Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 19:37:01 -0500 
From: Robert Everett Brunskill <rb6t+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: BT:  TX-6  Thrax

Here's a mech design I did a long time ago.  I still like it even though
I know that it's not really an effective design.  Hopefully it adds up. 
I haven't checked it in a long time.

Type:  TX-6 Thrax
Mass:  55 tons
Movement Points:
W:4  R:6  J:4
Total Heat Sinks: 11
Armor:
  H:9
  CT/R:20/7
  RT/R:20/6
  LT/R:20/6
  RA:14
  LA:14
  RL:18
  LL:18

Weapons and Equipment:
  Type            LOC.    CRIT. #'s
  AC/20           RT      11-24
    Ammo (10)     RT      25-6
  Large Laser     LA      15-6

  Heat Sinks-     LT      11
                  RL      6
                  LL      6
  Jump Jets-      CT      25,26
                  RL      5
                  LL      5

Some pilots also prefer to carry a club of some sort as well.

The original design was built during the StarLeauge.  The original
specifications called for a Medium Mech that had a 1 shot kill
capability.  Two different companies attempted to obtain this contract,
one with a design called the 'Eradicator' another with the 'Thrax'. 
Although both companies chose the 55 ton range to design the mechs in. 
In designing both the Thrax and Eradicator both companies decided that
the designs should be jump capable and have a single main weapon
intended for the kill.  The reasoning was that the pilot could jump
behind the enemy and then kill it with a single shot from a large enough
weapon.  For the Thrax, the designers decided that an AC/20 would be the
weapon that could ensure a kill or near kill on most Mechs. Due to it's
size the only other weapon that the Thrax has is a Large Laser, intended
by the designers to finish off what the AC started.  It was also the
only 'long range' weapon that the Mech would have.  

In the confusion that would mark the fall of the StarLeague no decision
on which design to use was made.  Instead, both designs were to be field
tested in the Periphery along the Capellan border.  Several military
caches received minor shipments of the Thrax and Eradicator to fill in
open spaces in companies, but most shipments remained in the caches. 
Pilots that were issued the Thrax found the lack of secondary weapons to
be quite a problem.  The field solution for this was for most Thraxes to
carry around some sort of club, just for emergency occasions.  In the
end, most Thrax and Eradicator Mechs were forgotten along with their
StarLeague caches in the outward edge of the Capellan Confederation.  A
few of the Mechs still remain in service, although most Thrax will have
the AC/20 replaced with lighter, but more prolific weapons.  However,
with the problems of no secondary weapons, and low ammunition, the Thrax
has been much more popular with the arena pilots on Solaris7 than with
front line pilots.  Often when a house comes across a cache or unit of
Thrax it will scrap them, or exchange them with Mechs in house supported
stables on Solaris.

That's my mech.  I like it.  Sure it's got some MAJOR problems, but I
still like it.  I sugest that you only try using it with a pilot that
has a really good gunnery skill (jumping and firing just isn't easy). 
Also go for close range, and urban combat (all the more reason to send
'em to Solaris).  I haven't tried using one in a duel yet, but the one I
had in a campaign sure ran out of ammo quickly.

Rob Brunskill
Newsgroups: rec.games.board