Well, there's my Spartan heavy tank, which I basically made as a response to the bit of fluff in the 3025 Bulldog tank that states it's just one heavy tank in a very crowded market - it always seemed to me that this was rather not the case. The Spartan is a Lyran design, a general-purpose battle tank with firepower centered around a heavy autocannon. It eventually spread across the Inner Sphere, but the Lyrans still use the lion's share.
Spartan Heavy Tank
Mass: 60 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: Tracked
Rules Level: Advanced Rules
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-D-D
Production Year: 2622
Cost: 1,094,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 668
Power Plant: Taylor Heavy Duty 240 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 43.2 km/h
Flanking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor: Krupp-Paterson Compound B Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Defiance Killer Type T Autocannon/10
1 Coventry Five-Tube LRM-5
2 SureFire Minigun Machine Guns
Manufacturer: Defiance Industries
Primary Factory: Hesperus II
Communications System: TeleTalk S2
Targeting and Tracking System: Freischutz-3
Overview:
Squat, ugly, and functional, the Spartan has served many masters over the
centuries: mercenary, Successor Lord, Star League, and even the infamous
Ursurper. Its ubiquity is a product of its design, a tank that balances
firepower, protection, and mobility in such a way to make it useful - if not
excellent - in a variety of roles. As a design with few pretentions, the
Spartan is one of a rare sort of machines that really came into its own during
the Succession Wars, surviving and multiplying where more advanced and capable
designs perished. While the Spartan's original manufacturers, the Lyran-born
Krupp-Paterson Armaments, are long-defunct, various facility owners (among them
Quikscell, Jalastar Aerospace, and Defiance Industries) keep the design alive
in the modern day.
Capabilities:
The Spartan, a product of Krupp-Paterson Heavy Armaments, was just one
middle-weight tank among countless others when it debuted in 2622. The
engineers responsible for the Spartan eschewed the advanced technologies of
many designs, opting instead for tried-and-true systems optimized to be robust,
easily-maintained, and long-lasting. The Spartan could not compete with its
bleeding-edge rivals head to head, but it could be purchased in large numbers
by almost any customer (and it was). Krupp-Paterson, a mostly apolitical
corporation, eventually opened plants in every Successor State.
The Spartan was originally manufactured as a capable and inexpensive
garrison tank, a unit that could free up more competitively-equipped tanks for
frontline service. What employers of the Spartan would find out during the
Amaris Civil War and later the Succession Wars was that the Spartan could
acquit itself well even in frontline combat. A lance of Spartans with
well-trained crews operating cooperatively had the firepower and survivability
to challenge even medium battlemechs in open combat. Spartans previously
relegated to secondline forces and strategic reserves would find themselves
redeployed to frontline combat zones as the Successor States fought their long,
brutal, increasingly primitive wars with one another.
Designed for flexibility, the Spartan features an effective, generalized
armament that allows it to be effective in most situations. The heavy cannon
compares favorably against lighter models found on tanks such as the Scimitar,
Scorpion, and Vedette, while the light LRM rack gives a Spartan's gunner the
ability to respond even at extreme range. While some criticize this weapon as
too light to matter, its firepower becomes more respectable in the lance-sized
deployments the Spartan is usually found in. When it was introduced, the
Spartan had access to a wide variety of alternate ammunitions - even including
missile-deployed mines - that further increased its utility. A Spartan is a
difficult target for infantry, with two heavy machine guns, one of them mounted
coaxial to the autocannon. The design is capable of shrugging off a fair
amount of antitank fire, thanks to protection that compares favorably against
the ubiquitous Vedette, light-weight Scorpion, and well-rounded Bulldog.
The Spartan's mechanical reliability and simplicity have become something
of a minor legend among tank crews. While there is certainly truth in the
Spartan's fantastic reputation for durability, like all legends, it is
exaggerated - a sixty-ton weapon of war functions best when regularly and
professionally maintained. Spartans that do not undergo proper maintenance
will function for long periods, but eventual parts failures tend to be complete
and damage connected systems.
Quikscell-manufactured Spartans tend to be the most flawed, with weak
transmissions being a constant issue. Spartan tankers sometimes complain of
the design's cramped crew compartment, which makes movement within difficult
for larger men and women; this can be a critical weakness in some situations,
such as a cabin fire or the need to evacuate. Banking on the increased
survivability provided by the tank's low profile, Krupp-Paterson responded to
complaints concerning crew comfort with a laconic suggestion that customers use
smaller tankers. The Spartan's greatest weakness is its ammunition magazines;
if pierced, they typically explode. The detonation of any of the tank's
ammunition magazines is usually enough to set off a series of sympathetic
explosions powerful enough to blow the turret dozens of meters into the air.
