CGR-1A1 Charger, HTM-26T Hatamoto-Chi

The Charger is one of my favorite Mechs, for the usual reason that it’s a massive underdog. Seriously, the original version of this Mech is TERRIBLE. It was designed by Wells Technologies to be an ultra-heavy scout Mech for the Star League Defense Force. With only average speed and medium armor and loaded up with five small lasers with a maximum range of 90 meters, it can easily be destroyed by scout mechs weighing as little as a quarter the tonnage but having three times the weapon range and far higher speed. With such terrible prospects for survival, the SLDF stopped using the Charger and Wells Technologies was left with warehouses full of assault Mechs they couldn’t sell.

So how did the Charger survive? In the First Succession War, House Kurita was so desperate for Mechs that they bought a large part of the Wells inventory and made a long-term contract to produce them. Pilots discovered that a Charger could take on many Mechs if it could get close enough to, well, charge the enemy. It had the greatest potential damage for a single attack for any mech of its technology level, enough that it could flatten many opponents. (Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry and XL engines had more potential damage, but these technologies remained relatively obscure until the 31st century and the Helm Memory Core.) It also had easy maintenance and was deadly against some of the more common scout Mechs such as Wasps and Stingers, in addition to being brutal against Mechs that had lost their main armaments. Although it was most common in garrison duty and in the periphery, it gradually spread to all the great houses.

CGR-1A1 Charger

Size: Assault (80 Tons), Speed: Average, Armor: Medium. Battle Fist (2RH), Armored Shoulders (1B), Short Range Laser Batteries (1R8H), Antenna (1Y). 2RH+d8H/1B/1Y/1Gd8/2W [In battles involving high tech or Clan tech: 2RH+d8H/1B/1Gd8/2W]

Other versions of the Charger were in use before and during the Fourth Succession War. House Liao’s model was noted for maintaining the same speed, but having more firepower and even less armor. Assignment to this Mech was generally considered a punishment duty.

CGR-1L Charger - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Average, Armor: Light. Large Laser (2RD), Large Engine (1G), Armored Shoulders, Battle Fist. 2RD/2RH/1B/1G/2W [W/ High Tech: 2RD/2RH/1G/2W]

In 2023, Luthien Armor Works took control of Charger production after House Kurita discovered Wells was selling Charger parts on the black market. They stopped producing the CGR-1A1 model. Other versions of the Charger were developed and used during and after the Fourth Succession War, made feasible by replacing the large engine with something smaller.

The CGR-1A5 was fielded during the Fourth Succession War.

CGR-1A5 Charger - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Heavy Autocannon (2RD), Battle Fist (2RH), Armored Shoulders (1B), Antenna (1Y), Bical Short Range Missiles x2 (2R8S). 2RD/2RH/1B/1Y/2W/2R8S [W/ High Tech: 2RD/2RH/1B/2W/2R8S]

The CGR-1A9 Charger became a mainstay of the DCMS during the War of 3039.

CGR-1A9 Charger - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Medium. Long Range Missiles (2RA), Battle Fist (2RH), Armored Shoulders (1B), Jump Jets (1G). 2RA/2RH/1B/1G/2W [W/ High Tech: 2RA/1RH/1G/2W]

Hatamoto-Chi

House Kurita found itself in need of more Mechs after the losses of the Fourth Succession War. They acquired some Star League-era Mechs from Comstar, including advanced mechs such as the THG-11T Thug.

Rather than try to develop Thug manufacturing from scratch, Luthien Armor Works used the Thug’s weapon loadout on a series of modified versions of the Charger, the HTM-26T Hatamoto-Chi and its variants. These took the field in the War of 3039.

HTM-26T Hatamoto-Chi - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Particle Projection Cannon x2 (2RA/2RD), Shoulder Armor Plates (1B), Armored Head (1B), SRM Batteries (2R8S). 2RA/2RD/2B/2W/2R8S. [W/ High Tech: 2RA/2RD/1B/2W/2R8S]

HTM-26U Hatamoto-Hi - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Particle Projection Cannon x2 (2RA/2RD), Shoulder Armor Plates (1B), Laser Batteries (2RD). 2RA/4RD/1B/2W. [W/ High Tech: 2RA/2RD/1B/2W]

HTM-26V Hatamoto-Kaze - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Particle Projection Cannon x2 (2RA/2RD), Armored Shoulder Plates (1B), LRM Batteries (2RA). 4RA/2RD/1B/2W. [W/ High Tech: 2RA+d8/1B/2W]

HTM-26W Hatamoto-Ku - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Particle Projection Cannon x2 (2RA/2RD), Armored Shoulder Plates (1B), Medium Autocannon (1RA/1RD). 3RA/3RD/1B/2W. [W/ High Tech: 2RA/2RD/1B/2W]

HTM-26Y Hatamoto-Mizo - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Slow, Armor: Heavy. Particle Projection Cannon x2 (2RA/2RD), Armored Shoulder Plates (1B), Large Laser (2RD). 2RA/4RD/1B/2W. [W/ High Tech: 2RA/2RD/1B/2W]

Clan Invasion and Beyond

At the time of the Clan Invasion, the Draconis Combine further developed the Charger and its variants.

The CGR-3K Charger takes the firepower of the CGR-1A9 weapons loadout and uses an XL engine and jump jets to actually exceed the maneuverability of the original 1A1.

CGR-3K Charger - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Medium, Armor: Medium. Long Range Missiles (2RA), Battle Fist (2RH), Armored Shoulders (1B), Jump Jets (1G). 2RA/2RH/1B/1G/2W [High Tech]

HTM-27T to 27Y - Use the stats for the 26T-26Y, but do not change the loadout in battles with high tech or Clan tech

The Cudgel

This high-tech variant of the Charger is used in the close-ranged battle arenas of Solaris VII. It is faster and able to cause even more damage than its predecessors with physical attacks.

CDG-1B Cudgel - Size: Assault (80 tons), Speed: Fast*, Armor: Heavy. Mace (2RH), Claw (1R8H), Armored Shoulders (1B), Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (1G), Short Range Missiles (1R8S). 2RH+d8/1B/1G+d8/2W/1Rd8S [High Tech]

* The original printing of the Cudgel gave it only slow speed (4/6/0) without using MASC and medium speed (8) with its MASC system engaged, but under the construction rules it should have been fast - an 80-ton Mech with a 400 XL engine (5/8/0) and MASC (10).