Chameleon

Chameleon
Chameleon
Production information
Manufacturer Defiance Industries[1]

J.B. BattleMechs Inc.[1]

Production Year 3056[2]
Model CLN-7V[1]
Class Medium
Introduced 2510[3]
Cost 4,623,375 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 50 tons
Chassis Enran TXS2A
Armor SimplePlate Manufacturers Type M
Engine Vlar 300
Communications System Jolex Systems
Targeting Tracking System Optisight-12
Heat Sinks 10 single
Speed 97 km/h
Jump Jets McCloud Specials
Armament
BV (1.0) 839[4][5]
BV (2.0) 1,042[1][6]


Description[edit]

Since the Terran Hegemony introduced it in 2510, the Chameleon has been the premiere training BattleMech for light- and medium-BattleMech MechWarriors. In fact, with its role away from the battlefield, except in the most desperate of circumstances, the Chameleon has suffered relatively little attrition. Combined with its continuous production on Hesperus II, the Chameleon is one of the most common BattleMechs. Even in the thirty-first century, the Chameleon is widely used at academies and training cadres throughout the Inner Sphere.[7][4]

The Chameleon was designed to help a new MechWarrior master the skills of maneuvering and heat management, with a top speed of 97.2 km/h and a jumping distance of 180 meters. The 'Mech also had an almost all-energy-weapon loadout, but was cooled by only 10 single heat sinks; this paucity of freezers forces MechWarriors to concentrate on the 'Mech's heat levels. In some instances, the Chameleon had been forced into combat situations, notably during the Dragoon Civil War and the World of Blake's conquest of Terra.[8][7][4]

Production of the Chameleon halted briefly in 3052 when Defiance Industries decided to switch its production to the Nightsky, but was quickly resumed when J.B. BattleMechs Incorporated purchased the rights to the design. J.B. BattleMechs also introduced two battleworthy variants of the Chameleon.[7][4]

The Chameleon is a training 'Mech, intended to simulate a variety of opponents by mounting a wide variety of weapon systems. While a medium 'Mech by design, it doesn't always look like one; it can be fitted out with extra plates to modify its appearance, and carries special electronics to falsify its signature. It is these special abilities that let it look and scan as something other than what it is, hence the machine's name.[9]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The Chameleon carried a basic arsenal that allowed a MechWarrior-in-training to learn the skill of heat management. The 'Mech's reliable low-tech arsenal proved effective when forced into combat; the primary weapon was a Cyclops Eye large laser, backed up by two Intek medium lasers, and a trio of Defiance B3S small lasers. To make the threat of overheating more real to the new MechWarrior, the 'Mech carried two Scatter Gun Light machine guns that could be used for anti-infantry training.[7][4]

Variants[edit]

  • TRC-4B 
    Also referred to as the CHM-3 Chameleon Training Scout,[10] this formerly common but now obscure training 'Mech was armed with one large laser, two medium lasers, four small lasers, and two machine guns. With only 10 single heat sink, this 'Mech was quite prone to overheating, forcing trainees to carefully manage their heat. As manufactured, this 'Mech is perhaps the only Rules Level 1 official, if not canonical, design with three critical spaces of equipment installed in the center torso, two machine guns and half a ton of ammo, in violation of the design rules released with it. Additionally, as released, a quarter ton of armor remained unallocated. BV (1.0) = 811; BV (2.0) = 999[10]
  • CLN-4V 
    An editing error. Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), page 241, presented the stats for the TRC-4B but gave the designator as CLN-4V. This was corrected to TRC-4B in official errata, and it was also expressly clarified that there is no CLN-4V variant of the Chameleon.[11]
  • CLN-7Z 
    Another J.B. BattleMechs combat variant of the Chameleon, the 7Z carried as its primary weapons two large lasers and a single ER large laser. The 7Z carried no other weapons on its chassis and used 12 double heat sinks to handle its massive heat load.[1] BV (1.0) = 1,283;[14] BV (2.0) = 1,527[15]
  • CLN-8V 
    This variant sought to make the Chameleon a capable frontline fighter. The weapons complement was changed considerably. An ER large laser and standard medium laser were mounted in the right arm. Another medium laser remained in the left arm. Two medium X-pulse lasers were mounted in the right torso, while another was mounted in the left. A pair of machine guns were still carried in the center torso but now shared a CASE II–protected half-ton magazine in the left torso. To make room for all these improvements, a 300 XL engine was used. The heat sinks were upgrade to twelve doubles. Nine tons of standard armor protected this variant. BV (2.0) = 1,426[17]
  • CLN-9V 
    Another attempt to make the Chameleon perform in real combat, the 9V took an uncommon approach. Mounting only six tons of light ferro-fibrous armor, this variant instead relied on reinforced structure to increase its durability. A light PPC was now the main gun in the right arm, with both arms also featuring an ER medium laser. Three small X-pulse lasers resided in the torsos, with one in the left and two in the right. Standard machine guns remained in the center torso, but their half-ton of ammo was protected by CASE II in the left torso. A light fusion engine and ten double heat sinks were also used by this variant. BV (2.0) = 1,276[17]

Design Quirks[edit]

The CLN-7V Chameleon is subject to the following Design Quirk:[18]

The CLN-7VQ Chameleon variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:[16]

Notable Pilots[edit]

See Category:Notable Chameleon Pilots

Notes[edit]

  • In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Chamäleon. The model code was left unchanged.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Technical Readout: Succession Wars, pp. 78–79: CLN-7V Chameleon
  2. MUL online entry for Chameleon
  3. Era Digest: Age of War, p. 11
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, pp. 132–133: "Chameleon"
  5. Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 213
  6. Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 240
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Technical Readout: 3058, p. 106
  8. Wolf Pack, p. ??[citation needed]
  9. Wolf Pack, ch. 41
  10. 10.0 10.1 BattleTech 2nd Edition: BattleMech Training, p. 1
  11. In this posting on the official BattleTech forum by Joshua "nckestrel" Franklin: "There is errata for RS 3058U stating "Chameleon CLN-4V, p. 241 designation - replace "CLN-4V" with "TRC-4B"" IE. There is no CLN-4V."
  12. Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 214
  13. Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 242
  14. Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 215
  15. Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 243
  16. 16.0 16.1 Experimental Technical Readout: Phantoms, p. 4
  17. 17.0 17.1 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 25, p. 9
  18. BattleMech Manual, p. 90: BattleMech Quirk Table -CLN-7V Entry

Bibliography[edit]