Mackie

History
Developed by the Terran Hegemony in the 25th century, midway through the Age of War, the Mackie was the first true BattleMech. Based on advanced technology that the Hegemony Armed Forces (HAF) had been developing for decades under Director-General Jacob Cameron, the Mackie was the ultimate manifestation of Hegemony military might. The Mackie's first combat trial was on February 5, 2439, outside of Yakima, Terra. The pilot, Colonel Charles Kincaid, utterly obliterated his test targets, four remote-control Merkava heavy tanks.

When the Mackie was first built, it epitomized the Terran Hegemony's technological advantage over the Great Houses. It was the pinnacle of military technology until 2455, when the plans were stolen by agents of the Lyran Commonwealth. Still, the Mackie had such symbolic importance to the Terran Hegemony that it remained in production until the start of the Amaris Civil War, although it has not been built since then.

Incredibly, some Mackies survived for almost seven centuries, with some even remaining operational. One of these examples was used by the First Fusiliers of Oriente until 3042, when it was relocated to the Covington 'Mech Museum on Atreus. The head and partial torso of one was preserved in the BattleMech museum on Solaris; another, taken from a Rasalhague military museum, was gifted to Clan Goliath Scorpion by Clan Wolf in 3057, and in 3059, another was piloted by Horse Jade Falcon on Huntress during a fake duel. It is unknown if the 'Mech, which was on Huntress since the Jaguars took possession of it, survived the later attack by Task Force Serpent. Another Mackie was in the BattleMech museum in Strana Mechty.

At the time the Mackie was designed, its technology was largely unproven, and its systems were not as efficient as those on modern BattleMechs. It carries a Hermes 360 fusion engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 54.0 km/h. The 'Mech also has a heavier than normal cockpit, at five tons. In total, the Mackie has 20 tons of armor protection, which is as much armor as the entire mass of some modern light 'Mechs. To keep the Mackie cool, it uses fifteen heat sinks.

Weapons and Equipment
"And now, just one of these machines, Johann, can turn any soldier into Death itself, can turn any man into an unstoppable world-killer..."

- Colonel Simon Kelswa

The Mackie carries what were considered top-of-the-line weapons for its era. The primary weapons on the 'Mech are a PPC and an Autocannon/10 that both have similar range and damage profiles. For close combat, the Mackie has two medium lasers. The weapons systems employed on the Mackie are similar to their modern counterparts, though their exact designations and model names have been lost to time.

Variants

 * MSK-5S : The initial prototype Mackie was designated the MSK-5S, and carried a slightly different weapons load than the production model MSK-6S. Using an Autocannon/5 in the right arm instead of the AC/10, the MSK-5S also mounted a Large Laser in the center torso, rather than the twin medium lasers, and had two more heat sinks. Twenty tons of Primitive Armor protected the first generation Mackie. This armor, though heavier, provided less protection than later models. The MSK-5S was used by Colonel Kincaid in his now-famous combat trial versus the Merkava tanks. BV (2.0) = 1,436


 * MSK-7A : Multiple variants emerged from factories with an "MSK-7#" designation. Dating to the late 2400s, these variants utilized powerful autocannons and energy weapons. BV (2.0) = 1,900


 * MSK-8B : This catchall series of Mackies was used to designate retrofits of -6S, with a wide variety of more modern components. The 8B is virtually identical to the 9H, with an extra heat sink and slightly heavier armor. BV (2.0) = 2,019


 * MSK-9H : Though most nations got rid of their cloned Mackies in favor of their own 'Mechs, the Hegemony was proud of their achievement. Moreover, many Hegemony militia units made extensive use of the first BattleMech, resulting in a continuous production right up until the Amaris Coup. Many of the various militia upgrades coalesced into the -9H, helped by the fact that Skobel continued to produce small quantities of this design. It mounts two Donal PPCs and an Imperator Autocannon/20, backed up by the pair of Starflash medium lasers. Nineteen tons of armor gave it full protection, allowing the 9Hs longevity. Nonetheless, Aleksandr Kerensky could only locate around 100 of the 'Mechs to take with him on the Exodus of the SLDF. The 9H is only a rough standard for Hegemony militia units, with the chassis being very easy to customize. BV (2.0) = 2,022

Custom Variants

 * MSH-9HKR Mackie Kill Roy's Little Buddy : The unofficial mascot of the Desert Wars portion of the Martial Olympiad, Kill Roy uses two LB 10-X autocannons instead of the single AC/20. Two tons of ammunition are stored in each side torso. For protection, the torsos are equipped with CASE. To make room for these, the Beagle Active Probe has been removed. Thirteen Double Heat Sinks keep the 'Mech running.

Design Quirks
The Mackie has the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * Protected Actuators
 * Rugged (1)
 * Oversized