Luthien Armor Works introduced the Grand Dragon DRG-12K in 3147. In order to upgrade the Grand Dragon to fit the battlefields of the late Dark Age, they made upgrades to Clan weaponry. That gave the design a considerable upgrade in firepower compared to the DRG-10K from the early Dark Age.
As of the ilClan era, the DRG-12K has only been available to the Draconis Combine.
Read This First
- You’re a Grand Dragon DRG-1G, but way better thanks to advancing technology
- Use your speed to maintain a good target movement modifier and a range of just under 14 hexes
- Be careful about when to use your MASC system – look for opportunities to boost your defensive modifier or get into or out of range brackets
- Consider loading special munitions with your second ton of LRMs
Grand Dragon DRG-12K
- Role: Skirmisher
- Tech Base: Mixed (3147)
- Chassis: 60 tons (Endo Steel)
- Movement: 6 / 9 (12), XL
- Armor: 186 (Light Ferro Fibrous)
- Heat Sinks: 14 (28)
- Weapons:
- Clan ER PPC
- Clan Medium Pulse Laser × 2
- Clan LRM 10 (ammo: 24)
- Equipment:
- CASE II
- MASC
- Design Quirks:
- Extended Torso Twist
- Narrow/Low Profile
- Stable
- Cost: 15,511,680 C-Bills
- Battle Value: 2,265
Mobility
The DRG-12K is faster than average for its weight class. Where most heavy ’Mechs move either 4/6 or 5/8, it has a base movement profile of 6/9 and then can use MASC to match the running speed of a Locust LCT-1V. That speed allows the Grand Dragon’s MechWarrior to generally control the engagement range when facing off against other heavy ’Mechs and achieve a respectable +3 or even +4 target movement modifier when running. The MASC system is not without its risks though, so a MechWarrior should try to only engage the system when needed and avoid using it on consecutive turns.
Durability
The Grand Dragon DRG-12K has about average durability for its tonnage. It carries a slightly better than average amount of armor putting it at 93% of the maximum for its chassis. That protection skews towards its upper half with its side torsos and arms fully armored while its legs have below average protection. The Narrow/Low Profile quirk lets the DRG-12K get more out of its armor as well by reducing some hits to half damage.
Under the armor, its biggest vulnerability is its Inner Sphere XL engine that means the loss of either side torso will disable the Grand Dragon. The design’s left torso also has a third of its critical slots occupied by ammunition, but its CASE II protection greatly reduces the impact of any explosions.
Weaponry
The DRG-12K’s armament follows the same pattern as most Grand Dragon variants since the original DRG-1G. Thanks to improved availability of advanced technology, the DRG-12K’s weapons are all upgraded to Clan technology. The main weapons are an ER PPC and an LRM 10, and then two medium pulse lasers provide support. The ER PPC gives the design a maximum range of 23 hexes, and both it and the long-range missiles reach medium range at 14 hexes. Unlike earlier iterations of the weapon systems, neither the DRG-12K’s PPC or LRMs suffer from a minimum range.
The weapons of the Grand Dragon DRG-12K are well distributed. Its ER PPC is in its right arm, the LRMs in its center torso, and then it has one medium pulse laser in its left arm, and one covering its rear arc. Combined with its Extended Torso Twist quirk, that means it can easily engage targets in any direction.
The LRM 10 is the only system on the DRG-12K that requires ammunition. It carries two tons for a total of 24 shots which is more than enough for its MechWarrior not to worry too much about accuracy when firing. Alternatively, a MechWarrior can opt to swap out one ton for mission-specific munitions such as smoke, fragmentation, or mine-clearing missiles while still keeping enough standard missiles to last through most battles.
Heat Management
The DRG-12K’s 14 double heat sinks keep it cool in most situations. Its forward-firing weapons only generate 23 heat, so even when firing all of them and running it won’t overheat. If it also fires its rear-facing pulse laser, then it can exceed its cooling capacity by 1 point when running, but that slight amount of overheating should be easy for a MechWarrior to manage.
Brawling
Like most Grand Dragon variants, the DRG-12K is not particularly well-suited to fighting in a melee. Its MechWarrior should be keeping it mobile and at ranges closer to 14 hexes rather than arm’s reach. If it does find itself at point-blank range, it is usually better off firing its arm-mounted weapons than trying to land punches for only 6 damage. In that case, it can kick for 12 damage instead. Defensively, the Stable quirk helps it to stay on its own feet if it is hit by its opponent’s physical attacks.
Cost & Upkeep
The advanced Clan technology and powerful XL engine push up the DRG-12K’s price tag. It costs nearly 3 times as many C-Bills as the Successions War era DRG-1G. Due to using Clan LRMs, it is also more expensive to reload, but it will generally only need to replace one ton of missiles after each engagement.
When using the Warchest Point system, these are the expected costs for the Grand Dragon DRG-12K:
| Action | Cost |
| Purchase | 1,200 SP |
| Armor Repair | 60 SP |
| Structure Repair | 120 SP |
| Reload | 10 SP |
Miniature
The plastic Dragon in the Inner Sphere Support Lance force pack is a great option for representing the DRG-12K.
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