Battletech - Experimental Technical Readout - XTRO ComStar.pdf - EN - Matrinicz

INTRODUCTION

Greetings, David!

Thanks again for allowing me to call you “David”. Quite cordial of you, I will try not to slip back in to old habits. I have to say that working in such

an informal environment takes some getting used to, but I can see the beneits. There seems to be a really genuine exchange of ideas, and everyone

feels as if they’re making a major contribution to the construction of a kind of nation humanity hasn’t seen in centuries, if ever! I certainly hope to do

my part to have a lasting impact on the process!

[ Seriously?! What an ass-kisser! David, I’ve taken the liberty of editing this fool’s bombastic document. You’ll still ind the original attached separately,

but honestly, don’t bother. Oh and don’t worry, I’m not leaving some security breech unattended. I’ve got admin rights on the message server, swapping

attachments is a piece of cake. Anyway, if you’re seriously listening to sycophants like this, we’re in for a world of hurt! This guy wouldn’t know which way a

’Mech walks even if it’d step on him. And don’t brush me of neither… –AB ]

Ever since you approved the expenditure of funds needed for ComStar to submit details on many of its research projects, I have focused on

nothing else.

[ Yeah. Don’t tell me, again, that you’re just humoring all factions, equal time, level playing ield. Once you start spending coin on their pet projects, I’m calling

foul. I’m not privy to all the details surrounding the transition of the ComGuards over to us. I pretty much take it as a given that the politics involved would make

me puke all over the nearest suit. I don’t particularly appreciate them not turning over the data for those projects, it’s not like they’ll ever deploy them now, huh?

But you know what? Here’s how a contractor says no: quote way too much. If the fools accept, hey, at least you’re raking in the big money. I guarantee you that’s

what is going on here. Did you at least haggle before you gave this guy a blank check? Did we get some free HPG time out of this crap deal? Coasters? A t-shirt? –AB ]

It is regrettable that ComStar elected to place such a high price on their now defunct projects, but fortunately the cheaper, reduced specs were

still enough to determine which projects warrant additional attention. Attached are the projects that I believe warrant additional investment with

ComStar to retrieve all project data and material for eventual adoption or adaptation by the RAF.

[ Great, so we paid for supericial data, we didn’t even get the whole package. We have to go back for that. Pay more . Seriously David, what the hell?

You used to be shrewd and sharp. It’s made even worse by the realization that just about all of these ComStar projects are not worth pursuing! Since there’s

apparently a serious threat of you spending more on this, you’ll ind my commentary in line with the document. ]

For this analysis, I have had the good fortune of availing myself of the technical expertise of Chief Tech Lawson [ Dreamer. –AB ] Doctor Esther

Kalina Vondenbrock bis Lowingen [ Beware of people that need multiple names in general, and this weird dingbat in particular. Did you know she’s one of

those “alien visitor” conspiracy lakes? Oh, and Lyran too! –AB ] as well as the frequent input of Heinz-Harold Tonne. [ He’s not on the payroll. How come

he got to have clearance to see any of this murky junk? I hope he’s on your shadow payroll. Actually, no; seeing the good sir Brandon Cooper convicted for

treason would improve my day. I might even smile. No promises. –AB ]

In closing, I believe we have some excellent opportunities here, and I hope to being considered as the project manager of the efort to receive

all ComStar research material, tooling and prototypes. Towards that end, I have attached my resume to facilitate the decision-making process.

[ I hate this guy. –AB ]

Respectfully,

—Brandon Cooper, esq.

RFK, RAK, PFS, ALA-1, ALA-2

(3 May 3082)

[ His alphabet soup makes me throw up in my mouth a bit. Why would he list a cert in facility management? –Andrea Baker, Provisional Director,

MilTech Analysis (or should that be “PD/MTA”?) ]

INTRODUCTION

How to Use tHis Book

The ’Mechs, combat vehicles, and ighters described in Experimental Technical Readout: ComStar provide players with a sampling of the various

custom designs that have used by ComStar as test beds for a variety of projects and technologies. The designs featured in this book relect limited-

run prototypes and “one-ofs” that have yet to reach full factory production—and most likely never will.

The rules for using ’Mechs, vehicles and ighters in BattleTech game play can be found in Total Warfare , while the rules for their construction

can be found in TechManual . However, the experimental nature of these designs also draws upon the Experimental-level rules presented in Tactical

Operations . Thus, none of the units featured in this volume are considered tournament legal, and their use in introductory games is discouraged.

