Editing BattleMech (section)

== BattleMech Systems  ==
{{topquote|Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons online. All systems nominal.|A typical computer startup sequence in a BattleMech’s cockpit - hyping MechWarrior video gamers since 1989}}

Stemming from their origins from jury-rigged IndustrialMechs being armed for combat by rear line soldiers, BattleMechs share the same general components as their civilian brethren. What makes the former different from the latter is their chassis parts and sensors are generally bulkier, cheaper, and less resistant to combat damage. Additionally, the weapons and piloting mechanisms they carry aren't dedicated to combat and are either less powerful or less responsive. Some BattleMech subsystems are detailed further below.

=== Weaponry ===
* '''Lasers''': Basic directed energy weapon. They are fairly cheap, do fairly consistent damage and since they're powered by the mech's reactor they don't need ammo. That said while they do burn into your enemies' armor, they also generate waste heat. 
**'''Small Laser''': Low power and low range, often used on light mechs or as "we got half a ton to spare, what the hell?" add ons to heavier ones.
**'''Medium Laser''': Your basic laser gun. Main weapons for Light and Medium Mechs and useful secondaries for Heavy and Assault Mechs.
**'''Large Laser;''': Heavier, long range laser. Serious firepower for laser focused Big Boys.
**'''Pulse Laser''': Can be small, medium or large. As opposed to a single blast, Pulse Lasers fire several successive times in order to increase damage, though the heat they generate is much higher on average than the normal variants.
* '''Autocannons''': Abbreviated as ''AC''. An enormous machine gun/cannon that fires explosive shells in short bursts. Autocannons have variable ammo caliber sizes and are mostly grouped into categories of default damage numbers. While they don't generate much heat and are often times much better at taking armor off a Mech, they're also dependent on their hard ranges of minimum distance, requiring a lot of maneuvering to make work, and of course they can only carry a limited amount of ammunition.
** '''Autocannon/2''' - The sniper rifle of Autocannons. While it's next to useless in a close-range firefight, it's good at taking potshots from a distance that even LRMs can't reach. Almost anything that has one usually loads up on special munitions to offset the loss of damage.
** '''Autocannon/5''' - Arguably the first Autocannon ever made, it does respectable but not especially impressive damage at longer ranges, and can open just the right armor type in a pinch.
** '''Autocannon/10''' - The gold standard of Autocannons simply due to it's sheer utility; it can do some real damage, has a reasonable range, but critically it also has no minimum range that the MechWarrior has to consider when using it. Most 'Mechs that have an Autocannon will almost certainly default to this or any variant of it.
** '''Autocannon/20''' - The short-range, big damage variant. Can only shoot about a few hundred yards out, but anything dumb enough to be in it's range is pretty much scrap if the Autocannon lands more than one hit.
* '''Particle Projector Cannons''': The other standard Energy weapon (called ''PPC’s'' for short), but generally much spicier than any Laser. A massive Cannon that fires a concentrated stream of ions and protons at a target at such velocity and strength that the Mech it's attached to experiences a kickback from it. The Mech that gets hit can experience serious electrical damage from the volley, and as such they are prized parts of any Mech it's attached to; rivalling Autocannons in terms of overall usefulness. The Mech it's attached to has inhibitors to prevent the cannon from frying it's own circuits, but some mad lads play dangerously and pull that particular thing off in dire straits to see what happens when they let the PPC really cook. Comes in a similar range of sizes and utility similar their laser counterparts. Another new variant is the '''TSEMP''' ('''T'''ight '''S'''tream '''E'''lectro-'''M'''agnetic '''P'''ulse) cannon) developed by the Word of Blake and later Republic of the Sphere. It combines the principle technology and range of PPC’s with the disabling effects of the Mech Taser. However, the individual capacitors that charge each shot can blow up like the ones on Gauss rifles if they’re damaged.
* '''Missiles''': You know how these work; a big rocket full of boom comes straight down on your opponent's face. Most Mechs that have them have a dedicated platform designed to deliver the payload; from dedicated missile systems designed to be fired at short, medium, or long ranges aided by fire control systems, or simpler, fixed range missile launchers like the Arrow IV that are designed to even out the terrain of a particularly unlucky stretch of land. Very useful weapons, but they're expensive, and doubly so since they're susceptible to jamming. Special versions include Listen-Kill warheads aimed at electronic signatures or ARAD missiles tracking radiation emissions. Alternatively, the warheads can be swapped with special-purpose munitions. 
