Vehicle of the Week: Morningstar CCVCategorized as a City Command Vehicle, the Morningstar was devised by General Motors and Ceres Metals of Tikonov and put into production on Kathil at the General Motors Annex in Nugent City just in time to be involved in the FedCom Civil War. Most of those built are in the colors of the Federated Suns, with some in front line forces among the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. Liao's interest has been such that they not only increased production at the Tikonov facility but made plans to build it on Warlock as well, plans that came to fruition. All three plants ultimately survived the Jihad, including the assault on Kathil that devastated GM's primary 'Mech factories in District City, although the Tikonov plant went from Word ownership ultimately to the Republic of the Sphere. As a Capellan unit, it's not too surprising the Canopians wound up with a few, making it their only C3 master vehicle and one of only two master units. (The other is the LHU-3B
Lao Hu.)
The Morningstar is built on a 60 ton wheeled chassis, not too different from the Combine's Tokugawa. A VOX 280 XL provides motive power to drive the Morningstar to a flank speed of 86 kph, making it a surprisingly pricey unit. Fortunately, the armor is relatively thick, 9 tons of Durallex Standard arranged in a 43/29/19/24 spread. The real weak point here is the turret. It's unusual for a turret to be more thinly armored than even the sides of a vehicle because it's exposed to fire from all angles. The inability to meet the AC/20 test (or the quad ML test) on the rear is a little concerning, too, considering how much you're paying for these things. I'll be honest and admit the firepower's not great, either. A Mydron Excel class 10 autocannon isn't a bad gun, but it's literally the only heavy weapon on here. There are two tons of ammunition, giving you enough room to use the advanced autocannon munitions introduced around the same time the Morningstar was. Three Slingshot machine guns, one on each side and one literally sticking out of the front, are fed by a full ton of ammo. The machine guns I don't begrudge it. The ammo supply is a little high for my tastes - I can think of somewhere I'd like to invest another half-ton and I'm sure you know where I'm thinking of, too - but in an urban environment, you need machine guns. Especially when your neighbors are people known for aggressive and/or suicidal infantry tactics. Okay, the joker in the deck here is what's eating up the other 20% of the vehicle. First, three tons went to a targeting computer. Combined with the precision ammunition Davion has access to and Liao probably stole the production plans for (think about how many Pos they still have), that means you're going to be able to nail someone for at least a -2, and it's not like anyone running around in an urban area always has the opportunity to really pour on the speed. Then someone tied the whole thing into a C3 master, making this one of the relatively few C3 command units available to the Capellans and a rare bird indeed in the MAF. Finally, there's a four ton infantry compartment, enough for a jump infantry platoon or a squad of battle armor. Just PA(L)s or light and medium BA under TacOps, but even with those limitations, all of the operators have at least a couple of choices available depending on what kind of a statement they want to make. My fellow author
sillybrit and MUL Team colleage
jymset are the BA experts but to me, the Ying Long and Theseus stand out as solid Morningstar partners thanks to their high ground movement speed if you're in a heavily built-up area, letting them plow through buildings more rapidly than other suits.
The first variant is the Morningstar (Laser). Swapping out the C3 computer, this variant replaces it with a large laser fixed forward. Those of you who know the construction rules already know this but that's not the only change on here. Notice I didn't say anything about the targeting computer being removed? It wasn't. The AC/10 is already three tons of targeting computer all by itself for a Spheroid tech base. The LL adds another two tons to that requirement. To get it, the Morningstar (Laser) removes the machine guns and piles the remaining half-ton into that armor I wish the original had: 45/31/20/25. The turret is still a little thin for my tastes but it's better. Aside from the fact that someone apparently mugged an
Enforcer for its guns, the only problem here is that this is still an urban combat unit and you just removed the anti-infantry guns. Fortunately, properly armed BA tends to be murder on conventional troops, but having to rely on a BA squad that can't keep up with you on the move to do that job isn't for everyone. Never popular with either the Capellans or the Suns, the Morningstar (Laser) went extinct during the Jihad as the chassis were either converted to other specifications or lost in combat. If you happen to have one, the laser variant can make a passable cavalry tank or heavy IFV for its battle armor squad.
