Odanan, on 28 July 2013 - 04:27 AM, said:
Lancelot, definitely.
The 3 minimum variants are: LNC25-01 (crazy fast laser boat), LNC25-01X (crazy fast laser boat upgraded and jumper), LNC25-03 (slower, but still Dragon-fast dual AC boat).
As much as I find the Champion sexy, the Lancelot brings more to the table.
The
Lancelot does possesses more timeline-appropriate variants, with greater variety across its variants - two of them (
LNC25-01 and
LNC25-02) are energy boats with a minimum of 4E hardpoints, one of them (
LNC25-03) has a minimum hardpoint requirement of 2E + 2B, and the last one (
LNC25-05) has a minimum hardpoint requirement of 3E + 4B.
The
Lancelot is also notable for being particularly fast, coming stock with a 360-rated Engine (LNC25-01 and LNC25-05) or a 300-rated Engine (LNC25-03), though one variant (LNC25-02) moves only at average Heavy 'Mech speeds.
As for the
LNC25-01X, only two of them survived the Succession Wars, but the NAIS did get a chance to examine and refurbish one roundabout 3039, so the FedSuns would hypothetically have the data to put it back into production.
Quote
Prior to Amaris seizing Terra, Krupp had been field-testing a new prototype, the -01X, using more advanced technology. An advanced endo-steel skeleton allowed the addition of jump jets while ferro-fibrous armor was added to increase protection, and the large lasers were upgraded to ER versions. Reports from pilots indicate that the jump jets added little, and more armor or heat sinks would be preferable. Krupp, though, never had a chance to make those changes.
-----
Smith had been piloting a Marauder, but with the Highlanders now working for the Federated Suns, the NAIS has lent some technical support to bring his family’s Lancelot, one of the two surviving -01Xs, back into operational condition in exchange for being able to study it.
(source: TRO 3039, pg. 264)
If the
Lancelot is chosen, I would expect the variants to be the -01 (as the basic/default variant), -01X (as the only jump-capable variant), and the -02 (as the Succession Wars "downgrade" variant), with the -05 (as "the ballistics variant") as a possible fourth (where the -03 can be built from the minimum required hardpoints of the -05).
Thoughts?