So, this is an armour type I just had a flash of inspiration upon learning what Marine Points are, and how large-scale infantry on infantry combat is performed. The idea of Marine points fascinated me and I set about wanting to design a dedicated suit for breaching operations. With a total Marine Point Value of 7.5 (9.5 in space thanks to magnetic clamps and Space Operations Adaptation), the Breacher can outdo most standard clan suits I have seen: like the Rock Gnome who has a point value of 6, and a total point value of 30: while the Breacher as part of a 4-man team can match that, at also 30 Marine points for an IS squad of Breachers, which are a lighter suit, cheaper and almost 1/3 the battle value. I may be off in my math, but I do feel this is a very well-balanced suit for the super close quarter combat that Marine Points are meant to represent.
My math is as such
- IS Marine in Division Armour (Reflective Armour): +2
- Heavy Battle Armour: +2
- Burst Fire Weapon: +1
- Dual Wielding Vibro Claws: +2
- Cutting Torch: + 0.25
- One or more Heavy Battle Claw: +0.25
- Magnetic Clamps: +1*
- Space Operations Adaptation: +1*
- Total Ground: 7.5 x4 = 30
- Space*: 9.5 x4 = 38
Now for efficiencies sake I could make the Breacher an assault armour and increase the values by Marine Point values by 1, but I felt that would be trying to game the system to far, and in addition I was narratively thinking of the small gaps the suit would have to fit through, so I kept it to what can be considered a much shorter Heavy Battle Armour. Still when compared to a Elementals 4 points per suit (5 for Space Elemental), the Breacher is very Marine Point Efficient, and even C-Bills slightly cheaper. Also as to why it has no jump jets, the Space Adaptation provides minimal manoeuvring jets, and the suit is more meant for boarding via docking collars or small craft, and to fight more in hallways of spaceships in a similar vain to a Warhammer Terminator.
Developed by Tyrant Arms, the Breacher Heavy Boarding Armour, is a specialised form of battle armour for a very specific type of warfare. First fielded in the early years of the Clan invasion, the Breacher is designed to engage in extreme close quarter fighting found aboard starships or heavy fortifications, the Breacher is as un-simplified as its name implies, being a heavily armoured suit designed to lead the charge through tight corridors of Starships or heavy urban settings. Made specifically to counter the threat posed by Elemental boarding parties that were frequent in the early clan invasion, the Breacher stands around the same height of an elemental suit, and is much better equipped for close quarter fighting. In its most modern variant, the Breacher is lightly armed by Heavy suit standard, having a detachable weapon mount that is able to support 400 kilograms of direct fire weapons, most notably carrying a small pulse laser or heavy flamer in its most modern incarnation. Encased in modest 550kg of Ty-05, Thermo absorbent armour (Reflective Armour), the Breacher is able to handle most enemy weapons through a mixture of use of cover and its ability to downplay the effectiveness of heavy energy weapons found on clan battle armour. Still most infamously the suit is equipped with massive dual, Wolverine Mk.5 Heavy Vibro-Claws on each arm, which allow the Breacher to be frighteningly effective against even Clan Heavy battle armour in hand-to-hand engagements, which the suit was designed for. Often engaging in well under the traditional thirty meter ranges that modern firefights occur at, the Breacher can close the distance quickly on in tight tunnels of starships or fortresses by dumping its primary range weapon to increase its ground speed by 100%. To round things out, the Breacher comes as standard with both magnetic clamps and space operations equipment. This allows the Breacher maximum stability and manoeuvrability in a space borne environment, as while it lacks the high-powered thrusters of the Arie, the Breacher can right itself in combat, and very easily clamp itself to the hull of a ship. In addition, the Breacher is not meant to travel through space itself, instead is supposed to lead the charge through being deployed by small craft on the enemy ships hull, or through the deployment of a boarding tube. Still in space borne fights the Breacher can make a mockery of even Clan Points of assault armour thanks to its specialised equipment.However, the Breacher is a highly focused design, meant purely for storming fortifications, or defending or attacking in spaceborne firefights. Poorly adapted for long range warfare, the Breacher modest range armament leaves it severely lacking when in the open field or mobile warfare, where it has to rely on its magnetic clamps to achieve any form of mobility. Clan forces have found the best counter to Breachers is to often give up their positions and allow heavier mechs to close in and neutralise the suits before returning to reclaim their positions. As such the Breacher is best seen in a defensive roll, on in combat where a enemy is pinned into a defensive position that requires cracking by dedicated formations of storm infantry.Breacher (Small Pulse)
Type: Breacher Battle Armour
Manufacturer: Tyrant Arms
Primary Factory: Unknown
Tech Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Chassis Type: Biped
Weight Class: Heavy
Maximum Weight: 1,500 kg
Battle Value: 250
Swarm/Leg Attack/Mechanized/AP: No/No/Yes/No
Equipment Slots Mass
Chassis: 300 kg
Motive System:
Ground MP: 2(1) 80 kg
Jump MP: 0 0 kg
Manipulators:
Left Arm: Heavy Vibro-Claw 60 kg
Right Arm: Heavy Vibro-Claw 60 kg
Armor: Laser Reflective (Reflec/Glazed) 7 550 kg
Armor Value: 11 (Trooper)
Slots
Weapons and Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass
Magnetic Clamps Body 2 30 kg
Space Operations Adaptation Body 1 100 kg
Cutting Torch Right Arm 1 5 kg
Detachable Weapon Pack Left Arm 1 300 kg
Small Pulse Laser Detachable Weapon Pack 1 400 kg
Design Quirks: Rugged (1)
Alternate Builds3055 VariantThe classic Breacher Battle Armour. Possessing a lower Marine Score of 6.5 on the ground and 7.5 in space. The Standard version mounts a Small Pulse laser normally in the left arm, with 10 points of standard armour. It still features Heavy Virbo Claws, space operations adaptation, and a cutting torch. The Suit also includes extended life support, and a anti personal mount, and does not yet feature magnetic clamps, and lowers its ground speed to 1MP.
Small PulseER Small LaserHeavy FlamerHeavy MGHeavy MortarBA Plasma RifleHeavy Recoilless RifleBreacher IIUpgrading to a Assault Chassis, the Breacher II increases the Reflective Armour by 2 points (to 12), and adds a anti personal weapon mount in the LA, and a second detachable weapon mount, while downgrading the left arms, heavy vibro to a standard vibro claw (as you technically only need one heavy vibro claw). Altogether this suit can carry a total of 575kg of equipment between 2 weapon systems, such as a medium laser and light machine gun. This makes it much tanikier and allows it to soak up 4 blasts from a clan ER Medium Laser. However the cost increases by another million, and the BV goes from the steady 250s to well into the 300s: in return only one extra point is added to the Marine Score. Im unsure if I should use this version over the Heavy, as I feel the Heavy is more thematic and less min-maxy.
