Jenner

Introduced in Introduction Year::2784, the fact that the Jenner was the sole property of the Draconis Combine was long a source of national pride. Designed, produced and (for over fifty years) solely used by the Combine, the Jenner was meant to be a fast guerrilla fighter which would go on to form the foundation for highly mobile lances. Five Smithson Lifter jump jets, two in each side torso and one in the center torso, gave it a jumping distance of 150 meters, while its 245-rated Magna fusion engine allowed for a top speed of over 118 km/h, making it faster than most other 'Mechs. The drawback of the original model was its armament of a Diplan HD large laser and two Argra 27C medium lasers, all mounted in a turret which could be easily disabled with a well-placed shot, while the medium lasers' targeting systems proved to be bug-ridden. After some tinkering, this setup was eventually replaced with the weaponry found in the JR7-D model, creating a good mix of speed and firepower, though only four tons of armor provide paltry protection compared to other 'Mechs in the same weight range.

The Jenner became the standard light warhorse of the DCMS with the outbreak of the First Succession War, though its reputation would be forever tarnished following its role in the Kentares Massacre. Construction of new Jenners continued at Diplan MechYard's factory on Ozawa until a raw mineral shortage caused a halt in 2815, though they continued to produce new chassis. In 2823 production resumed on Ozawa, with some three thousand chassis shipped to Diplan's subsidiary on Luthien for final assembly, which itself was retooling to being full-scale production; by 2830 both production lines were producing 1,350 Jenners a year. The sheer destruction of the Succession Wars finally took their toll when the last Jenner factory was destroyed in 2848, though so many Jenners had been produced by then that nearly every DCMS battalion had at least one of these 'Mechs well into the War of 3039. While the other Successor States eventually managed to procure operational Jenners (every AFFS regiment along the Combine border had at least one), the design remained in predominant use by House Kurita.

A favorite tactic of Jenner lances was to gang up on larger 'Mechs and unleash a devastating alpha strike. One or two of the 'Mechs would be equipped with inferno rounds, so even if the enemy survived the first strike they were badly damaged and running hot, allowing the Jenners to jump to safety and cool down themselves. A few seconds later the attack would be repeated until finally the enemy was dead. It was also common practice to pair the Jenner with another Combine 'Mech, the Panther, creating a deadly combination of sheer speed and firepower with the slower Panther provided cover fire for the Jenner's flanking attack. The Jenner was such a favorite among Kurita MechWarriors that it became the benchmark against which all other newly designed Combine 'Mechs were compared.

While rebuilding a Jenner production line on Luthien became a top priority under Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita, the necessary construction time along with inexperienced Combine engineers meant that even with ComStar aid this wasn't possible until 3046. The recovery of much lost technology and the Jenner's prominence within the DCMS made it a prime candidate to receive new upgrades, however Luthien Armor Works deliberately avoided any radical changes to preserve the original's core advantages. Hence while the new JR7-K began replacing the earlier model with little fanfare, it wasn't until the Jenner started to be outclassed by other designs using superior technology that Jenner pilots began complaining. Still there was reluctance to make any changes, and slowly many commanders began mothballing their Jenners in favor of newer light 'Mechs and OmniMechs. Since then a few variants have utilized advanced technologies in their design, notably one based on the Clan Jenner IIC, but it would take the devastation of the Jihad for many of the older K models to see frontline combat again.

Weapons and Equipment
The primary weapons system on the Jenner is four Argra 3L Medium Lasers, two each mounted in directionally variable mountings on either side. These provide the Jenner with a powerful close-to-medium range striking capability that does not suffer from a lack of supplies when operating behind enemy lines, though the use of only ten heat sinks means it has the potential to run hot. The lasers are backed up by a Thunderstroke SRM-4 launcher in the center torso, supplied by a ton of ammo in the right torso, that can be used after breaching an enemy's armor to try and get a critical strike against vulnerable exposed internal components.

Variants

 * JR7-A : Early Star League-era version, replaced all other weapons with one Large Laser.


 * JR7-C : The JR7-C was a basic upgrade of the JR7-K, removing one of the Medium Lasers and replacing it with a C3 Slave Unit. Combined with its speed this made the Jenner an ideal spotter for a C3 company. BV (1.0) = 651, BV (2.0) = 836


 * JR7-C2 : Following the start of the Jihad, the Luthien Armor Works on Abiy Adi began upgrading the Jenner. Borrowing a page from the Clan Jenner, the C2 is armed with three MML 5s, making the 'Mech effective at all ranges with three tons of ammunition. Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor was added as well, while in order to make room for this an XL Engine, XL Gyro, and Small Cockpit were used. A C3 Slave Unit allows it to share targeting data with other members of its lance. Finally, the jump capacity is increased to 180 meters. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 769


 * JR7-C3 : An upgrade along the lines of the C2, the C3 stays true to the heart of the Jenner, making it easier to do as a field upgrade. The lasers are upgraded to ER Medium Lasers and the heat sinks are accordingly upgraded to double-strength versions. The missile launcher and its CASE are dropped for an eleventh heat sink, an additional ton and a half of armor, and a C3 Slave Unit. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,069


 * JR7-C4 : This variant uses an experimental C3 Boosted Slave to share targeting data. Its weapons have been removed and replaced with a pair of MML-5 launchers. Ten Double Heat Sinks keep it cool, and Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor increases protection. BV (2.0) = 703


