Stalking Spider

Description
After obtaining the husk of an Inner Sphere Tarantula, Clan Cloud Cobra scientists decided to use it as the basis for a quadruped BattleMech. The 'Mech received the name Stalking Spider because it mounts enough jump jets in the legs to rocket it to 150 meters in one jump. Because the MechWarrior must move the legs during the jump, it appears that the design is crawling through the air like a spider, making it very impressive during drops. The Stalking Spider also uses MASC to move up to 119 km/h in short bursts. In addition to its respectable speed, the 'Mech is protected by eight tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, and it uses eleven double heat sinks to manage its heat.

Weapons and Equipment
The big gun on the Stalking Spider is its Type DDS "Kingston" ER PPC, which allows it deal a strong strike from long ranges. For close-up work, it has a pair of CCWP-14 SRM-4 launchers and a pair of Series PPS-XIX Medium Pulse Lasers. While the design can build a significant amount of heat if the MechWarrior constantly alpha strikes, an experienced pilot should be able to manage the Stalking Spider's heat easily. The design can stay at long range and snipe with its ER PPC, then quickly close to finish off an opponent with its pulse lasers and missiles.

Variants

 * Stalking Spider 2 : This variant of the Stalking Spider, introduced 3060, removes the PPC and missiles, but retains the pulse lasers. It adds a Heavy Large Laser and a Targeting Computer to direct the 'Mech's laser fire. This hunter-killer is aided by the inclusion of an Active Probe and TAG. An additional double heat sink keeps heat levels manageable. BV (1.0) = 1,735, BV (2.0) = 2,056


 * Stalking Spider 3 : This variant was introduced during the torrent fighting of the Jihad in 3072. The principle improvement of the design is the installation of eight Improved Jump Jets. The 'Mech's long-range abilities have been considerably reduced, due to the removal of larger weapons. The original design's number of Double Heat Sinks & the two Medium Pulse Lasers have been retained, while adding a single SRM-6 Launcher & a pair of Heavy Small Lasers. A ton of ammunition has been given to the SRM launcher, and additional armor was added. BV (2.0) = 1,643

Related BattleMechs

 * Stalking Spider II - Redesigned Dark Age version of the Stalking Spider which features a Quad BattleMech Turret.
 * Tarantula - The Tarantula was the inspiration for the Stalking Spider after parts of it were obtained by Clan Cloud Cobra.