BattleMech
BattleMechs are Mecha that feature in the BattleTech universe.
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History
BattleMechs were a type of mecha developed by humanity during its expansion into the stars. During the 25th century, the Terran Hegemony was responsible for developing the first true BattleMech with Gregory Atlas being responsible for the project. He was in charge of the Hegemony Research Alliance Department project "Operation Musclebound" that was being conducted at the University of Zimbabwe. Mass production of the large war machines was made by the Skobel MechWorks who began building the Mackie BattleMechs. Military applications to the technology led to research and development over the course of the next few decades. On 3 February 2439, the Age of War came to affect the Inner Sphere with the first combat trial of the prototype BattleMech being carried out near the city of Yakima in North America. The pilot was Colonel Charles Kincaid who fought against a lance of four remotely operated Merkava heavy tanks where he succeeded in utterly destroying his opponents without suffering any damage. Lord Jacob Cameron was so impressed at the results of the trial that he dedicated all the resources of the Hegemony into the mass-production of these new machines which nearly bankrupted the state in the process. The Mackies introduction was kept a close secret where it took many years before the Hegemony Armed Forces unveiled their new weapon. This moment occurred in 2443 when a lance of Mackies fought against a Draconis Combine heavy armor company on Styk. Only a single tank survived the encounter which managed to retreat to its DropShip leading to word of the new weapon spreading across the Inner Sphere.
The other major powers coveted the Hegemony's new BattleMech, and set about trying to acquire it themselves. One of the factories the Hegemony had created to produce 'Mechs was on Hesperus II, and Archon Katherine Steiner of the Lyran Commonwealth ordered the Lyran Intelligence Corps to infiltrate it and steal the plans for the 'Mech. However, after six years of trying, the best the LIC could do was get a single person inside to make a map of the facility. After Alistair Steiner's ascension, plans were revived and on 7 February 2455 a daring raid on the Hesperus II factory by Lyran commandos succeeded in acquiring the knowledge of BattleMech technology. The Commonwealth fielded their first BattleMechs in 2459, and with the secret of BattleMech construction out in the open it soon spread to the other Great Houses, though each in their own manner: the Federated Suns acquired it through negotiations and a hefty payment to the Commonwealth in 2457, while the Draconis Combine simply took it in their own commando raid on the Lyran's Coventry 'Mech factory in 2461. The Free Worlds League managed to convince a Lyran scientist to defect to them in 2462, only for the Capellan Confederation to do the same to them four years later. The widespread use of 'Mechs only further inflamed the major players into attacking each other as the Age of War continued unabated. The Age of War came to an end with the formation of the Star League, but development of new BattleMechs continued, with the Star League Defense Force fielding increasingly more potent machines. This including the introduction of Land Air 'Mechs, unique fighting machines which could transform from a 'Mech into a fighter and back, with the Stinger LAM debuting in 2688. That progress came to a halt after the Star League Civil War and the exodus of the surviving SLDF units. The dissolution of the Star League plunged the Inner Sphere into centuries of interstellar warfare soon known as the Succession Wars, a technological and cultural dark age in human history. In the intense fighting which laid waste to whole planets, much of the knowledge and technology humanity had gained became Lostech as factories were destroyed, centers of learning demolished, and technicians and scientists killed.
Overview
In appearance, BattleMechs came a wide variety of appearances and forms with them typically being either bipedal or quadrupedal. They were armored combat vehicles with a roughly humanoid shape that stood anywhere between 8 to 14 meters tall that amassed 20 to 100 tons. Generally, Mechs were considered superior to conventional combat vehicles where they were faster, better armed and better protected from damage. They were built around an internal structure resembling a skeleton, including joints actuators. Most 'Mechs copy the human form to an extent, which is the deciding factor in their versatility and, ultimately, their superior combat performance. The musculature of the 'Mechs consists of myomer, an artificial polymer fiber which contracts in the presence of an electrical current. The artificial skeleton and musculature, combined with a large gyroscope system, provides stability for the BattleMech and allows for bipedal movement. Some 'Mechs have jump jets that provide thrust bursts for short leaps.
BattleMechs were controlled by pilots known as MechWarriors. Seated in the cockpit of their 'Mech, MechWarriors connect to their machine by wearing a neurohelmet, which reads their brainwaves in order to provide the 'Mech a sense of balance and other necessary functions. Through the combination of a neurohelmet and physical controls, the pilot can control the 'Mech, making it run, jump, and even do handstands under the right circumstances. Assisting the pilot is the Diagnostic Interpretation Computer, which among other functions takes information gathered by the Sensors and other systems and presents it to the pilot in an understandable format. Being built to BattleMech standard includes a Life Support System for the MechWarrior and full Environmental Sealing by default, except for special cases such as drone 'Mechs.
Known types of mechs included:
- Flea :
- Hornet :
- Crab :
- Warhammer :
- Summoner :
- Archer :
- Catapult :
- Marauder :
- Marauder II :
- Timber Wolf :
- King Crab :
- Stone Rhino :
- Atlas :
Mechs were capable of carrying a variety of weapons most of which generated heat upon firing. This became an issue in cases of intense or prolonged fighting with these machines suffering from overheating issues. In such cases, a mech could shut down or potentially explode as a result. To mitigate this, the heat was transferred to massive heat sinks in order to help facilitate the cooling though this did not remove the problem in its entirety. One effective coolant was water that could help deal with the issue of heat but this could impair the movement of a BattleMech.
Non-combat models of these machines were known to exist with these being referred to as WorkMechs or UtilityMechs.
These machines were noted for being incredibly expensive to produce and maintain with even the cheapest costing millions of C-Bills to finance them.
Known Mechs
- Mackie : the first prototype BattleMech that was piloted in a test trial by Colonel Charles Kincaid.
Notes
- BattleMechs were created by the FASA Corporation where they featured in the setting of the BattleTech universe.
In other media
Television
- In BattleTech: The Animated Series, BattleMechs appeared in the setting of the animated television series.
Video games
- In MechCommander, BattleMechs appeared in the setting of the 1998 real-time tactics video game.
- In MechWarrior Online, BattleMechs appeared in the setting of the free-to-play vehicle simulation video game.
- In BattleTech, BattleMechs appeared in the setting of the 2018 turn-based strategy video game.
Appearances
- BattleTech:
External Links
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