Highlander
"THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!"
- – Average Highlander Mechwarrior before performing a Highlander Burial
Sometimes, just shooting an enemy 'Mech to death isn't enough. You want to get up close and personal, and send a message few will forget. And you want to do so by channeling your inner Demoman and rocketing across the battlefield.
You, my good sir, need a Highlander.
Overview
The Highlander is an Inner Sphere Assault BattleMech from the world of BattleTech that clocks in at 90 tons, is built on a Star League XT frame with a GM 270 fusion engine, and was originally intended to defend cities and installations. However, the combination of its weight, a top speed of 54 km/h, and possessing HildCo Model 10 jump jets with a 90-meter range (meant to be used to clear obstacles in urban warfare and such) meant that even in initial trial runs it found use in bringing death from above by slamming feet-first into the enemy. Originally a desperation tactic, these 'Highlander Burial' maneuvers would be soon adopted into later iterations of the design, with the Highlander's legs being reinforced so they could survive multiple high-speed impacts with other 'Mechs. Thus it became a viable tactic for picking off certain targets and would be refined by Mechwarriors into an art form.
Highlanders have been around since the days of the original Star League, so despite being primarily associated with the Inner Sphere some members of The Clans have held onto some from their original exodus and later upgraded them to be IIC variants with better weapons. In fact, a custom one was known to be used by the last, asshole Khan of Clan Widowmaker who was responsible for killing Nicholas Karensky with a "stray" Heavy Laser shot. (You give him a Highlander and make his most impactful kill, regardless of original intention, not be a Higlander Burial? For shame...)
After the fall of the League, the Inner Sphere was stuck with an inferior variant, though compared to other mechs from the same time period it weathered the storm better than expected. ComStar of course held onto some original Highlanders and refused to share how to make them, the selfish bastards.
The Highlander is most famously used by the Northwind Highlanders mercenaries (no surprise since they're Scottish and, more importantly, have the 'Mech in their name), who are considered the masters of the Highlander Burial.
Armament
Other than its own weight being used for deadly CQC takedowns via the Burial maneuver, the Highlander's standard loadout is more jack-of-all-trades. For its main weapon, the 'Mech utilizes an M-7 Gauss Rifle for taking on heavier targets, while for a secondary it possesses a Holly-20 LRM-20 launcher used to supplement its Rifle at long range. However, it also possesses a set of weapons intended for defending itself from close range - namely a pair of Harmon Starclass medium lasers and a Holly-6 SRM-6 launcher. A CASE system protects the two tons of ammunition needed for the Gauss, LRM, and SRM, while 12 heat sinks maintain mech temperature. Targeting is provided by a Starlight LX-1 and communication by a Hector VII.
In terms of defense, a standard Highlander is protected by 15 tons of Grumman-3 Ferro-Fibrous armor.
Variants
Due to being one of the older 'Mechs to still be in use, the Highlander has gained several variants over the years:
- HGN-641-X-2 - A ComStar variant that was originally a prototype. It utilizes a pair of MML-7 launchers equipped with Artemis IV Fire Control Systems that have 4 tons of ammo, as well as upgrading to a pair of ER medium lasers. The Gauss Rifle is kept, with CASE II protecting its ammo alongside the missiles. Other changes are swapping the armor to be Light Ferro-Fibrous with Reinforced Structure, a C3 Slave Unit, and an XL Engine and XL Gyro. Saw a lot of use in the Jihad by the Word of Blake.
- HGN-694 - A later variant with a number lower than the original. We know it definitely isn't a prototype since it came centuries after the 732. A variant introduced during the FedCom Civil War, this Highlander ditches the Burial-enabling Jump Jets, missiles, and medium lasers in exchange for taking a Heavy Gauss Rifle and two Large Lasers. The original Gauss Rifle remains, so this is definitely a variant trading the OG's versatility and epic finisher for more long-range capability.
- HGN-732 - The standard Highlander loadout as originally designed by the Star League for the SLDF.
- HGN-732b - Made for SLDF Royal units, this Highlander variant reduces the number of heat sinks to 10 and a ton of SRM ammunition, in exchange for changing the original medium lasers to ER variants as well as adding an additional regular medium laser, adding Artemis IV FCS to the launchers, and upgrading to Double Heat Sinks.
- HGN-733 - The downgrade that was used after the 732 became LosTech. Switches the Gauss Rifle for a Mydron Class B Autocannon/10 with two tons of ammo with one additional ton of LRM ammo. The 'Mech's armor also is two tons heavier for more protection and communications are now handled by a Hartford Com/A-7.
