Author Topic: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag  (Read 18854 times)

beachhead1985

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This is where I post the details on equipment from the Der Tag AU.


Blood Lasers

Blood lasers are low-resource weapons originating from the Blood spirits; the legacy of a technological dead-end briefly investigated during the advance of technology during the golden century and never fully examined until recently.

Stripped-down and lacking the refinement needed in ER-lasers, Blood-Laser are lighter, cheaper and easier to make than more common Clantech weapons and provide a boost to raw firepower welcomed by the Blood Spirits and increasingly with other low-resource clans. Examples have also been encountered with the Star Adders. Small quantities have been traded by the Diamond Sharks, but they seem not to know what to make of the Blood-Lasers themselves, as they are in of themselves a low-profit item.

In the field Blood Lasers are most commonly found either massed with new Omnimech configurations or as retrofitted secondary weapons. In either case the downfall is usually in the form of heat output, though they are undeniably effective in terms of raw firepower alone. Another shortfall is the loss of overall range to something just slightly better than the sort of technology available during the Age of War.

The name "Blood Laser" derives from the feeling that when these were being developed; the spirits had little else but blood left.

Producing Blood Lasers requires a higher degree of technical sophistication than normal clan lasers for the basic plant, but the lasers themselves require fewer and less expensive resources once set up and are faster to produce and service.

Small Blood Laser (SBL)

Heat: 1
Damage: 4
Range (Short, Medium, Long): 1/2/4
Weight: 0.25 Tons
Critical Spaces: 1
Cost in C-Bills (Equivalent): 10,500
Availability: XXE

Medium Blood Laser (MBL)

Heat: 3
Damage: 7
Range (Short, Medium, Long): 3/7/10
Weight: 0.5 Tons
Critical Spaces: 1
Cost in C-Bills (Equivalent): 35,000
Availability: XXE

Large Blood Laser (LBL)

Heat: 8
Damage: 10
Range (Short, Medium, Long): 6/11/16
Weight: 3 Tons
Critical Spaces: 1
Cost in C-Bills (Equivalent): 86,000
Availability: XXE

Hope I have the availability right.
« Last Edit: 23 October 2016, 19:46:51 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #1 on: 19 April 2016, 17:34:47 »
OmniCannon

Heat: 4
Damage: 10/shot
Range (Short/Medium/Long): 6/12/18
Weight: 12
Ammunition: 10/ton
Critical Spaces: 6
Cost (In C-Bills Equivalent): 600,000
Availability: XXF

The OmniCannon is an Advanced Federated Suns development; it represents a further advancement beyond Clan Technology in the field of Autocannons.

While still a prototype; The OmniCannon represents a new class of ballistic weapon combining the range and rate of fire of an Ultra Autocannon with a feed mechanism that never jams and the capacity to reliably feed and fire LBX Ammunition and other special munitions and all in a platform that delivers respectable down-range performance.

The pre-production Federated Paradox model will be the main armament of the new cooperative flagship of Kallon Industries and Achernar BattleMechs; The ENF-1D Enforcer, which passed it's controlled testing and starts field trials next year with the Davion Brigade of Guards. Once fully approved; ENF-1Ds will replace Enforcer IIIs and any designs which cannot be locally supported  on a 2 for 1 ratio as the AFFS seeks to further pare-down it's mech forces, rationalize the parts system and reduce foreign dependence on military equipment imports.
« Last Edit: 04 November 2018, 09:52:18 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #2 on: 30 July 2016, 08:09:29 »
Underwing Ordnance

Gun Pods

MG Pod
Heat: 0
Damage: 2
Range: 1/2/3 (Point Defence)
Ammunition: 10 Shots
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 6000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: BBB
Notes: +1 to-hit, built-in Ammo

The MG Pod is the most common of gun pods and gives strafing aerospacecraft a valuable anti-infantry weapon. It's short-ranged and so of little value in a dog fight, unless you shoot from very, very close, but if a pilot knows what he or she is doing, they can also be used profitably as point defence weapons.

AC Pod
Heat: 0
Damage: 5
Range: 5/10/15 (Medium Range)
Ammunition: 8 Shots
Bomb Slots: 5
Cost: 150,000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: CCD
Notes: +1 to-hit, built-in Ammo

The Autocannon Pod is more than simply a scaled-up MG pod with an AC/5 inside; the gun itself had to be modified heavily to make it air-worthy. At the time, these modifications significantly reduced the range and service life of the weapons so modified, but those same modifications applied with contemporary technology produced the LAC/5. AC pods were originally ad-hoc modifications by ground crews using cut-down Imperator Autocannon and modified fuel tanks.

Unlike MG pods; AC pods have utility in both strafing and air-to-air roles, although the inherant inaccuracy of the system remains a drawback.

MechEater Pod
Heat: 0
Damage: 20
Range: 3/6/9 (Short Range)
Ammunition: 3 Shots
Bomb Slots: 10
Cost: 300,000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: DED
Notes: +1 to-hit, built-in Ammo

So-named for the original model of AC/20 used in the first production model pods during the Early Star League days, MechEater Pods are designed to give a heavy anti-armour punch to aerofighters flying ground attack missions, although they are also very useful against dropships.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #3 on: 30 July 2016, 08:32:20 »
Missile Multiple Ejector Racks (MMERs)

MMERs are generally a cheap and easy way to add low-drag firepower to an aerospacecraft. While fleeting in their use, they also tend to be cheap and unlike gun pods; they work as well as the sam weapon would if mounted in the wing, instead of slung under it.

Unlike Gun Pods, MMERs can be mounted to fire to the rear. Like Gun Pods, MMERs can use any kind of alternate ammunition of the type of missile they mount.

LRM Rack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1/missile, 5 missiles
Range: Minimum Range 6; 7/14/21 (Long Range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,500 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: CCC
Notes: as OS LRM/5

Mounting an LRM rack on an aerospacecraft gives it a little more long-range firepower. It is very popular on lighter Aerofighters and Conventional Fixed-Wing Aircraft as well, although it is more common to see several mounted at once than just one.

SRM Pack
Heat: 0
Damage: 2/missile, 4 missiles
Range: 3/6/9 (Short range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,350 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: BBB
Notes: as OS SRM/4

Within the reach of almost any world's industry, underwing SRM racks are a cheap and easy way to add a little firepower to a smaller air or space frame.

Streak SRM Pack
Heat: 0
Damage: 2/missile, 2 missiles
Range: 3/6/9 (Short range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,220 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: EFD
Notes: as OS SSRM/2

An extremely popular add-on to many mission load-outs, the SSRM pod provides the one-shot firepower of other MMERs, but adds Streak technology to ensure that that one-shot is not wasted. Unless it gets blown out of the sky by an AMS system, that is.

MRM Rack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1/missile, 7 missiles
Range: 3/8/15 (Medium Range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,400 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: XXE
Notes: as OS MRM/7

A Weapon exclusive to the Draconis Combine and rarely exported. Outside the DCMS, MRM racks show up on aerospacecraft most often as ad hoc utilizations of captured MRM ammo that has no other use. Other realms prefer LRM Racks or one of the flavours of Rocket Pod.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #4 on: 30 July 2016, 09:13:49 »
Rocket Pods (Primitive, Advanced and Superior)
Heat: 0
Damage: 1/missile, 10 missiles
Range: 5/11/15 (Medium Range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 12,400/800 C-Bills (Equivalent)/ 15,000/1000 C-Bills (Equivalent)/18,500/1230 C-Bills (Equivalent)
Availability: BBB/XXB/XXE
Notes:
-Primitive Rocket Pod: As OS Primitive/Pentagon Powers RL/10 (+1 to hit, -1 on missile hits table)
-Advanced Rocket Pod: As OS RL/10 (+1 to hit)
-Superior Rocket Pod: As OS Superior RL/10 (No modifiers)

Rocket Pods are omnipresent weapons and were common on aircraft long before they took to the stars and longer yet before they were to be found, even as weapons of desperation on ground vehicles.

The Primitive Rocket Pod is identical to that used during the fighting of the Age of War and Pentagon Civil War. It lacks all guidance systems and the quality of the projectiles and launchers is indifferent.

The Advanced Rocket Pod is alike to that which the Marian and Circinian forces popularized as en-masse retrofits for mechs in the early 3060s. The quality of production is higher and thus the projectiles are more reliable.

The Superior Rocket Pod is so-far proprietary to the SLDF. It is a Standardized design; direct-firing 81mm, high-velocity rockets, easily picked out by their excessive black, sooty back-blast. A simple, compact inertial guidance system is added and this is sufficient to provide a direct-fire efficiency similar to an SRM, but out to a longer range. In some versions, this may be replaced by a simple, but effective laser-guidance package which works with TAG gear. Without a TAG lock, however, these alternate rockets are totally unguided and as unpredictable as their most ancient predecessors.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

idea weenie

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Re: The Bench Rest. coordination computers for existing weapons
« Reply #5 on: 30 July 2016, 09:54:30 »
Linked Missile launch system.  using a single central LRM retrieval/dispersion system, this is composed of a single central system, and multiple 5-shot LRM launchers.  The central system retrieves ammunition from a magazine, and deploys it to the LRM launchers.  If a launcher is critted, the remaining parts of the system keep on working.  If the central LRM control system is critted, everything stops (and potential explosion due to it holding 5 missiles at the time).

Example:
Central control computer: .5 tons, 1 crit
LRM module: .5 tons, .5 crits

The whole system is rounded up in terms of total crits needed.

So a Light Mech using this to simulate an LRM-20, and having plenty of spare crits:
Crit slot - component
1 - Central control computer
2 - LRM-5 capable launcher
3 - LRM-5 capable launcher
4 - LRM-5 capable launcher
5 - LRM-5 capable launcher

When the Mech fires, it fires the missiles as an LRM-20.  If it takes a hit to crit slot 4, it fires the LRMs as an LRM-15.  If it takes a crit to slot 1, the Mech cannot fire missiles, and takes 5 pts internal structure damage to that location.

