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
Although technically just a step in the evolution of the Mauler BattleMech design between the original Capellan Confederation MAL-1PT5 prototype and the later regular production model MAL-1R Mauler as created by the Draconis Combine, the DCMS-MX90-D Daboku is treated as a distinct 'Mech design for political reasons, namely to distance the successful Mauler project from the failure that was the Daboku.
History
The Daboku was unveiled in 3038 to little fanfare, the result of a Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery think tank tasked with gleaning information from the Helm Memory Core. Under pressure to produce results quickly while hampered by politicking, the think tank applied newly rediscovered technologies to Project Nainokami. This was a pre-existing 'Mech design that the Draconis Combine had received from the Capellans after the latter abandoned the project in its prototype stage. The original designation of what was now Project Nainokami had been Mauler, and Capellan prototypes had seen combat (and two lost to the Federated Suns) under that name.
A near-instant failure with flaws in almost every major system, the Daboku was nonetheless rushed to the front lines for the War of 3039 where it became both a laughingstock and a virtual death sentence for DCMS 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. One DCMS MechWarrior, Nakisawa Eldersage, became somewhat famous for engaging Lyran Dabokus in close combat with his Cyclops and punching their torso so that the MechWarriors were ejected from their salvaged rides. 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.
Due to these problems the DCMS shelved the design after the conflict.
When it was revisited in the 3040s with a further understanding of Star League technology, the design flaws could be rectified. But because of the poor reputation of the Daboku, the name of the successful finalized design was reverted to MAL-1R Mauler.
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 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 to already exist by the War of 3039.
- The backstory of the Daboku proto-Mauler as an unsuccessful Succession Wars era Capellan design project was originally apocryphal information from a German source (see Linesman) that actually predated the publication of the Daboku. According to the German material, the Mauler prototypes became known as Nainokami in the Combine. It was only in 2023 that most of this obscure bit of trivia was canonized, adding another retroactive change to the design's complicated history.
- The faulty ejection system is an in-joke referring to the toy Mauler that was produced for the animated TV series. The toy featured a so-called Blast Panel 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"