V5.00FAvatarC3i DDAAAMH 5 3 5 4 2 4 omni, c3i     (Unknown)3 (Unknown)a (Unknown)a (Unknown)w (Unknown)8 (Unknown)33 aa ww aa     88n The Combine victory on Luthien in December of 3051 also won the DCMS numerous damaged Clan Omnimechs, many of which ended up at the Luthien Armor Works for technical evaluation. The DCMS also elected to field some of the captured Clan 'Mechs, but soon discovered that units composed of Clan Omnimechs were excessively prone to problems and breakdowns because the DCMS lacked the technological expertise to maintain the complex Clan machines. Within two or three months, most DCMS units equipped with captured OmniMechs reported at least 50 percent of their 'Mechs unavailable for combat because of equipment failures. The DCMS turned to Luthien Armor Works for a solution. The engineering team chose to rebuild the captured Clan 'Mechs using only those components that the DCMS could maintain and selected several captured Vultures for the first attempt. The engineers kept the Vulture's leg design, but replaced the engine. That change required them to redesign the 'Mechs upper torso to fit the bulkier Inner Sphere engine. The designers also reworked other components, and eventually christened their new 'Mech the Avatar.D The Avatar fills the traditional role played by heavy 'Mechs in the Combine's new Omnimech force. Though slightly slower than its likely Clan opponents, it is better armored and its weapons bays are 25 percent bigger. Though the Inner Sphere weapons it carries are less capable than their Clan counterparts, the Avatar still has a slight firepower advantage over most Clan heavy 'Mechs. The Avatar has two fixed medium lasers, an unusual configuration. The fire-control systems of the weapons pods in the first prototypes were prone to short out at inopportune times, and so the designers elected to give the 'Mech a set of hardwired lasers that the pilot could use in self-defense if the weapons pod shorted out in combat. The fire-control glitch was resolved in the production models, but the fixed lasers were never removed.  The Avatar C3i was designed in a joint venture between the Combine and ComStar to further advance ComStars use of it's C3i computer. The Avatar C3i will finally give ComStar a long-range fire support 'Mech that it did not have until now. The 2 10-LRM racks are installed to work with ComStar's new iNarc that is currently installed on the TSN-1C Tessen, KTO-21 Kintaro and EXT-5E Exterminator. The extended-range large laser tied to the C3i alows the Avatar C3i to engage opponets at long range while waiting for the LRM's to recycle. The MRM-20 was installed at the suggestion of the designers. It gives the Avatar C3i a deadly close range stike when used along with the two fixed medium lasers. The Avatar is currently being deployed in DCMS heavy 'Mech lances along the Clan border, and has also appeared in limited numbers with Com Star and Lyran Alliance forces.   [ none ]Luthien Armor WorksLuthienVOXStandard with CASEHildCo Heavy Type VIIQT (Unknown) (Unknown) (Unknown)