the shape of things to come

“archaic” petrochemical-burning internal combustion engines. This
signifi cantly reduces their cost and puts them within the technical
manufacturing and maintenance capabilities of most worlds,
even in the Periphery. Even though these power plants cannot
meet the energy requirements of particle cannon and lasers by
themselves, power amplifi ers easily counter that restriction by
providing large capacitors to store and channel electrical energy,
thereby allowing ICE-powered vehicles to compete with their fusion-powered
counterparts. During the Succession Wars, military
vehicles predominately used internal combustion engines, but
the technological resurgence of the past two decades is bringing
more fusion-powered vehicles back to the battlefi eld. Moreover,
even with fusion power plants, combat vehicles are signifi cantly
less expensive than ’Mechs, and consequently they may be more
widely deployed.
Yes, in some ways combat vehicles are less resilient, but don’t
let that marketing propaganda fool you. The chinks in vehicular
armor are a consequence of their construction and nothing more.
In fact, many vehicles mount more armor than equivalent-weight
BattleMechs. If you don’t show them the same respect, you’ll wind
up in more trouble than an off -world tourist on his fi rst visit to the
Mindstar compound.
Finally, despite their structural weaknesses, vehicular chassis also
shed waste heat more effi ciently; the thermal output from ballistic
systems and missile launchers has a negligible eff ect on vehicles.
Energy weapons, however, still require the addition of heat sinks.
Armed with a sophisticated array of weaponry, combat vehicles
serve in the same roles as BattleMechs. In fact, newer units, like
StarCorps Industries’ Manteuff el attack tank, take advantage of
extra-light fusion engines and StarSlab III ferro-fi brous armor, and
are part of an emerging trend in vehicles that use modular Omni
technology. These new OmniVehicles mount equipment in modular
pods the same way Clan OmniMechs do, enabling them to be
quickly reconfi gured or repaired between battles, or even to ferry
armored troopers in the absence of internalized bays.
CREWS
At the heart of any crew is the vehicle commander. Usually a
lance corporal or equivalent, the commander is responsible for directing
the gunner (or gunners), navigating the vehicle, monitoring
the sensors, communications, and coordinating the eff orts of
her team. Take the commander out of the equation, and though
the whole team suff ers, the vehicle remains functional—unlike a
BattleMech, which falls down if the MechWarrior gets KO’ed. In
turreted units, commanders often ride above the hull, where they
can monitor the entire vehicle. In the absence of a turret, a commander
usually occupies a more central station.
Many vehicles also have a dedicated driver who—in addition
to steering and controlling the unit’s speed—makes many of the
split-second tactical decisions. While this is the least glamorous
of the crew positions, a good driver can mean the diff erence between
an eff ective battlefi eld unit and a charred metal coffi n.
Gunners, a mainstay of combat vehicles, control the targeting
and tracking systems, monitor ammunition, and of course fi re the
weapons. An eff ective gunnery team can track multiple targets
with precision and coordinate their attacks for the utmost eff ect.
Turrets give gunners the fl exibility to track their more maneuverable
opponents, and to mass fi re in any direction. Get behind a
Dragon, and its fi repower is reduced to a single Victory 23R laser,
or a diffi cult (and often inaccurate) twisting shot with its autocan-
non. Behind a Manticore, the turret can still swing around quickly
enough to deliver eighty-six percent of its fi repower with no loss
in accuracy—especially given that those weapons are manned
by troops who have nothing to worry about beyond shooting at
a BattleMech whose warrior must not only fi re back, but move
around and keep a multi-ton war machine upright in a war zone.
BATTLEFIELD ROLES
Far from archaic, combat vehicles are inexpensive, eff ective
units that perform vital combat roles. Now that we’ve debunked
the myths, we’ll take a brief look at some of the operational duties
a combat vehicle may undertake. Throughout this briefi ng,
we will deal exclusively with Inner Sphere and Periphery combat
vehicles. Thankfully, the ravages of the Clan invasion have
not reached rimward of Terra—but, as they say, anything is possible.
You are unlikely to encounter Clan units in combat, but you
should be familiar with them. Unit Twenty-three will focus on the
Clans in detail.
Reconnaissance/Spotters
MAF BattleMech commands often make use of the RVN-3L Raven
(supplied by our Capellan neighbors) for scouting missions. The
Raven’s sophisticated array of sensors make it ideal for ferreting out
OpFor, but though its maximum speed of 97 kph may be eff ective
in covering small areas, when it’s necessary to reconnoiter a large
operational theater, VTOLs are far more effi cient. The Ferret light
scout—with its maximum speed of 248.4 kph—allows it to cover terrain
much faster than the Raven.
On the ground, Inner Sphere vehicle commands often include
mobile headquarters in a similar role. These exceptional vehicles
provide sophisticated communications and tracking systems
capable of monitoring and coordinating several operational theaters,
and when deployed in conjunction with Centipede scout
cars and Sprint scout helicopters, these groups can gather valuable
intelligence faster than the casinos in Crimson gather money.
These advanced resources aren’t generally available in the MAF,
but our combination of Ferrets, Ravens and Pack Rat long-range
patrol vehicles handles the same tasks admirably. An astute commander
leverages all the resources available to her.
In addition to their reconnaissance profi les, combat vehicles are
often employed as spotters, both for indirect fi re and long-range
artillery barrages. The high speed and maneuverability of VTOLs
again makes them ideal for this task. Units like the Lockheed/CBM
Warrior H-7 attack helicopter can also act as skirmishers. On the
ground, hovercraft like the J. Edgar light hover tank also excel
as spotters, and—like the Warrior—can double as an eff ective
skirmisher.
Main Battle Tanks
Combat vehicles aren’t just well suited to scouting and spotting.
When it comes to front-line combat, many tanks eclipse all but the
most powerful BattleMechs. Among the more terrifying vehicles
you might encounter is Kallon Industries’ Challenger X MBT—a
favorite of mercs and FedSuns forces. An impressive combination
of weaponry makes this ninety-ton monster potent at all ranges
from 30 to 660 meters. For long-range combat, the Challenger includes
a Federated 10-Shot LRM launcher, an Imperator Code Red
LB 10-X autocannon, and a Poland Main Model A gauss rifl e—the
same weapon found on Caesar and Gunslinger ’Mechs. The Poland
has an excellent track record, well deserving its reputation as a reli-