It can use special warheads, as the LRM computer just handles dispersion and target feeding.  So Artemis, Streak, Swarm, Thunder, and similar warheads can be used.



Laser linking computer:
Used to link a number of lasers together, all the lasers must be of the same type and in the same location.  Take the number of lasers currently linked together, take the square root of that, and multiply that by the range of the laser type.  Damage is as the original laser type, heat is per number of lasers fired.

So if you had 4 Small Lasers linked together, you would effectively have a weapon that fired at:
Heat: 4
Damage: 3
Ranges: 2/4/6
Mass: 2 tons
Crits: 4

If you tried that with Medium Lasers, it would look like:
Heat: 12
Damage: 5
Ranges: 6/12/18
Mass: 4 tons
Crits: 4

If one of the lasers in that location is damaged, the Laser Linking Computer can still fire the remaining lasers.  If the LLC is critted, the lasers are fired as normal (i.e. individual mode).

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. coordination computers for existing weapons
« Reply #6 on: 30 July 2016, 11:34:46 »
Linked Missile launch system

Laser linking computer

Those are real interesting, but the idea here is for me to post equipment which is new or just different for the Der Tag AU. Like I said; neat stuff, but not, respectfully; the right thread for you to post your own stuff. You'd probably get more feedback if you posted it as your own thread.

Mainly what Benchrest is for is for me to post Der Tag stuff and for other people to comment and critique it and I'd welcome that feed back from you, Idea Weenie.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

Daemion

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #7 on: 30 July 2016, 12:48:10 »
OmniCannon

While still a prototype; The OmniCannon represents a new class of ballistic weapon combining the range and rate of fire of an Ultra Autocannon with a feed mechanism that never jams and the capacity to reliably feed and fire LBX Ammunition and all in a platform that delivers respectable down-range performance.

Dang. And seeing a name like that, I was thinking it was a 20-class cannon which could fire at AC/10, AC/5 or even AC/2 burst rates, with range profiles to match.

Still, an ultra which doesn't burn out its arming circuitry and can switch into cluster munitions is interesting. Double rated Cluster 10. You might actually get AC/20 cluster performance, or not.

It's your world. You can do anything you want in it. - Bob Ross

Every thought and device conceived by Satan and man must be explored and found wanting. - Donald Grey Barnhouse on the purpose of history and time.

I helped make a game! ^_^  - Forge Of War: Tactics

Daemion

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #8 on: 30 July 2016, 12:53:51 »
Underwing Ordnance

Gun Pods

Missile Multiple Ejector Racks (MMERs)

So, is it possible for a LAM to eject one of these when it goes from AirMech to Mech and pick it up and use it as a hand-held weapon?  O:-)

That is kinda a serious question, though, if you're looking to bring LAMs back.

And, I like the added versatility one can get for aerofighters, especially Conventional. I guess a side question I have, having not completely read your Der Tag set-up: Are you going more air and space heavy?
It's your world. You can do anything you want in it. - Bob Ross

Every thought and device conceived by Satan and man must be explored and found wanting. - Donald Grey Barnhouse on the purpose of history and time.

I helped make a game! ^_^  - Forge Of War: Tactics

Daemion

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #9 on: 30 July 2016, 12:57:08 »
Rocket Pods (Primitive, Advanced and Superior)

The Primitive Rocket Pod is identical to that used during the fighting of the Age of War and Pentagon Civil War. It lacks all guidance systems and the quality of the projectiles and launchers is indifferent.

The Advanced Rocket Pod is alike to that which the Marian and Circinian forces popularized as en-masse retrofits for mechs in the early 3060s. The quality of production is higher and thus the projectiles are more reliable.

The Superior Rocket Pod is so-far proprietary to the SLDF. It is a Standardized design; direct-firing 81mm, high-velocity rockets, easily picked out by their excessive black, sooty back-blast. A simple, compact inertial guidance system is added and this is sufficient to provide a direct-fire efficiency similar to an SRM, but out to a longer range. In some versions, this may be replaced by a simple, but effective laser-guidance package which works with TAG gear. Without a TAG lock, however, these alternate rockets are totally unguided and as unpredictable as their most ancient predecessors.

Emphasis mine - considering the weapon was a huge downgrade, and they wanted their Mechs to be the best, I never really got why such a weapon was put onto such a valued machine. I could easily see them pulling missile munitions from Tanks and putting these on in their place. And, I could see these being applied to infantry support vehicles, a la the US Military's HumVee of the early 21st century.

And, the superior MRM - is that out of one of the Ops books, or is that something you came up with?

It's your world. You can do anything you want in it. - Bob Ross

Every thought and device conceived by Satan and man must be explored and found wanting. - Donald Grey Barnhouse on the purpose of history and time.

I helped make a game! ^_^  - Forge Of War: Tactics

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #10 on: 30 July 2016, 20:32:04 »
Dang. And seeing a name like that, I was thinking it was a 20-class cannon which could fire at AC/10, AC/5 or even AC/2 burst rates, with range profiles to match.

Still, an ultra which doesn't burn out its arming circuitry and can switch into cluster munitions is interesting. Double rated Cluster 10. You might actually get AC/20 cluster performance, or not.

Unfortunately, no; I just can't justify something like that through my headcanon. You could make a super-duper AC/2 ammo though that fired AC/2 at 10x the rate. Be a heck of a job to keep it from having stoppages though.

Sigh...I ignore that arming circuit nonsense and tell myself it's the feed system. The Omnicannon has a more robust, better-designed feed system.

So, is it possible for a LAM to eject one of these when it goes from AirMech to Mech and pick it up and use it as a hand-held weapon?  O:-)

That is kinda a serious question, though, if you're looking to bring LAMs back.

And, I like the added versatility one can get for aerofighters, especially Conventional. I guess a side question I have, having not completely read your Der Tag set-up: Are you going more air and space heavy?


I need to learn more about hand-helds and how they work. Honestly I'm considering changing all the custom designs I have that are originally from the Macross/Dougram line and thus have hand-held weapons in the art to have hand-helds in my designs. Only works though if the weight I save in the hand-held lets me up the engine enough to make up for the loss. But then what am i really getting but a jettisonable weapon to gain mobility and a much more expensive platform?

If I was to look at the LAM thing though...I'd consider dumping the "Can't use" bomb ordnance while in mech mode. I see where you're going though and I like the way you think.

Those aspects of full-spectrum warfare in BT are important and very much so in Der Tag, but the focus remains on where the war is won: on the ground. Even if I do add a lot of stuff to air power, it's still partly to make for better CAS.

Emphasis mine - considering the weapon was a huge downgrade, and they wanted their Mechs to be the best, I never really got why such a weapon was put onto such a valued machine. I could easily see them pulling missile munitions from Tanks and putting these on in their place. And, I could see these being applied to infantry support vehicles, a la the US Military's HumVee of the early 21st century.

And, the superior RL - is that out of one of the Ops books, or is that something you came up with?

It was a technical trade-off which was a gamble which they were willing to make.

Lacking resources for the materiel to make their mechs better, they were betting on massive opening firepower to stagger opponents and carry the day. Heck, mount enough RLs and it's *like* having ammo; you have so many of them, you don't *need to unload them simultaneously to have a big effect, even if some do miss.

I wondered too, why we didn't see more vehicles with RLs.

Fixed that for you; MRMs are next to hopeless, lol. Not that I don't use them as well ;) . And yes, I made it up; it's a Der Tag item. While a lot of the stuff I have custom would fit seamlessly in any game (like MG and AC pods), the Superior RL is an artifact of the setting. naturally though, anyone who feels like it is free to use my equipment.

I also changed the nomenclature to make the different RLs stand out more and have more logical names. Keeps it clear that the old "Pentagon Powers" RL was actually available long before the Pentagon Powers existed.
« Last Edit: 30 July 2016, 20:47:29 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #11 on: 31 July 2016, 20:36:33 »
ATM Pack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1 (ER Munitions), 2 (Standard, "Balanced" Munitions), 3 (HE, Short-Range Munitions)
Range:

3/6/9 (HE, Short-Range Munitions) (Short)
5/10/15 (Standard, "Balanced" Munitions) (Medium)
4 (minimum), 9/18/27 (ER Munitions) (Long)

One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 4,000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: XXD
Notes: as OS ATM 3 of any type

For unknown reasons; Clan Pilots and Commanders are less likely to countenance sacrificing speed and maneuverability in exchange for slight increase in firepower and so Gun pods and underwing missile racks and packs are less common, even in ground support missions and bombs and fuel tanks are preferred stores.

More popular today than any other form of underwing ordnance among Clan Forces, the ATM Pack is still uncommonly seen in action.

Meta-Gaming note: I model the bomb slots on the idea of drag *and* mass; this is what limits the size of things like the missile racks and such. So It's my estimation that an LRM rack and a Rocket Pod weigh a similar mass and induce a similar amount of drag on a given aerospaceframe. I really just made a estimated guess at some attempt at balance to arrive at the almost superfluous MRM Rack, since i wanted to make sure the DCMS' aeroforces got some home-flavoured love to enjoy over pithy periphery tripe, lol.

In addition, I'm a big believer in the Clan's getting their dues as well. So here is the ATM Pack. As to why underwing stores as I am presenting here are less popular than bombs for the Clans; I'll give almost the throw-away answer and say it's a cultural thing. From their POV, a faster, more maneuverable fighter is more useful (and bettef for glory, ego, ect) than a bit more add-on one-shot damage potential.

iATM Pack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1 (ER Munitions), 2 (Standard, "Balanced" Munitions), 3 (HE, Short-Range Munitions)
Range:

3/6/9 (HE, Short-Range Munitions) (Short)
5/10/15 (Standard, "Balanced" Munitions) (Medium)
4 (minimum), 9/18/27 (ER Munitions) (Long)

One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 5,000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: XXF
Notes: as OS iATM 3 of any type, may use any form of alternate iATM ammo, just as with other, similar weapons.

