Compiled overview of the 40
ton Clint 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
Andoran Industries Ltd. began construction of the
Clint 2-3T under the
Star League Armaments Act, a law that provided border areas with the latest in battlefield technology. To
secure their bid on the project,
Andoran Industries cut costs in the
Clint design. Unfortunately, the resulting design flaws are not easily repaired.
Many
modular parts that can be exchanged between a wide variety of BattleMechs simply cannot be used on the
Clint without a great deal of
modification. This problem is particularly fucky in the case of the
gyro system. This makes the
Clint a
technician's nightmare, because it takes much longer to repair than other
'Mechs.
The
Clint's other problem is the lack of ammunition for the Armstrong class5
Autocannon mounted in its right arm. It carries only 20 rounds in its right torso's
ammo bay. In a prolonged combat situation, the
'Mech can quickly be
forced to rely solely on its torso mounted Martell Medium Lasers for attack. The original
Clint prototypes mounted a heavier
autocannon and carried more ammunition. However, the
chassis of these models developed stress problems, and the armament was downgraded to its current configuration.
The
Sloane 220 Lockover targeting system tends to make up for the
Clint's lack of ammunition. This system is one of the most advanced designs available in the
Successor States. It allows for many battlefield variables that are not taken into account by most other systems. While the
Clint does have a limited amount of ammunition,
it hits what it shoots at.
The
Clint functioned as a
recon 'Mech as well as a well-armed, lower-end, medium
'Mech. Its history and combat performance shows that it served those purposes well. The flight capability offered by the six
jump jets on the
Clint offer a nice advantage in many combat situations. In
urban combat its building-leaping ability coupled with use of the
death from above tactic can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Though many
MechWarriors consider this tactic reckless, it still is a strong advantage that
many larger 'Mechs do not have.
Though individual MechWarriors have modified their Clints in many different ways over the years, the new field modification kit issued by the
Capellan Confederation shows great promise. The
CLNT-2-3U Clint replaces the autocannon with the new Magna Firestar extended-range
PPC, eliminating the ammunition shortage and releasing enough weight to upgrade the medium lasers to medium
pulse lasers.
Never produced in great numbers,
the Clint has become something of an oddity on the modern-day battlefield.
ComStar estimates that no more than one hundred Clints still exist in
Successor State armies and
mercenary units. Most of the factories that built the
Clint were destroyed during fighting between
House Davion and
House Liao. Both sides shipped
the captured Clints to remote locations for defense purposes, effectively scattering the
'Mech throughout the
Inner Sphere. Still unexplained is how Clint 'Mechs ended up at the far end of the old
Star League. Even more odd is the rumor that
King Redjack Ryan has several Clints.
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