DCMS 4th NSDA

HAN-Q Shinobi Han-Kyu

Name: HAN-Q Shinobi Han-Kyu Speed: 76kph (7MP) Max. Speed: 119kph (11MP) Jump: 0m (0MP) Op. Range: N/A Wp. Range: 2.5km

Weight: 55 tons Tech Base: 3050 Class: Medium Armor: 6t Ferro Fibrous (108) Engine: 385 XL Role: Mobile Artillery 2nd Role: Recon/Deep Strike

Message regarding the apperance of the Clans:

From: jwolf@wolfnet (Jamie Wolf)
Received: from arep.ishi.hpg (autorepeater[24.231.101.600.7])
 by m5.ishi.hpg (9.1.6.Beta0/9.1.6.Beta0) with ESMTP id WAAAA23020
 for &ltmtanaka@mechwyrks> 1 Jul 3048 14:22:32 -0400 (TST)
Received: from x6.wolfnet.phpg (x6.wolfnet.phpg [23.231.101.597.1] (may be forged))
 by arep.ishi.hpg (autorepeater[24.231.101.600.7]) with SMTP id WAAAA04579
 for &ltmtanaka@mechwyrks> 1 Jul 3048 14:22:31 -0400 (TST)
Return-path: <>
Reply-To: jwolf@wolfnet (Jamie Wolf)
To: [email protected]
Date: 1 Jul 3048 11:21:11 -0700
Message-ID: &lt199707151821.WAAAA04579@wolfnet>
Subject:  Battlemech Production

[DECRYPTED]
Misa-san,

      I apologize for using your "secret" HPG network, but this matter is of
the utmost importance.  As you well know from years of servicing our equipment,
there are considerable numbers of Star League battlemechs still in service.
What you may not know is that there are forces with Hegemony and even more
advanced technologies.
      These forces are preparing to invade the Inner Sphere!  Neither your army
or ComStar's will be able to withstand them!  Even the combined might of all of
the Houses can stop them!
      It is my understanding that you posess facilities capable of producing
Star League 'mechs on a large scale.  I am not speaking of simply retro-fitting
lostech onto existing machines, but actually recreating the original Star 
League designs.  Should you truly posess the equipment, I strongly recommend
that you begin production immediately!
      I also suggest that your forces prepare for the upcoming battles.  If you
wish, I would be willing to provide you with military advisors.  My troops have
been trained in special tactical maneuvers and strategies for the invaders.

With greatest sincerity,

Jamie Wolf

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REPLY TO MESSAGE:  "Battlemech Production" by jwolf@wolfnet (Jamie Wolf)
FROM:  Ishitandai Mechwyrks

COMMUNIQUE SUBMITTED FOR METSUKE APROVAL

[DECRYPTED]
To:  jwolf@wolfnet (Jamie Wolf)
From:  [email protected]
Subject:  RE:  Battlemech Production

Mr. Wolf,

Once again, I salute your intelligence network.  I apologize for the delay in
this reply, but we could not risk communication with your portable HPG and dare
not use ComStar for this message.  I would not refer to our HPG network as
"secret", mereley "unadvertised".  We do not wish a confrontation with ComStar,
and we benefit from not having a ComStar communication trail revealling our 
locations.

As for the mysterious invaders you spoke of, we have already encountered them.
We have sent expeditions beyond the rim to recover "lost" factories (both ours
and those of our competition) and secure raw materials.  We have discovered
ComStar agents on similar missions, but they have too few 'mechs to constitute
an invading force.

We have also encountered several "Periphery States" that still use Star League
technologies.  We believe they maintained this high level of technology by
being spared the atrocities of the Succession Wars.  Living out on the frontier
has made these people violent and competitive (if not barbaric), but we feel
that they have not the means to invade the Inner Sphere.  Recent intelligence
suggests that these states are too busy fighting each other for any of them to
mount a successful invasion of the periphery, much less a major House.

