Larry, Curly and Moe - Technical Readout 3075 page 27
As the name suggests, the Trinity series is three suits in one, although a case could be made that it's just a single suit with three lines of variants. Coming from another trinity, the design is a product of the alliance between the Capellan Confederation, Taurian Concordat and Magistracy of Canopus. Most notably, the latter two powers are thus the first Periphery states to produce their own Battle Armor design.
First introduced in Combat Equipment, the Trinity is one of the relative latecomers to the Battle Armor world prior to the outbreak in innovation and revelation of the Blakist designs that came with the Jihad. The project to develop the first version that entered service, the CCAF's Ying Long, was incredibly short compared with most designs, with Combat Eqipment stating that R&D started in 3064 and production in just 3066, although the latter has now been replaced with an even earlier date of 3065 as per the Master Unit List.
The Trinity concept was born out of requests by CCAF commanders for greater access to Battle Armor. Most Fa Shihs that were being produced were being allocated to premier units like the Warrior Houses, leaving few leftovers for the less favored units. An audacious move given the disciplinary culture of the Capellan military, the commanders' requests were met with the proposal to introduce a new design. After signing up financial support from the Taurians and Canopians, the Ying Long practically flew into service, leaving some to speculate that the suit had been waiting all along, and just needed funding to bring it into production.
Whether the Capellans did use their Trinity partners to recoup the costs of an already developed design is likely a question that depends upon your viewpoint of the Confederation for an answer. According to the Readout, the Capellans did then treat the Taurians and Canopians somewhat shabbily as far as then fulfilling their side of the bargain with respect to deliveries of their own redesigned models. As a result, both powers eventually reverse-engineered their respective suits with Capellan assistance and began production themselves. This left the Capellans with undelivered copies of both, with some then even entering CCAF service judging by the RATs in Field Manual 3085.
Exactly when the Taurians and Canopians began building their own Trinity variants is not certain. According to Technical Readout 3075, once all three models were ready, the two Periphery states suffered from a "few years" of delays at the hands of the Capellans before they became self-reliant, which would perhaps indicate they began production themselves in 3068 or later going by typical interpretations of "few". However, Handbook: Major Periphery States, which is apparently dated as 3067, shows the Taurians already building their version of the Trinity, and in addition names a different manufacturer to that in the Technical Readout, with the discrepancy as yet unexplained.
One issue that remains unexplained regarding the reason for the Trinity is what about the Capellan version of the Inner Sphere Standard? According to the write up for the Fa Shih, the CCAF fielded the IS Standard while developing their own suit, but the Standard then is all but forgotten after that point and could easily be mistaken as having never been used by the Capellans. The question then begs to be asked, if the CCAF needed to quickly introduce Battle Armor to supplement the Fa Shih, what was wrong with the Standard? And why didn't the Taurians and Canopians ask the same question?
More in-universe controversy dogged the Trinity series, with the Taurians, who had named their minotaur-like suit the Asterion, becoming upset when the Canopians called their model the Theseus. Perhaps not the friendliest of moves, this choice of name no doubt owes its origin to the past conflicts between the two states, with some diehard or joker in the MCAF or Canopian government presumably taking the opportunity for a sly jab at their enemy-turned-ally.
The Capellans' Ying Long also had its own share of drama thanks to its Mimetic armor. A technology developed by the Word of Blake, it's not known how the Capellans managed to put it into production, just a few years after its introduction on the Purifier and long before any other power duplicated the feat. Erstwhile allies, the Blakists stopped short of accusations of theft and other states even believe that there was some sort of secret deal. All sorts of speculation are possible here, but ultimately the truth is unlikely to ever be revealed, and in the aftermath of the Jihad it no longer really matters in any case.
Unlike the Ying Long, the Asterion and Theseus use the simpler and cheaper standard armor plating, but otherwise the trio of base designs are identical apart from their cosmetic appearance and height, with the Ying Long being the shortest and the Theseus the tallest. As would be expected given the Xin Sheng movement, the Ying Long, which translates as Shadow Dragon, is modeled after a Chinese dragon, while the head structure of the Taurian's Asterion has features reminiscent of the Minotaur. For the sakes of decency, it's probably a good thing that the Theseus apparently doesn't attempt recreate Canopian traits given their reputation.
jymset: The Theseus is actually described to be "somewhat taller" mostly due to the picture. This is exacerbated by the miniature, which rivals the GD Standard as the most oversized BA piece in existence. It truly challenges some ProtoMechs, and is so large that there's enough room inside to swing a Canopian catgirl by the tail without touching the sides. With each mounting eight points of armor, the Trinity suits can survive any single hit up to and including an Inner Sphere Large Laser. Arguably, this is a smarter choice than the nine points mounted on the IS Standard, given that the only common Inner Sphere weapon that can breach the Trinity suits' armor but not the Standard's is the Large Pulse Laser, with anything more powerful killing both. The mass saved is mostly put into weaponry, although the second Battle Claw does eat up a small fraction, for no major benefit outside of marine boarding actions.
