the shape of things to come

Nathaniel wants his Yellow Jacket
to be fast, but is also thinking about
packing some heavy fi repower on it, so
he decides on a modest VTOL Cruising
speed of 6 MP. This gives the Jacket a
Flank speed of 9 MP (6 Cruising MP x 1.5 = 9 Flank MP). It
also yields an Engine Rating of 40 ([30 tons x 6 Cruising
MP] – 140 Suspension Factor [for a 30-ton VTOL] = 40 Final
Engine Rating). To keep production costs low, Nathaniel
opts for an internal combustion engine. On the Master
Engine Table (p. 49), he fi nds that a 40-rated ICE weighs
only 2 tons, leaving the Yellow Jacket with 25 unspent tons
remaining (27 tons – 2 tons = 25 tons).
Because he opted to use a standard IC engine rather
than a Light or XL Fusion plant, Nathaniel’s VTOL loses no
item slots to engine installation.
Patrick plans to devote more of his
Zhukov’s weight to armor and weapons,
and because he wants to make this vehicle
a defensive battle tank, he decides
on a Cruising MP of 3. This requires an Engine Rating of
225 ([75 tons x 3 Cruising MP] – 0 Suspension Factor [for
tracked vehicles of any size] = 225 Final Engine Rating).
Like Nathaniel, Pat plans to keep the costs low on this
design, and so he also opts for an ICE over a Fusion engine.
The Master Engine Table shows that a 225-Rated ICE will
take up a hefty 20 tons. (By way of comparison, an identically
rated standard Fusion engine would weigh 15 tons,
with its added shielding, but would drive up the Zhukov’s
C-bill cost dramatically.)
Sticking with his choice, Pat computes that his Zhukov still
has 47.5 unspent tons left (67.5 tons – 20 tons = 47.5 tons), and
has a Flank MP rate of 5 (3 Cruising MP x 1.5 = 4.5 Flank MP,
rounded up to 5). Like Nathaniel’s VTOL, Patrick’s tracked
vehicle loses no item slots because it uses a standard IC engine,
rather than a Light or XL Fusion plant.
For his Neptune submarine, Rick feels
a Cruising MP of 3 is fi ne for underwater
movement. Like Nathaniel and Patrick,
he also opts for a cheaper ICE to do the
job, and computes an Engine Rating of 270 for the vessel
([100 tons x 3 Cruising MP] – 30 Suspension Factor for
submarines of any weight = 270 Final Engine Rating). The
weight of a 270-rated ICE comes to 29 tons, leaving 61 tons
unspent so far (90 tons – 29 tons = 61 tons). The Neptune’s
engine will provide a Flank MP rate of 5 (3 Cruising MP x
1.5 = 4.5, rounded up to 5 MP), so long as the boat stays
in the water. The use of the IC engine does not reduce the
Neptune’s maximum number of items.
ADD LIFT/DIVE EQUIPMENT OR ROTORS
Some Combat Vehicles require special equipment to enable
their motive systems to function properly. VTOL Combat Vehicles
require rotors, while hovercraft, hydrofoils and wing-in-ground
eff ect (WiGE) vehicles use lift equipment and submarines use dive
equipment. Regardless of the name, all of these systems cost 10
percent of the Combat Vehicle’s weight (rounded up to the nearest
half-ton).
Tech Base: Rotors and lift/dive equipment are standardized,
and equally available to vehicles of Clan or Inner Sphere tech
bases.
Space: Combat Vehicle rotors or lift/dive equipment do not
aff ect the amount of item space available.
OmniVehicles: As rotors and lift/dive equipment are required
for hovercraft, hydrofoils, submarines, VTOLs and WiGEs, their
weight—where applicable to the OmniVehicle’s motive type—
may not change between an OmniVehicle’s base, primary or
alternate confi gurations.
Michael’s Hephaestus is a hovercraft,
which requires lift equipment to remain
aloft during movement. The weight of
this equipment is 3 tons (10 percent of 30
tons = 0.1 x 30 tons = 3 tons), leaving the
vehicle with 17.5 unspent tons remaining (20.5 tons – 3
tons = 17.5 tons).
Nathaniel’s Yellow Jacket VTOL needs
to invest 10 percent of its weight into its
rotor equipment. This will leave the craft
with 22 unspent tons (25 tons – 3 tons =
22 tons).
Patrick’s Zhukov, as a tracked Combat
Vehicle, has no need for lift or dive equipment
and rotors. It thus still has 47.5 tons
remaining.
At 100 tons, the dive equipment for
Rick’s Neptune comes to 10 tons (10 percent
of 100 tons = 10 tons). The vessel still
has 51 tons of unspent weight (61 tons
– 10 ton = 51 tons).
Patton Tank, First Canopian Cuirassiers (Magistracy of Canopus)
MD