Roadrunner
- This article is about the apocryphal 'Mech. For the Republic of the Sphere design, see Roadrunner (Emerald Harrier) .
Apocryphal This article's subject is only mentioned in apocryphal sources, i.e. official BattleTech products which are not clearly Non-canon but do not meet the current Canon criteria either. For more information, check the Canonicity section. |
Production information | |
---|---|
Manufacturer | unknown |
Model | RD-1R |
Class | Ultralight |
Cost | ? |
Technical specifications | |
Mass | 15 tons |
Chassis | Endo Steel (unspecified) |
Armor | Ferro-Fibrous (unspecified) |
Engine | 225 XL |
Speed | 243 km/h |
Armament | |
BV (1.0) | ? |
BV (2.0) | ? |
The exceptionally fast RD-1R Roadrunner is one of two BattleMechs introduced in FASA's promotional 1993 Update Flyer (the other being the TZ-1 Devil), set around 3055. Reportedly, they were observed by ROM operatives in the Clan Jade Falcon occupied zone. The existence of the Roadrunner remains unconfirmed (in the fashion of a Canon Rumor), while the Devil was apparently a misreporting and has since been confirmed as a variant of the Howler (Baboon), significantly lighter and somewhat slower than the reported TZ-1 Devil.
Description
Both the Roadrunner and the Devil were reported to be extremely fast and highly suitable for running down enemy scouts; the Roadrunner in particular was noted to also be ideally suited for swarming tactics which are normally shunned by the Clans.
It was also noted that visually, the Roadrunner bears a vague resemblance to the Timber Wolf (Mad Cat), with the leg assembly of the Viper (Dragonfly). At 15 tons, the Roadrunner is only a fifth of the mass of the former and less than half the mass of the latter.
Weapons and Equipment
The Roadrunner is armed with two ER Medium Lasers. The report places them both in the machine's right arm, while the image seems to suggest one is mounted in each arm.
Canonicity
Technically, the 1993 Update Flyer meets all criteria for a canonical product as laid out by the Line Developer. However, in typical FASA fashion the two new 'Mechs it featured were thinly veiled references to another intellectual property (the Looney Tunes characters of The Road Runner and The Tasmanian Devil), and apparently pose a possible copyright problem for BattleTech. They have both been expressly declared apocryphal by the Line Developer.[1] However, the design would resurface and be used by similar named 'Mech in Experimental Technical Readout: Republic, Volume 1.
Bibliography
- 1993 Update Flyer, pp. 6-7
References
- ↑ In an official ruling on the BattleTech Forum (link and content lost to the forum crash in early 2011)