the shape of things to come

FIRE RESISTANT
Introduced: 3058 (Clan Fire Mandrill)
Despite its resilience and self-contained nature, battle armor—like
most conventional vehicles—remains particularly susceptible to the
lethal eff ects of fi re and incendiary weapons. Recognizing this, Clan
Fire Mandrill recently developed an enhanced fi re-resistant battlesuit
armor—their Salamander design. Inner Sphere scientists have yet to
crack the secrets of this technology, but many suspect it combines
advanced iridium cermets, highly effi cient insulation and a powerful
refrigeration system.
MIMETIC
Introduced: 3061 (Word of Blake)
The mimetic battlesuit armor that debuted on the Word of Blake’s
Purifi er designs was, according to all accounts, under development
by ComStar on Terra when the Blakists captured that world in 3058.
The Word was quick to follow the program through to its conclusion,
creating an armor that uses integral sensors and cameras to sample
the external surroundings and—through a sophisticated computer in
the suit’s chest plate—control an array of pigments imbedded in the
armor’s composites. This feature enables the color and pattern on the
armor to shift, even as it moves, to match the surrounding environment.
Most eff ective when the suit is motionless, mimetic armor also
features an impressive ECM and IR baffl ing capability that makes targeting
a squad of troopers so equipped nearly impossible, especially
if they move quite slowly.
The Clans have yet to fi eld an equivalent of mimetic armor. Indeed,
beyond the Word of Blake—and likely their Free Worlds allies—only
the Capellan Confederation has demonstrated a capability to produce
mimetic armor, given last year’s debut of their Trinity battlesuit design.
Though some among the Word have accused the Capellans of stealing
this technology, the fact that Sian has yet to see a Blakist interdiction
speaks to less outrage than one might expect from an act of boldfaced
espionage.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (Standard [Prototype, Basic and Advanced], Stealth [Prototype, Basic, Standard and Improved], Mimetic); Clan
(Standard [Basic only], Stealth [Basic, Standard and Improved], Fire Resistant)
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: No restrictions
Game Rules: Armor is considered structural and any modifi ers applied (for stealth capabilities) are considered active until the trooper is
destroyed.Construction Rules: The weight, space and construction limitations of all armor types for battle armor are covered in Step 4 of the
Battle Armor core construction rules.
Table Reference: Battle Armor (p. 347) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 228
Introduced: 3060 (Clan Cloud Cobra)
As battle armor weapons go, the bomb rack used by the Clans is
an odd duck. Usable only by VTOL-capable battlesuits—which only
the Clans have developed to date; Inner Sphere engineers have yet to
overcome many of the quirks of such motive designs—these on-shot
ARMOR
BOMB RACK
racks allow a battlesuit in fl ight to drop explosive cluster munitions
on ground targets. Though not particularly potent against armored
targets individually, a Point of bomb-equipped units can deliver an
attack even a BattleMech might notice.
Tech Base: Clan only
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: No restrictions
Game Rules: Bomb racks may not be used if the unit’s troopers are rendered incapable of acting in combat.
Construction Rules: A battle armor suit (including exoskeleton and power armor designs) may mount multiple bomb racks. Each rack is
a one-shot item and may purchase no additional ammo.
Table Reference: Battle Armor Weapons and Equipment (Clan, pp. 347–348) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 228
Introduced: Circa 2800 (ComStar)
According to reports, ComStar developed the visual camoufl age
system used by their power armor suits from Star League-era research
recovered on Terra after the Order’s successful conquest of the planet
in 2788. This camo system, developed more as a module than an
armor type, essentially uses mimetic technology to produce a visual
BOMB RACK
CAMO SYSTEM
CAMO SYSTEM
eff ect similar to a sneak suit—where a central computer and sensors
sample the surrounding terrain visually and change the armor’s colors
to match. Incorporated into ComStar’s Tornado Power Armor (Light)
suit, this system is the basis for the Word of Blake’s mimetic armor
technology.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere only
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: No restrictions
Game Rules: Like armor, a trooper’s camo system is considered active until the trooper is destroyed, even if the trooper is otherwise
rendered incapable of acting in combat.
Construction Rules: A battle armor suit (including exoskeleton and power armor designs) may mount only one camo system.
Table Reference: Battle Armor (p. 347) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 228
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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
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