<s>
BattleMechs	O
(	O
often	O
abbreviated	O
'	O
Mechs	O
)	O
are	O
large	O
walking	O
war	O
machines	O
that	O
feature	O
prominently	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
universe	O
of	O
BattleTech	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
BattleMechs	O
debuted	O
in	O
FASA	O
Corporation	O
's	O
BattleTech	B-Application
,	O
a	O
board	O
game	O
of	O
futuristic	O
armored	O
combat	O
played	O
with	O
dice	B-Language
,	O
counters	O
and	O
paper	O
record	O
sheets	O
on	O
a	O
map	O
of	O
hexagonal	O
territories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Legal	O
impediments	O
with	O
George	O
Lucas	O
over	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
droid	O
"	O
forced	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
change	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
edition	O
to	O
BattleTech	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
'	O
Mechs	O
in	O
BattleTech	B-Application
vary	O
from	O
one	O
another	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
,	O
including	O
mass	O
,	O
speed	O
,	O
chassis	O
configuration	O
,	O
armor	O
and	O
armament	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
a	O
practically	O
limitless	O
array	O
of	O
legal	O
'	O
Mech	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FASA	O
and	O
its	O
successors	O
WizKids	B-Application
,	O
FanPro	O
,	O
and	O
Catalyst	O
Game	O
Labs	O
created	O
hundreds	O
of	O
official	O
BattleMechs	O
to	O
complement	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
majority	O
published	O
in	O
a	O
long-running	O
series	O
of	O
"	O
technical	O
readouts	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
BattleTech	B-Application
franchise	O
has	O
grown	O
,	O
BattleMechs	O
have	O
increasingly	O
appeared	O
beyond	O
the	O
confines	O
of	O
the	O
board	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
line	O
of	O
figurines	O
,	O
a	O
collectible	O
card	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
numerous	O
computer	O
simulation	O
titles	O
feature	O
the	O
machines	O
;	O
'	O
Mechs	O
also	O
feature	O
centrally	O
in	O
a	O
prolific	O
series	O
of	O
novels	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
BattleTech	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
animated	O
spin-off	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
BattleTech	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
BattleMech	B-Application
ever	O
developed	O
was	O
the	O
Mackie	O
MSK-6S	O
,	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
100-ton	O
box	O
with	O
legs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
'	O
Mech	O
advancement	O
in	O
the	O
Inner	O
Sphere	O
crested	O
during	O
the	O
reign	O
of	O
the	O
Star	O
League	O
,	O
but	O
slowly	O
degraded	O
during	O
the	O
protracted	O
conflicts	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Succession	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	O
League-era	O
BattleMech	B-Application
technology	O
was	O
preserved	O
during	O
this	O
period	O
of	O
decline	O
by	O
a	O
military	O
faction	O
later	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Clans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Clan	O
invasion	O
triggered	O
a	O
resurgence	O
of	O
BattleMech-related	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
,	O
both	O
in	O
the	O
Inner	O
Sphere	O
and	O
among	O
the	O
Clans	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
many	O
new	O
models	O
being	O
introduced	O
during	O
the	O
3050s	O
and	O
3060s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
collapse	O
of	O
the	O
2nd	O
Star	O
League	O
in	O
late	O
3067	O
,	O
most	O
Battlemech	B-Application
manufactures	O
were	O
damaged	O
or	O
outright	O
destroyed	O
by	O
the	O
Word	O
of	O
Blake	O
Jihad	O
(	O
Holy	O
War	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
"	O
 '	O
Mech	O
"	O
broadly	O
applies	O
to	O
all	O
mecha	O
within	O
the	O
BattleTech	B-Application
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BattleMechs	O
,	O
those	O
that	O
are	O
intended	O
for	O
combat	O
or	O
related	O
operations	O
,	O
are	O
the	O
predominant	O
variety	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
result	O
that	O
the	O
term	O
is	O
frequently	O
applied	O
to	O
all	O
BattleTech	B-Application
mecha	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
OmniMechs	O
are	O
a	O
sub-class	O
of	O
BattleMech	B-Application
that	O
mount	O
weapons	O
and	O
equipment	O
in	O
modular	O
"	O
pods	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
few	O
exceptions	O
,	O
every	O
major	O
model	O
of	O
BattleMech	B-Application
bears	O
both	O
a	O
name	O
and	O
an	O
identifying	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
LAMs	O
are	O
an	O
extremely	O
uncommon	O
form	O
of	O
'	O
Mech	O
capable	O
of	O
transforming	O
between	O
BattleMech	B-Application
and	O
aircraft	O
configurations	O
,	O
an	O
ability	O
that	O
conveys	O
great	O
speed	O
and	O
flexibility	O
at	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
power	O
and	O
protection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
of	O
these	O
LAMs	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
several	O
other	O
'	O
Mechs	O
,	O
were	O
leased	O
from	O
mecha	O
designs	O
used	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Super	I-Application
Dimension	I-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Macross	I-Application
and	O
other	O
anime	O
series	O
(	O
see	O
variable	O
fighters	O
)	O
;	O
resulting	O
real-world	O
legal	O
conflicts	O
ended	O
their	O
official	O
existence	O
within	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
artificial	O
skeleton	O
and	O
musculature	O
combined	O
with	O
a	O
powerful	O
gyroscope	B-Application
provide	O
stability	O
for	O
the	O
BattleMech	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
movement	O
of	O
a	O
'	O
Mech	O
is	O
controlled	O
by	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
throttle	O
,	O
joysticks	B-Device
,	O
and	O
dual	O
pedal	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
'	O
Mechs	O
include	O
a	O
cockpit	O
,	O
life	O
support	O
,	O
sensors	O
,	O
engine	O
,	O
gyroscope	B-Application
,	O
and	O
actuator	O
packages	O
.	O
</s>
