The Pike Long-Range Support Vehicle is one of the first produced in the Magistracy of Canopus, located along the rim of the Free Worlds League. The Magestrix, leader of Canopus, commissioned the Pike, along with several other vehicles, in 2987, in hopes of bringing more trade into her relatively impoverished domain. Like many other vehicle producers, she surmised that eventually the Lords of the five Successor Houses would not be able to resupply and maintain the immense 'Mech armies they were throwing away on useless border skirmishes. Kyalla was willing to produce and sell military vehicles to the Lords until they could no longer field their full 'Mech strength, while she saved her own 'Mechs for a later time.
         The Pike's main function on a battlefield include destroying small vehicles and infantry units, and harassing 'Mechs, especially 'Mechs like the Archer, whose main weapon is long-range missiles.

         The Pike is the closest a military unit can get to having a short-range artillery weapon without having to purchase Snipers or Long Toms. Although Snipers or Long Toms do more damage, they are usually in great demand, hard-to-find, and very expensive.
         The three ZeusBolt Long-Range Guns give the Pike the longest range-weapon capability on the battlefield. The three guns are mounted in one turret and share the same targeting and tracking system. This unique system tracks the flight path of the shells for all three guns at once, automatically adjusting for azimuth and elevation. This makes the ZeusBolt 74.3 percent more accurate than any similar system available.
         The main drawback of the Pike is, ironically, its main weapon. The three ZeusBolt Long-Range Guns do not inflict much damage. Indeed, a hit from a ZeusBolt Gun is equivalent to the hit of a machine-gun shot or one short-range missile hit. To compensate for this, the engineers of Canopus Industries Alpha gave the Pike over 200 rounds of ammunition. This allows the tank to fire more times at a target, and presumably to do more damage.
         The Pike is also equipped with two small short-range missile racks for self-defense. These SRMs can fire accurately at targets at ranges of 120 meters or less, which would be difficult, even futile, for the ZeusBolt.
         The Pike's engine is equipped with the EmissionKill system. This device cuts down on the exhaust emissions given off by the 14-ton engine, theoretically making it difficult to see the Pike in infrared. Pike crews are not convinced that the system works, however. They also claim that the EmissionKill system drastically increases the tank's fuel consumption. Most crews remove the EmissionKill system the first chance that they get.

         Although the Pike is 38 years old, it has not seen much combat use. It is difficult enough getting goods exported into the inner Sphere, and nearly impossible to find a buyer for untried military vehicles. ComStar was the first customer for the Pike.
         The ComStar Pikes were distributed among various worlds whose hyperpulse generators were considered at risk. One of these dangerous areas was near Santander V homeworld of the Bandit King Helmar Valasek. Valasek carried out raids against this planet, not because he wanted the generator, but because he was looking for water and 'Mech parts. Unfortunately for ComStar, Valasek always managed to stumble across the generator, no matter where it was moved. After becoming weary of recapturing the generator from bandit troops, ComStar moved a number of Pikes onto the planet for defense.
         Months later, Valasek once again raided the planet for water, and, predictably, found the generator. This time, however, Pike units guarded the generator. At the approach of the incoming Bandit forces, the Pikes fired at long range. This took the bandits by surprise and threw them into confusion, which allowed the Pikes to fire on the raiders again and again. By the time the Bandits were able to reorganize and close into effective range, the Pikes had destroyed several 'Mechs. Deciding to cut their losses, the Bandits withdrew. Since that battle, no further raids have been carried out against the ComStar installation.

         There are no known variants of the Pike, because there are so few available in the Inner Sphere.

Jarles "Jonesy" Jones and Margarita Arnlex
         These two crewmen command the only Pike lance in Kenski's Raiders, one of the largest vehicle users in the Inner Sphere. During a defensive action on Holt, their unit managed to destroy a medium 'Mech lance during a series of hit-and-run raids.