The iATM is just beginning to spread amongst the Clans and is likely to supplant it's less-advanced predecessor totally in the next 20 years. For now, iATM packs as underwing ordnance are almost unknown; the modifications to the Missile Pack itself are basically trivial (the process is all but identical to a normal maintenance cycle and can be performed by labourer-caste ordnance workers), but require substitution of certain essential components vital to the use of the advanced alternate ammunition types.

The main brake right now is the continuing rarity of Advanced iATM ammunition. Without that, there is little point in updating the current stock of underwing packs.

Currently the iATM in all it's forms remains all but unknown to the Clans of the Inner Sphere, with only a handful reverse-engineered prototypes, leftover from the Clan Civil War in the possession of the Jade Falcons.

Meta-gaming Note: If I messed up the basic iATM stats, please let me know, I'm new to the iATM yet.
« Last Edit: 01 August 2016, 08:27:03 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #12 on: 01 August 2016, 08:16:06 »
NARC Pack

Heat: 0
Damage: normally none, but may make use of any form of basic NARC ammo
Range: 3/6/9 (Short)

3-Shots
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 3,500 C-Bills (Equivalent), recalculated for differnt ammo types
Availability: EFD
Notes; as a 3-shot NARC Beacon launcher. Each of the three shots may be a different ammo type if desired and it is selectable which type is fired.

The Underwing NARC Pack is a useful and popular accessory to fighter pilots in the Inner Sphere and basically unknown among the Clans. Some insist that it is superior overall to a built-in NARC Beacon Launcher and point out the unfortunate aspect that it cannot be mounted on mechs and tanks.

The NARC Pack allows a fighter to NARC a target for it's own missiles or those of friendly forces, without the burden of an otherwise superfluous built-in weapon system. NARC Packs first appeared as improvised systems in the Chaos March.

Meta-Gaming note; If this existed, I think it would be a very popular item indeed and volleying the NARC Beacons is totally in keeping with the feel of the game, IMO. So even though there are three Beacons on the rack, the system can only handle one at a time.

iNARC Pack

Heat: 0
Damage: normally none, but may make use of any form of basic iNARC ammo
Range: 4/9/15 (Medium)

2-Shots
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 4,350 C-Bills (Equivalent), recalculated for differnt ammo types
Availability: XXE
Notes; as a 2-shot iNARC Beacon launcher. Each of the two shots may be a different ammo type if desired and it is selectable which type is fired.

Similar to the NARC Pack, the iNARC version first appeared during the Jihad among ComStar forces and has since spread to the former Free Worlds League and SLDF. Some other forces make use of the iNARC Pack in a manner similar to the MRM Rack; with no iNarc Launchers, it's a good way to get real use out of Beacons leftover from the Jihad.
« Last Edit: 09 August 2016, 18:31:03 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #13 on: 01 August 2016, 09:59:18 »
Clan LRM Rack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1/missile, 5 missiles
Range: 7/14/21 (Long Range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,500 C-Bills (equivalent) Apparently?
Availability: XXE
Notes: as OS Clan LRM/5

The Clan LRM Rack is similar to it's Spheroid cousin, but takes advantage of the superior guidance and close-range tracking systems of Clan missiles. There is no Clan SRM pack; the basic Clan SRM performs identically to it's Terran Hegemony ancestor. Any weight savings are in the launcher, which is done away with on an underwing SRM pack. The Clans still use the SRM pack, it's just functionally and economically identical to it's spheroid competitor.

In either case, while this is a capability the Clans have, they rarely use it. Some Clan ASF Stars may have no underwing stores but Bombs and Fuel tanks on hand at all.

Clan Streak SRM Pack
Heat: 0
Damage: 2/missile, 2 missiles
Range: 4/8/12 (Short range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 1,220 C-Bills (equivalent) so it seems. Which is odd.
Availability: XXE
Notes: as OS Clan SSRM/2

The Clan Streak SRM Pack has slight advantages over it's less-advanced cousins, but is still rarely fielded, however it is more popular than the normal SRM rack.

Meta-Gaming Note; I find it odd that Clan versions of IS weapons costs the same, even when unquestionably superior.

Clan Streak LRM Rack
Heat: 0
Damage: 1/missile, 5 missiles
Range: 7/14/21 (Long Range)
One-Shot
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost: 3,000 C-Bills (equivalent)
Availability: XXF
Notes: as OS Clan Streak LRM/5

The Clan Streak LRM Rack is a new weapon to Clan ASF Forces and while the ATM Pack is popular, it is the Streak LRM Rack which seems to have the best chance of  gaining greater favour for underwing stores with Clan Pilots.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #14 on: 06 August 2016, 21:24:56 »
Electronics and Counter-Measures

Meta-Gaming Note: Of all the underwing stores I wrote up and collected, I think these have the potential to be the most in-balancing. Love to hear your thoughts.

TAG Pod
Range: 5/9/15 (medium)
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (In C-Bills Equivalent): 50,000
Availability: EFD
Notes: As a TAG System

Meta-Gaming Note: I didn't make any changes here, I just have it listed for completeness.

TAG Pods are basically universal with any power which has access to Arrow IV Missiles and are found in use as adjuncts to direct-fire Beam-Riders and as spotting tools for indirect artillery or other aerospacecraft. They are much disfavoured in most of the Clans; not only is it an external store, which they avoid; but the whole idea reeks of cooperation when glory and success in battle should go to the individual warrior.

ECM Pod
Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex, Self in Space
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost (In C-Bills Equivalent): 201,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: As Guardian ECM

ECM Pods are popular add-ons to high-risk ground attack missions and most pilots would like to have at least one or two Aerofighters in a Squadron carry an ECM Pod in any atmospheric mission, provided it didn't have to be them.

However, where it shows up most often is in procurement officer explanations of late-model aerofighters since 3049. As the technology of the stand-alone ECM Pod was rediscovered concurrently with the Guardian ECM system itself, most manufacturers see this capability as reason not to include hard-wired ECM into their designs. When questioned, they almost always fall back on the existence of the ECM pod as justification to avoid allocating 1.5 tons of precious mass to an expensive electronics system that could, theoretically be carried slung underwing or fuselage.

Meta-Gaming Note: Part of what made the ECM pod so satisfying is that not only is it an item rife with historical precedent, it also provided a way to head-canon so very few ASF carrying built-in ECM.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #15 on: 07 August 2016, 12:05:44 »
Clan ECM Pod
Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex, Self in Space
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (In C-Bills Equivalent): 201,000
Availability: XXE
Notes: As Clan ECM

The Clan ECM Pod is smaller and creates less drag than it's Terran Alliance-Era counterpart, but otherwise functions identically. It's not enough to make it a popular item in any Clan's Touman, however.

Probe Pod
Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex/Mapsheet, 1 Space Hex
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost (In C-Bills Equivalent): 201,500
Availability: EFD
Notes: As Beagle Probe

Probe Pods have only been around since 2715 and disappeared during the succession wars. Most pilots don't even know they exist, unless they do a lot of scouting and reconnaissance work as part of a Fleet Air Wing or a dedicated reconnaissance unit attached to a larger combined arms formation like an RCT. In fact; most pilots aren't even aware it's possible to mount a Beagle Probe as an external store. This is mainly due to the aggressive counter-marketing campaign perpetrated by Mitchell Vehicles following the debut of the item several years after the unveiling of their own Hellcat II Aerospace Fighter.

The Hellcat II's integral Beagle Probe, along with it's heavy armour were the two main selling points of the design. When Telasys released a pod-mounted Beagle a mere four years later, it seriously cut into the draw and thus the demand for Mitchell Vehicle's Hellcat II. In response, MV began a lobbying campaign claiming that the power demands and sensory inputs of the Beagle could not be effectively routed through an external pod mount. MV claimed and appeared to demonstrate that Pod-mounted Beagles suffered from data lag and power drains. This counter-marketing approach proved successful in undermining confidence in Pod-Mounted sensor systems as a modern concept and after a few decades, MV was rewarded with a massive contract for the Hellcat II in 2745 with deliveries to start in 2750, following decades of lobbying.

The result was that manufacture of Pod-Mounted Beagles never took off and Telasys was forces to license the patent ot other manufacturers who only produced a few thousand, which were quickly cannibalized, often to keep the heard-wired Beagle of the Hellcat II's working. When contemporary manufacturers looked again at the concept after the rediscovery of the Lostech of the hard-wired Beagle, MV's so-called "Data" was prominent in the records. Less enlightened manufacturers returned the Probe Pod to service in later 3051 with Apple-Chruchill's A/C-419 Pod-Mounted Beagle and today the true capabilities of the unit are more fully understood. This has not served to alter that the Probe Pod remains a niche item which few pilots are familiar with.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

Daemion

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #16 on: 12 August 2016, 10:05:42 »
So, with the TAG pod, would you be able to launch and spot for your own Arrow IV ordinance?

It's your world. You can do anything you want in it. - Bob Ross

Every thought and device conceived by Satan and man must be explored and found wanting. - Donald Grey Barnhouse on the purpose of history and time.

I helped make a game! ^_^  - Forge Of War: Tactics

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #17 on: 13 August 2016, 14:55:29 »
So, with the TAG pod, would you be able to launch and spot for your own Arrow IV ordinance?

Bingo.

"BEAM-RIDER!"
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #18 on: 14 August 2016, 13:58:05 »
Heavy ECM Pod

Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex, or 1 Space Hex
Bomb Slots: 3
Cost (in C-bills, Equivalent): 755,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As Angel ECM

The complex and large Heavy ECM Pod isn't so much an aerodynamic burden as it is simply what is required to get a functional Angel ECM system airborne in an external mounting. Becoming generally available two years after the original prototype (Tactical Handbook) Angel ECM, the Heavy ECM Pod is preferred over a built-in unit among units performing strike and reconnaissance duties. This is because it avoids touchy and involved hardwired modifications to an aerospaceframe; sacrificing heatsinks, ammunition and weapons, but it remains a substantial burden on any aircraft carrying it.

The Benefits of the Heavy ECM Pod are such that when they can be had, pilots prefer to have them along, but they will still engage in drawing of straws and games of rock-flimsy-vibrocutters in order avoid being the one to carry it on their plane.

