the shape of things to come

’Mech weighs in at 9.5 tons, leaving 85.5 tons for other
systems. No slots need be fi lled in on the Critical Hits Table
for standard structure, and Brent need only black out a
few circles on the Internal Structure Diagram, leaving 30 in
the center torso, 20 in each side torso, 20 in each leg and 16
in each arm.
Chas also decides on standard internal
structure for his Barghest, knowing that
the big guns he plans to install down the
road will be bulky in the extreme. He fi nds
that at 70 tons, the Barghest’s internal
structure will weigh 7 tons, and provides
22 points of internal structure in the center torso, 15 each
in the left and right torsos, and 15 in each of the ’Mech’s
four legs. On the record sheet’s Internal Structure Diagram,
Chas blacks out all the excess circles in those locations.
STEP 2: INSTALL ENGINES
AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
The second step in BattleMech design is the installation of the
’Mech’s engines and control systems. This step establishes the
key factors in the BattleMech’s mobility, including the size and
performance of its engine, the mass of the gyroscopes that keep
it upright, and whether or not the design is capable of jumping
movement. Also determined in this step is the weight and nature
of the BattleMech’s cockpit systems, where the MechWarrior
resides during battle.
INSTALL ENGINE
Every BattleMech constructed under these rules may carry one
fusion engine to power its movement, weapon systems and other
integral components. The relative output of this power plant is
measured by the BattleMech’s Engine Rating, which is directly
determined by the ’Mech’s total weight and desired speed.
To compute the Engine Rating, the designer simply multiplies
the BattleMech’s tonnage by its desired Walking MP. The ’Mech’s
Running MP is also calculated at this time by multiplying its Walking
MP by 1.5 and rounding up to the nearest whole number.
Note that under these rules, no BattleMech may be constructed
with an Engine Rating below 10 or above 400.
The Master Engine Table, p. 49, lists the tonnage taken up by
engines of various types and ratings. BattleMechs may only use
fusion engine types from this table (Compact, Standard, Light and
XL engines are available). The non-fusion engines on this table are
ENGINE RATING
AND MOBILITY FORMULAS
Engine Rating = ’Mech Tonnage x Desired Walking MP
Running MP = Desired Walking MP x 1.5 (round up)
provided for the benefi t of IndustrialMech and Combat Vehicle
construction (which begin on pp. 64 and 94, respectively).
Tech Base: Standard fusion engines are equally available to BattleMechs
of Clan or Inner Sphere tech bases. Compact, Light and
Inner Sphere XL fusion engines are available only to BattleMechs
with an Inner Sphere Tech Base. Clan XL engines are available only
to BattleMechs with a Clan Tech Base.
Space: In addition to varying in weight based on their rating,
fusion engines can also vary in size based on their engine type.
A 220-rated Compact Fusion engine, for example, weighs 50
percent more than a Standard Fusion plant of the same rating,
but occupies only 3 slots in the ’Mech’s center torso, rather than
the traditional 6. The blank ’Mech Record Sheet presumes that a
design is using a Standard Fusion engine type. To determine the
placement (or removal) of critical slots for non-standard fusion
engines, consult the ’Mech Engine Critical Space Table below.
Any additional engine critical slots (beyond those in the ’Mech’s
center torso) should be placed contiguously in their locations, to
minimize confusion on the Critical Hit Table.
The placement of engine critical spaces must also be determined
at this time.
OmniMechs: The engine type, rating and placement of its critical
slots must be established when designing an OmniMech’s
base confi guration, and may not be altered in that OmniMech’s
completed primary or alternate confi gurations.
Because his Mongoose is intended
primarily as a scout, high speed is
Andrew’s goal here. He decides to give
the ’Mech a Walking MP of 8 (thus attaining
a Running MP of 12; 8 MP x 1.5 = 12
MP). This means that the Mongoose’s
Engine Rating will be 200 (25 tons x 8 MP
= 200). Looking at the Master Engine
Table, a standard 200-rated engine
weighs 8.5 tons. Though an XL engine is tempting, Andrew
goes with the standard engine mass and subtracts 8.5 tons
from his 23.5 tons of unspent weight (for a remainder of 15
tons). Because it carries a standard engine, the Mongoose
uses the standard engine slots on the Critical Hits Table,
neither adding more nor reducing the number shown.
Brent wants his Gladiator to have
decent mobility for its size, and so chooses
a Walking MP of 4, yielding an Engine
Rating of 380 (95 tons x 4 MP = 380). To
save tonnage for weapons, he opts for an
XL engine to lighten the load. The Master
Engine Table shows that a 380-rated
XL engine weighs 20.5 tons, leaving the
Gladiator with 65 tons remaining (85.5
tons – 20.5 tons = 65 tons). The Running MP for the Gladiator
is 6 (4 Walking MP x 1.5 = 6 MP). The Gladiator must
also assign two engine critical slots to each side torso location
on the ’Mech’s Critical Hits Table, to refl ect the larger
physical size of the Clan XL engine.