability (running speed clocked at
more than 120km/h), augmented by jump ports that can proppel the
'Mech for up to 240 meters, makes the Pipistrello a highly
maneuverable and equally elusive target, and the design has been
noted to spend more time airborne that actually on the ground.
Deployment:
Used for testing by the Blakists, the Pipistrello never really
found favour in the eyes of its religion-driven pilots, despite the
large voulme of sheer destructive power that it could throw at a
target when it got close enough. Part of the disdain came from
reliance on the relatively simple rocket launcher system that the PAF
di Bergendale had managed to acquite from the Marian Hegemony as
partial payment for an earlier delivery of Freccia's, and the fact
that the Pipistrello was severely hampered when forced to engage
targets at long range, due to the nature of its targetting system.
Once again, the Marain Legions ordered two runs of the Pipistrello
near the end of the Jihad, and the sole surviving members of this
highly mobile design now resides under Caesar's command.
Battle History:
Insignificant as its battle history might be due to pilots'
reluctance to use the design, the few pilots that did use the
Pipistrello were sometimes accredited with spectacular results - and
sometimes equally spectacular failures. Of the 'Mechs used by the
Marina Legions, there was an instance where one of the Marian pilots,
running as a advisor/instructor to the Blakist on the Pipistrello's
capabilities, was cornered in an urban area by two Davion 'Mechs - a
JagerMech and a Cyclops respectively. Focussing on the Cyclops, the
Pipistrello's pilot had unloaded his entire array of sixty rockets at
the Davion 'Mech, scoring several direct hits on the 'Mech's head as
the wave of missiles had splattered over the'Mech's entire torso.
Severly damaged as it was, the Cyclops had tried to retreat, but the
accumilated damage to the great 'Mech had been too great, and a final
stab of lasers from the now almost-boilling Pipistrello had dropped
the Davion 'Mech for good. Radiating waves of steam, and with
bright-green coolant gushing from a severed coolant link on its one
arm, the Marian pilot had turned around and started to walk back to
the Blakist lines in a slow shuffle at less than 30km/h, all the
while fighting to keep the 'Mech from shutting down. It was at this
point that the JagerMech appeared and started to hammer away at the
limping shape of the Pipistrello. It was the Marian pilot's response
to the attack that resulted in him being award one of the highest
Blakist medals for bravery - at his ceremonial burial. Faced with the
prospect of falling any momnet to the JagerMech's assault, the
Pipistrello's pilot had fired the 'Mech's jumpjets up for the last
time, and had sent the little 'Mech hurtling into the JagerMech at
full thrust. Although both pilots managed to eject, the resulting
explosion from first the Pipistrello, and then the JagerMech 's
engines going critical in short succession from the hellish
temperatures, cratered the city block they had been fighting in, and
both pilots died from radiation poisoning within days.
Known Variants:
Unknown. Some designs spoke of removing the rocket launcher
systems and repalcing them with conventional SRM packs, but no
confirmation can be gained on this matter.
PST-3MR Pipistrello
Technology Base: - Inner Sphere - Level 3
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure: - EndoSteel 1.75
Engine: 280 XL 8
Walking MP: 8
Running MP: 12
Jumping MP: 8
Heat Sinks: 11(22) - Double 1
Gyro: 3
Cockpit: 3
Armor Factor: 116 7.25
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 11 16
Center Torso(rear) 5
R/L Torso 8 12
R/L Torso(rear) 4
R/L Arm 6 12
R/L Leg 8 15
Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Medium Laser LA 1 1
RLauncher-10 LA 1 0.5
Medium Laser LT 1 1
RLauncher-10 LT 1 0.5
RLauncher-10 LT 1 0.5
Jump Jet LT 4 0.5
Medium Laser RT 1 1
RLauncher-10 RT 1 0.5
RLauncher-10 RT 1 0.5
Jump Jet RT 4 0.5
Medium Laser RA 1 1
RLauncher-10 RA 1 0.5
Evolve or Die
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Cray
03/13/04 08:01 AM
68.200.110.103
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Italians! That's what's missing from BT.
Nice mech - I've played around with similar fast/ML/TC combos and they always look fun.
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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Silenced_Sonix
03/13/04 09:02 AM
168.209.97.34
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Well, I am especially fond of the Marian Hegemony - them being quasi-Roman - and thought it would be nice to have some Italian 'Mechs for them, provided under the cover of the Blakist Jihad.
Evolve or Die
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tgsofgc
03/14/04 04:02 PM
67.4.198.45
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Very Nice mech. I loved the name and itallian flavor, the fluff was very good. All the cannon tie ins were appropriate well explained, and the machine itself is mean. GJ!
I find that 'pinpoint' accuracy during a bombing run increases proportionally with the amount of munitions used.
-Commander Nathaniel Klepper,
Avanti's Angels, 3058
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