Whitworth

The Whitworth is something of an ugly duckling, known among both critics and fans as the "Tin Woodsman." It was originally produced in Introduction Year::2610 as a BattleMech that was meant to fill the weight gap between the lighter Wasp and the heavier Phoenix Hawk 'Mechs. The Whitworth, though, is slower than either of these designs by over 30 km/h and plagued with a faulty actuator system in its hips and legs which could cause the legs to tear loose during strenuous maneuvers. Replacing the actuators would require a complete reworking of the lower half of the torso and leg assembly. However, the Whitworth carried eight tons of armor, utilized four reliable Whitworth Jetlift jump jets split between both legs for improved mobility, and featured excellent long-range firepower. The result was a 'Mech which could stand up in combat to another 'Mech of its equivalent mass and less.

The original WTH-1S Whitworth model saw combat in the Age of War, however since it was armed with Harpoon-6 SRMs, many were lost when their pilots rushed into close-range combat to effectively use them. The Whitworth ' s lack of hand actuators, low speed curve, poor armor distribution and less-than-effective weapon loadout doomed them to the scrap pile. At the insistence of the Star League, the Whitworth Company replaced these weapons with LRMs in 2689 and the WTH-1 would serve in the Star League Defense Force as an able if mediocre scout and light strike platform. Whitworths often took part in reconnaissance-in-force missions and raids against well-defended areas, often alongside Wolverines and Phoenix Hawks, or provided fire support for heavy attack forces with Riflemans and Warhammers.

Besides the SLDF, the Rim Worlds Republic Military also fielded the Whitworth, where they were used to horrifying effect during the Amaris Civil War to burn down whole cities with inferno missiles. Since most served in heavy combat zones, hundreds of Whitworths were lost during that conflict and the survivors were quickly recruited by the Great Houses in the lead-up to the Succession Wars. They provided much-needed fire support for recon and strike lances during those terrible conflicts, however since the destruction of the Whitworth Company's Dieron complex during the civil war, there was no source of replacement parts and machines, so the 'Mechs were used until they could no longer be repaired and then salvaged for their actuator and structural mounts. No attempt was made to restart the line since no one was willing to reproduce what many considered a poorly designed 'Mech; indeed many Federated Suns and Draconis Combine pilots gave their machines the unflattering nickname "Worthless."

By the end of the Succession War era, less than three hundred Whitworths were still operational, many in the hands of MechWarrior families passed down over generations, and its end appeared in sight. The situation changed slightly in 3035 when the Whitworth Specialty Manufacturing company was incorporated on Benjamin and began producing spare parts exclusively for the Combine's Whitworth inventory, supposedly as part of a rumored deal struck between Theodore Kurita and ComStar the year before. The Clan Invasion inspired a field refit which incorporated an Artemis Fire Control System to improve the Whitworth ' s artillery capability, but by 3060 most of these 'Mechs had been decommissioned, sold on the salvage market to cost-conscious mercenary units, pirates, and Periphery nations like the Taurian Concordat and Outworlds Alliance. The destruction inflicted by the Jihad forced both the Suns and Combine to update what Whitworths they still fielded with patchwork upgrades to combat the Blakists' C3i technology.

Weapons and Equipment
The Whitworth carries as its primary weapons two Longbow-10 LRM launchers with one ton of ammo each in both right and left torsos. These missile launchers allow the Whitworth to strike an enemy at long ranges with a moderate amount of missiles. While against heavier units it is somewhat effective, when used to provide LRM support to a recon lance, the Whitworth ' s LRMs can deter pursuit by other light units. For secondary weapons, the Whitworth has three Intek medium lasers, one mounted in the head and in either arm, that allow it to effectively defend itself from units of the same weight class and lighter at short ranges.

