Sun Zhang Academy Chooses "Most Perfect Assault 'Mech" WHEREVER MECHWARRIORS GET TOGETHER, SOONER OR LATER, THE TALK TURNS TO THE MOST PERFECT VEHICLE, THE BATTLEMECH THAT PERFECTS THE ART OF THE PILOT/GUNNER WITHIN. CADET MECHWARRIORS ARE NO EXCEPTION: AS THEY FERVIDLY PLOT THEIR FUTURE CAREERS, THE MAIN FOCUS OF MOST DAYDREAMS IS THE 'MECH THAT EACH WILL LIVE WITH MORE INTIMATELY THAN MANY MARRIAGES. THERE ARE THOSE WHO SWEAR BY ALMOST ANY 'MECH YOU CAN NAME (EVEN THE OSTCOUT AND THE CHARGER HAVE THEIR FANS!). BUT WE HERE AT BATTLETECHNOLOGY THOUGHT WE'D FIND OUT WHAT 'MECHS THE NEW GENERATION FAVORS. THIS ISSUE WE POLLED HOUSE KURITA'S ELITE MECHWARRIOR OFFICER SCHOOL, THE SUN ZHANG ACADEMY GRADUATING CLASS OF 3050. IT IS POIGNANT TO REALIZE THAT MANY OF THESE YOUNGSTERS WILL SEE ACTION IN THE NEW BORDER WARS SHORTLY AFTER THIS ISSUE IS PUBLISHED. FOR SUNZHANG, WE CHOSE THE CATEGORY OF ASSAULT'MECHS, THE HEAVIEST OF THE HEAVY. THE POLL CAME OUT A TIE. FRANKLY, WE HAD NEVER HEARD OF EITHER'MECH! WHEN OUR PUBLISHER ARVID THORKILLSEN CHECKED HIS DATABANKS, HE FOUND RECORDS OF THE EXISTENCE OF BOTH 'MECHS. HE FOUND NO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS; WE HAD TO REQUEST THESE FROM THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. BATTLETECHNOLOGY THANKS UA MIHAILOVK; KANAKA, COMMANDER OF THE ACADEMY, TO THE GRADUATING CLASS, AND IT'S CADET GUNSHO ELISE MIRIKITANI FOR THEIR AID IN TAKING THIS SURVEY. In 2765 Lord Richard Cameron granted Renault-Prime Industries, the manufacturer of the highly successful heavy 'Mech, the Flashman, to begin testing on their newly designed assault 'Mech called the Omega. Shortly after Renalult-Prime had built their first prototype Omega, Stefan Amaris succeeded in his conquest of the Terran Hegemony. Amaris then ordered the Omega project moved to Terra so that his scientists could monitor its testing. After the Reunification War was over, no trace of the Omega could be found. I t is believed that when General Kerensky's forces liberated Terra they took the prototype Omega, which left with them in the Exodus. 137A-Omega Mass: 100 Tons Chassis: OMA/HT X Power Plant: Vlar 300 Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph Maximum Speed: 54.0 kph Jump Jets: Pitban LFT-1 00 Jump Capacity: 90 meters Armor: Kemplar X9000 Armament: 4 Selitex Radionic Large Lasers 12 Ichiba 3000 Medium Lasers Manufacturer: Renault-Prime Industries Communications System: Duoteck 20OXT Targeting/Tracking System: Faust/Shinji AT/TS Type: Tonnage 137-A Omega 100.0 Internal Structure: 10.0 Engine: Vlar 300 19.0 Walking MPs: 3 Running MPs: 5 Jumping MPs: 3 Heat Sinks 18(36) 8.0 Gyro: 3.0 Cockpit: 3.0 Armor Factor: 304 19.0 Location: Internal Structure: Armor Value Head 3 9 Center Torso: 3147/14 Rt/Lt Torso: 2132/10 Rt/Lt Arm: 17 34 Rt/Lt Leg: 21 41 Weapons and Ammo: Location Critical Tons 2 Large Lasers RT 4 10.0 2 Large Lasers LT 4 10.0 6 Large Lasers RA 6 6.0 6 Large Lasers LA 6 6.0 LRM 10 LA 2 5.0 Jump Jets RL 2 3.0 Jump Jets LL 2 3.0 Back to BattleTechnology 14 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com