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.
Durendal (Block 1)
Overview
In 3068, the Wolf’s Dragoons began making economic and social overtures towards Terra Firma and Capolla. The two worlds were already deep in The Word of Blake fold, but maintained much of their independence. Together, they leveraged their historic cooperation to get as much out of the competing powers as they could.
Just a few years later, The Dragoons assembled a panel of allied worlds to jointly develop the Durendal. Terra Firma and Capolla all but forced their way in, becoming the only panel members formally aligned with the Word of Blake. Within months, they accused The Dragoons of puppetmastering the board to give allies the illusion of control.
Within months, The Dragoons’ stepped down from the panel, which continued for the next decade without creating a BattleMech.
In 3082, Lieutenant Colonel Sharas Karrar was invited to the now-infamous Durendal Panel by representatives from--among other worlds--Terra Firma and Capolla. He cut through the vested interests and mission creep by making the ‘Mech an OmniMech (taking the blame for the associated increases in cost). A strict set of configurations, and percentages for each allowed every world which wanted to sell equipment for the design to do so.
Political arguments about equipment appropriations levels, day one upgrades, and configuration benchmarks still continue, but the Durendal was completed, over budget, under tasked, and generally reviled.
Capabilities
The Durendal was pitched to allies as “whatever you need.” Under the shadow of The Terran Protectorate, most of the early design work was based around garrison work to repel a Blakist invasion. As The Protectorate crumbled, it was retooled for dealing with insurgencies and preemptive strikes on rogue worlds. The result was a well-armored, highly mobile OmniMech that can’t carry as much of a punch as similar designs like the Mad Dog, Timber Wolf, or Ebon Jaguar.
Most Durendals are deployed with a pre-packaged set of omni pods. As most of the local forces they’re assigned to are not supplied with other pod-compatible weapons, they’re often fielded in their original configuration.
Battle History
Few Durendals have been produced in the past four years due to cost and every one has been assigned to garrison forces in planetary militias. As a result, few have had a notable role in combat.
The exception is Dame Samantha Behrnalism. When the Blakist’s 55th Division hit Yorii in ‘84, they overwhelmed the local defenders. In her Durendal C, Behrnalism held off the invaders at the spaceport as the rest of her unit escaped. Her heroic final stand was recorded on multiple cameras and quickly spread across the Pact.
She hadn’t used her short range missiles in the fight and the citizens of Fomalhaut, producers of those missile munitions, were outraged. Rumor spread that the Dame or Yorii were cheating Fomalhaut out of good-faith purchases.
After a year as a Blakist prisoner of war, Behrnalism was released in a prisoner trade and marched into a senate committee hearing, despite the objections of WolfNet. As soon as she entered the chambers an explosive grafted to her skeleton was detonated, killing most of the assembled senators, their staffers, and onlookers.
The tragedy and later revelations about the Blakist bioweapon used on Yorii, did much to tamp down Fomalhaut’s demand for answers. Some still defend the inquiry though, claiming it isn’t about the ethics in Yorii’s requisition system, but the ethics in Dame Behrnalism.
Variants
Due to a power system fault, the Durendal’s extended range lasers deal reduced damage to armored targets and additional damage to non-armored buildings and infrastructure. Consequently, no variants carry extended range lasers. Due to politics, each configuration makes up a specific percentage of all Durendals produced, noted in parenthesis.
The Durendal Prime (45%) is centered around a small HAG system and an extended range PPC. They allow versatile ranged striking options.
The A configuration (20%) follows a similar concept, with the heaviest ultra-class autocannon available paired with over thirty LRM tubes.
Infighting is the forte of the B loadout (19%), which uses pulse lasers, jump jets, AMS systems, and an ECM suite to disrupt enemy lines.
A hatchet is the centerpiece of the C configuration (12%). Some pulse lasers and short ranged missiles back it up and a single LRM 10 gives it ranged firepower.
New Home demanded a variant capable of blue water naval support (4%). These Durendals all are assigned to worlds which feature significant blue water naval forces or aquatic settlements.
