Hellspawn update concept sketch by BishopSteiner on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

just what the title says, but now with 100% more lore added.

The FedCom viewed the Hellspawn as a replacement for the aging Dervish design. Mobile LRM support with enough short range bite to defend itself if closed on.

Unfortunately, two major design flaws almost immediately gave the speedy little mech a bad reputation. Tissue paper armor being the primary, but that was made more glaring by the lack of CASE protecting the two ton LRM ammo magazine in the left torso.

Before the outbreak of the FeCom Civil War, Bishop Steiner had recommended some changes that would alleviate those problems. Firstly he recommended dropping the Medium Pulse Lasers for ER models. The limited range and added weight were just sacrifices he did not feel the additonal accuracy compensated for, especially as they were the secondary weapon system. This would free up 3 tons. For new models, that would make it an easy enough change to add CASE to the ammo magazine, and 2.5 tons of armor, whilst already fielded units could at least up armor the desgins while wating a chance to be retrofitted with CASE at a proper factory.

As with most things Beaurocratic, this bounced around in development hell for a few months, and then the FedCom CivWar broke out, and it got filed away in a drawer somewhere and forgotten about.

While the proposed refit never happened, Bishop did end up with the 7D Hellspawn that he had been using as a test mule for proof of concept. While not his go to mech, there were several missions he did end up pilting it, but it was even more makedly changed than the factory refit he had recommended.

The Medium Pulse Lasers would be updated to Medium X Pulse, providing much needed reach, at the cost of some heat. And the LRMs would be scrapped entirely for a pair of GM Type VI Streak Six Packs, fed from a now CASE protected two ton ammo magazine in the left breast. In place of the ECM was now a Supercharger, allowing it to make slashing attacks at insane speeds. Protecting the mech was 7.5 tons of Light Ferro Armor.

The mech would be used on missions that required greater speed than his Summoner was capable of, and was thought to have survived the Civil War and Jihad both, though it's whereabouts since the Jihad are unknown.

Sir Bishop himself was working as the Project Lead in the special operations and tactics design bureau for the RotS and was still alive at the time Fortress Republic was initiated, at the age of 125. It is assumed he died of old age sometime between then and the Battle of Terra, but there has been no confirmation either way, but it as he would be 142, it seems unlikely for him to still be around.

But then... only the good die young.... All the evil seem to live forever.