Furthermore, the extreme rarity of these machines is such that none of them should occur in a BattleTech campaign as a chance encounter, but the

capture or destruction of any one of these prototypes could be potential objective for BattleTech scenarios, tracks and role-playing adventures.

Credits

Project Development

Herbert A. Beas II

Development Assistance

Randall N. Bills

Jason Schmetzer

BattleTech Line Developer

Herbert A. Beas II

Assistant Line Developer

Ben H. Rome

Primary Writing

Paul Sjardijn

Writing Assistance:

Herbert A. Beas II

Art Direction

Production Staf

Factchecking/Playtesting: Joel Bancroft-

Connors, Joshua “NCKestrel” Franklin, William “Mad

Capellan” Gauthier, Keith “Xotl” Hann, Johannes

“jymset” Heidler, Daniel “DarkISI” Isberner, Chris

“Alexander Knight” Marti, Luke “Jellico” Robertson,

Chris “Chunga” Smith, Peter Smith, Chris Wheeler,

Patrick Wynne.

Special Thanks: Paul Sjardijn would like

to thank Herbert Beas for letting him live to write

another day….

Cover Design and Layout

Ray Arrastia

Illustrations

Joel Biske

Dana Knutson

Chris Lewis

Matt Plog

Fronz Vohwinkel

Record Sheets

Joel Bancroft-Connors

“BV Smasha!” Sebastian Brocks

Johannes “jymset” Heidler

Christopher “Chunga” Smith

“Techno Wizard” Jason Tighe

BattleTech Logo Design

Shane Hartley, Steve Walker

Brent Evans

and Matt Heerdt

Reserved. Experimental Technical Readout:

ComStar, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech,

BattleMech, ’Mech and the Topps logo are

registered trademarks and/or trademarks

of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United

States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game

Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are

trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.

CAT35XT011

STAR LEAGUE ERA

CLAN INVASION ERA

JIHAD ERA

Under License From

SUCCESSION WARS ERA

CIVIL WAR ERA

DARK AGE ERA

BEO-X-7a BEOwUlf

Field Testing Summation: Prototype BEO Reit

Producer/Site: ComStar / Various

Supervising Technician: Adept Jacob Arevalo

Project Start Date: 3068

Non-Production Equipment Analysis:

Type: Beowulf

Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)

Tonnage: 45

Equipment

Mass

1 Angel ECM Suite

Internal Structure:

Composite

2.5

1 Bloodhound Probe

Engine:

270 XL

7.5

Armored Components

Walking MP:

Composite Structure

Running MP:

9 (12)

Jumping MP:

overview

ComStar used its then-close relationship with Odin

Manufacturing to have several Beowulf s manufactured speciically

as a test bed for numerous emerging technologies. The new

Beofwulf X chassis was engineered to be substantially more lexible

than the Beowolf 3 with regards to accepting new equipment. A

key component of this process was the use of composite materials

in the structure. It freed up mass for greater payloads, and allows

one to engineer multiple mounting hard points. As it is less bulky

than a full endo-steel frame, the needs to re-arrange myomer, and

reroute power and data lines to new equipment were also more

easily accommodated.

The Beowulf X-7a maintains the MASC, and introduces

improved jump jets. The arm-mounted large laser is reduced to

a pair of Diverse Optics, bringing the total to four. Introduction of

stealth armor supported by an Angel ECM dramatically improves

the capabilities of the design to iniltrate hostile territory, and

return with information from its Bloodhound probe. Perhaps

most interesting of all is that its two most experimental pieces of

technology are sheaved in their own supplemental armor shell.

The head received major modiications in order to mount the ECM

suite, which severely reduced the size of the cockpit. It also forced

the relocation of the TAG to the right arm, but that is arguably a

more versatile location. Of note is the installation of a full-head

ejection system (FHES), which allows the MechWarriors and the

expensive Angel ECM suite to be recovered.

I believe the opportunity that presents itself is that it pays to

armor high-cost components on scouts, especially if said components

may be retrieved via the FHES. Further, the overall Beowulf X platform

would be an extremely valuable scout for the RAF.

[ And we kick of with an excellent example of why this guy is

a fool. Clearly, ComStar did not intend for the Beowulf X-7a to be

an actual combat-relevant design, or they would not have used an

osteoporotic frame. I’ll grant the stealth armor makes up for a lot,

but that only leaves the problem of not being able to use half your

irepower, as well as sucking at long-range. Even the Capellans would

laugh at this thing, and they made the Sha Yu !

