I apologize for any formatting issues in advance. I use HMP on a virtual XP machine on my Mac, so it can get a little funky at times.
I've always liked the idea of the Spartan, even if I didn't love the actual configuration. Who doesn't like an assault that thinks it is a medium? My biggest gripe with the standard Spartans was durability. They have a primarily energy load-out, and carry ample missile reloads, but the XL and lack of CASE give them a fairly short battlefield lifespan. There is really no possible way to keep the high end performance without the XL, so I focused on the replacing the missiles. Note, this variant was built for the old SLDF, so I limited myself to what they had available, so no ERMLs, Light Engines and so on.
For starters I switched the trio of Medium Pulse Lasers for a quad mount of standard Medium Lasers in the arm. This freed up a few tons for additional heat sinks, and improved the engagement range of the short range weapons. I know Pulses are higher tech, but I hate the range limitation. Next I dropped the Streaks and their ammo for an additional four Medium Lasers to fill the dead space. The AMS and ammunition was also removed due to the risk of ammunition explosions.
I used the available freed up tonnage for more heat sinks, and this took care of most of the newly created heat burden, but also left a good deal of empty space in the Spartan. The empty space led to a switch to an Endo Steel chassis. The Endo freed up enough tonnage to make the Spartan a superb command mech for lighter units with the addition of a Guardian and Beagle system plus the original TAG. Remaining tonnage was used to max out the standard armor.
The end result was a Spartan with more battlefield longevity and independence then the original, as well as a mech ideally suited to command lighter battlefield units. Even heavy and assault battalion commanders find the Spartan appealing due to it's ability to get in and out of engagements quickly. The ERPPC still allows this Spartan to snipe, and the Medium Lasers provide a punch up-close that exceeds a Hunchback or Victor while having enough heatsinks to run and gun without waiting for a cool down period, all while having the electronics load of a command mech.
Quote:
BattleMech Technical Readout
Type/Model: Spartan SPT-N3b
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3058
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Mass: 80 tons
Chassis: Geometric 500 Hard Core Endo Steel
Power Plant: 400 Dantrus XL Fusion
Walking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 86.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Strasbourg Armaments 206 Diamond Weave Standard
Armament:
8 Medium Lasers
1 Guardian ECM
1 Beagle Active Probe
1 ER PPC
1 TAG
Manufacturer: Martinson Armaments
Location: No new production in 200+ Years
Communications System: Blow 300 SNA Net
Targeting & Tracking System: Scope 40 RNDST
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Type/Model: Spartan SPT-N3b
Mass: 80 tons
Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 122 pts Endo Steel 14 4.00
(Endo Steel Loc: 1 HD, 4 LA, 3 RA, 2 RT, 2 LL, 2 RL)
Engine: 400 XL Fusion 12 26.50
Walking MP: 5
Running MP: 8
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 18 Double [36] 6 8.00
(Heat Sink Loc: 1 LT, 1 RT)
Gyro: 4 4.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA+H R: Sh+UA+LA+H 16 .00
Armor Factor: 247 pts Standard 0 15.50
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 25 38
Center Torso (Rear): 12
L/R Side Torso: 17 26/26
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 8/8
L/R Arm: 13 26/26
L/R Leg: 17 34/34
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
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4 Medium Lasers RA 12 4 4.00
1 Guardian ECM RT 0 2 1.50
1 Beagle Active Probe RT 0 2 1.50
1 ER PPC LT 15 3 7.00
1 TAG LT 0 1 1.00
2 Medium Lasers LT 6 2 2.00
2 Medium Lasers CT 6 2 2.00
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TOTALS: 39 73 80.00
Crits & Tons Left: 5 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 21,342,839 C-Bills
Battle Value 2: 1,993 (old BV = 1,693)
Cost per BV2: 10,708.9
Weapon Value: 2,871 / 2,871 (Ratio = 1.44 / 1.44)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 38; MRDmg = 11; LRDmg = 4
BattleForce2: MP: 5, Armor/Structure: 6/3
Damage PB/M/L: 6/5/1, Overheat: 1
Class: MA; Point Value: 20
Specials: ecm, tag, prb