(If the units get enough interest, I may finish up writing up the Achillies Republic. In any event, first posting!)
Arenson MBT-1
Mass: 100 tons
Tech Base: Mixed
Motive Type: Tracked
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Dark Ages
Tech Rating/Era Availability: X/X-X-X
Production Year: 3136
Cost: 18,692,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,919
Construction Options: Fractional Accounting
Power Plant: Star Heart 300 Fusion XL Engine
Cruise Speed: 32.4 km/h
Flanking Speed: 54.0 km/h
Armor: Blakenship Extra-Heavy II Hardened
Armament:
1 Golan Longfist (CL) Gauss Rifle
1 Beamwerks Shatterer H (CL) Large Pulse Laser
4 Ganet 5-Rack Mk. A (CL) LRM-5s
4 Golan Ultralight (CL) AP Gauss Rifles
1 Beamwerks LasRider TAG
1 Infantry Compartment (5.0 tons)
1 Radar Range C+ Targeting Computer
1 Blakenship "Survivor" CASE System
Manufacturer: Blakenship Armor Works
Primary Factory: Achillies
Communications System: Mannover Multistar III
Targeting and Tracking System: Radar Range C+
Overview:
Designed in response to survivability concerns with the older Weisman class
Assault Tanks, the Arenson was intended to replace the Weisman as the primary
Main Battle Tank of the Achillies Republic. Rather than being the product of
multiple competing proposals to meet a single set of requirements, Blakenship
was instead hired to design the new unit hand-in-glove with the Achillies Armed
Forces, with advisers running the gamut from active-duty tankers up through
retired armoured generals in constant communication with the Blakenship design
and enginnering team at every step of the process.
Constant redesigns with slow but relentless mission and feature creep drove the
relatively simple, straightforward 65-75 ton design goal straight to the top of
standard combat vehicle tonnages. Turretless designs were put on and off the
table on more than one occasion. Primary Armament changed, and changed again.
For at least a two year period, the drawing board was wiped clean and the "Fast
Panzer" brigaide of the Achillies Armoured Forces insisted that the design be
reworked as a massive, custom-built WiGE 'Assault Tank'.
With costs spiraling out of control, CEO and owner Edward Blakenship IV rolled
up his sleeves and stepped into the process, freezing features at every step
based on 'best recommendations' by enginners and advisors alike. When the
design finalized, Edward offered it to the Republic Army on a 'take it or leave
it' basis.
Luckily for the future of Blakenship, they took it.
Capabilities:
The Arenson MBT-1 is in many ways a classic Heavy Assault Main Battle Tank. At
100 tons with a maximum sustained speed of just over 50kph cross country, it is
fast enough for movement to contact, but lacks battlefield agility. This lack
of agility is worsened by the slow response of the Arenson's drive train to
increased power inputs, being noticeably 'slower on the throttle' than even
other vehicles of its weight class.
Detractors note this, but overlook that agility was never the point. Mounting
nearly 28 tons of hardened armor, the Arenson is better protected than all but
the heaviest of battlemechs. Additionally, the extra layers and spacing of the
Arensons Blakenship Extra-Heavy Skin greatly reduce the occasional penetrating
hits that are so often the bane of Armoured Fighting Vehicles in the battlemech
era. Armour has been carefully shaped and placed to avoid shot traps and
reduce the vehicles combat profile.
Firepower is moderate for a vehicle of its size, with primary weaponry being
limited to a single Longfist Gauss Rifle mounted coaxial with a Shatterer-H
Heavy Pulse Laser. Both systems are tied into the Radar Range "Commander Plus"
Targeting Computer, to improve the battlefiel impact of its limited weaponry.
Though not capable of massive, single-strike knockdown power, the paired
weapons have the reach and accuracy to effectively command the battlefiel, at
least when deployed by platoon. The attached TAG allows for easy calls
Artillery or Aerospace Strike Support.
Oddly enough, the secondaries are the Arenson's true claim to fame. With a
total of 20 Gannet Missile Tubes served by three separate ammunition bins, the
Arenson can create its own minefields, cover its allies positions in smoke, or
set fire to terrain or its foes. A quartet of Golan Ultralight Rifles serve as
additional anti-infantry support, or as additional light fire against heavier
targets.
