Bad ‘Mechs – Bane (Kraken)
Courtesy of Eldoniousrex
“I will defeat you with two of my Large Lasers powered down!”
“Then I will face you without my machine guns!”
The red-haired MechWarrior scoffed at Star Commander Edwin’s counter-bid. “And you think those piddly armaments would do any more than scratch by Dire Wolf’s paint?”
“Well… there are four of them!”
Star Commander Ross laughed. “Very well, we shall commence our ‘Mech-based duel without your anti-infantry weapons.” The surrounding MechWarriors chuckled at the Clan equivalent of a good zinger.
It was clear to Edwin that he was already losing the opening rounds of this Trial of Grievance. It was unusual for warriors to bid away individual weapon systems before such a trial, especially when both their ‘Mechs were of equal weight, but Ross believed the best way to prove the superiority of her Dire Wolf was to fight Edwin’s Bane without two of its main weapons. Edwin, proud of his classic Jade Falcon assault ‘Mech and eager to demonstrate the superiority of Falcon engineering over a traditional Clan Wolf design, couldn’t let Ross humiliate him before the battle had even begun.
“Additionally,” Edwin called over the laughter of his fellow MechWarriors, “I will fight without two of my autocannon’s ammo bins.”
That caused the laughter to stop–from everyone but Ross. “Well bargained, and done!” She then turned and walked towards the hangars, leaving Edwin speechless and surrounded by looks of concern.
The fight began at range. Ross’s remaining ER Large Lasers stitched lines across Edwin’s Bane, while LRMs pockmarked the assault ‘Mech’s tough armor. In response, Edwin fired all ten of his ultra autocannons, dumping hundreds of rounds into the Dire Wolf’s equally thick hide. The two behemoths stalked forward almost in lockstep, closing the distance while under equally withering fire. By the time the distance between them had closed to within range of Ross’s Medium Pulse Lasers, both their armor were in tatters.
One more fusillade and Edwin would start tearing away at Ross’s internal structure. He pulled the trigger to start delivering the final blows, only nothing happened. A blinking red light on his HUD confirmed his ammo bins had run dry. And without being able to use his machine guns, he was reduced to dishonorable physical combat.
“What’s the matter, Star Commander,” came Ross’s mocking voice. “Have you run out of ammo?”
Edwin slumped in his command chair. She was right–he didn’t stand a chance without working weapons. But he was a proud Falcon warrior, and if there was one thing Falcons didn’t know, it was when to quit.
Edwin shouted into his neurohelmet and kicked his Bane up to its maximum speed of 54 kph. As green bolts chewed into his ‘Mechs internals, Star Commander Edwin lumbered towards victory or death.
There is perhaps no greater example of the Clan’s disregard for ammo dependency than the Bane. With a mere four tons of ammo feeding ten dual-speed autocannons, the Bane is liable to empty its bins in even light combat actions. In protracted fights, the Bane will find itself a 100-ton target for ‘Mechs designed with the foresight of unrestricted warfare.
Like the Stone Rhino, the Bane (or Kraken, as it is known in the Inner Sphere) started life as a Star League-era prototype design. No examples were built before the Amaris Civil War, but as with many future Clan ‘Mechs, the Bane‘s blueprints were taken with General Kerensky during the Exodus. Following Operation Klondike and the re-taking of the Pentagon Worlds, small-scale production of the Bane would see it included in various Clan toumans, fulfilling the role of heavy ranged support. The Bane would be phased out with the arrival of the OmniMech, although the venerable design would continue to see use in second-line units and garrison forces.
Despite newer ‘Mechs supplanting its role in the decades following its introduction in 2827, the Bane would continue to be a favorite of Clan Jade Falcon, often serving as a test-bed for the latest generation of equipment. Production of the Bane would continue at Tokasha MechWorks until the Falcon’s abjuration from the Clan Homeworlds, at which point production was transferred to Olivetti Weaponry on Sudeten.
