Velocity, Ltd.

[Easy]

Velocity, Limited.

CEO: Joe Osaka
Location: Cross-Divide Mountains, Coventry
Line of Business: Technology Broker, Research and Development

Originally formed during the Clan Invasion as one of many brokerage partnerships between Luthien Armor Works and Coventry Metal Works stakeholders, Velocity, Ltd. got a lucky break when they proved instrumental in assisting the SLDF of the Second Star League in securely transferring classified technology designs through and around the Clan Occupation Zones. As a result, Velocity, Ltd., got a jump on the technological booms of the Late Clan Invasion and FedCom Civil War eras. Although it's primary development labs on Coventry were nearly discovered, captured or destroyed several times through the Civil War and Jihad, it's dedicated defenders kept the enemy at bay.

The first product of the Velocity Design Team, a work up of a Powered Armor (Light) prototype first given form by Petty Officer Teague Black, who served in the Second Star League SLDF, the Black Magic does not stand out especially from the crowd of Inner Sphere BattleArmor designs of the early 3060s, but it did provide a base from which the later Ghost BattleArmor was build up. Early field use of the prototypes during the FedCom Civil War by Captain Susan Halley and the Ghost Rangers provided many opportunities for Teague to discover what worked and what did not.

Velocity Black Magic Light BattleArmor
IS experimental

BV: 108
Cost: 2,080,000 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/3

Internal: 4
Armor: 16
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Trooper 1                   1        4
Trooper 2                   1        4
Trooper 3                   1        4
Trooper 4                   1        4

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Swarm Mek                      Squad     0
Attack Swarmed Mek             Squad     0
Stop Swarm Attack              Squad     0
Leg Attack                     Squad     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
BA Stealth (Improved) (Right arm) Squad
BA Stealth (Improved) (Left arm)  Squad
BA Stealth (Improved) (Left arm)  Squad
BA Stealth (Improved) (Body)      Squad
BA Stealth (Improved) (Body)      Squad
Armored Glove         (Left arm)  Squad
Armored Glove         (Right arm) Squad
Improved Sensors      (Body)      Squad
Single-Hex ECM        (Body)      Squad
Demolition Charge     (Body)      Squad
AP Weapon Mount       (Right arm) Squad

As Velocity, Ltd. attracted more talent, subcontracting top secret info for CMW and the Star League, the Design Team grew more ambitious. The next generation of the Black Magic, nicknamed 'The Ghost' resulted from reverse engineering suits of Purifier Adaptive and Sylph BA acquired from Clan Diamond Shark.

Velocity VTOL Equipped Ghost Medium BattleArmor
Mixed (Base Clan)

BV: 186
Cost: 4,030,000 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/5 (VTOL Equipment)

Internal: 4
Armor: 32
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Trooper 1                   1        8
Trooper 2                   1        8
Trooper 3                   1        8
Trooper 4                   1        8

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Swarm Mek                      Point     0
Attack Swarmed Mek             Point     0
Stop Swarm Attack              Point     0
Leg Attack                     Point     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
BA Mimetic                (Body)     Point
BA Mimetic                (Body)     Point
BA Mimetic                (Left arm) Point
BA Mimetic                (Right arm)Point
BA Mimetic                (Right arm)Point
BA Mimetic                (Left arm) Point
BA Mimetic                (Left arm) Point
Armored Glove             (Left arm) Point
Armored Glove             (Right arm)Point
AP Weapon Mount           (Right arm)Point
Modular Equipment Adaptor (Body)     Point
Demolition Charge         (Body)     Point

Other designs sprung from the fertile minds of the Velocity Design Team in addition to the Black Magic and the Ghost, including a heavy suit for space marines.

Velocity Space Marine Grunt Heavy BattleArmor "Can-Opener"
IS advanced

BV: 231
Cost: 3,650,000 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/2

Internal: 4
Armor: 56
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Trooper 1                   1       14
Trooper 2                   1       14
Trooper 3                   1       14
Trooper 4                   1       14

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Swarm Mek                      Squad     0
Attack Swarmed Mek             Squad     0
Stop Swarm Attack              Squad     0
Leg Attack                     Squad     0
Firedrake Needler (Right arm)  Squad     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
AP Weapon Mount             (Body)     Squad
Modular Equipment Adaptor   (Body)     Squad
Demolition Charge                      Squad
BA Advanced                 (Left arm) Squad
BA Advanced                 (Body)     Squad
BA Advanced                 (Body)     Squad
BA Advanced                 (Right arm)Squad
BA Advanced                 (Right arm)Squad
Space Operations Adaptation (Body)     Squad
Cutting Torch               (Left arm) Squad
Demolition Charge                      Squad
Battle Magnetic Claw        (Left arm) Squad
Battle Magnetic Claw        (Right arm)Squad

While, so far, Velocity, Ltd. has not entered the market playing field for a major production run of any of it's advanced designs, it has produced small numbers of it's products on commission and in the defense of it's own facilities.

