Mackie


Mackie
Mackie AB3.jpg
Production Information
Manufacturer(s)Edasich Motors[1]

Harmony MetalWorks[2]

Skobel MechWorks
Production Year2439[3][4][5][6]
ModelMSK-6S
ClassAssault
Cost8,654,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech typePrimitive Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass100 tons
ChassisFord Super H QWA3X
ArmorStandard
EngineHermes 360
Heat Sinks15 single
Speed54 km/h
Armament
B.V. (1.0)1,180
B.V. (2.0)1,461[7][8]


History[edit]

Developed by the Terran Hegemony in the twenty-fifth century, midway through the Age of War, the Mackie was the first true BattleMech. Based on advanced technology that the Hegemony Armed Forces (HAF) had been developing for decades under Director-General Jacob Cameron, the Mackie was the ultimate manifestation of Hegemony military might. The Mackie's first combat trial was on February 5, 2439, at Yakima Firing Center, outside of Yakima, (Washington) Terra. The pilot, Colonel Charles Kincaid, utterly obliterated his test targets, four remote-control Merkava heavy tanks.[5]

When the Mackie was first built, it epitomized the Terran Hegemony's technological advantage over the Great Houses. It was the pinnacle of military technology until 2455, when the plans were stolen by agents of the Lyran Commonwealth. Still, the Mackie had such symbolic importance to the Terran Hegemony that it remained in production until the start of the Amaris Civil War. It was believed Operation EXODUS embarked over a hundred of these with the fleet.[5]

Incredibly, some Mackies survived for almost seven centuries, with some even remaining operational. One of these examples was used by the First Fusiliers of Oriente until 3042, when it was relocated to the Covington 'Mech Museum on Atreus.[9] The head and partial torso of another was preserved in the BattleMech museum on Solaris; another, taken from a Rasalhague military museum, was gifted to Clan Goliath Scorpion by Clan Wolf in 3057, and in 3059, another fully operative was piloted by Horse on Huntress during a fake duel. It is unknown if the 'Mech, which was on Huntress since the Jaguars took possession of it, survived the later attack by Task Force Serpent. Another Mackie was in the BattleMech museum in Strana Mechty. In the 3062 defense of Robinson against Combine forces, the Robinson Battle Academy employed all serviceable machines, including a Mackie with only a PPC functional.[10]

Production of the Mackie would eventually be revived temporarily during the Jihad, in the turn to easily manufactured RetroTech. Harmony MetalWorks and Edasich Motors were among the new Mackie manufacturers.[1][2] Later, Defiance Industries hand-built five Mackies as part of a ceremony on Furillo to celebrate the 700th anniversary of its invention.[11]

Description[edit]

At the time the Mackie was designed, its technology was largely unproven, and its systems were not as efficient as those on modern BattleMechs. It carries a Hermes 360 fusion engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 54.0 km/h. The 'Mech also has a heavier than normal cockpit, at five tons. In total, the Mackie has 20 tons of armor protection, which is as much armor as the entire mass of some modern light 'Mechs. To keep the Mackie cool, it uses fifteen heat sinks.[5]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

“ And now, just one of these machines, Johann, can turn any soldier into Death itself, can turn any man into an unstoppable world-killer... ”
  — Colonel Simon Kelswa[12]

The Mackie carries what were considered top-of-the-line weapons for its era. The primary weapons on the 'Mech are a PPC and an Autocannon/10 that both have similar range and damage profiles. For close combat, the Mackie has two medium lasers. The weapons systems employed on the Mackie are similar to their modern counterparts, though their exact designations and model names have been lost to time.[5]

Variants[edit]

