the shape of things to come

VTOL: VTOLs are one of the lightest Support Vehicle motive
types, with a maximum weight of 60 tons. Slower than fi xedwing
aircraft but faster than most ground vehicles, these units
are often employed by police and emergency crews as search
and rescue units, or by commercial agencies for traffi c observation,
news coverage and routine short-range transport of
goods or VIPs.
Wheeled: Wheeled vehicles are perhaps the most common
Support Vehicle, as they encompass all manner of commercial,
industrial and private-use transports. Ranging from motorcycles,
economy cars and minivans to tractor-trailer rigs and
even heavy road-service vehicles, these units can weigh as
much as 160 tons.
WiGE: Wing-in-Ground-Eff ect (WiGE) Support Vehicles may
weigh as much as 240 tons and are essentially a hybrid of a
hovercraft and an aircraft. These rare ground vehicles are fast,
and favored for long-distance transport operations, but require
a burst of speed to attain their low-level fl ight capabilities.
Chassis Modifi cations
Some Support Vehicle motive types (such as naval vehicles)
may also receive chassis modifi cations that can aff ect their
mobility in certain terrains or even infl uence their maximum
weight limit.
TECHNOLOGY BASE
In Total Warfare standard play, Support Vehicles broadly
fall into one of two available technology bases: Inner Sphere
or Clan. Inner Sphere vehicles may only use Inner Sphere
equipment, while Clan vehicles may only use Clan equipment.
However, a much wider range of standards exists for Support
Vehicles than for most battlefi eld units. This range is expressed
as the unit’s Technology Rating, described below.
The distinction between Clan and Inner Sphere technology
bases remains applicable even under the Technology Rating
system used by Support Vehicles. Also, all of the following core
Support Vehicle structural components are incompatible with
those of Combat Vehicles: chassis (internal structure/Structural
Integrity), engines, control systems and armor.
Technology Rating
In the Weapons and Equipment Tables used for creating
Combat Vehicles and other units in this book, each item has
a Technology Rating listed in addition to a tech base. This rating
(expressed as a series of letter grades that defi ne the level
of technology and its availability through the major eras of
Classic BattleTech history) helps to determine the item’s level
of sophistication, and may even be used to help standardize
the level of advancement the unit demonstrates for purposes
of era-based campaigning.
While the Tech Rating does not generally aff ect the construction
of most other units, in Support Vehicle design, this
factor heavily infl uences the weight, effi ciency and costs of the
various components a Support Vehicle may employ. Support
Vehicles are constructed using two Tech Ratings: Structural
Tech Rating and Overall Tech Rating.
The Tech Rating of a Support Vehicle also infl uences its cost
and helps determine its availability for era-based games. For
more information on this, consult the Costs and Availability
section (p. 274).
Structural Tech Rating: This Tech Rating is used for a Support
Vehicle’s base chassis, and fi xes the vehicle’s access to
certain components and modifi cations. Based on the chassis
modifi cations desired, a Support Vehicle designer may fi nd it
necessary to increase the Structural Tech Rating for a given
motive type beyond its listed value.
Overall Tech Rating: This rating comes into play at the end
of construction, after the designer has found the Tech Ratings
required for the vehicle’s engines and other components. The
highest-rated item on a Support Vehicle defi nes its fi nal Overall
Tech Rating. For instance, if a Support Vehicle is constructed
using chassis components and engines with a Technology
Rating of C, but then mounts a Technology E item (such as a
Guardian ECM Suite), the Support Vehicle will receive an Overall
Tech Rating of E.
Support OmniVehicles
Support OmniVehicles—Support Vehicles built using the
Omni chassis modification and designed for rapid reconfi
guration between missions—are available to Clan and Inner
Sphere technology bases. These Support Vehicles use the same
construction rules as standard Support Vehicles, but when an
Omni is made, the designer must fi rst establish its base confi
guration. The base confi guration of a Support OmniVehicle
includes its chassis, engine, control systems, armor and—if
desired—any additional equipment considered “hardwired”
to its design.
The weight, item slots and arrangement for all of this “fi xed”
equipment is locked in for all confi gurations of that Support
OmniVehicle, leaving any leftover tonnage and critical space
open for pods that can mix and match additional weapons
and equipment based on mission needs. A base Support
OmniVehicle confi guration is never considered a fi nished unit,
and is generally not legal for Total Warfare standard rules play
(as such units are essentially open frames of empty pods). Only
the completed Primary and Alternate confi gurations of a Support
OmniVehicle (which must always comply with the rules
for constructing standard Combat Vehicles) are considered
legal for game play.
WEIGHT (AND SIZE)
Because they represent a far broader category of unit type
than Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles are classifi ed by size
as well as weight.
Small Support Vehicles: Small Support Vehicles are classifi
ed as all Support Vehicles built below 5 tons (5,000 kilograms)
in total weight. Support Vehicles built at this size use the kilogram
standard for their construction.
Medium and Large Support Vehicles: Medium and Large
Support Vehicles use the tonnage standard for their construction,
and start at 5 tons. Based on the motive type chosen,
these vehicles may run the gamut from 5 to 300 tons (increasing
in half-ton increments).
INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
BASICS
BATTLEMECH
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIALMECH
CONSTRUCTION
PROTOMECH
CONSTRUCTION
COMBAT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
SUPPORT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
CONV. INFANTRY
CONSTRUCTION
BATTLE ARMOR
CONSTRUCTION
AEROSPACE UNIT
CONSTRUCTION
WEAPONS AND
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INFANTRY WEAPONS
AND EQUIPMENT
COSTS AND
AVAILABILITY
BATTLE VALUE
INDEX
RECORD SHEETS
117