|
|
|
Mordel's Bar & Grill |
|
  |
» |
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
|
 Posted: 30-Apr-2002 23:32 Post subject: Original BD BattleAx from Battletechnology Mag |
  |
|
Type/Model: Battleax BTX-7K
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 1, Custom design
Mass: 70 tons
Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 280 VOX Fusion
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: 4 Standard Jump Jets
Jump Capacity: 120 meters
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
2 PPCs
1 SRM 6
2 LRM 5s
Manufacturer: (Unknown)
Location: (Unknown)
Communications System: (Unknown)
Targeting & Tracking System: (Unknown)
==Overview:==
In spring of the year 2513 AD, General Olaf Sternson of the Star League Military Procurement Division put out a call to bid on a new design of BattleMech. The performance characteristics of this new design describe it as "a mobile 'Mech with enough firepower to destroy or severely damage any 'Mech of the same class or lower." A number of different armament manufacturers went after the lucrative contract, including Earthwerks, Inc., the creator of the much vaunted and feared ARC-2R Archer 'Mech design.
Earthwerks' answer to General Sternson's requirements was the BTX-7K Battleax. It incorporated a heavy weapons array as well as substantial maneuverability and defensive protection. In addition, it was at that time the largest 'Mech with jump jets.
The Battleax prototypes were field tested extensively with other 'Mech designs that had been developed by other firms. During the final selection process in late 2515, the WHM-6R Warhammer design of StarCorp Industries was selected over the Battleax and three other prototypes.
Earthwerks acknowledged that the Warhammer design did have a somewhat more substantial offensive and defensive capability than the Battleax, but they pointed out that it was less maneuverable and that the differences in both offensive and defensive systems were negligible. In fact, there had been some talk about the similarity of the two designs and the possible reasons for it. In the end, most officials chalked it up to parallel creativity.
Even though StarCorp received the Star League contract, Earthwerks refused to give up the Battleax design and started limited production at their construction facility on Hyperion. Production continued to 1250 units as the Earthwerks Promotions Department began a League-wide advertising campaign. Ads and holos appeared in all the major military.and arms industry journals and briefing holos, promoting the Battleax as an opponent to the Warhammer. Such slogans as "Why blunt your attack with a Warhammer when you could use the fine, clean edge of a Battleax" became commonplace to the point that Earthwerks and StarCorp were almost on the edge of economic warfare. By 2520, sales of the Battleax were outpacing those of the Warhammer to many League households, although the Star League still bought only Warhammers. Earthwerks had produced an additional 6000 Battleaxes.
The situation came to a head during Star League maneuvers with forces of House Marik in early 2528. A Battleax had broken away from a wargaming engagement and was trying an end run to get behind its opponents. It was more than fate that a Warhammer intercepted it. The confrontation got serious rapidly, and no one has proven which MechWarrior activated his weapons controls first. But in the end, the Battleax was defeated, and the pilot was forced to eject when his fusion pile went critical.
Little interest remained in the Battleax design after that, and Earthwerks ceased production, having completed 9700 units. The 'Mech received the reputation of being a "poor man's Warhammer," and this designation has stuck to this day. It is estimated that perhaps 500 'Mechs of this type still survive on the battlefields of the Successor States wars today.
==Capabilities:==
The BTX-7K Battleax is a heavy 'Mech with increased maneuverability. The VOX-280 engine powers its PPC weapons as well as the Rawlings 58 jump jets. Additional ETW Ceramic Heat Sinks allow the excess heat from weapons discharge to be rapidly diminished.
The Battleax is armed with two Donal Type II PPCs similar to those of the Warhammer design. In addition, one Holly Short Range Missile Six-Pack is located on the 'Mech's right shoulder. Instead of a heavy laser armament, the Battleax houses two Doombud Long Range Missile Five-Packs on its chest, giving it an extended range support capability lacking in many other heavy 'Mechs.
The Battleax is protected with standard Kemplar 5000 armor that allows the unit to take a heavy amount of punishment before it is put out of action. Placed about the vehicle's surface in such a way as to make offensive assault-type actions feasible, the Battleax can be considered one of the heavier armored 'Mechs within the Successor States.
Over the centuries, the Battleax has developed a reputation as a pilot killer, something that is hard to live down. There have been numerous instances of cockpit fires or electrical system shorts that have killed Battleax pilots while on maneuvers or during actual combat. The Battleax 'Mech type has not aged as gracefully as many other 'Mech classes, and little repair work is being done on those Battleaxes that are disabled. It is to be assumed that the Battleax type 'Mech will no longer be operational within the next 50 years.
--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Battleax BTX-7K
Mass: 70 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 107 pts Standard 0 7.00
Engine: 280 6 16.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4
Heat Sinks: 15 Single 4 5.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 LA, 1 RA, 1 LT, 1 RT)
Gyro: 4 3.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA R: Sh+UA+LA 14 .00
Armor Factor: 128 pts Standard 0 8.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 22 19
Center Torso (Rear): 6
L/R Side Torso: 15 13/13
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 4/4
L/R Arm: 11 13/13
L/R Leg: 15 17/17
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 PPC RA 10 3 7.00
1 PPC LA 10 3 7.00
1 SRM 6 RT 4 15 3 4.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 RT)
1 LRM 5 RT 2 48 3 4.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT)
1 LRM 5 LT 2 1 2.00
4 Standard Jump Jets: 4 4.00
(Jump Jet Loc: 2 LL, 2 RL)
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 28 50 70.00
Crits & Tons Left: 28 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 6,418,634 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,032
Cost per BV: 6,219.61
Weapon Value: 778 / 778 (Ratio = .75 / .75)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 12; MRDmg = 11; LRDmg = 5
BattleForce2: MP: 4J, Armor/Structure: 3/5
Damage PB/M/L: 2/2/1, Overheat: 2
Class: MH; Point Value: 10
_________________
Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
|
|
| Back to top |
  
|
Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
|
| Posted: 01-Jan-2007 19:34 Post subject: RE: Original BD BattleAx from Battletechnology Mag |
|
|
Here is another one of them again.
_________________
Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
| |
» |
All times are GMT-05:00 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
|
|
|
|
|
