Laid down in late 3014 as a companion to the DSC
Armory's first design, the WCT-2C Wildcat, the Antlion was
intended to serve with its lighter cousin in the garrison
role.  Manufacturing difficulties and costs kept it from full
production until mid-3015, however, until the frame could
be reinforced to adequately support the full 35 tons of
battlemech that it was to carry.  Two years later, the
Antlion would be a tremendous follow-up on the success
of the Wildcat, and found its way into numerous garrison
forces.

Capabilities:
Designed to fill the gap the Wildcat left in operations
against larger combat units, the Antlion has several key
design points.  While not as fast as the Jenner or
Ostscout, it has respectable speed for a mech of its size.
Designers chose the large GM 210 engine to allow the
Antlion to come close to matching the speed of the
Wildcat, since the units were intended to operate
together.  The GM 210 also allows the Antlion to outrun
several contemporaries of its class such as the Panther,
as well as heavier battlemechs that would prove too large
for the Antlion to handle alone.  Another feature the
Antlion boasts is better than average armor.  With 6 tons
of DSC Standard plate, it can withstand more punishment
than many designs both in its class and even some that
are slightly larger.

Weapons selection was a long process as several
engineers insisted on using an assortment of lasers much
like the Jenner, while others felt a volley of missiles would
prove more effective.  Eventually a compromise was
reached and the Antlion was set to carry a mixed weapons
package.  The right arm carries the primary
anti-battlemech weapons in a pair of Martell Medium
Lasers.  The performance of the popular Martell and its
reliability made it the prime candidate for the main wepon
of the battlemech.  Backing up the Martells, are a pair of
Hovertec Quad SRM-4s mounted on the hips for firing
stability much like the Crusader's Harpoon SRMs.  Ammo
is stored in paired bins giving the Antlion a respectable 25
rounds for each launcher.  Rounding out the package are
a pair of SperryBrowning machinguns placed on the torso
much like Wildcat.  DSC engineers had worries that the
Antlion lacked any real infantry fighting capabilities should
it become separated from its assigned Wildcat and
therefore chose to include the machinegun pair.

Deployment:
Antlions have found their way to the far reaches of the
Inner Sphere and into the Periphery where they serve in
garrison forces with associated Wildcats.  The DSC
Armory even offers a 'garrison package' which is mixed
lance of Wildcats and Antlions sold at a cheaper rate than
individual units.  This has become a popular solution to
garrison issues on many back-water planets.