Alacorn

Description
Developed by the New Earth Trading Company in 2587, the Alacorn attracted a reputation in the SLDF as an effective and dependable tank. Deployed throughout the Periphery, General Aleksandr Kerensky was reported to have taken hundreds of them during the Exodus. Production continued until the start of the Second Succession War when its advanced components could no longer be manufactured and the design disappeared outside of ComStar's stockpiles. New Earth were eventually able to restart production in 3055 with the Federated Commonwealth snapping up the majority produced.

The design is popular with mercenary units and minor powers who can't afford BattleMechs, because of its heavy offensive weaponry and thirteen tons of armor; however, this payload is only possible through the use of an expensive and fragile Pitban 285 XL Engine. The Alacorn's popularity also received an unexpected boost when its crews discovered that the unique truncated pyramid can of the popular Federated Suns Pharaoh beer was the perfect track tension gauge. As only a freshly opened can has the exact measurement required, Alacorn crews are renowned for making frequent and extremely thorough track maintenance checks.

Weapons and Equipment
The three turret-mounted Norse-Storm Gauss Rifles allow the Alacorn to unleash devastating barrages at range, with five tons of reloads offering excellent endurance in combat.

Variants

 * Mk I : Introduced in 2561, the Mk I Alacorn was equipped with a trio of AC/10s with five tons of ammunition. Equipped with a standard fusion engine, it was protected by ten and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous Armor, but manufacturing flaws left the armor brittle. The Terran Hegemony Armed Forces were interested, but the armor issue was a deal-breaker.


 * Mk II : The Mk II Alacorn was another design prototype introduced alongside with Mk I. Though it used the same engine and chassis as the Mk I, the Mk II carried three AC/20s in its turret. It only carried three tons of ammunition however, and to make room for the heavier guns the armor protection was reduced to six tons. This resulted in a vehicle with a much shorter effective range, meaning it had to close with enemy forces, but the machine lacked the armor to survive a close-up fight. The Mk II never entered production.


 * Mk III : An early and poorly received model from 2587 developed prior to the invention of the Gauss Rifle, the Mk III carries a rather mundane payload for three AC/10s. BV (2.0) = 1,432


 * Mk IV : Another prototype developed shortly after the Mk III in 2588, this variant was outfitted with the ultimate big-gun of its era: a trio of AC/20s. It saw a limited production run. BV (2.0) = 1,400


 * Mk VII : A 3063 variant developed after the Alacorn's revival and taking the Mk VI's gauss rifle weapon load to the next level, the Mk VII features a pair of mammoth Defiance Hammerfist Heavy Gauss Rifles with 6 tons of ammo for each weapon. BV (2.0) = 2,163

Design Quirks
The Mk. I Alacorn and Mk. II Alacorn variants are subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Difficult to Maintain
 * Improved Communications
 * Poor Performance
 * Trailer Hitch
 * Obsolete/2587