COM-3M Commando
Overview
Whenever Senate forces razed the Eagle factory on Paradise, the Free Worlds League Captain faction was suddenly facing a shortage of solid recon ‘Mechs. Rebuilding the factory was considered a priority, but a fall-off in Capellan trade made planners hesitate to resume Eagle production.
Fortunately, the Gibson raid of 3071 had yielded aborted plans for a Word of Blake Commando, a design once exclusive to the Lyran Commonwealth. After minor retooling with native technologies, the once-exclusively Lyran design became a FWLM mainstay.
The LCAF, hard-up for a reliable source of their own Commandos, have taken to buying the -2M with a refit kit. The sales have more than made up for the lost Capellan market.
Capabilities
The Commando is often used for fire support, scouting duties, and the occasional ambush. Its extended range large laser lets it steadily strike targets while the twin short range missiles let it hit hard and--thanks to the ammo bin dedicated to inferno missiles--disrupt enemy units when they least expect it.
The design comes with some drawbacks: its extra light engine has gained it a nickname of “Comma” for it shortened battlefield longevity. The danger posed by the Commando’s ample ammunition stores is mitigated by CASE, but they can still shorten already brief time in combat.
Some also lament its lack of targeting acquisition gear compared to the Eagle, but as the civil war grinds on, it has become harder and harder to keep units equipped with advanced artillery and missile munitions to use the technology.
Battle History
The tit-for-tat destruction of factories was one of many indicators that the Free World League was in a quick spiral away from reconciliation. While Senate forces had used warships and even nuclear weapons for their strikes, the FWLM loyal to the Captain-General often utilized conventional forces in deniable actions. This gave Captain forces the moral high ground and while planning for eventual rebuilding.
That was until the Kendall mission in 3083. After using its inferno missiles to burn down factory support buildings, Ricard Nelson piloted his Commando into Lakeland city proper and began lighting the town ablaze. The small ‘Mech was too fast for his lancemates to stop and their pursuit of him through the city was a reckless attempt to minimize the damage he could do.
Nelson’s Commando was finally stopped at Purvo Bridge, but he died in the ensuing combat; depriving anyone knowledge of his motivation. The damage done in Lakeland, by Nelson and his lancemates, permanently set much of the region against the Captain faction.
Variants
The Steiners still occasionally produce the Commando -9S, which carries ten short-range missile tubes, cellular ammunition storage equipment, and an extended range small laser. Instead of the extralight engine of the Free Worlds League models, it has a heartier standard fusion engine.
The -2MS refit kit for units sold to the Lyran Commonwealth drops the heavy laser and inferno ammunition of the Marik model for a cluster of medium and small lasers backed by a trio of machine guns for infantry work.
While the Federated Suns does not produce the Commando, it has converted those units it still fields. The -6D carries a pair of their advanced streak six-shot launchers. Backed by a pair of medium lasers, it easily outguns ‘Mechs its own size. The -6D is commonly used to hunt down vehicles, lighter ‘Mechs and--when deployed in pairs--medium ‘Mechs.
The only FWL variant, the -16M, came only after much experimentation. It enhances the sniping ability of the stock model’s extended range laser. Focusing instead of a lightened gauss rifle, it takes many lessons from ‘Mechs such as the Hollander and Blitzkreig. Those same lessons also teach the importance of a platform built from the ground up around the gun. The -16M is plagued with problems stretching from its gyro to its structural strength. Only a handful have been produced and demand is such that its expected the FWL will cease production once the variant’s first run is complete.
COM-3M Commando
Mass: 25 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/E-F-E-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 3,111,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 641
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 150 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97.2 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
1 (IS) ER Large Laser
2 (IS) SRM-4s
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 43 points 1.50
Internal Locations: 1 HD, 2 LT, 2 RT, 3 LA, 2 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL
Engine: XL Engine 150 3.00
Walking MP: 6
Running MP: 9
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: (IS) Double Heat Sink 10(20) 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro: Standard 2.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 64 4.00
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50
Internal Structure Factor Armor
Head 3 6
Center Torso 8 10
The Commando is often used for fire support, scouting duties, and the occasional ambush. Its extended range large laser lets it steadily strike targets while the twin short range missiles let it hit hard and--thanks to the ammo bin dedicated to inferno missiles--disrupt enemy units when they least expect it.
