Compiled overview of the 85
ton Black Watch 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
The
Black Watch is the fulfillment of several dreams. The first
dream was that of
Cosara Weaponries (producers of the
Crab), who wanted to expand their operations. The second dream was dear to the
Northwind Highlanders, who have long craved the independence that
Wolf’s Dragoons and the
Kell Hounds enjoy in having their own private suppliers of military
hardware. Finally, Captain
Neil Campbell of the
Royal Black Watch Company dreamed of creating a
'Mech that would symbolize the new spirit of unity in the
Inner Sphere by incorporating technologies from various
Successor States. The
Black Watch is the result of all these dreams coming together.
The
Black Watch is built around the same chassis as the
SLDF's training
'Mech, the
Crockett.
Cosara Weaponries chose that design for its ruggedness and its
jump jets; the latter an unusual feature on an assault
'Mech.
Early in the planning stages, the engineers wanted to install an extralight
engine. However, that soon changed because of the extent to which an XL engine makes a
'Mech vulnerable in battle. Though XL engines weigh less than standard engines, allowing a
'Mech to carry more equipment, they are also
bulky, taking up vast areas of the
'Mech's torso. Attacks that damage the torso are therefore much more likely to inflict critical damage to an XL engine than to a standard model.
When the designers were selecting weaponry for the
Black Watch, the debate centered around the new
'Mech's mission. Captain
Neil Campbell pushed that this
'Mech's primary goal is to act as a reminder that the
Inner Sphere can and must face
the Clans united. He therefore petitioned to incorporate
Draconis Combine and
Free Worlds League weaponry into the design. After many months of negotiation, the new Shigunga
MRM-40 Launcher and
C3 slave equipment from the
Draconis Combine, as well as
Imperator Automatic Weaponry’s new light
Gauss rifle and Ultra10
autocannon from the
Free Worlds League, were shipped to
Northwind to be installed on the new
'Mech.
Many
critics of the new design believe that its
haphazard creation will be its
downfall. As proof, they point out that additional shipments of weapons and equipment from the
Free Worlds League and the
Draconis Combine hinge upon the results of the
'Mech's initial testing.
The
Black Watch is currently in the prototype stage, undergoing testing that will decide its future. However, the Clan Elders on
Northwind have already stated that the first machines off the
production line will go to the
Royal Black Watch Company, after which they will begin to fill requests from other
Northwind Highlander units.
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