Meridian Medium Tank
IS TW non-box set
50 tons
BV: 637
Cost: 1,661,250 C-bills
Developed in the last years of the Star League, the Meridian was conceived as a garrison vehicle for bases and outposts spread across League, intended to operate with as small a logistical tail as possible, while still presenting itself as a significant combat asset. Instead, it turned into a classic example of the reach of engineers exceeding their grasp. The pairing of a PPC and Large Pulse laser certainly allows the Meridian to present a credible threat at all ranges without the logistical demands of an armament of missiles or ballistic weapons, but the heavy cooling system required forced compromises in every other aspect of the design. The Meridian has none of the mobility one would expect from a combat vehicle of its size, and the use of ferro fibrous compounds proved necessary to achieve even barely adequate armor protection. The overall result is a rather mediocre tank able to outshoot more "budget" oriented designs like the Tiger or Bulldog, but offering poorer mobility, barely comparable armor, and a higher price tag. For this reason, the Meridian was initially rejected for deployment, only (eventually) seeing service when it was put into limited production by Rim Worlds forces occupying the Hegemony in 2770. None survived the Succession Wars.
Design Quirks: Easy to Maintain, Bad Reputation
Movement: 3/5 (Tracked)
Engine: 150
Internal: 25
Armor: 98 (Ferro-Fibrous)
Internal Armor
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Front 5 20
Right 5 20
Left 5 20
Rear 5 18
Turret 5 20
Weapon Loc Heat
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PPC TU 10
Large Pulse Laser TU 10
Small Pulse Laser TU 2
"...And I Feel Fine" setting addendumThough considered a failed design by the Star League, the Meridian continued to influence other weapons projects. The design of the Meridian's compact unmanned turret would later appear in the plans for an autonomous drone battlemech, tagged the "Badger" centuries later by Federated Suns forces who first faced the machines during the invasion of June.
The refugees that settled the Bastion put the Meridian into production, and for a time it served as the primary heavy combat vehicle for the Hegemony Militia. By the 31st century, the vehicle had been replaced in front line service by an upgraded version of the Manticore (the predecessor to the current Basilisk tank), but tens of thousands remained in second line and defensive formations for several more decades before being largely supplanted by the Panther medium tank. The last few in service were upgraded with heavy ferro fibrous armor during the post Jihad buildup, though even these did not last long before being converted to specialized AA vehicles and mortar carriers. Even so, the Hegemony has as many as a hundred thousand Meridian tanks in storage back in the Bastion.
