The Anubis, from TRO:3067
You have to hand it to Sun-Tzu Liao: rebuilding the Detroit manufacturing plants was a very slick move. Not only was it a sign of true commitment towards the Trinity Alliance, but it gave the Confederation reliable industrial output from a planet outside of direct Capellan influence. Any Davion or League raids would serve only to solidify the bonds between the periphery states and their new Successor State ally. As for the Magistracy and Concordat? They would gain a sudden boost of production for their floundering militaries, breathing life into aged ambitions of modernization and expansion. Although Detroit’s production between 3060 and 3062 is unknown, it’d be a safe bet to guess that the most advanced output would come in the form of introtech Stingers and Wasps. The Anubis, though…what a ‘Mech. It’s arrival would truly define a new era for the Periphery.
Let’s start with the chassis. Conceived as a partner for the Osiris, the design was rejected by all potential manufacturers within the Federated Suns. The designers, most likely desperate for any return on their investment, moved to the New Colony Region where Detroit Consolidated MechWorks quickly lept upon this advanced design. At 30 tons the Anubis was nothing too difficult for the Magistracy or Concordat to manufacture, although the Endo-Steel (domestically made above Detroit!) would be the first of its kind to ever be made for a Periphery state. Additionally, it was a blazingly new technology for the Confederation to share; it had only been available to them for roughly seven years. The 240-rated extralight engine was another piece of highly unavailable tech, giving the Anubis the same movement profile as the older Locust - a ‘Mech that had previously been by far the fastest in production in that part of space. The Comm System (taken from the Raven) and Targeting/Tracking System (taken from the Stinger and Duan Gung) ensured the Anubis pilots had reliable hardware at their disposal.
The most surprising and cutting-edge aspect of the Anubis would be in the 5.5 tons of Stealth Armor protecting it in a 11(4)/9(3)/8/12 pattern (CT/ST/Arms/Legs), with full protection around the head. This armor, only fabricated since 3062 (one year before the Anubis entered production) had as of then been used on only a handful of refits and new designs. Sharing this exclusive technology proved that the Capellans truly wanted powerful allies to support them in their endeavors - albeit allies still reliant upon a supply chain originating in Confederation space. The advanced ECM used to power this Stealth Armor only sweetened the deal.
Firepower would also be impressive for such a light ‘Mech. Four LRM-5 launchers (previously used with great effect on the Vindicator) would plant the Anubis into the same light support role as the Duan Gung, Valkyrie or Hammer, all while carrying an even more impressive punch. The drawbacks were found with its back-up weaponry; a single Diverse Optics ER Small Laser (presumably imported from the Free Worlds League) would give the Anubis pitiful close-in capabilities. This is a larger problem than it might sound - only a single ton of ammo feeds the four LRM racks, giving each individual launcher only 6 volleys before running dry. Make sure you choose your shots wisely.
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Variants appeared almost immediately, with the quick and dirty -3R leading the pack. Introduced in 3064, two of the LRM-5 launchers were replaced by two RL-15s and a single RL-10, while armor was brought to its maximum potential. This variant is, in my eyes, better than the original. Not only is it tougher, but the two remaining LRM-5s end up having greater endurance off of the same single ton of ammo. The Rocket packs offer a decent close ranged punch to give a one-time mauling to anything that stumbles within their range, making it even more dangerous to any injured foes.
The -3T, with its arrival date of 3067, instead moved to replace the entire LRM array with a collection of ER Lasers. Two ER Mediums and a single ER Large add onto the original ER Small, while two more heat sinks allow the -3T to run and shoot its ER Large Laser with its stealth activated. This is a fine example of the advantage lasers can have over missiles; the -3T not only has greater endurance, but also a better close-in punch and a similar (if differently clustered) ranged damage profile. It is more of a line trooper than the -3L, and gives the Trinity Alliance their own light laserboat.
