TRO: 3087 - Matteus

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

Matteus (Block 3)
Overview
The Battle of Outreach was another watershed moment for the Wolf’s Dragoons. While the losses were horrific, the Dragoons turned the MRBC commands on the planet into a community galvanized by their shared experience.
As a result, Blackwell’s production line of War Dogs was retooled to produce the first in a line of OmniMechs constructed solely with Clan technology, the Matteus. While already in the preliminary planning stages, pushing production up was a great strain on Outreach’s economy, but it was a cost most bore as a matter of planetary pride.
The Matteus was their reward, with production runs being divvied up among loyal MRBC members, and additional models being given to unit commanders who completed an embedded tour with The Dragoons to learn their command style and tactics. Almost twenty years later, there are still a number of independent mercenaries led by a rust-red Matteus which traces its origins to the Battle of Outreach.
For most though, a reliable OmniMech and its additional logistical baggage led to closer ties to The Dragoons and a slow transition to in-house units--as much as any of the Dragoons Pact regiments could be considered in-house.


Capabilities
Despite its humanoid appearance, much of the Matteus’ design was inspired by the venerable Stormcrow. It was made to be a cost-effective, versatile medium ‘Mech to fulfill a workhorse role for the Pact for at least four decades. With the exception of some early distribution problems, it’s fulfilled that goal exceptionally for the first twenty years.
The Matteus has become ubiquitous within the Dragoons Pact and common amongst allied forces deployed close to their borders. Mercenaries from the Mercenaries Alliance often pride themselves on the numbers of Matteuses they’ve downed. Some ace MechWarriors can claim numbers that are almost in the double digits.

Battle History
The additional stresses of the attack on Outreach and The Dragoon’s realization of their place in the Inner Sphere made The Dragoons of the late sixties and early seventies a new force. Complacency about The Dragoons being an institution was shaken off as The Word of Blake and their allies became a serious existential threat.
That time saw The Dragoons take incredible risks for incredible profits, from Alpha Regiment’s foiling of a Blakist chemical attack at the peace conference on Simpson’s Desert to Epsilon Regiment’s near-destruction on Monistrol in a brawl with the Ghost Bears. In every battle, the Matteus played a vital role. Some intelligence agencies noticed the Matteus’ representation within The Pact’s forces remained steady during this period, despite production runs exceeding battlefield losses.
Officially, this is because production was channeled to the Block 2, which was built with vacuum operations in mind. Most had been assigned to the warships Jardine and Tangerz, both of which had been relegated to marine training grounds during several years of debugging. The formerly Blakist ships were an ideal testing ground for the Block 2's role as a boarding unit. Dragoons Pact leaders were unimpressed and most were shelved pending a cost/benefit analysis for a refit to the later Block 3. The current production block is, with the exception of a few minor upgrades, identical to the original model.

Variants
The Prime configuration carries a class 10 LBX autocannon in its right hand as its main weapon. It’s backed by two pairs of medium and small lasers for close-in work and for endurance. Six jump jets make it a dangerous infighter.
The A configuration calls back to the Matteus’ roots, with a loadout reminiscent of the old War Dog. An extended range PPC and large pulse laser are the primary weapons, delivering the damage at the same range as the War Dog. A pair of streak missile racks--forward and back--maintain the unit’s close-in firepower and flanking protection.
The Matteus' B loadout carries the smallest Hyper Assault Gauss Rifle available. Medium pulse lasers are paired with a trio of machine guns in both the left arm and the right torso to make a deadly machine for engaging fighters, vehicles, and infantry.
The Ψ configuration is seen only within Psi Regiment. They carry paired twenty-shot long range missile launchers with Artemis IV fire control system support. A sextet of small micro lasers are used for extended engagements.
The Block 2 is very similar to the Block 3. The only configuration it can boast that was unique to it was the US. Nine improved jump jets with reaction mass and a spot welder were used for maneuvering and grappling in space. Harjel pods were installed across the torsos and arms to prevent breaches in a vacuum. An anti-missile system and experimental radioactive chaff system were used to prevent incoming damage. A trio of pulse lasers were used as primary weapons, boasting a reach and accuracy most ground units lack in space battles. Those systems were supplemented with an advanced targeting computer.


