User:Doneve/Support Vehicle Construction Steps

This! Is a step by step introduction, to design various Support Vehicle models and variants.

Step 1: Design the Chassis

Choose Motive Type

Simca

[Simon] - wants to design a fast and small ambulance for city use. He decides on a wheeled design, which he names the Simca. In preparation for the design process, he gets a copy of a Ground Vehicle Record Sheet ready.

RTC-215M Swiftran

[Todd] - is designing an airborne Support Vehicle ideal for medivac missions close to a battle zone, and chooses a VTOL motive type for his design. He names his unit the RTC-215M Swiftran, and prepares a VTOL Record Sheet to aid in his design.

Hesiod

[Aaron] - has a more industrial concept in mind for his Support Vehicle. Though he considers a tracked design, he sees his unit, the Hesiod, as more of an all-purpose utility vehicle, and decides on a wheeled design like Simon's. Aaron notes from the Support Vehicle Record Sheet Table that he will use a Ground Vehicle Record Sheet for his design.

Jetta Coruna 4X

[Brian] - thinks his Support Vehicle will be something for the typical Inner Sphere jet-setter: a fixed-wing luxury aircraft that he has already named the Jetta Coruna 4X. He prepares a Conventional Fighter Record Sheet for the work of designing it.

Dixon

[Christine] - has chosen to create a paramilitary Airship, used to patrol the skies over busy cityscapes, looking for trouble and coordinating with ground-based units. Naming this craft the Dixon, she prepares an Airship Vehicle Record Sheet to plan out her design.

Choose Technology Base

Simca, Swiftran, Hesiod, Jetta Coruna and Dixon

For various reasons, all five of our designers opt to use an Inner Sphere Technology Base for their Support Vehicles. Aaron, however, has decided to construct his Hesiod as a Support OmniVehicle, hoping to maximize its flexibility.

Choose Weight

Simca

[Simon] - plans to make his Simca small and fast. Because it is a wheeled Support Vehicle, the Simca has a maximum weight limit of 160 tons in the Large size, but Simon wants something in the Small category, placing the vehicle under 5 tons. Simon decides he can make his Simca work at just 2.5 tons (2,500 kilograms). At this weight, he calculates that his Support Vehicle will have 5 item slots for equipment space (5 base slots + [2.5 tons ÷ 10] = 5.25 slots, rounded down to 5 slots). Simon also notes from the Master Support Vehicle Weights Table that the Simca will have a Base Chassis Value of 0.12 and a Base Engine Value of 0.0025.

Swiftran

[Todd] - As a VTOL, Todd's Swiftran cannot exceed a 60-ton maximum weight (at the Large size) for its motive type. Deciding that bigger doesn't equal better, he chooses a Medium-size design and places his VTOL at 25 tons in total weight. At this weight, the Swiftran will have 7 item slots to work with (5 base slots + [25 tons ÷ 10] = 7.5 slots, rounded down to 7). Todd also jots down his Swiftran’s Base Chassis Value of 0.25 and Base Engine Value of 0.0025.

Hesiod

[Aaron] - decides his Hesiod will be a Medium-size wheeled vehicle that weighs in at 7 tons. At this weight, the Hesiod will have up to 5 item slots for equipment (5 base slots + [7 tons ÷ 10] = 5.7 slots, rounded down to 5 slots). It also has a Base Chassis Value of 0.15 and Base Engine Value of 0.0075.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian] - While Brian's Coruna cannot exceed the 200-ton maximum weight of a Large Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle, he has something much smaller in mind. Choosing the Medium size class and a weight of 35 tons, he finds that his aircraft will have 8 item slots to work with (5 base slots + [35 tons ÷ 10] = 8.5 slots, rounded down to 8). The Coruna's Base Chassis Value is 0.10, while its Base Engine Value is 0.010.

Dixon

[Christine] - decides that her Dixon should be as large as she can make it, to maximize its capabilities as a floating police headquarters. She chooses the Medium size class—the largest available to Airship Support Vehicles—and a weight of 300 tons. This weight gives the Dixon a space capacity of 35 item slots (5 base slots + [300 tons ÷ 10] = 35 slots). Christine also notes her Dixon's Base Chassis Value is 0.25 and its Base Engine Value is 0.008.