The design comes with some drawbacks: its extra light engine has gained it a nickname of “Comma” for it shortened battlefield longevity. The danger posed by the Commando’s ample ammunition stores is mitigated by CASE, but they can still shorten already brief time in combat.
Some also lament its lack of targeting acquisition gear compared to the Eagle, but as the civil war grinds on, it has become harder and harder to keep units equipped with advanced artillery and missile munitions to use the technology.
Battle History
The tit-for-tat destruction of factories was one of many indicators that the Free World League was in a quick spiral away from reconciliation. While Senate forces had used warships and even nuclear weapons for their strikes, the FWLM loyal to the Captain-General often utilized conventional forces in deniable actions. This gave Captain forces the moral high ground and while planning for eventual rebuilding.
That was until the Kendall mission in 3083. After using its inferno missiles to burn down factory support buildings, Ricard Nelson piloted his Commando into Lakeland city proper and began lighting the town ablaze. The small ‘Mech was too fast for his lancemates to stop and their pursuit of him through the city was a reckless attempt to minimize the damage he could do.
Nelson’s Commando was finally stopped at Purvo Bridge, but he died in the ensuing combat; depriving anyone knowledge of his motivation. The damage done in Lakeland, by Nelson and his lancemates, permanently set much of the region against the Captain faction.
Variants
The Steiners still occasionally produce the Commando -9S, which carries ten short-range missile tubes, cellular ammunition storage equipment, and an extended range small laser. Instead of the extralight engine of the Free Worlds League models, it has a heartier standard fusion engine.
The -2MS refit kit for units sold to the Lyran Commonwealth drops the heavy laser and inferno ammunition of the Marik model for a cluster of medium and small lasers backed by a trio of machine guns for infantry work.
While the Federated Suns does not produce the Commando, it has converted those units it still fields. The -6D carries a pair of their advanced streak six-shot launchers. Backed by a pair of medium lasers, it easily outguns ‘Mechs its own size. The -6D is commonly used to hunt down vehicles, lighter ‘Mechs and--when deployed in pairs--medium ‘Mechs.
The only FWL variant, the -16M, came only after much experimentation. It enhances the sniping ability of the stock model’s extended range laser. Focusing instead of a lightened gauss rifle, it takes many lessons from ‘Mechs such as the Hollander and Blitzkreig. Those same lessons also teach the importance of a platform built from the ground up around the gun. The -16M is plagued with problems stretching from its gyro to its structural strength. Only a handful have been produced and demand is such that its expected the FWL will cease production once the variant’s first run is complete.
COM-3M Commando
Mass: 25 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/E-F-E-A
Production Year: 3132
Cost: 3,111,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 641
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 150 Fusion XL Engine
Walking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97.2 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor w/ CASE
Armament:
1 (IS) ER Large Laser
2 (IS) SRM-4s
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 43 points 1.50
Internal Locations: 1 HD, 2 LT, 2 RT, 3 LA, 2 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL
Engine: XL Engine 150 3.00
Walking MP: 6
Running MP: 9
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: (IS) Double Heat Sink 10(20) 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 1 RA
Gyro: Standard 2.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 64 4.00
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50
Internal Structure Factor Armor
Head 3 6
Center Torso 8 10
Center Torso (rear) 4
L/R Torso 6 7
L/R Torso (rear) 3
L/R Arm 4 5
L/R Leg 6 7
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(IS) SRM-4 CT 3 1 2.00
(IS) SRM-4 RT 3 1 2.00
L/R Leg 6 7
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(IS) SRM-4 CT 3 1 2.00
(IS) SRM-4 RT 3 1 2.00
(IS) ER Large Laser LA 12 2 5.00
@SRM-4 (25) RT - 1 1.00
@SRM-4 (Inferno) (25) RT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 8
@SRM-4 (25) RT - 1 1.00
@SRM-4 (Inferno) (25) RT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 8
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