Gnome

Gnome
Production information
Manufacturer	Clan Hell's Horses
Production Year	3056
Use	Assault
Weight Class	Heavy
Tech Base	Clan
Cost	750,000 C-bills
Introduced	3056
Technical specifications
Mass	1,500 kg
Top Speed	10 km/h
Armament	1x ER Small Laser 1x Advanced SRM 2
Armor Type	Standard
BV (1.0)	72
BV (2.0)	83

Description

The Gnome battle armor was created by Clan Hell's Horses in response to the growing threat of Inner Sphere battle armor. Starting in 3054 rumors began spreading back to the Clan homeworlds that the Inner Sphere powers were not only developing battlesuits of their own, but an incredible variety tailored to specific mission requirements. In particular, news that the Draconis Combine had produced an assault-weight suit—the Kanazuchi—which could survive a direct hit from a Clan ER PPC was most troubling. Anything which threatened the Clans' supremacy in battle-armored troops went doubly so for the Horses, who themselves were longtime proponents of the use of infantry and held the edge over other Clans in their deployment.

Horse Khan Malavai Fletcher ordered his scientists to create a Clan version of the assault battle armor, one which retained some mobility while boasting incredible firepower and survivability. Horses scientists fell back on the Rhino, a ponderous early design dating back to the beginning of battle armor development but which never made it out of the prototype stage owing to the sheer flexibility and balance of what became the standard Elemental. Applying the latest in technological advancement to the Rhino, including small-scale ferro-fibrous armor design, they ended up creating a battle armor twice as fast as the Kanazuchi and with heavier weapons, albeit one with slightly less armor protection. Like the other second-generation Clan battlesuits, the Gnome is named after an elemental spirit, in this case an earth spirit.

Debuting in the spring of 3056 the Gnome was first assigned to the Hell's Horses Alpha Keshik, where it was first tested in combat during Alpha's annual sparring match with Omega Keshik. Although it was only a simulated battle, Alpha's Gnome-equipped troops caused such havoc for Omega's traditional Elemental suits that Khan Fletcher was sufficiently impressed to order an immediate increase in production. He also became an avid user of the Gnome suit and, during his Clan's ultimately disastrous intervention in the Combine-Ghost Bear War, personally racked up a kill count of twenty-nine 'Mechs and Elementals. Since its introduction the Gnome has been eclipsed in size by other assault-weight suits but still serves as the mainstay in most Hell's Horses' front-line Clusters and found its way into the toumans of other Clans through various Trials. It also served as an inspiration for other Clans to experiment with specialized battlesuits, including the Sylph, Salamander, and Undine.

Weapons and Equipment

Unlike the Elemental armor, the Gnome's armament is fixed. It mounts an ER Small Laser in its right arm while carrying a fixed SRM-2 launcher with two rounds that mimics the Streak system. Its left arm ends in a Heavy Battle Claw, however while it is able to hold onto the handholds of an OmniMech it lacks the dexterity to make anti-'Mech swarming and leg attacks. The Gnome is equipped with jump jets although it is only able to leap 60 meters at a time. The 350 kg of armor protecting the Gnome can't survive a direct hit from a Clan ER PPC like the Kanazuchi can, but it will stop two shots from a Clan ER Medium Laser and remain functional with the warrior inside alive.

Variants

• Upgrade 

  Apparently designed specifically to combat the Golem, this upgrade removes the laser and instead mounts a pair of Modular Weapon Mounts on its arms normally equipped with "Bearhunter" Autocannons. They have a greatly reduced range profile, but, combined, can deal slightly more damage. The weight saved was used to upgrade the missile launcher to a version that is detachable, allowing the pilot to jettison the launcher when its ammunition is exhausted. BV (1.0) = 57, BV (2.0) = 68

• Recoilless Rifle 

  This Jihad era upgrade to the Gnome is equipped with the Advanced SRM 2, a Heavy Battle Claw, a One-Shot LRM-2, and a Medium Recoilless Rifle. BV (2.0) = 78

• Pulse Laser 

  Based on the standard Upgraded Gnome, this version replaces the Bearhunter Autocannon with a pair of Micro Pulse Lasers. BV (2.0) = 78

• LRM 

  Developed from a field refit, this variant carries a 4-tube LRM launcher supported by an AP Gauss Rifle. BV (2.0) = 87

Custom Variants

• Dwarf 

  Debuted in 3140 on the Black Hills Urban Combat Zone Arena and piloted by Raulo Ashwani and squad, this variant is a hybrid refit of the Clans' Gnome. The unique modifications of this suit took a lot of people by surprise, for its mobility and firepower. The Dwarf Gnome suits actually weigh the same as the original Clan battle armor upon which it is based. And while it supports less protection than their baseline, the secret to attaining their improved firepower—which includes six-pack SRM launchers, a Small Variable-Speed Pulse Laser, and even vibroblade battle claws. The variant eschews Clan HarJel in favor of an internal chassis of Inner Sphere manufacture. Combined with an armor reduction that still leaves the suit sturdy enough to take a direct PPC strike, this weight savings leaves enough room not only for its weapons package, but also the magnetic clamp system used to transport the squad into battle even without an OmniMech. BV (2.0) = 53.

Notes

• In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Gnom.

Gallery

• 

  Original Gnome battle armor in combat from FM:CClans

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  Gnome battle armor from LosTech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide

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  Gnome Battle Armor miniature from MechWarrior: Dark Age set

Bibliography

• Experimental Technical Readout: Royal Fantasy
• Field Manual: Crusader Clans
• Lostech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide
• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Clan & Star League)
• Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrade
• Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade
• Technical Readout: 3085