Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Firefly C

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Firefly

Mech Class: Light

Weight: 30 Tons

Tech Base: Inner Sphere (Clan upgrades)

Description:
Until the arrival of Wolf's Dragoons, the Firefly was a 'Mech thought to be extinct from the rigors of the Succession Wars. The Firefly is a well-armed recon 'Mech that tips the scales at thirty tons. Since it was reintroduced to the Inner Sphere, the 'Mech has been refitted by the Wolf's Dragoons with Star League technology. It has a maximum ground speed of 86.4 km/h and can jump up to one hundred and twenty meters. As a scout 'Mech, the Firefly gives average performance with its energy weapon-heavy arsenal and is useful in both a recon and in a guerilla fighter role.

Armament: 
The Firefly is armed with a Coventry Five-Tube LRM-5  for long-range firepower and to attempt to keep enemies at a distance. If facing a determined enemy that is intent on closing, the Firefly carries three Martell Medium Lasers, which can cause a considerable amount of damage. Finally, to protect against missile attacks, the Firefly carries a Sure Fire 444 Anti-Missile System.

Variants:
Firefly C - This is a variant of the Firefly that has been upgraded with all Clan technology. The Firefly C is built on an Endo Steel chassis and is armed with four ER Small Lasers, three Medium Pulse Lasers, and an SRM-2 launcher.

Captain Nash's Mission #2 Analysis: From time to time the clanners take Inner Sphere designs and upgrade their weapons with clan tech.  These mechs are listed with a "C" after their name to denote the "Clan" variant (Such as Atlas C).  This is not to be confused with a "IIC" which is where the clanners have totally redesigned a mech using an inner sphere mech as a template (Such as the Hunchback IIC).   Merloni reported that a Firefly was one of the mechs he spotted.  Being such a rare design I'm going to assume the Smoke Jags have upgraded it to the Firefly C variant.

Tech Readout:  http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=614

Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Peregrine (Horned Owl)

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Peregrine (Horned Owl)

Mech Class: Light

Weight: 35 Tons

Tech Base:Clan

Description:
The Horned Owl (or Peregrine, as the Inner Sphere knows it) is a light, fast second-line BattleMech capable of highly accurate fire. A harassing platform, the Horned Owl is also a capable dueling 'Mech. Five tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor provide adequate protection for the light 'Mech.

Armament: 
Armed with a single Large Pulse Laser and a Medium Pulse Laser in each arm, the Horned Owl's devastatingly accurate fire can quickly destroy other light 'Mechs.

Variants:
Horned Owl 2 - This variant trades in its lasers for six LRM-5s  and four tons of ammunition. Though it is entirely ammunition-dependent, this model can provide light Stars with sustained support, as it will not build heat under normal circumstances.


Captain Nash's Mission #2 Analysis:  Details on another of the mechs Merloni spotted in his area.  This guy is very accurate with his fire having all Pulse lasers.  He will make short work of light mechs.  Safe bet that he will be jumping about making himself much harder to hit as well.  


Tech Readout:  http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=926

Scavanging Rules and Hand Actuators.

From time to time you will have missions that take you behind enemy lines.  These missions you will not be able to salvage kills, or even retrieve your own mech chassis should you lose them.

Looks like Mission #2 will be the first of these type missions.  That does not mean you have to leave the field empty handed.  There will be Clan weapon / supply caches on some of these missions.  You will be able to pick these up and bring them back to your our base.  These items will help Furlow get any Clan Mech salvage up and running.

Thankfully Clan doctrine commands that all supplies not currently being used be placed in crates for easy transport.  This works in our favor.  These crates have mech sized handles that allow for mechs to transport them if they are equipped with hand acuators.  There are two sizes of crates, small and large.

Here are the rules for crates.

• During the physical attack phase any mech next to a crate may attempt to pick it up.  
• To pick up the crate the mechwarrior must make a Piloting skill roll with a -2 modifier (easier).  
• Mechs carrying crates may use walk or run movement, they may not jump.

