the shape of things to come

Inferno SRMs: An enhancement of an ages-old incendiary weapon
system, Inferno SRMs have been around since the early Succession
Wars. These warheads combine volatile incendiary fluids with a
soap-like chemical that adheres to almost any hard surface. Intended
to raise the heat levels of enemy ’Mechs to dangerous heights, or to
fry the crews of armored vehicles in their own metal coffi ns, these
weapons have seen common use in many a brutal campaign. As with
incendiary LRMs, these missiles are susceptible to their own user’s
internal heat issues as well, and so they are deployed less frequently
than standard armor-defeating munitions.
Semi-Guided LRMs: In 3057, the Free Worlds League debuted the
fi rst of their newly developed semi-guided LRM munitions among
select forces deployed during Operation Guerrero. One of their few
true innovations after nearly a decade spent on fostering new missile
technologies, this missile type incorporates the laser-homing
technology of the Arrow IV guided artillery missile (discussed in a
later volume). This enhancement allows friendly units equipped with
target acquisition gear (TAG) to “paint” a target for the incoming fl ight,
enhancing accuracy on the battlefi eld.
Swarm LRMs: The Terran Hegemony fi rst developed Swarm missiles
for the SLDF in 2621 as a means of enhancing the destructive
eff ect of LRM munitions and scattering enemy forces. Incorporating
a smarter targeting system than standard LRMs, Swarm missiles fi red
like standard LRMs, but any that missed a target would remain active
and able to home in on any other unit within 30 meters. This ability
did not discriminate, however, between friendly and enemy targets,
and so the weapon could not be easily deployed when battles got
close. The added expense of these missiles and the destruction of their
factories by 2840 saw the Swarms fall into disuse until their recovery
by the Federated Commonwealth in 3053—inspired, of course, by the
fact that some of the invading Clans made widespread use of these
same munitions.
Swarm-I LRMs: Another Free Worlds innovation in LRM technology,
improved Swarm (Swarm-I) LRMs debuted in 3057 alongside the semiguided
missiles. Developed along the same lines as the basic Swarm
system, Swarm-I munitions incorporate an Identifi cation: Friend or Foe
(IFF) system that allows the missiles to dodge or pass over friendly targets
when fi red into a cluster of fi ghting units. Though the technology
MISSILE
did not eliminate the threat of friendly fi re completely—particularly
when dealing with sensor-damaged friendlies or enemy ECM—the
use of Swarm-Is drastically reduced the number of such incidents
often attributed to the use of standard Swarm missiles.
Tear Gas SRMs: A non-lethal weapon seldom seen on the battlefi
eld (but common in heavy police units summoned for riot control),
tear-gas SRMs are eff ective primarily against ill-equipped conventional
infantry and other unprotected personnel. They are meant not
to infl ict casualties so much as to subdue and scatter unruly mobs,
and are ineff ective against all manner of armored vehicles. Indeed,
even well-built civilian vehicles can withstand a direct hit from a
tear gas round with little more damage than scuff ed paint and an
unseemly dent.
Thunder LRMs: Another product of the Terran Hegemony, Thunder
LRMs were fi rst employed in 2621 and subsequently lost to the Inner
sphere by 2840, are designed to deliver a conventional minefi eld with
a pull of the trigger. The Clans retained this lost technology (which
they called field artillery scatterable munitions—FASCAM), which
prompted the Inner Sphere to scramble to reintroduce their own,
which the FedCom accomplished in 3052.
Since that time, additional variants on Thunder missiles have come
into play, developed by the Capellan Confederation as an off shoot
of their 3050s-era partnership with the Free Worlds League. These
included the Thunder-Augmented, which could lay larger and broader
minefields than a standard Thunder round; the Thunder-Inferno,
which replaced the mines’ explosives with incendiary chemicals; the
Thunder-Vibrabomb, which used seismic sensors to select enemy units
by weight and detonate only as they passed over; and the Thunder-
Active, intended to deal with jump-capable units and hovercraft.
These enhanced Thunder munitions fi rst debuted in 3057, against the
FedCom forces who vainly battled Capellan-backed insurgencies in
the former Sarna March region, but were not employed by the Free
Worlds forces at that time. Their use demonstrated not only their
indiscriminate eff ectiveness as a weapon system, but also the devious
nature of Capellan weapons design and a fundamental rift between
Capellan and Free Worlds battlefi eld philosophy that may have been
an early indication of the cracks in the two powers’ alliance.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (LRM, MML, MRM, SRM, rocket launchers, Streak, torpedo, and OS); Clan (ATM, LRM, SRM, Streak, torpedo, OS)
Unit Restrictions: ProtoMechs may not mount ATMs, MMLs, MRMs or rocket launchers
Game Rules: Missile launchers may not be fi red if the unit is shut down or if its pilot/crew is otherwise prevented from acting, but loaded
or partially loaded missile ammo bins are always live and will explode per standard rules if critically hit during game play.
Construction Rules: Missile launchers may be mounted on any unit in accordance with the unit’s standard core construction rules.
ProtoMechs must use the ProtoMech Weapons and Equipment Tables for construction data and game statistics.
On BattleMechs, IndustrialMechs and Support Vehicles, missile launchers that may be enhanced by Artemis (LRMs/LRTs, SRMs/SRTs
and MMLs) must allocate both the launcher and the Artemis system to the same location and all applicable launchers on the unit must
be enhanced in the same fashion. Artemis systems on such units may be given a separate critical slot as the launcher can still fi re with a
damaged Artemis (all other units that carry Artemis-enhanced launchers—such as Combat Vehicles, fi ghters and DropShips—install the
combined launcher and Artemis system as a single weapon).
Omni units that mount missile launchers capable of using Artemis must adhere to the above rules, even if the launcher is hardwired to
the base design. For example, an OmniMech that hardwires a standard LRM launcher in its Center Torso location in such a way as to leave no
extra critical slots in that area may not subsequently add Artemis-enhanced missile launchers to a later confi guration, as the Center Torso
LRM has no room for its own enhancement.
The Heavy Weapons Ammunitions table at the back of this book (p. 345–346) indicates which launchers may use which special munition
types featured here, as well as their game rules references, required tech base and shots-per-ton. Single-shot (OS) launchers and rocket
launchers of any kind may not carry additional ammunition. Ammunition for missile launchers may be noted under the unit’s standard rules,
as presented under their respective Install Weapons, Ammunition and Other Equipment sections.
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Inner Sphere and Clan, pp. 341–343; for ProtoMechs, p. 343) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 98
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
231