Askhati
12/14/11 11:03 AM
196.215.113.87
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Designed in response to customer demand from the Davion-Liao border, the Vantage presents a nasty surprise to any raider attempting a strike against supposedly lightly-armed civilian settlements. Built by the same company that built the Van PoliceMech, Croup Security Solutions, the Vantage has been sold exclusively to existing users of the Van - and with good reason:
The Vantage, seen from the outside, looks exactly like the Van.
The difference ends here, however. Where the Van is an industrial-class 'Mech design, the Vantage is a fully combat-worthy BattleMech, with a 180-series fusion engine, endosteel internal structure and military armour to replace the 120-series IC engine and industrial armour of the Van. Armed with the same trademark hatchet in the right hand and the trio of machineguns carried by the Van - two in the left hand, one in the center torso - the Vantage also sports the same distinctive missile racks on its shoulders - but with a difference. Where the Van carries two single-shot launchers, each unleashing ten unguided rockets, the Vantage has its left shoulder launcher replaced with three SRM-2 launchers, built into the existing launcher box in such a way that the difference cannot be seen from a visual inspection of the 'Mech. The right shoulder likewise maintains an impression of mounting an RL-10 launcher - but instead is now filled with a ton of communication equipment, as well as a remote sensor dispenser firing from the rear-mounted exhaust port of the launcher box. Ammo for these new additions are carried in the respective side torsos, with a ton of SRM ammo added to the left torso's existing MG ammo bin, and with half a ton of sensors - 30 units - carried in the right torso.
The rationale behind the Vantage was a simple one of deception. To the human eye, there is no difference between the Van and the more capable Vantage. Where raiders and bandits might scoff at the combat powers of an IndustrialMech like the Van, the capabilities of the Vantage are completely different - and come as a nasty surprise to any raider expecting to encounter little resistance from remote settlements. Because of the shared hull structure, existing armour molds from the Van can be used for producing armour for the Vantage, which simplifies field repairs extensively. The added communication equipment in the Vantage also allows it to act as a mobile command vehicle for garrison forces, and the sensor dispenser allows it to rapidly lay its own sensor network once existing grids - satellites or pylons - are disabled by attackers. The dispenser has also intentionally been rear-mounted, to disguise the mechanism's operation from any hostile forces that might be observing the 'Mech's operations in the field.
Finally, because both designs share the same weight class and build, a MechWarrior trained on the Van can easily be transferred to command a Vantage, without a significant loss in combat or piloting efficiency. While the Vantage lacks the speed of most Inner Sphere designs of the same weight class, its array of machineguns gives it a potent kick against any infantry squads, while its hatchet can likewise deliver crushing blows to any target that ventures within reach. The six SRM tubes in its left torso allows it to reach out to several hundred meters and still deliver a meaningful blow - something the original Van is woefully incapable of. Its armour loading - 6.5 tons of standard military armour - is one of its most distinguishing aspects and allows it to shrug off strikes that would have dismembered most other designs of a similar weight.
The Vantage entered the market shortly before the arrival of the Clans, and has seen use on almost every world that possesses a garrison of Van IndustrialMechs. By dint of its design, there are numerous stories of how unsuspecting strike forces were ambushed by Vantage units that had pretended to be Van units - as well as stories of colonies that had survived unscathed because their sole defensive Van was assumed to be a Vantage in disguise! With the scaling down of forces that followed the formation of the Republic of the Sphere, the Vantage remained in general use on most worlds that could afford its slightly higher maintenance bill compared to the Van, and has seen extensive combat use since the start of the HPG blackout. It has proved to be a particularly potent urban fighter, using its hatchet and stacked SRM tubes to blast anything that comes within range, while using its armour load to make up for its lack of maneuverability.
Apart from the main VN-1T variant, there was only one other main variant. The VN-1S replaced the three machineguns and half ton of ammo with four small lasers, using the same mountings as the original guns - two in the left hand, and two in the center torso (using a shared dual-focus lens that filled the single machinegun barrel mount). While this gives it far more punch against armoured units - at the expense of anti-personnel capabilities - it does however make the VN-1S far easier to identify as a Vantage derivative: the Van, as an ICE-driven IndustrialMech, cannot mount lasers without the additional installation of costly - and heavy - power amplifiers, a field mod which has rarely occurred.
Code:
Vantage VN-1T
Mass: 30 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-E
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 2,044,640 C-Bills
Battle Value: 599
Chassis: Unknown Endo-Steel
Power Plant: Unknown 180 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97.2 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
3 SRM-2s
1 Hatchet
3 Machine Guns
1 Communications Equipment (1.0 tons) (1.0 tons)
1 Remote Sensor Dispenser
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
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Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Endo-Steel 51 points 1.50
Internal Locations: 7 LT, 7 RT
Engine: Fusion Engine 180 7.00
Walking MP: 6
Running MP: 9
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 2 LL, 1 RL
Gyro: Standard 2.00
Cockpit: Standard 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 104 6.50
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 10 15
Center Torso (rear) 4
L/R Torso 7 11
L/R Torso (rear) 3
L/R Arm 5 10
L/R Leg 7 14
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine Gun CT 0 1 0.50
Communications Equipment (1.0 tons) (1.0 tons) RT 0 1 1.00
(R) Remote Sensor Dispenser RT 0 1 0.50
3 SRM-2s LT 6 3 3.00
Hatchet RA - 2 2.00
2 Machine Guns LA 0 2 1.00
@Remote Sensors (1/2) (30) RT - 1 0.50
@SRM-2 (50) LT - 1 1.00
@MG (1/2) (100) LT - 1 0.50
Free Critical Slots: 17
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 3 Points: 6
6 2 1 0 0 1 0 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: MEL, SRCH, ES, SOA
Evolve or DIE!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
12/14/11 07:31 PM
174.148.94.99
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I doubt that any raiders would be much worried about this mech.
Maybe a locus pilot might be worried about this but that's about it.
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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KitK
12/15/11 10:05 AM
70.64.129.30
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One thing this is doing that I like is its scouting capability. I was recently thinking that the remote sensor dispenser, as a piece or retro equipment, technology wise, really should be mounted on most so-called scout mechs from the late succession wars era. And it certainly makes sense on a mech like this that won't get into the mainstream military where active probes would be used instead.
KK
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Askhati
12/15/11 10:40 AM
196.215.113.87
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Just had a look at the costs:
- Beagle Active Probe = 200k for 1.5t
- Remote sensor dispenser = 30k for 0.5t
- 1 ton (60 units) of remote sensors = 210k for 1t
So a dispenser with half a ton of ammo will cost you 135k, weigh half a ton less than the AP, and be able to cover a much wider radius simultaneously.
Hmm. Interesting.
Evolve or DIE!
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