Matteus (Block 3)
Type/Model:    Matteus (Block 3)
Tech:          Clan / 3068
Config:        Biped OmniMech
Manufactured:  The Dragoons Pact
Fielded:       
 Dragoons Pact (Common)
 Mercenaries Alliance (Rare)
 Word of Blake (Rare)

Mass:          55 tons
Equipment:              Crits     Mass
Int. Struct.:               7     3.00
 (Loc: 3 LT, 3 LA, 1 RA) 91 points
Engine:150    Fusion XL(C) 10    12.50
  Walking MP:   6
  Running MP:   9
  Jumping MP:   0
Heat Sinks: 13 Double (C)   3     3.00
Gyro:                       4     2.00
Cockpit:         Std        5     3.00
Actuators:                 12     0.00
 L: Sh+UA       R: Sh+UA
Armor Factor:               0     6.50
 (Loc: 3 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL) 182 points

       Internal Structure  Armor Value
 Head:                  3      9      
 Center Torso:         18     26     
 Center Torso (Rear):          9
 L/R Side Torso:       13    19/19
 L/R Side Torso (Rear):       7/7
 L/R Arm:               9    18/18
 L/R Leg:              13    25/25

Weapons and Equipment Loc  Crits  Tons
---------------------------------------
Primary Configuration
Jump Jets              CT    2     1.00
Jump Jets              LT    2     1.00
Jump Jets              RT    2     1.00
Medium Pulse Laser     RT    1     2.00
Small Pulse Laser      RT    1     1.00
Medium Pulse Laser     RA    1     2.00
Small Pulse Laser      RA    1     1.00
LB 10-X AC             LA    5    10.00
Ammunition (Std) 10    RT    1     1.00
Lower Arm Actuator     RA    1     0.00
Hand Actuator          RA    1     0.00
 Crits & Tons Left:         15     0.0

A Configuration
ECM Suite              CT    1     1.00
Streak SRM-4           RT    1     2.00
Medium Pulse Lasers    LT    1     2.00
Streak SRM-4           LT(R) 1     2.00
Large Pulse Laser      RA    2     6.00
ER PPC                 LA    2     6.00
@Streak SRM-4 (25)     RT    1     1.00
Lower Arm Actuator     RA    1     0.00
Hand Actuator          RA    1     0.00
 Crits & Tons Left:         22     0.0

B Configuration
Medium Pulse Laser     CT    1     2.00
Medium Pulse Laser     RT    1     2.00
3 Machine Guns         RT    3     0.75
HAG-20                 RA    6    10.00
Medium Pulse Laser     LA    1     2.00
3 Machine Guns         LA    3     0.75
@HAG-20 (12)           RT    2     2.00
@MG (1/2) (100)        LA    1     0.50
Lower Arm Actuator     LA    1     0.00
Hand Actuator          LA    1     0.00
 Crits & Tons Left:         13     0.0

C Configuration
2 Micro Pulse Lasers   CT    2     1.00
2 Micro Pulse Lasers   RT    2     1.00
ER Medium Laser        RT    1     1.00
LRM-20                 LT    4     5.00
    Artemis IV FCS     LT    1     1.00
LRM-20                 RA    4     5.00
    Artemis IV FCS     RA    1     1.00
2 Micro Pulse Lasers   LA    2     1.00
@LRM-20 (Artemis) (12) RT    2     2.00
@LRM-20 (Artemis) (12) LT    2     2.00
Lower Arm Actuator     RA    1     0.00
Lower Arm Actuator     LA    1     0.00
Hand Actuator          LA    1     0.00
 Crits & Tons Left:          9     0.0