Scorpion (Combat Vehicle)

ScorpionLightTank.jpg
Scorpion Light Tank
Production information
Manufacturer Quikscell Company

Joint Equipment Systems

Benson and Bjorn

Hellespont Industries

Production Year 2807[1]
Mission Light Tank
Type Tracked
Cost 327,083 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 25
Armor ProtecTech Light
Engine SitiCide 100 ICE
Speed 64 km/h
Crew 2
Communications System Basix 200
Targeting Tracking System OptiSight 12
Heat Sinks None
Armament
BV (1.0) ???
BV (2.0) 306[2][3]


Description[edit]

Initially produced by the Quikscell Company in 2807, the Scorpion tank is well known for being easy to repair, available in numbers, and, best of all, cheap. Because of these properties, it has achieved the nickname of "The Budget Tank." Found on many backwater and Periphery worlds, the Scorpion is a proven favorite due to its low cost. As with many Quikscell products, quality control is practically nonexistent. Many new Scorpions arrive with damaged or missing components.

Only marginally effective for a light tank, the Scorpion has proven effective in mass numbers. Swarms of Scorpions, easily procured due to their low cost, are an often-encountered danger on poorer worlds. The famed Scorpion's Nest training scenario was given its name because of this property.

Besides its use as a light tank, the Scorpion is often pressed into service as a scout. The vehicle is produced on many planets within the Inner Sphere.[2]

Thanks to its carriage concept the design does have a quirk of being able to right itself, if it is flipped over (for example by artillery fire or inept piloting).[citation needed]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

The Deleon 5 Autocannon and 20mm Gatling Gun are both time tested, if not stellar examples of their type.[2]

Variants[edit]

  • LRM 
    The 2813 Scorpion LRM replaces the Deleon autocannon with an LRM-10 and LRM-5. The Gatling is sometimes sacrificed for an additional ton of armor. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 425[4]
  • SRM 
    Similar to the LRM variant, the 2840 version of the Scorpion instead uses two SRM-6 racks with 3 tons of ammunition. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 373[5]
  • ML 
    Usually used as a scout or courier, the 2875 laser armed Scorpion mounts two medium lasers instead of an autocannon, along with the required heat sinks and power amplifiers to fire them safely. Enough space has been freed up to carry slightly over a ton of cargo. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 320[4]
  • MRM 
    A 3060 model; Scorpions have been spotted that have replaced the autocannon with an MRM-20 missile rack and two tons of ammo. BV (1.0) = 239[6] BV (2.0) = 393[7]
  • LAC 
    The 3072 variant replaced the AC/5 models for two Light AC/2s with 45 shots, but retains the MG.[8] BV (2.0) = 289[9]
  • Minesweeper (Prototype) 
    By removing the turret, CCAF engineers freed enough weight and space to add a Minesweeper to the front of the tank. Intended to clean up battlefields littered with landmines, the Scorpion Minesweeper keeps the forward firing Machine Gun and adds a pair of LRM-5 missile launchers. These launchers are fed by a three-ton bay. Typically a single ton of LRM ammunition is carried while the remaining two tons are filled with Mine Clearance Missiles. To provide extra protection for the crew, engineers added a ton of Modular Armor to the front of the Scorpion. BV (2.0) = 350[10]
  • Minesweeper (Production) 
    This 3087 version of the Scorpion, produced by Aldis Industries, made several modifications to the prototype. The biggest modification is the replacement of the ICE engine with a fuel cell. The next largest change is the armor protection, which is provided by six tons of Hardened Armor. This has been shown to provide much more protection than the original armor. Like the prototype, the production Scorpion Minesweeper carries a pair of LRM-5 launchers fed from a three ton bay and a Machine Gun with a half ton of ammo. BV (2.0) = 452[11]
  • Desert Scorpion 
    A variant produced for the Stotzing militia, which is essentially a complete rebuild of the design. The local refit yard stripped out the engine of the standard Scorpion and replaced it with a 125-rated fusion engine. This increased the ground speed to a maximum of 84 km/h. The weaponry was also modified, with the autocannon being replaced by a large laser. An extra machine gun was added to the turret. For protection, the Desert Scorpion carries seven tons of armor and CASE around the machine gun ammo. BV (2.0) = 554[12]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Minesweeper (Production) variant is subject of the following Design Quirks:[11]

Notes[edit]

  • In German products, the unit's proper name was altered to Scorpio.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ MUL online date for the Scorpion (Combat Vehicle)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Technical Readout: 3039, p. 35
  3. ↑ Record Sheets: 3039, p. 17
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Record Sheets: 3039, p. 18
  5. ↑ Record Sheets: 3039, p. 19
  6. ↑ Record Sheets: Upgrades, p.8
  7. ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 33
  8. ↑ Technical Readout: 3085, p. 190, "Old is the New New" - Scorpion Light Tank
  9. ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New, p. 28
  10. ↑ Experimental Technical Readout: Liao, p. 8
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Technical Readout: Prototypes, p. 33
  12. ↑ Touring the Stars: Stotzing, p. 11

Bibliography[edit]

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