A final element of the Arenson's 'package' is the internal infantry bay.
Although Blakenship Enginners argue that the recent invention of the 'Bent
Metal Bar' and 'Welding Torch' technologies would allow Powered Armour troops
to ride into combat atop an AFV, by dedicating space inside the vehicle, the
designers made the battlearmor 'team' a part of the combined team fighting the
AFV, rather than simply some extra guns along for the ride. By proviing
engineering, spotting, close-in-defense, and city response capabilities, the
integral squad of Battle Armor rounds out the vehicles new place as the ARAF's
'go-to' Main Battle Tank
Battle History:
So far only a hanful of Arenson's have seen action, most notably in the
ill-fated "Dundan Affair", where a squadron of Aresons was deployed on Dundan,
unsupported, in response to reports of pirate activity.
On hearing report of incoming pirate forces, the Arensons were deployed (at the
insistance of the local Governor, and over the objections of the unit
commander) outside of Dundan capital of Osglath. Lacking cover and support,
the Arensons were quickly surrounded by the suprisingly capable 'Pirates' (now
suspected to be some form of rogue former-clan group). Using their advantages
in firepower and mobility, the Pirate units were able to slowy pick apart the
tanks. Although none of the Pirate machines were destroyed, heavy damage and
mobility kills to multiple pirate units were enough to allow the planetary
infantry militia (operating inside Osglath) to triumph over the raiders.
Upon hearing complaints from the press and from certain elements of the
military about the new vehicles first performance in combat, Blakenship was
quoted as saying "I can build you any-damnfool-thing you want. I can even
build a -good- damnfool thing, like that one. What I CANNOT do, apparently, is
get you to use it right."
Deployment:
The Arenson is usually deployed accoring to standard ARAF doctrine, with a
platoon of 5 tanks supported by 25 battle armor as the smallest element likely
to see the field. Currently fielded only by the 2nd and 5th Heavy Mechanized
Divisions, it remains to be seen if battlefield performance will be sufficient
to encourage the purchase of enough additional units to bring the rest of the
ARAF's frontline units up to regulation.
No units have been sold to foreign powers, and at this time none are expected
to be. Despite pressure from Blakenship to allow at the very least a
'downrated' export version, permission from the Republic's Government has not
been forthcoming.
Variants:
Although the vehicles 'omni' capabilities were lost when the design process
settled onto Extra-Heavy Armor, the Arenson was nonetheless designed to be as
modular as possible. Though no variants have yet been produced, several
'design studies' exist for replacing the existing Laser weapon with a
plasma-based rifle, or replacing the entire weapons fit with some combination
of the new multibarrel 'assault' gauss rifles. Other variants reclaim the
Cargo space for additional applique armor and/or ammo storage. A final
'export' variant replaces the targeting computer and heavy armor with standard
armor and a redundant, armoured motive system with additional track systems.
None have yet seen production.
Design Quirks: Low Profile, Modular Weapons, Trailer Hitch / Poor Performance,
Difficult to Maintain
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 50 points 10
Engine: XL Engine 300 14.25
Cruise MP: 3
Flank MP: 5
Heat Sinks: (IS) Single Heat Sink 10 0
Control Equipment: 5
Lift Equipment: 0
Turret: (Main Turret, Sponsons) 2.5
Armor: Hardened AV - 218 27.25
Armor
Factor
Front 60
Left/Right 40/40
Turret 48
Rear 30
================================================================================
Equipment Location Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CL) Gauss Rifle T 12
(CL) Large Pulse Laser T 6
TAG T 1
2 (CL) LRM-5s RS 2
2 (CL) LRM-5s LS 2
1 (CL) AP Gauss Rifles T 0.5
1 (CL) AP Gauss Rifles RS 0.5
1 (CL) AP Gauss Rifles LS 0.5
1 (CL) AP Gauss Rifles F 0.5
Infantry Compartment (5.0 tons) BD 5
(CL) Targeting Computer BD 4
CASE BD
@Gauss Rifle (24) BD 3
@LRM-5 (72) BD 3
@AP Gauss Rifle (40) BD 1
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 11 Points: 19
3 3 3 3 0 4 3 Structure: 5
Special Abilities: TAG, CASE, IF 1
