CLASSIC BATTLETECH CATALYST game labs

HGN-732, -733, -734, -736, -738, and IIC Highlander

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.  I'm going to put some weight on this time and move up to the assault 'Mechs with a venerable, classic 'Mech, one of the oldest in the game outside the Unseen and their companions in TRO3025, the Highlander.  In the game's history (as opposed to the IC, which we'll get to in a bit), the HGN-732 Highlander was first introduced in TRO2750 alongside other bits and pieces of Star League technology and combat units, making it part of only the second TRO in the game's history, and has gone on to find a place in more TROs than almost any other 'Mech can claim.  TRO3025R replaced the Unseen with technologically stunted versions of some of the Star League's own 'Mechs, at least one version of the original TRO3050 includes the Highlander and its fellow Star League 'Mechs, the Highlander IIC was found in TRO3060, TRO3050U consolidated the mentions of the Star League's 'Mechs, tanks, and fighters into one place with TRO2750 long out of print and outdated, TRO3039 reissued the HGN-733 model from the Succession Wars, and like many other 'Mechs, the Highlander got the Royal treatment in TRO3075's historical section.  That's a lot of face time, especially for a 'Mech that isn't one of the universe's superstars, but the Highlander lives up well to this scrutiny, as you'll see.

The basics of the design are shared among all variants, all of them 90 tons with a 3/5/3 movement curve.  That's a smidgen inefficient, right above the 85 ton cutoff on 1 ton jump jets, but the Highlander doesn't suffer much from it, even though all but one variant sticks with a standard fusion engine.  All of them are tough bastards with strong armor, and all of them have a heavy ballistic mount of some kind along with missiles and supporting medium lasers.  No Highlander has outstanding heat issues, although a few can run a touch hot if you aren't smart about your weapons bracketing.  That says about all you need in a short reference in an encyclopedia, but I'm not an encyclopedia writer, so buckle your seatbelts, this is going to be a long one.  (Yes, Statler, I know they all are, but this one's going to be a long one even for me.  Don't bother trying to escape, security locked the doors after you came in, especially the ones for your box, Waldorf.)  I'll cover the variants in historical order for the universe, rather than game history, so the oldest and newest will go in back-to-back.

The first Highlander to appear was the HGN-732, still a classic, and it set both the pattern for the 'Mechs to come and a high standard to live up to, one that by and large, the Highlander series manages, unlike some designs where you have a "fluke" variant or three.  The centerpiece of the armament was and remains a real eye-opener, a Gauss rifle in the right arm, the only one mounted by any of the TRO2750 'Mechs... which at the time, initiated it into the small, hallowed company of 'Mechs capable of snapping someone's cockpit off with a single shot, joining such luminaries as the Victor, Hunchback, and Atlas.  This was long before the proliferation of Gauss carriers we've seen in the long years since, long before the Thunder Hawk walked out of the pages of TRO3058 and the factories of Norse Technologies to menace people with no less than three of what is perhaps the apex of balance between range, firepower, and ammo efficiency of heavy ballistic weapons.  At the time, it was only 'Mech with such a weapon able to do so from beyond 180 meters with any real reliability, and hits with fully 75% of the fury of the class 20 autocannon at ranges that would've drawn comparison from the players of the time (or the MechWarriors of the era that TRO2750 was published by ComStar) to the LRM launcher or class 2 autocannon.  The impact of that sort of firepower on the games of that time must have been like Zeus striding out with his thunderbolts, and as the first Gauss 'Mech in the game's history, it set the standard for ammunition with the now-common two tons, and the good news doesn't stop with one of my favorite weapons.  Those same LRMs are present, a 20 tube rack in the left torso fed by two tons just like the Atlas's, and they make a fearsome companion to that Gauss rifle at range by offering crit-seeking and additional armor shearing power.  In close, the Highlander is no less formidable.  In addition to the Gauss rifle, quite useful as you close, the Highlander has another Atlas favorite, a six-tube SRM launcher carried in the left arm above the fist, and two medium lasers in the right torso, and it has two other weapons.  The first is the jump jets all Highlanders mount, giving it a dash of close-in maneuverability to put that firepower where it wants, and the second is the fury of a 90 ton 'Mech's physical attacks, especially the 18 point kicks that can snap some light and medium 'Mech legs off.  Highlander pilots were infamous for using these two together, so frequently unleashing the Death From Above maneuver of jumping up and landing on another 'Mech that its use by the type came to be called a "Highlander Burial", requiring reinforcement of the legs to stand up to the punishment.  To make things worse, those SRMs had two tons of ammunition, and both side torsos are protected by CASE.  Personally, I think you could get better mileage out of an additional ton of Gauss ammo to expand its utility and let you take riskier shots while reducing the number of explosive crits in the left side - those crits and the explosive Gauss rifle represent the two main weaknesses of the 'Mech along with the ever-popular decapitation.  On the other hand, the daring are welcome to carry a ton each of standard and Inferno rounds to keep things interesting.  The other minor limitation is the use of single heat sinks, wasting a couple of tons and making heat management at close ranges a bit more interesting than it needed to be, but this is more of an annoyance than a real problem considering that a full assault from all the weapons useful in close only runs to 11 heat, 14 jumping, against 12 sinks.  The Star League Defense Force was understandably pleased with its armored titan of a 'Mech, and it served with them from the end of the 26th century to the SLDF's departure from the Inner Sphere, when units either eventually folded into the Clans or went on to participate in the Succession Wars for the various Houses as mercenaries or new regular units.  This was not, however, to say that the SLDF sat on its laurels with this beast, producing a little-known version that only made things that much nastier, the HGN-732b.

