TRO: 3087 - Phoebus

PO-11T Phoebus

Overview
The existence of the Phoebus, and much of the resultant war industry of The Federated Hellfire Territories, exists thanks to wunderkind John Smiths. Tired of the stuffy hierarchy at The New Avalon Institute of Science in the early sixties, Smiths left research and took his ideas to private corporations for application.

ComStar intercepted him attempting to contact The Word of Blake and their intercession won him a pet project at a struggling outback manufacturer. A year later and millions over budget, the first Phoebus walked off the factory line.

Smiths' research was vital to the discovery of advanced missile systems in the Federated Suns just a few years later. While the original Phoebus carried the same missile systems used in the Inner Sphere for centuries, it was built for easy conversion to the advanced systems. The Phoebus chassis itself was easily scaled to serve as a base for similar ‘Mechs like the Staff, Archangel, Seraph, and Oracle, which are considered mainstays of the FHTCA, AFFS, and FWLM today.

Capabilities

Despite its commonality and historical importance, the Phoebus is considered a lackluster design. The reliable Thorn provides comparable firepower with greater longevity and only slightly less speed. Indeed, with rising labor costs in the periphery, every part of the once-cheap ‘Mech is steadily rising in price, cutting one of its few advantages.

None the less, the Phoebus is a common sight on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere. Ten long range missiles are welcomed by any unit on the field, and its ability to keep its firepower up in a proximate engagement is much appreciated.

Because the Phoebus is considered good for anything, but great at nothing, a lance of Phoebuses can be assigned to scouting, flanking, fire support, or front line roles during the course of a single campaign.

Within the Federated Hellfire Territories, it’s widely believed that the newer Staff will eventually replace the Phoebus.

Battle History
The Phoebus has been at every major battle between the Federated Hellfire Territories and the Federated Suns. Given their common use in raids, it’s suspected that the average Phoebus has destroyed more than three times its weight in enemy war material. Adding in destruction of factories and other supporting industries, those numbers jump to seven to ten times as much.

In the rebel counterassault on Taygeta, Corporal Ramirez in his Phoebos spent over seventy-two hours straight conveying regimental orders through enemy jamming, spotting for the push across Whiskey River, rallying the 12th Regiment’s scouting lances after their command’s destruction, and hunting down rebel hovercraft spotters.

Variants
The original -1D Phoebus only carried a standard, five-shot long range missile launcher. It also lacked the actuator upgrades found on many models from the Federated Hellfire Territories.

The initial model in the Territories, the -1T, adds the paired advanced LRM launchers. It is virtually identical to the Davion’s -3D upgrade. It also lacks that advanced actuators that make the -11T model more precise, but more susceptible to damage.

The -13T was an attempt to keep the Phoebos relevant; it mounted a larger engine at the cost of the small laser and some armor. The loss of the platform’s only secondary weapon has made the -13T incredibly unpopular and many unit commanders have sent them speeding to their doom on scouting missions and suicide charges.

Phoebos units posted near the Capellan border can often acquire specialty munitions through unofficial channels. They’ll often cut their ammunition bins to support two smaller bins; one standard munitions and one of specialty munitions.

PO-11T Phoebus

Type/Model: Phoebus PO-11T
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3067
Config: Biped Battlemech
Manufactured: Federated Territories

Fielded:
Federated Suns (Common)
Federated Territories (Common)
Free Worlds League-Captain (Uncommon)
Comstar (Uncommon)

Mass: 20 tons
Equipment:                 Crits  Mass
Int. Struct.:                14   1.00
Endo Steel
  (Endo Steel Loc: 1 HD, 4 RA,
    3 LT, 2 RT, 2 LL, 2 RL)
Engine:140 XL Fusion         12   3.50
  Walking MP: 7
  Running MP: 11
  Jumping MP: 7
Heat Sinks: 10 Double [20]   15   0.00
  (Loc: 2 LA, 1 RA, 1 LT, 1 RT)
Gyro:                         4   2.00
Cockpit, Life Sup., Sensors:  5   3.00
Actuators:                   16   0.00
  L: Sh+UA+LA+H R: Sh+UA+LA+H
Armor Factor:                 0   4.50
  72 pts Standard

             Internal Structure Armor Value
Head:                   3        9
Center Torso:           6        8
Center Torso (Rear):             4
L/R Side Torso:         5       6/6
L/R Side Torso (Rear):          4/4
L/R Arm:                3       6/6
L/R Leg:                4       8/8

Weapons and Equipment Loc Crits Tons
---------------------------------------
ER Sm Laser(C)         RA   1    0.5
LRM 5(C)               RT   1    1.0
LRM 5(C)               LA   1    1.0
Ammo LRM 5(C) (24)     LA   1    1.0
---------------------------------------
TOTALS:                         20.0
Crits & Tons Left:               0.0