Barbarian

Technological Mech

Barbarian
Class		Heavy
Weight		80 tons
Armor		1467
Perk Armor		1834
Heat Dissipation		8
Speed		0
Buoyancy		0.0
Jump Heat		15
Load-points		45
Perk Load-points		56
Hard-locked		No
Hard-mounts		Barbarian Howitzer, Barbarian Axe, Barbarian Mortar, Twin Chain Gun, Streak SRM Pec X2
Omni-mounts
Shutdown Level		100
Resistances
Ball	10%	Ener	0%	Expl	0%
Acid	0%	Chem	10%	Sonic	0%
DoT	0%	Electronics	0%	Melee	10%
Creator		BonBun Paperdoll

The Barbarian is a heavy, mid-ranged combat technological mech.

Packaged with

• Barbarian Howitzer
• Barbarian Axe
• Barbarian Mortar
• Twin Chain Gun (named incorrectly in box)
• Streak SRM Pec X2

NOTE: The Howitzer and Axe both mount to the right arm. As such, they can not be used together.

History

On the battlefield, many mechs fall either within the category of long ranged support, or close ranged combat. This leaves a gap, where short ranged engagements become considered a 'no man's land'. This is the area where the Barbarian excels. Designed by the Smithson and Mark Guild of Engineers to fill in this perceived shortcoming, the Barbarian was built around the idea of mid-ranged combatant able to dish out withering amount of damage in a close area. Construction on the design began almost one standard year before the mech's initial combat deployment. Where as many other mechs spend years in the design stages before prototypes are ever produced, the Barbarian was rushed into production even as designs were changed and technical issues were discovered as construction progressed. This resulted in a number of optional design choices making it into the final production. One reason for this rapid production was the emergence of new threats from the biological Throg, as well as rumors of new technologies being developed by competitors.

The result was a squat-bodied mech, packing more power than it's frame would suggest. While the Barbarian's design is similar to other Guild produced mechs, as much armor and fire power were packed into it's smaller frame as possible. This design choice, however, came with it's drawbacks. The Barbarian's 80 tons is devoted almost entirely to armor and weapons, leaving little room for integrated heat dispersal units, instead depending on small chambers within it's armor to help it handle the buildup of excess heat. To help mitigate this drawback, the standard armament depends primarily on ballistic and explosive weapons, which tend to generate less heat than similar directed energy weapons. While this balance is functional, problems have been known to arise when weaponry was exchanged in the field. This problem was exasperated as a result of the Barbarian's short design phase. Guild production yards had little time to test and adjust the mounting rigs for the mech to ensure that it could handle all third party weapon brackets. The result was that the mech's heat exchange points don't always align properly with weapons developed by third parties. Still, with a minimum of modification, field engineers have been able to adjust the Barbarian's points to allow a wide range of weapons to be mounted properly, however the lack of integrated heat dispersal units has been known to cause issues.

Regardless of it's shortcomings, the Barbarian has found a place in the often over-looked middle of the battlefield. Perhaps it's most distinct feature is the mech's twin-linked mortars. Mounted directly to the Barbarian's torso, these short-ranged artillery weapons allow the mech to use indirect fire to bombard entrenched positions. For more direct combat situations, the Barbarian sports a set of Streak SRM launchers, mounted to either side of it's torso, allowing it to lay down an area of explosive destruction. For more lightly armored opponents, the Barbarian's left main mounting rig is equipped with a set of twin chain guns, mounted under a protective shield. These rotary cannons are ideal for pinning down infantry and lighter mechs, while giving the Barbarian an option for tracking airborne opponents as well.

The Barbarian's signature weapons come as a set of two options. While the rest of the mech's standard weapons are focused in the mid-range, it was decided to include more situational flexibility for the mech. To this end, the Barbarian can be equipped with a long-ranged howitzer cannon. This massive projectile weapon gives the Barbarian some much-needed long range for situations where it can't always close in on it's opponents. The explosive shells it fires also allow the Barbarian to target multiple opponents with a single shot. For situations where a pilot finds themselves in even closer quarters, the howitzer can be exchanged for a devastating close combat axe. The fully articulated arm allows the Barbarian to bring it's full weight behind the striking head of the weapon, allowing it to cleave through both heavy armored plating and the tough, fleshy sinew of biological opponents.