So!
I was digging through some of my old files and I found a folder that contained some stuff I was putting together for my own novelization of the Mechwarrior 3 video game. I knew about the official novelization of the game but I wasn't a fan of the book therefore decided to make my own. One such file in that folder was for my revamped version of the Mobile Field Base used in the game. I figured I post here and see what my fellow Battletech fans think of it. Be warned this was several years ago so there may be some mistakes in the grammar and such. This was before I had Grammarly and a much better inner editor. I did a quick and dirty edit of it but there still may be some issues. It is also from before I got further into the rulesets and such for Battletech therefore it may not be possible. So please, go ahead and put forth some edits, or a decent TRO, to make it work better under the rules.
So without further ado here is the Tatara Mobile Field Base!
Model Number: MFB-01
Model Name: Tatara
Type: Mobile Field Base/Support Vehicle
Configuration: Super-Heavy Tracked Vehicle
Mass: 300 Tons
Power Plant: Vlar 300XL Fusion Engine
Armament: 2 x Diverse Optics Type 25 Medium Lasers, in Double Turret (MFB-01B Only)
Armor: StarSlab/4
Manufacturer: Buda Imperial Vehicles
Equipment: Eagle Eye VV-100 Tracking System; Sipher Battlesys 6.5 Advanced Communication System; 6 x Imperial-H7 Heat Sinks
Crew: 12, plus 24 extra passengers
Overview
After the Battle of Tukayyid and the Truce, it brought between the Inner Sphere and the invading Clans several new advances were introduced to the Inner Sphere at large in preparation for a renewed Clan Invasion in the near future. One such advance would be the introduction of a new type of mobile command vehicle that could also serve as a mobile field base sporting the ability to repair not only Battlemechs but vehicles as well would be introduced. The first-ever example of this new type of vehicle would be the Buda Imperial Vehicles Tatara Mobile Field Base Vehicle introduced in late 3056 when other companies struggled to develop their own vehicles of this type.
The Tatara was developed before any other thanks in part to the decision by Buda not to produce a single vehicle with everything needed for a true Mobile Field Base. Instead, Buda focused their efforts on splitting the equipment needed between different vehicles that can work in concert with one another. This decision allowed Buda to beat every other company in producing the needed mobile field base vehicle that would be needed in the years ahead.
Therefore, in reality, the Tatara is not a single vehicle but it is in fact three to four vehicles working together to achieve its mission. This is achieved by introducing a few different variants of the basic vehicle, with one of them focusing on repair duties for both Battlemechs and vehicles, another for carrying needed cargo to support its attached unit, and a third for general command duties. The first type is deployed in pairs where they work together by combining their back-mounted repair gantries to be able to repair any Battlemech or vehicle. The second and third types are then added to the unit for supporting both the two other Mobile Field Base vehicles and the overall larger unit itself.
Overall the Tatara was an interesting development for the gathered Inner Sphere Powers during the peace brought by the Battle of Tukayyid. It would during the later Operation Serpent and Operation Bird Dog in 3060 that the Tatara would prove itself while under combat operations against the Clans. However sadly while the Tatara did indeed prove itself, mostly during the later Operation Damocles it wouldn’t last very long and would be replaced mainly by the smaller, cheaper, and easier to use the General Motors Savior Repair Vehicle along with the later introduced modular MFB-02 design.
Variants
MFB-01A – Tatara Able The ‘A’ model of the Tatara was the main support vehicle of the Tatara Mobile Field Base and sported a large gantry-like repair bay on its back which can be raised up from the back of the vehicle. When combined with a second MFB-01A and its own gantry the two can be locked together around a Battlemech or Vehicle to repair it. It is thanks to this that the majority of the MFB-01A crew are techs required to for repair operations, for the vehicle itself the MFB-01A only needs three crew to operate the vehicle while moving. However thanks in part to the majority of the vehicle sporting the repair gantry the MFB-01A model only sports fifty tons of cargo space and no dedicated crew space for the vehicle crew. Therefore it is common by Tatara Units to only use the cargo space on the MFB-01A for ammo and armor while the larger cargo space on the MFB-01B is used for larger weapons and even disassembled battlemechs when required.
MFB-01B – Tatara Bravo The second of the official Tatara Variants, the ‘B’ variant is the second support vehicle of the Tatara Mobile Field Base and sports a large cargo bay along its back along with needed crew facilities to support its crew along with attached unit personal. This large cargo bay is capable of carrying up to two hundred tons of cargo including up to three disassembled Battlemechs depending on the weight of the Mechs. The MFB-01B also sports a pair of secondary cargo bays that can carry up to twenty-five tons of supplies for its crew and attached unit this includes food, water, and various other extras needed by the Mobile Field Base crew and unit personal. Also the MFB-01B is the only model of the Tatara units to be equipped with a weapon, in this case, a pair of Diverse Optics Type 25 Medium Lasers in a double turret on top of the main crew cabin.
