Blackjack (OmniMech)

Description
An upgrade of the Blackjack BattleMech, the Blackjack OmniMech is a powerful and adaptable medium weight workhorse.

Much like the Firestarter OmniMech, the genesis of the omni-Blackjack stems from the Combine's technology exchange program during the initial Clan Invasion with Ceres Metals Industries ' St. Ives Compact branch offering Luthien Armor Works specifications and licences to manufacturer the ill-regarded Blackjack. Even though it received the upgraded and more effective BJ-2 version, LAW manufactured only a few examples before reworking and retooling the line to manufacture an OmniMech version. As well as returning the updated Omni version to Ceres, LAW also exported the BJ2-0 Blackjack to the Free Worlds League's Irian BattleMechs Unlimited, making it the first OmniMech exported for manufacturing.

Any goodwill LAW earned from this decision was short-lived when both IBMU and CMI discovered the first production runs of their Blackjacks could only mount Inner Sphere OmniPods, accusing the Combine of only exporting so-called "monkey" versions, the Combine company's claims of not having perfected the complex software interfaces to support Clan weapons when the plans were exported ringing hollow when Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery Blackjacks did not suffer from this lack. LAW eventually offered up the required details allowing both companies to resolve the issue in future production runs with earlier versions being upgraded during their first major overhaul.

Manufactured across the Inner Sphere for nearly a decade, after Luthien Armor Works suffered horrendous losses during the opening stages of the Word of Blake Jihad, the increasingly desperate and cash-strapped company sold off the entire engineering and design rights to the Blackjack OmniMech which Irian BattleMechs Unlimited bought after brief negotiations, Ceres accepting a production license from Iran instead. Reworking the design to fit Free Worlds League weapon components, maintenance on Jihad-era Blackjacks require IBMU-certified parts with rumors of incompatibilities with older LAW Blackjack OmniPods.

Weapons and Equipment
Weighing five tons heavier than its parent design, the use of advanced construction materials gives the OmniMech Blackjack 26.5 tons of pod space, allowing it to carry an impressive weapons payload. A maneuverable and enduring design for its size, four permanently mounted Icarus jump jets that allow the Blackjack to jump up to one hundred and twenty meters, the 'Mech protected by nine-and-a-half tons of armor. The Blackjack is also built with a weight saving Alshain 50 Endo Steel chassis and a Nissan 200 XL Engine giving it a top speed of 64.8 kph.

The primary configuration of the Blackjack is armed for long range combat with a pair of Ultra Autocannon/5s that can put twice as much volume of fire downrange as a standard Autocannon/5. For close combat, the Blackjack carries four Medium Lasers and four Machine Guns defend the 'Mech against infantry attacks.

Alternate Configurations

 * Alt Config A : Intended for long-range fire support, the A configuration carries two LRM-20 launchers. For close range defense, two Medium Lasers and a Small Laser are carried in this configuration. BV (1.0) = 1,231, BV (2.0) = 1,318


 * Alt Config B : A long-range bombardment configuration, the primary weapon in the B configuration is a Gauss Rifle backed up by an LRM-10 with an Artemis IV fire control system for increased missile accuracy. For token close range defense, this configuration carries a Small Laser. The B configuration is linked to allied C3 networks with its C3 Slave unit making it a highly accurate 'Mech. BV (1.0) = 1,298, BV (2.0) = 1,323


 * Alt Config C : A versatile configuration, the C configuration carries two LB-X Autocannon/10s. These can fire both solid rounds and cluster rounds making it effective in almost any role. The C configuration has two Medium Lasers and a Small Laser for close range defense. BV (1.0) = 1,161, BV (2.0) = 1,189


 * Alt Config D : The D configuration is capable of operating without constant ammunition supplies as it is configured to use only energy weapons. The primary weapon is a PPC backed up by two Large Lasers for long-range firepower. For short range combat, the D configuration has two Medium Lasers, two Medium Pulse Lasers, and a single Small Laser. BV (1.0) = 1,184, BV (2.0) = 1,375


 * Alt Config E : Similar to the B configuration, the E Configuration is a true sniper. It carries a Light Gauss Rifle as its primary weapon backed up by an ER Large Laser. A LRM-10 launcher allows it to act in an indirect fire support role if needed and an ER Small Laser provides close range defense. BV (1.0) = 1,158, BV (2.0) = 1,260


 * Alt Config F : The F configuration is centered around an ER PPC and an Ultra Autocannon/10 as its two primary weapons. These two weapons provide the F configuration with a powerful long-range punch. For close ranges, the 'Mech carries two ER Medium Lasers and an ER Small Laser. BV (1.0) = 1,258, BV (2.0) = 1,405


 * Alt Config R : A field upgrade developed in the midst of Operation Bulldog, this configuration utilized captured Clan Smoke Jaguar weapons to help bolster the Star League Defense Force forces in later waves, mounting a Clan-tech Gauss Rifle supported by a single Clan Large Pulse Laser and a trio of Clan Medium Pulse Lasers and a single ER Small Laser. BV (2.0) = 2,010


 * Alt Config U : An underwater fighter, the Blackjack U variant carries three LRT-5s in each arm, supported by a Light PPC in the side torsos. A single ER Small Laser rounds out the offensive capabilities of this variant. Most intriguing is the use of the experimental BattleMech HarJel System to prevent hull breaches. BV (2.0) = 1,223


 * Alt Config X : This configuration is being used to test some experimental equipment. The Blackjack X mounts a quartet of Light PPCs, each equipped with a PPC Capacitor. To provide additional firepower, each arm carries a single Streak SRM-4 which draw ammunition from a single ammunition bay in the center torso. BV (2.0) = 1,335

Related BattleMechs

 * Blackjack - When designers at Luthien Armor Works received license to produce the BJ-2 Blackjack, they quickly used the plans as a template to produce a new OmniMech. The Blackjack OmniMech became the first OmniMech exported from the Draconis Combine.

Design Quirks
The Blackjack (Omni) has the following Design Quirk:
 * Non-Standard Parts

Notable Pilots

 * Karl Bartlett. Major of Sarna Supremacy in Kaifeng. He died at the controls of a Blackjack.