QKD-4G Quickdraw for Battletech

The Quickdraw was originally built in 2779 as a replacement for the Rifleman BattleMech, though very few had been assigned to any 'Mech regiments before the outbreak of the First Succession War in 2786. While it was unsuccessful in supplanting the Rifleman, throughout the course of the Succession Wars the Quickdraw proved itself to be a good generalist 'Mech. Packing excellent firepower, solid armor protection and above-average speed, it quickly earned the respect of many MechWarriors and status as a workhorse in every Successor State's military.

The Quickdraw also benefited from a couple of unique design features, one of which was that its arm actuators could bend backwards as well as forwards. This allowed the Quickdraw pilot to fire all four of its lasers to the rear, improving upon its already-formidable rear-arc firepower and creating a nasty surprise for anyone attempting to sneak up behind it. The second were its highly-articulated ankle actuators, which not only allowed the Quickdraw to keep its footing more easily on difficult terrain such as gravel, mud and ice, but also traverse gradients up to 12° steeper than other 'Mechs of its weight class. Its mobility was further enhanced with five jump jets, two in each leg and one in the rear torso, allowing it to jump up to 150 meters.

Unfortunately this same mobility was also the Quickdraw's greatest weakness, as the distinctively circular rotor housing was notoriously fragile. Targeting the ankles with weapons fire, or with a good kick while engaged in close combat, could cripple or even immobilize the 'Mech. Equipped with only thirteen heat sinks the Quickdraw also suffered from a poor heat dissipation rate which limited use of its lasers in protracted firefights or in conjunction with frequent jumping. Its eight tons of armor was also less than that carried by most other heavy 'Mechs.

Technicron eventually managed to fix the heat issue with the improved QKD-5M models, though the ankles remained a structural weakness as the price to be paid for its mobility. The newer models steadily replaced the older 4Gs throughout the Inner Sphere during the 3050s, while the original remained common among the Periphery nations and second-rate mercenary commands, and more advanced variants would continue to be produced in the years following.

Model is printed in a grey resin and supplied with a base.

Mech design by Matt Mason.