The CSoT had long relied on hardware purchased and supplied by the Free Worlds League and to a lesser extend, United Sphere, Inc. Like all newly birthed nation, the CSoT needs a symbol, and the new nation's army need its own hardware. The CSoT is looking to have military hardware manufacturing facilities submit and built a design - a design by and for the Confederated Systems of Tikonov and its military.
The submission must follow the below terms and conditions:
- A heavy class BattleMech for defensive duty design, medium or heavy class for general workhorse design.
- The design should not be an OmniMech, nor be equipped with Clan technology.
- Experimental (Level 3) Tech, however can be included.
- The design must be designed by a new or existing BattleMech manufacturer on within the CSoT. Example, Kallon Industries on Nanking, Bandar BattleMechs on Terra Firma, and or course Earthwerks Incorporated and Ceres Metals Industries on Tikonov itself.
- The design can be a variant of an existing design rather than a brand new one. If the existing design was not legal property of the manufacturer, please explain how they got it.
- A photo or physical description should be included.
- Introduction/production date should be between 3093 and 3096.
- The design must conform to all design construction rules established by current generation BattleTech unit construction books.
- The submission itself must be a full TRO, which means the technical data along with appropriate fluff must be included.
- The submission must also conform to any other BTM community submitted design rules not specified here.
Given that CSoT is looking for something to be internally manufactured with as much of the equipment to be available within their small realm, two different designs are being sought - a general workhorse 'and a Mech geared more towards defensive duties.
While each player may enter one entry in each category, multiple designs might get chosen and win a prize if the people appointed to judge believe they deem fit to grace the forces of the CSoT.
Prizes for this contest are as follow:
1st Prize: 50 Million C-bills + 1 of their design and 3 additional ‘Mechs drawn from CSoT's TO&E.
2nd Prize: 25 Million C-bills + 1 of their design and 1 additional ‘Mmech from CSoT's TO&E.
3rd Prize: 10 million C-bills + 1 of their design.
2nd and 3rd prize will only be awarded if there are designs which meet the bar and also deemed worthy of inclusion. To this end fluff may be considered, as while it is likely some of the larger factories could start 2 new lines, the smaller likely would only undertake one.
Submissions are to be submitted through creation of a new thread in the Design Submission Forum thread for each design submitted, with the appropriate thread title and poll.
All submissions are to be posted by 31st Dec 2017.
An example of the details required for a submission is as below.
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Design Challenge: CSoT Heavy Defensive BattleMech
Type: Gorbachev GBV-1991
Mass: 75 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: All Eras (non-canon)
Tech Rating/Era Availability: F/X-X-F-A
Production Year: 3094
Cost: 14,900,375 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,303
Chassis: Gorbbie Reinforced
Power Plant: 225 Light Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h (43.2 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: Stumpy Bursts Jump Jets
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: Bald Plate Systems Hardened Armour
Armament:
1 Staccato Rotary AC/5
1 Shadow Angel ECM
1 Sniffer Bloodhound Active Probe
Manufacturer: Tikonov Origins Industries
Primary Factory: Tikonov
Communications System: Friendly Chatter 01
Targeting and Tracking System: Unfriendly Fire 01
Capabilities:
Despite the impressive victories they achieved over the last few years, the CSoT military has discovered that holding onto what they had gained was proving a more difficult challenge than the invasion itself. While the FWL was more than glad to continue supplying Tikonov with their military hardware needs, the CSoT decided that they needed a home grown design as much as a political symbol as well as a prudent step towards true national independence.
While the Earthwerks Incorporated facilities on Tikonov itself is capable of supplying capable machines such as Cataphract, Koshei, Thunderbolt and (arguably capable) Quickdraw heavy 'Mechs, several of the richest Tikonov locals, further financed by Tikonov patriots from all over the Inner Sphere, decided to pool their resources together to set up a new military manufacturing entity - Tikonov Origins Industries.
Taking advantage of the inability of other realms to enforce patents and copyrights, TOI managed to obtain stockpiles of equipment from captured systems and declared them their own manufacture.
With defence their current main priority, TOI settled on a 75 ton heavy design. To break away from their more recent Capellan roots while calling out to the region's Russian ancestry, the designers opted to name the first of what they hope would be many new military machines Gorbachev after the last President of ancient Terra's Soviet Union.
For maximum protection, not only was the machine based on a reinforced chassis, it was further encased by 27.5 tons of hardened armour in addition to having CASE protect the 2 tons of ammunition housed in its right torso. Powered by a light fusion engine, the machine could only waddle along at a maximum speed of 54 km/h. However, mobility was aided by three massive jump jets embedded in the legs and centre torso.
