Atlas (BattleMech)

"A 'Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally."

-Aleksandr Kerensky

The Atlas is probably the best-known BattleMech to ever set foot on the modern battlefield. Designed with specifications from Aleksandr Kerensky himself in Introduction Year::2755 in the midst of the Cameron Edicts, the Atlas was originally intended to ensure SLDF superiority over the Star League member states. Though the inexorable arming of the Great Houses continued, the Atlas proved itself to be everything General Kerensky requested. With the largest amount of armor of nearly any 'Mech, crippling firepower, and the foreboding skull-shaped "Death's Head" cockpit/head assembly, the Atlas lived up to its reputation. The mere sight of an Atlas had been known to make even a veteran MechWarrior break out in a cold sweat, and theoretically a single Atlas can take on and wipe out an entire battalion of Stingers in exchange for minor armor loss.

The Atlas' first combat trials came during the Amaris Civil War, where it served an instrumental role as a powerful command vehicle. Though General Kerensky is well-known for being the one who kicked down the palace doors of the Usurper in his Orion, it was his close friend Aaron DeChavilier who, in his Atlas, weathered the storm of enemy fire and breached the protective wall surrounding the complex. After this conflict it was therefore with little surprise that the General wished for all of these 'Mechs to accompany him on Operation Exodus, but ironically of those MechWarriors who refused his summons fully two-thirds were Atlas drivers. These units were spread among the Successor States and Atlas factories on Al Na'ir, Hesperus II and Quentin would continue production of the 'Mech through the Succession Wars.

Most commanders were loath to tamper too much with such a successful 'Mech, but the recovery of the Helm Memory Core resulted in a number of ancient designs being updated with lostech, and the Atlas was no exception. The new AS7-K model was released in 3049, just in time to fight off the Clan Invasion. The Federated Commonwealth also briefly began production of their own model, the AS7-S, although following the civil war that line was discontinued and further variants have been introduced by the Lyran Alliance and Draconis Combine. Despite its age, well into the end of the thirty-first century there were no plans to replace the Atlas, and even the most cutting-edge designs will stop and pause when faced with the prospect of an Atlas bearing down on them.

Weapons and Equipment
The Atlas is armed with a multitude of weapons for both long and short range combat, all designed specifically to be as visible as possible so as to strike fear in the hearts of its enemies. For long ranges, the 'Mech carries a FarFire Maxi-Rack LRM-20 in the left torso that allows it to both fire directly at an enemy target at long range, and to give indirect fire support when needed. Unable to fit a full twenty-tube system on the 'Mech, the FarFire instead launches the missiles in waves of five over the course of ten seconds and carries two tons of reloads for twelve such salvos. For close range combat the 'Mech is armed with a Defiance 'Mech Hunter Autocannon/20 in the right torso with two tons of ammo. Although lacking a cooling jacket and liable to overheat, the massive autocannon gives the Atlas the firepower to take on an entire 'Mech company.

For close-range combat the Atlas carries four Defiance B3M Medium Lasers, one in each arm and two mounted in the rear center torso, and a Thunderstroke SRM-6 launcher with one ton of missiles in the left torso (the aperture between the SRM and LRM launchers is not another weapon but an omnicoupling for power and coolant cable connection). Furthermore the Atlas is equipped with hand actuators which, combined with its sheer weight and power, makes it a potent hand-to-hand fighter. Accounts of Atlases actually picking up medium-weight 'Mechs and throwing them around like toys makes for suitable horror stories and further enhances the aura of the 'Mech.

Carrying nineteen tons of armor, almost the entire weight of some light 'Mechs, makes the Atlas one of the best-protected 'Mechs ever built; its armoring is particularly thick on the front chest and legs. Its use of twenty heat sinks also gives the 'Mech an efficient heat management system. If there is one disadvantage to the Atlas it is its speed, with a rather slow cruising speed of 32.4 km/h. This makes it easy for most enemy 'Mechs to outrun the Atlas and so escape its clutches, which as it so happens is also the best chance most enemy 'Mechs have of surviving an encounter with this beast.

A full year of development went into crafting the famous "Death's Head" of the 'Mech to achieve the perfect ratio of functionality and fear. The head is also quite roomy and allows a small satellite dish to be mounted for surface-to-space communications. During combat the pilot can easily fold up the dish and store it within a protective portion of the head.