One of the Royal 'Mechs limited to SLDF units drawn from the Terran Hegemony, the Royal Highlander takes the HGN-732 a little bit farther along the curve of destruction using the available technology, highlighting the eventual Clan successor's lineage a bit more clearly.  Fortunately free of the modification of an XLFE, the -732b is actually the newest variant of the Highlander to come to light, debuting in the recent TRO3075 along with many other Royal variants, and the modifications are actually comparatively limited, rating it only a TR D kit, making it easy for the SLDF to take an HGN-732 and upgrade it on the fly, as it were, and they're difficult to discern from the outside without fairly detailed examination of sensor records... records the SLDF rarely, if ever, allowed to be examined by virtue of simply not losing when the Royal regiments were slipped from their leash.  The -732b's conservative changes involve stripping that extra ton of SRM ammunition and two heat sinks, then replacing the remaining sinks with doubles, making a jumping alpha come in at 23 heat for a total +3 build-up.  (Yes, Statler, I know there's another three heat in there.)  The three tons made available went to an additional medium laser mounted alongside the others and an Artemis IV fire control system mated to each launcher, making them that much more effective, and providing a solid boost at all ranges overall.  In the universe, this one was a secret that was kept very well, revealed to the Inner Sphere only with the recovery of the New Delos memory core during the Jihad.  Note to StarCorps: Putting a version of this back into production would be a great move from a marketing perspective, because it's a classic, it's a proven design in a lot of ways, and it's going to sell well.