To equip the new machine with the ability to seek out enemies while masking themselves, the heavy 'Mech was equipped with both an Angel ECM suite as well as Bloodhound Active Probe. Two massive battle fists, enhanced by Triple Strength Myomer give the machine the ability to deal horrifying amount of melee damage. A single rotary canon fed by a two ton ammo bin is the only ranged weapon. In order to activate the TSM, the designers outfitted the GBV with old tech single heat sinks.
One drawback of the design was that the highly rigid hardened armour prevents the 'Mech from making torso twists. Also, the lack of melee weapons and the difficulty in controlling heat in actual combat makes activation of the TSM a very chancy affair indeed.
Deployment:
Once TOI got pass the difficulties in the reinforced structure and hardened armour plating, their spanking new production lines wasted no time in cranking out large numbers of the Gorbachev, with each Republican Guards Division allocated at least a company of these machines each. Despite the political and symbolic nature of the Gorbachev, the Tikonov Hussars have yet to clamour for the new heavy BattleMech design, satisfied with the battle tested machines they have in their own TO&E.
Variants:
Even as the first Gorbachevs were making their way out towards the Tikonov Republican Guards formations, calls are already streaming (and screaming) in to the TOI headquarters for variants with more ranged weaponry. Dropping the electronics package for more weapons was suggested as the most easiest solution, but nothing official has been declared thus far.
Notable Units:
Lieutenant Lou 'Hulk' Ferrigno
After heavy combat on the captured Draconis world of Dieron , the 3rd Republican Guards was transferred to the system of Small World as much for rest and refit as well as acting as semi-permanent garrison in 3094. Together with their new posting, the Luczenko received a full company of Gorbachev heavy 'Mechs.
Barely had the weakened Division started to bed into their new home when they received warning that a substantial enemy force was burning towards the system, triangulation indication that the raiders were headed to Small World's largest radioactive mining complex. While the 3rd put together a defence, two of the Gorbachev lances already stationed at the mines, together with a company of Tornado suited infantry, would be the first to come into contact with the enemy - a reinforced battalion of mercenaries under FedSuns employment.
Combining the howling arctic conditions, high build-up of buildings at the mining complex, their familiarity of the local layout as well as their electronics package, the small Tikonov formation played a deadly game of mouse with their numerically superior foes. When the main 3rd Republican Guards finally arrived at the mines to repulse the raiders, all the Gorbachevs had been destroyed or disabled. However, they had inflicted severe damage on the raiding mercenaries while taking out an equal number of enemy 'Mechs. More importantly, the two lances held the raiders down long enough for the rest of the Division to arrive, forcing the raiders to surrender.
Despite the TSM and battle fists on the Gorbachev, only one of the kills on Small World was achieved through physical combat. Lieutenant Lou Ferrigno had been assigned a GBV only a few months ago. However, unlike most of others who had been assigned the new design, the young Lieutenant had nothing but good things to say about his ride. (Many attributed it to the fact that the man was piloting a Stinger previously)
The freezing conditions on Small World actually made activating the TSM on his 'Mech near to impossible. Ironically, an enemy JN-G7L Jinggau that Ferrigno was sparing with would cause its own demise. Despite the 3rd Republican officer trying to use the heat generated by triggering his jump jets and firing full blasts from his RAC, he could never achieve the desired heat level to bring his TSM powered battle fists into play. The Jinggau gladly assisted by dosing Ferrigno's Gorbachev with a double plasma rifle blast that spiked his heat level just enough.
Making a leap and landing right next to the mercenary 'Mech, Ferrigno's flame coated Gorbachev spread its arms wide open before smashing them together onto the jutting cockpit of the Jinggau, destroying the enemy machine in a single mighty blow.
Tikonov Origins Industries continues to use footage from the battle captured by a Tornado trooper in its commercial promotions.
Code: Select all
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
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Internal Structure: Reinforced 114 points 15.00
Engine: Light Fusion Engine 225 7.50
Walking MP: 3 (4)
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 3 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LL, 1 RL 3.00
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 HD
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
TSM Locations: 1 CT, 3 LA, 2 RA
Armor: Hardened AV - 216 27.00
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 30
Center Torso (rear) 15
L/R Torso 16 21
L/R Torso (rear) 10
L/R Arm 12 22
L/R Leg 16 28
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
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Angel ECM RT 0 2 2.00
Bloodhound Active Probe LT 0 3 2.00
Rotary AC/5 RA 1 6 10.00
@Rotary AC/5 (40) RT - 2 2.00
CASE RT - 1 1.00
Jump Jets RL - 1 1.00
Jump Jet CT - 1 1.00
Jump Jets Ll - 1 1.00
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 14 Points: 23
3j 2 2 0 0 3 0 Structure: 8
Special Abilities: TSM, AECM, BH, RCN, CASE, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOANotes:
Features the following design quirks: Battle Fists, No Torso Twist
