BattleMech Technical Readout
Name/Model: Firestarter FS9-L
Designer: IronRaven Special Projects Group
Source(s): Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology: Inner Sphere
Technology Rating: D
Tonnage: 35
Role: Scout
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
Era/Year: Star League / 2732
Rules (Current): Introductory
Rules (Era): Introductory
Rules (Year): Introductory
Total Cost: 3,070,035 C-Bills
Battle Value: 684
Chassis: Argile H/09
Power Plant: Omni 210 210
Walking Speed: 64.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph
Jump Jets: Firestone Radials 6s
Jump Capacity: 180 meters
Armor: Livingston Ceramics
Armament:
2 Magna Mark II Medium Lasers
2 Magna Mark I Small Lasers
2 Purity L-series Flamers
2 Zippo Conventional Flamer (Vehicle)s
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications: Tansech Omni-7
Targeting & Tracking: Tansech C30-97
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Overview:
Produced only in very limited quantities , the Firestarter FS9 -L is a mostly extinct model.
Mostly purchased by House Kurita and Aramis, only a handful remained in existence at the end
of the First Succession War. It was actually intended to be a more utilitarian model, with
more flexibility than the -L, but given who bought it... of course it became the steed of
war criminals.
The difference between the FS9-L and -H is much more reservered than the difference with the
-M Mirage model. The machineguns have been replaced with Magna made small lasers, and two of
the Purity flamers are swapped for a pair of LFN liquid fueled flamers. Arm mounted for
maxium coverage, these two are each supported by a ton of ammunition and a nitrogen flush
systems. Because the two reseviors are cross linked, this allows one or both tanks to be
loaded with something other Inferno fluid. The typical utilization was to fill one or both
with fire suppression foam to protect certain assets, or to control the fires ignighted by
plasma-based flamers. But with a chemical flamethrower there is also the option to turn off
the ignighter and then eject fuel, what is called a wet shot. For crowd control, being
sprayed with fuel that isn't lit would have a very strong "deterent factor". This even
allows the -L to soak a location as an abush, as once it's in the soil almost anything will
set off the volatile mix of chemicals that is Inferno fuel, makign that location a landmine
that can be lit with a cigarette lighter. Or, even if you're carrying nothing but fire
suppression foam laced with riot control agents, nothing is to stop the mechwarrior from
ignigting the pilot lighters before firing, a pair of 20cm long propane jets at the ends of
the machine's arms for everyone to see, and wonder "am I going to fry, or go home and go to
bed?"
A horrible, almost loathesome machine, I was surprised to find one actually still exists.
And in a way, it is being used for crowd controll. As always, I refuse to say where I found
this, but it is part of one of the Great Houses' forces and it is home based on an
agricultural world. The indigenous flora is very agressive and more sissile than one would
expect from plants. To the point they are known to grab humans with flamethrowers, pull them
into the shrubbery and crush them, inevitably starting fires when the ten centimeter thorns
puncture the hoses and tanks. If not burned back hard, the native plant life would encroach
on and over take the fertilized and semi-terraformed Terran cropland needed to support the
planetary population. And since these plants grow from cuttings even more readily than from
seed, so mechanical means of destruction are ruled out, and the local plant life heavily
resistant to chemical herbacides. At least, those other than napalm. The Firestarter can
jump in, use the energy based flamers to destroy the plants, and then drop foam to contain
the fire.
And this was actually the mission it was designed for, Argile envisioned these as part of a
planetary militia, having both normal defensive uses and to manage forest fires both by
creating back burns and direct attack on the fire in critical locations. This particular
machine leads a lance that includes a pair of Wasps, who's SRMs can carry foam rounds while
keeping up with the Firestarter. The fourth is a long suffering Javelin whom I'm told is
tasked with "hating trees", pulling them up and pushing them over, so they can be dragged
out of the way. They are heavily supplimented by a group of land vehicles, but those lack
the mobility and flexibility when this lance is given a tasking that takes it elsewhere.
