BattleMech Technical Readout
Name/Model: Shishiku SHS-1SW
Designer: The Grand Poobah
Source(s): Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology: Inner Sphere
Technology Rating: E
Tonnage: 95
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
Era/Year: Civil War / 3067
Rules (Current): Tournament Legal
Rules (Era): Tournament Legal
Rules (Year): Tournament Legal
Total Cost: 8,900,775 C-Bills
Battle Value: 2,121
Chassis: Earthwerks VOL
Power Plant: Pitban 285
Walking Speed: 32.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: None
Armor: Mitchell Argon
Armament:
2 Tiegart PPCs
4 Diverse Optics Type 30 Large Lasers
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications: Colmax 90b
Targeting & Tracking: Cat's Eyes 5
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Overview:
Although Takashi Kurita's hatred of mercenaries, especially Wolf's Dragoons, bordered on
madness his son Theodore was more realistic. Mercenaries had played a part in almost every
war in the history of the Inner Sphere, and their utility in supplementing regular House
units could not be ignored. Theodore secretly commissioned a new BattleMech design shortly
after the battle of Luthien, one specifically designed for sale to mercenary units. It was
hoped that this would attract more mercenary units to the Draconis Combine and repair
relations that had been damaged by Takashi's thirst for vengeance.
The job to design the new merc 'Mech was given to the Maltex Corporation on Nirasaki, a
small manufacturing plant on the border of the Federated Suns. The engineers at Maltex
looked first at what every mercenary unit holds most dear - money. There are many costs
related to 'Mechs even beyond the initial purchase price - general maintenance, supplies,
repairs, reloads, and even potential replacement. They set out to create a design that had
very low operating costs with high survivability and the Shishiku was born.
Development and testing of the Shishiku went more smoothly than anyone could have imagined.
Using standard hardware easily accessible anywhere made testing and integration go like a
breeze - the only advanced technology used was the double strength heat sinks and those had
been in wide production since shortly after the discovery of the Gray Death memory core.
Many of the other components were taken from their existing Hatamoto-Chi design - armor,
PPCs, and communications system, among others. The use of standard building materials and
weapons (rather than extended range models) kept the costs down and significantly eased
maintenance. Overall, the development and testing of the Shishiku was determined to be a
resounding success.
What kept the project from proceeding to production was the Coordinator himself, Takashi
Kurita. Although Theodore had become the Gunji no Kanrei, Deputy for Military Affairs, he
did not feel that it would be wise to further stress his relationship with his father.
Although there was evidence of a stroke that had affected the Coordinator's thinking, he was
still the Coordinator and his opinion of mercenaries was widely known. The prototype was put
in storage and the project itself shelved for nearly a decade. It was only when Theodore
became Coordinator that it was pulled out of mothballs and put into production.
Capabilities:
Despite the focus on cost effectiveness, the Shishiku certainly didn't suffer in terms of
battlefield effectiveness. Its 95-ton frame carries a frightening battery of energy weapons
along with as many double heat sinks as could be shoehorned onto the frame. The 285-rated
Pitban engine drives the 'Mech to a maximum speed of approximately 52 kph, standard for
designs in its weight class, and the chassis is protected by 18 tons of standard armor. This
makes it very survivable and quite capable of forming the anchor in any heavy formation.
It is the weaponry that really makes this design shine however. Again, the designers
looked at cost before anything else. One major recurring cost that mercenary units have to
endure is replacing expended ammunition, and a significant cause of 'Mech losses is
ammunition explosions. For this reason they decided to go with an all-energy loadout; while
this reduces some flexibility in terms of special ammunition and indirect fire capabilities,
the specific energy loadout they decided on was considered "sufficient".
To say the least, the energy batteries are "sufficient". Each arm contains a Tiegart
particle projection cannon, both posing a significant threat to any target. Each of these
are backed up by a pair of Diverse Optics Type 30 large lasers, each one an imposing weapon
in its own right. Together these weapons are capable of stripping a 'Mech of nearly three
tons of armor in the matter of a few seconds. The most significant drawback is the intense
heat generated by these weapons, but the Shishiku mounts 21 double strength freezers that
can dissipate over 75% of the heat generated.
Deployment:
As a mercenary 'Mech, the Shishiku has seen Combat across the Inner Sphere. It is still
rather rare, however, as Maltex doesn't have the manufacturing capacity to build the
Hatamoto-Chi and the Shishiku full time. It is rumored that some examples have made their
way into DCMS regular formations, unusual for a design that was developed for and marketed
to mercenaries.
It should be noted, however, that these 'Mechs are only sold to units that are currently
working for the Combine. Although it is a relatively low cost design compared to
contemporary units of its weight class, almost any 'Mech purchase is a significant
investment. While some units see a disturbing shadow of the old Company Store syndrome,
most see the Shishiku as too great of a prize to pass up.
Variants:
There are no factory variants of the Shishiku produced. Despite the commonly available
components, sometimes mercenary commands must simply make do with what they have available,
resulting in all sorts of odd conglomerations of weapons.
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Equipment Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 9.50
Engine: 285 Fusion 16.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks (Double): 21 [42] 11.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Armor Factor: 288 18.00
Type: Standard
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 30 44
Center Torso (rear): 15
R/L Torso: 20 29
R/L Torso (rear): 10
R/L Arm: 16 32
R/L Leg: 20 39
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Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
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2 Large Lasers RA 4 10.00
PPC RA 3 7.00
2 Large Lasers LA 4 10.00
PPC LA 3 7.00
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Alpha Strike Statistics
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Point Value (PV): 51
TP: BM, SZ: 4, TMM: 1, MV: 6"
Damage: (S) 4 / (M) 5 / (L) 2, OV: 1
Armor (A): 10, Structure (S): 8
Specials: ENE
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