Heavy ECM pods are exceedingly expensive and hard to come by, however and as such, it is common for pilots to be severely reprimanded for jettisoning even a damage example in combat.

Improved Probe Pod

Range: 2 atmosphere or space hexes.
Bomb Slots: 3
Cost (in C-bills, Equivalent): 502,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As Bloodhound Probe

The Improved Probe pod is basically an airborne, externally mounted Bloodhound probe. In order to accomplish this, the designers required a larger pod and some additional, drag-inducing sensor arrays. As a result the pod is 50% larger and more drag inducing and weighs about 30% more.

Improved Probe Pods remain uncommon, but their sensory capabilities and range are second to none. As with other pod-mounted electronics, the cost of a slower, less manuverable aerospacecraft is often deemed acceptable compared to an involved, custom modification, an expensive proprietary design or factory variant or a claim on omnipodspace.

Electronic Warfare Pack

Range: 0 or "Same" hex in air or space
Bomb Slots: 6
Cost: 300,500
Availability: EEE
Notes: As EW Equipment

Still on the Drawing-board as a proprietary add-on for the Thrush at the end of the 4th Succession war, Electronic Warfare packs are now produced  by several near and deep periphery states for local consumption, as well as the Fitvelt Coalition and Andurian Pact nations for sale to less affluent customers.

The Failure of the CCAF to field the EW pack during the 4th war is just as well, tests and experience with the modern version indicates that the already daunting reputation of the Thrush as a Widowmaker would only have reached new depths of the macabre when fitted with a production EW Pack.

Everyone knows that vintage Electronic Warfare equipment, as used to a limited degree in the 4th succession war and the war of '39 is obsolete, but it is easier to make and maintain than even the Guardian and Beagle systems now showing their age. It is also cheaper than both of those systems combined and these factors make it attractive to less-advanced buyers and manufacturers.

While the system, which comes in form of several interconnected external pods, blisters and antennae is heavy and severely injurious to the flight characteristics of most aircraft, it is effective at providing limited detection and defensive capabilities, especially at low level where there is no discernible difference in performance between an EW Pack and paired Probe and ECM pods. It, does not; contrary to popular opinion, make atmospheric re-entry impossible, or even much more difficult. Unless the EW Pack is mounted on a Thrush, in which case, even normal flight handling; especially landing, take-off and re-entry become almost fatally dangerous. This is expected to be an interplay with the disc-shaped wing and performance on the normally sedate Shologar is little better.

Note on terminology: When I say a system has "X" range, I mean the hex it is in and X-beyond that. "Self" means it only provides those benefits to itself. 0 or "Same" means it has a range of it's own hex; an important distinction with air and space hexes.

Game Rules Note: NOE (Nap of The Earth) flying reduced the airborne range of electronics to the Same Hex, so matter what the system is; there is too much ground cutter and bounceback to go farther.

Travel Sweep: The range and capabilities of Electronics are active through the entire movement of a unit on the air or space map; not just in the hex it ends it's turn. This is probably stated somewhere in canon, but I can't find it. Think of it like this; remember Warcraft 2? Had the Goblin Airships? And the Eye of someone? You could use them to recon the map and they could see anything they flew over and a little ways around them besides. Similar idea here, including the varying range of the systems. The difference being that in Warcraft 2, you retained awareness of the areas cleared of the fog of war by your units; not so here.

So that probe pod; picture a tunnel of scanning everywhere you move your unit;  and it' x-wide on either side. If it's a Probe pod that is 1 hex for the unit, 1 hex either side and one extra hex forward. If it's an EW Pack; it's just a 1-hex wide tunnel of despair. If you slapped on an Improved Probe pod; it's your hex, plus 2 on either side and two forward.

ECM works the same way; anyone with a scanner in range of your ECM Tunnel will know (Depending on the mode your ECM is operating in) that they just got buzzed by an active ECM field.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #19 on: 14 August 2016, 15:05:18 »
Cam Pod
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 10,500
Availability: BBB
Notes: As Recon Camera

The Humble Cam Pod is the mainstay of all fixed-wing aviation units which perform reconnaissance tasks. In a Galaxy in which it is so easy to knock satellites from the sky, photoreconnisance is a vital mission.

Outside of the Clans, it is rare Fighter Squadron, which does not have a least one such pod on hand at all times as part of their basic stores.

Meta-gaming Note: This item is so obvious, I am sure it must be in a book somewhere and I just can't find it.

Flare and Chaff Dispensor
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 2000
Availability: BBB
Notes: All missiles operating under guidance systems (LRM, SRM, AAM, ATM, MRM w. Apollo, ect) fired at the unit this turn act as if affected by an AMS system. All other weapons suffer a +1 to hit, due to the radar and laser-ranging bounce-back of the chaff and the IR-spoofing of the Flares

Flare and Chaff Dispensors have been common defensive add-ons for centuries and only the Clans rarely make use of them. Previous to 2100, they were usually not combined in a single system. They are especially common on larger, slower-moving aircraft.

The Flare and Chaff Dispensor is basically a low-tech Chaff Pod, but without the ECM effect of the Electronic Noisemakers. Instead it holds more chaff and adds flares to spoof IR and heat-seeking systems.

Drone
Bomb Slots: 8
Cost (in C-Bills, Equivalent): 1,500,000
Availability: EEC
Notes: See Air Recon Drone TRO http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=54084.msg1246473#msg1246473

Aerial Reconnaissance Drones have been around Since the Mid-20th Century, but the technology has only recently re-appeared, during the Capellan Civil War of the later 3050s and early 3060s.

These drones are only rarely deployed by Aerospace Fighters and are more commonly launched from Small Craft, Low-Flying Dropships and fixed-wing Support vehicles.

While intended for reconnaissance duties, they have a small internal bay for stores, which may contain a bomb.
« Last Edit: 14 August 2016, 15:45:12 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #20 on: 14 August 2016, 16:25:53 »
Cargo Pod
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills Equivalent): 200
Availability: BBB
Notes: Carries 1 Ton of Cargo

Cargo pods were originally an attempt at squeezing a little more profit out of conventional air-cargo operations, but have since been adapted to use on fighters and Aerodyne small craft.

This is probably the most common used and most disliked of all the underwing stores in the Clans. Loathed by pilots and often improvised by ground crews, they are used to make up for shortfalls in small craft among the Clans and are employed in vital resupply missions between ships and from near space to the surface of worlds.

A Cargo Pod can carrying anything which masses one ton and isn't too large. They can accommodate larger payloads, but only if they can be broken down into 1-ton components. Larger Pods, often mounted over the wings and weighing up to 200 tons, designed for use with fixed-wing support aircraft are not unknown, but are much less common. The Smaller 1-ton Cargo pods are the only ones which have no issues making atmospheric re-entry. The larger 5 and 10-ton pods can often rupture or tear away and such operations are impossible with larger pods.

Drop Tank
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills Equivalent): 200
Availability: CCC
Notes: Carries 80 points of fuel for an Aerospace Fighter or 160 Points for a Small Craft or Conventional Fighter.

In the age of inter-planetary flight over vast distances, many pilots regard the humble drop tank with trepidation.

When you find a Drop Tank under your wing, it means you need to grab a snack and check your relief tube again; you may be gone a while.

Drop Tanks and refueling allow the range and duration of missions to be extended to the limits of crew endurance. And sometimes beyond. Outworlds pilots are known to plot in some very long-distance inter-system patrol routes and then fall asleep, relying on proximity alarms and bogey alerts to wake them, if needed.

Due to the different systems in play, Aerospace Fighters simply get less AUs to the cubic litre than do Aerodyne Small Craft and Conventional Aircraft.

*This is excellent example of an item which is *tweaked* in Der Tag. Thanks Nebfer.

Point Defence Pod
Bomb Slots: 1
Ammunition: 4
Cost (in C-Bills Equivalent): 102,000
Availability: EFD
Notes; Functions as an AMS and may be mounted to cover the front or rear.

Development of the Point Defence Pod, took as long as it did for some wise-ass pilot to point out in ear-shot of an enterprising tech that an AMS system was basically a glorified Machinegun and they could pod-mount those, so why not?

The PD Pod is common throughout the Inner Sphere, but particularly in the nations of the former Free Worlds League. It uses the Sub-Calibre model of the Anti-Missile System, wherein a smaller calibre, but very high-rate of fire Machinegun or similar system is used in place of a larger gun firing explosive rounds. This is placed in a limited-traverse mounting in the nose of a truncated pod, with a small supply of ammunition and a blister for the targeting system on the bottom.

Unlike a ground-mounted AMS system; the PD pod has no capability to be used against close-range targets.

In practice, PD pods are employed to a pilot's taste or as a preference for ground-attack (especially against positions with local AA capability) and escort missions.
« Last Edit: 13 June 2017, 21:16:56 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #21 on: 14 August 2016, 21:10:48 »
Clan Probe Pod
Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex or 1 Space Hex
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 201,5000
Availability: XXE
Notes: As Clan Active Probe.

Perhaps the most notable downside of the Clan distaste for underwing stores is that most of theirs are so much better than their inner sphere compatriots. Yet Clan Pilots still turn up their noses at these innovating offerings from their Scientist and Labour Castes, in favour of getting the maximum performance possible out of their Aerospacecraft.

Just one example is the Clan Probe Pod; It does everything the Star League-era Probe Pod does, in a smaller, more streamlined, lighter package.

Clan Watchdog Pack
Range: 0 or Same Hex in Atmosphere, Self in Space.
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 602,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As Clan Watchdog System

A final Attempt by the Scientist Caste to get the Fighter Pilots of the Warrior Caste to see the value in external stores, the Watchdog Pack, has actually gained a modest following and from pilots who would never think it worthwhile to modify an Omniconfiguration to add a similar system as an integral fitting.

The Short Range of the System is actually it's selling point to Clan Pilots; the limited radius of the ECM field means that they do not force dishonour on their fellows by hiding them inadvertantly, while technologically enhancing their personal cunning and the short range of the sensors seems to goad the natural daring of the Warrior Caste.