Chronologically, the next version to be "developed", if that's the proper word, was the HGN-733, a product of the brutal grind and technological decline of the Succession Wars.  Gone is the Gauss rifle, the ferro-fibrous armor, and the CASE protection on the ammo bins, winnowing it down a bit, but if the Highlander is a little leaner on sophistication, it's still a mean machine.  Replacing the Gauss rifle is the smallest ballistic weapon mounted on any Highlander, a class 10 autocannon, fed by two tons of ammo, and an additional heat sink balances out the increased heat gain.  While it lacks the startling range and ferocious power of a Gauss rifle, anyone who's ever dealt with an Enforcer or Centurion knows that gun is quite effective, and the LRMs make an adequate weapon to spar with until you can close in a bit.  Another ton of ammo is added to offset the loss of the Gauss rifle's fire at long range, and the armor is actually the thickest of any Highlander in contrast to the lighter gun, although the whole three points of difference between the HGN-732's 277 points and the HGN-733's 280 is hardly noticeable, which is why I didn't comment on the -732/-732b pair's possession of the lightest Highlander armor up above.  That said, it's a welcome change to the usual thinned out armor of most Star League 'Mechs in their Succession Wars models.  Overall, what the HGN-732 was to pure Star League technology, the -733 is to the Succession Wars: solid, powerful, tough, and effective.  The only really big change is the loss of the Gauss rifle's ability to really reach out and touch someone, but the AC/10 is a good if not spectacular replacement, and complements the HGN-733's lighter, more maneuverable contrast to the brutal power of the AS7-D quite nicely.  While a few could be found here and there across the Sphere, most of the HGN-733s were concentrated in the hands of Houses Steiner and Liao, who possessed facilities capable of maintaining these brutes, if not really producing them on any mass scale, although a trickle would come out of plants on Son Hoa and Corey.  The latter supposedly shut down in the wake of the Fourth Succession War when StarCorps yanked the license from Hollis, but given the business StarCorps does with the FedSuns (and the Cappies, for that matter), that's a bit odd, since Son Hoa wasn't retooled fully for over a decade, and they still weren't integrated into the Federated Commonwealth at that point.  I'm not going to comment extensively on this, though, but assuming they actually fully complied and either the Davions or Liaos don't have access to a Highlander line of their own, depending on era, could be subject to a rude shock, although I doubt any large scale production went on.  One other interesting incident in the -733's history was Sharilar Mori's deal with Thomas Kurita, providing the DCMS with Highlanders of its own... including a few HGN-732s that slipped through the cracks.  If only because of the ironies of history and dramatic principles of the BattleTech universe, one must imagine a duel between the two models occurred during the War of 3039, and given the HGN-732's advantage of having a Gauss rifle and CASE, it has a powerful edge.  It wouldn't have been a walk in the park for the Kuritan against the very similar 'Mech, and Steiner has a greater institutional familiarity with assault 'Mechs than just about anyone short of the SLDF and no minimum range on its main gun, so the outcome there was still going to be a close match, down to the battlefield, the pilots, and the (non-existent) tender mercies of the dice gods.  You can almost hear Duncan Fischer giving commentary to a replay, can't you?

The next variant is the Clan version, known in the Inner Sphere as the Highlander IIC after its discovery in the wake of the invasion.  Unlike many of the IIC models that have come to light, the Highlander remains a Highlander, but with the addition of the HGN-732b, we have a clear lineage back to the HGN-732, and it looks quite a bit like its forebears.  The armor is as solid as ever, and the weapons are familiar to anyone who's gotten this far in.  A Gauss rifle is mounted in the right arm, with that extra ton of ammo I wished for on the -732 up above, while the LRM 20 moves to the right torso, with Artemis IV and a staggering four tons of ammunition, enough for three tons of Artemis IV and a single ton of whatever, or four tons to exploit the extra endurance and lack of a minimum range on Clan LRMs.  Two Streak SRM 6s are mounted on the left arm, with a trio of medium pulse lasers in the left torso, and 12 freezers keep this firepower cool in close with the selective use of Streaks the single ton of SRM ammo imposes.  Overall, this thing is, as it should be as the Clan representative, perhaps the very nastiest of the Highlanders, but there are a handful of flaws anyone facing it can exploit.  First, despite the twin Streak launchers, the limited ammo feeding them keeps their potential shotgun effect under control, as does the heat load (unsurprisingly, of all the Highlanders, it's the Clan variant that has the worst time juggling heat buildup against weapon utility, although not the worst overheat).  Second, the two most powerful weapons are both on the right side... and they're also the only ones that reach past 12 hexes and have a nice load of explosive opportunities once you penetrate the IIC's armor on that side.  If you're stuck dealing with this beast of a 'Mech, taking advantage of that second one needs to be firmly in mind if you're not interested in being beaten apart by this rugged, powerful assault unit.  I'll address fixing these problems down below in the DIY section, but unfortunately for those fighting a Highlander IIC, neither flaw is easy to exploit.  Several hundred of these 'Mechs have survived out of a total of about 1,500 upgraded and produced over the centuries, and it remains popular among Clan warriors.  For some reason, I'm not terribly surprised about that, though I imagine the Spheroid 'Mech jocks who've gone up against these beasts bitterly lament its survival.  There are front-line assault OmniMechs that aren't this fearsome.  Another bit of infamy clings to the Highlander among the Clans, as a Highlander of some type (derived from an HGN-732, as the IIC wouldn't be developed until considerably later) piloted by Widowmaker Khan Jorgensson put ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky in his grave (and, if the reports of large laser fire being responsible, it was a closed casket funeral at best) in the trials involved in the lead up to Clan Wolverine's elimination.