ABS-3MC, from XTRO: Periphery
The next model, showing up in the post-Jihad universe, was a result of Magistracy experimentation. This -3MC was a bit of a blend of prior models. Two Enhanced LRM-5 racks give it the ranged punch of the -3R, while the two ER Mediums ape the secondary firepower of the -3T. This gives the -3MC a hefty punch at range 4, while also creating a larger close-ranged bubble to exploit with the NLRM tubes. The upgrade of the ECM to an Angel model lets it interdict foes even with its Stealth activated, while disabling the Stealth opens the field more additional jamming options.
The -4C would be the final variant of the original chassis. A simple and obvious upgrade, the ranged firepower was supplied by two MML-5 racks while the close-in firepower was covered through twin ER Small Lasers. An extra half-ton of armor increased the coverage to 13(4)/10(4)/9/12 (CT/ST/Arms/Legs), toughening up the side torsos enough to take a PPC hit without the damage going internal. The last change, and arguably one of the most important ones, was the inclusion of a second ton of ammo for the launchers. This Anubis can have true ranged longevity, or can use a ton of SRM ammo for devastating close-in blitzes. The second ton of ammo really changes things up more than it might seen; using specialty ammo is a much more attractive prospect on this model than any previous incarnations.
ABS-5Y, from TRO3145: Capellan Confederation
The Victoria War wreaked devastation on the Capellan industrial complex. This damage, culminating in the complete loss of Victoria and its factories, cost the Capellans dearly. In an incredible move of goodwill, even for a nation lead by the wife of the Capellan chancellor, the Magistracy ceded control of Detroit to the Confederation to assist them in rebuilding of their military. This lead to the loss of direct control over the manufacturing plants of multiple “traditional” Magistracy designs, including the Anubis - undoubtedly why the design was chosen to be aesthetically redesigned and put into production on Krimari.
Not a mere visual upgrade, the newer -5Y made a few important changes to further improve its hit-and-run nature. The inclusion of Improved Sensors would give these Anubis’ better sensor data then before, while the engine, reduced to a 210 XL, slightly slowed it in comparison to its older siblings. This swap would allow the back-up lasers to be replaced by much heavier Light PPCs, with the two LRM-5s fed by a single ton of ammo supporting them as per usual. When combined with the traditional stealth armor protection, the -5Y would carry a ranged array that surpassed any other Anubis model, making it a true threat to any targets engaged at range.
The sole variant of this newer chassis, the -5Z, instead moved to make the Anubis a deadly striker. With no LRMs to speak of, the missile barrage would instead come from two Streak SRM-4 launchers fed by a single ton of ammo. Two ER Medium lasers would add to the barrage, while the addition of TAG forged this Anubis into a devastating partner for guided artillery. Finally, the armor was massively hardened, coating the -5Z with a 15(4)/10(4)/10/14 (CT/ST/Arms/Legs) Stealth’d shell tough enough to take on nearly any incidental blows.
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What is the Anubis? A light ‘Mech that can fill multiple roles in the oft-limited Periphery and Confederation militaries. It can compete with the Duan Gung and Valkyrie in the light fire support role or the Locust and Cicada as a scout. Newer models can act as a Capellan-flavored Commando or Javelin. It is an ideal ‘Mech for Colonial Marshals, fitting in nicely with their hit-and-run combat doctrine tailored to force enemy forces to retreat rather than commit to a longer fight. What it is not suited to is straight-up or prolonged combat, and it will suffer if forced into that role. Instead, I’d recommend using it through quick strikes and strategic attacks.
Furthermore, depending on your type of game, the Anubis can be an excellent vector for alternate munitions. It can rapidly cover huge swathes of territory with Thunder-Augmented mines, brutalize unaware infantry with Fragmentation ammo, or cripple large convoys with Swarm missiles. But these tactics only work at their best if there is the possibility of retreating and reloading - if you only play pick-up games this wouldn’t be its ideal use. Later variants such as the -4C and -5Y can somewhat change this by having a larger array of firepower at their disposal, but make sure you know exactly what you want your Anubis to do before you bring it to the table.
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Iron Wind Metals:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2607Master Unit List:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=anubisCamospecs:
http://www.camospecs.org/IWM/Details/560/anubis-abs-3l