Variants

 * AS7-A : This variant of the Atlas replaces the standard weaponry with an LRM-10 and Autocannon/5 in the left torso. At short range, the pilot can use the arm mounted Medium Lasers and capitalize on damaged armor by using the five SRM-6 launchers in the right torso. The autocannon and LRM each have a ton of ammunition while the SRMs receive four tons of ammunition. All the ammunition is carried in the left torso. The armor, ground speed, and heat sinks are identical to the AS7-D. BV (2.0) = 1,787.


 * AS7-C : A Combine modification of the K model introduced in 3050, the C model carried a C3 Slave unit into combat. This was achieved by removing one of the Medium Pulse Lasers from the K model. The extra free ton was used to add another heat sink to the design. BV (1.0) = 1,650 (C3: 298), (1,665) , BV (2.0) = 2,163


 * AS7-CM : Another modification of the K model of the Atlas introduced in 3050, the CM Atlas was designed to carry a C3 Master Computer into battle. In order to do this one of the ER Large Lasers was removed and in its place a C3 Master computer was installed, allowing it to coordinate a C3 lance. BV (1.0) = 1,725, (1,749) , BV (2.0) = 2,036


 * AS7-D (C) : A Clan-tech retrofit of the AS7-D Atlas, the Atlas C replaced the older autocannon and missile launchers with a Clan standard Ultra AC/20, Swarm LRM compatible LRM-20, and Streak SRM-6 launchers; but the Inner Sphere Medium Lasers remained unchanged. Lighter Clan components allowed the Atlas C to carry 3 tons of autocannon ammunition.  BV (2.0) = 2,306


 * AS7-Dr : A post-Jihad field refit introduced in 3070 to upgrade old Lyran militia Atlases for use by front-line LCAF units. The AS7-Dr replaced the mammoth AC/20 with a Heavy PPC, using the weight and space saved to upgrade the SRM launcher to a Streak model and add a Guardian ECM Suite, C3 Slave and two extra standard heat sinks . BV (2.0) = 2,101


 * AS7-D-DC : Built in 2776, this Atlas variant is the largest 'Mech equipped with a Command Console. To free up the weight required to fit this device, the AS7-D-DC removes one ton of LRM ammunition and the paired rear firing lasers. BV (2.0) = 1,858


 * AS7-K : A 3050's Combine upgrade of the Atlas that used rediscovered Star League technology, the K model was built with a Vlar 300 XL Engine. Carrying a Shigunga LRM-20 with two tons of ammo in the left torso the 'Mech was rearmed for long range combat with an Imperator Dragon's Fire Gauss Rifle in place of the autocannon, with two tons of gauss rounds carried in the right arm, backed up by a pair of Victory Nickel Alloy ER Large Lasers split between both arms.  This armament allowed the AS7-K to keep an enemy at range, though the continued use of twenty single heat sinks caused swift heat buildup if both lasers are fired repeatedly. For close range defense, the K model carried two Victory Heartbeat Medium Pulse Lasers in the rear torso and a Yori Flyswatter Anti-Missile System in the left arm with one ton of reloads in the left torso. To round off the AS7-K's defense, CASE was added to the side torsos to protect against an ammunition explosion. BV (1.0) = 1,649, BV (2.0) = 2,175 intervals


 * AS7-K2 : A post-Jihad Lyran Commonwealth take on the Combine's AS7-K introduced in 3082, the K2 model of the Atlas also used a Vlar XL Engine but increased its rating to 400, giving the K2 model a top speed of 64.8 km/h. Retaining only the Gauss Rifle and ER Large Lasers of the AS7-K, the K2 carried two Guided Technologies 2nd Gen Streak SRM-6 launchers. The K2 was protected with sixteen and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor and, to protect against advanced enemy electronics, a Guardian ECM Suite. BV (1.0) = 1,751, BV (2.0) = 2,160


 * AS7-K3 : A modification of the K2 built in 3083, the K3 removed the two Streak SRM-6 launchers and replaced them with three jump jets and a Streak SRM-4 launcher, giving the AS7-K3 incredible maneuverability. BV (1.0) = 1,952, BV (2.0) = 2,346