My friend here also seems to have failed to notice that other

Beowulf X design armor their components, especially when ComStar

isn’t tripping over replacements. I guarantee you they weren’t planning

on Odin making a thousand of these, and neither should we. –AB ]

Heat Sinks:

10 [20]

Gyro:

Cockpit (Small):

Armor Factor (Stealth):

152

9.5

Internal

Armor

Structure

Value

Head

Center Torso

Center Torso (rear)

R/L Torso

R/L Torso (rear)

R/L Arm

R/L Leg

Weapons and Ammo

Location

Critical

Tonnage

2 ER Medium Lasers

TAG

MASC

Angel ECM Suite

2 ER Medium Lasers

Bloodhound Active Probe

Improved Jump Jets

Improved Jump Jet

Improved Jump Jets

Armored Comp. (Angel ECM)

Armored Comp. (Bloodhound) LA

1.5

Notes: Equipped with Full-Head Ejection System. Features the

following Design Quirks: Prototype, Exposed Actuators, Extended

Torso Twist

TSN-X-4 TESSEN

Field Testing Summation: Prototype TSN Reit

Producer/Site: ComStar / Undisclosed

Supervising Technician: Adept Simon Lowenstein

Project Start Date: 3074

Non-Production Equipment Analysis:

Type: Tessen

Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)

Tonnage: 50

Equipment

Mass

1 Angel ECM Suite

Internal Structure:

Endo Steel

2.5

1 Bloodhound Active Probe

Engine:

300 XL

9.5

1 C3 Remote Sensor Dispenser

Walking MP:

Running MP:

overview

The Tessen project holds a great deal of promise for the RAF.

Ostensibly, ComStar modiied a handful of their stock of TSN-C3s

in order to ield-test the new C3 Remote Sensor Dispenser. Also

included in the package were a Bloodhound Active Probe and

an Angel ECM suite, which demanded the replacement of the C3

module, and the removal of one of the Diverse Optics pulse lasers.

Interior space demands mandated the removal of ferro-ibrous

armor, but the supervising tech, Adept Lowenstein, apparently

compensated by replacing the skin with light ferro-ibrous.

The end result is a swift scout that can double as a scout

hunter, and that can augment just about every friendly C3 network

with new nodes. The tactical lexibility of this is enormous and

invaluable, and this technology would be invaluable to the RAF

now that we have adopted a strategy of using the C3 system

instead of the C3i system.

[ You used “invaluable” twice in the same sentence, dummy. –AB ]

It is not obvious why ComStar elected to not include a C3

slave on the Tessen , so that it might beneit from the pods it

dispenses.

[ Alright, the Remote C3 Sensor Dispensers show promise.

Except that they suck. They get only 30 seconds’ life before

they’re “full”, and I’ve yet to bump in to a tech who can explain to me

how a sensor gets “full”. What does it get full of? And you can’t just

remote-activate those suckers for some reason. That’d be perfect, seed

a battleield with a gaggle of remote C3s, then just turn them on when

you want or as they die.

Still, they’d be nice to ill in gaps for existing networks. They’re

substantially more expendable than the typical C3 network spotter

’Mechs. But in that sense, I have yet another reason to disagree with

the genius here: this Tessen is not deploying pods for itself, but for

whatever big bastards are upwind, looking for some tracking info. He

also seems to have missed that ComStar installed a hand in the left

arm, by far one of the biggest failures of the original design. And kind

of handy when you’re collecting pods later.

Besides all that, we’re talking about a single weapon system here

that’s attractive to us. Everything else this Tessen does, the Phoenix

Hawk does better. Or that Beowulf . Why buy both the BEO and this

TSN? The only reason that Lowenstein used a couple of Tessen s

instead of a Beowulf X frame is that he got the job to evaluate the

C3 dispensers without a conceivable way of getting a BEO-X shipped

over. –AB ]

Jumping MP:

Heat Sinks:

11 [22]

Gyro:

Cockpit:

Armor Factor (Light Ferro):

152

Internal

Armor

Structure

Value

Head

Center Torso

Center Torso (rear)

R/L Torso

R/L Torso (rear)

R/L Arm

R/L Leg

Weapons and Ammo

Location

Critical

Tonnage

ER PPC

Medium Pulse Laser

Bloodhound Active Probe

TAG

Angel ECM Suite

C3 Remote Sensor Dispenser

Ammo (C3 Dispenser) 16

Notes: Features the following Design Quirks: Prototype

Battletech - Experimental Technical Readout - XTRO ComStar.pdf

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