Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment

Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE)
Production information
Type	Equipment (Physical Enhancement)
Tech Base	Clan IS
Year Availability	Clan = 2825 IS = 3036
Year Introduced	Clan = 2825 CCY IS = 2452 TH
Year Extinction	IS = 2840
Year Reintroduced	IS = 3036 DC
Technology Rating	D
Availability Ratings	C/F/D
Technical specifications
Heat	0
Tons	Clan = 0 IS = 0.5
Critical Slots	Clan = 0 IS = 1
Cost (unloaded)	50,000
BV (1.0)	C
BV (2.0)	C

Description

CASE, short for Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment, was pioneered by the Terran Hegemony in the mid-25th Century in order to prevent the complete destruction of units due to the hazards of carrying volatile or explosive equipment, usually ammunition. CASE prototypes first appeared in 2452, but were refined to prevent system failures by the time it reached its full standard production version in 2476. If CASE is installed in a unit, the location with CASE mounts its armor with failure-prone fastenings, combined with armored containers for the explosive components. If an explosive component in a CASE-protected location detonates, the location's internal structure takes damage normally from the explosion, along with the (rear, if a 'Mech torso) armor as the fastenings fail and the armor is blown off in the blast. However, any further damage from the blast is directed out of the unit and away from the unit's other locations and critical components. While CASE is invaluable for preventing excessive internal damage, it does not stop ammunition explosions, and the unit will likely be crippled or nonfunctional, albeit repairable, as a result of venting the explosion. In addition, CASE may prevent excess injury or fatalities among pilots and/or crew.

Early CASE prototypes (CASE-P) had a small chance of failure due to a variety of early flaws. About 33% of internal explosions were not properly vented as designed, instead allowing the damage to destroy the unit from the inside as if the unit were not protected by CASE at all.

Protecting a location with Inner Sphere CASE adds one-half ton and takes 1 critical of space, while Clan CASE does not require any additional tonnage nor does it take any addition space, because it is integrated into the armor. Both the Inner Sphere and Clan CASE cost 50,000 C-bills. CASE mounted on an Inner Sphere 'Mech can only be placed in a torso location, and only protects that torso section; Clan 'Mechs may mount CASE in any location. Any other unit type will mount CASE in a single location, the body, which protects the entire vehicle for complete destruction.

Rules

CASE overall protects the Mech, however it does not contain, or otherwise negate the damage of an explosion in the same way CASE II is capable of. When an ammo load is detonated, apply all damage of the loaded ammo to the area affected. If the location containing the ammo isn't protected by CASE, and the damage exceeds the Internal Structure value of the location where the detonation takes place, the remaining explosion damage will transfer towards the torso of the mech whilst destroying the affected location. So, for example, an explosion in the left arm will transfer to the left torso of the 'Mech assuming that the remaining ammo there would deal damage in excess of the remaining internal structure value of that arm. If that location isn't protected by CASE and damage destroys the left torso in the transfer from the arm, then the remaining damage will transfer to the center torso, until the 'Mech is destroyed, or the damage is dissipated.

A unit with CASE mounted can reduce the damage taken from an ammunition explosion. Any time an ammo explosion enters a location with CASE, the damage will be applied as normal, but the excess damage, if applicable will not transfer to the next location. If using the example above, an ammo explosion occurs in the left arm, destroying it. The damage will spread to the left torso, but this time the left torso mounts CASE. Regardless of how much excess damage remains after destroying the left torso, the damage cannot transfer to the center torso as the CASE vents the explosion, saving the 'Mech from total destruction.

Unfortunately, Inner Sphere CASE can't be mounted in the arm or leg of a 'Mech. Clan CASE is automatically mounted on all units however, and is included, even in ammo bins in the arm or leg of a 'Mech.

Inner Sphere CASE weighs half a ton and takes up one critical slot. Clan CASE is presumed to be mounted in all Clan 'Mechs unless otherwise noted, with no weight or critical space required.

Combat vehicles are notably different, when mounting CASE. Instead of location based damage in the event of an explosion, based on where the ammo is mounted, unlike a 'Mech when a combat vehicle suffers an ammo explosion all the ammo goes off in the vehicle at once. This explosion is nearly guaranteed to destroy the unit as it applies damage to their respective internal structure location where the critical causing damage was taken. If a combat vehicle mounts CASE however, all the damage caused by the explosion is vented out the back of the unit, simultaneously destroying the rear armor, but will not damage internal structure. This will stun the crew however, akin to how a 'Mech pilot would take damage due to the explosion feedback.

Bibliography

• Tech Manual
• Technical Readout: 2750
• Technical Readout: 3050
• Total Warfare
• Historical: Reunification War
• Interstellar Operations