Compiled overview of the 80
ton Zeus 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
The
Zeus is the
Lyran Commonwealth's premier assault
'Mech. On the
drawing board just after the start of the war with the
Draconis Combine, two
Zeus prototypes were lumbering across testing grounds just three short years later. The arrival of a
House Kurita attack force around the same time provided the
Zeus with the best possible
field test; the
prototypes helped repel the Kurita assault on
Hesperus II and saved the vital
BattleMech factories. After the battle, the
Zeus pilots reported that the
PPC their
'Mechs carried in the left arm was erratic and unreliable. Further research revealed that the
PPC's insufficient shielding created wild magnetic interactions between it and the
'Mech's fusion
engine. The designers decided to drop the
PPC in favor of the simpler Defiance
autocannon to ensure the
'Mech's quick delivery to the front.
The
Zeus carries a modified version of the
Coventry Starfire LRM-15 Missle Rack, an excellent system used in several other
'Mech designs. The
Zeus, however, stretched the Star Fire's
tolerances to the limits. Designers omitted the
Zeus's right hand, replacing it with the Star Fire's missile tubes mounted around a large central core. The central core serves as a
ram for punching. Set back and away from the
impact point, the missiles are sheltered beneath the armor of the forearm. this arrangement makes for a complicated missile-
loading system, however, and is prone to breakdown if not serviced regularly. Another drawback, the
Zeus can only carry eight missile reloads. More than once, a
Zeus pilot has pressed the trigger only to hear nothing but silence.
The
Thunderbolt A5M Large Laser, tucked comfortably beneath the
'Mech's left arm, is another adaptation. Lacking the room for a standard large
laser, the
Zeus's designers created a more compact version. The engineers at
Hesperus II are among the few who have the necessary knowledge to use
fiber optics, and thusly managed to dispense with the bulky barrel common to other large lasers.
Though intended as a long-range fighter, the
Zeus has no problem closing and grappling with an enemy. Excellent armor protection, especially around the chest and legs, enables the
'Mech to withstand all but the heaviest
abuse. The
Zeus's
strong legs allow it to make devastating kicking attacks, while the left arm packs quite a bit of punching power.
The
Zeus first appeared in significant numbers during the recapture of the planet
Sakhalin, when elements of the Fifteenth
Lyran Guard attacked the
Draconis Combine's 32nd
Dieron Regulars. Composed mostly of
Zeus 'Mechs and a few
Commandos, the Lyran force captured a high ridge overlooking two large
forests and a grassy
plain beyond. The
Dieron Regulars, an even mix of
BattleMasters and
Dragons, attempted to storm the ridge but fell back under concentrated
LRM, laser and auto
cannon fire. The Combine troops resigned themselves to spending the night on the plain, while the
Lyran Guards waited it out on the ridge.
Heavy rains began soon after
nightfall, which the
Lyran Guards used to their advantage. Under cover of darkness, the Lyran forces silently moved down from the ridge and spaced their
'Mechs evenly across the narrow gap between the two forests. At sunrise the
Dieron Regulars charged the distant row of
'Mechs, but the weight of their lumbering
BattleMasters and
Dragons turned the grassland into a sea of mud that slowed the Kurita
'Mechs in the rear and forced the Regulars to spread out.
When the enemy had advanced far enough into the gap between the forests, the Lyran commander ordered the line of
Zeuses to
open fire. The foremost of the enemy's
'Mechs could fire back, but those in the rear could not. Some of the
BattleMasters and
Dragons
tripped and fell, creating further confusion and even panic among the Regulars. The Lyran
Commandos, which had been hiding in the woods, opened fire with their
SRMs and completed the rout of the Kurita
'Mechs. The 32nd
Dieron Regulars lost eight
BattleMasters and five
Dragons, while the Fifteenth
Lyran Guards lost only one
Zeus and three
Commandos.
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