Durendal (Block 1)
Type/Model: Durendal (Block 1)
Tech: Mixed / 3083
Config: Biped OmniMech
Manufactured: The Dragoons Pact
Fielded:
The Dragoons Pact (Uncommon)
Mass: 60 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 0 6.00
99 points
Engine:300 Fusion XL 10 9.50
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8 (10)
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 10 Double 0 0.00
Gyro: 4 3.00
Cockpit: 5 3.00
Actuators: 12 0.00
L: Sh+UA R: Sh+UA
Armor Factor: Ferro-Fibrous 0 10.50
(Loc: 3 RT, 4 LT) 201 pts
Internal Structure Armor Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 20 30
Center Torso (Rear): 10
L/R Side Torso: 14 21/21
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 7/7
L/R Arm: 10 20/20
L/R Leg: 14 28/28
Weapons and Equipment Loc Crits Tons
--------------------------------------
Fixed Equipment
Active Probe HD 1 1.00
MASC RT 2 2.00
Crits & Tons Left: 37 25.00
Primary Configuration
Double Heat Sink RL 2 1.00
Double Heat Sink LL 2 1.00
Medium Pulse Laser RT 1 2.00
MASC RT 2 2.00
HAG 20 LT 6 10.00
ER PPC RA 2 6.00
Medium Pulse Laser LA 1 2.00
Small Pulse Laser LA 1 1.00
@HAG-20 (12) CT 2 2.00
Upper Arm Actuator LA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator LA 1 0.00
Crits & Tons Left: 18 0.0
A Configuration
LRM-15 LT 2 3.50
Ultra AC/20 RA 8 12.00
LRM-15 LA 2 3.50
@Ultra AC/20 (5) RT 1 1.00
@LRM-15 (24) LT 3 3.00
@Ultra AC/20 (10) RA 2 2.00
Upper Arm Actuator LA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator LA 1 0.00
Crits & Tons Left: 17 0.0
B Configuration
Small Pulse Laser CT 1 1.00
Jump Jets CT 1 1.00
Small Pulse Laser RT 1 1.00
Double Heat Sink RT 2 1.00
2 Jump Jets RT 2 2.00
ECM Suite LT 1 1.00
2 Jump Jets LT 2 2.00
Large Pulse Laser RA 2 6.00
Anti-Missile System RA 1 0.50
Double Heat Sink RA 2 1.00
Large Pulse Laser LA 2 6.00
Anti-Missile System LA 1 0.50
Double Heat Sink LA 2 1.00
@AMS (24) LT 1 1.00
Upper Arm Actuator LA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator LA 1 0.00
Upper Arm Actuator RA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator RA 1 0.00
Crits & Tons Left: 12 0.0
C Configuration
Jump Jet CT 1 1.00
LRM-10 RT 1 2.50
Double Heat Sink RT 2 1.00
2 Jump Jets RT 2 2.00
2 Medium Pulse Lasers LT 2 4.00
SRM-6 LT 1 1.50
Double Heat Sink LT 2 1.00
2 Jump Jets LT 2 2.00
2 Med Pulse Lasers RA 2 4.00
Hatchet LA 4 4.00
@LRM-10 (12) RT 1 1.00
@SRM-6 (15) LT 1 1.00
Upper Arm Actuator LA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator LA 1 0.00
Upper Arm Actuator RA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator RA 1 0.00
Crits & Tons Left: 12 0.0
D Configuration
SRT-6 CT 1 1.50
Small Pulse Laser CT 1 1.00
Large Pulse Laser RT 2 6.00
HarJel RT 1 1.00
Searchlight RT 1 0.50
UMU RT 1 1.00
HarJel LT 1 1.00
SRT-6 LT 1 1.50
LRT-10 LT 1 2.50
SRT-6 RA 1 1.50
LRT-10 LA 1 2.50
@SRT-6 (15) LT 1 1.00
@LRT-10 (12) LT 1 1.00
UMU LT 1 1.00
@SRT-6 (15) RA 1 1.00
@LRT-10 (12) LA 1 1.00
Upper Arm Actuator LA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator LA 1 0.00
Upper Arm Actuator RA 1 0.00
Hand Actuator RA 1 0.00
Crits & Tons Left: 16 0.0
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