For those who are still with me, I'd like to note we're over the hump, with only three variants to go, and one of them is short.  The next to appear were the HGN-734 and HGN-736, which I'll go over in number order since they arrived roughly at the same time.  The HGN-734 is the red-headed stepchild of the Highlander series, not for being ineffective, but for being different.  The only Highlander not to use a standard fusion engine or LRMs, the Lyrans used one of "their" new light fusion engines, and they replaced the Gauss rifle with a fearsome LB 20-X autocannon.  The one long-range weapon is an ERLL mounted in the old ML position in the right torso, while twin Streak SRM 6s of the Clan version reappear here, only they're in the left torso now and actually have enough ammo.  On the left arm is a pair of ERMLs, and a single MPL is carried in the center torso (one hopes tastefully so), another interesting echo of the Clan version.  It should be clear by now to the audience what you do with an HGN-734.  This isn't a general combatant like the rest of the Highlanders, this is an in-fighting specialist.  With that same 3/5/3 movement curve, plenty of hole-punching and crit-seeking, and heat balance more than adequate with 14 freezers if you drop the ERLL in close, you can see what the Lyrans were planning: a counter to other assault 'Mechs by out-maneuvering them up close while the rest of their assault formations provide fire support.  Clan assaults are the most obvious problem, but with the beginning of the FedCom Civil War at the time, they're hardly the only one.  Your main vulnerability here is range.  3/5/3 is tricky in close, but it's hardly fast.  Unfortunately, given the Lyran "wall of steel" tactical doctrine and possession of a large number of suitable 'Mechs to provide fire support, exploiting it is generally just going to wind up keeping someone in position to get pounded by something else while the -734 just keeps coming.  Or, if someone's feeling tricky, keeping you at arm's reach and getting weakened while lighter maneuver elements flank you for a hammer-and-anvil situation.  Despite their (admittedly deserved) reputation for being top-heavy, the Lyrans have a number of options for cavalry support for their assault formations, and the HGN-734's power in close and durability, despite the LFE, makes it a good choice to be cast as the anvil in maneuvers like that.

The other Highlander to emerge is ComStar's upgrade version.  Unlike the -734, which veers off to blaze a new trail for the Highlander, the HGN-736 is a celebration of over four and a half centuries of steady, reliable service by the basic type set out by the HGN-732.  Similar in basic concept to the HGN-732b, the -736 removes the extra SRM ammo and heat sinks, then upgrades to freezers.  Another half-ton was gained by the removal of the CASE on the right torso - with only the Gauss rifle on the right arm, this isn't as risky as it looks.  One ton of this was used to add Artemis IV to the LRM launcher, while the SRMs were replaced by a Streak SRM 4 rack to conserve ammo with no loss in average firepower and a slight reduction in heat load.  The remaining 2.5 tons went to a C3i computer for ComStar's networks.  In combination with the Gauss rifle and LRM tubes, this gives the HGN-736 a powerful ability to provide very accurate heavy fire, while it can act as a spotter in assault Level II formations by closing in.  Basically, this is an HGN-732 that learned a new trick, so treat it like one, just like you would with an HGN-732b.  If I had to pick a favorite upgrade, it's a toss-up between this and the Royal Highlander, really, and the HGN-736 is a damn sight easier to come by.

