Ostroc

The Ostroc is a heavy 'Mech, weighing in at the lower end of its weight class, originally designed to act as an urban combatant during the Age of War. The best-known of Ostman Industries' Ost Class of 'Mechs, the Ostroc debuted in Introduction Year::2511 and proved so successful in this role production continued for approximately 200 years. Its unique walker/pod profile, later seen in the Stalker and Marauder, combined with a low silhouette similar to the UrbanMech makes the Ostroc difficult to spot in an urban environment. Fast for its size, well-armored and boasting good medium and short-range firepower, the Ostroc was also capable when fighting outside a cityscape, particularly as a heavy scout/raider.

While a quality 'Mech, the low production capacity of Ostman Industries made the Ostroc a rarity; indeed the company licensed their other Ost 'Mechs out to Kong Interstellar just to maintain their rate of production, and the majority of those produced were assigned garrison duties within the Terran Hegemony. Still, the 'Mech saw action in every major conflict of the Star League, especially towards the end in the civil war and subsequent First Succession War. The destruction of Ostman Industries meant an end to any new Ostrocs, although all sides of the Succession Wars continued to field these 'Mechs in combat, particularly the Draconis Combine. It was because of the small number and wide dispersal of surviving Ostrocs that the design was largely passed over while others were being updated after the Helm Memory Core discovery.

A major revitalization of the design took place within the Capellan Confederation after the Clan Invasion. Having largely rebuilt their forces after the previous decades' setbacks, the Strategios wanted to update the ancient 'Mech, but rather than reverse-engineering the original they ordered all Capellan 'Mech manufacturers to submit bids for a replacement. Ceres Metals was the only one to send in a proposal which matched exactly what they wanted and won the contract, completing the first production run in January 3067. Versions of these new Ostrocs also started showing up in the Taurian Concordat and Circinus Federation, a result of espionage according to Capellan charges.

Weapons and Equipment
The Ostroc carries as its primary weapons two Fuersturm-C Large Lasers in the left and right torsos. These give the Ostroc good medium to long range damage capabilities. The Ostrocs secondary weapons are two Fuersturm-b Medium Lasers also mounted in the side torsos and a Totschlagen SRM-4 launcher in the right torso for close-range combat, with one ton of reloads carried in the center torso. While the Ostroc's laser-heavy weapons payload allows it to operate well as a guerrilla fighter since it has limited dependency on supply lines, its short arms are a handicap in close combat, and the shocks of hand-to-hand fighting can easily damage the Fuersturm systems. The nineteen-ton Vlar 300 fusion engine propels the Ostroc to a cruising speed of 86.4 km/h, fast for its size, while fifteen heat sinks provide adequate heat management. Although nine tons of armor provide good protection for the 'Mech, very little is used to protect the arms, meaning the loss of one or both in battle is likely.

Variants

 * OSR-2Cb : This upgrade of the 2C was used by the SLDF Royals starting in 2729. The large lasers are upgraded to ER Large Lasers, and the SRM-4 is replaced with a pair of Streak SRM-2s. Fourteen double heat sinks keep this 'Mech cool, while Ferro-Fibrous armor gives it additional protection. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,478


 * OSR-2D : Upgraded with Star League technology, the 2D variant of the Ostroc extends the 'Mechs maximum range by replacing the Large Lasers with two ER Large Lasers. The 2D retains the Medium Lasers and SRM-4 of the 2C model. To handle the heat burden it is also equipped with double heat sinks. Being a relatively rare design, the Ostroc had no official field refit kit but the 2D variant was a common upgrade in 3050 if the parts could be obtained. BV (1.0) = 942, BV (2.0) = 1,396


 * OSR-2L : The 2L variant of the Ostroc introduced in 2884 is modified for long range combat. The SRM-4 launcher has been replaced with an LRM-5 launcher, increasing the 'Mechs long-range damage capabilities slightly by sacrificing some of its close range firepower. BV (1.0) = 970, BV (2.0) = 1,233


 * OSR-2M : An experimental model produced by Kong Interstellar for the Free Worlds League in 2793, the 2M variant of the Ostroc focuses on the 'Mech's maneuverability. Five jump jets, two in each leg and one in the rear torso, have been added to the design, giving it a maximum jumping distance of one hundred and fifty meters. In order to make this change, the medium lasers and the SRM-4 launcher were removed. Relatively few of these were built between the League's annexation of Connaught and the factory's destruction. BV (1.0) = 1,036, BV (2.0) = 1,239


 * OSR-3C : The 3C variant looks to improve the long-range direct firepower of the Ostroc. Introduced in 2876, the two medium lasers and the SRM-4 have been removed in order to add a third large laser mounted in the right torso. BV (1.0) = 976, BV (2.0) = 1,288


 * OSR-4C : A Periphery variant of the Ostroc produced by Vandenburg Mechanized on New Vandenburg, the 4C is strikingly similar to the Capellan's 4L variant. It's armor has been upgraded with nine tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, giving it more protection than previous models. Additionally, the SRM-4 launcher has been removed in favor of two Rocket Launcher 10s and two Rocket Launcher 15s, giving the 'Mech an incredible one-shot damage capability.  BV (1.0) = 1,089, BV (2.0) = 1,325


