I have the theory that Highlander was caused by Gregory Widen wanting to write about people with long coats wearing katanas fighting in present day New York. He then had this excellent idea of inmortals fighting through different ages for a prize.

The first movie was very good. Astounding visuals, very cool sword fights and Sean Connery. Later they had to ruin it with parts two and three, which were absolutely awful. At least the TV series were nice, even if they didn't even try to be coherent with the movie; they ruined it again by mixing up the original movie and the series in the fourth movie, which was bad.

A movie which spawned several tv spinoffs and sequals.
Aside from immortals named MacLeod there is little to tie the various components together.
It has spanned three movies, and soon a fourth:
  1. Highlander
  2. Highlander II: The Quickening
  3. Highlander III: The Sorcerer
  4. Highlander IV: Endgame
and three TV series:
  1. Highlander: The Series
  2. Highlander: The Animated Series
  3. Highlander: The Raven
Compiled overview of the 90 ton Highlander 'Mech, from various BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:



A multiple-purpose assault 'Mech with a variety of capabilities, the ninety-ton Highlander was assigned to nearly every Star League Army unit soon after its introduction in 2592. Though slow-moving with a maximum speed of only 54 kph, the Highlander can jump up to ninety meters, easily clearing almost any obstacle. In doing so the 'Mech causes considerable damage to the terrain around its lift-off point.

Though the Highlander's massive HildCo jump jets were designed to lift the BattleMech over inconveniently placed buildings, initial combat trials showed that Highlander pilots often used them to execute the popular death from above maneuver. The engineers re-designed the structure and armor of the lower legs and switched to sturdy Lang composite armor so that the Highlander's actuators could withstand the repeated stress caused by this devastating maneuver. The jump jets were also designed to allow a pilot to automatically redirect the force of his jets to compensate for landing on a moving foe. Over the years, a Highlander's death from above attack became known as a "Highlander burial".

In addition to its jump capability, the Highlander carries fifteen and a half tons of Grumman-3 ferro-fibrous armor with built-in CASE, plus a diverse array of weapons well-suited to the confused maelstrom of combat.

The 'Mech's primary weapon is the Gauss rifle, which uses a series of magnets to propel the shell through the barrel toward the target. The system requires large amounts of power to magnetize the projectile coils, but produces very little heat. Its low heat buildup enables the MechWarrior to keep up a nearly continuous barrage without stressing the Highlander's heat sinks. The Gauss rifle's position, mounted on the right arm, gives the pilot a wide firing arc that allows him to fire to the rear when the 'Mech's torso is rotated completely to the right. A pair of Holly missile launchers (LRM and SRM), and twin Harmon Starclass medium lasers support the Gauss rifle.

The long-range missiles in the left torso scour the enemy; allowing the short-range missiles, mounted behind the left hand, to exploit the gaps left in the armor by the bigger weapons.

The pair of torso-mounted medium lasers round out the weapons package. They permit the Highlander to engage in hand-to-hand combat with both hands free and serve to protect the MechWarrior when the ammunition finally runs low.



Note: Information used here was the domain of FASA before they split the rights between Wizkids LLC and Microsoft (table-top gaming and video games respectively). Copyright of the fluff text is in limbo, but names of persons, places, & things are without any doubt the property of Wizkids LLC. Use of any terms here related to the BattleTech trademark are not meant as a challenge to Wizkids LLC's rights.

High"land*er (?), n.

An inhabitant of highlands, especially of the Highlands of Scotland.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.