Type: Grasshopper
Technology Base: Inner Sphere Tonnage: 70
Battle Value: 1,427
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure: 7
Engine: 280 16
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 4
Heat Sinks: 22 12
Gyro: 3
Cockpit: 3
Armor Factor: 208 13
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 22 30
Center Torso (rear) 13
R/L Torso 15 20
R/L Torso (rear) 10
R/L Arm 11 22
R/L Leg 15 26
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
Large Laser CT 2 5
Medium Laser RA 1 1
Medium Laser LA 1 1
Medium Laser RT 1 1
Medium Laser LT 1 1
LRM 5 H 1 2
Ammo (LRM) 24 RT 1 1
Jump Jets RL 2 2
Jump Jets LL 2 2
ON1-K ORION 152
Mass: 75 tons
Chassis: KaliYama Chassis Power Plant: Vlar 300 Cruising Speed: 43 kph Maximum Speed: 64 kph Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: None Armor: Valiant Lamellor Armament:
1 KaliYama Class 10 Autocannon 1 KaliYama Death Bloom Missile System 2 I.W.W. Medium Lasers
1 I.W.W. Class 4 S.R. Missile System
Manufacturer: KaliYama/Alphard Trading Corp., KaliYama Weapons Industries
Primary Factory: Kendall, Kalidasa Communications System: Irian Orator-5K Targeting and Tracking System: Wasat Aggressor
Type 5
Overview
Sometimes called “a poor man’s Atlas” since the intro-duction of that behemoth, the Orion is a venerable, gen-eral-duty heavy ’Mech—and a famous one. Everyone has seen the images of Aleksandr Kerensky storming Amaris’
last defenses on Terra, making the Orion one of the best known ’Mechs in history.
Commissioned by the Terran Hegemony in response to improving ’Mech designs used by other Houses, the Orion is nearly half a millennium old. The roomy chassis has allowed it to be readily upgraded and maintained over the centuries.
Capabilities
Mounting over fourteen tons of armor and a weap-ons load leaning toward ballistic optiweap-ons, the Orion is a hardy ’Mech that can take a pounding. The Death Bloom and KaliYama autocannon are then able to give as much abuse as the ’Mech gets. The autocannon is a solid weapon, but the loading system often jams if the ammo bin is full, so most warriors only load nineteen salvos. (In the 3030s, a then-small Commonwealth manufacturer, Norse-Storm Technologies, made a killing with their upgrade to the loading system that corrected the jamming issue.) Backing up the long-ranged weaponry are a pair of Irian Weapon Works lasers and an SRM system that exploits holes in enemy armor dug by the Orion’s larger weapons. Some care is required to avoid overheating, but any experienced Orion pilot can alternate the weapons suffi ciently to avoid any serious issues.
These capabilities were showcased when the Orion was the centerpiece of Katrina Steiner’s rescue of the Defi ance BattleMech factory on Hesperus II in 2997. After jumping from one continent to another, a company including four Orions performed a combat drop onto Marik positions.
While the Marik forces focused on the Warhammers, Zeuses and BattleMasters, the Orions were able to close and start wreaking havoc at close range. By the time the focus turned to the Orions, it was too late as their armor was too thick for the Marik forces. This opened a hole in the invader’s line that the Lyrans were able to move through and reclaim Hesperus II.
Deployment
The Orion can be found almost everywhere in the Inner Sphere and the better-equipped Periphery powers, including the up-and-coming Marian Hegemony.
Originally built on Hesperus II, Orions were a mainstay of the Hegemony Forces. KaliYama took over production after the fall of the Star League but used their own autocannon to increase profi ts. The largest concentration of Orions can be found in the Free Worlds League where they are still manufactured. There are complaints in the League that the Marik Militia receives far more than their fair share of Orions coming from Kendall and Kalidasa.
Variants
With so many nations using Orions for so long, it is no surprise that there are many variants. Many of these are simple fi eld refi ts or repositioning weapons to suit pilot preference. The only variants that are seen regularly involve adding a second SRM launcher. The ON1-V relocates the SRM launcher to the left arm while adding another to the right. A ton of ammunition is also added, all at the cost of a drop in armor protection. This can be a problem for some targeting systems, so some versions remove the LRM system. The ON1-VA mimics the confi guration of the ON1-V but keeps the armor and adds six heat sinks in place of the Death Bloom launcher. This makes for a nasty infi ghter that excels in urban or jungle combat.
Notable MechWarriors
MechWarrior Sylvan Greenspan: This Wolf’s Dragoon MechWarrior prefers close quarters battle that tends to leave her Orion, “Phoenix,” half wrecked. Fortunately, she’s also a skilled technician and insomniac. Following battles, she generally disappears into the repair bay with a pile of parts, and the next morning her machine emerges whole, like its legendary namesake. She managed to keep her ’Mech in perfect form through battles on Misery and Harrow’s Sun, where a fl uke shot sent a shard of display screen into her heart, leaving her and her ’Mech nearly pristine in death.
Hauptmann Carter Prescott III: Hauptmann Prescott is well regarded in the Third Lyran Royal Guards for both his tactics and leadership qualities. Not only can he lead from the fi eld, he is also a talented teacher of his skills to younger warriors. He often paints his Orion to commemo-rate one of his ancestors. However, the ancestor seems to change on a weekly basis, and those who have seen his work have noted he seems to be related to an unbelievably high number of famous historic fi gures. His troops and su-periors overlook his eccentricity in light of his skills.
HEAVY ’MECHS
153
ON1-K ORION
Type: Orion
Technology Base: Inner Sphere Tonnage: 75
Battle Value: 1,429
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure: 7.5
Engine: 300 19
Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 10 0
Gyro: 3
Cockpit: 3
Armor Factor: 231 14.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head 3 9
Center Torso 23 36
Center Torso (rear) 10
R/L Torso 16 22
R/L Torso (rear) 10
R/L Arm 12 24
R/L Leg 16 32
Weapons
and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage
AC/10 RT 7 12
Ammo (AC) 20 RT 2 2
Medium Laser RA 1 1
LRM 15 LT 3 7
Ammo (LRM) 16 LT 2 2
SRM 4 LT 1 2
Ammo (SRM) 25 LT 1 1
Medium Laser LA 1 1