Rakshasa

Description
The Rakshasa was designed by engineers at the New Avalon Institute of Science in an attempt to copy the Mad Cat. The finished product, while not as powerful as the OmniMech it emulates, is a powerful 'Mech with an undeserved bad reputation. The Rakshasa is powered by a GM 375 XL engine and built on a GM Marauder Special MD Endo Steel chassis to save weight and allow the 'Mech to carry as similar a weapons payload as possible to the Mad Cat. The Rakshasa also carries eleven and a half tons of StarGuard Ferro-Fibrous armor giving it slightly less than maximum armor protection.

Weapons and Equipment
The Rakshasa carries as its primary long range weapons a pair of Federated 10-shot LRM-10 launchers. These are mated to an Artemis IV fire control system which gives them greater missile accuracy. The LRM launchers are backed up by a pair of ExoStar ER Large Lasers which provide the 'Mech with respectable firepower at long range. For close combat, the Rakshasa carries two Martell Medium Lasers and a Martell Medium Pulse Laser. While not identical to the Mad Cat, the Rakshasa is a formidable 'Mech on the modern battlefield.

Variants

 * MDG-1Ar : This variant drops all the weapons except the Medium Lasers. In their place are a pair of Snub-Nose PPCs and a group of MML-7s. To protect the missile ammunition, engineers installed CASE. BV (2.0) = 1,675


 * MDG-1B : The 1B variant of the 'Mech is a modification made to make the 'Mechs heat levels more manageable. The two ER Large Lasers have been replaced with standard Large Lasers sacrificing range for heat efficiency. BV (1.0) = 1,439, BV (2.0) = 1,748


 * MDG-2A : A departure from the attempt to emulate the Mad Cat, the 2A model removes the 'Mechs arsenal and upgrades it with a new weapons mix geared toward close combat. The primary weapon is a Rotary Autocannon/5. This is backed up at shorter ranges by a Large Pulse Laser and for point-blank combat, the 'Mech carries four Medium Pulse Lasers. BV (1.0) = 1,480, BV (2.0) = 1,766

Design Quirks
The Rakshasa has the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * Weak Head Armor (1)

Related BattleMechs

 * Catapult - When the Rakshasa was created to counter the Timber Wolf, the chassis of the Mech was used as the basis for the design.
 * Timber Wolf - The Rakshasa was created by the Federated Commonwealth's NAIS in an attempt to replicate the Timber Wolf.
 * Marauder - Though the basis of the Rakshasa was made to counter the Timber Wolf, the mech used parts of the Marauder for its creation.