Vehicle of the Week: Maultier Hover APCDesigned by the Star League as a complement to heavier APCs and introduced in 2590 for the tail end of the Reunification War, the Maultier Hover APC was occasionally used as a point vehicle to dash ahead and deploy its infantry in places the enemy wasn't expecting. However, in 3019, the Taurians found the plans and went, “Hmm. You know, these look fun.” Initially built without the advanced components, the Maultier was put back into production as a consort to the heavy hover APC once more. In the wake of the Trinity Alliance, sales to the TDF slowed down but the Canopians and Capellans stepped up to the plate to pick up the slack. Of course, after Hanse's Roughriders showed up to tour the factory
(Editor: I think that's supposed to read “raid”, or maybe “sack”), production shut down at least temporarily and rebuilding is ongoing as of Field Manual 3085, so the status of the production facility is unknown and perhaps bleak.
The original started off pretty well. A 15 ton chassis makes it 50% larger than the classic ten ton APC designs and a 50-rated Magna ICE keeps the price well down and the speed up to 151 kph in a straight line dash. 2.5 tons of ferro-fibrous allows a 15/10/10 armor spread that is sufficient for the needs of a unit this small and this lightly armed. The only weapon is a Streak SRM 2 (the Taurians use a Pinard Reaper) fed by a single ton of ammunition. The
real weapons are carried by the platoon of foot troops carried in the 3 ton infantry compartment toward the rear. One useful fluff ability is mentioned - unlike a lot of hovers, the Maultier can run with its infantry door open without a loss in performance, something the Taurians did their best to preserve. Basically, this is a step up from the hover APC and if you keep that in mind, the design's logic falls right into place.
They didn't start out able to build the advanced model, though. Two basic versions are presented in RS3058U. The first uses standard armor plate and SRMs, increasing the armor to three tons arranged 16/11/10. Since you can also use alternate munitions like Infernos (originally not as large a factor since Streak 2s could also use Infernos under the rules the Maultier was designed to), this is arguably a superior unit across the board. Let's face it, four Streak 2s isn't necessarily a threat to some suits of BA, let alone 'Mechs, and it's more annoying than lethal to a lot of vehicles. The SRMs don't detract as much as you'd think from that but they do open some options, while the standard armor is easier to procure sometimes. Moving on into the 3040s, the Taurians were able to secure a supply of ferro-fibrous, either from domestic production or other means, and applied it to the design, three tons arranged 18/12/11. Again, especially with the survivability boost, this is arguably a better design by trading firepower it probably doesn't need for armor it can certainly use.
I've waxed ecstatic over the quality of the Taurians' decision-making when it came to the basic models they were tinkering with until they got all the pieces lined up to start building the Star League version. We're not going to be doing that for the first BA variant, though. That's the one that strips a ton of armor for a ton of cargo space, leaving you with a 9/6/5 armor spread. The classic hover APC's 5/5/4/5 armor spread is somewhat worse (the other 10 ton APCs'
aren't) but at least it has the excuse that it's not hauling a squad of BA around. BA transports tend to draw more fire than squad-level infantry transports for some odd reason. As I pointed out above, the Maultier's primary job is not engaging the enemy, it's putting boots on the ground. Accordingly, I find myself much more enthusiastic about the MG variant that not only uses a single MG instead of the Streak launcher, it actually has another half-ton of armor like the old Intermediate model for an 18/12/11 spread. Sure, you've got people for killing infantry, too, but thicker armor is handy. The fusion-powered variant frees up the tonnage through the simple expedient of an SFE, opting for an ERML and the same slightly thicker armor.
Okay, I've said it already, but I'll say it one more time: Your job is moving infantry. You are not primarily there to harass 'Mechs and unlike a Maxim, you don't have the firepower to do more than annoy one. Plenty of 'Mechs have the guns to turn a Maxim into a grease smear. So put your people into position before you start entertaining thoughts of going gunning for combat units, assuming you don't have a pressing operational need to stay alive to pick them up again and reposition them. Since Maultiers are also fairly cheap on both the BV and C-Bill scales, they're not a big addition to your force in those terms but the mobility they can offer to your BA or infantry can make up for those units' speed problems. Once they're in the field, look for opportunities to wolf pack crippled units or act as a flanking force. The Maultier's speed can also play well in the scouting role although it lacks the firepower to fight for its intelligence if that becomes necessary.
The counterpart to that is that they're fast and they're carrying something you probably don't want to reach its destination. If nothing else, infantry is a lot easier to kill standing around in an open field. So bring the precision or long-range weapons and apply the accuracy bonuses to the problems of tank killing. As usual, the LB-X autocannons (or the SB Gauss) are favorites here but a good battery of long range weapons to cut the range modifiers down can be just as useful. Other than that, it's another lightly armed hover, so watch for attempts to play flanking games and be prepared to respond by maneuver or firepower as appropriate. Considering their job, anti-infantry weapons are also handy to have ready.
References: As ever, I recommend the
MUL for your first perusal to get a look at BV costs and BattleForce stats. The only model on CamoSpecs is in the colors of the
3rd Taurian Lancers.
