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The-PBG — Seaman AM-S3 (Custom Mech)
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Published: 2022-06-14 16:46:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 9576; Favourites: 63; Downloads: 0
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Description
Name: Seaman AM-S3
Type: Battlemech
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Configuration: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental
Era: Dark Age
Tonnage: 80 tons
Tech Rating: E/X-X-X-E
Production Year: 3128
Dry Cost: 14,918,400 C-Bills
Total Cost: 14,975,400 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,440
Chassis: GM-adp-Hildco Type VII-Aquatic (GM-a-HTVIIAq)
Power Plant: Pitban 320 Light (Light Fusion Engine)
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: GM Flying Fish MJB V4 (Mechanical Jump Boosters)
UMU: Level 80 Thermo Fusion Hydraulic Propulsion Jets
Machanical Jump Boosters: 90 meters (3 hexes)
UMU: 23.4 knots (120 meters – 4 hexes)
Armour: GM-Iron Shell Impact Resistance Diving Armour
Armament:
1 Defiance 1003Aq - ER PPC
1 Type 65 TP - LRT-10
1 Holly-Aq - SRM-4
1 J3 Sinker - Lance
1 M.A.S.S. (Mech Warrior Aquatic Survival System)
Manufacturer: General Motors
Primary Factory: New Valencia
Communications System: Opus III Highbeam
Targeting and Tracking System: Mudskipper Target Co.
Design Quirks:
Vestigile hands (0)
Searchlight (0)
Protected Actuators (1)
Reinforced Legs (1)
Barrel Fists (1) LA and RA
No Cooling Jacket (-2) LRT 10
Weak head Armour (-1)
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 122 points 4.00
Internal Locations: 4 LT, 3 RT, 3 LA, 4 RA
Engine: Light Fusion Engine 320 17.00
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4 / 3 UMU + Jump Booster
Jump Jet Locations: 2 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT 4.00
*The Jump Boosters occupies 2 slots in each leg.
Heat Sinks: Double Heat Sink 10(20) 0.00
Gyro: Standard 4.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Impact-Res. Armor AV - 203 14.50
Armor Locations: 2 LT, 4 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 25 31
Center Torso (rear) 11
L/R Torso 17 21
L/R Torso (rear) 11
L/R Arm 13 21
L/R Leg 17 23
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Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M.A.S.S. HD 0 1 1.50
SRM-4 RT 3 1 2.00
LRT-10 LT 4 2 5.00
ER PPC RA 15 3 7.00
Lance LA - 4 4.00
Ammo SRM-4 (25) RT - 1 1.00
Ammo LRT-10 (12) LT - 1 1.00
Jump Booster LL-RL - 4 12.00
Free Critical Slots: 0
* The Jump Booster occupies 2 slots in each leg.
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 7 Points: 14
4u 2 3 2 0 4 0 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: UMU, MEL, SRCH, ES, SEAL, SOA
Description
With final trials completed in in 3128, the AM-S3 Seaman was commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns as a dedicated amphibious landing and aquatic recovery mech: meant to act as a test bed for new amphibious battlemech technologies. Built to overcome the most hostile environment a battlemech could be deployed in, the deep ocean, the Seamen was an interesting gamble, which in the chaos of the Succession Wars, Clan Invasion and later Jihad would never have been considered. With the inherent mobility issues created by deep water exploration, and the issue of flooding disabling internal components, few commanders wished to risk their careers and resources on such a costly venture.
However, with the end of the Jihad and the resulting disarmament programs, the reduction in conflict allowed room for risks to be taken in battlemech design, leading the resulting U series of battlemech redesigns, to generate dedicated mechs for underwater combat. From these trials the Federated Suns collected notable data from its Victor U model and applied it to a new mech, purpose built for the task at hand.
Made with the express purpose to assist in amphibious landings, the Seaman outstripped most other amphibious battlemechs, due to its ability to jump to shore, and its more then impressive ability to crush small mechs underfoot. While initially dismissed by the AFFS high command, successes began to mount throughout the Dark Age, leading to approval of the mech and the construction of several amphibious bases on key worlds, as staging grounds for resistance operations should they be taken. This would eventually prove crucial during the Draconis Combine’s march to New Avalon, where three lances of Seaman would spend years launching guerrilla raids from a submersed submarine bases in New Hebridnes, along much of the east and south coast of the continent of Albion: striking multiple times at garrisons in the Avalon city, before falling back to the water where they could not be pursued.
Weapons and Equipment
Notably under gunned for a Dark Age era assault mech, the AM-S3 Seaman is spatially armed with all of its key weaponry spread amongst its upper torsos to reduce total loss of effectiveness should one be flooded. Featuring modified waterproofed equipment, the mech is principally armed with a Defiance 1003Aq ER PPC, being an approved modification of the Defiance 1001. Possessing a firm punch and good long range, the ER PPC was selected for having the longest underwater range of any IS energy weapon, being able to strike at enemies almost 480 meters away when submerged, and 690 meters when above water.
The mech would be backed up with a dedicated SRM-4 Holly-Aq and a purpose-built Type 65 TP LRT-10. The idea was for both weapons to augment the mechs fighting ability on land and in the water. With the Long-Range Torpedos giving the mech a mild long-range punch, with the ER PPC factoring into medium to close range fighting; while the SRM augmented the damage at close range while on land, with the ER PPC pulling long range duty. These two dedicated weapon systems while unusable in each other’s environments (with the Holly SRM-4 having to be water proofed to avoid damage while submerged) it did allow for the Seaman to keep an effective long and close-range punch. Most notable the designers augmented the Type-65 LRT-10 with a unique water-cooled firing system which helped to save on space in the mechs crowded torso. While this did generate higher heat spikes, it did keep the bulk of the weapon down, and exploited the cooling effect of being submerged in water.
