Bandit

Bandit
Production information
Manufacturer	Blackwell Corporation
Mission	varies by configuration
Type	hover
Technical specifications
Mass	50 tons
Armor	ProTech 5
Engine	Vox 215 Fusion
Speed	cruse 97 kph/flank 151 kph km/h
Crew	4
Armament	varies by configuration
BV (1.0)	389 to 566
BV (2.0)	389 to 566

Description

The Bandit is likely an old Clan design that was brought into the Inner Sphere by the famous mercenary unit Wolf’s Dragoons. During January of 3007, the Dragoons approached the Blackwell Corporation to exclusively produce the Bandit for their use along with two other designs- the Kestrel VTOL transport and the Badger APC. At that time, Blackwell was only a minor manufacturer of actuator parts and BattleMech components. The Dragoons provided the technical plans to Blackwell as well as considerable technical assistance in production methods. The Dragoons actually expanded and upgraded Blackwell’s operations capabilities so much that the first Bandit was actually delivered in March of 3008, barely more than a year after the mercenaries first contact with Blackwell! The Bandit and Badger were the first OmniVehicle designs in the Inner Sphere.

Deployment

Throughout most of its service life within the Inner Sphere, the Bandit was sold exclusively to the Dragoons. In fact, about half of the APCs in service with the Dragoons are Bandits. Most serve in the Dragoons’ Support Command and Home Guard, though some are assigned to line combat units. The Dragoons must have lifted the sales restriction at some point because a number of Bandits are known to be in the service of other mercenary units of the Allied Mercenary Command. A number of military historians suggest the Dragoons sold Bandits to the Star League before that body’s collapse. The OmniVehicle capability makes the Bandit very adaptable to a wide range of combat situations. It’s often rumored that the Dragoons reconfigure their Bandits after initial contact with enemy recon patrols. Such tactics confuse any enemy’s attempt to estimate the amount of Dragoon units facing them.

Armament

The primary Bandit configuration carries three Medium Lasers in its turret, supported by two front-mounted SRM-2 launchers and one Machine Gun. Two tons of SRM-2 ammo and one-half ton of Machine Gun are carried. Almost all configurations provide four tons of carrying capacity in the infantry bay though the "H" provides eight tons of infantry space. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 566.

Alternate Configurations

• Alternate Configuration A- can soften up enemy fortifications or threaten enemy vehicles and BattleMechs from afar using its single turret-mounted PPC. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 539.

• Alternate Configuration B - a short range configuration carrying two turret-mounted SRM-4s drawing from a single ton of ammunition. In addition, the "A" has a single front-mounted SRM-2 supplied with one ton of reloads. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 389.

• Alternate Configuration C - another short range configuration with two turret-mounted SRM-6 launchers drawing from one ton of ammunition. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 428.

• Alternate Configuration D - a design for long rage bombardment using three turret mounted LRM-5s that draw from a single ton of ammunition between them. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 463.

• Alternate Configuration E - equipped with a single turret-mounted LRM-10 drawing from a single ton of ammunition. This version also carries a single front-mounted Medium Laser for closer fighting. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 476.

• Alternate Configuration F - equipped solely with Energy Weapons, this version sports a single turret-mounted Large Laser and a single front-mounted Medium Laser. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 526.

• Alternate Configuration G BV - another design that wields only Energy Weapons, this version can provide serious short range support with its two turret-mounted Medium Lasers and six front-mounted Small Lasers. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 474.

• Alternate Configuration H = This version provides a substantial eight tons tons of infantry space while still providing short range support with a single Streak SRM 2 launcher and single ER Medium Laser mounted in the turret. The SRM launcher is provided with one ton of ammunition. BV (1.0) and BV (2.0) = 366.

• the Bandit has two Clan-tech variants on its base design. Both are essentially duplicates of the Inner Sphere-tech Bandit, with some major exceptions — they mount Ferro-Fibrous armor but do not appear to be OmniVehicles. These variants do retain two valuable tons that allow them to carry a greater load of infantry and/or mount additional weapons. The first variant is similar to the standard “C” model by mounting two Streak SRM 6 launchers in the turret. The second variant mounts an ER Large Laser and two standard SRM-2 racks in the turret, with a third SRM-2 launcher fixed forward. These variants have only appeared in limited numbers within the Dragoons although some have been seen infrequently in service on the Clan homeworlds.

References

• Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) - pg, 112
• Technical Readout: 3058 - pg, 44-45
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade - pg, 88-89
• Heavy Metal