- HGN-733C - A variant of the 733 that uses an Autocannon/20 as its main gun instead of the Autocannon/10 while having a ton less of LRM and SRM ammo each.
- HGN-733P - A 733 which swaps out the Autocannon for a PPC, and adds seven more single heat sinks to acommodate the new source of heat.
- HGN-734 - Made to emphasize its role in urban combat by the Lyran Commonwealth during its Lyran Alliance phase in the FedCom Civil War, these Highlanders ditch the LRM-20 and use a Light Fusion Engine in exchange for a series of changes. The main gun is now a LB-X Autocannon/20 while the SRM-6 has been upgraded to two Streak SRM-6s. The Medium Lasers are now ER variants and an ER Large Laser is added on top of that.
- HGN-736 - Another ComStar variant introduced in the late 3050s whose main claim to fame was integration of an improved C3 computer. It also upgraded the LRM-20 to have a Artemis IV FCS and switched out the SRM-6 for a Streak SRM-4 that only had one ton of ammo. The twelve heat sinks were reduced to ten by upgrading them to Double Heat Sinks.
- HGN-738 - Another Lyran Commonwealth variant, this one made after the FedCom Civil War. Directly upgrades the main gun by making it a Heavy Gauss Rifle, and switches the LRM to a LRM-15 guided by an Artemis IV FCS. An ER Large Laser was also added to the package. Other upgrades include using ER Medium Lasers and a Streak SRM-4. Has a drawback of having its ammo concentrated in one side of the torso, meaning even with CASE there's a risk of it causing a critically damaging explosion if damaged.
- HGN-740 - The Dark Age Highlander, the 740 changes out the Gauss Rifle for an ER PPC with a PPC Capacitor, and upgrades the LRM-20 to have an Artemis IV FCS. The SRM-6 is also upgraded to be Streak, and the Medium Lasers are ER variants. The armor is changed to be Light Ferro-Fibrous, and CASE II is used to protect the two tons of LRM and one ton of Streak SRM ammo. Finally, a pair of M-Pods are installed on each leg, intended to make a Highlander Burial even more deadly.
Highlander IIC
The Clannerscum I declare a Trial of Grievance over your insult! *BLAM* Clan variant of the Highlander is based off of the 732s brought with Kerensky's Exodus. However, unlike that original design, uninterrupted technological development means the IIC variants have followed a different path from their Inner Circle counterparts. Namely, the inclusion of lighter weapons systems has allowed the Clans' engineers and scientists to effectively double its firepower while also increasing its armor to 14 and a half tons of ferro-fibrous armor. It still has the Jump Jets of the original, meaning the Warriors of the Clans have not forgotten the art of the Highlander Burial.
- Highlander IIC 1 - The standard Highlander IIC, the IIC 1 brings into battle an EMRG "Captain" Series Gauss Rifle and a Type XXVI "Great Bow" LRM-20 Launcher for long-range engagement as well as a pair of MPA-14 Mod. 12a Streak SRM-6 Launchers and a trio of Series PPS-VIII Medium Pulse Lasers for close-range combat. 12 Double Heat Sinks keep everything cool and the pilot decidedly un-fried.
- Highlander IIC 2 - A mod of the IIC for anti-infantry roles introduced to fight the Word of Blake's Manei Domini during the Jihad. The LRMs are swapped out for three ATM 6 Launchers with four tons of ammunition between them, while the Medium Pulse Lasers are replaced with ER Medium Lasers. Its left arm is also now kitted out with six anti-personnel Gauss Rifles for its role, with a ton of ammunition between them. This doesn't sound like much for six 'Mech guns until you realize their anti-personnel ammo is likely the size of modern HMG ammo, meaning there's plenty of rip and tear coming out of those barrels before it runs dry. Defensive-wise, its chassis is upgraded to be endo-steel for extra internal protection.
- Highlander IIC 3 - A minor alteration of the Highlander IIC which is intended to increase battlefield endurance by swapping the main Gauss Rifle for a Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle 20 with four tons of ammo as well as adding an ECM suite. The HAG/20 makes Battle Armor and Combat Vehicles roll critical existence failures, so the IIC 3 sees use as anti-light armor.
Design Quirks
The Highlander is considered a Command Battlemech, with its construction giving it the crunch Design Quirks of being Cowled (increased side and rear protection for the cockpit) and having Reinforced Legs (for that Highlander Burial takedown) at the expense of being difficult to eject from. (You'd think the Clans would fix that last one, but nope!)
The 641-X-2 in particular has the Prototype quirk due to its origins as one.