Clan Heavy ECM Pod
Range: 1 Atmospheric Hex, or 1 Space Hex
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 757,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As Clan Angel ECM

When the Clans developed their own version of the Angel ECM suite, the Scientist Caste of Clan Ice Hellion was quick to provide an underwing version for use by Aerospacecraft. Their disappointment when the Warrior caste was lukewarm to the system came faster still.

Clan Improved Probe Pod
Range: 2 Atmospheric Hexes, or 2 Space Hexes
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost (in C-Bills, equivalent): 502,500
Availability: XXF
Notes: As Clan Bloodhound Probe

Clan Wolf-in-exile developed the Improved Probe Pod as an underwing version of the Clantech Bloodhound probe, during the Jihad. This was in response to encounters with hidden Word of Blake Fighter units, armed with nuclear warheads, which played havoc with WiE naval operations from 3068 onward.

Today, this system is all but unknown in the homeworlds, but is somewhat more common than might be expected among the Spheroid Clans.
« Last Edit: 15 August 2016, 07:38:48 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #22 on: 15 August 2016, 20:23:37 »
Sensor and Mine Dispensors

Sensor Dispensor
Ammunition: 30 Sensors
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (In C-Bills, Equivalent): 30,340
Availability: XXD
Notes: As Remote Sensor Dispensor, but see below.

Sensor Dispensors are another tool of Reconnaissance forces; allowing Aerospacecraft to seed remote sensors to monitor enemy activity in remote locations or areas far afield. The difference here is the additional range of the communications systems integral to the sensors and the endurance of the individual units.

it is possible to use these---admittedly short-ranged---sensors for deep space picket duty as well. They can detect KF-Drive emergence waves at close ranges (in astronomical terms) and the passage of ships larger than 500 tons at virtual spitting difference and anything smaller if it is close enough to be disturbed by the drive wash.

Space Mine Dispensor Array
Damage: 6*
Ammunition: 2
Bomb Slots: 10
Cost (In C-Bills, Equivalent): 150,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: As Space Mine Dispensor.
* See related rules for explanation of damage (PG 324-325, Tac Ops)

Space Mine Dispensor Arrays are large and involved mechanisms which may only be used on Aerospace Fighters and Aerodyne Smallcraft operating in space. In atmosphere, it simply produces too much drag to utilize, even in thin atmospheres; thus limiting deployment as an underwing store to those Aerospacecraft serving on space stations, starships and from airless bases.

Meta-gaming note: I tried really hard to make a viable airborne mine dispensor. But frankly; the Thunder Pod is so good as-is, that anything like an underwing version of the ground-based mine dispensor would be weak tea by comparison and there seems little reason to make one, besides that I can do so.
« Last Edit: 15 August 2016, 21:00:45 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #23 on: 15 August 2016, 20:58:48 »
Stand-Alone Underwing Missiles

Underwing Thunderbolt
Damage: 15
Range: Minimum 5, 6/12/18 (medium)
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost (In C-Bills, Equivalent): 125,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As per an OS Thunderbolt-15

Meta-Gaming Note: Criminey! Thunderbolts are expensive!!!

The Underwing Thunderbolt provides an option for users unable to normally or easily source more advanced Air-to-Air Missiles in the Inner Sphere. While still too advanced an item for regular issue in the Periphery and distasteful to the Clans, the Underwing Thunderbolt is popular in the Raven Alliance.

While inferior in all ways but damage potential to the more advanced Light AAM, the Underwing Thunderbolt nonetheless has a following among Innersphere Pilots for the brute force approach to combat it offers.

The Underwing Thunderbolt appears in place of the Light AAM in places where the Light AAM is hard to come by, such as the Capellan Confederation, Draconis Combine and Federated Suns. Elsewhere it is often used preferentially in the air-to-ground role.

Pilots praise the Underwing Thunderbolt for it's dual-role flexibility and ground troops appreciate it's small area of effect; beneficial in danger-close missions and rare urban ground support missions.

The Thunderbolt is, however much more expensive than the Light AAM, though the later's technology remains proprietary to a few states within the former Free World's League and the mercantile Lyran Commonwealth.

Light Air-to-Air Missile
Damage: 6
Range: 6/18/24 (medium)
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost (In C-Bills, Equivalent): 6,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: -2 to-hit

The Light Air-to-Air Missile was developed during the Jihad in the former FWL. During the war, anti-Blakist blockade runners distributed the missiles widely through the Inner Sphere, but attempts to replicate it outside the Andurian Pact and Lyran Commonwealth resulted in less-accurate, larger, heavier missiles and were not continued, post-war.

The Light AAM is extremely popular when pilots can get ahold of it, but it lacks serious damage potential. It's reach also suffers in space, where it's propulsion system is less efficient. Light AAMs are less expensive than many other weapons systems of equivalent refinement, but are hard to get in large quantity, despite the best efforts of Lyran Merchants to bypass Republic export controls.

Light AAMs have an undeserved reputation as a sure-thing; while they do sport a highly effective guidance system, able to see past active and passive counter-measures, it is a mistake to rush the shot; a mistake often made by green and unfamiliar pilots. Light AAMs also remain vulnerable to point defences which are increasingly common on modern space craft.

Meta-gaming note: the Light AAM is a real bag of hammers with a lot of drawbacks and not enough reason to use it in action. So I made it easier to loft and gave it a -2 to-hit. Still sucks for damage though. So this is an example of "Different" Equipment for Der Tag.

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #24 on: 24 August 2016, 07:17:10 »
Air-Launched Cruise Missile
Damage: 50/25 R1
Range: 50 Boards
Bomb Slots: 15
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 40,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: All other rules, as-Per Cruise Missile/50

Meta-Gaming Note: I once had a thread on new artillery weapons, in which I worked up, with a lot of help; rules for using the likes of Capital and Sub-Capital weapons as artillery. Eventually I'd also like to provide direct-fire and ship-to-ship rules for artillery weapons.

Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) made their debut immediately after the Jihad during the conflicts to establish the Republic. First discovered on the former protectorate world of New Aragon; historical record cites similar weapons in use during the last half of the 20th century and the first half of the 21st, but this re-development of the concept caught RAF forces by surprise.

While poor coordination by the defending militias meant the ALCMs had a minimal effect, that they could be deployed and used at all was deemed worrisome.

The ALCM was a Blakist weapon, whose development had been completed by the New Aragon resistance forces, with assistance from several neighbouring worlds. It is suspected that it was always intended to turn this former tool of oppression against WOB, but when it became clear that Stone's forces intended to absorb the former worlds of the Protectorate into the Republic, the various resistance forces and militias disagreed violently.

An ALCM is simply a Cruise Missile/50 adapted for in-flight launch, instead of launching from a missile silo or rail. The Structural Bracing for reloading and ground launch is removed or adapted in favour of that required for lofting under the wing of a large aerospacecraft. ALCMs can also be deployed through sufficiently large internal bomb bays, though when so used, it is more common for at least part of the weapon to protrude or need to be faired over.

Today ALCMs are in use with the RAF and the forces of House Davion. While the Lyran Commonwealth produced ALCMs for the RAF, they make little use of the and the weapon remains most popular with their forces most acquainted with other models of Cruise Missiles.

Air-Launched Torpedo
Damage: 20
Range: Minimum 6, 7/12/18
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 7,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: As per Canon Torpedo Rules, including scatter (which is where the minimum range comes into play), except that it has a range from the strafing corridor and it can be "Spotted" for by remote sensors and friendly units. An Air-Launched Torpedo has a limited capacity to turn, equivalent to the frontal arc of a vehicle, in practice.

Air Launched Torpedoes have been around almost as long as manned flight. The current incarnation is a simple, but effective weapon, commonly available to all beligerant nations who care to have them in 3099.

Air-Launched Torpedoes are launched during "Strafing Maneuvers"; here called "Torpedo Runs", where the aerospacecraft flies low, but no longer so slow, over the surface of the water. A Torpedo may be dropped against any target which is known, at which point they do their best to home in and damage them below the waterline.

It is common practice to seed an area with remote sensors on one pass to detect hidden units in the water, and then come around again for a Torpedo run against units detected by the sonobouys.

Air-Launched Arrow-IV Missile
Damage/Effects: 20/10 R1 or as per a given Arrow-IV Missile
Range: 8 Boards (9 for the Clan Version)
Bomb Slots: 5
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 3,000 (Guided HEGP, as an example)
Availability: EFE (XXF for the Clan version)
Notes: As per Canon Arrow-IV and Air-Launched Arrow IV rules, except where noted. Can Be any kind of Arrow IV Missile chosen, substituting cost and effects, with the exception of SAMs and AAMs, for pretty obvious reasons.

Meta-gaming Note: I haven't got there yet, in terms of posting Der Tag Artillery weapons, but I see all A4 missiles as having homing capability; that's why this weapon costs 3,000 C-Bills each and not 2,000. If I was to take out the Guidance System, which allows it to use TAG signals, then it would have a longer range or a bigger boom.

Air-Launching Arrow-IV Missiles is a popular practice wherever the missiles can be had. Except within Clan Space, because their pilots would rather bomb or shoot a target from knife-fighting range, no matter the situation.

Air-Launched Arrow-IVs are often paired with TAG pods in order to make more sure of a hit, though the TAG and the Arrow-IV need not be mounted on the same platform.

Air-to-Air Arrow
Damage: 20
Range: 5 Boards (Extreme)
Bomb Slots: 5
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 90,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: -2 to hit against Air/Space-Borne targets. May not be used against ground targets. May Cross the Atmo/Space interface. Yay for Satellite Killers! Air-to-Air Arrow-IV may be launched and used from Arrow-IV missiles mounted on Fighters and Small Craft.

The Air-to-Air Arrow was a joint project during the War between the then Lyran-Alliance and Clan Wolf In Exile. Today it is one of the very few underwing stores any Clan will use in quantity.

The Air-to-Air version of the Arrow-IV sacrifices range and raw hitting power for highly capable tracking systems and maneuvering fins and thrusters.