Allocate Weight for Internal Structure

Simca

[Simon] - According to the Master Support Vehicle Chassis Table, Simon's Simca—a Small wheeled vehicle weighing 2,500 kilograms—has a Minimum Tech Rating of A and a Base Chassis Value of 0.12. Because the vehicle is already pretty short on weight, Simon chooses a Structural Tech Rating of D, for a Rating Multiplier of 1.0. Simon decides that he requires no additional modifi cations for the Simca's chassis, and thus computes a chassis weight of 300 kilograms (0.12 Base Chassis Value x 1.0 Structural Tech Rating D x 2,500 kg = 300 kg). The Simca has 2,200 kilograms of unspent weight remaining (2,500 kg – 300 kg = 2,200 kg). Simon sees no need for a turret and decides at this point that the Simca will not have one. Given its weight of 2,500 kilograms (2.5 tons), he computes that the Simca will have only 1 point of internal structure per location (2.5 tons ÷ 10 = 0.25 points per location, rounded up to 1). Using the Ground Vehicle Record Sheet, Simon blacks out all of the Turret circles (including those in the gray-shaded internal structure and the unshaded armor area), and all but 1 internal structure point in the gray-shaded areas of the vehicle’s Front, Left, Right and Rear sides.

Swiftran

[Todd's] - Swiftran—a Medium-sized VTOL Support Vehicle—has a Minimum Tech Rating of C and a 0.25 Base Chassis Value. Like Simon, Todd decides to use more advanced technology and gives the vehicle a Structural Tech Rating of E (Rating Multiplier 0.85). Because the Swiftran is to be a battlefield medivac unit, he chooses the Armored Chassis Modification, and so computes a chassis weight of 8 tons (0.25 Base Chassis Value x 0.85 Structural Tech Rating E x 1.5 Armored Chassis Modifier x 25 tons = 7.969, rounded up to the nearest half-ton at 8). Todd's Swiftran may not carry a turret as it is a VTOL Support Vehicle. With the Swiftran's 25-ton weight, he finds that it will have 3 points of Internal Structure per location (25 tons ÷ 10 = 2.5 points per location, rounded up to 3). Using the VTOL Record Sheet, Todd blacks out all but 3 internal structure points in the gray-shaded areas of the vehicle's Rotor location, as well as its Front, Left, Right and Rear sides.

Hesiod

[Aaron] - Because it is a Medium 7-ton wheeled Support Vehicle, Aaron's Hesiod has a Minimum Tech Rating of A and a Base Chassis Value of 0.15. Aaron wants to give the unit off-road capability, along with the flexibility of OmniVehicle design, and so adds the chassis modifications for Off-Road (Chassis Multiplier 1.5) and Omni (Chassis Multiplier 1). As the higher of these two modifications—the Omni capability—has a Minimum Tech Rating of E, Aaron's Hesiod upgrades its Minimum Tech Rating to E, and so he selects that as his Structural Tech Rating (Rating Multiplier 0.85). Aaron computes that his Hesiod will have a chassis weight of 1.5 tons (0.15 Base Chassis Value x 0.85 Structural Tech Rating E x 1.5 Off-Road Multiplier x 1.0 Omni Multiplier x 7 tons = 1.34 tons, rounded up to 1.5). The Hesiod has 5.5 unspent tons remaining (7 tons – 1.5 tons = 5.5 tons). Like Simon, Aaron also decides to place no turret on his wheeled Support Vehicle, deciding that any of its configurations will find better uses for the half-ton (minimum) he'd need to assign to turret weight. With the Hesiod's 7-ton weight, he fi nds that it will have only 1 point of internal structure per location (7 tons ÷ 10 = 0.7 points per location, rounded up to 1). Using the Ground Vehicle Record Sheet, Aaron blacks out all but 1 internal structure point in the gray-shaded areas of the vehicle’s Front, Left, Right and Rear sides, and blacks out all Turret location circles.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - Jetta Coruna—a 35-ton, Medium-sized, Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle—receives a Minimum Tech Rating of B from the Master Chassis Table, with a Base Chassis Value of 0.10. For a chassis modification, Brian decides on Environmental Sealing (Chassis Modifi er 2), just in case the aircraft is to be taken any place where the atmosphere is hostile. Enviro-sealing raises the Minimum Tech Rating for the Coruna's chassis to C, but Brian decides to take it one step further and chooses a Structural Tech Rating of D instead. These factors combine to give the Jetta Coruna a chassis weight of 7 tons (0.10 Base Chassis Value x 1.0 Structural Tech Rating D x 2.0 Enviro-Sealing Multiplier x 35 tons = 7 tons). The Coruna has 28 unspent tons remaining (35 tons – 7 tons = 28 tons). Because Brian's Coruna is a Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle, it does not have internal structures to black out at this time. Instead, Brian must fi rst determine the vehicle's Thrust ratings in the next step before determining how many Structural Integrity circles he will need to black out.