  • MSK-5S
    The initial prototype Mackie was designated the MSK-5S, and carried a slightly different weapons load than the production model MSK-6S. Using an Autocannon/5 in the right arm instead of the AC/10, the MSK-5S also mounted a Large Laser in the center torso, rather than the twin medium lasers, and had two more heat sinks. Twenty tons of Primitive Armor protected the first generation Mackie. This armor, though heavier, provided less protection than later models.[4][13] The MSK-5S was used by Colonel Kincaid in his now-famous combat trial versus the Merkava tanks. BV (2.0) = 1,436[14][4]
  • MSK-7A
    Multiple variants emerged from factories with an "MSK-7#" designation. Dating to the late 2400s, these were the first variants to utilize what would become standard components. The most common 7A variant replaces the Autocannon/5 with a colossal Autocannon/20, a second large laser is mounted in the torso, and the originals PPC remains. The total heat sink count is brought up to 21 and the switch to standard armor allows for a significant boost to survivability. [13][15] BV (2.0) = 1,900[16]
  • MSK-8B
    This catchall series of Mackies was used to designate retrofits of -6S, with a wide variety of more modern components.[15] The 8B standard is virtually identical to the 9H, except the Beagle Active Probe is replaced with an extra heat sink bringing the total to 21 and a half ton heavier armor for a total of 19.5 tons (essentially removing only half a ton from the base -6S).[13] BV (2.0) = 2,019[17][18]
  • MSK-9H
    Though most nations got rid of their cloned Mackies in favor of their own 'Mechs, the Hegemony was proud of their achievement. Moreover, many Hegemony militia units made extensive use of the first BattleMech, resulting in a continuous production right up until the Amaris Coup. Many of the various militia upgrades coalesced into the -9H, helped by the fact that Skobel continued to produce small quantities of this design. It mounts two Donal PPCs and an Imperator Autocannon/20, backed up by the pair of Starflash medium lasers and an additional 5 heat sinks to try to deal with the added heat for a total of 20 heat sinks. Nineteen tons of armor and a CASE system for the 4 ton Autocannon/20 ammunition bin in the right torso gave it full protection, allowing the 9Hs battlefield longevity. The sensor systems were augmented with a Beagle Active Probe to make it an excellent anti-insurgency unit. Nonetheless, Aleksandr Kerensky could only locate around 100 of the 'Mechs to take with him on the Exodus of the SLDF due to heavy losses against Stefan Amaris who personally detested the ancient machines and their stubborn frontline defense among the militia in 2766.[15] The 9H is only a rough standard for Hegemony militia units, with the chassis being very easy to customize.[13] BV (2.0) = 2,022[19][20]

Custom Variants[edit]

  • MSH-9HKR Mackie Kill Roy's Little Buddy
    The unofficial mascot of the Desert Wars portion of the Martial Olympiad, Kill Roy uses two LB 10-X autocannons instead of the single AC/20. Two tons of ammunition are stored in each side torso. For protection, the torsos are equipped with CASE. To make room for these, the Beagle Active Probe has been removed. Thirteen Double Heat Sinks keep the 'Mech running.[21]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Mackie has the following Design Quirks:[22]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ a b Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 4: "RetroTech Facilities (Limited Commercial Production by End of 3079)"
  2. ↑ a b Objectives: Free Worlds League, p. 4: "Temporary RetroTech Facilities (Shut Down by the End of 3079)"
  3. ↑ The Star League, p. 31
  4. ↑ a b c Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 1, p. 8
  5. ↑ a b c d e Technical Readout: 3058, p. 148: "Mackie Profile"
  6. ↑ Era Digest: Age of War, p. 5
  7. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 191
  8. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 69
  9. ↑ Field Manual: Free Worlds League p. 75
  10. ↑ Patriots and Tyrants, ch. 13
  11. ↑ A Game of Armored Combat: Celebrating 700 Years of BattleMech Warfare in Shrapnel issue 12
  12. ↑ Prometheus Unbound p. 43
  13. ↑ a b c d Technical Readout: Succession Wars, pp. 186–187: "MSK-9H Mackie"
  14. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 190
  15. ↑ a b c Technical Readout: 3075, p. 186
  16. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 70
  17. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 192
  18. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 71
  19. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 189
  20. ↑ Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 72
  21. ↑ Era Report: 2750, p. 138
  22. ↑ BattleMech Manual, p. 93: Design Quirk Table - Mackie Entry

Bibliography[edit]

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