Phoenix Hawk

The Phoenix Hawk is a Medium Class BattleMech from the BattleTech universe, one of the most well-known, well-utilized, and iconic Mechs in the entire Inner Sphere, a staple of any lance that can field one, and a prototypical jump-capable mech.

And because FASA used Macross art as the base for the Mech back in the 80's, the Phoenix Hawk is also known as one of the most infamous of the Unseen, with the currently reseen art only very recently having been greenlit.

History

The Phoenix Hawk is a Star League-era direct successor to the Light Class Stinger, who'd already acquitted itself well as a scout 'Mech throughout the Inner Sphere. Orguss Industries found that the Stinger 's chassis was designed in such a way that it could be in fact made bigger without sacrificing it's speed and agility, while also giving the theoretical 'Mech a major boost in what kind of weapons it could carry. Thus, they began testing what would inevitably become the Phoenix Hawk, a 20 ton larger 'Mech that was not only capable of performing the Stinger's own role, but surpass it.

Even after the fall of the Star League, Phoenix Hawks found their way into every single Successor State's army and in enormous quantities, finding roles for itself no matter where it was; Recon, Hit-and run, and with some of it's superior electronics and sensor equipment, could find itself acquitting itself nicely as a Command 'Mech among smaller lances. They were so common that the phrase "Phoenix Hawk-bound" was coined by members of the DCMS for Mechwarriors who got their Mech shot out from under them and were in the market for a replacement.

With the Helm Memory Core's re-discovery and LosTech becoming available, the Phoenix Hawk quickly found itself being redesigned several different ways in order to take advantage, diversifying it's lineage into one of the most copied designs in the entire BattleTech canon. Including a light version that could hang out alongside the Stingers it had otherwise relegated to pure scout roles.

Armaments

The Phoenix Hawk is a hit-and-run specialist born from a Scout Mech. As a result, it's armor is pitiful; a mere eight tons keeping it from getting blasted into scrap. It is however, quite fast, and all Phoenix Hawk variants come with over six Jump Jets, and so are well equipped for the game of whack-a-mole seeing one on the battlefield inevitably becomes.

The Phoenix Hawk is an energy-weapons based fighter with a Large Laser for long-range engagements, and two Medium Lasers and a pair of machine guns for when they were up close and personal. It can do a reasonable amount of damage in short bursts, but has to pace itself due to it's critical flaw of heat buildup; it only mounts ten regular heat sinks, and as a result must frequently take time to properly vent it. Later iterations of the 'Mech post-succession wars have double heat-sinks as a general rule.

Variants

• PXH-1b "Special" - An SLDF Royal Unit staple, It's large laser was replaced with an ER PPC, and most of it's other lasers were replaced with a torso-mounted swivel Large Laser. While it's weapons are impressive, it's internals are the real star; an XL engine, an endo-steel chassis, and double heat-sinks. Topped off with a Guardian ECM suite, and CASE to ensure the machine guns it still has weren't going to blow it up from the inside.
• PXH-1D - The Federated Suns' variant that removes the machine guns and ammo and places them with heat sinks, taking away it's infantry capabilities, but it's heat load is slightly better.
• PXH-1K - The Combine idea of a Phoenix Hawk, which rips out all the jump jets and adds a half-ton of armor and a few extra heat sinks. The Machine gun and ammo is popped out for a Small Laser.
• PXH-2 - An electronic warfare variant that drops the ammo and machine guns for an ECM suite.
• PXH-3D - An improved version of the 1D that used the LosTech rediscovered during the Succession Wars. The return of the XL Engine and Endo-Steel Chassis. The Large Laser is swapped for an Extra Range model, and the small lasers are swapped for Medium Pulse Lasers split between each arms. The Machine guns/ammo are removed and as a result, every single heat sink is swapped out for double-strength models. This is the point after which all Phoenix Hawk Variants use double heatsinks, an XL engine, and some form of Endo-Steel chassis.
• PXH-3M - An Earthwerks version of the PXH-3 system, with the same prerequisite internal upgrades. This one replaces every weapon on the Mech, getting two ER Large Lasers, Two medium pulse lasers, and an anti-missile defense system.
• PXH-4L - The work of the Capellan Confederation and the enigmatic "Project Phoenix", this almost entirely re-designed Mech has roughly the same loadout as the original, but it's body is completely re-shaped, and it trades it's normal armor out for stealth armor, the Full-Head Ejection System, and a guardian ECM suite.
• PXH-6D - A fire support variant with ten tons of armor; the 6D carries an ER PPC, four ER Medium Lasers, and a targeting system, allowing it to hang back and fulfill the role of sniper.
• PXH-7K - An extremely fast close combat variant, it uses the weight savings of it's chassis and Light Ferro-Fibrous armor to go up to 97 km/h and jump almost 300 meters with it's improved jump jets. It mounts a Snub-Nose PPC and a Medium Laser, making it a nightmare up close.
• PXH-8CS - The 7K's even faster, even more close range cousin, capable of going over 100 km/h using an experimental engine, using two snub-nose PPCs at once.
• PXH-9 - The -9 returns to normal cruising speeds but allows it to jump especially far thanks to it's improved Jump Jets. It has a medium laser, two machine guns, and the experimental and extremely dangerous Large X-Pulse Laser.

Mechs inspired by the Phoenix Hawk

• Phoenix Hawk L - Thanks to the Draconis Combine's big brain answer to the problem only they perceived in that the Phoenix Hawk was good, but it was a Medium Mech so it was icky. It features an EMP cannon, a missile launcher, and a Medium Laser.
• Phoenix Hawk IIC - A Clanner variant with a truly galaxy brain level of thinking added to it's design. Instead of a medium class mobile 'mech, the Clanner version is an 80-ton Assault brawler with two Ultra AC/10s mounted in the waist with a pair of machine guns for flavor. Honestly more like a Clanner version of the Charger or Banshee more than a Phoenix Hawk replacement.
• Bakeneko - A Dark-Age build from Combine know-how and Clanner tech. 10 tons heavier than the normal variant, it carries a pulse laser, a PPC, a multi-missile launcher, and a medium laser mounted in the head. Designed as a skirmisher, which it did fairly well at.
• Agrotera - A 5-ton heavier Canopian design created from the Blakist iteration of the Phoenix Hawk (probably a modified 7k or 7CS design.), that can fight with Mechs a class size ahead and survive if they keep moving around.