BattleMech

BattleMechs are legged armored fighting vehicles in the BattleTech Universe. Standing between 8 and 14 meters tall and heavily armed and armored, they are the main heavy ground combat vehicles. A person who operates a BattleMech is known as a MechWarrior.

BattleMechs are what Starfleet Starships are to Star Trek, Lightsabers are to Star Wars and Space Marines are to Warhammer 40,000. They are the specific Battlefield Technology that the setting is named for.

BattleMech Systems

Weaponry

• Lasers: Basic directed energy weapon. They are fairly cheap, do 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.
• Auto Cannons
• Particle Projector Cannons
• Missiles
• Gauss Cannons
• Flamers
• Machine Guns: For killing squirrels.

Other

• Myomer: A synthetic musculature which contracts in on itself when an electrical current is run through it. Apply 9-volt battery, kick foe in the 'nads.
• Engines: Your standard BattleMech is powered by a hydrogen burning Fusion Reactor. Most vehicles used Internal Combustion Engines, or odder engines like Fuel Cells, and Fission Reactors. Yes, the rare Mech actually used some of these too, but the Fusion Reactor was the default go-to here.
• Gyros: Not a sandwich, but a spinny hunk of high-tech metal that helps the 'Mech stay upright. 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 and whatever demented flavour-of-the year that the New Avalon Institute of Science has come up with.
• 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.
• Heat Sinks: Glorified radiators, Heat Sinks are mechanisms 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 are also LosTech.
• Neurohelmets: At base, Neurohelmets allow the 'Mech to borrow the pilot's sense of balance. 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.

Types of BattleMechs

The most common classification of BattleMechs is by weight.

• Light Mechs: Mechs between 20 and 35 Tonnes. They are normally cheap, easy to deploy, fast and lightly armored and are used for Scouting and Raiding.
• Medium Mechs: Mechs between 40 and 55 Tonnes. Able to throw down better than a Light Mech while being faster and cheaper than a heavy. Also includes specialized support units. Mostly used for tactical needs, but tend to be wildly flexible at times.
• Heavy Mechs: Mechs between 60 and 75 Tonnes. The workhorses of most armies, affordable heavy power.
• Assault Mechs: Mechs between 80 to 100 Tonnes. The heavy hitters; ponderous and pricey but durable with heavy weapons and armor to both take and dispense a serious beatdown. Unless you get a BNS-1S. Then people mock you.
• Ultra Heavy: Mechs that are more than 100 Tonnes. Up until the 32nd century, the general consensus was that Mechs more than 100 Tonnes were basically laughably bad penis compensators. In the 32nd century people are beginning to make them work.

Other

Beyond weight, there are a few other specialized types of BattleMech...

• Bipedal: A mech with two legs, most common type.
• Quadropedal: A mech which has four legs instead of two. They have something of a bad reputation for allegedly requiring more crew and less armor. Are far less common than Bipedal Mechs, but are still fairly common as mobile fire-boats. Another transformable variant is "Quadvees" among Clan Hell's Horses that can change back and forth into tanks.
• Land Air Mechs: basically a light mech that can transform from an Aerospace Fighter into a regular mech. They got invented during the Star League and were experimental reconnaissance units but got phased out due to being more fragile than regular fighters and mechs. Out of universe, Battletech developers decided it was too much effort to keep without lawsuits from Harmony Gold (as seen with the infamous "Unseen/Reseen" mech artwork from other IP's.
• OmniMech: the Lego/Swiss army knive variant of a regular Mech. Can change their loadouts as quickly as diapers' but are way more expensive

Notable BattleMechs

Over the span of seven centuries there has been like a bajillion different makes and models of Battlemechs, most of which have at least a couple variants. As BattleMechs can last for centuries and are rather resilient things that can more often than not be at least partially salvaged, there are still plenty of vintage units out and kicking. For a comprehensive list, go to Sarna.

• UrbanMech
• Atlas
• Timber Wolf
• Catapult