Fire Moth (Dasher)

The Fire Moth is a light Clan OmniMech intended for scouting and infantry support/transport, and is often deployed by Clan Ghost Bear. With a running speed of 162.0 km/h, accelerating up to 216.0 km/h with the MASC system installed on the 'Mech's chassis, the Fire Moth is easily one of the fastest designs ever created, the reason the Inner Sphere gave it the codename of Dasher.

The Fire Moth was originally designed by Clan Cloud Cobra scientists as an infantry support OmniMech. The high-placed arms were positioned in order for a pair of infantry "pods" underslung on the arms of the prototype Fire Moth. Designed to ease transporting Elementals into battle, the "pods" were discarded after the first field test, but the arms were never adjusted when the OmniMech debuted in 2874.

Clan Ghost Bear came into possession of the Fire Moth when Clan Cloud Cobra traded the design for five years of trade considerations. Both the Ghost Bears and Clan Hell's Horses make extensive use of the Fire Moth for reconnaissance, dueling and infantry support. Because the Fire Moth is poorly armed and armored, and infantry support is a lack-luster assignment, the Fire Moth is frequently assigned to warriors who are older and lack bloodnames before they reach solahma units. These warriors tend to be extremely aggressive.

Most of the Fire Moth factories were moved to the Inner Sphere after Operation Revival. Though the mech is rare in Clan Space, it is commonly passed over in favor of the Phantom OmniMech by the remaining Home Clans, as it fulfills the same roles of the Fire Moth but with heavier armor.

Weapons and Equipment
Typical of many light 'Mechs in its liberal use of lightweight materials, the Fire Moth's superior speed comes from its 200 XL Fusion Engine. An Endo Steel chassis saves additional space. Two tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor act as the only barrier between an enemy and the 'Mech's fragile internals, although the 'Mech relies much more on its speed than its durability for survival. The standard preinstalled ten double heat sinks have little trouble dissipating the 'Mech's heat.

For such a light design, the Fire Moth has an excellent array of short-range weapons in its default configuration, one of the reasons for its superb performance in raids and guerilla warfare. Each arm mounts an ER Medium Laser as primary weapons. An SRM-6 and SRM-4 rack provide the Fire Moth with additional striking capability and allow it to exploit breaches in enemy armor. However, the heavy weapons load means that the Fire Moth lacks advanced electronics of any sort.

Alternate Configurations

 * Alt Config. A : Taking advantage of the 'Mech's ridiculous speed, this configuration acts as an artillery spotter and a typical scout, mounting an Active Probe for detecting hidden units and a TAG system for designating artillery fire. The weapons payload was greatly reduced to fit in the electronics, however, and the Fire Moth A mounts only a single Streak SRM-4 for self-defense. BV (1.0) = 550, BV (2.0) = 589 , 639


 * Alt Config. B : A close combat configuration, the Fire Moth B replaces the ER Medium Lasers with Medium Pulse Lasers. Dual Machine Guns easily dispose of any infantry the 'Mech may encounter, and an A-Pod secures the 'Mech's legs against any that manage to close in. BV (1.0) = 840, BV (2.0) = 922 , 639


 * Alt Config. C : An attempt to use the design for indirect fire support, the Fire Moth C mounts dual LRM-5 missile racks, as well as an Anti-Missile System to prevent any retribution by its target. BV (1.0) = 636, BV (2.0) = 679 , 759


 * Alt Config. D : A simple harasser and guerrilla warfare specialist, the Fire Moth D simply utilizes five ER Medium Lasers for excellent short-range firepower, made all the more deadly by an advanced Targeting Computer. This configuration also mounts a Flamer for anti-infantry and incendiary use. BV (1.0) = 1,446, BV (2.0) = 1,916 , 2,307


 * Alt Config. E : Another simple, but effective configuration, the Fire Moth E mounts an ATM-6 missile rack, allowing for a surprising amount of flexibility. The ATM system utilizes many different types of ammunition, ranging from high-explosive short-range missiles to long-range missiles packed with fuel. BV (1.0) = 633, BV (2.0) = 674 , 822


 * Alt Config. F : The F configuration of the Fire Moth is an excellent jungle or urban scout. The 'Mech has an Active Probe to allow it to detect enemy ambushes. For anti-infantry use, the 'Mech has three Anti-Personnel Gauss Rifles and has three ER Medium Lasers for use against armored targets. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,232, 1,461


 * Alt. Config. G : The Fire Moth G was introduced in the Dark Age. It carries four Improved Heavy Medium Lasers that have been tied into a Targeting Computer. It is also equipped with a Supercharger, which combines with the MASC system to allow the Fire Moth G to reach approximately 250km/h in short bursts. To combat the extreme heat, the ten double heat sinks have been supplemented with a Coolant Pod. BV (2.0) = 2,041


 * Alt Config. H : Mounting the new Heavy Laser systems, the Fire Moth H sports a huge array of nine Heavy Small Lasers, which provide devastating levels of short-range firepower. An additional double heat sink is also present, to help compensate for the accordingly huge heat burden. BV (1.0) = 485, BV (2.0) = 674 , 779


 * Alt Config. K : Clearly intended to combat infantry and battle armor, the K configuration carries two Heavy Medium Lasers, backed up by six Light Machine Guns that are linked to two Machine Gun Arrays. Finally, the 'Mech also carries two B-Pods, which are an upgraded version of A-Pods, to make them effective against Battle Armor. BV (2.0) = 713, 887

Custom Variants

 * Fire Moth Aletha : Used by Galaxy Commander Aletha Kabrinski, this variant of the Fire Moth mounts an ER Large Laser in the right arm, with a triple mount of ER Small Lasers in the left arm. There is a Clan ECM Suite in the left torso to interfere with the Blakist C3i systems. BV (2.0) = 1,388

Related Designs
Dasher II - The Fire Moth would inspire a heavier non-Omnimech known as the Dasher II during the Dark Age Era.