The last major variant of the Highlander is another Son Hoa special for the LAAF, and it definitely caters to their love of big guns, a notion I can get behind, along with another, somewhat more dubious quirk  Like every Highlander, it has a big ballistic weapon, and it uses the SFE common to most.  Unlike all of them, that gun is in the right torso, because this one can't be carried in the arm, the biggest of big guns for a single ginormous whack, a heavy Gauss rifle, fed by an acceptable four tons of ammo.  The right arm receives an HGN-734-style ERLL, with two ERMLs carried, one in the head (perhaps in a Hauptmann-style "cigar"), and the other in the -734's left arm mount.  The LRM launcher gets slimmed down to an LRM 15, though the Artemis IV module helps make up for that (and make the 8 shots count - what is it with the Lyrans and 8 shots for weapons?), and a Streak SRM 4 is nestled in the center torso.  Only 10 double heat sinks are carried, partially due to the mass of the weapons, and partially because of the endo-steel needed to cram them all in.  I'm not fond of the HGR, generally, although I fully concede the brutal firepower's appeal.  On the Highlander, I kind of dislike the way it loses that right arm mount on an aesthetic level, but it's a natural enough variant for Lyran sensibilities, and the LRM 15's limited ammo is both classic Lyran (the Zeus soldiered on with it for centuries) and tolerable in light of the HGR and ERLL.  It isn't a mainstay of long-range firepower, unlike the other LRM Highlanders, but something you add in when you've got good numbers.  To use this beast, it's basically used like any other Gauss Highlander, but keep that PSR from moving and firing the HGR and the longer minimum range in mind.  Where an HGN-732, -732b, -736, or IIC can get in close and mix it up, you need to hang a bit farther back, but you've got the guns to do it well, and if you do have to get in and knife someone, just drop the HGR and LRMs and use the ERLL and some good old-fashioned kicking.  To punch one out, the usual "strip it open and crit-seek" applies even more than usual with the HGR - 11 out of 12 crits in the right torso go "BANG!", so focus on that side if you can.

To use a Highlander in general is fairly simple.  Aside from the HGN-734 and -738, which have their own peculiarities noted above, you start closing in and firing your LRMs and the Gauss rifle on everything but the HGN-733 on decent numbers.  Depending on what you're dealing with, you either want to use your jets to try and stand off a bit, or get into a knife-fight and dance around them.  The -733, in particular, leans toward the latter, since the AC/10 doesn't have a Gauss rifle's reach, but it has more LRM ammo than the others to compensate, and a IIC's power only gets worse up close.  While you've got very thick armor, once it's breached (or if someone gets a lucky TAC), you've got explosives in there, so don't get stupid, and don't play chicken with the rare 'Mechs that can win a head-on slugging match with you.  (Atlases and Warhawks both come to mind.)  You have jump jets, use them to get around someone or prevent them from getting shots on vulnerable areas.  Generally, you want to fight smarter, not harder.  As much as the Highlander is a brutal weapon of war, it's still capable of a bit of grace and maneuver in the hands of a good pilot, and that, combined with the durability and firepower, is what really makes it stand out.

To counter a Highlander is simple in theoretical terms.  It's not easy by any means, but it's quite simple.  Strip the armor and use crit-seeking weapons to find the ammo or Gauss rifles (or, on a -734, LFE crits).  Generally, any of them is vulnerable to this treatment, although the 11 HGR crits (everything but the jump jet) in the -738's right torso really stand out.  Unfortunately, doing this requires either a lot of luck with your TACs or managing to strip the armor off, both of which are a lot easier said than done.  Like the AS7-D I kept mentioning, the Highlander is sometimes going to achieve pseudo-zombie status by running low on ammo before it does on armor, although the extra rounds and lighter tonnage make it less frequent.  If you do get in close, don't get sloppy.  A Highlander's jump jets give it a dangerous maneuverability in a knife fight, and their pilots know it.  From in front of you, an HGN can get two hexes back, leaving it with reduced Gauss minimums and at prime range for everything but the LRMs (and the IIC even gets to fire those off), or it can just move into your rear hex and try for your back plates without the Gauss.  Against any Highlander but a -734, there really isn't a good range to engage at because of the solid firepower the 'Mech has at all ranges, and getting into a knife fight is a very bad idea unless you've got jump jets of your own and not really a great one even then.  Against a -734, it's just plain stupid - if you can't take the ERLL fire staying out of reach of the other weapons and win the gun exchange, you need to quit messing with a Highlander and go find more suitable prey.  One last useful tip is to bring your own head-cappers and/or pilot-plinkers of choice for this dance - it's a lot faster to take the pilot out than bring the 'Mech down, so generating chances to get lucky is always a good idea, and the armor you punch holes into or sandblast off will help if you don't get lucky.

