In 2947, Aldis Industries (soon to be the producer of the Demolisher and the Schrek), received a commission to produce a super-heavy tank for House Davion. Their assignment was to forego maneuverability and speed in the interests of heavy armor and massive firepower. Five years later, Aldis released the 100-ton Behemoth Heavy Tank.
         Many studies had shown that a tank's main weakness was its inability to deal with superior numbers of smaller units, such as infantry or scout vehicles. Another study showed that a main battle tank must have at least one very powerful weapon to be able to stand up against even the lightest 'Mech. The Behemoth's design resolved both of these problems. With two of the heaviest cannon available and numerous smaller weapons, the Behemoth is a match for almost any combat situation.

         Two SarLon MaxiCannons give the Behemoth heavy firepower with long range. Using these weapons, a hit scored against other battlefield vehicles will almost guarantee a kill. These two are extremely deadly, even against many 'Mechs.
         The LongFire Light Missile Racks give the Behemoth added long-range hitting capability. To allow the Behemoth to withstand extensive damage, the design uses four smaller missile racks, rather than two or even one larger rack. One lucky hit might take out a single rack, but it would take four lucky hits to disable all of them. As the racks are mounted facing forward on the backof the tank, they can fire over small hills without exposing the tank to enemy fire.
         The two Harvester 20K SRM 6s are a time-proven weapon used on many vehicles. They were added to the Behemoth's arsenal to provide extra firepower, as shortrange missiles provide the best killing-power against vehicles.
         The Aldis engineers added the Behemoth's other weapons, the four Harvester 2K SRM 2s and the four MainFire MiniGuns, as an afterthought. To give it this extra firepower, the engineers decided to sacrifice armor. The original commission called for 21 tons of armor, but the final design uses 13 tons. The lighter weapon's main purpose is to destroy smaller units that the tank's main weaponry may not have time to deal with. One SRM 2 and two MiniGuns are mounted in a ball turret on the right and left sides of the Behemoth, which gives the weapons wide arcs of fire. The remaining two SRM 2s are mounted in a halfturret in the front.
         The Behemoth's very heavy armor is equal to that mounted by some of the most powerful 'Mechs, and can withstand almost any attack. The armor is built in plated sections, for easier removal and repair.
         The tank's main drawback is its slow speed. Because its maximum speed is only 32 kph, the Behemoth might not be able to regroup or retreat at crucial moments, and could end up being overrun in a prolonged battle.

         Although the Behemoth's history includes many famous incidents, Aldis Industries especially likes to promote the tank's success during one of House Steiner's raids on Kurita space. After some hasty planning for the assault, the Steiner commanders put any unit available into action. The force included several heavy 'Mechs, three infantry companies, and one Behemoth.
         The raid's main purpose was to prevent a Kurita attack group from reaching the site of a battle being waged 200 kilometers away. The original plan called for a series of hit-and-run raids against the Kurita forces, in order to draw them out into the open, where they would be overwhelmed by the long-range firepower of the 'Mechs and the Behemoth. The infantry could then mop up whatever was left.
         As it turned out, the Kurita troops were closer to the battle than expected. In order to engage the enemy as quickly as possible, the Steiner 'Mechs and infantry left the slower Behemoth behind. Looking for something to destroy, the Behemoth eventually found a fairly large fuel dump some 30 kilometers to the east. It had been camouflaged to avoid being sighted from the air. Not seeing any enemy troops, the Behemoth closed in for what looked like an easy kill.
         Unfortunately, a Kurita Spider had remained behind to protect the base. Before the Behemoth knew what hit it, the Spider had planted a solid kick to the tank's right side, slightly damaging the armor. The Behemoth crew tried desperately to swing the turret around, but the Spider had already used its jump jets to escape.
         The Behemoth crew decided on a desperate course of action. Hoping that their heavy armor would protect them and thinking that the Spider would not follow, the crew drove the tank into the middle of the dump, and then attempted to blow up the whole base by opening up with every weapon they had. Though they did not manage to destroy the whole base, they did succeed in creating so much smoke and fire that the Spider's sensors were useless. Now they were fighting on even terms!
         Strangely enough, the Spider's superior mobility proved to be its undoing. For two hours, the Behemoth and the Spider played a game of cat-and-mouse, with each side scoring occasional hits. As the battle raged on, the Spider unwittingly jumped three meters in front of the Behemoth, which immediately fired all its weapons and destroyed both the Spider's legs. The MechWarrior immediately surrendered when the Behemoth crew threatened to run their 100 ton tank over his head.

         The Behemoth is one of the few vehicles without a history of variant models . There have been a few instances where flamers have replaced the tank's SRM 2s , but these occurred on a purely individual basis .
         The main modifications has been when individual unit commanders decided to strip the Behemoth of its roomy internal crew compartment to make space for transprting extra equipment or supplies . Five crewmen can normally sleep and eat in relative comfort in this extra-spacious compartment .

Enrique Arine, Arthur Jones, Diana Holister, Lawrence Rashide, and Nick Hyde
         These five crewmen guided their Behemoth, the ''Mama's Boy'' on tne Kurita raid so widley publicized by Aldis Industries . Since that time , each was given a commendation , a promotion , and a movie contract with Inner Sphere Productions (a subsidiary of Aldis Industries) to star in a children's action show .

Joe Smith, John Smith, Arthur Dinsdale, Alex Raxis, and Joanna Richelou
         Moore's Bandits have an unusally high number of vehicles , considering the fact that they are a 'Mech regiment . The Moore commanders brought a Behemoth to test its capabilities . The ''Shamblin Ace'' has already proven itself admirably in three major battles .