Ishitandai Mechwyrks maitains a reasonable force of Star League BattleMechs for
it's own defense, true.  However, we have no intention of mobilizing this force
to affect the affairs of the Inner Sphere.  We do not see any need of restoring
Star League manufacturing equipment at this time, as there is little market.
The inaccessibility of replacements precludes the wide use of League equipment.
We will make available for sale our Star League 'mechs, as your forces are used
to the fact that repairs to advanced equipment are difficult to obtain from
other sources.

The Shinobi Han-Kyu (originally dubbed the Han-Kyu*) was Ishitandai Mechwyrks' first BattleMech designed to fight the clans. The HAN-Q was a radical new design to meet the needs of Houses demanding new 'mechs to fight the new enemy. This new weapon was to utilize the recently "recovered" manufacturing technologies.

Traditional artillery has never been very mobile. Some BattleMechs were turned into mobile artillery, because 'mechs had greater mobility than ground vehicles. Even with a BattleMech's greater mobility, artillery was still slow; armor and support weapons made such machines almost too heavy to move. Only the Catapult offered an artillery platform with any kind of real mobility, but they were still relagated to second line duties. Catapults, like fixed artillery could easily be overrun by speedy 'mechs or a hot drop. Although a Catapult would be likely to keep pace with retreating enemy forces, it would quickly run out of ammunition and could never close to use it's support lasers.

The Shinobi Han-Kyu, or "Ninja Short Bow", was designed to carry artillery at incredible speeds. Such a machine could easily avoid an enemy spearhead and prevent itself from being cut off from friendly troops. Also, a fast-moving artillery piece could quickly add support to a line that needed it. Although not able to carry large quantities of ammunition, a Shinobi Han-Kyu could quickly withdraw to reload and return to the battle. Another assett of the HAN-Q is its ability to avoid return fire, its great speed making it impossible to target even with a spotter.

The speedy design allows the Shinobi Han-Kyu to go beyond the second-line artillery role. The Shinobi Han-Kyu has proven to be a successful recon and deep-strike 'mech. After locating an enemy position, a HAN-Q could retreat to a safe distance, shell the enemy, and disappear without a trace. Aside from shelling damage, this would leave an enemy demoralized: not only was there a large enemy force in the area, but it must also still be nearby, ready to strike again.

The HAN-Q has also breathed new life into the Locust BattleMech. The poor Locust was often laughed at my mechwarriors, because, despite its speed, it had little armor and armament. A Locust would be easily crushed in physical combat with another 'mech. Locusts are cheap to build and maintain, and, since nobody wants to drive them (many would rather remain dispossed), there exists a surplus. A lance of three Locusts and a Shinobi Han-Kyu make an excellent recon/strike lance. The HAN-Q devastates any major targets encountered. A LCT-1M can keep fast enemy 'mechs at bay with its LRMs. A LCT-1S packs an extra close range punch in case of ambush or other unforeseen difficulty. And the venerable LCT-1V adds excellent infantry defense on a shoestring budget.
* The design was renamed after an omni-mech design was titled Hankyu. The name "Shinobi Han-Kyu" was adopted to add clarifaction and also better suited the battlemech's deep strike ability.

Known Variants:

Economy:
The Shinobi Han-Kyu is available without the ferro fibrous armor and double-heat sinks.

HAN-Q3X
The HAN-Q3X replaces the ferro fibrous armor with standard armor. The myomers are upgraded to tripple-strength myomers. This variant is equipped with standard heat sinks, but some have been constructed with double-heat sinks.

HAN-Q1
This variant mounts only five tons of standard armor. The HAN-Q1 has a medium laser, but sometimes the laser is removed for additional Arrow IV missiles.

Mech designed by Kioshi Ishitandai

to the Ishitandai MechWerks

to Koichi's Mech Bay

to the NSDA Mech Bay

to the NSDA Main Hall (frames)

Copyright © 1997-2001 by Koichi Ishitandai, Kioshi Ishitandai, and Jason Caesar. All rights reserved.