Rotwang
01/31/11 03:05 PM
213.118.11.143
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Marauder MAD-5VTC
Mass: 75 tons Tech Base: Inner Sphere Chassis Config: Biped Rules Level: Tournament Legal Era: Clan Invasion Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-X-D Production Year: 3070 Cost: 6.228.250 C-Bills Battle Value: 1.526
Chassis: Unknown Standard Power Plant: Unknown 225 Fusion Engine Walking Speed: 32,4 km/h Maximum Speed: 54,0 km/h Jump Jets: Unknown Jump Capacity: 90 meters Armor: Unknown Standard Armor Armament: 2 PPCs 1 Autocannon/5 2 Medium Lasers Manufacturer: Unknown Primary Factory: Unknown Communications System: Unknown Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
Overview: The Valentin Trading Company was a Periphery successs story. After the fall of the Star League, Inner Sphere trading companies became less dominant in the Periphery, allowing local companies to grow and prosper. The Valentin Trading Company was a large conglommerate of various businesses, manufacturing and selling goods across the Periphery.
As it grew larger it became the target of pirates and raiders who would loot warehouses and factories. In order to protect their premises, VTC at first hired mercenaries, then built its own security force, which in time even included Battlemechs.
When VTC acquired an old SLDF factory leftover from the Amaris Civil War, they were able to produce minor equipment and spare parts, but as the Company grew and had more resources they attempted to put Battlemechs into production.
Capabilities: SLDF mobile factories were modular designs for use in extended campaigns, carried to their destination by dropships and intended to produce anything from spare parts to complete Battlemechs. Kerensky's forces had several dozens of these units when the Civil War broke out. Though their production was limited compared to standard factories, it was far more economical and effective than having to move replacements across vast distances, even for a realm as powerful as the Stat League. A few were abandoned after the war, others were taken by Kerensky's people in the Exodus.
VTC went through dozens of design options before settling on the Marauder. This was the SLDF version, which included advanced technology that was unknown outside the SLDF.
It took years to build a working prototype and changes were made to ensure it could be built with local materials and technology.
The Marauder VTC as it was known had to replace the fusion engine with a lighter model as the 300 VLAR could not be produced locally. The ligher 225 did free up a considerable tonnage which was used to install jump jets and extra heat sinks. These changes did come at a cost. The extra heat sinks changed the outline of the Marauder as did the Jump Jets. Though they were an attempt to make up for the loss of speed, they were highly unstable and could cause a pilot to crash, forcing engineers to add winglets and vanes that would improve maneuverability, although in practice they often made it much more difficult to pilot the mech in flight. Most pilots simply ignored their jets except in dire need.
Overall the Marauder VTC was comparable to its Inner Sphere counterpart, except that its technology was less reliable, though considered acceptable for security forces. For military use the VTC Marauder had high maintenance requirements and most teams would replace parts with salvaged equipment at the earliest occasion.
As a result the VTC Marauder had a poor reputation as a military mech. This was a moot point to VTC, who believed that the Marauder's size and reputation were enough to discourage attack.
Battle History: Only a handful of VTC Marauders were sold to the military and the odd mercenary command in need of a Mech. They performed poorly and would often break down if pushed too hard. Some were put into shape by their owners, but often at great expense.
Most were kept as fire support mechs and were only used as front line units by poorer units without access to better mechs.
Deployment: VTC built several dozen units to guard its own facilities across the Periperhy. About two dozen more were produced for sale to third parties. Only a handful were fixed to better standards, most ended up being used as stopgaps and were inevitably scrapped.
Wilson's Hussars is famous for deploying a pair of VTC Marauders at some point in their long and unfortunate history. Both machines were destroyed in combat and according to legend parts from both mechs were passed on from one mech to the other, leading to breakdowns and more destroyed mechs. It's only after the containers with the spare parts were lost that the unit's luck seemed to change.
Variants: Production of the VTC lasted until 2989, when the last unit rolled off the assembly line and the ancient mobile factory irreparably broke down.