The Ying Long's Mimetic armor is perhaps best suited to slower Battle Armor, due to greatest defensive bonus being provided when the suit is still or barely moving. Like the Purifier, this does make the Ying Long a fearsome ambusher, which retains the ability to rapidly reposition between engagements, albeit with little or no stealth protection while moving quickly. At least the Mimetic armor weighs the same as standard plating, so there's no loss of payload, although it is very bulky, which limits the possible weapon configurations, especially missile options.
For mobility, the Trinity designers decided to excuse the typical jump jets and instead upgraded the ground speed to 3 Movement Points. Not only does that save yet more mass for the weaponry, it makes the Trinity suits highly capable urban fighters, due to their ability to quickly move in and around buildings. Outside cities, the suits can struggle with certain terrain types that suits such as the IS Standard can easily jump over, and any terrain that slows the suit down will result in it dropping below the threshold to generate a Target Movement Modifier. Despite this potential vulnerability, the Trinity suits are well regarded by many players, although personally I have an issue with their weaponry configuration.
All three base models introduced in Combat Equipment and later repeated in Technical Readout 3075 come with a Modular Weapon Mount on the right shoulder. While this has the advantage of allowing bulkier weapons to be mounted, excusing the Ying Long in this regard due to its Mimetic armor, under Total War rules it does mean that the weaponry cannot be used to inflict damage during Swarm attacks, a change from its introduction in Combat Equipment. For some players this will not be a problem, given that the Swarm is often considered too slow and risky, however it is the only viable melee attack against vehicles, so it's not without its uses.
With no less than 305kg to install a weapon or other equipment on the Modular Weapon Mount, the Ying Long is only limited by having only two slots remaining, which means it cannot be equipped with weapons such as the Magshot or reloadable missile launchers larger than a single tube. The Asterion and Theseus could both be configured with some impressive missile armament, being able to mount no less than a four-shot SRM 3 launcher, but like the Ying Long, the originals stuck purely to gun power.
In the case of the Ying Long, the weapon of choice was the Capellans' own Plasma Rifle, which has recently received a major boost in effectiveness against Battle Armor thanks to the latest Tactical Operations errata. Now able to inflict an extra 1D6 in damage against suits lacking the Clantech Fire Resistant armor, a Ying Long can now potentially one-shot an Infiltrator Mk II or two-shot a Grenadier, for example.
Just as they had to accept less advanced armor, the Taurians' and Canopians' models also had to make do with less sophisticated armament in the form of a Medium Recoilless Rifle, which does at least possess an oversized magazine to double the number of shots. Originally, this weapon change was a boon rather than a bane, due to Recoilless Rifles being much more effective against conventional infantry, while sharing the same performance against armor, but with the change to Plasma Rifles noted above, the Ying Long now has its own distinct advantage.
The Taurians also began fielding a variant of the Asterion, although in truth it's merely a configuration. Exchanging the Recoilless Rifle for the longer ranged Support PPC, the Asterion (Support PPC) is less capable against infantry, but the slight improvement in range can be useful. Unfortunately for the Taurians, given their propensity to view the Davions as their constant enemy, the AFFS already field the Magshot, which has even greater range while providing the same firepower, on their Infiltrator Mk II.
Meanwhile, the Canopians produced a true variant, in the form of the Theseus (Rocket Launcher). Of questionable value, in my opinion, this variant reduces the payload of the Modular Weapon Mount so that it can wield a fixed three-tube Rocket Launcher on the right arm. Incorrectly stated as three separate single-tube launchers in Technical Readout 3075, this is actually impossible as per the construction rules in Technical Manual, which limits each location to a single 'Mech-scale weapon. Personally, the (very) few times I've used or fought the variant, I've not found the rockets to be worth the loss of the Medium Recoilless Rifle for the Light version - which again has a double-sized magazine - but some players do like the extra range of the rockets, even if they are one-shot, and the flavor value cannot be discounted.
While discussing weaponry and the Technical Readout 3075 versions, it would be remiss not to mention yet another oddity regarding the Trinity, this time the artwork. The Asterion, which is standing on the right of the artwork, clearly mounts some form of ballistic weapon on the left arm. Back in the days prior to Technical Readout 3085, some players I knew treated this as an Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount, with some treating it as standard for Asterions and others a mere field modification. With the coming of the Old Is The New New section, the suit could also be the Taurian's new Asterion (Upgrade).
Switching to Advanced armor - making the Asterion (Upgrade) the first design to do so outside the Free Worlds League, excusing the Blakist designs - the design frees up the mass to add a Machine Gun, which is likely the mystery arm-mounted weapon, as well as allowing one manipulator to be upgraded to a Vibro Claw. These changes do reduce the Modular Weapon Mount's payload, but the Upgrade can still share the same main weapons as the Support PPC and original Asterion variants.