The Air-to-Air Arrow is an independent development, owing nothing to the original Star League Arrow SAMs and suffers somewhat from the lack; it is expensive and difficult to manufacture. The Air-to-Air Arrow is found in use today primarily with the SLDFiE, Lyran Commonwealth, CWiE, RAF and AFFS.

Anti-Shipping Missile
Damage: 30 (3 Capital)
Range: Minimum 9, 17/25/32 (long)
Bomb Slots: 6
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 150,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: Roll for crit as-per Barracuda, -1 to hit vs targets 500+ Tons, -2 vs Targets 1,000,000+ Tons, -3 vs Targets 1,500,000+ Tons. Can cross the space/atmospheric interface.

Allegedly developed from the Arrow-IV as a dedicated Anti-Ship missile for use during the Jihad, as far as can be told now, it retains nothing in common with the smaller missile at this stage of it's development. Originally developed by the AFFS to fight the Blakist blockade of New Avalon, the weapon has since spread to all the remaining Successor States; the RAF, SLDFiE, the Andurian Pact, the Magistracy and the Taurian Condordant are also known to utilize the weapon.

Modestly effective against capital ships singly, en masse, Anti-Ship missiles are economic killers. helpfully, they work just as well, in-atmosphere against blue-water shipping.

Anti-Ship Electronic Warfare Missile
Range: Minimum 7, 14/21/28 (medium)
Bombs Slots: 6
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 200,000
Availability: XXE
Notes: As per Canon Rules

Never widely popular, the ASEW Missile remains mainly in the hands of the Lyrans and Andurian Pact, with the RAF retaining a small stockpile as well.

Working as it does to impair the electronic workings of capital ships, the ASEW is akin to a giant NARC Haywire pod; the missile can be used in atmosphere and indeed; cross the space/atmospheric boundary. However, besides that it's effects are less pronounced against the simpler workings of ground and naval vehicles, it's capabilities against such as HPGs and power distribution networks are not known to be fully understood.

The ASEW works partly as a massive EMP bomb and partly as a adaptive haywire-limpet mine once in contact with a target.

Genie Nuclear Air-to-Air Missile
Damage: See Nuke attachment
Range: 5 Boards (Medium)
Bomb Slots: 4
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 860,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: +3 vs Ground Targets. +2 vs Targets smaller than 120 tons.

The Genie was designed by the SLDFiE to combat large-scale combat drops, dropship assaults and other mass air and space-borne attacks by deploying an air-to-air tactical nuclear weapon.

Little is known about the Genie, publically. While mainly used in limited numbers by SLDFiE Forces during the Jihad, a few were distributed to worlds vulnerable to Blakist seizure or considered likely to sustain a massive attack in the near future.

Almost all were expended during the war. A handful were seized by Davion forces and dismantled, rather than studied. Unofficially; several dozen may have been supplied to the Capellan Confederation and two were found in an off-the books weapons depot in the Draconis Combine. Both were produced in 3092, well after the war, so it can be expected that this is a weapon the SLDFiE will employ in any future war.

While the Genie can happily cross the Atmo/Space interface, it is handicapped  by a reliable on targeting an enemy unit, verses detonating at a point in space.

Davy-Crockett-M
Damage: As per Canon
Range: 8 Boards
Bomb Slots: 5
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 500,000
Availability: FFF
Notes: As per Canon Rules

The Davy-Crockett-M is an old standby tactical nuclear warhead, built into an Arrow-IV missile.

Davy-Crockett-Ms have been removed from the Davion and Kuritan arsenals in accordance with post-war Republic-Sponsored treaties and are supposed ti have been riven from the armouries of the Andurian Pact Nations as well, but this is difficult to certify.

Davy-Crockett-Ms are known to be held in the stocks of the LCAF, CCAF, TDF and SLDFiE. The Status of any such devices held by the Clans or RAF is not known.

Alamo Missile
Damage: As per Canon
Range: 50 Boards (Atmospheric) 5/10/15 (Space)
Bomb Slots: 10
Cost, In C-Bills, equivalent: 1,000,000
Availability: FFF
Notes: As per Canon Rules, with the exception that Alamo Missiles may be fired across the Space/Atmosphere interface.

The Alamo Missile is a heavier, stand-off Tactical Nuclear missile, able to target large military units massing greater than 1000 tons, buildings or geographic locations. The Basic Alamo missile is able to be launched from an aerospacecraft or a ground launcher (qv).

Alamo Missiles are known to be held in the stocks of the TDF, DCMS, LCAF, MAF, CCAF and likely the Andurian Pact. The Clans are also known to possess small stockpiles of Alamo missiles, but the status and serviceability of these stocks is not known.

The SLDFiE Claims not to deploy the Alamo Missile as a ground weapon, but does use it as an air-launched device as seen here. The RAF claims to possess "Approximately" 124 such weapons made or refurbished by Word of Blake between 3056 and 3079.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #25 on: 24 August 2016, 19:51:53 »
Free-fall Ordnance

1000kg HEGP Bomb
Damage: D30, 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 5,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: This takes the place of the standard HE Bomb in the Der Tag AU. "D", as in "D30" here, stands for "Direct", as in direct-hit. That is the damage this bomb does if it strikes the target directly.

Meta-Gaming Note: A minor modification and name change to the basic "bomb" in BT. Also; In Der tag; the weight of a bomb is it's "All-Up" weight, not the weight of explosives it carries. So these should not be considered directly equivalent to their closest nomenclatural relations in the real world.

These are bog-standard, free-fall gravity bombs. Common everywhere aviation assets are to be found, even the Clans make semi-regular use of these, although reluctantly.

2000kg HEGP Bomb
Damage: D40, 30/20 R1
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 14,000
Availability: CCC

Meta-Gaming Note: A small tribute to the original massive bombs which used to be common in the original Aerotech.

This is a bigger, heavier bomb. It is otherwise identical to it's smaller cousin. The larger bombs are a lot less common than the normal-sized version, but still available everywhere, though in smaller quantities (by the hundred or thousand, instead of by the ten or twenty thousand.

300kg HEGP Bomb
Damage: D15, 10 R0
Ammunition: 3
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 6,000 (For three and an MER)
Availability: CCC
Notes: Each bomb slot consists of three bombs and a multiple ejector rack, usually jettisoned with the bombs. You may choose to drop one, two or all three bombs in any given attack.

Meta-Gaming Note: IRL, there has been a surge of popularity for so-called "Small Diameter Bombs", useful for danger-close air support missions and any situation in which collateral damage is a concern. In addition, their smaller size grants a greater endurance to an air support aerospacecraft; allowing one so equipped to remain in the fight longer.

These Smaller bombs; always found gathered in clusters under the wings of aerospacecraft so equipped are design to permit a pilot greater over-the-battlefield endurance; more attack runs in other words, before running out of ordnance. While smaller in impact, these smaller bombs are more useful for use in close proximity to friendly troops and in situations when collateral damage is to be more strenuously avoided than normal.

300kg Bombs are roughly as common by the numbers as 1000kg bombs, but obviously when they are used, go three times as fast.

Depth Charge
Damage: D30 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 6,500
Availability: CCC
Notes: only for use against targets under water or similar liquids. The name is misleading as the Depth Charge here actually works by sonar to detect proximity of a target, rather than having the user select a depth at which to detonate.

Depth charges are a basic air to sea weapon used against submersible vehicles for over a thousand years. Anyone with a prior known need to fight submersibles will have stocks of Depth Charges, as will any major munitions depot as a contingency.

AP Bomb
Damage: D50 15/5 r1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 8,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: Apply AP AC Special munition rules. Only functions in a gravity well.

Armour-Piercing Bombs are built with a smaller payload and a sturdier casing, made of denser material as an aide to penetration of the passive protection of bunkers and large vehicles.

There is no power without at least minimal access to AP Bombs, most through local production. Even the smallest nations and pirates can improvise, steal or import enough to have a least a few on hand at a reasonable distance in time and space.

Inferno Tank
Effects: 10 heat R0 for 3+1d6 turns, affects three hexes in line from the impact hex, in the direction of the bombing run. 10 heat R1 for 1d6 turns when delivered by dive or high-altitude bombing.
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 6,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: A large, aerodynamic tank, filled with inferno fuel. Follows all environmental rules which also apply to vehicle flamers.

Perhaps the most infamous and reviled of underwing ordnance; rivaling nuclear weapons, Inferno Tanks have an incredible psychological impact on the battlefield. Their use fell off precipitously with the spread and later recovery of double-strength heat sinks, but their popularity has always returned with the onset of more arduous, dirtier warfare.

Inferno Tanks are in common use across known space, but their popularity is limited in the Clans alongside all underwing ordnance and House Davion and the RAF both restrict their use with red tape.

Storing Inferno Tanks safely and efficiently in a ready-to-use format requires more sophistication than producing them and some sites will keep the fuel en masse in self-sealing, under-ground tanks as a binary agent and only mix it to fill Inferno tanks and supply flamers at need. This later method is safer and easier to control, but makes distribution slower and more dangerous.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #26 on: 24 August 2016, 21:06:18 »
Thunder Pod
Effects: 20/20pt minefield R1
Bomb Slot: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: 12,000 (or adjust by mine type*( Costs same as in TO)
Availability: EED or by mine type

Meta-Gaming Note: I didn't like how the Thunder Bomb worked (it's not a very impressive item, as-is) and I wanted something more like the modern airborne mine dispensors. I already mentioned above how I didn't like the idea of an airborne version of the BT mine dispensor; because it's very weak tea compared to the canon Thunder Bomb.

The Thunder Pod originated in the Star League era, alongside other FASCAM munitions and was rediscovered by the Capellans in 3051. Thunder Pods are known to the Clans, but are very rarely used and officially out favour among the RAF and AFFC. Other factions happily make use of them.