Dixon

[Christine's] - Dixon is a Medium 300-ton Airship, and so it has a Minimum Tech Rating of B and a Base Chassis Value of 0.25. Though she expects the craft might see combat in its role as a police vehicle, she cannot choose an armored chassis modification because the Dixon is an Airship. She decides that no other chassis modifications are necessary as well, but does choose a Structural Tech Rating of D (Rating Multiplier 1) for the design. Christine finds the Dixon's chassis weight to be 75 tons (0.25 Base Chassis Value x 1.0 Structural Tech Rating D x 300 tons = 75 tons). The Dixon has 225 tons of unspent weight remaining (300 tons – 75 tons = 225 tons). Like Brian's Coruna, Christine's Dixon does not have internal structures to black out at this time. Instead, she must determine the craft's Thrust ratings in the next step before determining how many Structural Integrity circles she will need to black out.

Step 2: Install Engines and Control Systems

Install Engine

Simca

[Simon] - For his Simca, Simon decides that a basic Internal Combustion engine (ICE) will be cheaper and easier to employ. He also decides he wants the vehicle to be fast, so that it can reach a scene fast and get to the hospitals just as quickly. Deciding on a Cruising MP of 7 (which yields a Flank MP of 11; 7 MP x 1.5 = 10.5, rounded up to 11), Simon establishes the Simca's Base Movement Factor as 53 (4 + [7 Cruising MP x 7 Cruising MP] = 53). Furthermore, a Small wheeled vehicle weighing 2,500 kilograms has a Base Engine Value of 0.0025. Given that the Simca has a Structural Tech Rating of D, Simon decides that its engine will be just as sophisticated as the chassis (Tech Rating D). This provides an Engine Weight Multiplier of 1.5. Given these values, Simon computes that the Engine Weight for his Simca will be 497 kg (0.0025 Base Engine Value x 53 Base Movement Factor x 1.5 Tech Rating D ICE x 2,500 kg Total Vehicle Weight = 496.875 kg, round up to 497). The Simca now has 1,703 kg remaining (2,200 kg – 497 kg = 1,703 kg).

Swiftran

[Todd's] - Swiftran also uses a basic ICE, and he decides on a fast speed suitable for medivac operations at a Cruising MP of 11 (which yields a Flank MP of 17; 11 MP x 1.5 = 16.5, rounded up to 17). Todd thus establishes the Swiftran's Base Movement Factor as 125 (4 + [11 Cruising MP x 11 Cruising MP] = 125). Furthermore, the 25-ton Medium VTOL has a Base Engine Value of 0.0025. Given that the Swiftran has a Structural Tech Rating of E, Todd decides on a Tech Rating of E for its engine (for an Engine Weight Multiplier of 1.3). Given these values, Todd finds that the Swiftran's engine weight will be 10.5 tons (0.0025 Base Engine Value x 125 Base Movement Factor x 1.3 Tech Rating E ICE x 25 tons Total Vehicle Weight = 10.156 tons, round up to 10.5). The Swiftran now has 6.5 unspent tons remaining (17 tons – 10.5 tons = 6.5 tons).

