BattleMech Technical Readout
Name/Model: Vindicator ("Valkryie") VND-1AA2
Designer: ackbar5
Source(s): Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology: Inner Sphere
Technology Rating: E
Tonnage: 45
Role: Skirmisher
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
Era/Year: Clan Invasion / 3051
Rules (Current): Standard
Rules (Era): Standard
Rules (Year): Standard
Total Cost: 4,375,883 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,308
Chassis: Standard
Power Plant: 225 Fusion
Walking Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Jump Jets: Anderson Propulsion 30
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
1 Ceres Arms Smasher PPC
1 Ceres Arms Medium Laser
1 Sian/Ceres Jaguar LRM 5
1 Hessen IX Small Laser
Manufacturer: Grumium Creations
Primary Factory: Grumium
Communications: CeresCom Model 21-Rs with Guardian ECM Suite
Targeting & Tracking: C-Apple Churchill
================================================================================================
Overview:
The Free Rasalhague Republic was "gifted" a small amount of VND-1AA "Avenging Angel"
BattleMechs by the Capellan Confederation. These BattleMechs were found to be too fragile
for use in anything more than ambush or hit-and-run engagements, run too hot for its 16
single heat sinks, and when the Clans invaded, all but guaranteed that the life of the
MechWarrior piloting it would depend on the Vindicator's notoriously unreliable ejection
system.
However, the design's defects were mainly due to the constraints of BattleMech production,
especially within the Capellan industrial base during the Succession Wars. Grumium
Creation's engineers developed a refit kit for the surviving VND-1AAs in KungsArme service
that could make use of some of their limited facilities at the time, in what was known
internally as Project Valkyrie. The fusion engine's internal heat mitigation systems and
the 'Mech's heat sinks were upgraded to Double Heat Sink spec, with a heat mitigation
equivalent of 10 Double Heat Sinks. While this isn't quite enough to compensate for the
jump jets while firing all weapons, it can remain heat neutral while using the jets and the
PPC at the same time. The armor was brought back to 9 tons, and replaced with Ferro-Fibrous
Armor made by Luthien Armor Works, giving it 12% more protection than the original
Vindicator. The cockpit was also redesigned in accordance with newer production runs of the
Vindicator. A Guardian ECM Suite rounds out its reworked defenses, with special attention
given to its software packages for generating sensor ghosts, to help it counteract Clan LRMs
and deceive their targeting computers.
The most unique aspect of the refit kit, however, is adding redundancies to its power
distribution and fire control linkages, as well as modifying their weapon mounts to make
their weapons easier to disconnect. It's a pale imitation of Clan OmniPods, but it can be
done with a fraction of the manufacturing base. This philosophy of facilitating field
refits even extends to the engine. The space needed for an XL engine was deliberately kept
clear of any weapons, heat sinks, or jump jets, to facilitate the installation of any intact
XL engines that are either salvaged from destroyed Inner Sphere 'Mechs or captured Clan
hardware. Extensive electronic documentation is integrated into the 'Mech's computer
systems, along with additional memory devices to store the documentation.
Capabilities:
The VND-1AA2 can run at 86 km/h, can jump 150 meters, and can bring a PPC, Medium Laser, LRM
5, and Small Laser to bear on whatever it targets. In these regards, it is identical to the
original. It has twice the mass in armor of its original version, and increasing the total
effective armor protection to 12% above the VND-1R's baseline protection scheme. It also
had its thermal regulation improved by 25%, mitigating the tradeoffs associated with its
jump jets.
It won't win in a straight up fight against a Clan formation, but it can use its added ECM
suite and additional armor to strike, fade, and survive a few hits sustained in the process.
Its real virtue, however, is that it has been deliberately upgraded such that its armaments
are Modular Weapons, in order to accept battlefield salvage more easily, although the added
connections and the changes to make the existing ones easier to remove deny this conversion
the benefits of the VND-1AA's Rugged design.
While it is strongly advised to have a trained 'Mech engineer if it is to be upgraded with a
Clan XL engine, captured Clan energy weapons should be able to replace its existing weapons
faster than some Inner Sphere 'Mechs can have their standard parts replaced with identical
ones.