The next variant to turn up was mentioned in TRO: 3067 as a unit being pursued independently by both manufacturers: the Company Command model. With a second C3 master, this version is one of only two company command units currently available to the Confederation, making them very valuable to those units employing C3 in the service of the Celestial Wisdom. (Granted, there's not
that many of those, but the Capellans do use C3 occasionally.) However, that raises the question of how they stuffed it on there. Instead of, say, removing a machine gun and half the MG ammo, then filling up the infantry bay, GM and Ceres Metals both opted to drop the autocannon to a class 5, then remove a ton of ammo. That's right. This highly advanced, valuable priority target is only marginally more heavily armed than a Vedette and only noticeably so inside 3 hexes. Anyone getting in front runs the risk of getting lit up with TAG, though, so at least there's that. The 1.5 tons saved by the reduction went to an ECM module. That can be useful, either to help in the ECCM role or on the defense, but the rest of the network better be packing some firepower, guys, because this Morningstar sure isn't!
The newest and rarest Morningstar variant continues the trend of reducing firepower for more electronics. Apparently used as a command unit by the Word of Blake (or maybe the galaxy's most expensive EW platform), this model trades away the big gun entirely along with the turret it was mounted in, the targeting computer, the C3 master, and the machine guns, replaced by a trio of MagShots in the same locations fed from two tons of ammo. As a Word-built, Word-exclusive unit that's ridiculously expensive, it's really not that surprising that this variant went extinct after the Jihad, although like a lot of things in this universe, the odds that literally every single chassis was slagged are relatively low. Okay, so there's no serious weapons anymore. What's occupying all that space? A mobile HPG, that's what. Another two tons expanded the infantry compartment to 6 tons, enough for a Level I of BA. Purifiers are always an expected answer when someone asks about Word BA but remember they used a lot of other types, including the Longinus and the IS Standard. Under TW BA weights, the Phalanx is a very real possibility to see piling out of the back, too.
I'll be the first to admit that Morningstars aren't terribly impressive as a breed. They're not useless - anything potentially able to tag a fast-moving 'Mech with no range penalties at a -2 or lower between the targeting computer and precision ammo cutting away at its target movement modifier from 15 hexes away has uses, limited firepower or not - but considering the pricey XLFE, I'm pretty mixed with the end product. (Overall, that was about the response in the last article's thread when GWA covered the design back in 2007.) The C3 master combined with the speed and reasonably tough armor makes it more palatable; in the case of the company command model, it gives the CCAF and AFFS a single-unit company master that's better able to keep up with raider or cavalry formations in addition to urban assault or defense units. The built-in TAG capabilities can also be helpful, although I recommend reserving that for unusual situations or self-defense rather than dedicating it as a TAG spotter. The ability to threaten someone harassing your master with a couple of homing Arrows can keep your network intact a lot longer. Precision ammo for the autocannons is a must; combined with the C3 masters, it makes the weapon lethally accurate and will help counter attempts to disrupt the network.
Going after a force including a Morningstar? Well, first, bring ECM. Any force including a C3 master should always be ready to counter a network if you can. Second, remember that while their firepower isn't great, they're not harmless, either. Third, watch for the rest of the network, especially if you don't have the jammers to cut them off. In situations like that, getting close to the master just makes you an easier target. (Especially for TAG.) Then try to go around to hit the sides, reducing the amount of armor you need to burn through and hopefully immobilizing the vehicle. Anything that makes the Morningstar easier to hit and potentially easier to isolate from its C3 network is a good thing for you. Finally, watch out for the BA it's probably carrying. Even under TacOps weights, having a medium BA squad suddenly pop out of the back can be a nasty surprise, especially if that AC/10 has already managed to trim some of your armor off. If someone's not playing under those rules, you could potentially find anything from an IS Standard to a Grenadier squad back there. (Or a Kanazuchi or Kopis if it's a Republic unit.)
References: The
Master Unit List has your availability and BattleForce needs covered.
CamoSpecs has three examples.