Thunder Pods were used extensively during the Capellan and FedCom Civil Wars and the later Jihad. David Lear is currently actively working to see them banned, along with all other forms of mines and cluster munitions.
« Last Edit: 26 August 2016, 14:37:30 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

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Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #27 on: 31 August 2016, 06:33:52 »
Cluster Bomb
Damage Effects: 15/9/4 R2, +2d6 vs infantry or +1d6 vs vehicles
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills, Equivalent: 8,000
Availability: DDD
Notes: Roll damage on cluster hits table, result +2 vs vehicles and quad mechs

Cluster Bombs are more difficult and expensive to produce than normal bombs; instead of one single explosive package there is a complex and intricate bursting charge which scatter many hundreds of bomblets over a wide area, which then explode in turn, either on the surface of just above it.

Cluster Bombs are similar to Thunder Pods and vice-versa, but are used more widely. They are extremely useful for suppressing soft targets in the open or in open-topped earthworks. But the true value of cluster bombs comes in their ability to rain destruction over a wide area; ideal for use against target's whose position is not known.

Possessing a gruesome reputation and, in common with similar artillery munitions; nicknamed innocuously "fire crackers", Cluster Bombs are widely decried by those who have had Cluster munitions used against them, or have little knowledge of them. While there are some soldiers who are more concerned with humanitarian ideals than military consideration who find them distasteful, most uniformed pragmatists see their immense value and would be loath to be deprived of them.

David Lear is currently leading a movement to see such weapons banned as part of the Republic-Sponsored Anti-Inhumane Weapons Treaty. The Treaty also covers Artillery Cluster Munitions, Anti-Personnel Flechettes, Needlers, Landmines, Incendiaries, WMDs and all forms of deforming small arms ammuntion. So far, no nation, not even the Republic has fully ratified the Treaty, but the Federated Suns and several Andurian Pact Nations (Notably the Marik Commonwealth) have signed the Treaty and at least partly ratified it, besides the Republic. The Lyran Commonwealth is scheduled to debate the bill at their next sitting of Parliament in the middle of 3100.

Relevant to Cluster Bombs; House Davion has destroyed all their stockpiles and the RAF is scheduled to expend the last of their non-LBX Cluster munitions in training early next year. The Marik Commonwealth has agreed to phase out Cluster Munitions not used with LBX Autocannon and all landmines without remote failsafe controls or command detonators over the next five years, consumate with a review of their tactical and operation doctrines involving their use.

Laser-Guided Bomb
Damage Effects: D30, 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 10,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: Works with TAG. 2000kg and 300kg bombs may also be Laser-Guided; double the cost and change availability.

Laser-Guided Bombs are similar to less-advanced HEGP free-fall bombs, but they possess a Laser-Guided targeting head and powered maneuvering planes in order to glide on-target.

LGBs are popular for their added accuracy; thus making for fewer sorties against a target and more hits on harder targets and also their inherent limiting factor to collateral damage.

Drag Bomb
Damage Effects: D25, 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 6,000
Availability: CCD
Notes: -2 to-hit in Earth-Standard Atmosphere. No additional effects otherwise. No effect at high altitude.

Drag Bombs deploy air brakes or parachutes in order to ****** their forward movement. In the hands of pilots familiar with their characteristics, this makes them more accurate.

Because Drag Bombs are so simple in concept and execution, their use is widespread and they were available without pause from the later 20th century onwards. The drawback to drag bombs, besides their reduced direct-hit damage is their added weight and drag imparted by the ****** mechanism, even when not deployed.

Cratering Bomb
Damage Effects: D50, 20 R0 Destroys one hex of hard surface for the purposes of use as a take/off or landing surface. Piloting role for all vehicles in affected hex. Damage continues 1 level down.
Bomb Slots: 3
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 7,200
Availability: DDD
Notes: Affected hex now counts as rough terrain.

Cratering Bombs are designed to deny airfields and Starports to the enemy.

They work by the assistance of a short-burn rocket motor which fires them downwards, through the hard surface, under and within which, they explode, producing a large crater, shattering ferrocrete and buckling metal for a wide radius.

Cratering bombs can never be 100% effective in a universe of Aerospace Fighters, Smallcraft and Dropships; all with vertical take-off and landing capability. But reducing a pristine hard surface to twisted steel and rubble makes it much harder for even these interplanetary titans to land and takeoff as the surface shifts freely underneath their drive-plumes.


Deep Penetration Bomb
Damage Effects: D75/Level, 2D6 Levels, 30/20/10 R2 final level affecting all structures above, Rough Terrain on surface through blast radius, all vehicle and mech units on surface through blast radius must make piloting rolls, all infantry suffer 3d6 damage
Bomb Slots: 10 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 200,000
Availability: XXD
Notes: very large bomb designed to penetrate deeply into fortifications or under cities before exploding, undermining foundations and shattering buildings from the inside and below. Can only be deployed through high-altitude bombing.

Heavy Deep Penetration Bomb
Damage Effects: D200/level 3D6 levels, 100/50/25/20 R3 final level affecting all structures above, Rough Terrain on surface through blast radius, all vehicle and mech units on surface through blast radius must make piloting rolls, all infantry suffer 4d6 damage
Bomb Slots: 25
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 1,000,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As above, larger, cannot be carried by aerofighters or conventional fighters.

Deep Penetration bombs had been used during the 20th Century, but a modern incarnation had remained theoretical until the Amaris Coup.

With hundreds of Castle's Brian and other fortifications falling into hostile hands, joining the possessions of a Regime which fetishized the underground bunker complex; the SLDF saw a pressing need to be able to reduce these strong-points, without suffering the massive casualties they were designed to inflict.

One solution was to dust off the Project: EARTHQUAKE studies and put the prototypes into production. These weapons were deployed against Rim World's-Held fortifications and reinforced structures, even certain mobile structures, from high-altitude bombers; usually venerable Torrent Heavy Bombers. It was the survivors of these specialist squadrons who made up the bulk of the Torrent-Trained and equipped forces who accompanied Kerensky's Exodus, though fragmentary records indicate that these were mostly demobilized very early on.

Limited use of the Deep Penetration Bombs was made in the Succession Wars; considered almost a WMD in their own right, with a capability comparable to orbital bombardment, the Successor States came into possession of relatively few bombs and fewer experienced crews to use them. The factories producing the bombs in the former Rim World's Republic were lost, one way or another early in the First Succesion War and the techniques of creating the super-dense materials going into the bomb cases and the art of forging them were lost alongside the related arts involved in certain aspects of Warship building and Capital Weapons production.

One Heavy Deep Penetration Bomb; an original Type-12 SLDF "Cloudmaker" model, resides in the NAIS, or did before the Jihad, but has since disappeared from the public eye. It is expected that the Clans must have some, which resides in Brian Caches, at least before they were all looted. But it is expected that these weapons were likely scrapped for their raw materials. Their is significant and difficult to refute evidence that the SLDFiE deployed Deep Penetration bombs during the Jihad, but precise details of SLDF Atmospheric Heavy Bomber capability are notoriously hard to pin down. The Andurian Pact nations, including Regulus could likely reproduce these weapons, as could House Kurita, but there is no evidence they have. Notably; WOB *did not* utilize any such weapons during the Jihad, making them conspicuous by their absence.

The only power known to possess even small stocks of Deep Penetration bombs and the means to deploy them as-intended, is the Lyran Commonwealth. The LCAF retains a token counter-fortress capability, now brigaded together with the reborn 4th Royal Guards, as part of their Zugvogel Squadron.

Small Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb
Damage Effects: 20/10/5 R2 +3d6 vs infantry
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 125,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks.

Large Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb
Damage Effects: 30/20/10/5 R3 +4d6 vs infantry
Bomb Slots: 6 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 410,100
Availability: EFE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks. Piloting check for all airborne craft within 17 hexes, low altitude

Daisy-Cutter
Damage Effects: 50/30/20/10/5 R5
Bomb Slots: 15 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 808,000
Availability: EXE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks, cannot be dropped except by craft with the internal bomb bay quirk, piloting skill rolls for all vehicles within 17 hexes, rolls for all airborne craft within two maps, low-altitude

Fuel-Air Explosives have been somewhat common since their inception in the middle of the 20th century. Although the complexity of their explosive trains saw them disappear during the Succession Wars, they returned with a vengeance after the rediscovery of the Helm Memory Core and their use by WOB during the Jihad made FAEs a household name.

The effects of FAE are comparable visually to atomics and their secondary effects are also somewhat similar in that they work by implosion, mainly. However, blanket statements that FAE are truely comparable in their effect to nuclear weapons misses at least two orders of magnitude.

Some powers today consider FAE in general to be Weapons of Mass Destruction (The Republic and Federated Suns, for instance), while a few others consider only the largest to be deserving of that moniker (Raven Alliance, Andurian Pact, ect). But overall their usefulness remains a fact in scant dispute, despite the bitter reputation they garnered during the war.

WOB notoriously used the larger FAE weapons in targeted attacks on the dependents of mercenaries and house troops during the war, as well as on civilians and this is the source of the weapons greusom reputation. However, none can deny their effectiveness against softer targets.

Small FAE are considered tactical weapons, while the larger models are reserved for specific targets. "Daisy Cutters"; the very largest FAE currently known are normally only used against specific and very select targets; usually industrial, logistical or natural in makeup.

Tactical Nuclear Bomb
Damage Effects: See Nuke spreadsheet (100kt)
Bomb Slots: 6
Cost, in C-Bills, Equivalent: 500,000
Availability: EEE
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules apply

Tac Nukes are some of the simplest and most common nuclear weapons in the arsenals of mankind today. Simpler, cheaper and more powerful than other types, the ability to produce them was never lost and was retained, often at great expense right through all four succession wars, as the combatant powers sought to maintain their nuclear arsenales as insurance against the day that total warfare rules the Inner Sphere once more.

Simpler version of the Tac Nuke are even easier to produce (7 Bomb Slots, 400,000, DDD), but don't keep as well after centuries of storage.

Tactical Nuclear weapons remain more useful, in theory than lighter, artillery-delivered weapons because of their greater yield. Whereas a smaller nuke; like a Davy Crockett might horrify and stagger any enemy, a Tac Nuke, will shatter a large force if they are concentrated sufficiently.

