10 replies to this topic

[CK16]

I am putting forth a challenge! For those artsy types out there!

The Challenge-
Create a camo using the existing MWO mech artworks to represent possible new Factions (i.e Clan Nova Cat, Wolf's Dragoons, Clan Diamond Shark, Kell Hounds, ect). Then post them up here! Prefer some lore base to them off camospecs or novels ect.

Good luck and have fun!

[Justin Kase]

New Factions ? You mean like stuff that there isn't anything official for? Or just reworking stuff for actual existing lore based groups that might not have hammered down specs? Or our own custom stuff?

For now - I submit an old one I did:

This is a Phoenix Hawk that is part of the Coventry Metal Works Security Patrol Force (aka the North Siders).

Isn't much of a camo scheme, as it is meant to be on factory ground security. What I did do is add bit of product placement (to indicate that showroom aspect).

Flieger did the CMW Security logo.

I named the Security Chief of the Coventry Security Patrol Force Wade "Wally" Martin - in honor of my former college roommate, who introduced me to Battletech. He was killed a few years after college during a military exercise.

I also tossed in a nod to the old HG unseen aspect with the Harmon laser, written in gold.

Edited by Justin Kase, 24 November 2016 - 06:52 AM.

[CK16]

Either will work ere, as long as it ties into battletech lore. Trying to get some ideas our there for camo's for various other factions since Russ said it will be easy to add them in once the FW/CW changes go through.

Btw to love the idea of a security mech like that! Could see alot of mediums and light mechs in a position like that honestly.

[FLG 01]

CK16, on 24 November 2016 - 07:35 AM, said:

Btw to love the idea of a security mech like that! Could see alot of mediums and light mechs in a position like that honestly.

Well, corporate security forces used what their factories produced; in case of the CMW this mostly means light and mediums because that is what the Coventry factories produced, but it also includes heavier designs like the Hauptmann or the Black Hawk-KU.

And these corporate security forces can be very powerful. The Defiance Self-Protection Force e.g. is more or less a full blown RCT, and most of its Mechs are heavies and assaults. However, using what their factory produces there is also a Griffin (credit to NFX):






Here is a history of the DSFP I wrote some time ago, if you are interested:

Spoiler

Defiance Self-Protection Force


(idea for a unit patch after the GDL survivors joined the DSPF)


Overview

Defiance Industries on Hesperus II (DefHes) employs a military grade security unit known as the Defiance Self-Protection Force (DSPF), nicknamed ‘Catamounts’. (1) They consist of at least a mech battalion and auxiliary vehicles, at times even reaching regimental strength. (2) Furthermore they are equipped with most modern mechs fresh from the factories, and supported by fortifications and weapon emplacements just shy of Castle Brian quality (3). In defence they therefore can take on a multiple of their number. (4)

The fact that the commanding officer of the Catamounts is on the Defiance Industries Board of Directors as a non-voting member underscores the importance of the DSPF. (5)

Defiance invites retired mechwarriors from the LCAF into the ranks of the DSPF, but also trains young people from Hesperus II. Those usually opt to join the LCAF later on. (6) As such, the DSPF is, on average, of regular quality and reliable. (7) They are one of the few corporate security forces to occasionally perform raids on enemy territory, especially Marik worlds. (8 )


History

Since Hesperus II is perhaps the single most important planet of the Lyran Commonwealth, just in the middle of the rebellious Skye region and right in striking distance of multiple foreign enemies, the DSPF has seen a lot of combat since its formation in 2852.

