the shape of things to come

Introduced: 3062 (Capellan Confederation)
As amusing as it may seem, the concept of battle armor hitching a
ride by virtue of integral magnets—remarkably simple and straightforward—did
not occur to anyone before House Liao deployed its fi rst
home-grown suits, the Fa Shih. Even the Clans have no analogue, as
they were never inclined to attach their elite battle armor troops to
anything but the elite OmniMechs that were ready-designed for their
use. But while the principle was simple, the use of magnetic clamps as
a means for deploying battle armor usable even by non-Omni units
was not quite so straightforward. The magnetic attraction of a ’Mech’s
chassis, after all, may hold a grapple rod and allow a fully-kitted anti-
MAGNETIC CLAMPS
’Mech foot trooper to ascend with relative ease, but a one-ton armor
suit is considerably harder for mere electromagnets to hold in place,
especially given the only semi-magnetic nature of battlefi eld armor.
To counter this, the Capellan magnetic clamps system incorporates
not only strong EM capability, but also special mechanical grippers
capable of clinging to the armor just enough to avoid being shrugged
off . The eff ect is much like the way a nervous pet latches onto its owner
when lifted. This combination of magnetism and physical gripping,
rather than magnets alone, allows battlesuits so equipped to hitch a
ride on non-Omnis.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere only
Battle Armor Unit Restrictions: Quadruped and assault-weight battle armor may not mount magnetic clamps.
Game Rules: Under Total Warfare game play, a battlesuit’s magnetic clamps remain operational as long as the suit is not destroyed and
its trooper is capable of acting.
Construction Rules: Battle armor may mount only one set of magnetic clamps per suit. Suits with UMUs may not mount magnetic clamps.
Table Reference: Battle Armor Weapons and Equipment (Inner Sphere, pp. 346–348) Game Rules: Total Warfare, p. 228
Introduced: Various
Akin to BattleMech hand actuators, manipulators are a surprisingly
varied means by which humanoid-style battle armor can interact with
its surroundings. Absolutely necessary for any battlesuit intended to
be deployed on OmniMechs or OmniVehicles, manipulators are also
of paramount importance for troopers attempting to make anti-’Mech
attacks such as swarming the legs or torso of a hostile unit. Suits without
manipulators—except for quads—are quite rare, typically the
result of focusing more on sheer fi repower than any other function.
Troopers in these suits can only be carried on board cargo haulers and
specially built APCs.
Not all possible manipulator styles are well suited for all roles, of
course. Indeed, some suits—especially specialized exoskeletons and
such—carry alternative manipulators, including mining drills, salvage
arms and cargo lifters. Such devices may aid in a specifi c duty, but
make for poor choices on combat suits. Some manipulator types may
also add adaptations to further enhance their utility. The styles and
types of most manipulators used today are outlined below.
ARMORED GLOVES
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
The armored glove is a manipulator in the truest sense of the word,
and yet it is not truly an enhanced battlesuit manipulator at all, but
rather—as its name implies—an armored fi tting within which the user’s
fi ngers reside. This gives the trooper the dexterity needed for fi ne
operations, including the ability to work a keyboard or handle small
arms, and is even strong enough to allow a trooper in light armor to
ride on Omnis or engage in anti-’Mech attacks. Because these gauntlets
lack strength, however, their use on medium-weight battlesuits
and heavier designs is limited solely to the dexterity department.
MANIPULATOR (BASIC)
Introduced: Circa 2110 (Terran Alliance)
Similar to the armored glove but based more on mechanics and
myomers, the basic battle armor manipulator is operated by controls
in the battlesuit’s wrists, rather than as an actual glove. With increased
strength suffi cient to hold a trooper securely to the hull of a moving
OmniMech, even if the battlesuit model is especially heavy, this
MAGNETIC CLAMPS
MANIPULATORS
manipulator is ideal for most suit types and functions. However, the
larger digits, loss of fi ne motor control and lack of suffi cient tactile
feedback make it impossible to handle conventional infantry weapons
or operate most equipment.
BATTLE CLAW
Introduced: 2868 (Clan Wolf)
Specialized for close-quarters anti-BattleMech combat, the battle
claw is bigger and more powerful than the standard manipulator,
but far less dexterous. Usually confi gured as a four- or three-fi ngered
appendage, this manipulator is primarily meant to rend armor, cling
to OmniMech handholds and perform any other task where brute
strength outweighs all other considerations. As a result, these manipulators
are useless for operating most equipment, including small arms.
The upgraded, high-power version of the battle claw, the aptly
named heavy battle claw, is preferred for larger suits and is even
clumsier than the standard claw in terms of fi ne motor control. Built
expressly to rip armor off an opposing ’Mech in the least delicate
way possible, the heavy claw is useless for just about everything else
save for hanging onto a speeding Omni.
CARGO LIFTER
Introduced: circa 2110 (Terran Alliance)
Cargo lifters are one of the most common non-military manipulators
one might expect to see on a powered exoskeleton. Always
mounted in pairs, these manipulators are used for lifting and moving
especially heavy loads, and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some
of the most powerful even allow a battlesuit to lift masses of up to
two tons, though the overall design of a typical suit can allow for even
larger capacities, depending on how much mass is devoted to the
lifters themselves.
INDUSTRIAL DRILL
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
The industrial drill is obviously not a true manipulator, but more of
a simple tool adapted to use by exoskeletons. Reportedly, Draconis
Combine engineers experimented with using this device as a weapon
on their Kanazuchi suit, but upon realizing how unwieldy and tacti-
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
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