* '''Gauss Rifle''': A more technologically advanced alternative to the Autocannon among ballistic guns, a Gauss Cannon that has been standardized with powerful electromagnets to shoot a solid metal melon straight into and more often than not through opposing mechs. It generates almost no heat and is quite powerful, but is incredibly energy intensive and often enormous, requiring Mechs to almost be built around that weight limitation rather than the Rifle around the Mech's limitations. Also, if the individual capacitors used to power each shot are damaged, they risk blowing up the same way non-CASE’d autocannon ammo can.
* '''[[Flamer]]s''': They're in BattleTech too! You use them for almost the exact same purpose as you would in another wargame; melting infantry. This is much less useful in BattleTech however given that almost nobody uses full-on infantry anymore, but it can be helpful to raise the heat of a Mech to intolerable levels. The Capellans later invented a variant called Plasma (<s>no, not [[Plasma|that one]]</s>) which uses ionized & viscous foam bullets launched at infantry or light armor like modern white phosphorus or napalm.
* '''Machine Guns''': For killing squirrels. If you're in a mech primarily armed with these you're mostly just there to keep infantry or restless insurgents tied up, or, and I'm sorry to have to break it to you now, you're in the Mech that's expected to die. Machine guns can also be used in Anti Missile Systems like real life Active Protective Systems on modern tanks or Close In Weapon Systems on ships; blasting those pesky missiles out of the sky before they can mess up the paint job. They're also a component for Anti-Battle Armor modules to keep Clanner Elementals from tearing into your cockpit to shoot you in the face.
* '''Melee Weaponry''': While initially wildly impractical as an idea since a mech can carry giant guns and finish a fight against other Mechs without the use of a hand-to-hand weapon, the Succession Wars were such a resource drain that stuff like PPCs and even some variations of lasers couldn't be reliably manufactured and bolted to the giant robot, so mech-sized melee weapons found themselves making comebacks. As they do a point of damage per a certain amount of tonnage from the attacking mech and generate no heat, they can acquit themselves quite well if given to the right MechWarrior, but being in melee range for BattleMechs is generally not a good idea unless it was built/rebuilt from the ground up to brawl.  Jump jets in particular are practically mandatory equipment for melee mechs.  Certain types of melee weapons like fists and claws can also grapple opponents, reducing the chances of a successful breakaway from close combat.
** '''Punch''': Most Mechs in the game have some form of hand actuator, which means the most basic form of harm that a human can do is very much available to their giant metal toys. Games running Design Quirk rules can augment certain mechs with the "Battlefists" quirk, which gives further bonuses to hit on such an attack.
** '''Kick''': All Mechs have feet, however not all depictions of the game system allow for SERIOUS FOOTBALL (making Urbie lovers all the happier). Like with fists, games running Design Quirk rules can augment certain mechs with extra footie power, leading to the ability to literally remove another Mechs existence with well-placed toes.
** '''Push''': Again, a melee attack that's pretty much only in the tabletop versions. You have Mech? You have enemy Mech? Put your Mech against enemy Mech and move. Might cause enemy Mech to fall down. May have other effects.
** '''Charge''': A Push, done at speed. Warning: Running your Mech into another Mech, when the other Mech is bigger, is likely to cause your Mech as much damage (or more) than the enemy Mech takes. Extra points if the damage you take provokes an ammo rack explosion. Somewhat reflected in the computer games.
** '''Death From Above''': A Charge, as applied to Mechs with Jump Jets. Your Mech takes leg damage, enemy Mech takes upper torso damage. Can lead to extreme headaches for others. Can lead to extreme headaches for you too, if you flub your piloting check. Gravity is no one's bitch. Also, due to a Jump-Jet-equipped 90-ton monstrosity of an assault Mech called the Highlander, yes, "Highlander Burials" exist as canon in the game. You know you're having a bad day when your salvage-and-repair teams have to break out the shovels just to get to the light Mech so 'buried'. Absolutely is in the computer games.
** '''Hatchet''': A giant meat cleaver pioneered by the Lyrans. Does a point of damage per every 5 tons of Mech. Given that the average mech in the Lyran Commonwealth is probably 70 tons or more, this makes it a much more dangerous thing than it initially sounds.
** '''Sword''': A standardized sword created as an alternative to the Lyran Hatchet by the Combine. It does a point of damage plus one for every Ten tons of Mech, but thanks to their exceptionally engineered balance, they're easier to hit with than a Hatchet.
