Thunder

The Thunder is a product of the aftermath of the Fourth Succession War. The 'Mech was built to make the most of new technologies that had made their way to the Capellan Confederation at the beginning of the 3050s. This was done by building the 'Mech around a Magna 350 XL Engine to maximize the available weight in the 'Mech. The Thunder also uses double heat sinks to make it capable of handling a high heat load from its weapons systems. The 'Mech is well protected with thirteen and a half tons of armor. Its weapons payload, and the design in general, uses a mix of advanced and off the shelf parts. This balanced mix makes the Thunder a valuable asset on the modern battlefield.

Weapons and Equipment
The primary weapon on the Thunder is the massive Kali Yama Big Bore Autocannon/20 which is capable of devastating most lighter 'Mechs with a single shot. This is backed up with three highly accurate Ceres Arms Model W Medium Pulse Lasers. Finally, for token long range defense capabilities, and giving the 'Mech limited indirect fire capabilities, the Thunder carries a Sian/Ceres Jaguar LRM-5 launcher.

Variants

 * THR-2L : The 2L model of the Thunder upgrades the design with some of the latest technology, making it a highly destructive close combat 'Mech. The Autocannon/20 has been replaced with an LB-X Autocannon/20 which is capable of using both solid rounds and cluster shot which acts like a giant 'Mech sized shotgun. The 'Mech is also armed with two ER Medium Lasers and an ER Small Laser. Additionally, the LRM-5 has been dropped in favor of a Streak SRM-6 launcher for additional close range firepower. The final touch on the 'Mech is the use of Stealth Armor which makes the 'Mech much harder for an enemy unit to target. Triple Strength Myomer has also been added to let the Thunder benefit from its higher than average operating temperature. BV (1.0) = 1,453, BV (2.0) = 1,964


 * THR-3L : The 3L variant of the Thunder is intended for artillery fire support. The 'Mech is armed with an Arrow IV artillery missile launcher and carries a pair of ER Medium Lasers and a Streak SRM-6 for close range protection. The 'Mech is also outfitted with Triple Strength Myomer, allowing it to travel at speeds of 97.2 km/h when operating at the correct temperature. The 'Mech is also armored with Stealth Armor, making it a much harder target to hit. BV (1.0) = 1,300, BV (2.0) = 1,950


 * THR-C4 : This version of the Thunder replaces the heavy autocannon with a Sian/Ceres Hellcat Thunderbolt 20 missile launcher. It also mounts three Ceres Arms ER Medium Lasers and a single Ceres Arms Model X Medium X-Pulse Laser for close combat. The XL engine is smaller than the standard Thunders engine, reducing the top speed to 64 km/h. To offset this loss of speed, the C4 mounts six Anderson High Propulsion 12s Improved Jump Jets. For protection against ammunition explosions, the four tons of Thunderbolt ammunition is protected by CASE II. Built on an Endo Steel chassis, the rest of the 'Mech is covered in thirteen tons of armor. BV (2.0) = 2,028

Design Quirks
The THR-C4 Thunder variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * Hard to Pilot
 * Reinforced Legs

Related Design
Lao Hu - This mech was created by the Capellan Confederation to fix the flaws of the Thunder BattleMech.