Spatha

Spatha
Spatha
Production information
Manufacturer
Production Year 3067[1]
Model SP1-X
Class Heavy
Cost 52,704,961 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 60 tons
Chassis Spatha X
Armor Long-Arms Laser Reflect/Max
Engine Hermes 360 XL
Communications System Custom
Targeting Tracking System Custom
Heat Sinks 13 double
Speed 97 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) 1,346
BV (2.0) 2,037[2]


Description

Developed by the eminent designer Doctor Géné Lyndon, the Spatha uses leading-edge technology to deadly effect in the Solaris Games.

Like many Solaris VII arena 'Mechs, the Spatha is designed as a brawler, but relies upon finesse rather than brute strength like most. A hand-tooled Hermes 360-rated XXL engine trades durability for tremendous weight savings but the Spatha only has to fear autocannon or gauss rifle fire on its fragile engine thanks to its eleven tons of advanced Long-Arms Laser Reflect/Max armor and McArthur Laser-X AMS negating its opponents' energy and missile weaponry. The Spatha's thirteen double heat sinks are barely up the task of cooling its advanced power plant and its own energy weapons, actually an intentional choice given the Spatha is equipped with Triple Strength Myomer to boost its speed and dramatically boost the effectiveness of its sword.[3]

The design's main flaw is outside of the arenas, the cost to build and maintain it. Rather than a rebuilt and heavily modified existing design, the Spatha is completely hand-assembled and needs a team of fifteen dedicated engineers to keep in fighting trim.[3]

Weapons and Equipment

While its body is the height of high tech, for the most part the Spathas weaponry is relatively common for the era. The Spathas main weapon is the Sword it is named after, deadly enough before the triple strength myomer kicks in. Its ranged weaponry consists of an Defiance 1001 ER PPC with an Spatha-X PPC Capacitor, and two RAMTech 800P-X Medium X-Pulse Lasers and an Guided Technologies Guided Technologies 2nd Gen Streak SRM-6 launcher for shorter ranges. [3]

Custom Variants

  • SP2-X Spatha "Warlord" 
    Obsessed with maintaining her design at the bleeding edge, Dr. Lyndon chose to view the Word of Blake occupation of Solaris in a positive light, making use of salvaged Blakist weaponry and technology to improve the Spatha. Nicknamed the "Warlord", the second hand-built Spatha SP2-X retains much of the same highly advanced equipment as the original, but drops the PPC, Streak launcher and X-Pulse lasers for an ER Large Laser and a pair of captured Medium Variable Speed Pulse Lasers. The remaining weight saved, further enhanced by a switch to a Small Cockpit, allows the addition of an Angel ECM Suite and an advanced Blue Shield Particle Field Damper to further improve the design's defensive abilities. BV (2.0) = 1,899 [4]

Design Quirks

The Spatha has the following Design Quirks:[5]


Gallery

References

  1. MUL online date for the Spatha
  2. Record Sheets: 3055 Upgrades Unabridged, p. 258
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 158: "Mech Profile"
  4. Experimental Technical Readout: Gladiators, p. 5: "Custom Profile"
  5. BattleMech Manual, p. 94: BattleMech Quirk Table - Spatha Entry

Bibliography