King Crab

Designed by Cosara Weaponries in Introduction Year::2741 at the request of General Aleksandr Kerensky for an assault 'Mech that could "cripple or destroy another 'Mech in one salvo," the King Crab is one of the most fearsome BattleMechs to have ever existed. Its primary weapons, super-heavy autocannons mounted in its arms, can strip the armor off of any 'Mech in a few bursts. Its secondary weapons give the slow King Crab the firepower to see off attackers attempting to pick it off at range, and while not sporting the heaviest armor of any assault 'Mech, there are absolutely no weak points to its protection. If there is a drawback to the King Crab, it's the reliance on ammunition for the autocannons, an aspect to consider on extended campaigns with no guarantee of resupply. If it runs out of ammo, most King Crab pilots will withdraw from the field, making it vulnerable to enemy attacks. The only reliable way to destroy a King Crab is with overwhelming numbers of heavy and assault 'Mechs, and casualties will be suffered in the attempt.

While an excellent close-range combatant, the King Crab proved to be less versatile as a command vehicle, a role eventually filled by the Atlas. Later production models eventually had the state-of-the-art communications systems swapped out for common systems more suited for the brawling nature of the King Crab. At the start of the Amaris Civil War in 2767 Cosara's Mars factory was destroyed by Republican forces, although its factory on Northwind managed to escape unscathed. When General Kerensky and the majority of the Star League Defense Force left the Inner Sphere on their Exodus, they brought with them most of the initial production run of King Crabs, including all of the prototype KGC-010 models. The number of remaining King Crabs was further reduced when the Northwind factory was destroyed in 2786, one of the early casualties of the First Succession War. Since the design used few Lostech parts, it was easier to repair than other Star League era 'Mechs. Still, by the end of the Third Succession War a mere handful of King Crabs were still in active service with the Great Houses.

When ComStar initiated the takeover of the Terra system, they were able to repair the King Crab factory on Mars, mothball it, and secretly secure a number of King Crabs in storage. By the dawn of the Thirty-first century ComStar contracted Cosara Weaponries to resume production in order to restock their supply, which had begun to degrade with age and was later used to outfit the Com Guards. For the pivotal Battle of Tukayyid the King Crab was among a number of designs upgraded to meet the challenge of the Clans, the so-called "Clanbusters." The success of the KGC-001 model was such that ComStar allowed Corsara to begin general production from their Mars and Northwind factories and sell it on the open market in exchange for a share of the profits.

The Word of Blake brought about a radical shift in King Crab production, first by their own conquest of Terra, then a few years later when they blockaded Northwind, infiltrated and took over the factory in 3069. New variants of the King Crab were now being produced and shipped to the Word of Blake and its Protectorate, forcing ComStar to attempt something unusual for the once-secretive organization. They hired a small mercenary team specialized in corporate espionage and inserted them into the Northwind factory to steal the plans for these new 'Mechs. With the technical information in hand they then went to StarCorps Industries and offered them the chance to begin production of the new KGC-007 models. The company was thrilled at the prospect and accepted, building new King Crabs out of Son Hoa not just for ComStar but the Federated Suns and Lyran Alliance as well.

Weapons and Equipment
The King Crab's primary weapons are two massive Deathgiver Autocannon/20s, among the most powerful BattleMech weapons ever created. Each arm carries one of these massive weapons, and they are fed by two tons of ammo split between the side torsos. The firepower of these weapons is enough to destroy a medium 'Mech in one salvo. To protect the autocannons in combat, engineers designed the King Crab with simple hand actuators. In appearance and movement, the actuators are very similar to pinchers or claws found on real crabs, a contributing factor to the 'Mech's name. To back up the autocannons, and provide some long-range capabilities, the King Crab carries a Simpson-15 LRM-15 launcher, mounted in the left torso and fed by one ton of reloads in the same location, and an Exostar Large Laser in the right torso. While not the most heavily-armored 'Mech, the King Crab is still tough to crack, with sixteen tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor and CASE protecting its ammunition stores; however, the arms are probably the most susceptible area to receive damage and an internal hit is likely to knock an autocannon out of the fight. The 'Mech is also slow, with a cruising speed of 32 km/h and top speed of 54 km/h, and has been described as a "notorious hangar queen".