There is a record of one varient of this model, which replaced the torso mounted flamers
with a third flamethrower and a third ton of fuel. It would have reverted to carrying a pair
of machine guns like the more common -H model, with half a ton of ammunition. I've found no
records to suggest it was anything but a one-off prototype tested and scrapped long before
Aramis' Civil War. Of the normal, production -Ls, there are no records to suggest the SLDF
ever bought any. Perhaps the -H model was horrible enough. Perhaps they didn't see the value
the Rim Worlds did.
While it is the policy of This Old Mech to celebrate the machine, in this case, I find it
very hard to do so. As a mechwatcher, I can check this one off my list. But I had to edit my
list to make a checkbox for this. It was made to be heroic. Sometimes, it was. But mostly
it was a tool of oppression, regular or extra crispy.
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Equipment Mass
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Internal Structure: Standard 3.50
Engine: 210 Fusion 9.00
Walking MP: 6
Running MP: 9
Jumping MP: 6
Heat Sinks (Single): 10 0.00
Gyro: Standard 3.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Armor Factor: 88 5.50
Type: Standard
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 11 13
Center Torso (rear): 6
R/L Torso: 8 11
R/L Torso (rear): 5
R/L Arm: 6 6
R/L Leg: 8 8
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Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flamer CT 1 1.00
Flamer CT (R) 1 1.00
Flamer (Vehicle) (Ammo 20) RT 1 1.00
3 Jump Jets RT 3 1.50
Small Laser RT 1 0.50
Flamer (Vehicle) (Ammo 20) LT 1 1.00
3 Jump Jets LT 3 1.50
Small Laser LT 1 0.50
Flamer (Vehicle) RA 1 0.50
Medium Laser RA 1 1.00
Flamer (Vehicle) LA 1 0.50
Medium Laser LA 1 1.00
================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics
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Point Value (PV): 20
TP: BM, SZ: 1, TMM: 2, MV: 12"j
Damage: (S) 2 / (M) 1 / (L) 0, OV: 0
Armor (A): 3, Structure (S): 3
Specials: HT1/-/-, REAR0*/-/-
Distribution
Name/Model: Firestarter FS9-L
Technology: Inner Sphere
Tonnage: 35
Configuration: Biped BattleMech
==================================================================================================
Left ArmHeadRight Arm
1. Shoulder 1. Life Support 1. Shoulder
2. Upper Arm Actuator 2. Sensors 2. Upper Arm Actuator
3. Lower Arm Actuator 3. Cockpit 3. Lower Arm Actuator
4. Hand Actuator 4. Roll Again 4. Hand Actuator
5. Flamer (Vehicle) 5. Sensors 5. Flamer (Vehicle)
6. Medium Laser 6. Life Support 6. Medium Laser
1. Roll Again 1. Roll Again
2. Roll Again 2. Roll Again
3. Roll Again 3. Roll Again
4. Roll Again 4. Roll Again
5. Roll Again 5. Roll Again
6. Roll Again 6. Roll Again
Left TorsoCenter TorsoRight Torso
1. Jump Jet 1. Fusion Engine 1. Jump Jet
2. Jump Jet 2. Fusion Engine 2. Jump Jet
3. Jump Jet 3. Fusion Engine 3. Jump Jet
4. Flamer (Vehicle) (Ammo 20) 4. Gyro 4. Flamer (Vehicle) (Ammo 20)
5. Small Laser 5. Gyro 5. Small Laser
6. Roll Again 6. Gyro 6. Roll Again
1. Roll Again 1. Gyro 1. Roll Again
2. Roll Again 2. Fusion Engine 2. Roll Again
3. Roll Again 3. Fusion Engine 3. Roll Again
4. Roll Again 4. Fusion Engine 4. Roll Again
5. Roll Again 5. Flamer 5. Roll Again
6. Roll Again 6. Flamer (R) 6. Roll Again
Left LegRight Leg
1. Hip 1. Hip
2. Upper Leg Actuator 2. Upper Leg Actuator
3. Lower Leg Actuator 3. Lower Leg Actuator
4. Foot Actuator 4. Foot Actuator
5. Heat Sink 5. Heat Sink
6. Roll Again 6. Roll Again
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