Small Crates:

• Small crates require one hand actuator to pick up.
• While carrying a crate the arm may not be used to fire weapons or make physical attacks.
• If a the arm (with the hand actuator) that is carrying the small crate takes damage, a piloting skill roll must be made or the crate will be dropped and destroyed.
• If the arm carrying the crate take any internal actuator damage the crate falls and is destroyed.
• If the arm is destroyed, the crate falls and is destroyed with it.
• Small crates normally carry weapon systems or control systems for battlemechs (heads).

Large Crates:

• Large crates require a single mech with two hand actuators to pick up.
• While carrying a crate the arm may not be used to fire weapons or make physical attacks.
  
• If either arm takes damages, a piloting skill roll must be made or the crate will be dropped and destroyed.
• If either arm carrying the crate take any internal actuator damage the crate falls and is destroyed.
• If either arm is destroyed, the crate falls and is destroyed with it.
• Assault class mechs follow the rules for small crates when picking up large crates.
• Large crates carry Engines, Gyros, and larger weapon systems like Gauss rifles.

 Looking at your current list of mechs, here are the ones with hand actuators that could collect any crates during the mission.  Should the opportunity present itself.

Javelin (two), Clint (one), Hermes II (one), Panther (two), Sentinel (one)
 
Eventually I'll add the number of hands to the notes column of the mechbay.

Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Shadow Cat

Jade Falcon Shadow Cat and Elementals on Coventry

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Shadow Cat

Mech Class: Medium (Omni-mech)

Weight: 45 Tons

Tech Base:Clan

Description:
The Shadow Cat was first encountered by Inner Sphere forces at the Battle of Luthien. They were subsequently used during the Battle of Tukayyid. The OmniMech was developed by Clan Nova Cat to replace the Ice Ferret in the early 31st century. Use of the Shadow Cat has spread to other Clans since its introduction.

This expensive OmniMech makes use of weight-saving technologies in the form of an Endo Steel internal structure, an XL Engine, and seven tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor. All of these together allow the Shadow Cat to employ more pod space than the Ice Ferret at the expense of speed. To counteract this, the base chassis employs enough jump jets to vault up to 180 meters in a single bound and Myomer Accelerated Signal Circuitry that enables it to move up to 130 km/h in bursts.

Armament: 
The primary configuration of the Shadow Cat wields a Gauss Rifle allowing it to handily defeat smaller opponents, often before they can get within range. A pair of smaller ER Medium Lasers back up the rifle, together able to deal almost as much damage as the gauss rifle can. An Active Probe gives the Shadow Cat the ability to detect hidden units, making it a capable scout. 

Variants:
* Alt. Config. A - The first alternate configuration is also potent at long range, but it uses a pair of ER Large Lasers to gain that potency. It retains the Active Probe of the prime, but uses a Streak SRM-6 for backup. It also utilizes three extra double heat sinks to keep heat levels comfortable.

* Alt. Config. B - This variant is also a fusion of long-range weaponry with a scouting system. This configuration adds a pair of Artemis IV-guided LRM 15s to the Active Probe. It also has a pair of ER Medium Lasers for backup, though it adds an ECM Suite to the electronics package.  

Captain Nash's Mission #2 Analysis:  Was able to reestablish brief contact with Merloni.  Got a quick SitRep from him.  Seems there are two Stars of Clanners in his area.  One is all Clan mechs being led by a Shadow Cat.  He thinks it was the prime configuration with the Gauss Rifle but he is not positive.  Logically, the Jags are using a Shadow Cat, possibly the most durable scout mech in their arsenal.  If you do stumble across this clanner, don't mess around with him. Take him down fast.  That Gauss is a threat to any battlemech ever produced. I'm not even going to tell you what it could do to our current mech options.    


Tech Readout:  http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=2405