Later, during and after the Blakist Jihad, Velocity would develop a keen interest in captured Word of Blake technology and enter into a sustained trading relationship with Clan Diamond Shark/Sea Fox.

[Sabelkatten]

I'm not sure my math is right, but they seem to be underweight? Was that intentional or is something missing?

[Easy]

They are somewhat underweight, but I don't think by much. Mostly it's a case of critical spaces. You also may have noticed that they are not armed with high-power stuff like SRMs, ERSL, etc. These are special purpose suits so each one is carrying special gear, meaning the configuration may be less than optimal weight-to-firepower-to-movement, etc. Also, I tend to favor suit designs that look more agile, just generally, so even though I'm not a graphics artist, I do imagine what they might look like and that plays into design decisions.

With the exception of the Grunt, maybe, your really not going to want to go toe-to-toe with a dedicated line-of-battle squad in these units, and even the Grunt will only have it's real advantage in space. I do ponder that the Grunt may need a variant with something with more punch than the Firedrake for fighting with conventional BattleArmor on a hull or inside, so I might add a variant for that purpose to accompany the 'Can-Openers'.

Positive constructive feedback is welcome though. Of course, analysts both inside Velocity, and the few outside with knowledge of it will want to critque the designs.

I may revise the fluff, later, and formalize things more so that the mission parameters and design goals are more clear.

[Sharpnel]

It's oky for them to be underweight. Many of the canon designs are, IIRC. Nearly all of my customs are underweight by as many as 100kg depending on weight and configuration

[Easy]

Already a bleeding edge design, equipped with both VTOL pods and a mimetic skin, the "Ghost" prototype suits were subjected to a number of modifications, as each one was hand-built more in the style of a cottage industry than an industrial product line.

This slightly heavier mod sacrificed some Jump rating in favor of an arm-mounted Micro Pulse Laser.

Velocity VTOL Equipped Ghost (MicroPL)
 Mixed (Base Clan)

BV: 223
Cost: 3,160,000 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/3 (VTOL)

Internal: 4
Armor: 32
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Trooper 1                   1        8
Trooper 2                   1        8
Trooper 3                   1        8
Trooper 4                   1        8

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Swarm Mek                      Point     0
Attack Swarmed Mek             Point     0
Stop Swarm Attack              Point     0
Leg Attack                     Point     0
Micro Pulse Laser (Right arm)  Point     1

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Armored Glove (Left arm)       Point
Armored Glove (Right arm)      Point
Demolition Charge (Body)       Point
BA Mimetic (Body) (IS)         Point
BA Mimetic (Body) (IS)         Point
BA Mimetic (Body) (IS)         Point
BA Mimetic (Body) (IS)         Point
BA Mimetic (Right arm) (IS)    Point
BA Mimetic (Left arm) (IS)     Point
BA Mimetic (Left arm) (IS)     Point
Anti Personnel Weapon Mount (Left arm) Point

[995kg by MegaMekLab]

[Easy]

In addition to the 'Can-Opener' Grunt, another Grunt mod swaps the Dual Magnetic Claws for a single Battle Vibro Claw, adds Extended Life Support for longer operations and a Medium Recoilless Rifle. Operating in tandem with the 'Can-Openers' this Grunt provides more of the firepower and melee ability needed to overcome active enemy resistance.

Velocity Space Marine Grunt (MRR)
IS advanced

BV: 252
Cost: 3,488,000 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/2

Internal: 4
Armor: 44
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Trooper 1                   1       11
Trooper 2                   1       11
Trooper 3                   1       11
Trooper 4                   1       11

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Swarm Mek                      Squad     0
Attack Swarmed Mek             Squad     0
Stop Swarm Attack              Squad     0
Leg Attack                     Squad     0
Firedrake Needler (Left arm)   Squad     0
Medium Recoilless Rifle (Right arm) Squad     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Demolition Charge (Body)       Squad
BA Advanced (Right arm)        Squad
BA Advanced (Body)             Squad
BA Advanced (Body)             Squad
BA Advanced (Left arm)         Squad
BA Advanced (Left arm)         Squad
Space Operations Adaptation (Body) Squad
Battle Vibro Claw (Left arm)   Squad
Armored Glove (Right arm)      Squad
Magnetic Clamps (Body)         Squad
Extended Life Support (Body)   Squad


[1495kg by MegaMekLab]

[Sabelkatten]

They are somewhat underweight, but I don't think by much. Mostly it's a case of critical spaces. You also may have noticed that they are not armed with high-power stuff like SRMs, ERSL, etc. These are special purpose suits so each one is carrying special gear, meaning the configuration may be less than optimal weight-to-firepower-to-movement, etc. Also, I tend to favor suit designs that look more agile, just generally, so even though I'm not a graphics artist, I do imagine what they might look like and that plays into design decisions.

