Bad ‘Mechs – Phantom
Courtesy of Eldoniousrex
“MechWarrior Donovan! Report to ‘Mech bay 12 for your new assignment.”
Donovan immediately excused himself from his Starmates and left the mess hall heading down the corridor that would lead him to the ‘Mech bays. They’d only just been discussing his mysterious assignment, a new ‘Mech design that would replace his aging Mist Lynx. Donovan would miss what was a fairly rare design for a Clan Wolf MechWarrior, but he was told that its replacement would be bigger and better.
And larger it certainly was. The squat, boxy design had none of the elegance of his old Mist Lynx, with a hunched back that extended into a shroud that nearly enveloped the cockpit. The right arm ended in what appeared to be a medium laser, while the left arm had five missile ports--half as many as his Mist Lynx.
Donovan was examining the strange ports and lenses that dotted the ‘Mech’s torso when his commanding officer, Star Commander Rachel, appeared with his neurohelmet. “Donovan, good. You will be trained on your new ‘Mech for the rest of the day. This design is called the Phantom by our scientists, and it was made with direct input from Khan Phelan Ward himself.”
“A design made by Khan Ward? I have heard of his custom ‘Mech, Grinner. This must share its firepower, quiaff?”
“Well,” Star Commander paused and looked away while she ignored the expected answer to Donnovan’s inquiry. “It is faster and better armored than the Mist Lynx, that is certain, but its available pod space is somewhat less than you are used to.”
“A Mist Lynx is no Timber Wolf,” Donovan said with a chuckle. “How much less pod space?”
“Approximately 25 percent,” Rachel replied, and Donovan grimaced. “There is more. That lens on the left side of the ‘Mech is for your Targeting Acquisition Gear, and the domed ports on the right contain an active probe and ECM equipment.”
Donovan stared blankly at his Star Commander as she seemed to mentally review a prepared speech. “The Phantom is designed to ensure accurate op-for assessment and to prevent ambushes at the binary and trinary engagement level. Additionally, its high speed allows it to designate targets for artillery bombardment and escape before opposing forces can effectively engage.”
Donovan continued to stare at Star Commander Rachel silently for several seconds. Then, “Star Commander, what is ‘artillery’?”
“This has not been made clear to me,” stated Rachel, flatly. “I am told that Khan Ward has plans to integrate Inner Sphere military tactics with Clan doctrine, and this ‘Mech is the result.”
“I see,” replied Donovan. “Can it jump?”
“Neg. But it can outrun a Mist Lynx by more than 30 kilometers per hour.”
Donovan gave a critical sniff. “Well, we cannot argue with the wisdom of a Khan, quineg?”
Rachel smiled, hopeful that this meant Donovan was at least open to the idea of a radical change in tactics. Those hopes were dashed as the rest of the afternoon was spent trying to convince Donovan that he was meant to merely observe his opponents using the Phantom’s advanced sensors rather than engage them himself. Only after he’d run headlong into the blast zone of an Arrow IV impact did Rachel seriously consider requesting a return of his old Mist Lynx.
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The Phantom is a bizarre ‘Mech by Clan standards, but in hindsight, that was perhaps to be expected from the highly unconventional Clan Wolf. The Phantom takes the idea of the heavy scout to its extreme, eschewing almost all firepower in favor of maximum speed and armor. It is the quintessential team player, requiring assistance from other units (be those complementary ‘Mechs, artillery, or Elementals) in order to have an impact on the battlefield.
This flies in the face of traditional Clan doctrine which emphasizes individual battle performance over all else. Even nonconformist Clan Wolf MechWarriors required some time to adjust to the Phantom‘s intended mission profile. They would have just five years to learn completely new tactics between the Phantom‘s introduction in 3052 and its trial by fire during the Refusal War, where light Stars led by Phantoms would harass Jade Falcon units and designate targets for artillery strikes.