** '''Club''': A Hatchet with no blade, maybe just a tree you found, or possibly just an Urbie-onna-stick. Can also be the leg you just kicked off a Mech. Yes, this means you can literally beat another Mech to death with their own limb. Less accurate than a Hatchet RAW, however tends to do more damage since you don't have to mess around with balance or design considerations. *BONK*
** '''[[Solaris VII]] Weirdness''': The Arena is...weird. If you can make it look flashy and still do damage, some Mechjock has tried it. This includes: Buzzsaws, Chain Whips, Claws, Flails, Lances, Spikes, Talons (Claws for feet; Takes that DfA up to 11), Tasers (which is more like an Electro-Harpoon and a boon to salvagers everywhere), hand-held Shields, and Vibroblades. That said, a wide range of Solaris goofiness has ended up on the battlefield do to the fact that if it reliably works the arena, it usually will reliably work outside of it as well.

=== Internal systems ===
* '''Myomer''': A synthetic musculature which contracts in on itself when an electrical current is run through it. It lays snug between the chassis skeleton and the armor on the Mech’s actuator limbs and attaches to the diagnostic interpretation computer (a series of processors and cables like nerve cables) to response to neurohelmet commands to the limb actuators and the gyro. Can be upgraded with other variant tech such as Triple Strength Myomer and Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (called MASC) to boost either strength or speed at the risk of more frequent limb breakdowns. Apply 9-volt battery, kick foe in the 'nads.
* '''Engines''': Your standard BattleMech is powered by a hydrogen burning Fusion Reactor. Most vehicles are too small for fusion reactors (the excuse in case a hard sci-fi killjoy asks "why don't we just build a bunch of tanks?") so they're stuck with Internal Combustion Engines, Fuel Cells, and Fission Reactors. Yes, the rare Mech (typically an older model or an experimental one) actually used some of these too, but the Fusion Reactor was the default go-to here. Engines come in all shapes and sizes, though the easiest way to keep your Mech useful is to have an engine that doesn't take up too much valuable space. Try not to have it go critical, yeah?
* '''Gyros''': Not a sandwich beloved by greeks, but a spinny hunk of high-tech metal that helps the 'Mech stay upright. A close analogy is the series of reaction wheels used to keep real-life satellites, missiles, and torpedoes pointed steadily at their targets. Losing this means your 'Mech gets to lie down for an extended period of time, namely for the rest of the battle.
* '''Armor''': The yang to weaponry's yin. Depending on the tech level you're playing at, can come in flavours ranging from plain ol' vanilla Standard to double-fudge FerroFibrous, caramel Laser Reflective, stealth cloaked, and whatever demented flavour-of-the year that the New Avalon Institute of Science has come up with. Most Mech armor is ablative, meaning that it's designed to slough off when hit and requires swapping in fresh modules after the fight is done.
* '''Jump Jets''': Systems that make the 'Mech bounce along like little bunny Froo-froo. On 'Mechs, they're a fusion-rocket system, however vehicles and infantry  sporting them usually use some sort of jet or chemical/liquid-rocket system. Weirder systems have been developed (think mechanical pogo-mounts). Yes, there is a Jump Jet equipped tank called the Kanga. When used in conjunction with reinforced legs in melee, MechWarriors can perform a [[Assault Squad|Death from above]] maneuver to crush any unfortunate S.O.B in their landing zone (a favorite of Highlander pilots). Also useful in combination with [[Drop Pod#BattleTech|Drop Pods]] for combat drops from DropShips onto combat zones that are too well defended to risk a conventional DropShip landing and BattleMech deployment.
* '''Heat Sinks''': Glorified radiators, Heat Sinks are mechanisms (like liquid coolant pumps, tubes, and heat-exchangers found in car radiators or refrigerators) which deal with built up heat, which Mechs can quickly accumulate in combat. Firing lasers, getting hit by flamers, using Jump Jets and so forth can all build up heat which can damage the machine's system and cook a Mech Warrior alive. Double Heat Sinks are more effective than vanilla heat sinks but were also [[LosTech]] up until the 32nd century. Due to waste heat, MechWarriors pilot their vehicles in either refrigerated suits or if those are not available (as the blueprints to make them are kept locked up by [[ComStar|Space AT&T]]) in their undies. Some systems dabble with manual flushing fresh coolant into the BattleMech but are fragile and risk blowing up if damaged. Environmental factors like water, vacuum, and atmosphere can also be a boon or bane depending on your situation.
* '''Ammo Storage''': Because you gotta put your bullets and missiles somewhere on your mech before you shoot 'em. If your lucky, you got Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE) on your mech, which significantly reduces the chances that it will be set off unintentionally during combat.
* '''Sensors:''' Alternatively called the Target Tracking System or Advanced Fire Control System, they're the eyes and ears that relay environmental and targeting data to a MechWarrior's cockpit; either in the form of neurohelmet VR feed or a cockpit display. Can be augmented from data from other units via the C3 Network, TAG beacons, or satellite feed. 
