Six Ultralight BattleMech Designs
StarDrive 1/1
John A. Theisen
As a class, ultralight 'Mechs weighing 10 or 15 tons are fairly uncommon - especially among House units - simply because they are neither fish nor fowl. More expensive to build and maintain than conventional light tanks or scout cars, they often are not as well armed or armored as an opponent of the same cost or tonnage. While they are a definite source of envy and admiration to most non-MechWarriors, such small units are not viewed with great respect by those who more commonly pilot vehicles weighing five or 10 times as much.
However, it is among mercenary units that the ultralight 'Meeh has truly come into its own. The availability of such light vehicles brings the price of BattleMechs into the reach of even the poorer mercenary lances and companies who seek the 'Mech's unique advantages and cannot afford larger models. For this reason, these 'Mechs tend to be far more common among mercenaries under short-term contract than among any other type of BattleMech formation.
Unfortunately, ultralight 'Mechs are extremely prone to critical damage, complete destruction, and/or MechWarrior fatalities due to their minimal defenses. In fact, the group as a whole is referred to by more senior MechWarriors as "deathtraps on legs", an apt, if somewhat gruesome, analogy. It is true the smallest tactical blunder, while possibly forgivable for larger 'Mechs, can lead to the utter destruction of an entire ultralight lance or company. Nevertheless, one minor side-effect of this inherent vulnerability is that spare parts are usually available for the vehicles that do survive.
Ultralight BattleMechs are often employed in any battlefield situation where larger 'Mechs or heavy armored vehicles are not expected. They are far too easy to destroy, even by light and medium 'Mechs, and usually are withdrawn at the slightest hint of a direct 'Mech-to-'Mech confrontation. On the rare occasions where these vehicles have been trapped into a showdown, they often made very poor showings except as unintended fireworks displays.
Aside form mercenaries (who have been known to use ultralights in almost every conceivable combat situation), some models make excellent conventional long-range scouts, due to their high speed. But even in that role, they are rarely deployed singly because of their potential for becoming someone else's quick kill. Under ideal conditions, a more-or-less standard Recon Lance might contain a pair of ultralights scouting ahead, with slightly heavier 'Mechs - such as Locusts or Wasps - following not too far behind. Ultralights have also been used at some ceremonial occasions, symbolically representing military power without presenting a major combat threat in themselves.
Very few ultralight variants have ever been produced by BattleMech manufacturers. During construction, every aspect of production was standardized as much as possible to permit rapid assembly and ease of maintenance and repair. Thus any variation in design was perceived as complicating an essentially simple weapon system. Unfortunately, as many of these units fell into various states of disrepair over the years, numerous modifications (most minor in nature) were made to keep individual 'Mechs in operation. Some of these changes have sacrificed overall performance for continued service. In any event, there are no known major variants for any model described below, and none have been authorized or planned for the near future.
Finally, the title of this article deserves a bit of explanation. Numerous terms are used for animal collectives (i.e., a group of animals, such as herd, school, or pride). Specific examples now commonly used include a "tribe" of Tabiranths, or a "pack" of Odessan Raxx. It only seems appropriate to call a "bunch" of BattleMechs a "muster". (This term has also been used to describe a quantity of Terran peafowl; it is only a coincidence.)
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