Author Topic: Leopard (Light Vehicle)  (Read 455 times)

Valles

  • Master Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 315
Leopard (Light Vehicle)
« on: 02 December 2024, 14:02:06 »
Came up with this idea for a fanfic, and... actually, I quite like it.

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Leopard (Concord)
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 3000
Vessel Type:       Aerodyne DropShip
Rules:             Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              1,900 tons
Length:            66 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       4
Maximum Thrust:    6
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    2 PPC
    3 LRM 20
    7 Medium Laser
    5 Large Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
        The Leopard Class DropShip is the standard light transport vehicle
throughout the Successor States and has proved its worth over years of
continuous service. Ease of maintenance and low operating costs have made the
Leopard popular among all the Successor State militaries. Designed as a small
and reliable assault craft, all of its systems save for the sophisticated
propulsion unit can be easily repaired or replaced.
        The V84 drive system is more difficult to service, but a large supply
of them still exists and spares are continually salvaged from destroyed
DropShips.
        The so-called 'Concord Refit' was originally developed in piratical
circles, but soon found popularity in smaller Mercenary units, as well.

==Capabilities:==
        The Leopard Class DropShip was introduced in the early days of the
Star League as a support and transport vehicle for BattleMechs. The DropShip's
slab-sided design and less-than-impressive in-atmosphere handling earned it
the nickname "the Brick," but the ease of repairing the vessel gave the
Leopard a longer life span than its designers'.
        Like many of the early BattleMechs it was designed to transport, the
Leopard has a blocky, angular silhouette because its aligned-crystal steel
armor could initially be formed only in flat sheets. That problem was later
solved, but the Leopard retained its boxlike shape.
        Though more lightly armed than larger DropShips, the Leopard
nonetheless has an impressive weapons array: twin heavy PPCS, three LRM -20
racks, seven medium lasers and five heavy lasers. Though this assortment
offers less firepower than the armaments of larger Union and Overlord Class
DropShips, it is still sufficient to knock out large numbers of opposing
fighters. However, a Leopard being swarmed by fighters in the air or by 'Mechs
on the ground is in serious trouble.
        The individual Leopard-class known as Concord was modified by a pirate
band with a substantially expanded life support system. Unable to acquire
scarce aerospace fighters, they converted the former launch bays into three
partitions each, providing capacity for up to a lance of light combat vehicles
and survivable if not comfortable 'quarters' for up to fifty-six captives.
        Other mercenaries, observing the refit in action, followed suit;
vehicles were much more affordable to operate and provided a significant
benefit in ground operations that many units felt outweighed what a single
aerospace lance could offer the relatively quick Leopard platform. Mercenary
refits typically used the same life support loop for the troop bays as the
rest of the ship, without Concord's selective-venting capability.

==Notable Vessels & Crews:==
A commercial dropship pilot before her enslavement, Captain Izumi rose to
de-facto leadership of the slaves serving the band that had captured her. When
their chieftan fell in battle, taking the only active controller for their
bomb collars with him, she led her fellow slaves in a quick and bloody purge
of the pirate trustees who might have replaced him. Accepting the 'leadership'
of an unknown mechwarrior was as much a leadup to killing her in her sleep as
a gesture of trust and gratitude, but Izumi has not been dissapointed by Major
Kishida's Wave Riders.

==Deployment==
        Both the Leopard and the Leopard-CV date back to the early days of
'Mech warfare, when they were used in conjunction with other older ships such
as the Lion heavy transport. Of this early generation of DropShips, only the
Leopard and Leopard-CV have survived the ravages of the Succession Wars.
        Raids and small 'Mech operations remain the Leopard's primary mission,
though they are also deployed in larger-scale operations. A standard Leopard
is perfect for short missions away from the main body of an invasion force.
        Vulnerable on the ground and lightly armored by comparison to Union
and Overlord Class DropShips, the Leopard almost always returns to space or
high altitude after delivering its 'Mechs.
        While the Concord was initially converted from a standard Leopard for
piratical purposes, and served for decades in that role, its mercenary life
has been notably successful, leading to a surprising number of copycat
modifications that have spread across the Inner Sphere in ones and twos.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Leopard (Concord)
Mass:              1,900 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                          494.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 4
      Maximum Thrust: 6
Structural Integrity: 7                                                 66.50
Total Heat Sinks:    80 Single                                          56.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     140.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 15.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (46 days supply)                                         21.50
Armor Type:  Standard  (500 total armor pts)                            29.50
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                140
   Left/Right Wings:                 130/130
   Aft:                                 100

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  BattleMechs (4) with 4 doors                                600.00
   Bay 2:  Light Vehicles (to 50T) (4) with 2 doors                    200.00
           Infantry (foot) Platoons (2)                                 10.00
           Cargo (1)                                                    72.00
   Bay 3:  Cargo (1)                                                    13.50

Escape Pods:  2 (7 tons each)                                           14.00

Crew and Passengers:
      2 Officers (1 minimum)                                            20.00
      4 Crew (2 minimum)                                                28.00
      3 Gunners (3 minimum)                                             21.00
     84 Bay Personnel                                                     .00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 PPC                      Nose     2(20)  2(20)     --     --   20     14.00
1 LRM 20(12 rounds)        Nose     1(12)  1(12)  1(12)     --    6     12.00
3 Medium Laser             Nose     2(15)     --     --     --    9      3.00
1 LRM 20(12 rounds)        L/RW     1(12)  1(12)  1(12)     --   12     24.00
2 Large Laser              L/RW     2(21)  2(16)     --     --   32     20.00
  1 Medium Laser                                                  6      2.00
1 Large Laser              Aft      2(18)   1(8)     --     --    8      5.00
  2 Medium Laser                                                  6      2.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (0.89%)                                               17.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                               Heat: 99       1,900.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        184,318,128 C-Bills
Battle Value:      2,579
Cost per BV:       71,468.84
Weapon Value:      4,632 (Ratio = 1.80)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 97;  MRV = 56;  LRV = 8;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 19,189
                   (7,631 Structure, 9,590 Life Support, 1,968 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 11,366  (59% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 4,  Armor/Structure: 9 / 8
                   Damage PB/M/L: 11/9/4,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DS;  Point Value: 26
                   Specials: if

Daryk

  • Major General
  • *
  • Posts: 41111
  • The Double Deuce II/II-σ
Re: Leopard (Light Vehicle)
« Reply #1 on: 02 December 2024, 20:44:16 »
Don't forget the Taurians exist... those two Platoon bays have 60 racks, not 56... ;)

Valles

  • Master Sergeant
  • *
  • Posts: 315
Re: Leopard (Light Vehicle)
« Reply #2 on: 02 December 2024, 21:07:36 »
Huh. I've never cared enough about Taurians to learn that about them, so I was just going by HMA's accounting. Call it a result of the actual installation being janky and semi-improvised, I guess.

In any case, I think the important upside here is the armor lance. The extra space for dependents and so on is useful for mercenaries, but I think the tactical options opened up by organic vehicular support are more significant.

Daryk

  • Major General
  • *
  • Posts: 41111
  • The Double Deuce II/II-σ
Re: Leopard (Light Vehicle)
« Reply #3 on: 02 December 2024, 21:09:29 »
The vehicle bays also come with 5 racks a piece, so that's 20 more.