Tau Manta
Class/Model/Name: Tau Manta
Tech: Clan
Vessel Type: Aerodyne DropShip
Mass: 499 tons
Safe Thrust: 2
Maximum Thrust: 3
Armor Type: Clan Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
2 Gauss Rifles
6 Light PPCs
2 iATM-3s
16 AP Gauss Rifles
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Class/Model/Name: Tau Manta
Mass: 499 tons
Equipment: Mass
Drive & Control: 61.00
Controls: 4.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 2
Maximum Thrust: 3
Structural Integrity: 10 25.00
Total Heat Sinks: 22 (44) Double 19.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 4.00
Cargo and Consumables: 3.00
Armor Type: Clan Ferro Aluminum (960 total armor pts) 40.00
Standard Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 250
Right: 250
Left: 250
Aft: 250
Cargo: -
Bay 1: Infantry Compartment (10 tons) 10.00
Cargo (3 ton) 3.00
Doors (1)
Bay 2: Battle Armor Bays (4 Man) (2) 12.00
Light Vehicle Bays (4) 200.00
Doors (2)
Crew and Passengers:
10 Crew Quarters-Steerage 50.00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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2 Gauss Rifles (C) Nose 30 30 30 -- 2 24.00
2 iATM-3s Nose 12 12 -- -- 4 3.00
4 AP Gauss Rifles Nose 12 -- -- -- 4 2.00
1 TAG (C) Nose -- -- -- -- - 1.00
3 Light PPCs R/LW 15 -- -- -- 7 24.00
2 AP Gauss Rifles R/LW 6 -- -- -- 2 2.00
4 AP Gauss Rifles R/LW(r) 12 -- -- -- 2 4.00
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Ammo Mass
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AP Gauss Rifle Ammo (160 rounds) 12.00
Gauss Rifle Ammo (16 Rounds) 2.00
iATM-3 Ammo (20 Salvos) 1.00
*This Dropship does not have the components to connect to a K-F Boom equipped Docking Hardpoint, and needs a Dropshuttle Bay in order to be transported.
A DropShuttle used by the Tau Empire for many uses. Small enough to be difficult to target with warship weapons, but big enough to deploy a sizable force. It carries heavy enough fire power to do small amounts of damage to a warship, but not be a credible threat to one on it's own. This DropShuttle is small enough to be carried internally by a warship and launched through DropShuttle Bays, but bigger than a small craft. It is small enough that cargo vehicles can move it about, allowing a warship to carry many and refill DropShuttle Bays as Mantas launch, in order to prep the next for launch, allowing a Tau Warship to carry surprising numbers of these vessels.
This DropShuttle can deploy a sizable combined arms force of battle armor, conventional infantry, and tanks, escpecially for how small it is. It can deploy it's whole force in a single turn. Some Mantas have been known to pull the vehicle bays out in favor of increased conventional infantry and battle armor space. Those variants use some of that space to install sizable bomb bays as well, often outfitted with anti-ship missiles. These are used as combination bomber/battle-taxi in anti-warship actions.
DESIGNER's NOTE: I had to redesign the Hammerhead as a 50 ton unit instead of 60 tons, for this, so that it could fit in a light vehicle bay. The Hammerhead's post is updated with the new stats to reflect that.