Continuing their track record of even more drastic armament changes involving rockets, the Canopians also introduced their own new variant, the Theseus (Support) "Killshot". I have to say that this is one of the designs that firmly fall into the Do Not Want category for my tastes. Removing one of the Battle Claws, the Killshot also completely revamps the armament with nine rocket tubes spread across two launchers and a Micro Grenade Launcher on the left arm. The five-tube Rocket Launcher is a detachable pack mounted on the back and until it's dropped the Killshot is unable to perform Anti-'Mech attacks, although it can still hitch a ride on a friendly Omni. Setting aside the pros and cons of the rockets, the Micro Grenade Launcher - which was originally listed as the longer ranged Auto Grenade Launcher in Record Sheets 3085 Old Is The New New - is an anemic backup weapon once the expendible munitions are expended. Add in the poor accuracy and low punch of the rockets and I have to wonder just what the Canopians were thinking.
The latest Tactical Operations errata does give the Killshot new capabilities, thanks to the introduction of smoke and incendiary rounds for Battle Armor Grenade Launchers. While potentially useful for screening purposes, this usefulness is limited due to a squad having to pick a single ammunition type prior to the scenario. That means that a Killshot squad has to decide between having the ability to produce smoke screens - that may or may not be effective - or retaining a modicum of firepower after its expended its Rocket Launchers. Personally, I find the incendiary grenades to be far more appealing, due to their ability to inflict what is effectively a single Inferno hit to every target within the area of effect, thus making it easier for friendly units to kill enemy Battle Armor with actual Inferno hits.
The last Trinity variant was introduced in Experimental Technical Readout Liao and, as its name suggests, the Ying Long BC3 has been modified to install a Battle Armor C3 system. The introduction of this system forced the removal of a single point of armor, although even with this mass saving the Modular Weapon Mount can only squeeze in a 100kg or lighter weapon that requires just a single slot. Limited to armament such as the Light TAG or Machine Gun, the canon version opts for the David Light Gauss Rifle, either license-built or otherwise acquired. With a single squad currently being trialed by Warrior House Dai Da Chi, the BC3 variant is considered a far more viable design than the experimental Fa Shih that also appears in that Readout, however in my experience Battle Armor C3 units can prove less than impressive in actual play.
The first significant combat use of the Trinity was during Operation Sovereign Justice, where it outperformed both the CCAF's own Fa Shih and the AFFS' standard Cavalier Battle Armor. The former is no doubt the reason that the Ying Long now outnumbers the Fa Shih in Capellan service, although some troops have found the lack of Magnetic Clamps to be bothersome. Of course, if some genius in the AFFS ever has the incredible idea of copying the IS Standard and mounting a Light Recoilless Rifle on the Cavalier, a lot of the Asterion and Theseus' advantage over that suit will be lost, but thanks to its Plasma Rifle there's little that the Davions can do with respect to the Ying Long.
As noted above, the Trinity is a great city fighter, with the Ying Long in particular being a superb urban defender. Due to the peculiarities of the rules for dismounting Battle Armor, the Ying Long is also excellent for use in situations where you cannot safely drop troops without taking fire. Thanks to their Mimetic armor, Ying Long troopers enjoy a +3 targeting modifier for incoming attacks during the Turn that they dismount, which can easily mean the difference between destruction and survival. Obviously, where possible you want to dismount your troops in safe areas, but this is not always possible, and at the very least the Mimetic armor could provide a safety net for when the enemy fails to follow your battle plans.
Apart from the Ying Long BC3 and Theseus (Support), all the Trinity suits pretty much operate in the same way. The Ying Long is better opposing enemy Battle Armor, and the standard Asterion and Theseus best used to counter conventional infantry, but overall the Trinity is well suited for a general purpose role. The Ying Long BC3 is an obvious specialist, but you may struggle to keep it alive or functional, given how easy it is for enemy units to swamp the C3 link with ECM, together with the relative fragility. The answer to the latter is to find yourself a good building to hide in, and in this environment the BC3 can be very effective, but it's still vulnerable to ECM. As for the Theseus (Support), its natural prey is enemy vehicles, in the hopes of a critical hit from the multitude of rocket impacts, but it's very much a one-trick pony, and once the rocket salvos are gone it has little to offer without some clever use of the optional grenade load outs.
Some models of the Trinity also make for a decent suit to use for boarding actions, thanks to the dual Battle Claws and the use of weapons capable of inflicting Burst-Fire damage against infantry. The standard Asterion and Theseus, Theseus (Rocket) and Asterion (Upgrade) are all rated at 4 Marine Points, one more than the IS Standard when also armed with Burst-Fire capable weaponry.
All in all, the Trinity is a decent suit, particularly now that it's received a helping hand from the Tactical Operations errata. Echoing the Technical Readout, I know some Capellan players bemoan the lack of Magnetic Clamps and so prefer the Fa Shih, particularly the Support variant introduced in Technical Readout 3085. For me, the two designs provide complementary features that allow for a powerful force to be tailored to the specific foe and/or environment, sometimes favoring the Fa Shih and other times its younger and more numerous sibling. Meanwhile, both the Canopians and Taurians have jumped straight into the Battle Armor game with a very effective unit, perhaps more so in the case of the Bulls and their variants. Personally, when playing Suns forces, I'm just thankful that I can field the likes of the Infiltrator Mk II and Grenadier, which is quite a complement for the Ying Long and its brethren.
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