 * OSR-4K : This version was introduced by House Kurita in 3077. A Heavy Duty Gyro allows it to stay in the fight longer, making good use of twin Snub-Nose PPCs and ER Medium Lasers. Though it's slightly slower than the standard Ostroc, jump jets allow it to maneuver around the battlefield, striking where it will inflict the most damage. After the Jihad ended, this model went into factory production. BV (2.0) = 1,490


 * OSR-4L : A complete redesign of the Ostroc, the 4L carries the best technology the Capellan Confederation has to offer in 3067. It uses an Ceresplex Ostroc Light Endo Steel chassis to carry two Martell ER Large Lasers and two Ceres Arms ER Medium Lasers split between the side torsos.  Five HildCo 13 jump jets split between the side and center torsos gives it a jumping distance of 180 meters. Finally, the 4L Ostroc has a Guardian ECM Suite for electronics warfare use and also to work with ten and a half tons of Stealth Armor which makes it extremely difficult to hit.  While it was originally suppose to use only standard armor, the addition of stealth capabilities makes this variant well suited for operating as a member of Capellan Shadow Lances.  For electronics the Ostroc carries the Ceres Metals Model 686 and Ceres Bullseye systems. BV (1.0) = 1,431, BV (2.0) = 1,832


 * OSR-5C : Based on the 4C, this Taurian version introduced in 3082 uses an XL Engine, Endo Steel chassis, and five jump jets. The armament has been replaced with a Heavy PPC and Light PPC. BV (2.0) = 1,788


 * OSR-5W : An upgrade of the 4L, the 5W was produced by Kressly Warworks for the Word of Blake starting in 3070. It uses Kallon Unity Weave Ferro-Fibrous armor, a Defiance Light Engine, and a Small Cockpit to save weight. It uses a Compact Gyro to save space. The ER Large Lasers are replaced with Ceres Arms Thrasher Snub-Nose PPCs, while the ER Medium Lasers are essentially the same, but Diverse Optics models instead. Instead of the ECM, the 5W carries an Improved C3 Computer in the head. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,655


 * OSR-9C : Known as the Ostroc Mk II, this 'Mech might as well be considered a new, different design (much like the Grand Dragon evolved from the Dragon, the Mauler from the Daboku or the Hatamoto-Chi from the Charger). The Ostroc Mk II swaps the SRM-4 for one SRM-2 launcher in each side torso, with one ton of ammunition in the center torso. Half a ton of armor was added to the front torso and legs (adding one point to each leg and side torso, and four to center torso), and four more heat sinks were installed along with three jump jets for a jump capacity of 90 meters. To make room for these components, the engine had to be changed to a Pitban 240, reducing the top speed to 64.8 km/h. (The canonicity of this 'Mech is uncertain - see article.)


 * Ostwar hybrid : Spare parts for the Ostroc were hard to come by in the lostech-ridden Succession Wars era, which resulted in many Ostrocs being refitted with parts from an earlier design by the same manufacturer, the Ostwar. Ostrocs mounting the Ostwar's arm/hand assembly with paddle-like SRM-4 launchers became such a common sight that many falsely believed this to be the original configuration of the Ostroc.

Custom Variants

 * OSR-2C Ostroc Michi : Piloted by Michi Noketsuna (see Notable Pilots below) in the fighting on Misery against Wolf's Dragoons in 3028, this customized Ostroc had a top speed of 64 km/h. The reduced engine size allowed the Ostroc Michi to jump 120 meters and replace the SRM-4 with an SRM-6 launcher. BV (2.0) = 1,321
 * This design has a similar flavor to the Ostroc Mk II

Design Quirks
The Ostroc has the following Design Quirk:
 * Narrow/Low Profile

Related BattleMechs

 * Ostsol - The Ostsol was designed and introduced near the end of the Ostroc's production. The Ostsol was designed to be independent of ammunition, allowing the Ostsol to be a much better deep raider than its primogenitor.
 * Ostwar - The Ostroc was designed as an upgraded replacement to the Ostwar BattleMech.

Notable Pilots

 * Michi Noketsuna piloted a red Ostroc while he was aide to Minobu Tetsuhara, from the training of the Ryuken regiments up until the battle against Wolf's Dragoons on Misery in 3028. The 'Mech was destroyed in the fighting on Misery, and Noketsuna was severely injured when he ejected, including the loss of an eye. He later went on to become the Bounty Hunter.


 * Thomas Reeves used an Ostroc when he served as a Davion mole in the Chesterton Reserves, leaking information to AFFS raiders.


 * David Levine was a well-known MechWarrior-Technician in the 22nd Avalon Hussars, who enhanced his blue-and-grey Ostroc's electronics. His modifications (and success as a raider) drew the attention of Hanse Davion, who held a personal conference with Levine around 3025. Kurita-aligned bounty hunters, however, accidentally killed him and destroyed his 'Mech in a failed kidnapping before the NAIS could attempt to duplicate his innovations.