The Banshee, introduced in 2445 by the Terran Hegemony, is a 'Mech that was designed specifically for close-assault operations during the early years of BattleMech warfare. A contemporary of the Mackie and Emperor, the Banshee is undeniably fast for one of the heaviest 'Mechs ever produced, and with fifteen tons of armor it is better protected than most other assault 'Mechs. However the use of a massive GM 380 fusion engine left little room for weaponry, and even at the time of its introduction the Banshee was considered under-gunned compared to its privately-built competition. As critics noted, what use was impressive armor and mobility if a better-armed enemy could overwhelm and destroy it? The result was a mediocre 'Mech which even the lowly Rifleman could beat as long as it prevented the Banshee's mass from coming into play.
The Hegemony soldiered on though, producing five thousand Banshees in a decade before its poor combat performance finally forced them to stop production in 2455 and the 'Mech was relegated to training and militia units for the next few centuries. Even during the Succession Wars the 'Mech's poor reputation meant many commanders saw it as a liability rather than an asset; unless they were fighting on a backwater Periphery world or as part of a poorly-equipped outfit, most Banshees were placed in second-line reserves to provide fire support or fulfill the role of brawlers so that better-armed 'Mechs need not engage in hand-to-hand combat. In this way fully a third of the original Banshee production run remained operational by the dawn of the 31st Century and could be found throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery, with the lion's share residing within the Lyran Commonwealth..
Metamechs Banshee Mastery Guide
Available Models[]
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BNC-3E[]The Banshee BNC-3E is a 'Mech that was designed specifically for close-assault operations during the early years of BattleMech warfare. A contemporary of the Mackie and Emperor, the Banshee is undeniably fast for one of the heaviest 'Mechs ever produced, and with fifteen tons of armor it is better protected than most other assault 'Mechs. However the use of a massive GM 380 fusion engine left little room for weaponry, and even at the time of its introduction the Banshee was considered under-gunned compared to its privately-built competition. As critics noted, what use was impressive armor and mobility if a better-armed enemy could overwhelm and destroy it? The result was a mediocre 'Mech which even the lowly Rifleman could beat as long as it prevented the Banshee's mass from coming into play | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BNC-3M[]The Banshee BNC-3M was the first attempt to truly alter the original Banshee and increase its raw firepower. Produced by the Capellan Confederation the 3M replaced the Autocannon/5 with a second PPC and installed two Medium Lasers. While this does increase the firepower of the 'Mech, it puts an incredible heat burden on the machine as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BNC-3M[]The Banshee BNC-3M was the first attempt to truly alter the original Banshee and increase its raw firepower. Produced by the Capellan Confederation the 3M replaced the Autocannon/5 with a second PPC and installed two Medium Lasers. While this does increase the firepower of the 'Mech, it puts an incredible heat burden on the machine as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BNC-3S[]The Banshee BNC-3S was Defiance Industries' attempt to turn the Banshee into a typical assault 'Mech, replacing the bulky GM engine with a lighter Pitban 285. While this reduces its maximum speed to 48 km/h, it also frees up a great deal of room for weapons. The 'Mech is armed with two PPCs for long range, an Imperator-B AC/10 to engage an enemy at intermediate ranges, four Magna Mk II Medium Lasers and a Harpoon SRM 6 launcher for short-range combat, and finally a second Small Laser to round out the weapons payload. Five more heat sinks were added, though overheating remains a problem, and its armoring remains the same. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BNC-LM[]The Banshee BNC-LM "La Malinche" is a Hero variant of the Banshee. It benefits from the 30% C-Bill Bonus provided by all Hero Mechs. The unique โLa Malincheโ variant is a powerful war machine, and with the Aztec-inspired art of old Terra, she is both as beautiful, as she is deadly. Equipped with a massive arsenal of weapons, there is guaranteed to be something for every MechWarrior. Along with the capability to equip an Anti-Missile System, โLa Malincheโ comes stock with a Small Pulse Laser in the head, a PPC in the left arm, an AC/10 and Medium Pulse Laser in the left torso, an LRM15 in the right torso, and finally a Large Pulse Laser in the right arm. Moving at a top speed of 64.8 kph with the aforementioned weapons loadout is not a problem thanks to its 380XL Engine, and staying cool in the heat of battle is no sweat thanks to 16 upgraded Double Heat Sinks. And how does she handle? Well you're in luck, as I just happen to have received the latest diagnostic results. The tests show that the torso can move 110 degrees to each side with a 20 degree angle pitch, though it appears that the range of the arc results in a 10% reduction in speed. The arms are capable of moving 20 degrees to each side, and 30 degrees up and down. All this, combined with an Endo-Steel Internal Structure, and over 17 tons of Standard Armor, makes โLa Malincheโ a force to be reckoned with. |
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