Strategic Nuclear Bomb
Damage Effects: See Nuke Spreadsheet (1.2mt)
Bomb Slots: 15
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 1,000,000
Availability: EEE
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules Apply

More difficult to maintain, keep and deploy than Tac Nukes; Strategic Nuclear bombs were too unweildly logistically and operationally to be deployed often against even the most tempting front-line targets. They would slow even a very large Aerospace Fighter, almost fatally, heavy atmospheric bombers like the Torrent were historically usually few and far between and other platforms, such as a small craft or dropships were highly conspicuous.

Instead, such weapons have historically been reserved for use, as their name implies; against particular targets of strategic value, such as: manufacturing and R&D centres during the succession wars, major settlements during the age of war; logistics depots and starports during the Amaris Civil War and targets of cultural significance or morale impact during the more recent Jihad.

Stocks of such weapons have been historically low through most of history, although they were expended by the hundred during the succession wars and by the dozen during the age of war. it is suspected that most major powers possess less than 30-80 devices of this yield and type today (if they have any at all) and most are in a dilapidated condition as efficient platforms for their use are fewer and farther between than targets today`s rulers are willing to absorb the fallout from attacking with such a weapon.

City-Killer
Damage Effects: See Nuke Spreadsheet (10mt)
Bomb Slots: 20
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 30,000,000
Availability: EEF
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules Apply

A nightmare leftover from the Age of War; a few dozen City Killer-scale nukes were rolled out for the biggest blow-outs of the Succession Wars.

WOB used three during the Jihad; all deployed from modified small craft, custom-fitted for the purpose. Two of these were used against the Davion capital on New Avalon and another against Allied Forces on Terra.

According to the recent Republic-Sponsored talks on Weapons of Mass Destruction, House Davion had two such weapons, which they have since dismantled, along with the majority of their nuclear arsenale, House Kurita possessed five, on paper, of which one could not be reliably accounted for, two were assessed as non-functional and of the remaining two, it is suspected the same bomb was being reported in two different secured magazines. The Andurian Pact had one functional device at an undisclosed location in the Oriente Prefecture and the Regulan delegation claimed to be able to build more at will and refused to surrender the capability to do so. The Taurian Concordant claimed to have none and House Stiener had four City-Killers of less than a century in age, in excellent condition and another three more venerable examples in less reliable condition. Clan Wolf-in-Exile delegates offered reliable evidence that the Clans had almost certainly scavenged any remaining weapons of this scale for their raw materials over a century ago.

The Capellan Confederation and the SLDFiE---both known atomic powers---each abstained from the conference.

The 10 Megaton example depicted here is a typical City-Killer and all known examples are of a similar configuration, if not exact make. Larger devices, of 25 and even 50 or more Megatons are not only possible, but no more difficult to manufacture and not much larger or heavier in the bargain. There are simply very few platforms short of dropships which can effectively deliver such ordnance and none are known to be extant today.

Special Note: During the Jihad, Word of Blake made extensive use of special high-radiation bombs. These modifications are "Double-Bad, No-Good-Banned" under various obscure, but still technically binding treaties, however the modifications are technically trivial and possible as refits to existing ordnance at a cost of +1 bomb slot. Built-in, these modifications have no further penalties compared to a normal bomb, but it is impossible to remove the special casings without basically destroying the bomb and then re-building it. This last requires a sophistication, level of skill and raw expenditure which most parties would find prohibitive (Cost x5) and is in fact much more difficult than sourcing or building another, different bomb.

Chemical Weapon System
Effects: AOF R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: Class x 5,000
Availability: As Per Agent
Notes: Canon Rules Apply. May be any available Agent.

Chemical Weapons, due to their greater tactical capability (they work fast enough to be useful) have a much greater military application than biologicals, which are only useful at the strategic level and then mainly as a way to attack an enemy's population and infrastructure.

There are many different types of Chemical Weapons and most are theoretically available to any world, never mind nation with a modest chemical industry.

The agents themselves break down into two broad categories and several sub-types within those categories. For the most part, Chemical Agents are either persistent or non-persistent. Non-Persistent Agents dissipate and become harmless is a short period of time; minutes, hours or at most; days. Persistent Agents may linger and retain their full effects in the environment for many days, weeks, months, years and even decades. Today there remain worlds cleansed of life by chemical agents during the Age of War, which remain effectively uninhabitable.

In general; if you want to take a position, you might attack it with a Non-Persistent Agent. If you wanted to deny that position, or particular materials therein to the enemy, then you might utilize a Persistent Agent.

Within these broad categories are the various types of offensive agents, these are;

-So-called "Nuisance Agents" (including agents such as tear gars, retch gas, agents designed to induce irrational or even violent behaviour, agents intended to cause incontinence and even agents supposedly able to induce a rampant sexual response in their victims)
-Anti-Material Agents (which attack NBC protective gear and even vehicles NBC protective systems)
-And Offensive Agents (which include blister, blood and nerve agents; the "Stars" of chemical warfare).

As well, there are some non-offensive Chemical Agents deployed similarly which are not considered weapons; such as fire ****** bombs and ironically industrial accident cleansing agents (useful for cleaning up spills and mitigating radiation leaks).

Chemical agents may be dispersed as a spray, dust or gas and the method will dictate the form of the weapon used, with some bombs sporting simple vent grilles and some deploying masses of cluster-like bomblets of agent to disperse on impact; some bursting like Inferno tanks and others still taking the form of a spraying apparatus, not unlike a crop-sprayer. The Humble, yet un-common Water-Bomb (CCC, 1000CB, 1 bomb slot) is, in fact a chemical weapon deployment vector in-waiting.

Legally and Politically, Chemical weapons enjoy slightly greater tolerance than Chemical Weapons. However; the Republic is totally against them and both the Capellan Confederation and House Kurita employ an "Equivalency Doctrine" which holds Chemical *and* Biological weapons as officially equivalent to nuclear weapons; opponents using such weapons against either party can expect possible nuclear retaliation or even orbital bombardment.

Today. the Federated Suns retains a Chemical Weapons program officially, only for the purposes of developing counter-measures and decontamination procedures. The RAF has a small Chemical arsenal under lock and key and all other powers, down to some pirate bands have at least a limited access to chemical agents with at least some military application.

Almost all state actors today recognize a limited and vague exception for some nuisance agents, in practice, but the Taurian Condordant and Magistracy of Canopus react violently to their use in war and sees any such employment as an escalation to be met with overwhelming force.

Biological Weapon System
Effects: AOF R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: Class x12,000
Availability: As per Agent
Notes: Canon Rules Apply. May be any available Agent.

Biological weapons are slower and harder to predict and control than other weapons systems, so while often lumped in with a given Nation's Chemical Warfare capability, the different applications and limitations of Biological weapons makes them quite different in practice.

There are different classes, forms and vectors of biological weapons, but all have in common that they take time for their effects to be felt on the individual and longer for those effects to affect a tactical, let alone strategic target.

Biological weapons do however share many methods in common with Chemical Weapons in how they deploy; using an aerosol or "gas", spray methods, bomblets, mass agent or vector drops and other, similar methods to deploy their deadly payloads.

More lives have been lost to biological warfare in the last 600 years than to all other forms of WMD, combined. Even today, there are hundreds upon hundreds of once teeming globes which remain forever dark under skies still tainted by bio-weapons run amok.

Thus it is for good reason, Biological Weapons are widely condemned across human space, but each great house retains a bio-weapons program, as do the Magistracy and the Concordant. House Davion and the Republic have what are publicly described as strictly defensive programs aimed at combating natural and human-causes contagion events. It is even likely this is true. The remaining Great Houses all possess both offensive and defensive bio-warfare programs and the Andurian Pact has no less than a dozen separate programs run by various constituent powers.

The Bio-Warfare Capability of the SLDFiE is unknown, but expected to be formidable in whatever form it takes as the expansion of the Canton Worlds has entailed the taming of several planets once thought forever lost to virii and bacterium inimical to human life.

Technically, any research aimed at weaponizing life forms is bio-weapons research. While there has been little hard evidence of true success in this area of study, there has been limited progress in domesticating certain local fauna for use supplanting dogs, horses and mules in military service, as well as other, more exotic creatures. Rumour persist of true "Weaponized Lifeforms" spawned in the depths of old Star League R&D labs, way out in the Niops Association, deep in the Confederation's Dark Cities or even in the Sci-Communes of the Magistracy of Canopus. Those rumours of Centaurs and Mer-Folk haad to come from somewhere, right?

One could even argue for the Clan's eugenics program as a form of bio-warfare and this would, if there were any truth to it, certainly fit the description of the beings of the mythical Genecaste.

Smoke Bomb
Effects: Smoke R1, 3 levels high, 2d6 turns
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 2,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: Canon Rules Apply

The humble Smoke Bomb is a weapon popular and widespread in it's use for training and war.

Coloured smoke bombs or bombs filled with dust or biodegradable dye are often used for bombing practice.
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

beachhead1985

  • Major
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  • Posts: 4065
  • 1st SOG; SLDF. "McKenna's Marauders"
    • Kilroy's Wall
Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #28 on: 31 August 2016, 06:40:37 »
And here is that Nuke Spreadsheet I mentioned. Hope people dig this. I'm going to take a break from hard rules and go back to fluff and other related things for a bit.

Thanks for checking out the benchrest and any feedback is always welcome.
« Last Edit: 31 August 2016, 06:48:47 by beachhead1985 »
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2943
Re: The Bench Rest. New and Different Equipment from Der Tag
« Reply #29 on: 20 October 2016, 10:28:16 »
Medium Gauss Rifle
14 tons ; Same Critical space as Light Gauss
12 Shots per ton ; 12 points of Damage ; 1 pt of heat ; 20 pt explosion should it get hit .
Range Brackets  7 / 15 / 23 
The only point of this is having something that is still a head popper and have a better ammo situations .
Also to pair with an ER - PPC .
« Last Edit: 20 October 2016, 10:32:46 by Col Toda »

 

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