V5.00ˆK Black Knight BL-13-KNTö ÊCˆÒ0E0EÐAˆA@AMH 5 6 5 3 2— 4 ecm, c3i,  4 (Unknown)4 (Unknown)< (Unknown)x (Unknown)< (Unknown)w (Unknown)444 <444 <xx   wwâÿÐ? The Star League Army introduced the Black Knight into service in 2578, designing the 'Mech to primarily serve the role of a company or battalion command unit. Its heavy armor gives the Black Knight the staying power needed to make it an ideal command 'Mech for front-line units, and its ample arsenal of weapons allows the 'Mech to effectively fill more aggressive combat assignments. The communications system originally installed in the Black Knight was state-of-the-art even by Star League standards. It effortlessly coordinated communications for an entire company at once, and could link together the command frequencies of a whole regiment if necessary. Because its targeting computer was directly tied into the Black Knight's sensors, the 'Mech's on-board computers were able to identify targets before the unit established line of sight. Today, Kong Interstellar uses the readily available Tek suite of electronics. Though far less advanced than the original communications, command, and targeting gear, the Tek suite is the best available for new BattleMechs.  To provide the greatest possible protection for the commander, Kong originally built the Knight with a lighter chassis and armor, enabling the BattleMech to carry more armor at less tonnage. When the complex orbital facilities that supplied Kong Interstellar with those advanced building materials were destroyed in 2802, the company had to choose between redesigning the Black Knight or shutting down its assembly lines. The flagging sales of their other BattleMechs, the Ostsol and the Ostscout, gave Kong no real choice but to retool. Fortunately, the company's gamble paid off. The redesigned Black Knight began production in 2809, and demand for the 'Mech almost immediately outstripped production. The BL7-KNT Black Knight supports only 11 tons of armor, slightly under the norm for a 75-ton BattleMech. This minor disadvantage is handsomely offset by the truly impressive amount of firepower the Black Knight makes available to the pilot. The centerpiece of the Black Knight's arsenal is the Magna Hellstar II particle projection cannon mounted on the outside of the right arm. The positioning of the weapon creates the impression that the Black Knight is wielding an immense sword made of lightning in the hundredths of a second it takes for the weapon to fully discharge. Complementing the Hellstar are two Tronel II large lasers, mounted one each in the left and right torsos. This is the same model large laser as found on the Ostsol, enabling both 'Mechs to share the same repair and replacement parts for these important weapons. For close combat, the Black Knight carries four Tronel II medium lasers, one mounted in each arm and the left and right torsos, and a head-mounted Tronel I small laser. The MechWarrior piloting the Black Knight must manage the 'Mech's weapon use carefully in order to avoid overheating, a constant concern in a unit carrying this much firepower.     :Source: Record Sheets: Upgrades Entered by Larry Leslie [ none ]Kong Interstellar Corporation (Unknown)VlarNumell DuraBond Technicron 1LTransComm AlphaBeagle Active Probe (Unknown)