MFB-01C – Tatara Charlie The last of the official Tatara Variants, the ‘C’ variant is the command and control vehicle of the Tatara Mobile Field Base. Therefore the MFB-01C is equipped with numerous command and communication equipment up to a full-on Command Computer and holographic plotting table inside its large hull. It also sports complete quarters and support facilities for a Headquarters Unit. However the MFB-01C is very rarely ever deployed and is therefore only produced in smaller numbers. This is mainly due to smaller, cheaper Command Vehicles available as well as grounded Dropships serving in that capacity when required. The only time MFB-01C units were deployed in combat was during Operation Damocles when it was required to operate behind enemy lines and needed such a vehicle to coordinate the individual Commando units on their missions. Even then though the single MFB-01C unit assigned to the Operation was never used due to the grounded Union Class Dropship Eclipse serving in that capacity during the course of the mission.
MFB-01D – Tatara Delta The ‘D’ Model Tatara Vehicle is not really a full-on variant of the Tatara but a one-time modification. It takes a basic ‘B’ Model vehicle and turns it truly into a Mobile Headquarters/Barracks. The large cargo bay of the vehicle is turned into a small Barracks that can comfortably support up to thirty personal and includes a small mess room with attached kitchenette. The two secondary cargo bays are turned into a Command Room and an attached Communication Room. It also sports a dedicated hitch system that allows the vehicle to tow a trailer-like vehicle behind itself which was first introduced by the newer MFB-02 vehicle. This vehicle is assigned to the newly rebuilt 1st Damocles Commando Battalion alongside two MFB-01A and one MFB-01B vehicles when that unit assigned to the protection of the Germanium Mines on the Moon Veil-IIB where it would serve as the mobile base and headquarters of the battalion during the Pirate attacks on the moon.
MFB-02 – Patron The MFB-02 Patron is a new Mobile Field Base system first developed by Bulldog Enterprises for the Draconis Combine and later copied by Kallon Industries for the Federated Commonwealth. Thanks in part to the failure of the older MFB-01 System produced by Buda Imperial Vehicles and the introduction of smaller Repair Vehicles like the GM Savior Bulldog would take the basic MFB-01 system back to the drawing board to introduce a whole new system. The result of this would be the 100-Ton MFB-02 Patron which is quite different from the older Tatara Vehicle System and its split between different vehicles. Instead the new MFB-02 system didn’t even try to put everything in one vehicle or two for that matter instead it carries several large modular modules that can be assembled into a separate structure. This modular structure can be disassembled and packed into the Patron vehicle in little as fifteen minutes that while doesn’t make as mobile as the MFB-01 it still far more mobile then a grounded Dropship or a dedicated building. This makes the Patron far easier to use and cheaper as well. The MFB-02 system also sports a large hitch system that allows the Patron Vehicle to tow a MFB-T1 Modular Trailer behind it. This trailer is quite modular and can be used as a separate cargo bay to carry needed armor, weapons, and parts to repair in the field or even a mobile barracks facility for the required techs.
Savior Repair Vehicle The Savior Repair Vehicle is a new Support Vehicle introduced by General Motors in 3058 a few years after the MFB-01 was introduced. While not really a variant of the MFB-01 Tatara it is still basically a smaller, cheaper version of the MFB-01A Vehicle. While the larger Tatara was quite superior in both endurance via the large cargo bay of the MFB-01B, and the ability to fully repair anything the Savior was still used far-more than the larger MFB Series Vehicles.
Notable Vehicles and Crew
Damocles Support-1 “Sword” (2nd Lieutenant Thomas Sorenson) The three vehicles of Damocles Support-1, codenamed Sword, where along five other similar units assigned to the scratch-built Damocles Commando Battalion for Operation Damocles at the planet Tranquil. During the main orbital drop operation over Tranquil several Ground-based Naval Laser Installations where unveiled and used to shoot down the Union Class Dropship Black Hammer which only managed to drop half of its complement, and damage its sister ship the Eclipse. Support-1 was one of these units that managed to drop successfully and along with two members of Commando-One Lance manage to link up together before continuing on with the mission. Over the course of Operation Damocles Support-1 and its vehicles would prove existential to the mission providing support and repairs to the rebuilt Commando-One Lance during the overall larger mission of taking down Smoke Jaguar Galaxy Commander Brendon Corbett. It would be during this mission that both lance leader Captain Conner Sinclair and Support-1 Commander Lieutenant Thomas Sorenson would improvise a variety of different modifications to the vehicles of Support-1 including a scratch built small command room taking up one of the secondary cargo bays of Support-1’s MFB-01B Vehicle. It would be thanks to the crews of these massive vehicles and the bravery of the Mechwarriors of the rebuilt Commando-One Lance that would go on to complete the mission of taking down Corbett and his forces. They would also prove the value of such vehicles, along with the larger Operation Bulldog which would lead to the popularity of such vehicles. Later data taken from Support-1 and other vehicles assigned to the Operation Serpent forces would go to develop the MFB-02 Patron System.
Damocles Support Unit “Sword” (1st Lieutenant Thomas Sorenson) The successor unit to the earlier Support-1 Unit during Operation Damocles which is assigned to the rebuilt 1st Damocles Commando Company during its mission to protect the valuable Germanium mines on the moon Veil IIB. Once again commanded by Thomas Sorenson the new Damocles Support Unit sport four vehicles, two MFB-01A Vehicles, one MFB-01B Vehicle, and the modified MFB-01D Headquarters Vehicle. During the three months of this mission these vehicles and their crews proved valuable to the Damocles Commando Company. Thanks in part to no Dropship support and no real base facility on the moon the Damocles Support Unit would be the only way the Company was able to keep in action long enough during the frequent pirate attacks on the moon.