Mechwarriors, rarely enamored with "crawlers," have been known to bet on
which side of the turret will land up.
Battle History:
As the Amaris Civil War dragged on, the forces of the Usurper became
increasingly desperate for materiels with which to wage their doomed defense,
resorting to opening long-term SLDF reserves to replace frontline armor losses.
As the Spartan had been one of numerous vehicles to be stockpiled in great
numbers, it soon found its way to the front line. A favored tactic saw the
Spartans deployed in shallow tank trenches, camoflaged against approaching
enemy forces and defended by their low profile. Once the SLDF forces entered
range, Amaris Spartans would barrage them with autocannon fire, then retreat to
the next defensive line, covering their withdrawal with missile-deployed mines
and concealing smoke. These hull down ambush tactics tended to increase the
lifespan of the tanks, though the SLDF learned to counter such maneuvers by
cutting of retreating tank columns with hovercraft, allowing the main battle
line enough time to catch up and destroy the tanks when they were in the open
and most vulnerable.
Deployment:
Presently, all Successor States manufacture and deploy the Spartan. It is
somewhat less popular in the Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine, who have
a traditional enmity with the Lyran Commonwealth, but the design's age curbs
the sharpest irrationalities of nationalism. The Capellan Confederation has
been neglecting its own plants, focusing instead on requisitioning lighter and
even less expensive tanks, such as the Vedette and Hetzer. Pirates and
mercenaries esteem the Spartan for its no-frills, no-fuss workhorse nature, and
will sometimes substitute lances of the tanks for more expensive battlemech
units. Mercenary units make heavy use of the LRM carrying variant of the
Spartan as a cheap support asset, favoring it for its higher mobility,
flexibility, and survivability over more common LRM carriers or terrain-limited
platforms like the Striker.
There are indications that the LCAF intends to phase out the Spartan and
urban assault Spartan for the Patton and Rommel tanks as they make their way
into common deployment. Intelligence gathered by our order indicates that
surplus Spartans will be mothballed, sold, or else converted to the common
missile support and anti-air configurations.
Variants:
The urban assault model of the Spartan replaces the old cannon and LRM rack
with a massive class 20 cannon designed for mech-hunting missions in closed
quarters, usually in cities or industrial parks. Lances of Spartans sometimes
include a single urban assault tank to make the whole lance more effective in
close combat, and to discourage battlemechs like the Hunchback from closing in.
The Spartan missile carrier is a more flexible, though less
formidably-armed alternative to the common LRM carrier. It mounts paired
LRM-15 racks in the modified turret, along with a machine gun. Capable of
surviving fairly serious fire, the Spartan missile carrier has enough mobility
to follow an advancing (or retreating) battle line, and its turret grants it
the ability to effectively fight on the move.
The Spartan air defense vehicle makes use of twin rapid-firing class 5
autocannons for its primary offensive firepower. Its armor is lighter than the
standard Spartan, though still slightly thicker than the similarly-tasked
Partisan Heavy Tank. The air defense Spartan often works in the roles of
direct fire support as well as air defense.
Notable 'Mechs & MechWarriors:
Methuselah
The first production Spartan even manufactured, the Methuselah was recently
rediscovered to minor Lyran media attention in a Steiner reserve depot.
Working with the tank's serial numbers and records on the depot's stock, it was
eventually discovered that the Methuselah had never actually seen live combat,
instead being transferred between reserves in some unlikely form of luck. The
centuries-old tank met its end, ironically, in its first sortie, when a wily
pirate mechwarrior used his Catapult's LRMs to disable the tank's locomotive
equipment, then used his jump jets to land his mech on the tank,
mission-killing it. Steiner media was considerably less interested in this
rather ignoble fate.
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 30 points 6.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 240 23.00
Cruise MP: 4
Flank MP: 6
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 0 0.00
Control Equipment: 3.00
Lift Equipment: 0.00
Turret: 1.50
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 128 8.00
Armor
Factor
Front 30
Left/Right 25/25
Turret 28
Rear 20
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Spaces Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine Gun FR 0 1 0.50
Autocannon/10 T 3 1 12.00
LRM-5 T 2 1 2.00
Machine Gun T 0 1 0.50
@AC/10 (20) BD - 0 2.00
@LRM-5 (24) BD - 0 1.00
@MG (1/2) (100) BD - 0 0.50
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 4 Points: 7
4 0 0 0 0 3 2 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: EE
The Skirmisher AFV is an inexpensive, wheeled AFV marketed to backwaters, militias, and hard-luck mercenaries. The watchword of the Skirmisher is 'cheap,' but it carries enough firepower that it can't just be ignored, and a fair range of alternative configurations are offered to the procurement office on a budget. Armor protection is poor but will still survive a stout hit or two from the likes of big autocannons and PPCs.