In 2852, during the Eighth Battle of Hesperus, Kurita forces were about to break through, and volunteering factory workers were given rudimentary mech training, calling themselves “the force of last resort”. They performed well however, and the DSPF were born in honour of the workers turned mechwarriors. (9)

Most likely the DSPF also participated in repulsing the DCMS, which attacked the factories directly, in 2857. (10)

It is not known if the DSPF came to blows with later invaders during the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth battle for Hesperus. Not even the Wolf Dragoons had any success in breaking through the Lyran defences to harm or capture the factories. (11) A raid conducted by McCarron’s Armored Cavalry in 3027, which became known as the Fourteenth Battle of Hesperus, did not actually target the Defiance Works. However the Capellans performed multiple drops in order to distract and thin out the defenders. A DSPF lance happened to be near the actual target site; a Zeus, piloted by an LIC agent who was killed in a friendly fire incident to cover up a conspiracy; an Atlas, a Flashman, and a Griffin. (12)

Though not counted as the fifteenth battle for Hesperus, the DSPF nevertheless saw action in 3057 when Brandal Gareth tried to break away from the Lyran Alliance, declaring Hesperus part of his Free Star Republic. Since the young Daniel Brewer, CEO of Defiance Industries, fell for Gareth’s charms, the DSPF aided the separatist efforts. Believing to defend their home against an invader, the Catamounts voluntarily fought against the loyalist Gray Death Legion. But even the combined power of the Third Davion Guards, the Fifteenth Lyran Guards and the DSPF was not enough; they lost. (13)

Although the memory of the fight against the Legion was still fresh enough, the Catamounts had to cooperate with the Gray Death during the Fifteenth Battle of Hesperus in 3062. Initially the relations were tense, almost provoking friendly fire when a GDL patrol closed in on the DSPF perimeter. Daniel Brewer however, who had meanwhile joined the Legion at the instigation of Katherine Steiner-Davion, was able to defuse the situation. Moreover Major James Goree, commanding officer of the DSPF, slowly began to trust the Legion. Attacked by overwhelmingly strong forces of the Free Skye separatists, the DSPF actually had no choice but to cooperate well. The Gray Death Legion, the Fifteenth and Thirty-Sixth Lyran Guards, and the Catamounts stood against the Fourth and Twenty-Second Skye Rangers, and the Fourteenth and Thirty-Second Lyran Guards, which were supported by the captured WarShip FSS Simon Davion. While most of the loyalist forces were engaged elsewhere and manoeuvring to protect the Defiance factories, the DSPF had to take a massive assault from the separatists, spearheaded by the Skye Rangers. Thanks to the greater individual firepower of their heavy mechs and the support from stationary weapon emplacements as well as artillery, the DSPF inflicted heavy losses but being outnumbered six to one they ultimately had to retreat. Despite having fallen back, the Catamounts later made a sally assisting a Legion counterstrike. For most of the remaining battle, the DSPF remained defensively postured. Although the battle was decided for the loyalists when Caesar Steiner and his elite Second Donegal Guards finally relieved the defenders, the losses were immense.
After the battle was over, the Catamounts incorporated the few surviving warriors of the Gray Death Legion. (14)

Daniel Brewer transferred some survivors of the Legion into the newly formed Brewer’s Legion, which defended the equally newly formed Gray Death Technologies on Glengarry. It was rumoured that Alexander Carlyle would take charge of the Legion to carry on the proud tradition of the Gray Death Legion. (15)

This never materialized since the Word of Blake Jihad started and Alexander Carlyle was killed in the opening volleys on Tharkad. The Jihad also hit the DSPF hard, when the Word of Blake launched Operation Steel Hammer in 3068. Still rebuilding, the DSPF specifically was attacked by WoBM’s Twentieth Division, while Light of Mankind teams infiltrated Hesperus. The full blown offense of 3070 then succeeded with the help of these special forces and a frontal attack of the elite cybernetic Manei Domini. For the first time in ages, the DSPF not only had failed to protect the factories, it was destroyed. (16)

While we lack information, it is very likely that the DSPF were reinstated after the Jihad, however they probably did not see combat since then. Unlike the Gray Death Legion, the Eridani Light Horse was denied access to and support from the Defiance factories when the clans attacked Hesperus in 3145. (17) Perhaps, though, the Catamounts assisted the Lyran liberation troops later that year.


