the shape of things to come

Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
The concept of the extended fuel tank is hardly new, and their use on
’Mechs dates back to the days of pre-myomer, ICE-driven IndustrialMechs,
when those walking monstrosities chugged away entire liters of fossil fuels
every minute. Today’s far more effi cient engines and IndustrialMechs have
made great strides—no pun intended—since those days, but even so, the
standardized capacities of the various IndustrialMech engine types have
placed a cap on operational ranges for all non-fusion/non-fi ssion ’Mechs.
Using the same basic technology as the external hardpoints described
later for aircraft units—but mounted internally to protect the reserves of
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan
Unit Restrictions: Only IndustrialMechs may install extended IndustrialMech fuel tanks.
Game Rules: Fuel has no impact in Total Warfare game play. Extended fuel tanks will be covered in Tactical Operations. Filled or partially fi lled fuel
tanks are treated as ammo bins in combat, and will explode for 20 points if they suff er a critical hit (regardless of whether or not the ‘Mech is shut
down or the pilot is conscious).
Construction Rules: Only IndustrialMechs with ICEs or Fuel Cell engines may use extended fuel tanks. The weight of extended fuel tanks
depends on the desired range (in kilometers) the designers wishes to add over the IndustrialMech’s default fuel capacity (as described under the
Install Engine rules for IndustrialMechs, p. 167). For each additional 600 kilometers of operating range for ICEs, or each 450 kilometers of range
for Fuel Cell engines (or fractions thereof), additional fuel tanks weigh 10 percent of the IndustrialMech’s engine weight. This tonnage is rounded
up to the nearest half ton.
The amount of critical space occupied by additional IndustrialMech fuel tanks is equal to the tonnage of additional fuel tanks (rounded up). These
critical spaces must be located in the IndustrialMech’s Torso locations.
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Industrial, pp. 344–345)
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
Common on construction vehicles, dense urban ConstructionMechs
and mining machinery, the heavy-duty pile driver is essentially a long,
heavy impact ramrod. In construction applications, this equipment is
designed to pound piles into the earth and prepare it for the foundation
EXTENDED INDUSTRIALMECH FUEL TANKS
EXTENDED INDUSTRIALMECH FUEL TANKS
HEAVY-DUTY PILE DRIVER
volatile chemicals or fuels—extended fuel tanks (available for ICEs and
fuel cell engines) vastly improve the basic operating range of a typical
IndustrialMech, depending on how much space and mass is devoted to
them. In the case of most internal combustion engines, a single tank weighing
one tenth as much as the engine itself can add about 600 kilometers’
worth of mobility to the beast, doubling its eff ective range. Matching such
capabilities point by point, fuel cell-powered IndustrialMechs gain about
450 extra kilometers for the equivalent ratio of added tanks, which also
eff ectively doubles their stamina in the fi eld.
HEAVY-DUTY PILE DRIVER
of skyscrapers and other particularly tall structures. In mining applications,
it is used to break up particularly obstinate rock. The pile driver
packs suffi cient force to damage BattleMech armor in a pinch, but as a
combat weapon it is wholly ineffi cient and quite rare, even for the arenas
of Solaris VII.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan
Prohibited Units: Only BattleMechs, IndustrialMechs and Combat and Support Vehicles with a Wheeled, Tracked, or Naval motive system may
install pile drivers.
Game Rules: Naval units equipped with pile drivers may only use them while stationary (spending 0 MP in that turn) and directly adjacent
to a target.
Construction Rules: Combat and Support Vehicles may mount only one heavy-duty pile driver each in the Front or Back locations, but only if the
location(s) selected does not also include a backhoe, bulldozer, chainsaw, combine, dual saw, mining drill, rock cutter or wrecking ball.
Humanoid BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs may mount heavy-duty pile drivers in the arms only, but are limited to one pile driver per arm and
must remove the lower arm and hand actuators on the chosen arm to do so. Quad BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs may only mount pile drivers
in their Side Torso locations, with a maximum of one pile driver per location. As with vehicles, ‘Mechs of any type may not place a pile driver in any
location that also includes a backhoe, bulldozer, chainsaw, combine, dual saw, mining drill, rock cutter or wrecking ball.
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Industrial, pp. 344–345) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 136
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