Tramper (3T IS)

[Suralin]

As with all my IS Protos, this uses my IS Proto construction rules. It also uses some of the non-canon cannons from this thread.

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Name: Tramper
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (IS)
Tonnage: 3,000 kg
BV2: 55

Equipment Mass (kg)

Internals: Standard       300
Engine: 15 Fuel Cell       450
Walk MP: 3
Run MP: 5
Jump MP: 0
Gyro: Small       250
Control Sys:       750
Armor Factor: 10 pts Standard       600

Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head    1   2
Torso    3   3
Main Gun   1   1
R/L Arm    1   1
Legs    2   2


Equipment Location Mass (kg)
Machine Gun        MG       500
@ MG (30)    MG                 150

Overview:
   The development of relatively modular ProtoMechs was first pioneered by the Hell's Horses in 3091 with their Silver Unicorn, and followed up on by their more recent Palomino quad ProtoMech. Here in the Inner Sphere, however, our own scientists were beaten to the punch by Kallon Industries of Loyalty, who have heavily promoted sales of their new Tramper Proto since its creation seven years ago. Like Earthwerks' Shockwave, it is being sold on the open market to bring in much-needed funds. Unlike the relatively advanced Shockwave, however, the Tramper is less of a marvel of advanced engineering, and more of a "ProtoMech on a budget".


Capabilities:
   The Tramper incorporates a number of similar elements to the common IS Standard Battle Armor, albeit scaled up. The ProtoMech is powered by an efficient Fuel Cell engine, not very different from those used in civilian vehicles (and thus, correspondingly cheap to acquire). This allows it a top speed of fifty-four kilometers per hour. Though 54kph is unsuitable for keeping up with front-line units, it's a moot point, as the Fuel Cell engine's fuel limitation effectively confines Trampers to defensive roles anyway.
   With this in mind, the Tramper begins to make a bit more sense. Detractors have long decried the design as being useless in the field; however, upon analysing the design further, the Tramper is a bargain. Though Inner Sphere ProtoMech control systems, kludged together from battle armor and 'Mech controls, are heavier than their Clan counterparts and require a fair bit of training to use, they are also far cheaper and more reliable than the invasive surgery required for Clan ProtoMech pilots. The Tramper improves upon this cost savings even further with its fuel-cell engine, bringing the cost of a unit down to that of a comparably-armed battle armor suit, with the added bonus of much improved speed.
   The weaponry is fairly modular, fitting a 250kg or 500kg main gun underneath the right arm along with another 150kg of ammo storage. This is usually enough for limited engagements, after which Tramper pilots are advised to escape or hide. The weapon in question varies by customer; the factory sends out Trampers armed with a simple machine gun, but weapons as diverse as an SRM launcher, an ER micro laser, a recoilless cannon, and a chemical laser have been seen.
   The Tramper also has a pair of mounting brackets on the shoulders, which can be used for single-shot missile launchers, nearly always simple rockets due to weight and targeting limitations. There is also a specialized "Katyusha" variant used by the Marians that mounts rocket launchers exclusively.
   Armor coverage on this light ProtoMech also invites comparisons to lighter Battle Armors, and not in a good way. Trampers are too slow to reliably evade enemy fire, and far too thinly armored to absorb it. Though a pilot with good reflexes can escape the ProtoMech in mere seconds using an expertly-designed rear hatch, by the time he or she needs to, it's usually already too late.


Deployment:
   Though the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth appropriated a number of Trampers for their own use after absorbing the small Graham-Marik realm, Kallon has mostly sold the design on the open market, resulting in its use by a bewildering variety of units across the Inner Sphere, from the far-flung Calderon Protectorate to the Rim Collection. Several states in the shattered League have also purchased this affordable ProtoMech.
   The remaining Houses have been reticent to invest in this ProtoMech, however, as it's simply not effective enough to survive anything more than a police action. The sole exception to this is the Draconis Combine, which has been attempting to reverse-engineer ProtoMech technology for some time. With Capellan and Republic Protos unavailable to them, Kurita scientists will doubtless be looking deeply at Kallon's workarounds to influence their own efforts in coming years.


Variants:

Regulan units often switch out the machine gun and its ammo drum for a small chemical laser. Though it only gets six shots, these units aren't meant for lengthy combat anyway.

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BV2: 56

Equipment Location Mass (kg)
Small Chem Laser   MG       500
@ SCL (6)    MG                 150

Kallon bundles an SRM launcher and their patented "EZ-Convert" kit with the ProtoMech. It's rather common to see this variant using Inferno or Tandem-Charge missiles, or some other specialty ammo.

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BV2: 65

Equipment Location Mass (kg)
SRM-1              MG       500
@ SRM (15)    MG                 150

The Duchy of Andurien is one of Kallon's biggest customers, as far as the Tramper goes. They prefer to use an extended-range micro laser -- sold in bulk by Ceres Arms at a substantial discount, ostensibly as a token of Chancellor Sun-Tzu's generosity -- as the main gun. After mounting a heat sink to deal with any buildup, they found they had 100 kilos of free weight left over. The mounting brackets on the shoulders are put to good use, each with a single-shot rocket launcher.

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BV2: 60

Equipment Location Mass (kg)
ER Micro Laser     MG       250
   1 HS                               300
2 RL-1s            T                  100

The Marians, for their part, make use of the Tramper to support their home-built Optios. Recognizing the futility of trying to use these imported ProtoMechs in lengthy combat, they have modified the Tramper into a rocket delivery platform. Pilots of this variant are advised to get in, unleash their barrage on a target of opportunity, and get out.

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BV2: 66

Equipment Location Mass (kg)
RL-5               MG                 250
RL-4               T       200
RL-4               T       200

Finally, mercenary groups operating in FedSuns and Lyran space have taken to removing the machine gun and replacing it with a recoilless rifle, which has far better range at the expense of heavier ammo usage.

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BV2: 63

Equipment Location Mass (kg)
Lt Recoilless    MG       500
@LRR (10)    MG       150


[bblaney]

Interesting

Could definitely see the Inner Sphere develop their own protos

This one's fluff is great, and is very very breaky.