Variants

 * KGC-000b : The 000b variant is an upgrade of the classic KGC-000 built exclusively for the Star League Defense Force Royal units. Introduced at the same time as the original model its upgrade to double heat sink technology allowed the removal of three heat sinks as well as the addition of an extra ton of ammunition for each autocannon and an Artemis IV FCS for the missile launcher. BV(2.0) = 2,039


 * KGC-0000 : The KGC-0000 is a downgraded version of the KGC-000, first introduced in 2815. Produced by General Motors the 'Mech has sacrificed very little in this refit since it used very little lostech in the first place. The Ferro-Fibrous armor was replaced with standard armor and the CASE equipment was removed. This freed up weight to add another ton of armor, bringing the armor protection almost in line with that of the KGC-000.  It also replaced the original's weapons and electronic systems with available models: Imperator-D autocannons, a Doombud LRM launcher, a Magna Mk III Heavy Laser, and Dalban's VirtuTalk comm system and HiRez targeting-track system. BV (1.0) = 1,401, BV (2.0) = 1,810


 * KGC-001 : One of the so-called "Clanbuster" variants developed in 3052 during the lead-up to the Battle of Tukayyid, ComStar's techs replaced the twin autocannons with two M-7 Gauss Rifles and four tons of ammo in the arms, trading a minor reduction in destructive capacity for greatly increased range. While retaining the LRM launcher the large laser was upgraded to a Tronel XIII Large Pulse Laser and two Hovertec Streak SRM-2s, split between the side torsos with a single ton of reloads each, were added. These changes were accomplished by using an extralight engine in place of the standard model. BV (1.0) = 1,714, BV (2.0) = 2,221


 * KGC-005 : The 005 King Crab is an upgraded version of the 000 model introduced in 3062. The autocannons have been upgraded to LB-X Autocannon/20s and the large laser has been upgraded to an ER Large Laser. The LRM-15 has been completely removed from the ‘Mech and replaced with two Streak SRM-4s. The final upgrade is the inclusion of an improved C3 computer to allow the King Crab to work in concert with up to five other units sharing targeting telemetry. BV (1.0) = 1,918, BV (2.0) = 2,264


 * KGC-005r : This simple field refit of the 005, a result of the Jihad and efforts to upgrade old designs with what was available, was introduced in 3071. By removing the large laser, one of the Streak launchers, and a half-ton of armor, engineers were able to cram a Heavy PPC into the torso and upgrade the AC/20s to LB-X versions, each with three tons of ammunition. The remaining Streak system was reduced to a 4-tube launcher. BV (2.0) = 2,335


 * KGC-007 : Seemingly unaware that the Federated Commonwealth was merely a memory, StarCorps Industries combined technologies from the two halves of that sundered realm to create a new variant in 3071. The 007 hearkens back to the 005 with its use of a standard engine. Primarily a medium range powerhouse, this design carries twin Rotary Autocannon/5s and Light PPCs. The Plasma Rifle can cause massive heat buildup in enemies, while the Streak SRM-6 is adept at finding and exploiting holes in an opponent's armor. The inclusion of Light Ferro-Fibrous armor allows this variant to be the most heavily-armored variant of the King Crab, albeit not by much. That armor is needed, as the autocannons and missile launcher are fed from the same place, where those ammunition bins are the only critical systems, leaving them open to damage and explosion. BV (2.0) = 2,523


 * KGC-008 : Produced by Cosara Weaponries for the Word of Blake following their capture of the facility in 3069, the 008 uses the latest technologies available at the time. The autocannons have been upgraded to Heavy PPCs. The powerful weapons are backed up by paired Light Autocannon/2s, sharing one-ton of ammo in CASE-protected ammunition bin. Two ER Medium Lasers back up these guns. Like other Blakist units, a C3i Computer is included.A Guardian ECM Suite is also included. With seventeen double heat sinks and Jump Jets, this unit can jump and fire both of its main guns even with some heat to spare. Luckily this variant can be visually distinguished from others based on its more streamlined chassis, giving opponents some measure of warning. BV (2.0) = 2,360, 2,369