Hesiod

[Aaron] - To take advantage of the plentiful resources of most agro-worlds, Aaron decides that his Medium 7-ton Hesiod wheeled Support Vehicle will also use an ICE, but will run on alcohol rather than standard petrochemicals. Giving his Support OmniVehicle a modest Cruising MP of 4 (for a Flank MP of 6; 4 Cruising MP x 1.5 = 6 Flank MP), he finds its Base Movement Factor will be 20 (4 + [4 Cruising MP x 4 Cruising MP] = 20). He also notes that, as a Medium wheeled Support Vehicle, the Hesiod's Base Engine Value is 0.0075. Aaron further decides his Hesiod will match its sophisticated chassis Tech Rating of E, which provides an Engine Weight Multiplier of 1.3. Thus, the Hesiod's engine weight comes to 4 tons (0.0075 Base Engine Value x 20 Base Movement Factor x 1.3 Tech Rating E ICE Multiplier x 7 ton Total Vehicle Weight = 1.365 tons, rounded up to 1.5). This leaves 4 unspent tons to go (5.5 tons – 1.5 tons = 4 tons).

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - Jetta Coruna is a 35-ton, Medium Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle. As a dedicated aircraft, it operates using Thrust Points rather than ground-based MPs. Because it is designed for cruising, Brian decides a fair Safe Thrust of 4 will be sufficient for the Coruna (giving the plane a Maximum Thrust of 6; 4 Safe Thrust x 1.5 = 6 Max Thrust). Brian plans to power this aircraft using a Fusion engine with a Tech Rating of D (the same as the chassis). The Master Support Vehicle Weight Table shows that a Medium Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle has a Base Engine Value of 0.010, while the Movement Factor provided by its Thrust Points come to 20 (4 + [4 Safe Thrust x 4 Safe Thrust] = 20). This establishes an engine weight of 7 tons for the Coruna (0.010 Base Engine Value x 20 Movement Factor x 1.0 Tech Rating D Fusion x 35 tons Total Vehicle Weight = 7 tons), leaving it with 21 unspent tons remaining (28 tons – 7 tons = 21 tons).

Dixon

[Christine] - As a Medium-sized, 300-ton Airship, Christine's Dixon has a Base Engine Value of 0.008. Like the Coruna, Airships use thrust Points, rather than MPs, but they cannot achieve speeds over 3 Thrust Points. While her Dixon can be built using increments of 0.25 Thrust Points (unlike any other aircraft or aerospace unit), Christine decides to give her Airship the maximum possible speed it can handle and so assigns it a Safe Thrust of 2. (The Dixon's Max Thrust thus becomes 3, as 2 Safe Thrust x 1.5 = 3 Max Thrust.) The Dixon's Safe Thrust provides it with a Movement Factor of 8 (4 + [2 Safe Thrust x 2 Safe Thrust] = 8), which will combine with the Base Engine Value of 0.008, and the Tech Rating D Fusion engine that she decides to install here. Christine thus finds that the engine weight for her Dixon will be 19.5 tons (0.008 Base Engine Value x 8 Movement Factor x 1.0 Tech D Fusion x 300 tons Total Vehicle Weight = 19.2 tons, round up to 19.5 tons). The airship now has all of 205.5 tons remaining (225 tons – 19.5 tons = 205.5 tons).

Determine Fuel Capacity

Simca

[Simon] - Because it uses an ICE, the Simca relies on fuel, and so requires some weight devoted to fuel tanks (though fuel is not tracked in Total Warfare). Simon notes that the Simca can attain an operating range of 100 kilometers for every 1 percent of engine weight spent on fuel tanks. Feeling that an 850-kilometer range would be sufficient, he computes that the weight of fuel tanks to achieve that range would equal 8.5 percent of the engine weight (850 km range ÷ 100 km = 8.5 x 1 percent per 100 km = 8.5 percent). Because 8.5 percent of the engine weight would come to a little over 42 kilograms, however (8.5 percent of 497 kg Engine Weight = 0.085 x 497 kg = 42.245 kg Fuel Weight), Simon decides to round the fi gure down to an even 42 kg. In doing so, Simon feels he must recalculate the actual fuel range provided by 42 kg, by determining what exact percentage of the engine's weight the fuel comes to. He computes that 42 kg of fuel is actually 8.45 percent of the engine's weight (42 kg Fuel Weight ÷ 497 kg Engine Weight = 0.0845 x 100 percent = 8.45 percent). Since each 1 percent of the engine weight equals 100 km for an IC engine running on petrochemicals, 8.45 percent of the Simca's engine weight in fuel equates to an 845-kilometer operating range for the ambulance ([8.45 percent ÷ 1 percent per 100 km] x 100 km = 845 km). With 42 kg spent on fuel tanks, the Simca now has 1,661 kg left over (1,703 – 42 = 1,661).

