The Guillotine is a venerable design. Commissioned in 2499, the 'Mech saw action in every major Star League Defense Forces action and every major Successor State conflict. The Guillotine was the standard heavy 'Mech for generations, working with companies of Griffins to provide heavy firepower. As time passed, however, technological improvements made bigger 'Mechs possible, and today the Guillotine is no longer as common as it was in the past. Few of the newer, heavier 'Mechs can match the Guillotine's maneuverability, but the Guillotine's firepower is no longer exceptional. Consequently, its role on the modern battlefield has changed. Instead of serving as a front-line BattleMech, the Guillotine now serves almost exclusively as a raider.
The Guillotine's primary weapon is the left-arm mounted Sunglow large laser, backed up by four Exostar II medium lasers, one on each side of the torso and two mounted on the right arm. These energy weapons give the 'Mech considerable force, but not quite the punch of other heavy 'Mechs. The secondary weapon is the Coventry-6 short range missile system located in the center torso.