5 Minute Mechs: The Hussar

The standard Hussar in use by the SLDF was introduced in 2620 by Newhart Industries, the HSR-200D.

Hussar was built around a massive 270-rated fusion power plant, giving it a top speed of 151 kilometers per hour, and, powering its only weapon system, an extended-range large laser mounted dorsally in its center torso.

The Hussar's armor protection was seen as a secondary defense, as it utilized its speed as its primary protection, and carried a scant 1.5 tons of ferrofibrous armor.

The 200D Hussar would serve with distinction for over 100 years, but as usual, the Star League Royal Divisions would eventually want an enhanced variant to call their own, and they got it in 2735.

The Royal Hussar 200DB would be a significant upgrade to the platform.

The standard 270 rated engine was swapped out with an extra light version, New Heart Industries would use the weight savings from this to increase the Hussar's capabilities as a recon platform by adding a Beagle active probe and Guardian ECM suite.

The addition of the ECM suite enhanced the Hussar's capability to conceal itself while observing enemy units, while the Beagle active probe greatly improved the Hussar's ability to collect information while doing so.

The 200DB also received increased armor protection by 400%, bringing it on par with many of the Star League's other recon platforms in use at the time.

The majority of the Hussars, be they royal or otherwise, would depart with Kerensky on his exodus.

Those that stayed generally saw their ferrofibrous armor replaced with standard armor, their extended-range large laser downgraded to a standard version, and their double heatsinks swapped out for standard versions.

These downgraded 300D models would serve primarily with the Draconis Combine, with quite a few coming from Comstar before the War of 3039.

In 3052, using data from the recovered Helm Memory Core, the Hussar would return to production, this time by Coventry Metalworks, with the introduction of the 400D model.

The Hussar 400D was a radical departure from earlier variants as it carried an LB-10X autocannon as its primary weapon, fed by a single ton of ammunition.

The 400D had a top speed of 129 kilometers per hour and carried only three tons of armor.

With a slower speed, as well as light armor, the 400D was a much easier target to hit and destroy than its predecessors.

Also, the inclusion of the autocannon and its single ton of ammunition forced mech warriors to commit to either solid or cluster ammunition for the LBX autocannon before their missions and hoped to hell that the intel they got was right.

Personally, I believe that this variant was designed to pander to the Davian purchasers in the Combined Federated Commonwealth Quartermaster Corps while appeasing the big-gun-go-boom social generals in the Liran half of the Commonwealth.

Surprisingly, the 400D would see success in the export market, with it seeing service in CONSTAR, the Word of Blake, and Mercenary commands throughout the Inner Sphere.

The Hussar service to the states of the Federated Commonwealth would last until the FedCon Civil War, and eventually it would only serve the Word of Blake, tarnishing its reputation.

The Word of Blake would build three models of the Hussar at the occupied Coventry Metalworks, where they held the planet during their misguided rampage across the inner sphere.

The first of these is the 500D model.

This model of the Hussar was based on the older 200D with a top speed of 151 kmph and carried 5.5 tons of armor, much like the Royal Hussar.

It carries an extended range particle projection cannon as its only offensive weapon, with an improved C3 computer allowing it to serve as a standoff scout.

which is kind of a weird rule when you think about it.

I do want to say that this may be a refit wrongfully attributed to Coventry Metalworks, though, as it does have a deployment of the pre-Blakist kerfuffle, according to my records.