MercTech: Cicada

History:
Designed as a competitor to the supremely successful Locust, the 40 ton Cicada is twice the weight, but manages to match its competitor in speed and surpass it in durability and firepower. The Cicada was Hartfordco Industries' first and, ultimately, last foray into the battlemech market, as the company went under during the Succession Wars. To match the Locust's excellent top speed, the Cicada required a massive 320-rated fusion engine, its weight limiting its firepower and its protection to a measly 4 tons of armor. While overall the Cicada is a superior fighter to the Locust, it is over twice as expensive, which is why it never reached its level of success.

By the 31st Century the Cicada was nearly extinct, until the rediscovery of the Helm Memory Core allowed it to re-enter production, where the integration of advanced technologies into new variants allowed the Cicada to perform different roles than scouting, including sniping and fire support. New variants would continue to be developed until the Word of Blake's Jihad.

CDA-2A:
Structure: Standard

Armor: Standard 4 tons

Engine: Standard 320

Top Speed: 130 kph

Gyro: Standard

Heat Sinks: 10 Single Heat Sinks

Cockpit: Standard

Equipment: 2x Medium Lasers, 1x Small Laser

CDA-2B:
Structure: Standard

Armor: Standard 3.5 tons

Engine: Standard 320

Top Speed: 130 kph

Gyro: Standard

Heat Sinks: 10 Single Heat Sinks

Cockpit: Standard

Equipment: 2x Medium Lasers, 1x Flamer

CDA-3C:
Structure: Standard

Armor: Standard 4 tons

Engine: Standard 280

Top Speed: 113 kph

Gyro: Standard

Heat Sinks: 11 Single Heat Sinks

Cockpit: Standard

Equipment: 1x PPC, 2x Machine Guns w/ 1t ammo

CDA-3M:
Structure: Standard

Armor: Standard 4 tons

Engine: Extra-Light 320

Top Speed: 130 kph

Gyro: Standard

Heat Sinks: 10 Double Heat Sinks

Cockpit: Standard

Equipment: 1x UAC-5 w/ 1t ammo, 2x Medium Lasers, 1x Small Pulse Laser, CASE

CDA-3F:
Structure: Endo-Steel

Armor: Ferro-Fibrous 6.5 tons

Engine: Extra-Light 320

Top Speed: 130 kph

Gyro: Standard

Heat Sinks: 10 Double Heat Sinks

Cockpit: Standard

Equipment: 1x ERPPC, 2x Medium Lasers, 8x Jump Jets