This 'Mech was designed in 3020 by Dr Catherine Lawrence, a researcher working at Defiance Industries.   She had seen the Davion Rifleman prototypes, and felt that there was something worth pursuing, but that the Rifleman chassis was simply unsuited to such a heavy weapons load.
       The first prototypes were constructed in 3021-3022, but internal politics, combined with pressure from House Davion to adopt its competing Rifleman variant, caused the test results to be hushed up.
       The few prototypes were quietly distributed to units of House Steiner, where reports were mostly favourable.

In 3050, when the Hellfire regiment returned from its presumed trip deep into the Periphery, it brought with it a remarkable number of new 'Mech designs, using Star League-era technology.   Commanding officer Colonel James Steiner-Lawrence quite reasonably refuses to divulge the source of this material.   Among the new 'Mechs was a variant Ordainer, carrying around 50% more firepower than the original.

After these 'Mechs had been seen by Inner Sphere forces, House Liao retrofitted its one Ordainer, which it had managed to salvage from the Fourth Succession War, to this standard.   It also used the new triple-strength myomer, which gives this design remarkable manoeuvrability and particularly vicious physical attacks.