Skirmisher Light AFV
Mass: 30 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: Wheeled
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/C-D-C
Production Year: 0
Cost: 366,775 C-Bills
Battle Value: 355
Power Plant: SitiCide 100 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 43.2 km/h
Flanking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor: ProtecTech Light Standard Armor
Armament:
1 Magna MK III Large Laser
1 Machine Gun
Manufacturer: Quikscell
Primary Factory: Various
Communications System: Basix 200
Targeting and Tracking System: Optisight-12
Overview:
A common sight among backwater militia and hard-luck mercenary units, the
Skirmisher Light AFV is a basic platform whose speed and ease of manufacture
have been emphasized above almost everything else. While its assignment to
inexperienced units with low morale certainly accounts for some of its
unimpressive battlefield performance, the Skirmisher is nonethless a singularly
unambitious platform whose effectiveness has been coldly balanced against its
(always short) battlefield lifespan. The Skirmisher's original manufacturers,
Krupp-Paterson, have long since ceased to exist: today it is manufactured
primarily by Quikscell, as befitting a vehicle of its particular flavor of
efficiency, and Bulldog Enterprises.
Capabilities:
While Skirmishers are well-known among MechWarriors and soldiers in general
as inexpensive, low-survivability units, care must still be taken in combat
against them. Skirmishers are actually decently-armed for their size,
featuring a heavy laser that gives the AFV considerable hitting power for such
a lightweight vehicle. As Skirmishers typically operate in groups, these hard
hits can quickly add up, even against a battlemech. As this weapon possesses
less impressive effective range than a light autocannon found on light tanks
such as the Scorpion, Scimitar, and some Bulldogs, it can be effective to pull
back and assault large formations of Skirmishers at range.
The Skirmisher's six-wheeled drive train saves cost and difficulty compared
to the more-traditional tracked motive systems of "true" tanks, but it is not
without its flaws. Despite its wide wheelbase and robust suspension, there are
areas of rough terrain that the Skirmisher simply cannot go. As a primarily
defensive platform, this disadvantage poses little issue for the typical
customer. Skirmishers are usually limited in their deployment to dense or
light urban terrain, where treaded motive systems afford no advantage.
The Skirmisher's firepower may be fairly impressive, but its survivability
is quite poor. With a scant four and a half tons of light armor, the
Skirmisher is soon overpowered by heavier units like the Bulldog or common
Vedette. With a flank speed of only 64 km/h, the Skirmisher is also quite slow
for a fighting vehicle of its size, enhancing its vulnerability. Skirmishers
survive best when they can rely on familiar terrain to protect them from
hostile fire. More sadistic commanders see Skirmishers as a sort of "ablative
armor" for more important armored assets, while even more humane commanders
acknowledge that numbers are the best defense for a Skirmisher unit, which does
little to console their crews.
While Krupp-Paterson was well-known for manufacturing extremely well-tuned
products, their successors - especially in the case of the Skirmisher - have
been less quality-oriented. Quikscell products are notoriously variable in
quality, and the Skirmisher is no exception. Purchasers generally prefer units
manufactured by Bulldog Enterprises, by Quikscell's low price point is hard to
argue with. Some procurement offices instead compromise, purchasing initially
from Quikscell and relying on Bulldog for spare parts.
Battle History:
The Skirmisher is typically a platform that finds little glory, fighting
for planetary militia, pirates, or mercenaries in a support role. Such combat
tends to accrue few particularly impressive stories. One exception occurred
during the late Fourth Succession World, in the Davion seizure of the world New
Macao.
With Capellan morale collapsing along with their battle lines and borders,
many units within the CCAF began to defect or surrender rather than face sure
destruction. This was true on the world of New Macao. Defended only by a
sparsely-equipped local militia, their defeat at the hands of the 7th Crucis
Lancers was guaranteed from the moment the Davion dropships began their burn
for planetary insertion. As the invaders rapidly advanced, many individuals -
and whole units - began to break under the stress, abandoning their posts,
surrendering, or engaging in unauthorized retreats. Captain Pyotr Ivanovich
Kaminski, commander of a reinforced armor company made up of Skirmisher AFVs,
was one exception.
As cocky Davion forces moved into the outlying districts of New Macao's
capital, Kamniski found his force to be one of the only ones holding the line.
