Glass Spider (Galahad)

Description
The Glass Spider is the direct descendant of the Star League Galahad, so it was only natural that was the name Inner Sphere observers gave it when they first encountered the BattleMech. Little did they know the Clans had renamed the 'Mech during the twenty-ninth century to go along with its various upgrades over the original. The Glass Spider was one of the most common 'Mechs in second-line formations and could be found in the toumans of every Clan. It served in the dual role of providing direct-fire support for friendly forces and serving as the first line of air defense for most garrison units. While this mission profile made it unpopular among those trueborns assigned to pilot a Glass Spider, it was a popular choice for any MechWarrior engaging an AeroSpace Fighter in an honor duel. Its ability to quickly kill a target, and thus quickly win honor, also made it popular among some warriors.

During the Clan Invasion garrison units were used to occupy Inner Sphere worlds conquered by the Clans and employed Glass Spiders to defend their newly-won territory. The Inner Sphere encountered these 'Mechs during their raids on those planets, where they quickly learned to respect the Glass Spider and its incredible firepower. Though the best way to defeat the 'Mech was to close the distance and overpower its weak defenses, many an Inner Sphere warrior learned too late that this easier said than done.

Most Clans remained content to continue producing the venerable Glass Spider, but in 3065 Clan Star Adder decided to update the 'Mech with new technologies. These new Glass Spiders first took part in the Star Adder's invasion of York against Clan Blood Spirit. While performing well overall during the battle, it was specifically those Glass Spiders assigned to air defense which won the fight for the city of Monamora. By linking their superior fire control systems with their fellow Rifleman IIC and Kraken 'Mechs, they accounted for shooting down over 60% of all Blood Spirit fighters lost in the assault and sealed the fate of the city's defenders.

Weapons and Equipment
The weapons on the Glass Spider are simple and straight-forward: two Gauss Rifles, one in each arm. The long-range, powerful guns devastate most opponents quickly and, like the Rifleman's weapons, can rotate completely to cover the rear arc. Five tons of ammunition, stored in cross-linked bins with two in each arm and one in the center torso, keep the coil guns well-supplied with forty rounds of ammo.

Only ten and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor gives it far less protection than another 'Mech of comparable weight, but considering its mission profile the Glass Spider is ideally positioned outside of direct combat anyways. This combination of lightweight armor and an Endo Steel chassis also allows the Glass Spider to mount a 240-rated fusion engine, giving it a higher top speed than the original Galahad. The use of ten double heat sinks is enough to keep the 'Mech cool during combat operations.

Variants

 * Glass Spider 2 : Created by Clan Wolf in 2952, this variant replaces the weapons with an all-energy configuration. The arm-mounted gauss cannons are replaced with two Large Pulse Lasers, while the removal of the ammunition bins allows for two Medium Pulse Lasers in the left torso and and three Small Pulse Lasers in the right. All are guided by a Targeting Computer that makes this 'Mech deadly accurate while sixteen double heat sinks keep heat buildup under wraps. This variant is incredibly popular, though it is not very prevalent. BV (1.0) = 1,755, BV (2.0) = 2,038


 * Glass Spider 3 : Clan Star Adder first fielded this variant in 3065 which, while based on the Glass Spider 2, is so thorough a redesign it even looks different. A pair of Type DDS "Kingston" ER PPCs in place of the pulse lasers gives it almost the same long-range firepower as the original. The two Series PPS-XIX Medium Pulse Lasers are retained, though the smalls are exchanged for three Series 6A Heavy Medium Lasers. The Targeting Computer remains to guide all the weapons, however the improved XS-485 Mk. IV Communications System is second-to-none and the advanced GH D8j Targeting and Tracking System can track over a hundred land and air targets at once. BV (1.0) = 1,864, BV (2.0) = 2,508

Related Designs
Galahad - The Glass Spider was descended from the Star League-era Galahad, so it was no secret that the Inner Sphere decided to name its designation after the mech.