Wahoo Pursuit Sub WPS-T2Mass: 10 tons
Movement Type: Submarine
Power Plant: 70 Clan XL Engine
Cruising Speed: 108kph (58 Knots)
Maximum Speed: 162kph (87Knots)
Armor: 3 Tons Reactive Armour
Armament: 2x Clan ER Medium Laser
Manufacturer: Clan Sea Fox
Introduction Year: 3101
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-E
Cost: 686,000C-Bills
LorePrior to their exodus from the Clan Homeworld, Clan Sea Fox boasted a substantial industry in the production of maritime military equipment for the Clans. This niche production expertise netted the Sea Foxes a steady, if small profit: but was an area which was either ignored or even mocked due to the utter irrelevance that maritime vehicles often played in Clan trials. Indeed, coastal guard duties was largely limited to test down warriors or freebirths relegated to garrison duties. With many of their subs main combat operations being limited to fighting the sizable aquatic creatures of the Kerensky Cluster: a rather unglamourous task.
It was no small surprise then, that when Clan Diamond Shark were forced to flee the Homeworlds, they were quite willing to abandon their notably advanced Submarine production lines in favour for facilities to aid in the manufacture of mechs or aerospace fighters. Still once the Jihad had calmed down Sea Fox quickly sought to repair their lost fortunes.
Named after one of the fastest fish of ancient Terra, the Wahoo is an extremely light, one-man mini sub, armed unconventionally with two ER medium lasers and Reactive Armour. The choice to use lasers over conventional short-range torpedos came from a tactical acceptance that even under the water the clan ER medium could reach out to an effective range of 300 meters. This outranged short range torpedoes by 30 meters and could deal slightly less damage than a pair of SRT-4's without the risk of stray torpedo's missing, while also allowing it to strike at craft above the surface. This made the Wahoo a quick striker which could attack enemy submarines at a relatively effective under water range; made it ammo independent; and also helped it swing above its weight. Also, the fact the Wahoo was a one-man sub, and moved at high speed in what was a 3D environment made it popular amongst aerospace washouts, who could claim all the glory of the kill. Also, by utilising reactive armour the Wahoo increased its damage resistance against the highly ubiquitous torpedoes used in naval craft.
Still the Wahoo's main attraction was its use of the armoured motive system, which while expensive reduced the risk of rapid ascent or descent of the craft, minimising the chances of its fusion engine suffering motive damage from such a hash manoeuvre. Allowing the Wahoo to get up and around a target more easily and exploit its rapid speed to ascend or descend freely.
Sold widely to all Inner Sphere clans, the Wahoo is a cheap by clan standards craft that allows them power projection over large bodies of water, and acts as an effective harasser for smugglers and maritime pirates on occupied worlds. As such it remains in high demand Clan Sea Fox secured contracts with Great House armies, fellow Clans and even mercenary companies such as Kraken Unleashed, whose leader is noted to have secured the standard WPS-T2 model, over the T3 export model.
Design Quirks: Low Profile (2), Ubiquitous (1)
Alternative DesignsWPS-T3BV: 295
Cost: 658,400 C-bills
A conventional export model sold to much of the Inner Sphere. Given the power of its two ER Medium lasers, Clan Sea Fox was nervous initially to sell the T2 to non-clan forces, and as such altered the design to take advantage of ammo contracts on their own model of the Short-Range Torpedo’s the Inner Sphere had no way of producing. Swapping the two ER Medium Lasers out for a clan SRT 4 with one ton of ammo and Clan CASE. The T3 was considered by many to be a suitable upgrade over the venerable Skipper submersible, especially as the Wahoo T3 kept its legendary ability to ascend and descend at a rapid speed.
WPS-T4BV: 795
Cost: 1,478,000 C-bills
An upgraded version of the Wahoo built in response to the increase in underwater combat in the Dark Age. The WPS-T4 removes the problematic Reactive Armour for 2.5 tons of Clan Ferro-Fibrious, with the half ton weight savings being invested into a Supercharger to help the Wahoo accelerate to an unprecedented 324 Knots (30 hexes). The design was popular among Clan Amphibious Star Captains as a command craft, though its use of a supercharger could increase the risk of engine stalling which was a practical death sentence beneath the waves.
‘Flying Fish’ WPS-S2 (Aerospace)BV: 659
Cost: 1,230,565 C-bills
A somewhat eccentric redesign which came about when test pilots for the Wahoo, who described it as a ‘Underwater Aerospace Fighter,’ alongside Inner Sphere jokes that ‘you can put a submarine in space.’ Clan scientists took this feedback and jokes to heart and decided to test adapt the highly rugged Wahoo frame for Aerospace Combat. While not a complete one to one recreation, with practical redesigns being made to the frame and internal components, the ‘Flying Fish’ as it is called, is a fully functional Aerospace Fighter that shares at least 55% of its parts with its sub or origin. Weighing 10 tons, armed with 2 ER medium lasers, 3 tons of ferro-fibrious and 1 ton of fuel the vehicle is notably uncomplicated and shares the same 70 XL Fusion power plant as the Wahoo Submarine: though is slightly slower with a safe thrust of 9 and max thrust of 14. It gains the design quirk Atmospheric Flight Instability.
OverviewOkay the Wahoo, arguably my favourite Sub I have designed and drawn thus far. Just as the Inner Sphere have a lack of Combat Vehicle Subs (not super heavy support vehicles like the Lysander), the clans have even fewer and thus this was a joy to make and draw.
I based the concept of the Wahoo around the realisation that clan ER mediums underwater have an effective range of 4/7/10, which is comparable to that of standard medium lasers with near large laser damage and outranges Short Range Torpedo’s. As such Clan ER mediums make an effective alternative choice instead of Short-Range Torpedo’s allowing a small light vehicle to keep itself mobile and hit from a decent range. While the Battle Value is less than ideal its still a fun build, I am very proud of it.
The true stand out feature, and also likely its most limiting is the Armoured Motive system. Now I having a hard time tracking down the rule, but there is a rule which goes over that if an underwater combat vehicle (not mechs) tries to go up or down by two ‘depths’ in a single turn it will suffer a motive critical hit (due to the rapid changes in water pressure) and have to roll on the Motive Damage Table. The Armoured Motive system therefore allows the craft a chance to avoid this damage, and on a cheap ten-ton design offsets the normal expense of this equipment while its low eight helps the armoured motive system not take too much important tonnage weight. Together with its XL engine and 15 hex move speed the Wahoo is frighteningly fast and can pull off manoeuvrers other subs could only dream to accomplish.
I added Reactive Armour as an afterthought and slight meme. Given the proliferation of torpedoes as the only real weapon under the water and the crafts thin armour, reactive armour has a practical advantage in damage mitigation. On the flip side it can also lead to the armour exploding on one facing and the sub sinking: which I find hilarious. Though the chance of it meeting artillery under the water is unlikely.
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 1
Engine 70 XL 1.5
Cruising MP: 10
Flank MP: 15
Heat Sinks: 10 0
Control Equipment: 0.5
Lift Equipment: 1.0
Power Amplifier: 0.0
Armor Factor (Reactive) 48 3
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 1 14
R/ L Side 1/1 10/10
Rear 1 14
Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage
- 2 ER Medium Lasers Front 2.0
- Armored Motive System Body 1.0