 * JR7-F : After the failure of the initial Jenner model and its weaponry, the JR7-F was the Combine's first attempt to rectify this problem. While it mounts the same four Argra 3L Medium Lasers as the D model, it does not mount the SRM-4 launcher, in its place carrying three more tons of armor.  While lacking any ammunition-based weaponry made it a superior raider, additional testing found that it lacked in short-ranged firepower, which led to the addition of the missile launcher.  A few of this variant continued into the thirty-first century.  BV (1.0) = 792, BV (2.0) = 1,011


 * JR7-K : The JR7-K adds a higher degree of survivability to the Jenner by upgrading the armor to Ferro-Fibrous, while removing a half ton of the armor. This provides virtually the same armor protection while allowing space for CASE to protect the SRM-4 ammunition. BV (1.0) = 694, BV (2.0) = 889


 * JR10-X : A Experimental variant of the Jenner developed during the Jihad. It was a test-bed chassis for LAW on New Samarkand in 3072. Using the JR7-K as its base, with extensive revisions. Its internal structure was changed for a Composite Internal Structure. Its engine changed out for a 245 rated XL Engine, which helps maintain the Jenner's original speed.  The designer moved the forward jutting cockpit to a Torso Mounted Cockpit. Its missile weaponry was completely dropped in favor of increasing the 'Mech's medium laser armament up to six Medium Lasers. Jump Jets increased from base module to seven.  For the 'Mech's protection, it has an Angel ECM and its hull has been encased with seven tons of Light Ferro-Fibrous Armor. For its stealth capacities, the 'Mech has been given an Experimental Null-Signature System. Only seven of these 'Mechs were known to have been built. BV (1.0) = ???, BV (2.0) = 1,452

Custom Variants

 * JR7-K Jenner Grace : Known as "Cat" among the MechWarriors of Sorenson's Sabres, the personal 'Mech of Grace Shiro has been extensively modified over the years to aid her role as the unit's spotter. Originally trading two Medium Lasers for extra armor, in the lead-up to the War of 3039 her 'Mech was outfitted a less-refined experimental Endo Steel chassis and Ferro-Fibrous Armor, allowing the SRM launcher to be replaced with an advanced Octagon Missile Magnet Narc Missile Beacon with three tons of Homing Pods.


 * JR7-K Jenner Grace II : Refitted prior to the Jihad, the prototype chassis and armor of Grace's Jenner were swapped for now refined production grade components. While retaining the Narc Missile Beacon, dropping its ammo to a single ton along with the removal of her 'Mech's jump jets allowed it to replace the two Medium Lasers with a pair of Light PPCs and add a C3 Slave Unit to enhance her spotter role.


 * JR7-K Jenner Samuli : A customized Jenner for MechWarrior Samuli Rinne, which is in the service of House Kurita. The 'Mech's engine was upgraded with a 245 rated XL Engine and 3.5 tons of Ferro-Fibrous Armor. By removing the standard SRM launcher, DCMS techs freed enough room to add CASE and a single LRM-15 with two tons of ammunition. Rinne's Jenner keeps the standard complement of Medium Lasers. BV (1.0) = 774


 * JR7-F Jenner Smith: Piloted by Tai-i Miki Smith of the 2nd Galedon Regulars during the 3039 battle of Vega. It drops all jump jets for 2 Medium Lasers in the torsos and an additional half ton of armor, maxing it out. BV (2.0) = 774

Apocryphal Variants
From MechWarrior Online: ''This 'Mech was created for MechWarrior Online in memory of all child cancer patients and particularly Sarrah Parries, a 5 year old girl who passed away from brain cancer in mid 2013. It is based on her preferred loadout. This 'Mech could only be purchased with actual money, rather than in-game currency, from May to August 20th 2013 with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.''
 * JR7-D(S) Sarah's Mech : This upgraded Jenner-D replaced the standard SRM launchers with paired Streak SRM-2 packages, upgraded the armor to Ferro-Fibrous, the engine to a 300XL, and the Chassis to Endo Steel. Double heat sinks allow it free use of 4 Medium Lasers, 2 in each arm, and a Beagle Active Probe prevents enemies from escaping detection. It is instantly recognizable due to the colorful paint job, which includes rainbows, teddy bears, and a unicorn.


 * JR7-O Oxide : The Jenner Hero 'Mech, the Oxide mounts an SRM-4 in each arm supported by a pair of LRM-5s in the center torso. Fitted with ten double heat sinks and carrying a ton of reloads for each missile launcher, such a heavy weapons loadout is made possible through the use of Endo Steel chassis, a downgrade to a 235 rated engine and the removal of Jenner's signature jump jets.

Design Quirks
The Jenner has the following Design Quirks:
 * No/Minimal Arms
 * No Torso Twist

Related BattleMechs

 * Jenner IIC - Even though the Jenner was constructed only months before the SLDF left the Inner Sphere, the Exodus fleet brought along at least one production model (seen in the Wolf touman on Barbados in Betrayal of Ideals). When the Clans returned they deployed an enhanced IIC version using Clan technology called the Jenner IIC. BV (1.0) = 1,024, BV (2.0) = 1,047


 * Owens - An upgraded, Omni-version of the Jenner, the Owens debuted shortly after the Raptor and Black Hawk-KU OmniMechs.