Black Knight for 3065 Annex

Type/Model: Black Knight BL15-KNT
Tech: Inner Sphere /3063
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 2 , Standard design
Mass: 75 tons
Chassis: Technicron-1 Endo Steel
Power Plant: 300 Vlar Fusion
Walking Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Armor Type: Valiant Lamellor Ferro Fibrous
Armament:
2 ER Large Lasers
1 Gauss Rifle
3 Medium Lasers
Manufacturer: Kong Interstellar Corporation
Communications System: Tek BattleCom
Targeting & Tracking System: Tek Tru-Trak

Overview:

The Black Knight was introduced about five years after the founding of the Star League. One of the first ‘Mechs to see widespread service in the Star League Defense Force (SLDF), the Black Knight BL6-KNT featured an Endo Steel chassis and an advanced command and control suite, but was otherwise unremarkable. After the fall of the Star League and the Succession Wars brought an end to even these advantages, the Black Knight continued on as the BL7-KNT. This variant carried the same weapons loadout as the BL6 but lacked the Beagle Active Probe and, more significantly, carried twenty percent less armor than its Star League predecessor.

Thousands of examples of both models have been manufactured over five centuries, and even with the attrition caused by countless conflicts, House Marik has at least two hundred BL7-KNT units ripe for Project Retread. Add to this another estimated two hundred Star League-era BL6-KNTs supplied as a ‘gift’ by the Word of Blake and the result is a massive undertaking. The Black Knight is by far the most numerous single type of ‘Mech to undergo Project Retread.


Capabilities:

The Black Knight BL15-KNT is a ‘bolt-on’ upgrade of the BL6-KNT. The original featured a single PPC, two Large Lasers, four Medium Lasers, a Small Laser and a Beagle Active Probe. In addition, it carried ninety percent of the armor allowed a seventy-five ton ‘Mech. Due to the focus on energy weapons, twenty Single Heat Sinks are simply not enough to permit the BL6-KNT to operate on a par with more modern designs. These antiquated heat sinks were removed, along with the Standard armor and all but three Medium Lasers from the weapons suite. What was left was a platform ready to accept significant change. The BL15-KNT does not disappoint.

The technicians first installed thirteen Double Heat Sinks, a good choice given the new weapons suite. Replacing the motley collection of laser weapons are a Gauss Rifle, two tons of ferro-nickel slugs and dual Extended Range Large Lasers. Finally, techs mounted custom-made Ferro Fibrous plate. This bulky armor is expensive to manufacture, but the savings in weight translates to maximum armor coverage, something the Black Knight has been lacking for hundreds of years. The result is a ‘Mech with much greater reach and striking power, better protection and more balanced heat dissipation than the original.

After this, it seems hardly worth mentioning the upgrade for the BL7-KNT, the post-Star League version of the Black Knight still in production. But the second refit (BL13) is nearly as effective as the BL15. Keeping the Large Lasers and dispensing with the remaining stock loadout, the BL13 adds ten Double Heat Sinks, a Gauss Rifle with two tons of ammunition and three Extended Range Medium lasers.

Heat management is simple, a matter of dropping the large lasers for the trio of ER Mediums in close combat. This ‘Mech carries a respectable ninety-three percent of the protection permitted for its weight class, due to the use of Ferro Fibrous armor. It also features something lacking in its brother upgrade – Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment. The CASE is meant to protect pilots and vital engine components from a crippling Gauss Rifle explosion.

That these refits come at a cost of around a million C-bills each is astonishing. That each refit takes only thirty-two days from start to finish is proof that Project Retread is a sound concept.

Battle History:

Economy of scale is a driving force behind choosing the Black Knight for Project Retread. However, this scale would not have been possible without the timely appearance of a large number of BL6-KNT units. Officially a gift from the Word of Blake to House Marik, these machines enabled the Free Worlds League to draft advantageous contracts with several ‘Mech manufacturers. However, agents of Our Order have encountered some disorder among shipping companies tasked with returning the upgraded machines to their original owners. Combined with the outward similarity between the two variants, this creates such confusion that we have not been able to account for the whereabouts of all refurbished Black Knights. It’s uncertain whether this is deliberate or simply a matter of poor bookkeeping.

It is true that Black Knights are reappearing in their home units. It is equally apparent that the number of refits delivered does not quite match the number leaving the Kali Yama Weapons Industries and Gibson Federated BattleMechs marshalling yards. Many appear to be headed back to reserve units, to be brought out by the Marik when needed. Another possibility – and some in Our Order consider this most probable – is that the ‘gift’ of Star League-era Black Knights was a cover, with the refurbished BL15-KNT units being quietly reabsorbed by the Word of Blake for unknown purposes.