With the recovery of so many lost Star League technologies, the newest generation of BattleMechs are attaining levels of combat efficiency riot seen in the Inner Sphere for three centuries. With the NAIS's research, the now famous Grey Death memory core, and ComStars 'loan' of League 'Mechs to House Kurfta, units are able to move faster, hit harder, and take more punishment at the same time. While on the tactical level this is good news, especially in light of the Clan invasions, it is creating a system of haves and have-nots amongst warriors. Elite house units and wealthy mercenaries are able to afford the extremely expensive new machines, while low ranking units and small mercenary outfits have to rely upon obsolete equipment. For house units, it means being left out of the action; for mercs, it's the difference between picking up a contract or... The answer for commanders trapped in these situations is field upgrade kits. While expensive, they are not nearly as expensive as new 'Mechs, and they allow the use of existing chassis. For some out-of-production 'Mechs like the Clint or the UrbanMech, it is the only way to make the vehicles survivable on the modern battlefield. Modification kits are packages of replacement parts and weapons that are custom built to fit around an existing design. Despite the misnomer, upgrades are not done 'in the field'. The process requires a full repair facility with 'Mech repair cradles, well trained technical personnel, etc. Ideally this is provided by the manufacturer, but most major repair ports can jury-rig the necessary components. The Suppliers Various states provide varying degrees and types of upgrade kits, below is a rundown on what is currently available as of mid-3052: Draconis Combine House Kurita appears to be concentrating almost exclusively upon building new machines. Those few kits made utilize the most advanced technology available, but they are only made for 'Mechs produced in the Draconis Combine, and are only sold to the DCMS and long-term contracted allied units. Non-Kurita mercenaries should look elsewhere Federated Commonwealth With the combined industry of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth, effectively every type of kit is made, and any type of kit may be purchased. The only limiting factors are price, and the rarity of enhanced Particle Projection Cannons. Once the needs of the military are met, suppliers are at liberty to sell to mercenaries. Capellan Confederation Liao defense industries have yet to recover from the Fourth Succession War. Confederation factories are limited to building a few 'Mech types and only a dozen types of modification kits with minimal enhancements. Find another source unless you're stuck there. (Editors Note: This could change with the new Chancellor!) Free Worlds League House Marik competes with the Federated Commonwealth as the largest producer of upgraded 'Mechs. While they lack some of the higher tech items, no other producer offers kits as inexpensively as League manufacturers do. Free Rasalhague Republic Before the Clan invasions, most of its upgrade kits came from Houses Steiner and Kurka. The limited output of the Republic Itself was split between export and home consumption. Besides losing half its worlds to the Clans, Rasalhague also lost nearly all of its 'Mech factories. The remaining industries have been preoccupied with churning out full 'Mechs. The Periphery Occasionally Star League caches in the less-explored parts of the Periphery yield new Star League 'Mechs and designs. Larger states like the Magistracy of Canopus and the Taurian Concordat are beginning to produce limited amounts of enhanced equipment, but they have nothing to compare with the Inner Sphere. The Process (Ed Note: The FASA Corporation is coming out with the official stats for these kits next year. These approximation are optional house rules which will be replaced when the technical update comes out). To determine what the price of a specific modification kit will be, consult with a manufacturer's agent, but for an approximate price a reference book with a current equipment price table can be used. The first step is to strip out all the equipment to be replaced, calculating the newly freed-up tonnage. This includes weapons, armor, etc. Next, choose new weapons and electronics to replace the old. Exchange armor with either ferro-fibrous or reshaped conventional types. Decide if the rebuilt 'Mech will carry jump jets and calculate accordingly. It is wise to use items similar to the old design as, even when reprogrammed, computers have a harder time dealing with radically different weights and characteristics. CASE and MASC systems present special problems to modifications. Because of structural changes, CASE cannot be built into center torsos. MASC can be added, but it is not always satisfactory.* Despite what you may have read, extra 'large' engines and endo steel structure cannot be built in because of the enormous structural changes it would entail. Similarly, power plants can be downgraded to make room for weapons, but over- sized engines cannot be added for the same reasons as the XL engines cannot. It has been tried, but results are temporary at best. After adding everything up and ensuring the thing will be able to walk after you have tinkered with it, multiply the total price of all new equipment by 3 plus the House Modif ier. This approximates the cost of altering the 'Mech and new parts, as well as labor and transport fees. Example: The owner of a MAD-3R Marauder can't afford a new or a larger 'Mech, so has decided to buy an upgrading kit. The kit he decides upon simply improves his old weapons, armor, and heat sinks, while adding jump jets to boot. The total package will only cost him 4,893,750 Cbills, as opposed to 11,544,829 C-bills for a new 'Mech of comparable quality. He had the kit delivered to him somewhere in Steiner space, and now has a surprise waiting for the next MechWarrior who sights his 'old' Marauder. While upgrades will not make a 'Mech made up of old parts the same as a new 'Mech, it can put a unit on an equal footing with an older type of 'Mech with enhanced technology. These so-called OmniMechs the Clans drive put a new wrinkle into the problem. Apparently, they can put enhanced Inner Sphere BattleMechs to shame. If so, there is not much you can do with old 'Mechs, besides attacking in large numbers, such as the Allies did on certain fronts during the Second Terran World War. Even if you have access to the new 'Mechs, having a reserve of upgrades can make a difference when trying to hold the line when the Clans come over the hill. House Modifier Table House Price Modifier Davion x 1.8 Kurita x 2 Liao x 2.3 Marik x 1.5 Periphery x 2.2 Steiner x 1.6 *Simulator Notes: When an added MASC system is activated, the maximum speed is reduced by one point, and the failure threshold is increased by 1. Gregory Keid-Thorn inherited his fathers unit, the Thorn Birds, and commanded it for thirty four years. After retiring, in 3049, he went on to form Phoenix Defense Industries, a corporation that uses spare 'Mech parts and battlefield salvage to manufacture upgrade kits for the Federated Commonwealth and others. His daughter Christina currently commands the unit from the family Zeus. Back to BattleTechnology 19 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by Pacific Rim Publishing. 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