compiled overview of the 55
ton Bushwacker 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
The
prototype Bushwacker was under construction at the start of the
Clan invasion. An ambitious, un
orthodox design, the
Bushwacker featured a
long, narrow upper torso designed to present a minimal
target profile to enemy units. This unconventional configuration resulted in an extremely complex interior layout, with the
'Mech's
fusion engine, sensors, and communications suites crowded together. Unfortunately, the engine shielding proved insufficient to insulate the sensors and communications suites from the engine's radiation, and the
Bushwacker experienced frequent targeting and sensor
system failures. Attempts to increase the engine shielding made the
'Mech too heavy and
cumbersome for battle use. Though the
Bushwacker program seemed destined for cancellation, many observers praised the innovative design as a daring work of
BattleMech engineering.
It was the
Clan invasion that saved the
Bushwacker from the
scrap pile. A raid on a
Jade Falcon base on
Twycross yielded a vast haul of technical specifications and schematics for various
Clan BattleMechs. The
Bushwacker design team was given the specs for the
Clan Vulture. Using these documents as a guide, the
Bushwacker team was able to reconfigure the
'Mech's interior spaces and eliminate the electronic interference.
The
Bushwacker is built with long-range combat in mind. Its two
LRM launchers, along with its improved large
laser and
Mydron autocannon, give this
'Mech the ability to
reach out and touch someone. While against
Inner Sphere opponents this weapons mix is quite lethal,
Clan opponents are a different matter; the
Clan weapon systems out-range their
Inner Sphere counterparts by up to 50 percent. Engaging in a long-range slugging duel with
Clan troops is
suicide for any
Inner Sphere 'Mech, even one as well armed as the
Bushwacker.
To compensate for this disadvantage,
Bushwacker units attempt to use the terrain and natural obstacles to engage
Clan units at relatively close range.
In a
lance of
Bushwackers, one member will serve the remaining three units as a
spotter for indirect
LRM fire.
The
Bushwacker was put into full scale production in 3053, though many
Federated Commonwealth units received
pre-production models during the
Clan invasion. The
Bushwacker commonly replaced units lost from medium
'Mech lances on the
Clan border. As a result, most of the
Bushwackers in service belong to units of the
Lyran Alliance, with only a handful serving in the remainder of the
Federated Commonwealth.
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.