Centurion (BattleMech)

''This article is about the BattleMech. For the the dated AeroSpace Fighter, see Centurion (Aerospace Fighter). For the Marian Hegemony military rank see Centurion (rank). For the OmniMech see Centurion (OmniMech).''

The Centurion was originally designed by Corean Enterprises in Introduction Year::2801 to complement their Trebuchet fire support BattleMech. In order for the Centurion to perform this duty, it was equipped with a heavy and varied arsenal that allows it to strike at enemy units at a variety of ranges and made tough enough to survive considerable punishment. Born on the battlefields of the First Succession War, the Centurion performed admirably and it quickly became associated with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns as its unofficial 'Mech. Best known for making slow, steady advances, the Centurion was also a capable raider and the formidable appearance of the Luxor autocannon gave its pilot a psychological boost.

Unfortunately the autocannon's loading system was also the source of most of the 'Mech's technical troubles, requiring a more lengthy repair cycle than other systems. This problem was only exacerbated when in Production Ceased::2845, in the midst of the Second Succession War, Corean Enterprises' Ramen II production lines were destroyed (in fact, Ramen II's proximity to the League/Confederation border and its value resulted in the loss of the planet by 3025. ).  The company was able to maintain limited production of spare parts from secondary sites for the next 150 years and keep the design alive, but the increasing rarity of parts for the autocannon often required its replacement with another weapon. These attempts typically ended in failure and by the dawn of the thirty-first century the AFFS was seriously considering phasing out the design for the Enforcer.

Corean lobbied hard to prevent this from happening, built a brand-new Centurion production facility on New Avalon in Reintroduction Year::3012 and relocated their entire headquarters to the planet. Billions were spent on research and development to fix the 'Mech's chronic technical problems, including installing brand-new and experimental weapon systems. This caught the attention of the New Avalon Institute of Science which, in 3022, partnered with the corporation to make the Centurion the testbed for new technologies. The Centurion line was saved and as the Suns merged with the Lyran Commonwealth the 'Mech was adopted by the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth. Due to increased interest, Corean eventually licensed Jalastar Aerospace on Panpour to build original CN9-A models in 3047 while the improved CN9-D was unveiled in 3049.

In the wake of the Clan Invasion new variants of the Centurion continued to be built, cycling out older models which were sold off to various mercenary groups. The 'Mech fought on both sides of the FedCom Civil War after which it was adopted in small numbers by the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces. During the Jihad production of new Centurions from the New Avalon plant halted on account of the Word of Blake blockade and the Panpour facility was forced to double production in order to meet increasing demands.

Weapons and Equipment
Fitted with a Nissan 200 fusion engine the top speed of the Centurion is 64.8 km/h while its cruising speed is 43.2 km/h. Although this is slower than the Trebuchet that it guards by 22 km/h, it is capable of keeping up with most fire support 'Mechs. The Centurion has made a reputation for itself as a front-line combat 'Mech thanks to eight and a half tons of armor. Also, its ten engine-mounted heat sinks allow for vigorous assaults with minimal danger of overheating.

The Centurion carries as its primary weapon a Luxor D-Series Autocannon/10 mounted in the right arm and fed by a two-ton ammunition bin in the right torso. The loading system for the autocannon is notorious for its defects and forces many technicians lacking the necessary spare parts to replace the whole system with another weapon, a task made even more arduous by the custom-fitted nature of the weapon. Also supporting the Centurion's long range fire capability is a Luxor 3R LRM-10 with two tons of reloads in the left torso. The Luxor LRM allows the Centurion to both assist in a fire support and to be used against 'Mechs closing with the Centurion. As its last secondary weapons, the Centurion carries in its center torso two Photech 806c Medium Lasers, one of them rear-mounted. These lasers allow the 'Mech a good close range striking power against enemies who make it through the combined barrage of Autocannon and LRM fire.

Variants

 * CN9-Ar : A Jihad-era field refit introduced in 3072, this variant mates Succession War era production capability of the factory with improved technology to get more units on the field. Carrying ten Double Heat Sinks, this field refit uses a Heavy PPC and Light PPC instead of the autocannon. It keeps the standard LRM-10, but upgrades the rear-firing laser to a pulse version. BV (2.0) = 1,226


 * CN9-AH : The CN9-AH Centurion is a radical variant of the 'Mech, introduced in 2874, that removes the Autocannon/10 and the medium lasers and adds a single Autocannon/20 in the right arm with two tons of ammo in the right torso, somewhat reducing the long range capabilities in exchange for raw short-range firepower. BV (1.0) = 749, BV (2.0) = 945


 * CN9-AL : The AL variant is an attempt to reduce the ammunition dependency of the 'Mech. First fielded in 2915 it achieves this is by replacing the Autocannon/10 with both a Large Laser and a Small Laser in the right arm. Additionally, six heat sinks were added to the design as were two and a half additional tons of armor. BV (1.0) = 887, BV (2.0) = 1,057


 * CN9-D : The D variant of the Centurion, introduced in 3049, is the first of many upgrades using Star League technology. The chassis was re-engineered to use Endo Steel construction techniques. Next the power plant was changed from the standard engine to an GM 300 extralight engine, increasing its maximum speed to 97.2 km/h. Finally, the weapons were upgraded. The Autocannon/10 was swapped for a Mydron Excel LB-X Autocannon/10 and an Artemis IV fire control system was added to the LRM launcher. The two medium lasers were retained, although whether the rear-facing laser has been switched to facing forward is a matter of pilot preference. BV (1.0) = 940, BV (2.0) = 1,130


 * CN9-Da : Introduced in 3076, this field expedient refit removes the LB-X autocannon and replaces it with a standard Autocannon/5. The use of Precision Ammunition and a Targeting Computer makes each shot count. BV (2.0) = 1,035