Resolved not to surrender the city to the hated Davion enemy without a fight,
Kaminski devised a plan that he hoped would allow him to wound the enemy out of
proportion with his forces assigned.
A mixed pair of lances of Davion medium mechs soon pressed into Kaminski's
operational district. Using his standard-pattern Skirmishers, he engaged the
mechs in hit-and-fade combat in the city streets, his crews acting as spotters
for LRM-equipped Skirmishers in his rear guard. The Davion units, drunk with
easy victory and underestimating Kaminski's forces, pressed forward, looking to
silence the enemy long range support. Kaminski's forces engaged in a strategic
retreat, steadily guiding the Davion mechs into his trap. After an hour and a
half of cat and mouse combat, Kaminksi had the Davion mechs where he wanted
them: his SRM-equipped Skirmishers emerged from ruined buildings and parking
garages as the laser-equipped ones ceased their retreat, dousing the Davion
mechs with burning napalm from inferno rounds. The LRM-carrying Skirmishers
finally moved forward, aiding the surviving vehicles in Kaminski's company in
finishing the mechs off.
Kaminski's unit reported the victory but was soon given the order to
withdraw, covering the planetary beaucracy's retreat to their dropships. New
Macao was lost, but Kaminksi had made the Davions pay for the ground he ceded.
Deployment:
Skirmishers are mostly relegated to militia forces, save in the Periphery,
where they sometimes serve in a more prominent role in the order of battle.
Pirates and mercenaries are common customers for Skirmishers; both prize the
tank for its low price and ease of repair, not to mention its economy of
ammunition in its primary configuration.
Variants:
The Skirmisher is frequently seen with a turret mounting twin LRM-10s
instead of its heavy laser. This version of the Skirmisher provides extremely
cheap long range missile support as an alternative to the LRM carrier, but
lacks that vehicle's sheer volume of fire and is hampered by its more limited
motive system. It can frequently be seen as a field base defense platform.
Skirmishers are sometimes modified or manufactured with a trio of six-tube
SRM launchers instead of a large laser. Depending on who is producing the
vehicle, it may have thickened armor (to compensate for its close-attack role)
or a particularly deep missile magazine (to allow for specialized munitions).
Like its LRM-equipped cousin, it acts as a cheap alternative to a heavier
missile carrier, though its wheeled motive system matters little to a vehicle
assigned to built-up areas.
The Skirmisher mixed missile carrier is an intermediate platform, the
logical fusion of other missile-carrying Skirmisher platforms. With an LRM-15
and SRM-6 launcher, this Skirmisher is a close cousin to the Striker light
tank. Though technically better-armed, the Skirmisher mixed missile carrier is
much more poorly-armored, slower, and somewhat lighter, making it less flexible
than its bevy of missiles would suggest.
Notable 'Mechs & MechWarriors:
Captain Pyotr Ivanovich Kaminski
Commander of an armored company on the now Davion-held world of New Macao,
Kaminski was a militia officer who acquitted himself surprisingly well during
the invasion of his world. Capellan state media latched onto this rare display
of finesse and loyalty in order to bolster badly-flagging morale among the
CCAF. Kaminski would ultimately be promoted several times and acquit himself
well enough as an armor commander, though never with as much distinction as on
New Macao. Along with many other military and intelligence officers, Kaminski
was purged by the Maskirovka after Romano Liao officially assumed
Chancellorship. It is possible that Kaminski's status as a minor military hero
and popular media figure - as well as his tendency to complain about the
condition of Capellan armored assets - saw him interpreted as a threat to the
new regime. He is presumed dead.
Critics of Kaminski pointed out that, had the Davion forces not been primed
for easy victory, they would have more easily picked up on the trap they were
being led into by the Capellan armor commander, recognizing that the strategic
retreat of his forces into narrow streets and tall building foretold of an
ambush. Certainly, however, Kaminski had considerable experience in effective
employment of the tactics he used on New Macao, serving most of his military
career along the Marik border as a commander of a company of Spartan heavy
tanks before he retired to his ill-fated militia command.
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 15 points 3.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 100 6.00
Cruise MP: 4
Flank MP: 6
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 8 8.00
Control Equipment: 1.50
Lift Equipment: 0.00
Power Amplifiers: 0.50
Turret: 0.50
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 72 4.50
Armor
Factor
Front 20
Left/Right 12/12
Turret 18
Rear 10
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Spaces Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine Gun FR 0 1 0.50
Large Laser T 8 1 5.00
@MG (1/2) (100) BD - 0 0.50
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 2 Points: 4
4 1 1 0 0 1 0 Structure: 1
Special Abilities: EE