This one probably requires a bit of explanation.
Looking at the Calderon Protectorate, I noticed that they lack any sort of official manufacturing capacity on their lonely worlds at the rear of the Concordat.
So this got me thinking, given that the sourcebooks have them in almost a 'siege' situation with the TC, and in a tech rich environment, how much could they get with a 'low' cost vehicle with only a single piece of 'advanced' technology.
Namely the Omni-pods.
Yes the Omni-pods increase the cost of the vehicle, but they also let the vehicle in question fulfill a lot more roles than possible by one fixed variant regardless of how many variants are available, which would appear to be a superior solution for a tech starved periphery nation with low manufacturing capability.
The weaponry is primarily missile and MG based, because those weapons don't require a high level of technology to mass produce. The Electronics Version is in there just as a 'I have some spare sensor gear, whats a cheap platform to put it on that won't end up face to face with a Celestial' version.
So here I give you a 'cheap' ICE VTOL, capable of playing APC, Fire Support, or Electronics with a couple of tricks tossed in.
Also I changed the standard 'Omni' naming convention after noting that the prevalent naming conventions for new TC equipment seems to be a livestock or wild west theme (Brahma, Marshal).
Type/Model: Wild Pinto
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3132
Config: V.T.O.L. Omni
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Mass: 30 tons
Power Plant: 100 Internal Combustion I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type: Kilosh 1000 Standard
Armament:
12.5 Tons of Pod Space
Manufacturer: Gaul Industries
Location: Gaul, Calderon Protectorate
Communications System: Cronol PR
Targeting & Tracking System: Sky Tracer WL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
Following their succession from the Taurian Concordat in the mid 3060s, the
Calderon Protectorate found itself with major problems maintaining any sort of
military. With no major military industries located on any of the six
Protectorate worlds, and with few substantial industries, the Protectorate was
forced to import every mech, vehicle, shell and missile from other sources.
This situation was further exacerbated by the blockade placed by the
Concordat early in the 3070s that prevented a number of imports from former
Concordat worlds and greatly reduced the number of imports available from the
Magistracy of Canopus and Capellan Confederation.
This situation only began to turn around later in the decade of 3070, as first
small arms industries were bought online allowing for the equipping of larger
infantry formations before other industries began producing basic parts to
support the Protectorates conventional vehicles and older battlemechs. Rapid
population fuelled by immigration from the war sick population of the Taurian
Concordat further fuelled additional industrial growth, allowing for the
development of the first native Protectorate military vehicle to be deployed
in 3076.
Calls for additional military vehicles soon followed. National projects
focused these new vehicles on maximum flexibility and cost effectiveness,
leading to the reveal in 3078 of the Pinto VTOL from Gaul Weaponry.
==Capabilities:==
Based on their successful Pelican cargo VTOL, the Pinto weighs in at 30 tons,
placing it among the heaviest of dedicated combat helicopters. Four tons of
armour provides for reasonable protection, heavier than some comparible
gunships like the Yellow Jacket, while a relatively small internal combustion
engine gives the Pinto a top speed of 130kph.
However, the Pinto isn't just a gunship. Using of vehicular omni technology
reverse engineered from several salvaged Ajax omni-vehicles which had been in
turn salvaged from Davion RCTs during the Pleiades war, the Pintos is designed
as the premier APC and Infantry support platform for the Protectorate.
Ignoring conventional battlefield naming conventions for Omni Vehicles, the
Pintos configurations are designated by colour, a step designed to increase
national pride in this design.
Designated the Wild Pinto, the base configuration mounts 12.5 tons of pod
space allowing for a variety of configurations to allow for best use of
available advanced components based on battlefield conditions and what the
technology starved Protectorate is able to put into the field.
The White Pinto is the most common configuration, designed as an APC variant,
it mounts a four ton infantry bay allowing for transport of a full platoon of
conventional infantry or a squad of battle armour. Weaponry is based on the
older Maxim APC with an LRM 5 with a ton of ammunition providing the ability
to harass hostile forces from a safe distance. Two SRM 2s and a pair of
machine guns allow for the Pinto to clear the landing zone prior to infantry
deployments. Finally a pair of RL-10s gives a substantial amount of emergency
firepower in case of ambushes or heavier than expected forces.
The Brown Pinto is a specialist recon model, mounting the rare Guardian ECM
suite, Beagle Active Probe and TAG laser allows the Brown variant to block
hostile electronics, spot for artillery and indirect LRM fire, or detect
ambushes. Weapons wise the Brown variant mounts an LRM 10, encouraging pilots
to engage at very long range, while several RL-10s strongly discourage light
vehicles and light mechs from trying to close and destroy the Pintos. The
Brown variant is the rarest of all Pintos, as the availability of the
electronics is very limited, with most Brown variants carrying electronics
salvaged from a variety of sources. Known levels of technology within the
Protectorate indicate that it is unlikely that there is more than twenty four
Brown Pintos available at any one time, due to cost and electronics
availability.
The gunship variant of the Pinto is designated the Black. An LRM 15 provides a
substantial amount of firepower at long range, four RL-10s and twin machine
guns provide some protection against short ranged opponents.
The last variant, and arguably the most unusual, is the most recently sighted.
The Grey Pinto appears broadly similar to the White, with an LRM 5 and twin
machine guns providing support for its four ton infantry bay. However the main
trick of the Grey is the mounting of a lift hoist, allowing the Grey to carry
up to fifteen tons of supporting equipment for its infantry, allowing two Grey
variants to carry a full platoon of field gun augmented infantry and a
supporting platoon of infantry.
