Editing IIC

== Description ==
'''IIC''' ("two-C", in the sense of "second generation, and of Clan origin") is an [[Inner Sphere]] designation<ref name="TRO:3055p92">''Technical Readout: 3055'', p. 92: "Clan BattleMechs"</ref> for items of superior [[Clan]] technology that have evolved out of certain classic designs or items from which they derive their names. It was coined for certain [[BattleMech]] designs,<ref name="TRO:3055p92"/> but was later also used for superior (Clan-level) technology rebuilds of [[aerospace fighter]]s, [[vehicle]]s, and other equipment that had recognizably evolved out of an earlier namesake, and is now used for a broad range of advanced items.

They are invariably considered distinct designs, and not as subvariants of their namesake precursor designs. Many IIC designs have altered the parent design's mass and some bear only a superficial semblance to the earlier design or item of the same name.

The IIC designation originated with the Inner Sphere,<ref name="TRO:3055p92"/> and is not a Clan term, describing Clan technology from an Inner Sphere viewpoint. As such, the Clans themselves did not use the IIC description initially, referring to IIC units and items by their traditional [[Star League era|Star League-era]] name (without the "IIC" appendix) instead.<ref>''Trial of Faith'', p. 13 provides one example where what Clan forces describe as "''Locust''" 'Mechs are clearly ''[[Locust IIC]]''.</ref> Later on, around the [[Jihad era]] past the year [[3067]], the Clans seem to have adopted IIC as a designation<ref>''Operation ICE STORM'' Part 2, p. 7</ref> to differentiate the newer IIC designs from their old-fashioned ancestors of the same name which are sometimes still in use in the Inner Sphere. Note that the Clans have abandoned the alphanumerical designator system for 'Mechs and aerospace fighters that has been in use in the Inner Sphere since the days of the [[Star League]]. Thus, they would refer to a ''[[Locust IIC]]'' as either a ''Locust'' or a ''Locust IIC'', but never as a LCT-IIC.

:''Among the [[BattleTech]] fanbase, "IIC" is also (usually jokingly) used very broadly for the concepts of superiority or improvement; it is unclear if the designation is in similarly casual use within the BattleTech universe.''{{cn}}

Although superior to standard Inner Sphere technology, IIC 'Mechs and fighters do not make use of [[OmniMech|Omni]] technology and were thus already considered obsolete by Clan standards around the time of the [[Clan Invasion]]. With the notable exception of the ''[[Hunchback IIC]]'',<ref name=TRO3058>''Technical Readout: 3058, p. 188</ref><ref name=TRO3058U>''Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 172</ref> IIC BattleMechs were largely absent from frontline formations, and were initially primarily used in second-line and garrison units.<ref name="TRO:3055p92"/> Still, the concept carries on, and new IIC designs were still devised by [[3095]].<ref>The ''Viking IIC'' was introduced in 3095</ref>

== No IIC Spaceships ==
Even though similar redesigns exist among spacecraft, spaceships of all kinds seem to be a notable exception from the IIC naming scheme if they are larger than an [[aerospace fighter]] (there is at least one IIC aerospace fighter design):
*[[Small Craft]] exist in upgraded versions among the Clans, but instead of IIC these simply append "C" to their designation either directly, or separated by a space or a dash, ''i.e.'' [[K-1]]C, [[KR-61|KR-61 C]], [[Mark VII]]-C.<ref name="TRO:3057Rp170+">''Technical Readout: 3057 Revised'', pp. 170–171, 173</ref> It should be noted though that Clan upgrades to Small Craft designs are typically minor, usually limited to an upgrade of their weapons suite to more advanced versions of the same weapons, and/or armor changes. In this fashion, they are actually much closer to "C" variants (see below) than IIC redesigns, although unlike "C" BattleMechs which are stopgap upgrades of obsolete designs, these upgraded small craft seem to be the Clans' baseline production models.
*[[DropShip]]s are either treated like small craft, or received entirely new names: Despite effectively being IIC-style redesigns, the ''[[Union-C]]'' and ''[[Overlord-C]]'' are named thus, even by the Clans themselves, while the IIC-style evolution of the ''[[Leopard]]'' and ''[[Intruder]]'' were named the ''[[Broadsword]]'' and ''[[Sassanid]]''-class, respectively. Despite the differences, initial Inner Sphere reports during the early Clan Invasion often inaccurately reported ''Union-C'' and ''Overlord-C''-class DropShips as ''Union'' and ''Overlord''-class vessels, and ''Broadsword''-class DropShips as ''Leopard''s.<ref>There is an [https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=56035.0 official ruling] to the effect that Clan DropShips described as ''Overlord'' and ''Union'' in early sourcebooks, especially those sourcebooks that predate the introduction of proper Clan DropShips in ''[[Technical Readout: 3057]]'', can be considered to be ''Overlord-C'' and ''Union-C''-class vessels instead; the same is "not definitely" true for ''Broadsword''/''Leopard''-class vessels. It should be noted though that one sourcebook written as an internal [[Wolfnet]] document (''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]'') lists ''Overlord''s, ''Union''s, ''Leopard''s and ''Intruder''s in Clan ''[[touman]]s'' alongside ''Overlord-C'', ''Union-C'', ''Broadsword'' and ''Sassanid''-class vessels; given that Wolfnet would be aware of the differences this seems to prove that all of those classes were in fact in use among the Clans at least up until ca. [[3057]], when the report was compiled in-universe</ref>
*[[JumpShip]]s: The Clans do operate upgraded versions of common JumpShip types with (it is implied) improved onboard electronics and other advanced technologies such as [[HarJel]] hull sealant safety systems, but the overall differences seem to be minor and they are not named differently.
*[[WarShip]]s: There is no IIC [[WarShip]] class, despite many vessels in the Clan fleets having undergone some form of upgrade or refit—sometimes radically so, as there are entire new ship classes that were created by revamping and upgrading an existing class. Such evolutions that were based off older designs were given entirely new names, however.

