(Quick note: The original article intended for this week proved to be a bit tougher than expected, and wasn't ready in time. Apologies- hopefully this will suffice in its place. I've had a few requests for the Zugvogel, and we WILL cover it as soon as I can get things finished for it, hopefully next week!)
Airpower is a pain in the ass, isn't it? A squadron of aerospace fighters can make even the best plan of action come apart, and leave the field covered in ruined Mechs. Obviously the best way to deal with that problem is your own aerospace forces, but what if you don't have any handy? You may have lost control of the skies to the enemy, or no air support is available at the moment- weather might be keeping your flyboys from helping, or enemy AA. So sometimes you have to find a way to tell enemy birds where to stuff it. Such was the problem facing the SLDF (the first one) in the years leading up to that military's harshest test. A contractor already hard at work on static defense systems was asked to put their ideas on a mobile chassis, and... the Pollux was born.
Based on SDS turrets and compacted down to fit on a tank frame, the Pollux caused a bit of a stir when it released. The idea was to provide defense for worlds that felt a tad vulnerable- after all, many core worlds were defended by the SDS alone, with little to defend them if that system failed- an unthinkable problem, of course, but still- what if? The Pollux was the 'plan B' idea for these worlds' garrisons. But it turned out that few were making it where they were needed to go, and instead many Pollux units were being instead squirreled away by the massive SLDF instead. This was reversed when brought to light eventually, but the incident caused friction between planetary governments and the military for some time.
And it's not hard to see why such a tug-of-war existed, because if you're going to defend against enemy planes, you've found your crown jewel.
We start as always by opening the hood. A 225 fusion engine isn't going to move the Pollux anywhere quickly, a stately 3/5 movement curve that doesn't really inspire one to speechlessness for sure. It's enough to pace an assault unit, but more importantly as an air defense unit it allows the Pollux to move between sites it needs to guard with the bare minimum of speed to do so (well, bare realistic minimum, we DID have the Mars last week to prove that 'bare minimum' can mean worse than this). It doesn't need to be overly quick to do its job- the fusion engine is a bit surprising, but useful for sure. One can't help but wonder how many old Pollux tanks had their engines ripped out for Mech use as society collapsed, and remain abandoned in scrapyards across the Inner Sphere.
As with the engine, we see only a modest coating of armor- enough to do the job, not enough to make anyone mistake the Pollux for a real MBT. A mere six tons of armor coat the beast- granted, it's ferro-fibrous, but still, that's pretty anemic coverage for a tank half this size. If that armor is being tested, you're in trouble. The AC-20 test reveals a tank that can withstand the hit in most locations once, but can't take anything else there before going internal- 24 points cover the front, sides, and turret, while a mere (and alarming) 11 points cover the rear. Defend your Pollux, because if it has to take a few hits you're not getting it back after the battle.
The original SDS gun mount consisted of two powerful weapons to make flying foes miserable. The combo was retained on the Pollux, starting with a Sniper artillery piece. This massive weapon is supplied with 30 rounds, but most of the time it was all flak rounds carried. This provides a good ranged attack with a wide area of effect, and is just as handy at pummeling ground troops (with standard ammo) as it is at swatting planes from the skies. In closer, the Pollux can switch to that king of AA guns, the LB-10X. Also supplied with 30 rounds (almost always cluster shots), this gun needs no introduction to fans of this column- it is the premiere way to tell an enemy aircraft or vehicle 'I hate you'. Combining the two is sicka nd wrong, and you should feel bad for enemy pilots who encounter a Pollux- let alone a battery of them! A medium laser in the turret provides a little extra muscle, while a small pulse laser is mounted forward in the event infantry rear their ugly heads.
Using a Pollux is simple- and much like last week's Mars. Find a position that you don't really plan to move from for the duration of the battle, and every time enemy aircraft (or ground troops too!) make an appearance, make them regret ever challenging your army. NEVER deploy a Pollux alone- always have untis to help defend this crown jewel of your force. The author suggests a muscular short-range brawler like a Demolisher or Hunchback to keep the enemy honest, and infantry are pretty helpful as well. Park the Pollux near where the enemy needs to go- if they want control of a refinery, park the Pollux and dare enemy planes to support the ground assault... then make them bleed if they're brave enough to do it.
The Pollux is likely extinct fairly soon after the Succession Wars get under way- but any that have somehow survived to the modern era are fragile, slow, and incredibly useful to whomever might have one. Get to it- see what you think and respond here with your thoughts.