The Best Ship for dropping your Atlas – We Breaktdown Battletech’s ‘Argo’
The Argo class DropShip was responsible for saving House Arano of the Aurigan Coalition during the Aurigan civil war.
Some of the most advanced, technological wonders have been lost to time in the Inner Sphere. While none can deny the marvel that is a Battlemech, even those that remain are “outdated” considering the loss of advanced technology to the Star League’s departure and the vagaries of time.
As the centuries have worn on, they truly do not make them like they used to any more. And nowhere is that more easily visible than in the ship that saved Hous Arano of the Aurigan Coalition, the Argo.
The Argo was meant to be the first in a long line of semi-luxurious “shore leave” style DropShips, featuring state-of-the-art habitation quarters, and a “cargo conveyor” that made it indispensable for the outfitting of ‘mechs. It was meant to be capable of long-range trips without needing to resupply. Instead, it went missing in the Deep Periphery until a band of mercenaries found it.
The Argo – A History of DropShips
Created as an experiment by Boeing Interstellar/Galax Interstellar, the Argo was meant to lead the way for a planned series of Argo-class DropShips, until it was lost on its maiden voyage/shakedown cruise. The Argo was designed serve as a mobile base that could support a flotilla of exploration vessels. While the surveyor/scout ships would scan ahead, the Argo was intended to support them as both logistical hub and “shore leave base”.
All until it went missing. The Argo was outfitted with many special features. But, it vanished during the Amaris Civil War and the ensuing Succession Wars. Perhaps it was assaulted and captured, perhaps the crew simply led a mutiny. Whatever the case, the Argo vanished somewhere in the Deep Periphery, where it languished until a band of mercenaries recovered it and began extsneive repairs.
The Argo – Design and Capabilities
The Argo had all sorts of advantages that made it stand out vs. other DropShips in its size category. Because the Argo was packed with special features: a folding grav-deck with three separate habitation pods, three MASH medical theaters, fitness areas, a hydroponics garden, and a special “multiple docking collar system” that allowed it to land on larger vessels, like JumpShips, for interstellar travel.
And mind you, this is a vessel that weighs 97000 toons, and has a length of 320 meters x 215 meters, by 215 meters. Just to get an idea of how big the scale in Battletech can get.
The Argo was built during peacetime exploration, and so it lacked significant weaponry and armor. But, that said, the mercenary crew who recovered her saw fit to fix that.
An Argo-class vessel would have 12 medium lasters and 4 large lasers, as well as a complement of six aerospace fighters to keep the Argo capable in any combats it got pulled into. But, perhaps more importantly, the Argo could treat mechs easily thanks to its onboard “BattleMech facilities” which could hold up to 12 Battlemechs for easy repair/customization/deployment.
Of course, all of these technical advantage would prove useful when the crew of mercenaries that found the Argo was swept into the Aurigan Civil War.
But, thanks to their quick thinking (and the Argo), that war was won.
