Narukami Heavy Tank, TRO 3145: Draconis Combine.Once upon a time a Demolisher (Gauss) and a Schrek (Armor) meet at a company picnic. They stared into each other's eyes and fell in love. 9 months later, after having given into all of her pregnancy cravings, the Schrek (Armor) has an overweight baby. They name it Narukami.
I assume that's how it happened. The Narukami really is the big fat baby of New Samarkand Metals' Demolisher and Schrek tanks. The weapons are a blend of the 2 classic tanks, and the additions of AMS and cutting edge armor borrowed and multiplied from the Schrek. NSM decided to put their talents to use in building the Dragon an assault grade tank intended for front line deployment. The Schrek and Demolisher have historically required some cautious use. The Narukami is built to charge shoulder to shoulder in formation and break the enemy line without suffering the all too common hardware degration for which tanks are known.
17.5 tons of New Samarkand Teppeki Hardened with CASE gives the Narukami a robust shell. 38/27/21/27 is well below the maximum amount of armor, even if assumed to be a function 16 points of standard armor. But, it represents a trend New Samarkand Metals started with the Schrek (Armor) and Teppo support vehicle of furnishing their tanks with the highest grade of protection available at the time. Some critics claim it is too thinly armored for the modern battlefield. But, the 95 ton Marksman MBT, the mainstay of RAF and some AFFS heavy armor forces has a similar armor profile (27 points higher, adjusted for HA's 8 points per ton) without the benefits of Hardened Armor. Protection hasn't been one of the alarming criticisms of the Marksman MBT, and seems like an equally unfair critique of the Narukami. ...until RE lasers hit the field.
Otherwise, the decision to use Hardened Armor was a wise one. Hardened armor helps to offset the value of scattershot weapons, like LBX cluster rounds and preserve the integrity of the turret, Gauss rifle, engine and crew long after the Narukami has been stripped of mobility. This is an important quality, given the armor level and armament of the Narukami. 2 standard PPCs and a Gauss rifle, all packed into the turret absolutely depend on the engine and turret to remain functional. 2 Anti-missile systems, one fitted to the turret, the other front facing also help to keep the next most dangerous threat- inferno SRMs from reducing the Narukami to an artificial coral reef. Combined with the Hardened Armor, the Narukami is fairly well protected from through-armor-crits.
Weaponry is not as cutting edge. The 2 standard PPCs and a Gauss rifle are hardly the most impressive armament on a 90 ton tank. But, with the defensive qualities mentioned above, the PPCs should be able to go duration of tank's lifespan with minimal fears of being rendered worthless by engine destruction or turret lock. And to the credit of the designers, one nice feature is that the Nurakami's weapons have is in fall checks. If any 2 of the 3 weapons hit a mech in the same turn it will trigger a fall check. The mismatching range brackets of the weapons can also be forgiven when considering the era in which it was developed. Reflective armor would cut the firepower of an all energy tank in half, while Reinforced-Ballistic armor degrades the BV intense Gauss rifle's efficiency. Taken together, the PPCs still retain the fall check power when the Gauss rifle also hit. Likewise, if Reinforced-Ballistic armor is in play the PPCs can work just as well. This varied armament keeps the Nurakami from being matched up against an opponent able to shrug off it's arsenal.
The 3/5 movement profile provided by 270 XL fusion engine when combined with the weaponry and Hardened Armor suggest this tank is meant for mid ranged brawling. Gather up a lance of Nurakamis and throw them at the enemy's fire support section, break the back of their center, or just punish the enemy individually. This tank packs more mid range firepower than a Warhammer with a similar BV. Abuse it, throw it at anything slow enough for it to corner, maybe even risk sitting still for a better-to-hit number. The armor will help mitigate damages. But, don't overestimate the reach and power of your PPCs. Don't be tempted into the long range game just because of the GR and the infinite firing potential of the PPCs. Get in there all guns firing at 12 hexes or fewer.
Also, don't bother taking tight corners at flanking speed. The Hardened Armor and Hard to Pilot Quirk are going to dispel any dreams you may have of controlled drifting. Better to line up carefully and charge forward at full speed.
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NSM's other variant of the Nurakami retains the same speed and armor profile, but switches out for a Light PPC, Improved One-Shot SRM4 launcher and a 2nd Gauss rifle, all turret mounted. 4 tons of ammo keep your Gauss rifles slinging slugs down range, coordinated through the addition of a Booster C3 slave unit. This variant is better suited to long ranged support, replacing the Gauss Demolishers previously in use. All of the defensive advantages apply to this version of the Narukami, and help even moreso in this case, as both Gauss Rifles can potentially kill the tank through TACs. And, with the doubling down of long ranged firepower, the loss of MPs will bother you even less when you have double GRs and a BC3 net offsetting the innability to maneuver. The iOS SRM4 can be loaded up with the special ammo of your choice to help you out of a pinch.
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Fighting the Narukami is, for once, an interesting challenge. Too often in vehicle articles the solution is scattershot, snipe location, dead. You can still do that against the Narukami. But, it isn't going to be suffering as many crew or hardware criticals until you punch through that armor. Combined with the range of the Gauss riffle and mid ranged power of the PPCs it will put out some hurt while crippled. You can't even get away with infernos as an easy solution. 2 AMS, 1 in the turret cuts down on your chances to cause crits. So, go big or go home with infernos. Maybe use Inferno Arrow IV. Tear Gas SRMs are your best bet, as they target the hex rather than the tank itself. That negates the AMS and Hardened Armor. Once it is immobilized apply energy weapons to the hit location of your choosing. The minimum ranges on all of the tank's weapons also encourage you getting right up next to it and putting the crew to blissful (if brief) slumber with your SRMs.
Another route is to use conventional infantry. The number of 2 hit clusters conventional infantry can inflict on the Narumaki can immobilize it with some luck. Conventional infantry also have little to fear from the weaponry of the Narukami, outside of the BC3 variant's iOS SRM4 being loaded with infernos or frag. Once the tank is immobilized feel free to pound on it with pew-pew guns until the hull buckles or the crew puts up a white flag. Battle Armor can pull the same duty, but generally have more to fear from the big guns of a tank like this, so if you have both options, send in the grunts.
Finally, there's the RE-Laser. A few RE Medium shots will slice straight through the Hardened Armor and make that extra tonnage seem worth it.
