Guillotine

Guillotine
Guillotine RGilClan v23.png
Production Information
Manufacturer(s)Irian BattleMechs Unlimited[1]

Lycomb-Davion IntroTech

Newhart Industries[1]
Production Year2499[2]
ModelGLT-3N[1]
ClassHeavy
Cost6,300,484 C-Bills
Technical specifications
'Mech typeInner Sphere BattleMech
Mass70 tons
ChassisCrucis-I Endo Steel
ArmorUlston Prime with CASE
EngineVOX 280
CommsStarLink 955G
TTSPulsar Tri-X
Heat Sinks25 single
Speed64 km/h
Jump JetsAnderson 398
Armament
B.V. (1.0)1,296[3]
B.V. (2.0)1,418[2][1][4]


Description[edit]

The Guillotine was originally designed in 2499[2] as a front-line BattleMech for the Terran Hegemony and was the Star League Defense Force's standard heavy 'Mech for generations. While its weaponry was ample for its era, as time went by the march of technology allowed for the development of larger 'Mechs which were significantly better armed. However few of these new 'Mechs could match the Guillotine in maneuverability or staying power, and so the 'Mech simply transitioned from the front-line shock role to that of a heavy raider - a task it excels at thanks to its quick speed and use of jump jets. Its mobility also makes the 'Mech adept at fighting in difficult terrain such as jungle or mountainous regions. The only serious issue with the 'Mech ironically are its weapons, which have been plagued with various problems over the centuries.[5][6][7]

Newhart Industries built the Guillotine from their factory on New Earth, but this was destroyed during the Amaris Civil War in 2776 as part of a celebration put on by the 12th Republican Guard. At the same time Irian BattleMechs Unlimited was building Guillotines under contract from Newheart out of Irian and continued to do so for another half-century;[4][7] Lycomb-Davion IntroTech had also been producing the Guillotine from their main manufacturing facility on Demeter,[8] but this facility was destroyed by Capellan Confederation forces early in the First Succession War.[9] The collapse of the Star League and exodus of the SLDF scattered Guillotines across all of the Great Houses, while ComStar succeeded in raiding New Earth in 2788 and acquiring a battalion's worth from former Newhart stockpiles. In the wake of the First Succession War a shortage of the advanced components necessary for the 'Mech forced IBMU to design a downgraded variant, the GLT-4L, which they continued to produce off and on for the next few centuries.[4][7]

The recovery of the Helm Memory Core inspired a number of old designs, the Guillotine included, to be upgraded with lostech. Using the refurbished Newhart factory Irian's new GLT-5M model not only restored the Guillotine to its former glory but improved upon it with better (and importantly more reliable) weaponry. Irian continued producing new Guillotines, which would go on to take part in the FedCom Civil War, Jihad[4] and Dark Age eras.[10]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The Guillotine carries a Sunglow Type 2 Large Laser in its left arm as the primary weapon. While the Sunglow laser is an excellent weapon, there are issues with the fiber optic power cabling, which runs from the power converter hidden deep within the 'Mech out to the emitter. Running near the surface of the underarm, it is all too easy for the cable to bind when the weapon is raised over the 'Mech's head. Experienced pilots know to lower the arm in this case, but for a MechWarrior unused to the Guillotine they may try to force the line and snap it, preventing use of the 'Mech's most powerful weapon. Replacing the power cabling is an extremely expensive and time consuming process requiring considerable effort.[5][6][7]

Backup for the large laser are four ExoStar II medium lasers, two in the right arm and two split between the side torsos. Like the larger laser the ExoStar IIs consist of a power supply well-hidden within the Guillotine connected to a firing mechanism by fiber optic cables, although the eight cables which power the medium lasers don't suffer from the Sunglow's snagging issue. The final weapon on the design is a single Coventry-6 SRM-6 with one ton of reloads in the right torso. Despite centuries of correcting other faults in the system, a stubborn and persistent problem with the SRM launcher is its occasional failure to arm missiles five and six. Not even a complete redesign of the system managed to solve this bug.[5][6] The problem was eventually discovered to involve the CASE protecting the missile reloads, and only its removal caused the problem to desist.[7]

