Daboku
Sarna News
| |
| Daboku | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Luthien Armor Works[1] |
| Production Year | 3038[2] |
| Model | DCMS-MX90-D |
| Class | Assault |
| Cost | 8,012,300 C-bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| 'Mech type | Inner Sphere BattleMech |
| Mass | 90 tons |
| Chassis | Alshain Class 100-X |
| Armor | Wakazashi Standard Plate with CASE |
| Engine | Hermes 270 |
| Communications System | Sipher Security II |
| Targeting Tracking System | Matabushi Sentinel-4 |
| Heat Sinks | 12 single |
| Speed | 54.0 km/h |
| Armament |
|
| BV (1.0) | 1,037 |
| BV (2.0) | 1,290[1][3] |
Contents
Description
The result of a Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery think tank tasked with gleaning information from the Helm Memory Core, the Daboku was unveiled in 3038 to little fanfare. A near-instant failure with flaws in almost every major system, the 'Mech was nonetheless hurried to the front lines for the War of 3039 where it became both a laughingstock and a virtual death sentence for Kuritan pilots. Problems with the CASE system protecting the ammunition bins resulted in the auto-eject triggering when the torso armor was struck in a certain manner. DCMS MechWarriors found themselves rocketing above the battlefield, often at the most inopportune moments, and ultimately took to disabling the auto-eject. Other problems included lasers that were prone to overheat, overtaxing the already burdened heat sinks, and routine jamming of the autocannon ammunition feeds, the result of an improperly designed chest cavity.
Combined, these problems persuaded the DCMS to shelve the design after the conflict. It was revisited in the 3040s and thanks to a further understanding of Star League technology ultimately became the successful MAL-1R Mauler.
According to information from sources of dubious canonicity (BattleTech – Die Welt des 31. Jahrhunderts and Life Support #4, the magazine of MechForce Germany), the Daboku is in turn based on the Linesman, an even older design which was originally developed by the Capellan Confederation but proved too expensive to build; the blueprints and a prototype were then sold to the Draconis Combine shortly before the outbreak of the Fourth Succession War. There the design became known as Nainokami (which is the official designation for the Mauler in the German edition of BattleTech).
Weapons and Equipment
The Daboku is armed with two Tronel VI-X large lasers, two Holly LRM-10s, and four Imperator Smoothie-2 autocannon/2s, a layout that was intended to allow the pilot to snipe at enemies from well beyond conventional ranges. Unfortunately, the housing for the large lasers prevents proper cooling and as a result they often overheat and short-circuit the Daboku's targeting circuits. The ammunition feed for the Imperator autocannons also tends to jam, depriving the 'Mech of its longest-range weaponry. Only the Holly LRMs seem to work properly but are only equipped with a ton of ammunition each, limiting their usefulness in a drawn-out fight.
Variants
No variants of the Daboku itself were ever manufactured. When the design had finally been refined into a worthwhile BattleMech it was reintroduced as the Mauler, adopting the FedCom codename for the new design to leave behind the stigma that was associated with the Daboku.
Design Quirks
The Daboku has the following Design Quirks:[4][5]
Notes
The Daboku is a nod to BattleTech: The Animated Series and the 1st Somerset Strikers sourcebook, where the production history of the Mauler was significantly changed from what had originally been published in Technical Readout: 3050. To reconcile the divergent information, this earlier "version" of the Mauler was written in to already exist by the War of 3039.
The faulty ejection system is an in-joke referring to the toy line that was produced for the animated TV series. The 'Mech toys had a panel, located in the lower torso, that ejected the pilot when hit.
Gallery
Original Daboku from TRO:3039
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Technical Readout: 3039, pp. 234–235: "DCMS-MX90-D Daboku"
- ↑ MUL online date for the Daboku
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3039, p. 186
- ↑ BattleMech Manual, Fifth Printing, p. 91: "BattleMech Quirk Table"
- ↑ BattleMech Manual Errata (Version 6.01), p. 9: "BattleMech Quirk Table"