The Locust LCT-1E is a variant Locust introduced by the Capellan Confederation during the First Succession War in 2811. It modifies the armament to be composed of only energy weapons. That frees it from supply lines and increases its ability to damage armored targets at the expense of less anti-infantry weaponry.
The LCT-1E remained in use by the Capellan Confederation into the Republic era, but never spread to other Inner Sphere powers. The breakaway St. Ives Compact made use of the design, and during the later Republic era and the Dark Age era it also became available throughout the Periphery.
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- Keep running in order to be a difficult target and accomplish mission objectives
- You have enough firepower to act as a striker, but you’re at your best if you can target light ’Mechs and vehicles or the rear of heavier targets
- Try to avoid anything that requires a Piloting Skill Roll due to unfavorable quirks
Locust LCT-1E
- Role: Scout
- Tech Base: Inner Sphere (2811)
- Chassis: 20 tons
- Movement: 8 / 12
- Armor: 64
- Heat Sinks: 10 (10)
- Weapons:
- Medium Laser × 2
- Small Laser × 2
- Design Quirks
- Compact ’Mech
- Cramped Cockpit
- Narrow/Low Profile
- No/Minimal Arms
- Weak Legs
- Cost: 1,574,200 C-Bills
- Battle Value: 553
Mobility
The LCT-1E has the typical movement profile for a Locust. It has a walking speed of 8 and a running speed of 12. It lacks jump jets, so rough terrain can be a problem for it compared to other scouts. In open terrain it can maintain a +4 target movement modifier while running.
The Locust does suffer from a couple of quirks that make piloting it more difficult. The Cramped Cockpit quirk makes every Piloting Skill Roll a little more likely to fail, and the No/Minimal Arms quirk means that standing up can be difficult. Because of those drawbacks, a MechWarrior should avoid terrain like rubble or water that could cause it to suffer a fall.
Durability
The LCT-1E has good armor protection for its size, but as a 20-ton ’Mech it is still quite vulnerable to damage. The arms are the most vulnerable hit locations with a single medium laser hit being enough to damage internal structure. It does not carry any ammunition or explosive components, but its empty side torsos mean that it is more likely to suffer engine and gyro damage since any critical hit to a torso location will roll on the center torso crit table. The Narrow/Low Profile quirk does boost its durability thanks to halving damage from some hits.
Weaponry
The Locust LCT-1E carries two medium lasers and two small lasers. The medium lasers give it a potential 10 damage out to 9 hexes, and then the small lasers can add 6 more damage within 3 hexes. None of the weapons have a minimum range, so the expected damage output is maximized at a range of 1 hex.
The two medium lasers provide enough firepower that the LCT-1E can serve as a striker in addition to its normal scouting role. The small lasers can add to the firepower, but they can be risky to use because it requires the Locust to get very close to its targets which makes it easier to hit. Ideally when acting in this role, a Locust can use its speed to get behind its targets so that its lasers have a chance to hit the target’s thinnest armor.
All of the LCT-1E’s weapons are in its arms. Between torso rotation and flipping its arms, a MechWarrior can fire on targets in any direction with all of its weapons.
The Locust LCT-1E does not use any ammunition.
Heat Management
The armament and cooling capacity of the Locust LCT-1E are well-balanced. When running and firing all of its lasers, it generates 10 points of heat. Its 10 single heat sinks dissipate that heat without any issues, so a MechWarrior should only need to hold back on firing their lasers under unusual circumstances.
Brawling
A MechWarrior in a Locust LCT-1E should avoid getting into brawls. The No/Minimal Arms quirk means that it cannot throw punches, and it is more vulnerable to kicks due to the Weak Legs quirk. It can kick for 4 damage, but if it misses a kick, then it is more likely to fall over due to the Cramped Cockpit quirk.
Other Capabilities
The Locust benefits from the Compact ’Mech quirk, so two of them can fit in a single bay on a dropship.
Cost & Upkeep
The LCT-1E is very inexpensive. It uses only introductory technology and requires no ammunition. That makes it especially well-suited for operating behind enemy lines.
When using the Warchest Point system, these are the expected costs for the Locust LCT-1E:
| Action | Cost |
| Purchase | 200 SP |
| Armor Repair | 20 SP |
| Structure Repair | 40 SP |
| Reload | N/A |
Miniature
A plastic Locust LCT-1V is included in the A Game of Armored Combat box set and can be used to represent the LCT-1E or any other Locust variant. Iron Wind Metals also sells a metal kit using the same sculpt that can be assembled as an LCT-1E in addition to the LCT-1V and LCT-1Vb variants.
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