For the do-it-yourself enthusiasts, your first question is what model you're dealing with, and what you're trying to do.  The HGN-732's most obvious switch is the SRM rounds for Gauss ammo, although yanking the heat sinks for freezers, adding Artemis IV to the LRM launcher and another round of LRM ammo for endurance and firepower.  Upgrading to ERMLs in the modern era is another good idea, and the HGN-736 should consider it. The HGN-732b should consider that last one itself, although it's a harder call with the extra ML to switch.  Just two of them may be your best option there, or a two ML/two ERML combo by removing the SRM's Artemis module might not be a bad call, and the SRM 6 to Streak SRM 4 switch from the -736 might be worthwhile for some operators.  On the HGN-734, there's not really anything to do.  For what it does, this Highlander is just about right.  To me, the obvious fix on a -738 isn't really there to be found.  The endo-steel opens some interesting possibilities, but the HGR needs to go for both crits and tons to work with, and you may need to toss the FF for LFF for more crits.  Putting an HPPC on in place of the ERLL, upgrading to the double Streak SRM 6 of the -734, and adding some more (standard) medium lasers and sinks, as well as LRM ammo, are certainly possibilities, but you lose the HGR's 25 point hit capability.  Personally, I'll take that trade in a heartbeat, but not everyone will.  A double plasma rifle in-fighting variant of the -733 might be another rude shock, especially with Infernos to take the incendiary love to a whole new level, and the Cappies probably have a handful of -733s around to tinker with.

So there you have it, the Highlander.  A legacy of proud, solid service across human space, a history of brutal, infamous killing power and rugged durability, and one of the few 'Mechs to find itself without a lame duck variant.  If you have the luck of being able to use one of these noble war machines, you find yourself in the company of the other MechWarriors who have gotten the opportunity to see why the Highlander is a respected elder among 'Mechs.  You won't be disappointed.

Oh, I don't dislike any of them, and the -738 is the one that comes closest.  I called the -734 a red-headed stepchild because it's simply off-beat compared to the rest of the family.  There's no denying its power as a close combat specialist, taking the Highlander's ruthlessness in a knife fight to the extreme.

As far as picking your fights, yes.  In particular, if it's big and has jets, don't pick your fight without whittling them down first with that Gauss rifle, and don't get cute around Demolishers.  (That's a general rule, but whereas Highlanders can just jump around 'Mechs, a Demolisher is going to swivel the turret and give you an introduction to the twin BFG lovefest, and probably at a relative targeting advantage.)  A Guillotine or Grasshopper can do a lot to really mess a Highlander up with their slight maneuverability edge if the Highlander doesn't take them down in good order.  Against big, ground-bound 'Mechs, I tried to emphasize the need to not play a slugging match and get around them.  Can you win it?  Quite possibly.  That doesn't make it a good idea, and what makes the Highlander a real winner is those jets, so use them.

Although I am not much for assault 'Mechs, I have been in love with the Highlander since I got my first copy of TRO 2750 back in '91.  I think that it is arguably one of the best designed BattleMechs in either of the first two TROs.  It is one of a handful of 'Mechs that I have not really tinkered with all that much as it is so useful!

The only thing that I found that could consistently defeat it in the era was the Marauder II (MAD-4A), another beast of a 'Mech

The highlander and I have had a sketchy past. I love the design, artwork, everything about it. Everytime I have brought it out to play. however it hasn't really performed that well. Maybe my dice rolls are unlucky with the mech or maybe I just wasn't using it right.

