Raptor II
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| |
| Raptor II | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Classified (Republic of the Sphere) (3X and later)[1]
Classified (Word of Blake) (2X; destroyed)[1] |
| Production Year | 3084[2] |
| Model | RPT-3X[1] |
| Class | Medium |
| Cost | 10,945,433 C-bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| 'Mech type | Inner Sphere BattleMech |
| Mass | 40 tons |
| Chassis | Void Integrated MK III |
| Armor | Void Integrated Light Ferro-Fibrous |
| Engine | VOX 280 XL |
| Communications System | Black Box Com 7 with Guardian ECM Suite |
| Targeting Tracking System | Night Fire 7 |
| Heat Sinks | 11 double |
| Speed | 118 km/h (151 km/h with MASC) |
| Armament | |
| BV (1.0) | N/A |
| BV (2.0) | 1,423[1] or 1,050[3] |
Contents
Description[edit]
The first BattleMech to utilize the advanced Void Signature system, Raptor II was a virtually invisible covert reconnaissance and search-and-destroy 'Mech used by both the Word of Blake and the Republic of the Sphere.
While reports of "invisible 'Mechs" had long been ignored as confusion for such Star League era stealth systems as the Null Signature system and Chameleon Light Polarization Shield, in the maelstrom of the Jihad the Word of Blake introduced the "Stealth Raptor" to deadly effect. Though the Blakists destroyed its factory during the invasion of Terra, Devlin Stone recognized the game-changing nature of its cloaking system and took extreme risks to ensure his forces captured every last scrap of information and salvage of the design, eventually succeeding in reverse engineering and manufacturing it exclusively for the elite special forces of Republic Armed Forces. The site of the Republic factory remains classified information.[4]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
Directly integrated into the Raptor II's endo steel chassis and seven and a half tons of light ferro-fibrous armor, the hybrid combination of the Null Signature system to shield the 'Mech from electronic detection and a scaled up version of the Purifier Adaptive's mimetic armor to cloak the 'Mech from visual detection, the Void Signature system made the Raptor II utterly undetectable if motionless, making it an ideal ambush and recon unit. To increase its effectiveness when bursting from hiding, the Raptor II also mounted a Guardian ECM suite and MASC to ensure maximum surprise. Equipped with 11 double heat sinks, another surprise is despite the use of a small cockpit, the Raptor II did not appear to have ever been fielded by or designed for the Blakists' fearsome Manei Domini. [5] While a choice seemingly at odds with ensuring the survival of the pilot, the removal of CASE and the ejection system was intended to ensure neither a Raptor II nor its pilot would fall into enemy hands.[1]
Mounting a weapons array designed to take advantage of ambush opportunities offered by its stealth systems, the Raptor II features two Streak SRM-6s and two ER medium lasers; in keeping with the secrecy surrounding its manufacture, the brand(s) of the weapons is unknown. The effectiveness of the Void Signature and MASC systems ensured the Raptor II closed to optimum weapons range in an instant.[5]
Variants[edit]
- RPT-2X
- The Word of Blake's original version carried a single BattleMech taser backed up by two medium variable speed pulse lasers. The effectiveness of the Void Signature and MASC systems ensured the Raptor II closed to effective taser range in an instant. One less heat sink and half a ton less armor were the price to carry the weapons load.[5] BV (2.0) = 969[5] or 1,050[6]
- RPT-2X1
- The second Blakist variant featured a more mundane array of weaponry, carrying a combination of an ER large laser, ER medium laser, and ER small laser, and Streak SRM-6 launcher, but was notable for carrying a prototype Bloodhound active probe, one of the few systems rumored to be able to pierce the Void Signature systems' cloaking.[1][5] BV (2.0) = 1,471[7]
- RPT-2X2
- This simple Dark Age refit of the 2X model replaces the BattleMech taser with a TSEMP cannon. BV (2.0) = 2,057[8]
- RPT-5X
- A Republic variant intended purely for search-and-destroy missions, the RPT-5X swapped the right arm ER medium laser for an ER large laser and replaced both Streak SRM-6 racks with two MML-5 racks. The removal of the MASC and one double heat sink allowed the altered weapons array along with enough jump jets to give it a 150 meter jumping range.[1] BV (2.0) = 1,393[9]
Design Quirks[edit]
The Raptor II is subject to the following Design Quirks:[10]
Related BattleMechs[edit]
- Raptor - Little related other than in name, the original Raptor was the first OmniMech designed by the Inner Sphere. The Raptor II borrowed the original's speed profile, but nearly everything else is different.
Gallery[edit]
RPT-2X Raptor II
RPT-3X Raptor II
The Raptor II as seen in MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
Raptor II miniature from MechWarrior: Domination set
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Technical Readout: Jihad, pp. 74–75: "RPT-3X Raptor II"
- ↑ MUL online date for the Raptor II
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 104
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3085, p. 70
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 152
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 104
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 105
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3145 New Tech, New Upgrades, p. 107
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 107
- ↑ BattleMech Manual, p. 94 BattleMech Quirk Table - Raptor II Entry.