Originally posted on rec.games.mecha July 18, 1997
If you think the price is a little steep on this thing, keep in mind that the level 3 version, with an XXL engine, ended up costing over 400 million c-bills. Too bad the Taurian Concordat doesn't really have the ability to build XXL engines... Overview: For decades, manufacturers located in the Taurian Concordat looked with envy at the large, expensive vehicles and battlemechs manufactured by their more technologically advanced neighbors. When recovered Star League technology hit the market, their jealousy became too great - they had to act. At first, it was simply a few solo efforts - Taurus Territorial Industries created the PLG-3TCa and b Pillager battlemechs, and their competitors, Vandenberg Mechanized Industries, created the GRF-3TC Griffin. Both companies' offerings were an astounding success, purchased by various Inner Sphere powers who thought there was nothing whatsoever wrong with purchasing a 12 million C-bill medium mech or a 31 million C-bill assault mech. Now, TTI and VMI have combined their efforts to create a worthy successor to the popular Davion heavy tank, the behemoth. Like their Pillager and Griffin offerings, the Behemoth II was designed from the ground up to be extremely expensive. As a direct consequence of the use of the latest design materials and techniques, there was plenty of tonnage available for weaponry, creating what the sales brochures enthusiastically call "the most devastating heavy tank on the market." Of course, such an expensive monstrosity would never be suitable for domestic sales. The Taurian Defense Forces do not have the money nor the inclination to purchase a large number of top-of-the-line super-heavy tanks. To meet their needs, a smaller version, the Behemoth II model b, was created. Behemoth II Type: Inner Sphere level 2 super-heavy tank Tonnage: 200 Engine: 400 XL 39.5 Cruise: 2 Flank: 3 Type: tracked Control Components: 10 Internal Structure: 40 Heat Sinks: 10 0 Turret: 6 Sponson turrets: 0.5 Armor: 412 (ff) 23 Front: 82-20 F-sides: 60-20 R-sides: 50-20 Rear: 50-20 Turret: 60-20 Weapons and equipment: V-flamer LSp 0.5 V-flamer RSp 0.5 V-flamer ammo 20 B 1 2 MG LSp 1 2 MG RSp 1 MG ammo 100 B 0.5 SRM2 LSp 1 SRM2 RSp 1 SRM2 ammo 50 B 1 CASE B 0.5 2 AM Guns T 1 AM ammo 48 B 4 2 Gauss Rifle T 30 Gauss ammo 40 B 5 2 LB-10X T 22 LB ammo 20 (C) B 2 LB ammo 20 (S) B 2 PPC T 7 Cost:89,209,388 C-bills Battle Value: Defensive: 519 Offensive: 1,118 Total: 1,637 Behemoth II model b Type: Inner Sphere level 2 Tonnage: 100 Engine: 200 ICE 17 Cruise: 2 Flank: 3 Type: tracked C.C.: 5 I.S.: 10 Heat Sinks: none 0 Turret: 3 Sponson turrets: 0.5 Armor: 320 (standard) 20 Front: 80 Sides: 60 Rear: 60 Turret: 60 Weapons and equipment: V-flamer LSp 0.5 V-flamer RSp 0.5 V-flamer ammo 20 B 1 2 MG LSp 1 2 MG RSp 1 MG ammo 100 B 0.5 SRM2 LSp 1 SRM2 RSp 1 SRM2 ammo 50 B 1 2 LRM 5 T 4 LRM 5 ammo 24 B 1 Gauss Rifle T 15 Gauss ammo 24 B 3 LB-10X T 11 LB ammo 30 B 2 Cost: 3,385,666 Battle Value: Defensive: 304 Offensive: 623 Total: 927 Capabilities: The Behemoth II mounts an extremely large amount of weaponry. Its primary weapons battery consists of two Gauss Rifles, two LB-10X autocannons, and one PPC, mounted in the turret. Its primary weaponry gives the Behemoth II the ability to deal massive amounts of damage at long, medium and short ranges. Defensively, the Behemoth II mounts two turret-mounted anti-missile systems with two tons of ammo apiece. This should provide a defense against SRMs, one of a large tank's worst nightmares. For anti-infantry defense, the tank mounts on each side-facing sponson turret a flamer, two machine guns and an SRM 2, which may be loaded with either explosive or inferno ammunition. This armament is able to destroy large amounts of unarmored infantry. (For armored infantry, TTI and VMI recomment use of the main weaponry.) The armor protection of the Behemoth II is superb. Over 20 tons of armor give it protection equivalent to that of an assault battlemech. While its maximum speed of 32 kph is ridiculously slow by some standards, the designers of the Behemoth II believe that it is not a burden on the tank, when used in its primary roles - assaulting prepared positions, and defending strategic locations. The sight of a tank that masses twice as much as the largest battlemech is certain to make any opponent uncertain of their success, and few raiders will risk attacking an objective guarded by one. Some critics have appeared, claiming that a tank that costs more than some dropships is horribly over-priced. TTI and VMI respectfully disagree, pointing to other, even more popular tanks and mechs that mount expensive components, such as XL engines, for little or no reason. Rumors that quote certain high-level TTI executives as saying "There's a sucker born every minute" are completely false, say TTI and VMI spokespersons, and sales to neighboring realms and mercenary units continue to rise. The Behemoth II model b, intended for domestic sales, is different in several major ways from the standard edition. Its much smaller size allows it to not only use bridges more effectively, but fit into standard dropship vehicle transport cocoons, enhancing its deployability. Its main weaponry is not as great as the standard edition, but its paired Gauss Rifle - LB-10X combo is still to be respected, and the anti-infantry armament of the two is identical. The addition of two LRM-5 units rounds out the model b's weapons complement. Most importantly, it costs just under 1/26th that of the standard edition, allowing customers without billions of c-bills to spend to take advantage of the new tank. Deployment Over 100 Behemoth IIs have been sold, with the primary purchasers being the Federated Commonwealth and certain large mercenary units. In addition, an unspecified number of Behemoth II model b's have been purchased by the Taurian Defense Forces and Magistracy Armed Forces, and have been placed in reserve units across these two realms. Battle History The Behemoth II has yet to see combat.