 * AS7-K4 : This Dark Age Atlas is equipped with an ER PPC in each arm, an SRM-6 in the side torsos, and a Rotary AC/5 in the left torso. A Guardian ECM Suite is carried in the center torso. The two tons of SRM ammunition and three tons of RAC/5 ammunition are carried in a CASE protected bay in the right torso. The Atlas K4 is equipped with an extralight engine to allow it to hit a top speed of 64km/h. BV (2.0) = 2,153


 * AS7-K-DC : Introduced in 3050, this variant trades one of the rear-mounted Medium Pulse Lasers and one ton of LRM ammunition for a Command Console. BV (2.0) = 2,158


 * AS7-RS : A Succession Wars era take on the Atlas II's weapon loadout built in 2892, the AS7-RS replaces the stock AS7-D's larger autocannon and missile launchers with an Autocannon/10, LRM-15, and SRM-4. The D's four medium lasers are traded for a Large Laser mounted in each arm. The swap leaves the armor levels, heat sinks and ammunition bays unchanged. BV (2.0) = 1,849


 * AS7-S : A very basic FedCom upgrade of the standard Atlas introduced in 3050, the S model removed five heat sinks from the design, upgrading the rest to Double Heat Sinks. The weight savings are used to add two rear firing Coventry T4H Streak SRM-2 launchers, giving the Atlas increased protection in its rear arc of fire.  After the civil war production of this model ceased, although garrison forces in both sundered states continued to use them, with AFFS units using Precision Ammunition for the autocannon and LAAF units making use of specialized LRM munitions captured from the Free Worlds League. BV (1.0) = 1,688, BV (2.0) = 1,929


 * AS7-S2 : The S2 Atlas was a major upgrade of the design by the Lyran Alliance coming out of the Hesperus II facility in 3061. The 'Mech was built with a Light Fusion Engine and carried an Artemis IV Fire Control System enhanced LRM-15 launcher and two ER large lasers as its primary long range weapons. For close combat, the 'Mech was armed with a Heavy Gauss Rifle. The S2 mounted a Guardian ECM Suite in place of the AMS to protect against enemy electronic warfare equipment. BV (1.0) = 2,147 (2,075), BV (2.0) = 2,389


 * AS7-S3 : The S3 Atlas is a rearmament of the S2 version introduced in 3062. The Heavy Gauss Rifle is reduced to a standard model Gauss Rifle with sixteen shots while each arm contains a PPC and a Small Laser. An additional small laser is mounted in the head.  For extra defense, an AMS is installed on the left arm.  The Artemis IV-enhanced LRM-15 and Guardian ECM Suite of the S2 model remain.  BV (2.0) = 2,378


 * AS8-D : Released as a prototype in 3074 and entering limited production after the Jihad, this new version sports a Light PPC in each arm. A pair of MML-9s give the design a good punch at both long and short range while a Rotary AC/5, one Snub-Nose PPC, two ER Small Lasers and two Small Lasers round up the configuration's closer range damage. The AS8-D mounts fourteen double heat sinks to balance the heat load generated by the weapons, but the design also incorporated Triple-Strength Myomer so that when the AS8-D is running hot it can reach speeds of almost sixty-five kph. BV (1.0) = ?, BV (2.0) = 2,059


 * Dual Cockpit refits: The Atlas was one of the Lyran Commonwealth's (and later the Lyran Alliance's) preferred 'Mechs to install Dual Cockpits on. Standard refits usually install the Dual Cockpit on a AS7-D or AS7-K, removing one ton of LRM ammunition. BV (1.0) = varies, BV (2.0) = varies

Custom Variants

 * AS7-WGS Atlas Samsonov : The personal ‘Mech of Galedon Military District commander Warlord Grieg Samsonov during the DCMS's Third Succession War invasion of Galtor III, only the massive autocannon remains, with the rest of the standard weaponry replaced with a PPC mounted in each arm. The remaining weight and space is devoted to six additional heat sinks. BV (2.0) = 1,884


 * AS7-D Atlas Danielle : Piloted by Wolf's Dragoons Captain Danielle Rondema, this modified Atlas carried three medium lasers in each arm, trading away the SRM rack to do so. The additional heat was dissipated by two additional heat sinks that replaced the rear-firing medium lasers. BV (2.0) = 1,976