The nimbleness of the Guillotine is what's responsible for its longevity, a factor which can catch new pilots off-guard. Four Anderson 398 jump jets, one in either leg and either side torso, gives the 'Mech a jumping distance of 120 meters. The bone-crushing force of its landings is offset by the specially-designed command chair, while twenty-five heat sinks allow the 'Mech to fire all of its weapons after jumping in behind an enemy. The twelve tons of armor and CASE for the SRM missiles provide good protection.[5][6][7]

Variants[edit]

  • GLT-4L
    The 4L Guillotine is a downgraded version of the original 3N model introduced in 2825.[11] Although 3N used a significant number of off-the-shelf components, the two exceptions were its Endo Steel internal structure and CASE to protect its ammunition bay. The 4L was a simple redesign that consisted of utilizing a standard internal structure, removing its CASE system and three single heat sinks to free up the necessary tonnage. The replacement chassis was a Crucis Type V.[1] BV (1.0) = 1,222,[12] BV (2.0) = 1,400[11][13]
  • GLT-4P
    This variant of the 4L model was introduced in 2833.[14] While few pilots were willing to tamper with the original design, this refit replaces the Large Laser with a PPC at the expense of two tons of armor. Results with this variant have been mixed.[7] BV (1.0) = 1,190, BV (2.0) = 1,376[14][15]
  • GLT-5M
    The 5M model is a redesign performed after the technological renaissance that started in the late 3040s. Introduced in 3049[16] the 5M is a 'Mech that is nearly identical to the original 3N. With the sole exception of the primary weapon being upgraded to a Sunbeam ER Large Laser model for extended reach, the 5M has an almost identical weaponry configuration, speed profile, and armor coverage as the 3N.[1][4] BV (1.0) = 1,295,[17] BV (2.0) = 1,472[16][15]
  • GLT-6WB
    Produced by Irian Technologies in 3068,[18] the 6WB is an upgrade similar in some ways to the 8D. A small cockpit and ferro-fibrous armor make room for an Improved C3 CPU, allowing the 'Mech to share targeting data with other units. The large laser has been replaced with a Heavy PPC, while the missile launcher has been swapped out for an LRM-15, though with just one ton of ammunition it can only fire it eight times. Eleven double heat sinks are barely adequate to keep waste heat from crippling the 'Mech thanks to its four ER medium lasers. A Compact Gyro allows the LRM-15 to be mounted in the center torso.[1] BV (2.0) = 1,672[18][15]
  • GLT-6WB2
    Built in 3070,[19] the GLT-6WB2 resembles a cross between the GLT-6WB and the 7M introduced a year earlier. Built on an Endo Steel frame like the 7M and utilizing a Compact Gyro like the 6WB, it mounts an ER medium laser in each side torso, a Light Gauss Rifle in the left arm, and the 7M's paired Light PPCs in the right arm. A center torso-mounted Artemis IV-guided LRM-5 launcher provides additional long range firepower in place of the the 6WB's LRM-15. Six improved jump jets enable the 6WB2 to leap up to 180 meters. To save weight for the heavier equipment, six double heat sinks and half a ton of standard armor had to be removed compared to the 7M. This variant retains the 6WB's C3i computer, and the 7M's more comfortable standard cockpit.[1] BV (2.0) = 1,635[19][15]
  • GLT-6WB3
    Following the Blakist defeat, many of their weapons were changed for the victorious powers. This version of the GLT-6WB Guillotine introduced in 3080[20] exchanges the Improved C3 CPU for a Guardian ECM and a C3 slave CPU but otherwise retains all of the GLT-6WB's other equipment, including the cramped small cockpit. BV (2.0) = 1,741[20][21]
  • GLT-7M
    Considered by some a rather minor evolution of the 5M, the Dark Age era GLT-7M manufactured by Irian in 3099[22] carries a capacitor-enhanced ER PPC in its left arm, supported by twin Light PPCs in the right arm, two ER medium lasers split between its side torsos and a Streak SRM-6 rack in its center torso. This heavier weapon load is made possible by reducing the twenty five heat sinks of the previous models to only sixteen, but upgrading them to double strength models. The ammo bay still holds only a single ton of Streak reloads but it's now protected with CASE II, providing greater protection against ammo explosions as well as avoiding the missile arming issues caused by the previous models' more mundane CASE.[10] BV (2.0) = 1,877[22][23]
  • GLT-8D
    The 8D variant introduced in 3062[24] picks up where the 5M left off. All of the lasers have been upgraded to ER versions and the SRM-6 has been replaced with a Streak SRM-6. An additional ER Large Laser has been added to the design in place of the right torso medium laser, with the medium laser it displaced moved to the left arm. The twenty five standard heat sinks have also been upgraded to fourteen double heat sinks, and armor protection has been increased by half a ton. Finally, to make the design even deadlier than it was before, a Targeting Computer has been added, allowing this Guillotine to dispatch its foes with deadly accuracy.[1][4] BV (1.0) = 1,627,[25] BV (2.0) = 1,891[24][15]

