the shape of things to come

Interestingly enough, the Clan version of the Artemis performs
exactly the same as those produced in the Inner Sphere in terms of
tonnage, compactness and battlefi eld accuracy. The Artemis IV used
For what amounts to one of the most basic combat systems on
the modern battlefi eld, autocannons (often abbreviated as ACs) are
a broadly varied class of rapid-fi ring, auto-loading, heavy ballistic
weaponry—gigantic machine guns, in other words. With calibers
ranging from 30 to 90 millimeters at the lighter end, to as much as 203
millimeters or more at the heaviest, most autocannons deliver their
damage by fi ring high-speed streams or bursts of high-explosive,
armor-defeating shells through one or more barrels. While caliber
and fi ring rate can vary greatly, four main classes have emerged over
the centuries, setting the standards by which all other ACs are rated,
based on their relative ballistic damage. At the lightest end is the AC/2
class, followed by the long-time standard AC/5, then the heavy punch
of the AC/10 class, and fi nally the brutal, close-in AC/20.
At the dawn of the BattleMech era, only two proven autocannon
models existed: the AC/2 and the AC/5. Production model versions
of the heavier AC/10 and the ’Mech-killing AC/20 did not appear until
after 2460 and 2500, respectively (though the Mackie sported a prototype
of the AC/10 as far back as its 2443 battlefi eld debut).
In the centuries since, additional autocannon variants have evolved,
including the cluster-style LB-X, the high-speed Ultra and the multibarreled,
high-cycle rotary. These three autocannon styles—as well as
the standard models—are discussed below.
[Once again, since the publication of this document, additional
autocannon types—light autocannons—have entered production
and front-line service. They are described in detail below. –EB]
LB-X AUTOCANNON
Introduced: 2595 (Terran Hegemony [LB 10-X]); circa 2820 (Clans [LB
2-X, 5-X, 20-X])
Extinct: 2840 (Inner Sphere)
Reintroduced: 3035 (Federated Commonwealth [LB 10-X]); 3058
(Federated Suns [LB 2-X, 5-X, 20-X])
An improvement on the common autocannon intended to expand
the weapon’s role into anti-vehicle and anti-infantry work, the LB-X
makes use of light, heat-dissipating alloys to reduce its weight and
thermal buildup. These materials, coupled with a smooth-bore,
multi-munition feed mechanism, make the LB more expensive than
standard autocannons. However, the slight range increase and the
ability to switch between standard-style bursts and explosive cluster
munitions—both specially developed for this weapon system—more
than mitigate this higher cost.
ARTEMIS IV FIRE-CONTROL SYSTEM
by the Clan-made Series XXXII Multitrack system is identical in all such
aspects to, say, the one used with IMB System’s RCA Instatrac XIII.
Tech Rating: Inner Sphere and Clan
Unit Restrictions: ProtoMechs may not install Artemis IV systems.
Construction Rules: The Artemis IV FCS may only be combined with standard long-range missile (LRM) and short-range missile (SRM)
launchers and the multi-missile launcher (MML). One Artemis system must be installed on the unit for every applicable launcher—including
one-shot launchers, if any. (Streak SRMs, MRMs, rocket launchers and Narc beacons may not use Artemis, and so do not count toward this
requirement, even though they can be installed on a unit that uses Artemis-enhanced launchers.) This equipment must also be placed in
the same location as each such launcher.
If a launcher that must receive an Artemis enhancement is set in a location with no space remaining for the Artemis, then Artemis IV may
not be mounted on that unit at all, because one of its launchers cannot receive the required upgrade. For example, an OmniMech with a
fi xed SRM mount in the head that leaves no spaces free on its record sheet may not use the Artemis IV FCS.
BattleMechs, IndustrialMechs and Support Vehicles must assign critical slots separately to Artemis IV; Combat Vehicles, fi ghters, Small
Craft and DropShips treat Artemis as part of the weapon system it enhances, for purposes of tracking weapon slots.
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Inner Sphere and Clan, pp. 341–343) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 130
AUTOCANNON
Inner Sphere LB-X autocannons—like the Mydron Excel LB-X series,
Imperator’s Code Red LB 10-X or Defi ance’s Disintegrator LB 20-X—
boast much improved effi ciency over their standard kin. Indeed, even
with their recent manufacture and expense, these weapon systems
might well have completely outclassed and phased out their standard
counterparts (as evidently occurred in the Clan militaries) were it not
for the advent of a host of alternative munitions over the past decade.
Incompatible with LB-X autocannon, some of these munitions are
described later in brief.
LIGHT AUTOCANNON
[Introduced: 3068 (Federated Suns [LAC/2, LAC/5])
After spending nearly a decade in the prototype stages—long enough
to actually give rise to the rotary AC—light autocannons (abbreviated
as LACs) only hit full-scale production with the unveiling of Yeff ters
Weapons’ Mydron Flyswatter and Mydron Snakekiller models in 3068.
Ironically, what spurred this production was the destruction of the NAIS,
where these weapons were fi rst developed. It may be a bit of poetic justice
that the fi rst models were rushed to the battlefi elds of New Avalon
to help drive back the Blakists’ fi rst assault against the planet. Since then,
however, Imperator Automatic Weaponry has begun producing its own
versions for the Free Worlds League and their Robe allies.
Built smaller and with shorter ranges, light ACs exist only in the
lower calibers (LAC/2 and LAC/5), but benefi t from the ability to use
the advanced munitions that LB-X, rotary and Ultra ACs cannot. The
Clans, who have not seen much use for specialized ammunition and
who still possess autocannons superior to even these versions, have
shown little interest in duplicating this innovation, though the same
cannot be said of the other Inner Sphere states. –EB]
ROTARY AUTOCANNON
Introduced: 3062 (Federated Suns)
Another product of our own New Avalon Institute of Science, the
rotary autocannon (RAC for short) is, at its heart, an eff ort to obtain
an even higher rate of fi re than the Ultra-class autocannon outlined
below. Using multiple barrels to attain up to three times the volume of
an Ultra burst, this weapon is much heavier and bulkier than its standard-model
cousins, and lacks the eff ective reach of even the Ultra AC
series. Its inability to make use of most specialized munitions, coupled
with its sheer expense, have prevented the rotary concept from entering
the heavier-caliber brackets at this time. Balancing this, however,
is the ability to clear weapon jams in the fi eld—a feature lacking in
i
INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
BASICS
BATTLEMECH
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIALMECH
CONSTRUCTION
PROTOMECH
CONSTRUCTION
COMBAT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
SUPPORT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
CONV. INFANTRY
CONSTRUCTION
BATTLE ARMOR
CONSTRUCTION
AEROSPACE UNIT
CONSTRUCTION
WEAPONS AND
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INFANTRY WEAPONS
AND EQUIPMENT
COSTS AND
AVAILABILITY
BATTLE VALUE
INDEX
RECORD SHEETS
207