 * CN9-D3 : The CN9-D3 variant introduced in 3052 is identical to the CN9-D Centurion with one exceptional difference. The D3 uses Triple Strength Myomer to increase its top speed up to 118.8 kph while it is running hot. BV (1.0) = 968, BV (2.0) = 1,264


 * CN9-D3D : The D3D variant of this 'Mech is a potent long-range sniper, first built in 3060. It uses the same chassis and engine combination as the D3 variant but uses MASC to augment its movement to give it a maximum speed of 129.6 kph. The primary weapon on the D3D is a Light Gauss Rifle. For added long range assistance, the 'Mech carries an LRM-10 launcher and for close range combat it carries an ER Medium Laser. This is all protected with eight tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor. BV (1.0) = 1,028, BV (2.0) = 1,266


 * CN9-D4D : The D4D Centurion is almost identical to the D3D variant with two major modifications. Produced in 3066 the engine has been replaced with a smaller model to make more room for weapons on the 'Mech, allowing the LRM-10 to be upgraded to an LRM-15 with an Artemis IV fire control system for greater long-range support capabilities. BV (1.0) = 1,034, BV (2.0) = 1,306


 * CN9-D5 : This variant of the Centurion, introduced in 3062, is inspired by the CN9-D and uses the same engine and chassis. The 'Mech uses MASC to allow it bursts of speed reaching up to 129.6 kph while the weapons compliment has been completely removed. In their place the 'Mechs primary weapon is a Rotary Autocannon/5, backed up by two ER medium lasers. To direct this firepower, the 'Mech uses an advanced Targeting Computer and the 'Mech carries a C3 Slave unit to allow it to share targeting data with its lance mates. BV (1.0) = 1,376, BV (2.0) = 1,738


 * CN9-D9 : Built by Jalastar Aerospace in 3071 as a testbed for newer technologies, the D9 modifies the D. It utilizes Light Ferro-Fibrous armor, and upgrades the amount of protection to the specifications of the D5. It also mounts a Compact Gyro, though the design does little to utilize the space that is made available. The autocannon is replaced with a Plasma Rifle, which is fed by a two-ton ammo bin. Like the upgrade to the D5, the D9 mounts two ER medium lasers in the chest and upgrades to double heat sinks. Perhaps the most notable upgrade, however, is the inclusion of torso-mounted jump jets that enable the Centurion to leap up to 180 meters at a time. The heavier armor and bulky jump jets gives these Centurions a more hefty look, causing some observers to mistake them for brand-new 'Mechs. BV (2.0) = 1,638


 * CN9-H : Developed by the Marian Hegemony's first 'Mech production plant in 3077, this variant uses "Primitive" technology. Though the larger Primitive Engine takes up more room than a Succession Wars-era model and the nine tons of Primitive Armor don't provide as much protection as the CN9-A model, the LB 10-X AC and quintet of Rocket Launcher 10s provide excellent firepower. A single Medium Laser rounds out the armament. Marian Arms Incorporated and the Alphard Trading Corporation are apparently using this primitive line to boost the Hegemony's technology base. BV (2.0) = 848


 * CN10-B : A heavier 55-ton version of the venerable Centurion, the CN10-B was built in 3057 and uses an Endo Steel chassis to save weight on the design while retaining the CN9-A's original ground speed through the use of a 220-rated standard fusion engine. Much like the CN9-D, the 10-B carries an LB-X Autocannon/10 as its primary weapon with an LRM-10 launcher with an Artemis IV fire control system, but these are backed up by a medium laser and a medium pulse laser. BV (1.0) = 1,078, BV (2.0) = 1,243

Custom Variants

 * Yen-Lo-Wang was a famous ArenaMech in the Solaris Games, and has become something of a legend. Originally a CN9-A that underwent a series of modifications to a variety of customized configurations over time, it was occasionally reported as the "CN9-YLW" but this is explicitly not a variant designation; instead this designation is exclusively used for one individual 'Mech, Yen-Lo-Wang. The CN9-YLW designation is associated with one particular modification that drops the LRM to upgrade the autocannon to an Autocannon/20 with three tons of ammunition and adds a Hatchet to the left arm. BV (2.0) = 957
 * A second, later configuration of the Yen-Lo-Wang is known to exist. Commonly referred to as the CN9-YLW2, it is still based upon a CN9-A chassis but uses more modern equipment. Keeping the speed the same, the engine was changed to an extra-light version. The AC/10 has been upgraded to a Gauss Rifle with two tons of ammunition. Three medium pulse lasers, two in the left arm and another rear-mounted in the center torso, replace the old standard ones. A left arm Hatchet is paired with Triple-Strength Myomer. BV (2.0) = 1,415 /(Again, it stands to reason the designation refers to only this one individual 'Mech.)

Related BattleMechs

 * Legionnaire - The Legionnaire was developed from the reworking of the 55-ton version of the Centurion.
 * Trebuchet - The Centurion was originally designed as an "operating partner" for the Trebuchet, but the start of the First Succession War largely interrupted those plans.
 * Centurion (OmniMech) - The Centurion OmniMech was introduced by Corean Enterprises in the 3120s.

Notable Pilots

 * Justin Xiang Allard - Famous Solaris Champion and MIIO agent who established the fame of Yen-Lo-Wang, arguably the single most famous Centurion ever. Justin Allard bequeathed Yen-Lo-Wang to his son Kai Allard-Liao from whom it later passed on to Danai Liao-Centrella. They all became Solaris Champions in their time with the famous 'Mech, which was frequently customized into wildly different configurations.

Design Quirks
The Centurion has the following Design Quirk:
 * Improved Targeting (Short Range)
 * Ammunition Feed Problem (AC/10)
 * Non-Standard Parts