I made a tounge-in-cheek variant a while back that the crack-smoking WoB cooked up. Retractable blade, IJJ's, hvy PPC, and as much herresy as I could cram into one design... I will have to look around for it.

Lack of actual playing experience prohibits me from commenting on the design but the article is wonderful and really gave a feel for the design 

I wonder if that's a nod to the 85-ton (?) Vindicator listed back in the ol' MW1e random 'Mech list.

I have two 85-ton 3/5/5 "Highlander II" in my MM customs directory. Replacing the GR with a HPPC left me enough weight to improve all the other weapons - those thing are brutal!

A couple of (very minor) nitpicks:

First, I don't know that I'd consider the IIC's carrying only one ton of ammo for both Streak racks a particularly glaring flaw. Essentially, it just means that once you get into range to use them (and at 3/5/3, that could take a while), you get to deliver those 180 points of near-guaranteed damage in your bin twice as fast as you could using only a single rack -- and you'd probably be using them on a target already softened up by your Gauss rifle and LRMs.

And second, remember that if you do strip the Artemis IV from the 732b's SRM launcher but decide not to go down the Streak-4 route, you'll have to do the same for its LRMs as well. Under TW construction rules, you either Artemis all compatible racks on the same unit or none of them; as I understand it, the old rule about that only applying to launchers of the same 'class' is gone. (May have had something to do with the introduction of MMLs, though that's just idle speculation on my part.)

as for customs - I like trying to take 3025 era designs and just upgrading the weapons (leaving heat sinks as singles, no CASE etc  ).
(because not everyone gets to take their old 'Mechs back to a factory to get the plumbing re-done and their bones replaced) 


You can get some interesting stuff on a -733 frame.

One that seems to keep the feel of the Highlander is:

Swap the AC 10 for a Gauss Rifle (and add a 3rd ton of armor)
     (always a fun refit)

Replace the SRM and LRM launchers with two MML 7 launchers with 4 tons of ammo (hey, that is a ton less than the -733 carries  )
     (it loses 1/3rd of it's long range missile firepower - but when things get up close and personal the extra SRM's would be handy)

that leaves 3 tons (if the 13 single heat sinks remain unchanged).  I'd take the lead of the -732b & -IIC and keep the 2 Medium Lasers and add in a third.
     (it may not be the best option - but adding another medium laser is rarely a bad idea)

That feels like a good mix (and shouldn't be too difficult to do for someone who's driving their (great, great) Grandparent's 'Mech onto a Jihad era battlefield  .


and if anyone is doing refits/upgrades, the Highlander with it's mix of LRM & SRM launchers would be a nice candidate to going the MML route.

ie: my above example, replace the 13 single heatsinks with 10 doubles, upsize the MML's to MML 9's and you have (almost) the same firepower as the -732 at long range, but at short range it can alpha strike (Gauss, 3 x Medium Lasers & 18 SRM's) for movement heat only 

One almost imagines that the Highlander's arsonal was the basis of the Atlas', but where as the Highlander with its GR and LRMs is an all range fighter, and with its jets able to dance around at range a bit, the Atlas is a bruser, a brawler, a crusher with its AC20.  That probably dictated the other changes, too; the brawler is heavier, a less nimble line breaker, with more armor, better physicals and more sinks to keep up a more intence fire.  Pairing Highlanders and Atlases is actualy sort of fun because I see them as complementery.

Back in the day when TRO: 2750 was brand spanking new, I had the dubious privilege of losing my command 'mech at maximum range from the first shot ever made in Puerto Rico by a gauss rifle mounted on a Highlander.

It was a headshot.

The echoes of that collective HOLY ______!!!!!!  still reverberate through the island. 

Considering he, iirc, designed the Scylla, I doubt that's the case

Ditto the Pillie and Devestator.  Just how many 3/5 twin-gauss designs did the the SLDF need?

Oh, and I designed a ICE Highlander for the FGC!

well, right then its a new toy. and we know how much HAF loves new toys.