Thug THG-11E

         Designed in 2572 as a competitor to the popular Warhammer BattleMech, the eighty-ton Thug has beefed-up armor protection and a more advanced target acquisition system than its predecessor. With a respectable speed of 65 kph, the Thug is built on the concept that the best defense is a strong offense.
         Its main improvement over the Warhammer is the additional tonnage of ferro fibrous armor, allowing the Thug to sustain an attack for a longer period. The Thug also avoids some of the Warhammer’s heat problems by removing secondary energy weapons rather than adding heat sinks.
         Twin Tiegart particle projection cannons located in the Thug’s arms provide the knock-out punch needed by any heavy ‘Mech. Though ten percent smaller than the Donal PPCs carried by the Warhammer, the Tiegart matches its larger cousin for power and damage. The Tiegart’s major drawback is the scarcity of replacement parts. Even though several redundant circuits provide backup power if needed, the MechWarrior’s control over the weapon suffers greatly without a steady supply of parts.
         Secondary weapons include two Bical-6 short-range missile launchers, one each in the ‘Mech’s right and left torsos. The SRMs provide short-range firepower and free the Thug’s arms for hand-to-hand combat. When all four weapons fire at the same target, the effect on the enemy is devastating. Only the strongest ‘Mechs can withstand such a massive barrage. The Thug is equipped with CASE, safeguarding the MechWarrior from missile-load explosions.