The final weapon was the eponymous Lance equipped to its right arm. While initially criticised within the AFFS as to why an aquatic mech would need a melee weapon, designers exploited the Lance to give the Seaman a terrifying underwater weapon. With its ability to pierce enemy targets armour, the Lance could easily cause flooding with a lucky critical hit. Creating greater chance for a hull breach and seriously hamper the enemy. Either causing outright destruction in the case of submarines, or server equipment failure in the case of battlemechs.
Still the mechs most infamous equipment was arguably its GM Flying Fish MJB V4 Mechanical Jump Boosters. Initially suggested as a means to allow the Seamen to bridge the gap from the water to the land, by jumping over low depth water sources: which could impede its landing as it waded ashore. The mechanical jump boosters became a terrifying strike weapon when used by Seamen pilots. Being able to use deep water sources to get close to targets on the shoreline, the mech could quickly leap out of the water and land near the enemy and strike them at close range, or if possible, perform a devastating death from above attack. An attack which with the mechs impact resistant armour and heavily reinforced structure; namely in the legs and joints; maximised its damage to the enemy and minimised it to itself. This became a terror to submarine crews who had to be aware of hidden seamen pilots on the ocean floor, who would lie in wait to DFA their craft to the bottom of the sea.
The only downside to the mech was the lack of internal space, and the inability for the original Seaman to mount CASE: though not with lack of trying. The use of impact resistant armour; endo steel; fusion powered under water movement systems; and mechanical jump boosters; ate through the majority of the mechs internal space, leaving it physically unable to mount any more equipment. The lack of space was so server the normal myomer equipped actuators in the forelimbs had to be removed and replaced with conventional servo mechanical graspers, effectively leaving the mech with the vestiges of hands.
Still the lack of conventional hands was considered less of an issue, as due to the mechs frame being rated for deep sea diving, as such the barrel like fore arms were reinforced just like the joints in the legs, and provided excellent bludgeoning tools should the mechs melee weapon be disabled.
Last of note was the deliberate choice of a Light Fusion Engine, the mechs weight and Impact Resistant Armour. The Engine while not as effective as a XL engine, but its choice helped to reduce costs, and also aided in unit survivability. While the lack of CASE was troubling, the fact the mech could endure one of its side torso’s being flooded, helped to keep the mech fighting or allow it to escape for repairs: aiding in its guerrilla operations. The 80-ton frame was also highly desired for its ability to help increase the mechs survivability when entering crush depths: being able to hold out longer than smaller designs. This aided it in escaping, as it could withdraw to deeper waters, where fellow assaults where too slow to purse and any lights would quickly suffer major breaches. And force the attacking armies to bring up dedicated submarines. Moreover, the Impact Resistant Armour, while susceptible to armour piercing weaponry, had little to worry about when operating in the deep ocean due to the lack of armour piercing weapons in that theatre. Its main feature was to help reduce hull breaches, as while the Federated Suns had initially wanted to use HarJel, its weight proved inefficient, and could not protect all locations at once. It also helped to hide the fact that Federates Suns were developing an amphibious Battle Mech from the clans.
Variants
AM-S3L and AM-S3U
A common rebuild of the Seaman. The 3L and 3U were an approved field refit which equipped the mech for purely land or underwater combat respectively. The 3L removed the Seamans LRT-10 and replaced it with an LRM-10. Likewise, the 3U replaced the SRM-4 with a SRT-4. Tragically all known LRM 10s had to strip out most of its cooling jackets to fit in the mechs cramped torso, leading to the 3L model running very hot whole on land. Standard Seamen were often refitted when possible when performing on specific land or aquatic missions.
Due to the nature of these refits the BV and cost are the same
AM-S4
An approved redesign of the Seamen to augment aquatic lances deploying in stealth operations. The S4 replaces all weaponry but the LRT-10 and M.A.S.S, with an ER Large Laser in each arm, and a Beagle Active Probe in the right torso. The unit also featured CASE in its LT, and as such required a specific factory line to build. Two additional Double Heat sinks were also installed in the engine to help offset the high heat load.
The unit excelled in mid to long range engagements, though struggled to leave the water for long periods due to how its two primary weapons would tax its heat load. Still with the Active Probe it could scout the shoreline for targets without surfacing, greatly aiding in team coordination, and isolating targets for initial strikes.
Cost: 15,470,400 C-Bills
BV: 1539
AM-SH “Hippo”
The personal mech of Marcy Callahan. The “Hippo” was originally an AM-S3 stationed on New Avalon during the Kuritan Invasion. After several months of conflict her Seamen suffered major damage by pursing Draconis submarine forces sent to hunt them down. The mech was salvaged by the Kuritans only to be recovered a week later in a raid led by Marcy. The Recovered mech was then returned to the Federated Suns hidden base, and repaired with a spare 300 rated standard engine and compact gyro from a downed enemy Awesome. While having lower speed, Marcy used spare parts to increase the mechs jumping distance to 150 meters. This weirdly allowed a faster water movement speed in water, if only in a straight line, as by using the mechs bulk she could outleap her team mates when using their UMUs, before using her own UMUs to reposition herself. This also reduced the likelihood of engine failure as the loss or flooding of the side torsos no longer hampered her mechs movement. Sadly, the mech had to lose its SRM 4 rack and ammo, but it did install CASE in the LT by using spare parts from a S4 Seaman.
Cost: 9,260,400 C-Bills
BV: 1564
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