With the exception of the Grunt, maybe, your really not going to want to go toe-to-toe with a dedicated line-of-battle squad in these units, and even the Grunt will only have it's real advantage in space. I do ponder that the Grunt may need a variant with something with more punch than the Firedrake for fighting with conventional BattleArmor on a hull or inside, so I might add a variant for that purpose to accompany the 'can-openers'.

Positive constructive feedback is welcome though. Of course, analysts both inside Velocity, and the few outside with knowledge of it will want to critque the designs.

I may revise the fluff, later, and formalize things more so that the mission parameters and design goals are more clear.

I add up the Black Magic to 630(?) kg, so it should be able to pack at least one more point of armor - having enough to survive a ML is a very good idea...

Also, if you forgot - heavy suits can't do swarm/leg attack. But maybe you were only intending the manipulators to be used for their boarding bonus?

[Easy]

I add up the Black Magic to 630(?) kg, so it should be able to pack at least one more point of armor - having enough to survive a ML is a very good idea...

Also, if you forgot - heavy suits can't do swarm/leg attack. But maybe you were only intending the manipulators to be used for their boarding bonus?

I'll check the Black Magic out in MegaMekLab again.

The Grunt's magnetic claws and manipulators are for zero-g combat, e.g. breaching hulls, clearing decks, etc. The Can-Openers have the Magnetic Claws for getting a hold of things and moving obstacles out of the way, for instance. The Magnetic Clamps on the other Grunts are more geared for staying attached to things during a fight and moving around.

I suppose a BattleMech on the hull of a ship with some kind of foot magnet/gripper what-have-you can be attacked by any BattleArmor that just jets or floats to it. Anyways, MegaMekLab does the formatting, I'm just cutting/pasting over. If the swarm stuff is illegal under certain circumstances, then that section gets ignored. There's actually an ongoing discussion on another forum that addresses some of these issues.

[Easy]

During the occupation of Coventry by the Word of Blake, Velocity was forced to curtail many of it's activities in order to support the freedom fighters that managed to keep the Word of Blake 30th Division mostly contained to the capital city of Port St. Williams and the Coventry Metal Works main complex.

Quickly adapting it's research agenda to match the extant threat, Velocity assisted in equipping infantry fighters with a modest range of gadgets and improvements.

Perhaps the most dramatic, the Mechanized VTOL Infantry (Microlite) enjoyed advantages so significant that after the first few months of the occupation, the Blakists rarely bothered with the Cross-Divides, preferring instead to build port St. Williams and the CMW complex into modest fortresses and travelling outside of them only in heavily armed and armored convoys and columns.

Mechanized VTOL Infantry Ghost Rangers
IS advanced

BV: 63
Cost: 30,889,612.27 C-bills

Movement: 1/1/5 (Microlite)

Men: 8 (2/4)
Armor: 2.0

Primary Weapon: Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)
Secondary Weapon: Support Laser (Semi-Portable) (1)
Damage per trooper: 0.77

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)       MEN     0
Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)       MEN     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Lyran Alliance/Lyran Commonwealth (3060+) Infantry Kit MEN

Specializations: Mountain, Paratroop, TAG

Providing fire support for the forward troops, the Arrow IV artillery missile squads knew that sometimes the TAG equipped soldiers were paying a high price to give them the chance to score direct hits with their powerful weapons. Armed with light anti-aircraft support weapons, the Arrow IV troopers were always quick to spot and destroy observation craft and drones whenever possible.

Mechanized Arrow IV Infantry Ghost Rangers
IS advanced

BV: 236
Cost: 4,282,938.03 C-bills

Movement: 3/3

Men: 8 (4/2)
Armor: 2.0

Primary Weapon: Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)
Secondary Weapon: AA Weapon (Mk. 2, Man-Portable) (2)
Damage per trooper: 0.87

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Arrow IV                       FGUN    10
AA Weapon (Mk. 2, Man-Portable) MEN     0

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
Arrow IV Ammo                  FGUN     5

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Lyran Alliance/Lyran Commonwealth (3060+) Infantry Kit MEN

Combat engineers, sometimes called "sappers", also did their part, severely inhibiting the ability of the Blakists troops to use the highways, roads and paths. In addition to this, their ability to quickly construct and tear down bridges, fortifications and temporary bases both in and out of the Cross-Divide mountains made everyone else's job possible.

Combat Engineers Ghost Rangers
IS advanced

BV: 67
Cost: 45,981,552.18 C-bills

Movement: 3/3

Men: 8 (4/2)
Armor: 2.0

Primary Weapon: Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)
Secondary Weapon: None
Damage per trooper: 0.93

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Laser Rifle (Mauser 960)       MEN     0

Equipment                      Loc
----------------------------------
Demolition Charge              MEN
Vibro-Shovel                   MEN
Lyran Alliance/Lyran Commonwealth (3060+) Infantry Kit MEN

Specializations: Bridge-building, Demolition, Firefighting, Minesweeping, Sensor, Trench/Fieldworks, Mountain