Designation: STR-99X
Mass: 80 Tons
Chassis: HildCo Type V
Power Plant: Pitban 240
Cruising Speed: 35.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capcity: 0
Armor: Durallex Heavy
Armament
2 Kreuss Particle Projection Cannons
2 Selitex Radionic Large Lasers
1 Diplan HD Heavy Laser
Manufacturer: Eyes in the Myst Stable
Primary Factory: Single Unit
Communications System: Dalban Commline
Targeting and Tracking System: Dalban HiRez-B
Overview
Late in 3043 Jez Rictheron, Colonel of the Dragon's Teeth mercernary group was wounded in battle. While it was not serious he did recieve a blow to the head which would require a substantial time to recondition his reflexes. As such he would be forbidden from fighting in a mech until he had recovered. Jez hated that, always feeling that if his fellows were out fighting and risking their lives he should be with them. Rather then sit idle he had the design division of the newly formed Sons of the Dragon R&D design him a new mech.
Rictheron had always been known since his days on Solaris as a master of melee. Each mech since his near famous 'Thundergod' Griffin had been remodeled to carry a special made hatchet, and redesigned around close range combat. With his impairment it might take as much as two years before his reconditioning would be adequate for combat of that style. However only 10 months would be necessary to condition his hand reflexes for long range fire support.
The new mech was designed entirely around its long range firepower, meant to shred any opponent before they could even approach close enough to scrap its armor. Designers began with the well known chassis of a Victor, damaged and useless, its head blown off by an AC/20 round. The team ripped off the jump jets and tore out the engine, replacing it with the less powerful Pitban 240, famous for its use in the Awesome. They also pulled the two torso mounted PPC's from the Awesome, building them directly into the upper chest of the Victor in place of the ammo bins and SRM4. The arms came off and were immediately replaced with the heavy battlefists off a Thug, though the deadly PPC's were replaced with less intensive Large Lasers. A third Large Laser, a Diplan HD Heavy Laser, was added between the two PPCs, completing the firepower of the new design.
New armor plates were welded onto the structure, improving the defense and being used to cover the newly added array of heatsinks. That left only the head. Originally the head from a massive Atlas was to be used, its fearsome deathshead to be used to spread terror. However the giant structure seemed out of place and was in turn replaced with the head of the Banshee, just as durable but sleeker. The StormRipper was complete. Jez Rictheron was so pleased with the design in fact that he assigned his old Battlemaster, Bahamut, to his son Lodi in the 1st Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
