Rokurokubi

First produced in Introduction Year::3135, the Rokurokubi is a light BattleMech built for the armed forces of the Draconis Combine. Styled after ancient Japanese Bushido armor, the Rokurokubi was designed to be a light strike 'Mech. It uses its speed and robust armor to close with an enemy unit while employing its singular ranged weapon until it can bring its sword to bear. The 'Mech was popular among the young samurai of House Kurita, who used it for honor duels between warriors in addition to regular combat. Shortly after the invasion of the Republic of the Sphere, it would be used as a leading unit in the invasion of the Federated Suns in the 3140s.

To allow the Rokurokubi to survive enemy fire while closing in to enable its MechWarrior to use the melee weapon, the 'Mech is armored with thirteen and a half tons of New Samarkand Teppeki Hardened Armor. Despite the weight of the armor slowing the 'Mech by about ten kilometers per hour, its 245-rated Extra-Light Fusion Engine is able to give the Rokurokubi a respectable top speed of 108 km/h. However, the pilot must be mindful that his armor protection is not foolproof and a hit to the central torso could end up damaging the 'Mech's fragile XL Gyro.

Weapons and Equipment
Designed with minimal weaponry, the Rokurokubi's only ranged weapon is its SarLon MiniCannon Light Class 5 Autocannon. Mounted in the 'Mech's left arm, the weapon has a two-ton ammunition capacity, allowing a pilot the flexibility of loading different special ammunition types into the weapon. For melee, the 'Mech is armed with a samurai-like sword in its right hand.

Variants

 * RK-4K : A common variant of the 4T, this model replaces the autocannon with a Lord's Light 2 ER PPC. BV2=1,286
 * RK-4X : A rare but powerful variant, the 4X replaces all the 'Mech's weaponry and armor. These changes include a Clan-tech ER PPC, Small Vibroblade, and Ballistic-Reinforced Armor. BV2=1,858

Design Notes
The Rokurokubi has the following Design Quirks:
 * Protected Actuators
 * No Ejection Mechanism