Compiled overview of the 90
ton Cyclops 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
Stormvanger Assemblies Unlimited first placed the
Cyclops into production in 2710. It was designed primarily as a heavy assault
'Mech, but its sophisticated communications and information network equipment make it equally valuable as a command vehicle. In battlefield situations, the
'Mech is capable of coordinating up to an entire BattleMech regiment with its sophisticated holographic
Tacticon B-2000 battle computer while easily maintaining planet-wide and
orbital communications using the
Olmstead 840 tight beam comm system and Satnav
satellite uplink.
Tactical
doctrine usually places it in the reserve, where it can coordinate and support the overall actions of the other
BattleMechs in its command. At
regimental level and higher, the commander's
Cyclops are usually guarded by a headquarters
lance and supporting units.
The
Cyclops' weaponry is mixed so that it can attack or defend itself against any opponent at any range necessary. The
Delta Dart LRM-10 Missle Rack is capable of engaging the enemy at extreme range. The
Zeus-36 Mk III autocannon can be used in the middle ranges. Finally, a pair of
Diverse Optics Type 20 medium lasers along with the
Hovertec SRM-4 Missle Rack can take on anything that gets nearer. With its diverse weaponry, the
Cyclops is somewhat limited in ammunition storage; its
projectile weapons tend to run out of ammunition quickly in extended battle situations.
Though the
Cyclops' head section is armored as heavily as its internal structure can handle, the armor is somewhat inadequate. Most enemy
'Mechs will aim at the head of a
Cyclops, knowing that any hits or even near misses could disable the sophisticated command equipment located there. Dealing damage to the obviously high ranking
MechWarrior inside it is a bonus as well.
Even with these minor drawbacks, the
Cyclops is a formidable weapon to be found in the battle lances of almost every
'Mech regiment in the
Successor States, and has been a part of every major engagement in the
Succession Wars.
Although the battles of the
Succession Wars greatly reduced the number of
Cyclops, the design is still employed in a variety of roles throughout the
Inner Sphere. Although no manufacturer currently produces a standard
field-modification kit for the
Cyclops, unit commanders and their technicians have modified these
BattleMechs in numerous ways. Most commonly,
MechWarriors replace the original design's
Zeus-36 Mk III autocannon with a
Zeus Slingshot Gauss rifle. Although the
Gauss rifle does slightly less damage than the
autocannon, it possesses a far greater range and produces almost no waste heat.
Many
MechWarriors also modify the
Cyclops by installing more sophisticated communications equipment. Typically, the
Cyclops is fifted with a
C3 computer. Such computers provide superior communications capacity and other important advantages on the battlefield. For example, all the
'Mechs in a
network of C3-equipped
'Mechs can use the targeting data supplied by the
sensors of any other
'Mech in the network.
Though individuals have occasionally made personal modifications, the present-day
Cyclops is virtually identical to the
prototype that rolled off the
assembly line in 2710.
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