BattleMech Technical Readout
Name/Model: Vindicator VND-7R
Designer: Ruger
Source(s): Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology: Inner Sphere
Technology Rating: E
Tonnage: 45
Role: Brawler
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
Era/Year: Dark Age / 3150
Rules (Current): Standard
Rules (Era): Standard
Rules (Year): Standard
Total Cost: 4,029,695 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,219
Chassis: Reinforced
Power Plant: GM 180
Walking Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jump Jets: Anderson Propulsion 30
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor: Heavy Ferro-Fibrous with CASE II
Armament:
1 Ceres Arms Smasher PPC
1 Enhanced LRM 5
1 Ceres Arms Medium Laser
1 Small Pulse Laser
Manufacturer: Ceres Metals Industries
Primary Factory: Capella
Communications: CeresCom Model 21-Rs
Targeting & Tracking: C-Apple Churchill
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Overview:
Much like the old joke about the camel, the VND-1R Vindicator is the product of compromise
and not inspiration. As Capellan Confederation designers created this 'Mech to fit as many
roles as possible, it is capable of fire support, point defense, and offense, though only in
lackluster fashion.
The First Succession War had proved disastrous for the Confederation, who lost all but
one of its 'Mech-producing facilities. The remaining 'Mech plant, on the heavily
industrialized planet of Capella, was limited to the production of 'Mechs of less than 60
tons. Also, because the Confederation had few materials to build 'Mechs, its engineers
decided to build a 'Mech that was capable of several roles, yet could be built with meager
resources.
The Vindicator was designed and built in 2826, during the lull between the First and
Second Succession Wars. The first Vindicators had machine guns mounted on their left arms
instead of the small laser seen on current models.
Capabilities:
Despite its mediocre performance, the Vindicator does have one great strength--Ceres Metals.
Because this conglomerate wields such great industrial might, it can produce Vindicators
quickly. Except for the Hessen small laser, all 'Mech systems are produced on Capella. Also,
as new resources are rediscovered in the Confederation, the industriplexes can churn out
tons of spare parts. Thus, the Vindicator is one of the few 'Mechs that can claim to have
enough replacement parts.
The Smasher PPC is a standard weapon, but the cooling jacket that surrounds it deserves
note. The jacket possesses water intakes mounted around the forward end. By dipping the end
of the barrel in a lake, river, or pool, the intakes draw up the water to cool the hot
innards of the PPC. The resulting steam exits via a nozzle at the other end. However, it is
often dangerous for the 'Mech to kneel motionless for ten seconds while drawing water.
Therefore, engineers placed three additional heat sinks on the Vindicator.
The engineers decided not to mount a PPC on the Vindicator's other arm, which would
make the 'Mech into another Warhammer. It was not only that the additional PPC would have
been a heat burden to the 'Mech, but that the Vindicator also had to be able to pick up and
carry things.
The Jaguar missile system is a five-tube, long-range missile system. Created in a joint
Sian-Ceres venture, the system is named after the predator cat found on the tropical planet
of Sian. It carries enough ammunition for 24 shots and is mounted asymmetrically on the
Vindicator's left torso behind an armored door. The missile system is extremely reliable and
capable of a fair amount of abuse before it can be forced to shut down.
The medium laser is mounted on the left side of the Vindicator's head, and is protected
by a thick cooling jacket. Its more sensitive components are mounted inside the head, which
creates a bulge in the cockpit that makes tall 'MechWarriors rather cramped.
The protuberance in the cockpit has been implicated in the deaths of several
MechWarriors. All were attempting to eject from their damaged Vindicators, only to explode
as they emerged from the 'Mechs' heads. It is thought that the ejecting chair hits the bump
on its way out, causing the chair's propulsion systems to explode. Engineers are presently
attempting to redesign the laser and cockpit roof. Though not fast, the Vindicator is
jump-capable and has 16 heat sinks to handle the heat burden produced by jumping. The
Vindicator's armor arrangement also received special attention. Carrying more armor than a
Phoenix Hawk, the Vindicator has good overall protection, especially on the rear torso and
legs.
Variants:
Created to be a rugged, reliable, and cheap BattleMech for various planetary militia units
in the Capellan Confederation, the Vindicator-7R builds on the machines that came before it.
To make the design even more durable than its centuries-old ancestors, the 7R possesses a
reinforced skeletal structure that can absorb twice as much damage as the older ?bones? of
its predecessors. Covering this is an armored shell of heavy ferro-fibrous armor plate, made
as thick and durable as a 45 ton ?Mech can maintain. The fusion core is the same as before,
but the cooling system has been upgraded to include freezers. Likewise, the Smasher PPC and
medium laser of the older units are retained, but the five pack of long-range missiles has
been replaced with an enhanced version, enabling them to be fired accurately at much closer
ranges than before. This system?s single ton of ammunition has been protected by an advanced
CASE system to protect the machine and pilot from ammunition explosions. Finally, to provide
a portion of anti-infantry ability, the old small laser has been replaced with a small pulse
laser in the left arm.
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Equipment Mass
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Internal Structure: Reinforced 9.00
Engine: 180 Fusion 7.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4
Heat Sinks (Double): 10 [20] 0.00
Gyro: Standard 2.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Armor Factor: 153 8.00
Type: Heavy Ferro-Fibrous
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 14 18
Center Torso (rear): 10
R/L Torso: 11 16
R/L Torso (rear): 6
R/L Arm: 7 14
R/L Leg: 11 22
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Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
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Medium Laser H 1 1.00
2 Jump Jets CT 2 1.00
CASE II LT 1 1.00
Enhanced LRM 5 LT 2 3.00
Enhanced LRM 5 (Ammo 24) LT 1 1.00
PPC RA 3 7.00
Small Pulse Laser LA 1 1.00
Jump Jet RL 1 0.50
Jump Jet LL 1 0.50
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Alpha Strike Statistics
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Point Value (PV): 31
TP: BM, SZ: 2, TMM: 1, MV: 8"j
Damage: (S) 2 / (M) 2 / (L) 2, OV: 0
Armor (A): 5, Structure (S): 8
Specials: CASEII, IF0*
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