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Design Overview
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                 BattleMech Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Yao Lien YOL-4D
Designer:           Redshirt
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere (Mixed)
Technology Rating:  F
Tonnage:            55
Role:               Striker
Configuration:      Biped BattleMech
Era/Year:           Dark Age / 3086
Rules (Current):    Standard
Rules (Era):        Standard
Rules (Year):       Advanced
Total Cost:         7,220,262 C-Bills
Battle Value:       1,930

Chassis:              Celestial Prototype BD1Y Endo Steel
Power Plant:          Ceres Motors 275 
Walking Speed:        54 kph    
Maximum Speed:        86.4 kph  
Jump Jets:            Chilton 950 Improved
    Jump Capacity:    210 meters
Armor:                Durallex Medium Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:             
    1 ER PPC (C)
    4 Medium Pulse Lasers
Manufacturer:         Ceres Metals Industries
    Primary Factory:  Capella
Communications:       CeresCom Model 21-Rs
Targeting & Tracking: C-Apple Churchill

================================================================================================
Overview:
    Originally it was thought the appearance of Eidolon medium BattleMechs in the CCAF was a
    result of late-Jihad battlefield salvage. While numbers appeared disproportionately high for
    a design that did not appear until late into Operation SCOUR, this was attributed to the
    constant shell game the Confederation has been playing with their forces. Recent
    intelligence has uncovered that the Confederation is producing the Eidolon, now renamed the
    Yao Lien, at Ceres Metals Industries on Capella. The source of this new manufacturing can be
    traced back to April of 3078 and the conflict on the world of Liberty.
    
    When Free Worlds Task Force II landed on Liberty, its greatest military threat was not the
    Word of Blake but the CCAF. Having had their Protectorate militia pulled off to help defend
    Dieron, Liberty itself could put up little resistance ? not that the residents were much
    interested in standing up for their Blakist overlords. Initially, however, Warrior House
    Imarra and its supporting forces clashed violently with the Free World?s Home Guard. Only
    after the unusual move of taking control of the island outpost of Quantico, in a daring hot
    drop, did the Capellan forces agree to a ceasefire and later mediation of the planet?s
    ownership.
    
    It was not until after House Imarra withdrew from the world that the importance of Quantico
    was discovered. The dismantled remains of a Martinson Armaments facility and obvious
    BattleMech production lines were discovered among the ancient ruins of Quantico?s former
    SLDF Marine base. Firm intelligence has linked the Martinson factory with producing the
    Eidolon, and thus was the source of the renamed Capellan ?Mech.

Capabilities:
    The Word of Blake?s Eidolon was one of Cameron St. Jamais? many late-Jihad efforts to
    bolster the crumbling Protectorate. Examinations of battlefield salvage, coupled with recent
    intelligence out of the Confederation, shows that it was not so much that it was designed as
    it was the product of ?leftovers.? Production of Celestials and other dedicated Manei Domini
    units had long outstripped the ability for Apollyon to crew them. While Apollyon continued
    to block St. Jamais? efforts to acquire these cutting edge units, for non Shadow Division
    units, St. Jamais was not without recourse. In the case of the Eidolon nearly of all its
    components came by diverting excess parts for Celestial OmniMechs to Liberty and the
    Martinson Armaments facility.
    
    At some point during the Jihad, the Capellans discovered the existence of the small factory
    on Liberty. Later, during the extended cease fire with Coalition forces, they successfully
    dismantled the facility. With full plans, critical construction equipment, and enough parts
    to begin production, the Confederation was turning out Yao Liens in limited numbers within
    months of the surrender at Terra. It was bringing online their own internal supply chain and
    moving to full production that finally tipped off our intelligence forces that the
    Confederation was building the former Word ?Mech and not just leveraging battlefield
    salvage.
    
    Slightly slower than the classic fifty-five ton designs, the Eidolon was intended for broken
    terrain and urban combat with an additional sixty meters jump range due to its improved jump
    jets. Its weapon load out is the most obvious indicator of its ?use what we can get? design
    philosophy. Two Donal Snub-Nose PPCs made up the sole armament of the original design, which
    the Confederation has continued with weapons of local manufacture. Originally intended to be
    a spotter for a Word C3 Level II, the Confederation removed the C3i system, replacing it
    with the relatively common conversion of an ECM suite and standard C3 slave. The Yao Lien
    continues the Eidolon?s intended role as spotter and backstabber, using jump mobility in
    broken terrain to great effect.

Deployment:
    The Word?s Eidolon was first seen in December of 3077, though never more than a single
    example at a time. Salvaged models are extremely rare, with most outside the Confederation
    dismantled for parts. Even before starting production the CCAF had the largest number of
    salvaged units, but it was still considered a very unusual design. With Ceres Arms beginning
    full production, it is expected this unit will see moderate deployment. The Warrior Houses
    in particular have expressed an interest, with at least two future production models
    earmarked for each of the surviving Houses.

Variants:
    Yao Lien Project Leader, Sheng DiDi, and his team have been tinkering extensively to try to
    modify the limited weapons loadout. So far all their attempts have been failures, as the
    chassis and electronics designs of the Yao Lien have led to fire control or frame stress
    issues with any other weapon systems.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                         Endo Steel                 3.00                     
Engine:                                     275 Fusion                15.50                     
    Walking MP:                                 5                                               
    Running MP:                                 8                                               
    Jumping MP:                                 7                                               
Heat Sinks (Double):                         10 [20]                   0.00                     
Gyro:                                        Standard                  3.00                     
Cockpit:                                      Small                    2.00                     
Armor Factor:                                  185                    10.50                     
    Type:                                 Ferro-Fibrous                                         

                                    Internal         Armor     
                                    Structure        Value     
    Head:                               3              9       
    Center Torso:                      18             29       
    Center Torso (rear):                               7       
    R/L Torso:                         13             21       
    R/L Torso (rear):                                  5       
    R/L Arm:                            9             18       
    R/L Leg:                           13             26       

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                       Location          Critical     Tonnage   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Medium Pulse Lasers                                     H                 2          4.00             
2 Medium Pulse Lasers                                     CT                2          4.00             
4 Improved Jump Jets                                      RT                8          4.00             
3 Improved Jump Jets                                      LT                6          3.00             
ER PPC (C)                                                RA                2          6.00             

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 48
TP: BM,  SZ: 2,  TMM: 2,  MV: 10"/14"j
Damage: (S) 3 / (M) 3 / (L) 2,  OV: 2
Armor (A): 6,  Structure (S): 5
Specials: ENE, JMPS1
 
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Code Release 2.25.5 (2025-11-01T16:12:58-04:00)