Variants

 * WTH-0 : This incredibly rare version of the Whitworth was made exclusively for the Amaris Dragoons in 2754 as a terror weapon. Only twenty-four of these variants were ever built by Whitworth's Republic branch, carrying two Harpoon-6 SRM-6 racks in place of the LRM-10 launchers along with fourteen heat sinks and replacing the left arm laser with a Fleur-Static Flamer.  These Whitworths were painted matte black and became infamous for razing entire cities with their inferno-loaded SRMs and flamers. BV (2.0) = 863


 * WTH-1H : The 1H variant is a Periphery modification of the 1S variant introduced in 3066. In place of one of the SRM launchers, the 1H variant carries eight rocket launcher 10s, providing devastating short range striking power. This variant proved popular with the Taurian Concordat and Outworlds Alliance. BV (1.0) = 951; BV (2.0) = 993


 * WTH-1S : The original production model of the Whitworth prior to its service in the Star League armies. The two LRM-10 missile launchers are replaced with two SRM-6 launchers and four additional heat sinks, allowing the MechWarrior better heat management capabilities. However since this loadout encourages a close combat approach for which the 'Mech is grossly ill-equipped, these were phased out and the variant remains extremely rare. BV (1.0) = 753; BV (2.0) = 917


 * WTH-2 : The WTH-2 Whitworth is a very basic upgrade of the original design introduced in 3050 in response to the Clan invasion. Two medium lasers have been removed from the 'Mech and replaced with Artemis IV fire control systems for the LRM-10 launchers making it deadlier at long ranges in exchange for short range defense capabilities. BV (1.0) = 784; BV (2.0) = 936


 * WTH-2A : This variant of the Whitworth introduced in 3068 upgrades the WTH-1S Whitworth, though whether they were custom refits or production models is unknown. The chassis has been redesigned to use endo steel construction techniques and one of the medium lasers have been downgraded to a small laser. The SRM-6s were removed and the fourteen single heat sinks were upgraded to ten double heat sinks. The saved weight was used to add four Streak SRM-4 launchers, a C3 slave unit, and CASE to protect the 'Mech from ammunition explosions. BV (1.0) = 1,037; BV (2.0) = 1,055


 * WTH-3 : A variant produced in 3069, the WTH-3 is mostly used with Capellan March forces. Also utilizing an Endo Steel chassis, the -3 mounts four LRM-5s and a C3 slave. Four tons of ammunition allow it to utilize a variety of specialty munitions. The weight savings went into upgrading the jump jets to improved jump jets that allow the -3 to leap up to 180 meters at a time. BV (2.0) = 861


 * WTH-K : Whitworth Specialty Manufacturing is responsible for upgrading the -1 Whitworths owned by the Draconis Combine and introduced this variant in 3070. The -K variant also utilizes ten single heat sinks, though it mounts two MML-7s, while two ammo bins allow for some flexibility. The use of MMLs allows the MechWarrior to focus on either ranged support or close-quarters combat. The inclusion of a C3 Slave allows the -K to share targeting telemetry. Five QuestStar improved jump jets enable the -K to jump up to 150 meters. BV (2.0) = 819

Custom Variants

 * WTH-5S : This is an Experimental variant based the old WTH-2 chassis. Created by the Spillman Provincial Refit Facility of Acrux in 3074, a lance of these 'Mechs were being evaluated by the Kaumberg Archonette in combat in heavily forested areas. The 'Mech uses a composite internal structure, which is used to house a supercharged 160-rated extralight fusion engine.  The 'Mech sports two Streak SRM-6 launchers, one per torso with CASE II to protect the 'Mech from each ton of ammo. The 'Mech's original medium lasers are swapped out for pair of experimental medium X-Pulse lasers. The lasers' accuracy is improved with inclusion of an actuator enhancement system in each arm. The 'Mech is protected by eight tons of standard armor and a Guardian ECM suite. BV (2.0) = 1,320

Design Quirks
The Whitworth has the following Design Quirks:
 * Rugged (1)
 * Weak Legs