Uniforms and paint schemes

The DSPF sports a distinctive red-on-white colour scheme for its mechs and uniforms as of 3065. (18) However, in the field, a dark green uniform is worn, probably for camouflage purposes. (19) Initially, the DSPF used the face of Alfred Neuman with the caption “What, me worry?” for their unit patch; back then they also had red and gold colour schemes for the mechs, which however seems to have been abandoned in favour of the aforementioned red-on-white colour scheme. (20)



Notes:

(1) W. Keith, Operation Excalibur, p. 96.
(2) Handbook House Steiner (1987; online – no pictures), p. 139.
(3) Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 38.
(4) Th. Gressman, The Dying Time, p.85-87.
(5) ibid., p.32.
(6) Handbook House Steiner (1987; online – no pictures), p. 139.
(7) Jihad Turning Points Hesperus II, pp. 7; Objectives: Lyran Alliance, pp. 36-37.
(8 ) Handbook House Steiner (1987; online – no pictures), p. 139.
(9 ) ibid., p. 63.
(10) ibid., p. 75.
(11) Wolf’s Dragoons, pp. 22-25.
(12) S. Frabartolo, Proprietary, passim.
(13) W. Keith, Operation Excalibur, passim.
(14) Th. Gressman, The Dying Time, passim.
(15) Handbook House Steiner (2005), p. 143.
(16) Jihad Turning Points Hesperus II, pp. 11-13.
(17) Era Report 3145, p. 28.
(18) Handbook House Steiner (2005), p. 141.
(19) Th. Gressman, The Dying Time, p. 20.
(20) Handbook House Steiner (1987; online – no pictures), p.63. It is unknown if the DSPF changed their colour scheme between 3025 (HBHS 1987) and 3065 (HBHS 2005), or if the older handbook is simply overwritten. The same applies to the early description of the company colours being red and gold, although later publications consistently showed a turquoise company logo.


PS: my idea for the insignia of the DSPF is based on the nickname of the unit (the Catamounts) and the fact that it included survivors of the GDL. So both, a catamount and the skull of the Legion are featured. The sword in front of the cogwheel symbolizes the defence of the factories, while the base is the logo of Defiance Industries with colours to match the paint schemes of the DSPF.

Edited by FLG 01, 24 November 2016 - 10:03 AM.

[Pariah Devalis]

I am going to go ahead and repost LastKhan's repaint of the Huntsman for Nova Cat Alpha Galaxy colors:

LastKhan, on 15 July 2016 - 11:19 AM, said:

had a day off and wanted to finish the huntsman.

[BLOOD WOLF]

Pariah Devalis, on 24 November 2016 - 11:19 AM, said:

I am going to go ahead and repost LastKhan's repaint of the Huntsman for Nova Cat Alpha Galaxy colors:

that nova cat decal is gonna look sweet. Waiting on the hell horses but maybe never

[Pariah Devalis]

BLOOD WOLF, on 24 November 2016 - 11:23 AM, said:

that nova cat decal is gonna look sweet. Waiting on the hell horses but maybe never

Never say never!

[LastKhan]

BLOOD WOLF, on 24 November 2016 - 11:23 AM, said:

that nova cat decal is gonna look sweet. Waiting on the hell horses but maybe never

my decal isnt the original CNC but i think it looks a little better

[Pariah Devalis]

LastKhan, on 24 November 2016 - 11:41 AM, said:

my decal isnt the original CNC but i think it looks a little better

Agreed. It also makes more sense. When a cat screams to be threatening, it tends to flatten its ears. The original artwork has the cat mouth open but ears perked up. The ears down makes it look more aggressive.

vs

Edit:

Which IIRC you also partially based it off the Dark Age version of:

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 24 November 2016 - 11:44 AM.

[CK16]

Pariah Devalis, on 24 November 2016 - 11:19 AM, said:

I am going to go ahead and repost LastKhan's repaint of the Huntsman for Nova Cat Alpha Galaxy colors:

Really do like this camo, could see the colors could be Nova Cat purple, Nova Cat Blue, and Nova Cat black. Stars are white/silver. As always they could add a cool texture/shine to spice it up further.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

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