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.
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