The initial design for the Bane saw a 100-ton chassis bristling with small-caliber autocannons and machine guns. The Bane had ten such Ultra Autocannon/2s backed up by four machine guns for anti-infantry work. This armament made the Bane incredibly effective both as an anti-aircraft platform and a ‘Mech that could eliminate entire platoons of unarmored infantry. That would remain true until the advent of Elemental armor in the late 2860s, although the sheer volume of fire coming from a single Bane was still problematic for even a full point of Elementals.
The Bane‘s armament would prove less effective against peer foes, especially new-generation assault OmniMechs like the Executioner, Warhawk, and Dire Wolf. Although still effective at crippling lighter ‘Mechs at extreme ranges, heavier units could withstand the Bane‘s lead rain and respond with more potent weapons. Bane MechWarriors often found their four tons of ammunition run dry just before penetrating heavily armored opponents, leaving the Bane combat ineffective at the worst possible moment.
Although flawed for its extreme dependence on ammunition and access to secure supply lines, the Bane did have an exceptional nineteen tons of armor and ten double heat sinks to keep the machine cool in various situations and environments. Its use of standard armor and a standard chassis also made it easier to produce and repair, two qualities that made the Bane especially attractive when Clan Jade Falcon switched to an Inner Sphere production line.
Recognizing the Bane‘s now inadequate armament, the Jade Falcons introduced multiple production variants to address the Bane‘s primary flaw. The Bane 2, introduced in the late 3050s, swapped the original’s light-caliber weapons for four Ultra-class Autocannon/10s. Better yet, the Bane 2 featured fourteen tons of ammunition, allowing it to deliver devastating salvos throughout even extended combat actions. Similarly, the Bane 3 swapped its autocannons for an astounding eight LRM-15 launchers for awe-inspiring volleys of up to 120 missiles. Nineteen double heat sinks kept the Bane 3 cool enough for continuous bombardment, although some of its launchers would eventually remain silent if the pilot wanted to avoid heat issues. A single one-shot Streak SRM-4 launcher seemed inadequate to deter Elementals that manage to sneak their way through enemy lines.
When the Advanced Tactical Missile became more widely available, the Falcons mounted them on the Bane 4 in the mid-to-late 3050s. This variant of the Bane came armed with three ATM-6s with four tons of ammunition, although those were secondary to the ‘Mech’s primary weapon system: twin Ultra Autocannon/20s. These massive cannons were backed by six tons of ammo as well as a single ER Large Laser for additional long-range punch. Seventeen double heat sinks keep the Bane 4 cool.
Although all Banes shared the same chassis, individual variants could appear radically different. For example, the original model Banes featured plantigrade legs, while newer-model Banes feature digitigrade legs. Up until the Dark Age, plantigrade Banes were more common, but increased production from Olivetti Weaponry eventually led to the digitigrade style becoming the standard orientation for Bane locomotion.
Further Dark Age variants continued the Falcons’ penchant for experimentation on the versatile Assault ‘Mech. The Bane 5 uses Inner Sphere-sourced Rotary Autocannon/2s while the Bane 6 returns to the original’s focus on massed small-caliber weapons. Ten ProtoMech AC/2s are matched to twelve tons of ammo and a Targeting Computer for highly accurate long-range fire. The Bane 5 matched its autocannons with an ER Large Laser and twin LRM-10s, while the Bane 6 had four ER Medium Lasers. ECM kept both machines protected while operating at range. Finally, the Bane 7 paired twin HAG 40s with a Large Pulse Laser and four ER Medium Lasers, harkening back to the Bane 4 in terms of armament.
Barring the brief decades following Operation Klondike, the Bane has gone from a relative rarity to a much more common sight on the modern battlefield. However, that can largely be attributed to the Jade Falcons’ scientist caste. Had the Falcons now continuously iterated on the Bane with newer technology, it seems most likely that the Bane would have died out when its armament became outmatched.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
