Ronald



The Ronald is the totem mech of the SpheRonald's franchise. Being 70 tons, it's notably heavy for an IndustrialMech, specially one made as early as 3033. This tonnage doesn't go to waste as the Ronald is not just an attraction, but the mobile command hub of big venues and city franchises, mounting a Collapsible Command Module and being always piloted from a two-person Command Console.

Characteristics
Ronalds have a varied suit of equipment, but those that use a Fusion engine bring with themselves Jump Jets, used for air shows and the occassional demostration of mass instant roasting of patties in special occassions. In combat situations this allows the Ronald to evacuate command staff to secure areas, or to overview the battlefield from a privileged location.

The original version of the Ronald came with a Large Laser, designated for giving laser light shows and showing its location in planetary evacuations. However when the regulators knew it was a military grade laser and the 'mech didn't have a clear industrial purpose other than command and entertainment, they forced its removal (some units in the Periphery, in backwater worlds and away from the prying eyes of regulators retained it, barely hidden). Future versions of the 'Mech took a C3 master unit instead, though the laser show aspect would return later using Small Pulse Lasers, far less suspicious and within the provisions of the Treaty of 2613.

However, the Ronald is designated as a Command 'mech, not a SecurityMech - otherwise its high tonnage would render it entirely illegal. As such, theoretically it can't legally engage the enemy, but it can direct the efforts of subordinates such as the Big Mec. The Ronald is, however, equipped with Industrial Triple Strenght Myomer. It's reportedly designed for both feats of strenght in shows and for helping with the construction of venues. The latter is rarely used, both because allowing a lowly construction crew to pilot the totem 'mech is considering debasing it, and because the delicate commercial armor and paint finish of early variants meant it needed extensive superficial repairs later.

A1
The original 3033 variant of the Ronald with the much maligned Large Laser.

TAG1
A 3044 variant with the Large Laser already removed but added C3 Master and TAG for shows and helping the Big Mec's long ranged "weapons".

SP1
This invasion-era version incorporates Light Ferro Fibrous armor instead of the earlier commercial armors, and a suite of Small Pulse Lasers. The intimidation factor was cranked up with Spikes, allegedly to show the resolve of the Inner Sphere and discourage Clan occupiers from abusing the corporation on overtaken worlds. In reality, this was as much to prevent looting and anger from the local populations, and the lasers were perfect for crowd control, not only for shows and display-cooking. Never once did a Ronald actually join the fight against the Clans as that would "disrupt the normal functioning" on dozens of venues in clan-administered planets, as an internal corporate memo put it. An unfounded rumor even said that SP1 models had even cooked people wiyth their lasers to obtain patty meat when there was shortages due to the interrupted supply lines.