 * KGC-008B : Apparently produced for the Word of Blake Protectorate Militia divisions in 3080, this unit's armor and weaponry is the same as the KGC-008. In fact the only difference between this unit and its cousin is the removal of the C3i computer and its replacement with a standard C3 Slave and a second CASE-protected ammunition bin. BV (2.0) = 2,374


 * KGC-009 : Manufactured from 3104 onward by StarCorps Industries from their facility on Loburg, the 009 variant of the King Crab was an update intended to meet the demands of the modern battlefield. Constructed around a StarFrame Hill Endo Steel chassis mated with the Vlar 300 engine of the original and a Heavy-Duty Gyro, the 009 is a rugged 'Mech even before StarCorps sheathed the 009 in nineteen and a half tons of ArcShield VII Mk. 5 armor with CASE, literally as much armor as could be fitted to the frame. For electronics StarCorps used a Dalban Commline communications system, augmented by a Guardian ECM Suite, and a Dalban HiRez-B targeting and tracking system. Fourteen double heat sinks were installed to try and mitigate the heat output of the heavy armament on the -009 - armament that consisted of a Sarlon MiniCannon Light Class 5 Autocannon and a Defiance Novashot Model 2 Plasma Rifle in each arm, along with a Doombud 7-Tube Multi-Missile Launcher and a Phototec 806c Medium Laser in each of the left and right torsos. Each Plasma Rifle is served by two tons of ammunition stored in the arm alongside the Rifle, while each Light AC/5 draws on a ton of ammunition stored in the torso closest to the arm, and a total of three tons of ammunition is available for the two MML 7s to draw on. Despite the relatively low speed, ammunition dependency and Small Cockpit, the -009 was popular with senior Lyran officers. BV (2.0) = 2,260.


 * KGC-010 : This version of the King Crab was created by the Star League to be a command 'Mech and introduced alongside the original 000 model in 2743.  Conceived in secret between Cosara and the Terran Hegemony, it was an attempt to produce a deadly command 'Mech by mounting a pair of newly-developed Hellstar Magna PPCs in either side torso.  These PPCs were different from other models in that they did not require an outer "barrel" but instead were mounted flush with the torso, each opening surrounded by a specially-designed Holly SRM-6 launcher, while the cooling sleeves extended out the back of the 'Mech. In place of the normal autocannons the 010 model carried LB-10X cannons.  The combination of the non-standard housing and odd-colored discharge of the PPCs caused many pilots to believe they were facing a brand-new weapon systems, while the spine-like protrusions of the cooling sleeves produced massive heat-diffusion waves.  All told the 010 model was more than capable of taking down an Atlas, but the entire line left with Kerensky during the Exodus and even knowledge of the design's existence became lost during the Succession Wars.   BV (2.0) = 2,181


 * KGC-011 : This King Crab variant is designed to break enemy strongpoints. It carries an LB 20-X in each arm, supported by a Plasma Rifle and a single Rocket Launcher 15. Nineteen and a half tons of armor protect a Composite Chassis and XXL Engine. The base ground speed is 64 km/h, but a Supercharger allows the King Crab to reach 86km/h. Sixteen double heat sinks handle the heat load. However the lack of CASE and six tons of autocannon ammunition means any pilot should withdraw when the armor is punctured. BV (2.0) = 2,406


 * KGC-20-A : The Dark Age version of the King Crab, visually quite different than the original. This version mounts a mixture of energy, ballistic, and missile weaponry as well as heavy armor.

Design Quirks
The King Crab has the following Design Quirks:
 * Command BattleMech
 * No Torso Twist

Notable Pilots

 * 'King' Hopper Morrison of Morrison's Extractors infamy piloted a King Crab.
 * Lieutenant General Linda McDonald of the 11th Arcturan Guards piloted a King Crab during the FedCom Civil War.
 * Kari Marita, ComStar and later mercenary officer, a Word of Blake mole, piloted a prototype 008 King Crab in her later career, which she named "Revenge".

Related BattleMechs

 * Supernova - Plans to replace the King Crab's autocannons with clusters of Large Lasers grew from a shortage of ammunition. These prototypes met with little success due to the King Crab's integral Ferro Fibrous armor, but they gave rise to a ten ton lighter new design.


 * Crab - Though weighing in at half the tonnage, this popular Star League 'mech shared a similar profile to its much larger "cousin".