the shape of things to come

Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
Though grenade launchers were among the Inner Sphere’s fi rst weapons
mounted on battle armor—the original Infi ltrator design used one in
3050—these weapons are not a common sight on battlesuits today. Often
used as a light support weapon by conventional infantry, the typical gre-
GRENADE LAUNCHER
GRENADE LAUNCHER
nade launcher lobs conventional hand grenades to greater distances (and
with more accuracy) than the manual approach. Their use against armored
targets is unreliable (which may be why the Clans rarely use them), but
against swarms of conventional infantry the typical auto-loading micro- or
heavy grenade launcher can be a devastating weapon.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (Micro and Standard); Clan (Standard only)
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: No restrictions
Construction Rules: A battle armor suit (including exoskeleton and power armor designs) may mount multiple grenade launchers of varying
types, if desired.
Table Reference: Battle Armor Weapons and Equipment (Inner Sphere and Clan, pp. 346–348) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 214
Introduced: Circa 2840 (Clan Diamond Shark)
One of the most critical diff erences in Clan battle armor (and WarShip)
design over their Inner Sphere counterparts is the miracle substance called
HarJel. Essentially a semi-organic compound that hardens to a surprisingly
strong and rigid state—capable even of withstanding vacuum—upon the
introduction of a simple starch catalyst, HarJel is exceedingly rare. Indeed,
this substance is perhaps the single most important commodity Clan
Diamond Shark has to off er, and they presently hold the only two worlds
where the raw materials vital to this compound can be found (Twycross in
HARJEL
the Inner Sphere and Strato Domingo in the Clan Homeworlds). Though
rumors persist of a variant synthetic HarJel, developed by Clans Hell’s
Horses and Ice Hellion, as far as we know in the Inner Sphere there is no
true way to synthesize this substance without the original raw materials,
and so no Spheroid analog to HarJel yet exists. [Professor Habeas is correct;
the Horses’ development merely introduces an additive that enables
them to double their current HarJel supplies, not replace the compound
altogether, leaving their Elemental-heavy Clan just as bound to the Sharks
as any other. –EB]
Tech Base: Clan only
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: Not compatible with Inner Sphere battlesuit chassis
Game Rules: This equipment has no impact on Total Warfare standard rules play. Its eff ect in campaign or role-playing settings will be covered
in future rulebooks.
Construction Rules: Clan exoskeletons using a Clan chassis, as well as all Clan-made power armor and battle armor weighing 401 kilograms or
more, incorporate HarJel automatically.
Table Reference: Battle Armor Weapons and Equipment (Clan, pp. 346–348)
Introduced: Circa 2880 (Clans), 3050 (Federated Commonwealth)
The portable heat sensor is a common enough device, but its adaptation
to battlesuit use amounted to an early eff ort to enhance the standard
sensor packages on said armor designs. The Inner Sphere fi rst used these
HARJEL
HEAT SENSOR
on Infi ltrator battle armor in 3050. Though their use would eventually be
phased out by more sophisticated and enhanced sensor suites, some of
these thermal packages remain, even fi nding their way into the industrial
sector to enhance the capabilities of some exoskeleton designs.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: No restrictions
Game Rules: This equipment has no impact on Total Warfare standard rules play. Its eff ect in campaign or role-playing settings will be covered
in future rulebooks. Units with multiple heat sensors may use only one at a time in game play.
Construction Rules: A battle armor suit (including exoskeleton and power armor designs) may mount more than one heat sensor, if desired.
Table Reference: Battle Armor Weapons and Equipment (Inner Sphere and Clan, pp. 346–348)
HEAT SENSOR
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