VTC was able to keep most of its Marauders in working condition until the 3040's. The Clan Invasion did save the VTC Marauders from extinction as the Inner Sphere scrambled to upgrade its mechs, older, but perfectly serviceable spare parts became available and VTC rebuilt its complement with superior parts.
As new technology filtered to the Periphery, VTC attempted to rebuild the factory and was able to resume limited production in 3069. By 3084, an upgraded version of the Marauder featuring Ferro Fibrous armour and replacing the autocannon for an LB-X model was introduced.
Notable 'Mechs & MechWarriors: Two Marauder VTC's served with Wilson's Hussars, though nearly always breaking down they were for a brief period a much welcomed fire base around which the unit could rally. After they were destroyed in combat they were scrapped and their parts were used to repair old mechs. Shortly aftwards various pilots began to report mysterious breakdowns and things started to go further downhill for the Hussars, already down on their luck.
It wasn't until the spare part containers were lost (Some say dumped or stolen) that luck seemed to return to the Hussars.
================================================================================ Equipment Type Rating Mass -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internal Structure: Standard 114 points 7,50 Engine: Fusion Engine 225 10,00 Walking MP: 3 Running MP: 5 Jumping MP: 3 Standard Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT, 1 LT, 1 RT 3,00 Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 22 12,00 Heat Sink Locations: 1 HD, 1 CT, 5 LT, 1 LA, 1 RA, 2 LL, 2 RL Gyro: Standard 3,00 Cockpit: Standard 3,00 Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA Armor: Standard Armor AV - 184 11,50
Internal Armor Structure Factor Head 3 9 Center Torso 23 28 Center Torso (rear) 7 L/R Torso 16 24 L/R Torso (rear) 6 L/R Arm 12 17 L/R Leg 16 23
================================================================================ Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PPC RA 10 3 7,00 Medium Laser RA 3 1 1,00 PPC LA 10 3 7,00 Medium Laser LA 3 1 1,00 Autocannon/5 RT 1 4 8,00 @AC/5 (20) RT - 1 1,00 Free Critical Slots: 20
BattleForce Statistics MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 6 Points: 15 3j 3 3 3 0 3 1 Structure: 6 Special Abilities: SRCH, ES, SOA
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Karagin
01/31/11 04:44 PM
178.76.138.173
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So what is high tech about this one? Reminds me of the countless Marauder variants that have marched across the game boards since the rules came out on how to make your own mechs....
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
01/31/11 05:49 PM
173.152.151.132
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The fluff
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Cray
01/31/11 06:39 PM
173.168.112.109
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Interesting fluff. The armor is lighter than I would've selected for a 3/5 'Mech with tonnage to burn, but the extra heat sinks and the jump jets are cool.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
01/31/11 11:39 PM
178.76.138.173
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Fluff is not going to change how the mech preforms on the battlefield...
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
02/01/11 12:23 AM
173.152.173.255
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In table top game terms, yes. In terms of a campaign game story line, no.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Karagin
02/01/11 08:50 AM
178.76.138.173
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If that is how you play...
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Christopher_Perkins
02/01/11 10:45 AM
138.162.128.52
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it is unclear whither or not the fluff for the TR3025 marauder mentioning the advanced armor of the SLDF model was really functionally different (I say yes - others could say no), the Canon released a new "Royals" design that is intended to be the one referenced in the TR3025 fluff.
i see no advanced technology more advanced than the age of war on this design.
Quote:
This was the SLDF version, which included advanced technology that was unknown outside the SLDF.
It took years to build a working prototype and changes were made to ensure it could be built with local materials and technology.
ok, it appears that what you were trying to say is that while the factory originally had the specs for the SLDF Royals model, the Specs were downgraded to what the local area could manufacture?
that could fit what we see in the stats...
Christopher Robin Perkins
It is my opinion that all statements should be questioned, digested, disected, tasted, and then either spit out or adopted... RHIP is not a god given shield
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