* '''C3 Network:''' short for '''C'''ommand, '''C'''ontrol, and '''C'''ommunication. It's a simple tight-beam comms network that can share targeting data between Mechs. It starts with the Command unit that three slave units (or six 3Ci units, if you're lucky enough to have them) connect to, and then all data collected by any one of the units is automatically shared to the other three. While potent, ECMs wreak havoc on C3 systems, and any lance that has one can be blinded in certain conditions if you figure out where the Command unit is, which is almost always in the Heavy/Assault Mech due to the command unit's size.
* '''ECM Suites:''' Short for '''E'''lectronic '''C'''ounter-'''M'''easure, an ECM is an invaluable piece of hardware that can shut down enemy sensors and communications tech. On the tabletop, it produces a bubble around the Mech that can shut down certain bits of hardware like active probes or C3 systems. They're only available in certain Mechs however, as the technology is extremely precise and the Succession Wars completely robbed the Inner Sphere of the ability to manufacture them.
* '''TAG:''' Short for '''T'''arget '''A'''cquisition '''G'''ear. Composed of a variable spectrum laser for target-marking and rang-finding, it's basically just [[markerlight]]s for Battletech, developed to overcome ECMs. Just expect to be extremely noticed (either as the targeted if you're unlucky to be painted by it or the targeter once every enemy detects your signal and rushed over to wreck your ride). Some alternative targeting gear includes sticky beacons fired by Scouts and missile fire control systems but those suffer from either shorter range or jamming.
* '''Active Probe:''' Basically an enhanced sensor and data processing package, it's one of the few pieces of equipment that can reliably sense units covered by a jamming or active camouflage systems. The downside is that it eats a lot of valuable free space and power to use while also being expensive while being vulnerable to ECM suites.
* '''Particle Field Damper:''' an experimental technology used to reduce the damage to BattleMechs from POC weapons by deionizing the electrical charge around the BattleMech. However, due to being easily shut down by dust and airborne debris being sucked into the system, any users tend to then it off if they think their opponents are not using PPC weapons.
* '''Anti-infantry Pods:''' basically a mix of remotely activated explosive reactive armor or sensor guided machine guns, they help prevent Jump Jet infantry or Battle Armor infantry from boarding a BattleMech to either attach explosives or break into the MechWarrior’s cockpit. 
* '''Stealth Systems:''' ranging from passive stealth armor that cloaks heat and electric signatures to the optical camouflage capabilities in the Void Signature System, these experimental technologies enable a BattleMech to hid from sensor-based detection, visual detection, or both. Unfortunately, they’re also just as complicated as ECM and C3 systems while requiring a lot of surplus electrical power.
* '''Harjel System:''' Using the fast-drying and tar-like substance called Harjel, the Clan-invented system sprays out a black goop that can harden to withstand the vacuum of space or pressures of underwater combat across a broken piece of armor. A little at a time is fine, but if the Mech receives massive damage all at once, the system will just start spraying it every where and whole parts of the Mech will become useless. Removing it is also a bitch, too.
* '''Neurohelmets''': At base, Neurohelmets allow the 'Mech to borrow the pilot's sense of balance (due to the organic ear and spatial orientation system of a human surpassing any robotic control loop that can be coded). More advanced systems (generally [[LosTech]] or ClannerScum) could provide a VR simspace for the pilot and shunt sensor feeds right into the pilot's brain. Also serves as a security system, as they're keyed to the pilot's brainwaves and can fry any pesky intruders’ brains if they don’t bypass the ID validation system. If pilots are not careful and push their Mechs beyond their normal performance, they could suffer neural backlash. Some systems experiment with embedded circuits or neural interfaces inside pilot’s bodies like some Clannner's Enhanced Imaging system or Wobbie cyborg's Vehicular Direct Neural Interface but such tech leaves pilots with a very short lifespans.
*  '''Cockpit''': typically mounted in the head of a BattleMech beside some [[Solaris VII]] arena ‘Mechs mounting it in the torso, they contain the basic controls, targeting displays, computer interface, toilet, microwave, and life support systems for a MechWarrior. On the other hand, MechWarriors still need to keep an eye on the thermometer to avoid suffering a heat stroke from the reactor heat. More advance versions can include a Dual Cockpit/Command Console for multiple crew or replaces the basic ejector seat with a sealed Full Head Ejector System capsule to protect pilots from shrapnel or hostile environments when they need to bail away from their Mech before it’s reactor explodes.