Other variants are known to existing, but these are not official or are
prototype variants. Some of these unofficial variants are known to mount light
autocannons, salvaged MRM racks, or other rare weapons dependent on what is
available at the time to the technology poor Protectorate. Some variants
however turn the Pinto into a very rugged civilian VTOL, with a cargo variant
along the lines of its parent Pelicon VTOL, a passenger variant for long range
transport and a search and rescue variant also seen around the Protectorate,
where the use of the Omni technology allows militias to fine tune the Pinto to
their needs at any time.
==Deployment==
The Pinto has seen widespread deployment within the Calderon Protectorate,
since it was initially unveiled. Highly popular within the Protectorate
militia and conventional armour forces for its supreme versatility and
multiple roles, the Pinto is the most demanded VTOL within the Protectorate.
Some Pintos have been exported to various mercenary and small states around
the Periphery, where despite the maintenance requirement of omni pods, the low
price of the Wild Pinto allows for the fielding of a substantial number of
Pintos by the lowest mercenary. The Taurian Concordat has also salvaged or
captured Pintos, where the versatile VTOLs have been assigned to a number of
units bordering the Federated Suns.
--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Pinto White
Mass: 30 tons
Equipment: Items Mass
Int. Struct.: 15 pts Standard 0 3.00
Engine: 100 I.C.E. 0 6.00
Cruise MP: 8
Flank MP: 12
Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00
Cockpit & Controls: 0 1.50
Crew: 2 Members 0 .00
Rotor Equipment: Main/Tail Rotors 0 3.00
Armor Factor: 62 pts Standard 0 4.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 3 20
Left / Right Sides: 3 15/15
Rear: 3 10
Rotor: 3 2
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
12.5 Tons of Pod Space
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 11 30.00
Items & Tons Left: 0 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 637,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 42
Cost per BV: 15,178.57
Weapon Value: 0 / 0 (Ratio = .00 / .00)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 0; MRDmg = 0; LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2: MP: 8V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
Damage PB/M/L: -/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 0
Specials: omni
******************************************
Type/Model: Pinto White
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3132
Config: V.T.O.L. Omni
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Mass: 30 tons
Power Plant: 100 Internal Combustion I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type: Kilosh 1000 Standard
Armament:
1 Holly LRM 5
2 Holly SRM 2s
2 Auto Gun Machine Guns
2 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)s
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 LRM 5 Front 0 24 2 3.00
2 SRM 2s Front 0 50 3 3.00
2 Machine Guns Front 0 100 3 1.50
2 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)Front 0 2 1.00
Infantry Bay Body 1 4.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 11 30.00
Items & Tons Left: 0 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 1,006,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 553
Cost per BV: 1,819.62
Weapon Value: 149 / 149 (Ratio = .27 / .27)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 23; MRDmg = 12; LRDmg = 4
BattleForce2: MP: 8V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/-, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 6
Specials: omni, tran4
*************************************
Type/Model: Brown Pinto
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3132
Config: V.T.O.L. Omni
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Mass: 30 tons
Power Plant: 100 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
1 Guardian ECM
1 TAG
1 Beagle Active Probe
3 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)s
1 Holly LRM 10
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Guardian ECM Front 0 1 1.50
1 TAG Front 0 1 1.00
1 Beagle Active Probe Front 0 1 1.50
3 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)Front 0 3 1.50
1 LRM 10 Front 0 24 2 7.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 8 30.00
Items & Tons Left: 3 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 2,275,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 710
Cost per BV: 3,204.23
Weapon Value: 180 / 180 (Ratio = .25 / .25)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 26; MRDmg = 18; LRDmg = 7
BattleForce2: MP: 8V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
Damage PB/M/L: -/1/1, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 7
Specials: omni, if, ecm, tag, prb
***********************************
Type/Model: Black Pinto
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3132
Config: V.T.O.L. Omni
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Mass: 30 tons
Power Plant: 100 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
1 Holly LRM 15
2 Machine Guns
4 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)s
Type/Model: Pinto Black
Mass: 30 tons
Equipment: Items Mass
Int. Struct.: 15 pts Standard 0 3.00
Engine: 100 I.C.E. 0 6.00
Cruise MP: 8
Flank MP: 12
Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00
Cockpit & Controls: 0 1.50
Crew: 2 Members 0 .00
Rotor Equipment: Main/Tail Rotors 0 3.00
Armor Factor: 62 pts Standard 0 4.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 3 20
Left / Right Sides: 3 15/15
Rear: 3 10
Rotor: 3 2
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 LRM 15 Front 0 16 2 9.00
2 Machine Guns Front 0 100 3 1.50
4 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)Front 0 4 2.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 9 30.00
Items & Tons Left: 2 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 1,401,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 948
Cost per BV: 1,478.11
Weapon Value: 257 / 257 (Ratio = .27 / .27)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 37; MRDmg = 25; LRDmg = 10
BattleForce2: MP: 8V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/1, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 9
Specials: omni, if
**********************************
Type/Model: Pinto Grey
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3132
Config: V.T.O.L. Omni
Rules: Level 3, Standard design
Mass: 30 tons
Power Plant: 100 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
1 Cargo Lift Hoist
1 LRM 5
2 Machine Guns
2 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)s
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Lift Hoist Body 0 1 3.00
1 LRM 5 Front 0 24 2 3.00
2 Machine Guns Front 0 100 3 1.50
2 Rocket Launcher 10 (OS)Front 0 2 1.00
Infantry Bay Body 1 4.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 9 30.00
Items & Tons Left: 2 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 1,013,750 C-Bills
Battle Value: 392
Cost per BV: 2,586.1
Weapon Value: 111 / 111 (Ratio = .28 / .28)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 18; MRDmg = 11; LRDmg = 4
BattleForce2: MP: 8V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
Damage PB/M/L: 1/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 4
Specials: omni, tran4