== Difference between "IIC" and "C" designs ==
IIC BattleMechs are by definition new 'Mech models designed from a namesake parent design to make use of Clan technology. They should not be confused with "C"-style variants or refits of BattleMechs which are typically identified by appending "(C)" to their alphanumerical designation:

Somewhat similar to the IIC concept, "C"-type BattleMechs are standard 'Mech designs that feature advanced Clan equipment and components, but are essentially only a variant of their parent design built with better components and not an altogether new design (as opposed to a IIC 'Mech that has been redesigned from the ground up). Frequently, the change is limited to exchanging weapon systems for advanced Clan counterparts, without changing the chassis or other components such as the [[fusion engine]] or [[heat sink]]s.

These upgraded variants are typically built by the Clans at captured Inner Sphere factories as a stopgap measure to achieve the best possible production result without having to retool the factory for an entirely different 'Mech model.

{{seealso|Essay: Evolution of the "C" Refits}}

== Known IIC designs ==
:''Note: This list may be incomplete.''
=== BattleMechs ===
* ''[[Beowulf IIC]]''
* ''[[Clint IIC]]''
* ''[[Commando IIC]]''
* ''[[Conjurer (Hellhound)]]'', confirmed to be the ''Wolverine IIC'' in all but name, as the Clans would not name a BattleMech like the [[Not-named Clan]]; five tons lighter than the original ''[[Wolverine]]''
* ''[[Dervish IIC]]'' ([[apocryphal]])
* ''[[Griffin IIC]]'', fifteen tons lighter than the original ''[[Griffin]]''
* ''[[Guillotine IIC]]''
* ''[[Highlander IIC]]''
* ''[[Hunchback IIC]]'', the preferred last-chance BattleMech for Warriors destined for [[Solahma|''solahma'']] units<ref name=TRO3058/><ref name=TRO3058U/>
* ''[[Jenner IIC]]''
* ''[[Locust IIC]]'', five tons heavier than the original ''[[Locust]]''
* ''[[Marauder IIC]]'', ten tons heavier than the original ''[[Marauder]]'' and thus classed as an assault 'Mech, not a heavy 'Mech
* ''[[Orion IIC]]''
* ''[[Ostscout IIC]]'' (prototypes only; project canceled before entering production)
* ''[[Phoenix Hawk IIC]]'', thirty-five tons heavier than the original ''[[Phoenix Hawk]]'' and thus classed as an assault 'Mech, not a medium 'Mech
* ''[[Rifleman IIC]]'', five tons heavier than the original ''[[Rifleman]]''
* ''[[Shadow Hawk IIC]]'', ten tons lighter than the original ''[[Shadow Hawk]]''
* ''[[Stinger IIC]]''
* ''[[Thunderbolt IIC]]''
* ''[[UrbanMech IIC]]''
* ''[[Viking IIC]]''
* ''[[Warhammer IIC]]'', ten tons heavier than the original ''[[Warhammer]]'' and thus classed as an assault 'Mech, not a heavy 'Mech
* ''[[Wolfhound IIC]]'', a rebuild of [[Phelan Kell]]'s personal 'Mech and presumably a unique one-off design
* ''[[Wyvern IIC]]''

=== Aerospace fighters ===
* ''[[Chippewa IIC]]''

=== Vehicles ===
*[[Axel IIC]] tank
*[[Baleena IIC]] submarine
*[[Defender IIC]] conventional fighter

=== Other ===
*[[Mauser IIC]] assault rifle
*[[Kobold#Variants|Kobold IIC]] battle armor; a Clan upgrade version of an Inner Sphere battle armor design that was created after the Inner Sphere had reverse engineered battle armor technology from the Clans

== References ==
<references/>

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]''
* ''[[Operation ICE STORM (novel)]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3055]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3057 Revised]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3058]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade]]''
* ''[[Trial of Faith]]''

[[Category:'Mech classifications|IIC]]
[[Category:Technology|IIC]]