 * AS7-00 Atlas Jurn : This version of the Atlas was created by Preceptor Anton Jurn of the Outworlds Alliance. The traditional weaponry has been completely removed from an AS7-K chassis. The Atlas was then equipped with a Hypervelocity AC/10 and Snub Nose PPC in the right torso, while a Thunderbolt 15 launcher occupies the left torso and each arm carries a Light PPC. The ammunition for the AC and Thunderbolt are in a CASE II protected bay in the left torso. Jurn's refit also features a Cockpit Command Console that has been armored. To provide more intelligence to the commander, a Beagle Active Probe is mounted in the center torso, and each leg carries a Remote Sensor Dispenser system. BV (2.0) = 2,052


 * AS7-K2 Atlas Jedra : Used by Lord Jedra Kean of Vega this variant of the Atlas removed the standard weaponry. Each arm carried a Light Gauss Rifle. The right and left torsos each carried a pair of ER Medium Lasers and a single SRM 4. The center torso carried a single ER Medium Laser. The armor protection, heat sinks, and ground performance remained identical to a standard AS7-K2. BV (2.0) = 1,971


 * AS7-D Atlas Vayil Oonthrax : Used by Vayil Oonthrax on Solaris VII this variant of the Atlas removed the LRM-20 for another SRM-6, more SRM-6 ammunition and Heat Sinks. No record sheet nor BV (2.0) was generated for this 'Mech variant.

Apocryphal Variants
From MechWarrior Online:
 * AS7-KR Kraken : Featured as a custom Solaris VII 'Mech the "Kraken" Is very similar to and likely built upon the chassis of a standard AS7-K, switching out the Medium Pulse Lasers for standard models.

Related BattleMechs

 * AKU-1X Akuma - Developed by the Draconis Combine as a lower-cost alternative to the Atlas for battling the invading Clans, the Akuma shares many parts with the Atlas, and has a similar grinning skull head.


 * AS7-D-H Atlas II - The technologically-advanced Hegemony counterpart to the SLDF's regular army's AS7-D Atlas, the Atlas II was exclusively reserved for SLDF Royal Regiments. BV (1.0) = 1,740, BV (2.0) = 2,169


 * AS7-D3 Atlas III - A Dark Age-era evolution of the original Atlas, featuring a mix between advanced Clan and Inner Sphere technologies. The Atlas III is usually used as a Command 'Mech among the ranks of the AFFS and the Republic of the Sphere Armed Forces.

Design Quirks
The Atlas has the following Design Quirks:
 * Battlefists
 * Command Mech
 * Distracting
 * Improved Communications

The AS7-00 Atlas "Jurn" custom variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Command BattleMech
 * Distracting
 * Prototype
 * Non-Standard Parts

Notable Pilots

 * Aaron DeChavilier - Star League General and close friend of Aleksandr Kerensky, he piloted an Atlas throughout his career and up until his death at the hands of rebels in the Pentagon Worlds.
 * Ian Davion - Hanse Davion's older brother Ian, also known as "The Hound", piloted an Atlas and was famously killed in action against Yorinaga Kurita of the Draconis Combine on Mallory's World in 2999.
 * Anastasius Focht - Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht piloted an Altas throughout his career with Comstar. The 'Mech was ready and waiting near Focht's HQ bunker during the Battle of Tukayyid but did not see combat.
 * Selvin Kelswa III - Selvin Kelswa III, Duke of Tamar and leader of the Tamar Pact, piloted an Atlas up until his death in 3051 during the Clan Invasion.
 * Colonel Felix Blucher - Commanding officer of Fifteenth Arcturan Guards piloted an Atlas in Thorin during the first stages of FedCom Civil War.
 * Grieg Samsonov - Warlord Grieg Samsonov was a notable Atlas pilot within the Draconis Combine.
 * Cynthia Fallon - Leftenant General of Sarna Supremacy in Kaifeng. During the attack of Capellan Warrior House Hiritsu piloted an Atlas.
 * Jonah Levin - The third Exarch of The Republic of the Sphere piloted an AS7-D variant he named "Solitude".
 * Rüdiger Steiner - The commander of the Lyran Irregulars piloted an AS7-K2 when rescuing his sister Claudia.