The UrbanMech was introduced during the Star League as a light ’Mech for urban combat. It traded away mobility in the open field in order to increase armor protection and firepower. The result is a tough design for its tonnage, but it suffers from major drawbacks outside of its city fighting niche.
The UM-R60 has been used in urban garrisons since its introduction, but more advanced variants have replaced it since the Clan Invasion. From the fall of the Star League until the Jihad, it could be found in service to every major Inner Sphere and Periphery nation. Then during the disarmament following the formation of the Republic of the Sphere, it largely disappeared except in the Periphery. By the Dark Ages, the only nation still fielding it in significant numbers is the Scorpion Empire in the Deep Periphery.
Read This First
- You’re painfully slow which makes you vulnerable to enemy fire and unable to outmaneuver anything other than foot infantry
- Find a protected position surrounded by dense terrain, stand still, and take advantage of your wide firing arcs
- You can use your jump jets to clear obstacles or small buildings
- You don’t need to worry about heat at all, but if you get trigger happy you might be left with only a small laser to protect yourself by the end of a battle
UrbanMech UM-R60
- Role: Ambusher
- Tech Base: Inner Sphere (2675)
- Chassis: 30 tons
- Movement: 2 / 3
- Jumping: 2
- Armor: 96
- Heat Sinks: 11 (11)
- Weapons:
- AC/10 (ammo: 10)
- Small Laser
- Design Quirks:
- Extended Torso Twist
- Narrow/Low Profile
- No/Minimal Arms
- Cost: 1,471,925 C-Bills
- Battle Value: 504
Mobility
The UrbanMech UM-R60 has terrible mobility for a light ’Mech. With only 3 MP when running, it is as slow as the slowest assault ’Mechs. Its two jump jets help it in rough terrain, but are not enough for it to be considered fast. At best it can manage a +1 target movement modifier, so a MechWarrior is often better off finding a position that offers protection such as behind partial cover or in a woods hex. It is best suited to defending dense terrain that will slow down its opponents so that its lack of speed is less of a disadvantage.
Durability
To counteract its slow speed, the UM-R60 carries thicker armor. It has 91% of the maximum armor for its chassis, but that is still not enough for it to survive sustained fire. A single AC/10 or PPC hit is enough to remove almost all of the armor from any of its hit locations. The Narrow/Low Profile quirk helps to improve its durability by turning some hits into glancing blows. The right torso is vulnerable to critical damage with a third of its slots occupied by explosive autocannon rounds.
Weaponry
The UM-R60’s main weapon is an AC/10. That gives it relatively strong punch for a light ’Mech and a respectable 15 hex range. The design’s only other weapon is a small laser that has minimal range and damage potential.
Against light targets, an UrbanMech is best served by using its range advantage and engaging targets at about 10 hexes, but its slow speed means that it is rarely able to control the engagement range against even much heavier opponents. In order to maximize its usefulness, an UrbanMech needs to be positioned in a location offering protection from enemy fire that will also lure in enemy forces so that it can bring its autocannon to bear.
The UM-R60 does manage to make up for some of its mobility problems by having exceptional firing arcs. It benefits from the Extended Torso Twist quirk and has the ability to flip its arms. That means that both of its weapons can be fired at a target in any direction without the UrbanMech needing to move.
With an autocannon as its only notable weapon, the UM-R60 is dependent on its ammunition supply in order to stay in a fight. It carries 10 shots which could potentially run out in a long battle but should last as long as the UrbanMech’s armor in most firefights.
Heat Management
The UM-R60 has more than enough heat sinks to keep it cool. When firing both of its weapons and either running or jumping, it only generates 6 points of heat. It carries 11 standard heat sinks which can dissipate that with plenty of cooling capacity to spare.
Brawling
The UrbanMech is poorly suited to a brawl against other ’Mechs. Its No/Minimal Arms quirk means that it cannot punch. It can only kick for 6 points of damage. Its slow speed also means that it has little chance to get itself into kicking range against any target that doesn’t also want to be fighting up close.
Cost & Upkeep
Fitting its role as an urban garrison unit, the UM-R60 is one of the least expensive ’Mechs. Its reliance on an autocannon does mean that it requires access to an ammunition depot though to stay useful.
When using the Warchest Point system, these are the expected costs for the UrbanMech UM-R60:
| Action | Cost |
| Purchase | 300 SP |
| Armor Repair | 30 SP |
| Structure Repair | 60 SP |
| Reload | 5 SP |
Miniature
The new plastic UrbanMech was available as part of the Clan Invasion Kickstarter in a standalone salvage box.
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