However, the Phantom‘s efficacy was debatable. Although an admirable Elemental delivery ‘Mech with a top speed of 151 kph, its lack of firepower made it a mediocre ambusher, with other, older ‘Mechs able to fulfill the role of a high-speed harasser better. The Viper and Ice Ferret are both just over 10 kph slower than the Phantom, but with two and three tons of additional pod space respectively, both are able to mount much higher-damage configurations while maintaining a similar armor profile. Furthermore, both the Viper and Ice Ferret continued to develop new pod configurations for decades, with both receiving variants that mounted similar advanced electronics.
While one could argue the Viper is mostly found in the Ghost Bear touman, the Ice Ferret had been in production by Clan Wolf’s ‘Mech factories for over a century by the time the Phantom was introduced. Given the Ice Ferret‘s similar design, it’s a complete mystery why Clan Wolf commissed the Phantom to begin with, but it’s doubly baffling why both ‘Mechs remained in production simultaneously for decades.
Clan Wolf factories on Arc-Royal would continue to produce both the Phantom and Ice Ferret throughout the Jihad, although production would cease temporarily after the planet was struck by Word of Blake forces. In the Clan Homeworlds, the one factory building Phantoms would exchange hands several times, causing the Phantom to proliferate among the Home Clans. It has reportedly replaced the Fire Moth due to its similar speed but heavier armor.
The Phantom‘s end was thought to have come with the arrival of the Wulfen, an advanced light ‘Mech featuring stealth armor and an even higher top speed. However, demand for the Wulfen far outstretched supply, and Clan Wolf was forced to continue supporting Phantom-equipped Galaxies. With the invasion of Terra looming, Clan Wolf reached out to Clan Sea Fox to increase production of the older, heavier design. In return for retooling a Bloodhound factory to produce Phantoms, Clan Sea Fox was given the ‘Mech’s design schematics. The obsolete design is now freely available to any willing to pay Clan Sea Fox’s price.
The Phantom‘s primary configuration exemplifies its role as a heavy scout. Its armament of one ER Medium Laser, one ER Small Laser, and a single LRM-5 launcher would be considered anemic even for an Inner Sphere light ‘Mech, but its arsenal of electronics (including TAG, ECM, and an Active Probe) makes it well-suited for armed reconnaissance or spotting for distant artillery. Six tons of ferro-fibrous armor is adequate for a ‘Mech of its size, but the Phantom‘s true defense is its blistering top speed of 151 kph.
It wasn’t long before Wolf MechWarriors began demanding more of the Phantom‘s six-and-a-half tons of pod space. However, with such limited pod space available, the Phantom‘s most threatening configurations typically feature groups of smaller weapon systems. The A and C configurations, for example, offer significant short-range punch multiple batteries of ER Small Lasers. Other configurations, such as the B, D, and F, mount more mid-range weapons such as SRMs and ER Medium Lasers.
Some even mount weapons originally intended for non-’Mech units. The E configuration sports an ATM-3 and eight Micro Pulse Lasers, while the G configuration has a ProtoMech-scale AC/4. The L configuration features three AP Gauss Rifles and a Plasma Cannon, both with a ton of ammunition.
More recent configurations utilize advancements in weaponry to help the Phantom punch above its weight. The I configuration has an Improved Heavy Large Laser and an ER Medium Laser tied to a Targeting Computer (with a Light TAG providing artillery with targeting data). The K configuration ties a single ER Large Laser to a targeting computer but manages to provide the primary configuration’s entire electronics complement with the Watchdog CEWS. And the R config mixes Inner Sphere and Clan tech with two IS-grade Medium Lasers, two Heavy Medium Lasers, and an SRM-6.
Although the Phantom‘s popularity wanes in the Wolf Empire, its availability from the largest network of arms merchants the Inner Sphere has ever seen practically ensures the ‘Mech’s survival for many decades to come. It’s yet to be seen how populous the Phantom has become within the Home Clans or if the traditional emphasis on individual combat performance has resulted in the Phantom being relegated to second-line units. Perhaps even more potent Phantom configurations have been produced (using powerful yet light weaponry) that have yet to be observed in the Inner Sphere. Only time will tell.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