Deployment:
The VND-1AA2 is intended to be deployed in insurgent campaigns against the Clans, with Clan
Wolf in particular being the target in mind throughout 3050 and 3051 during the development
cycle. The Guardian ECM was added to prevent the 'Mech from showing up on long range
scanners as much as it was to protect the 'Mech during a fight, as it cannot outrun Clan
light and medium 'Mechs. Forces deploying this 'Mech are encouraged to avoid direct fights
and instead focus on raiding Clan depots and ambushing isolated formations until enough Clan
salvage has been acquired to replace their existing energy weapons. After being upgraded,
forces fielding the VND-1AA2 can shift
to a more aggressive posture, albeit one still focused on striking and fading as opposed to
a direct fight.
Variants:
A small run of the refits were fitted with Inner Sphere production Large Pulse Lasers to
demonstrate the modularity of the weapon mounts, and to provide an alternate configuration
should Clan Light 'Mechs, such as Dashers, be a concern. Most MechWarriors, however, are
reluctant to sacrifice their strongest long range weapon to slightly improve their odds up
close against 'Mechs they can't outrun, though there is a stable minority of assigned
MechWarriors who favor the pulse laser. A few MechWarriors switch the LRM 5 for an SRM 4 as
an alternative means of improving effectiveness at short range.
Certain alternative configurations are recommended when Clan salvage allows, as shown in
this excerpt from the supplimentary technical documentation provided by Grumium.
The following weapon refits are recommended if the necessary parts can be acquired:
The Small Laser is recommended to be swapped with a Clan Flamer to provide a countermeasure
to Clan Elementals.
The Medium Laser is recommended to be swapped with a Clan ER Medium Laser, sightly
increasing the heat burden in exchange for a more effective weapon suite at medium range.
The PPC has three alternates that can be recommended:
A Clan Large Pulse Laser + Additional Double Heat Sink. This config is favored as it is a
straight performance upgrade over the standard PPC with no additional cost to heat
management.
A Clan ER PPC + additional Double Heat Sink. It is recommended that the LRM 5 and ammo be
removed in favor of 3 more Double Heat Sinks in this context, even though it means
significantly more work for the technicians.
A Clan ER Large Laser, with the spare 3 tons allocated per the discretion of the
MechWarrior, his commander, or the field technicians responsible for maintaining the 'Mech.
This is the most flexible of the proposed weapon changes, and is the best alternative to the
standard PPC should a larger missile launcher be desired.
Replacement of the missile system with Clan spec missiles is not encouraged unless either
significant stockpiles of Clan LRMs have been captured, or an officer who was trained as a
military scientist is present to help the technicians integrate Inner Sphere LRMs to a Clan
spec launcher without causing catastrophic damage to said launcher. The reverse is true for
attempting to use Clan LRMs in the existing launch system.
The integration of captured autocannons in the right arm mount is inadvisable, as the
'Mech's chassis is not designed to accommodate ammo feeds for anything larger than a machine
gun outside of the LRM feed mechanism in the left torso. Installing missile weapons outside
of the side torsos is also discouraged for similar reasons.
Notable MechWarriors:
Löjtnant Anders Gustafson, KungsArmé
================================================================================================
Equipment Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 4.50
Engine: 225 Fusion 10.00
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 5
Heat Sinks (Double): 10 [20] 0.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Armor Factor: 153 9.00
Type: Ferro-Fibrous
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 14 23
Center Torso (rear): 5
R/L Torso: 11 18
R/L Torso (rear): 4
R/L Arm: 7 14
R/L Leg: 11 22
================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser H 1 1.00
Jump Jet CT 1 0.50
Guardian ECM Suite RT 2 1.50
Jump Jet RT 1 0.50
Jump Jet LT 1 0.50
LRM 5 LT 1 2.00
LRM 5 (Ammo 24) LT 1 1.00
PPC RA 3 7.00
Small Laser LA 1 0.50
Jump Jet RL 1 0.50
Jump Jet LL 1 0.50
================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 32
TP: BM, SZ: 2, TMM: 2, MV: 10"j
Damage: (S) 2 / (M) 2 / (L) 2, OV: 0
Armor (A): 5, Structure (S): 4
Specials: ECM, IF0*
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