Mechanized Weapons Platform

Throughout much of the First and Second Waves conflict was common on the frontier. While the Jump Gate network reduced the need to fight over resources on the frontier, human ambition being what it is wars, skirmishes and conflicts both minor and major were inevitable. During much of this time war was the driving force behind technical innovation. Deadlier and deadlier weapons were built along with supporting technologies, many of which had practical uses off the battlefield as well. Without a doubt the king of these weapons was the Mechanized Weapons Platform designed by Asgard Macro Tech.
Often colloquially called BattleMechs or just Mechs, MWPs average between four and sixteen meters dominating the battlefields of the Pretech era. Capable of mobility unmatched by other mechanized units, Mechs come equipped with various loadouts of astronomical firepower. Within a century of AMT's first Locust-class Mech striding across the battlefield hundreds of different chassis models had been manufactured and were in general circulation from just about every weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Contained within the various chassis models, Mech manufacturers fielded numerous variants of the same chassis featuring differing weapon loadouts, armor configurations and auxiliary systems. While the number of chassis models and their variants number almost as much as the stars in the sky all MWPs fill the same essential roles on the battle field.
Mechs were the pinnacle achievement of weapons development during the pretech era, but today little is understood about their design and function and there are very few worlds that are capable of manufacturing them. Today BattleMechs are treated as precious family heirlooms, trophies and even treasure. Conflicts involving mechs often end with unclear victories as one side withdraws in an effort to spare their mech from complete destruction, knowing that while repairing them is relatively simple, rebuilding them would be next to impossible.