When you reach Heavy BattleMechs, you find yourself looking at expensive and hardy equipment more often than not. Massing between 60 and 75 tons, these 'Mechs are often devoted to one particular role and equipped specifically for that role; generalist Heavy 'Mechs are often found lacking in armor, or firepower, or management of their waste heat. However, there is no argument about the necessity of Heavy 'Mechs if you plan on a serious battle.
60 Tons
Dragon
Known models: DRG-1N
Developed by the Draconis Combine, the Dragon is naturally used quite often as a valued BattleMech. It is a fast, moderately well-armored Heavy BattleMech armed with a Class 5 Autocannon in the right arm and a ten-missile Long Range launcher supported by a Medium Laser each facing forward and backwards.
Lancelot
Known models: LNC-25-02
An old design dating back to the Star League, recently the Lancelot has been returned to production in a limited basis by the Draconis Combine. As such it has remarkably limited information about its capabilities other than the basic armaments. It is armed with a PPC and two Large Lasers with a Medium Laser backup.
Ostroc
Known models: OSR-2C
The Ost-series of BattleMechs are quite uncommon, as they are no longer in production, but they remain rather elegant machines regardless. Paired Large Laser and Medium Laser emplacements in either side of the torso and a shoulder-mounted four-missile Short Range launcher allows this Heavy BattleMech to be quite dangerous at a decent speed.
Ostsol
Known models: OTL-4D
With no production lines creating Ost-series BattleMechs currently, these have become a uncommon to rare sight in many forces. However, should you find one and have good fortune finding parts you will be well served by paired Large and Medium Lasers in the sides of the torso and two Medium Lasers pointed to the rear arc to threaten flanking units.
Quickdraw
Known models: QKD-4G, QKD-5A
Designing the Quickdraw left a few odd choices which prove to give it interesting uses. It is armed with a ten-missile Long Range launcher system and a four-tube Short Range launcher in the torso while its arms mount a Medium Laser in each. Two more Medium Lasers are affixed to fire backwards out of the torso, but the trick to the design is how its arms are able to fold backwards and also fire backwards if need be.
The QKD-5A model trades the long-range missiles for more of a short-range punch with two more Medium Lasers in the torso weapon emplacement. With the speed and mobility of the Quickdraw, it can make a decent close-range fighter.
65 Tons
Catapult
Known models: CPLT-C1, CPLT-K2
The Catapult is one of the more immediately-recognizable BattleMechs. It's very good at the fire-support role, but there remain very vew in service today. Its primary armaments are two fifteen-tube Long Range missile launchers, backed by four Medium Lasers for when it exhausts its ammunition supply. Surprisingly tough, and adaptable to various terrain, you could do worse.
The Draconis Combine created a line of Catapult variants which instead of a missile fire-support role, were put into the role of direct fire-support. Armed with twin PPCs, it might definitely serve this purpose. However, it is believed to be even rarer than a normal Catapult model; any surviving models of this variant would be privately owned.
Crusader
Known models: CRD-3R
The Crusader is similar in armament to the Catapult, but different in shape and still in actual production. It has a classical humanoid appearance with arms, each arm having a fifteen-missile Long-Range launchers backed with a Medium Laser and Machine Gun. It also has two six-tube Short-Range launchers in the hips, as a boost to its short-range damage capacity.
Thunderbolt
Known models: TDR-5S, TDR-5SS, TDR-5SE
A proven design which has seen more than a few modifications, the Thunderbolt is an excellent and capable multi-role BattleMech. It is armed with a shoulder-mounted fifteen-missile Long-Range launcher, three Medium Lasers and a two-tube Short-Range launcher in the chest, two Machine Guns in the left arm, and a Large Laser in the right arm. It very much can handle many roles which a Heavy 'Mech may be asked to undertake.
The two variant models are both slight variations on the same theme. The TDR-5SE model strips out the Short-Range missiles and machine guns while downgrading the other launcher to a ten-tube version in order to give it jump jets. The TDR-5SS model trades the laser for a PPC, the Long-Range launcher for a six-missile Short-Range launcher, and the existing Short-Range launcher for two Flamers. All three models are useful in various roles, widely employed in various armed forces and mercenary outfits.
70 Tons
Archer
Known models: ARC-2R, ARC-2K
This Heavy BattleMech is designed almost entirely to be capable of firing up to forty Long-Range missiles in a single salvo with its twin launchers. Backed up by a Medium Lasers in each arm, and two facing the back, it is very adept at handling the missile support role. The ARC-2K model instead steps down the missile launchers in size and replaces the Medium Lasers with a Large Laser in each arm. This adjustment gives the 2K a stronger short-range response to lean on, but does increase the burden of waste heat for firing them by moving the lasers up in effectiveness.
Cataphract
Known models: CTF-1X
The Capellan Confederation designed the Cataphract entirely from parts it could produce locally, and is armed likewise with an assortment of weapons. A PPC and Class 10 Autocannon form its primary armament, while four Medium Lasers (two facing the rear) give it a decent short-range backup plan. It is remarkably rare to see one outside the Confederation or the regions nearby, but not unheard of.
Grasshopper
Known models: GRH-5H
A lanky humanoid form with a Large Laser, four Medium Lasers, and a five-tube Long-Range missile launcher, the Grasshopper has a particular design niche. It was primarily designed to be capable of hunting down smaller BattleMechs and taking them apart gradually. With most of its weaponry invested in energy weapons, and a healthy amount of armor, it is quite safe doing this task for extended periods.
Guillotine
Known models: GLT-4L, GLT-4P
An uncommon, but strikingly-designed Heavy 'Mech, the Guillotine has its left arm devoted to the Large Laser primary weapon. The right arm ends in two Medium Lasers, with two more in the torso backed by a six-missile Short-Range launcher. It is effective, and distinctive. The 4P model replaces the Large Laser with a PPC, in exchange for some armor weight.
Warhammer
Known models: WHM-6R
The Warhammer is a well-known BattleMech designed to be dangerous to anything smaller than it, and to inflict grievous damage on anything else. For this role it is armed with two PPCs in either arm, two Medium Lasers, two Small Lasers, and two Machine Guns inside the chest. On one shoulder it has a dedicated spotlight and on the other it carries a six-missile Short-Range launcher. While it can readily inflict a lot of damage, it is not as heavily armored as others in its weight class.
75 Tons
Black Knight
Known models: BL-7-KNT
The Black Knight is a rare sight on the battlefield, armed with an entirely energy-based loadout and moderately well-armored. It has a singular PPC and two Large Lasers as the primary armament, and assorted other laser weapons to back this up. As the years have worn on, fewer of these BattleMech models have been seen, but there are still some in operation out there.
Orion
Known models: ON1-K, ON1-V
Another multi-role Heavy BattleMech, the Orion is armed with a Class 10 Autocannon, a fifteen-missile Long Range launcher, two Medium Lasers, and a four-missile Short-Range launcher. The heavy dependence on ammunition leaves it requiring a good supply line but it can be very effective if one doesn't need to worry about this. The ON1-V model in comparison removes some of the armor to mount a second Short-Range launcher, but no additional heat dissipation components.
Marauder
Known models: MAD-3R, MAD-3M
One of the other well-known BattleMechs which walks the battlefields of the Inner Sphere is the Marauder, quite a heavily-armed BattleMech. Its arms are thin constructions ending in dedicated weapon housings for a PPC and Medium Laser in each pod, while a Class 5 Autocannon is situated across a shoulder to back up its PPCs. The 3M model replaces the PPCs in the arm pods with Large Lasers, trading a bit of heat efficiency for range.
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