Apollo (StarDrive)

This article is about the apocryphal ultralight BattleMech. For other uses, particularly its canonical medium BattleMech namesake, see Apollo and Apollo (BattleMech).

Apollo
Production information
Manufacturer	Irian BattleMechs Unlimited
Model	APL-1J
Class	Ultralight
Cost	965,310 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type	Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass	15 tons
Chassis	Irian Chassis Class 15
Armor	Riese-230
Engine	DAV 90
Communications System	Irian Longtalker II
Targeting Tracking System	Wasat Aggressor
Heat Sinks	10 single
Speed	91.1 km/h
Jump Jets	none
Armament	2x medium laser 1x machine gun
BV (1.0)	n/a
BV (2.0)	n/a

Description

Designed around the end of the twenty-sixth and beginning of the twenty-seventh century as a substitute for other scout 'Mechs, the ultralight Apollo was an attempt by House Marik to save cost. The design was very successful, comparing favorably to the heavier and more expensive Stinger despite lacking jump jets, and many thousands were built. As of 3025, less than two thousand APL-1J Apollos are thought to remain, relegated to rear-area House units or mercenary units and found even in the Federated Suns and the Draconis Combine.

Weapons and Equipment

The APL-1J Apollo carries an I.W.W. medium laser in each arm and a Voelkers 200 machine gun in the center torso, with one ton of ammunition. Its three tons of armor is respectable, equaling heavier light scout 'Mechs such as the Stinger.

Variants

Some individual APL-1J Apollos are believed to have been equipped with jump jets to alleviate what is perceived as the design's greatest problem. Such refits would be field modifications, however; no official variant exists.

Canonicity

The APL-1J Apollo was only ever described in StarDrive. Since this magazine is not currently counted among the canonical sources for BattleTech, the 'Mech itself is not currently considered canonical either.

Notes

• The maximum ground speed given for this 'Mech is slightly lower than normal for its mass and engine rating (91.1 instead of 97.2 km/h), but this has no impact on its game stats.

• Although no proper Design Quirks are given for the design (Quirk rules having been published more than twenty years later), the machine gun is noted for its tendency to jam due to its delicate feed mechanism: Any damage to the center torso requires an avoidance roll of 5+ or the gun is jammed until cleared by a tech.

• The APL-1J Apollo seems to be another attempt at what was tried with the less successful FLE-14 Flea (originally the TRP-1 Trooper) roughly a century earlier already.

Bibliography

• StarDrive, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 10–12