Custom Variants[edit]

  • GLT-3N (Estriđsen)
    Suspected to have been delivered in error to Kapten Harald Estriđsen of the Free Rasalhague Republic's 1st Drakøns as a gift from ComStar in 3049,[26] this Guillotine variant was assumed to be a prototype designed by ComStar for its Com Guards.[27][28] Removing ten heat sinks but upgrading the remaining fifteen to doubles, the left arm Large Laser was replaced by an ER PPC while the number of Medium Lasers was increased from four to twelve; one in the head, three in the right arm, two in the left torso and a whopping six in the right torso. Its heat load now quite excessive, the SRM-6 rack and its troublesome CASE ammo bay also remains. BV (2.0) = 1,846[29]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Guillotine has the following Design Quirks:[30]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Guillotine IIC - The Guillotine was one of the 'Mechs carried on the Exodus with General Kerensky and the SLDF. The Clans have created their own variant of the Guillotine called the Guillotine IIC, which is an upgraded version manufactured solely with Clan technology. BV (1.0) = 2,187, BV (2.0) = 2,377

Notable Pilots[edit]

See: Category:Notable Guillotine Pilots

Notes[edit]

  • In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Fallbeil. The model code was accordingly changed to FLB-3L.
  • Guillotine GLT-3N (Estriđsen) was introduced in Combat Manual: Kurita in 2016. As an Alpha Strike product it lacks any more detail about the modified Guillotine's equipment and weaponry. All that can be seen is that it has an extra point of damage at long range and an Alpha Strike Overheat Value of four.[27] A reworked and updated version of this book was published in 2024 as Force Manual: Kurita, containing BattleTech as well as Alpha Strike information, which included a full record sheet including BV (2.0) for this unique variant.[29]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Technical Readout: Succession Wars, pp. 134–135: "GLT-3N Guillotine"
  2. ↑ a b c Guillotine GLT-3N - Master Unit List
  3. ↑ Combat Operations, p. 106
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, pp. 211–212
  5. ↑ a b c d Technical Readout: 2750, pp. 42–43
  6. ↑ a b c d Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, pp. 88–89
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g Technical Readout: 3039, pp. 268–267
  8. ↑ Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 11: "Arcadian Cuirassiers"
  9. ↑ House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 152: "Lycomb-Davion IntroTech"
  10. ↑ a b Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23, p. 13: "Guillotine"
  11. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-4L - Master Unit List
  12. ↑ Combat Operations, p. 121
  13. ↑ Record Sheets: 3039, p. 156
  14. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-4P - Master Unit List
  15. ↑ a b c d e Master Unit List: Battle Values, p. 104
  16. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-5M - Master Unit List
  17. ↑ Combat Operations, p. 130
  18. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-6WB - Master Unit List
  19. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-6WB2 - Master Unit List
  20. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-6WB3 - Master Unit List
  21. ↑ Record Sheets: 3050 Unabridged Clan & Star League, p. 284
  22. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-7M - Master Unit List
  23. ↑ Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 23, p. 29: "Guillotine GLT-7M"
  24. ↑ a b Guillotine GLT-8D - Master Unit List
  25. ↑ Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 122
  26. ↑ Guillotine GLT-3N (Estriđsen) - Master Unit List
  27. ↑ a b Combat Manual: Kurita, p. 92
  28. ↑ Force Manual: Kurita, p. 89: "Kapten Harald Estridsen"
  29. ↑ a b Force Manual: Kurita, p. 136: "Guillotine GLT-3N [Estridsen]"
  30. ↑ BattleMech Manual, p. 92 BattleMech Quirk Table - Guillotine Entry.

Bibliography[edit]

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