compiled overview of the 70-ton No-Dachi NDA-1K 'Mech, from various BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
The
Federated Commonwealth's success with the
Hatchetman, and later with the
Axman sparked an interest among
Draconis Combine BattleMech manufacturers in creating a similar
close-combat unit. Attempts to copy the
Hatchetman design met with
failure at every turn. Security surrounding the
development of that
'Mech was simply
too tight.
Abandoning the idea of
stealing the
Hatchetman, Combine 'Mech manufacturers began to create their own hatchet wielding
'Mech designs. To their surprise, however, prototype hatchet 'Mechs met with a
lukewarm reaction among Combine
test pilots. The problem seemed to be
psychological; the ideal of the
samurai was so firmly ingrained in the minds of modern
MechWarriors that
they considered wielding an axe barbaric. Designers then replaced the
bulky hatchet with an elegant
katana sword, which proved far more successful. Early BattleMech swords were so
fragile, however, that they tended to break on their first impact with a target. Modern construction methods eventually solved this problem, but the
'Mech designers needed a good
test case.
They found one in the
Eleventh Legion of Vega, which was arranging the manufacture of BattleMechs with its long-time business partners, the
Cosby Myomer Research Firm. The resulting 'Mech, named the
No-Dachi after the Japanese
long sword, turned out to be a literal "
cutting-edge" machine, created with advanced components from across the
Draconis Combine.
The Cosby
Myomer Research Firm had been working on perfecting
triple-strength myomer for more than five years by the time the
DCMS perfected the technology that made a 'Mech-mounted sword possible. Cosby scientists stepped up their schedule and managed to complete their work in time for the improved myomer to be included in the assembly of the
No-Dachi.
Triple-strength myomer and a seven meter long
katana make the
No-Dachi a
dangerous close-combat fighter. Its array of short-range weapons and exceptional
speed for a heavy
'Mech reinforce this role. The primary source of the
No-Dachi’s firepower is a pair of shoulder mounted, medium-range, missile
racks. These newly developed
weapons launch large
salvos of unguided rockets at ranges of up to 450 meters, though their inherent inaccuracy makes them most effective against targets closer than 100 meters. Few complaints have come from the
Eleventh Legion of Vega, as the cash-strapped unit can obtain reloads for the weapon easily and inexpensively.
A
medium laser, a pair of
SRM launchers, and an
erPPC round out the
'Mech's weapons. The
PPCs came from the same surplus batch that went to
Independence Weaponry’s
Akuma 'Mechs, so they cost little to incorporate into the
No-Dachi. The heat generated by these
PPCs caused headaches for
Panther pilots, but is a
boon to
No-Dachi pilots, who must "
run hot" to get the benefit of the
triple-strength myomer.
The bulk of
No-Dachis in service are with the Eleventh Legion of
Vega. Some have been sold to other DCMS units, though the majority of
No-Dachis not stationed with the Eleventh are posted with other
Legion of Vega units. The new
'Mech has yet to be tested in
combat, but analysts predict that the 'Mech's close-combat attacks will prove devastating against
Clan opponents.
Note: Information used here was the domain of FASA before they split the rights between Wizkids LLC and Microsoft (table-top gaming and video games respectively). Copyright of the fluff text is in limbo, but names of persons, places, & things are without any doubt the property of Wizkids LLC. Use of any terms here related to the BattleTech trademark are not meant as a challenge to Wizkids LLC's rights.