Swiftran

[Todd] - The Swiftran's ICE also needs fuel, and so requires some weight devoted to fuel tanks. Todd notes that his VTOL—like Simon's ambulance—can attain an operating range of 100 kilometers for every 1 percent of engine weight spent on fuel tanks. He decides to invest a full ton into fuel, rather than compute the weight from a desired range. Todd finds that this single ton of fuel equates to 9.52 percent of the Swiftran's engine weight (1 ton Fuel Weight ÷ 10.5 tons Engine Weight = 0.0952 x 100 percent = 9.52 percent). Since each 1 percent of the engine weight equals 100 km for an ICE running on petrochemicals, 9.52 percent of the Swiftran's engine weight in fuel tanks equates to a 952-kilometer operating range for the VTOL ([9.52 percent ÷ 1 percent per 100 km] x 100 km = 952 km). The Swiftran's 1-ton fuel tanks leave Todd with 5.5 tons remaining (6.5 tons – 1 ton = 5.5 tons).

Hesiod

[Aaron] - decides to fi nd the Hesiod's operating range after putting the bare minimum of 0.5 tons of fuel tanks on the vehicle. At 0.5 tons in weight, the Hesiod's tanks account for 33.33 percent of the vehicle's engine weight (0.5 ton Fuel Weight ÷ 1.5 tons Engine Weight = 0.3333 x 100 percent = 33.33 percent). However, rather than achieving 100 km per each 1 percent of the engine weight, the Hesiod's use of alcohol fuel means that the vehicle requires 1.25 percent of the engine's weight to reach 100 kilometers. Applying this value to determine how much range his vehicle can attain, Aaron finds that the Hesiod can travel 2,666-kilometers per tank ([33.33 percent ÷ 1.25 percent per 100 km] x 100 km = 2,666.4 km, rounded down to 2,666). After installing its fuel tanks, the Hesiod now has 3.5 tons remaining (4 tons – 0.5 ton = 3.5 tons).

Jetta Coruna

[Brian] - As an aircraft, Brian’s Jetta Coruna uses Fuel Points, rather than determining its fuel mass by a set overland range. Consulting the Airship/Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle Fuel Table, Brian finds that a D-rated engine on a Medium Support Vehicle receives 1 Fuel Point per 20 kilograms (0.02 tons). This value is not modified, as the Coruna is neither an Airship nor a propdriven aircraft. Brian decides to give his Coruna plenty of range with 8.5 tons' worth of fuel. At 0.02 tons per Fuel Point, the Coruna receives 425 Fuel Points for that weight (8.5 tons ÷ 0.02 tons per Fuel point = 425 fuel points). After spending 8.5 tons on fuel tanks, the Coruna is left with 12.5 tons of unspent weight (21 tons – 8.5 tons = 12.5 tons).

Dixon

[Christine] - Because Christine's Dixon is an Airship powered by a Fusion engine, it requires no Fuel Points. Had the Dixon received any engine type other than Fusion, Fission or Solar-Electric, however, it would have paid only three-quarters of the weight for any fuel points required.

Determine Structural Integrity (Airships/Fixed-Wings only)

Jetta Coruna

[Brian] - Because his Jetta Coruna is a Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle, it receives a Structural Integrity (SI) Value at this stage, in place of the internal structure value found on ground vehicles and VTOLs. With a Safe Thrust of 4, Brian finds that the Coruna receives an SI of 4. On the record sheet, Brian blacks out all but 4 circles in the gray-shaded Structural Integrity area at the center of the aircraft’s Armor Diagram.

Dixon

[Christine's] - Dixon is a 300-ton Airship with a Safe Thrust of 2. Because it is an Airship, and because 2 percent of its tonnage comes to 6 (2 percent of 300 tons = 0.02 x 300 tons = 6), which is greater than the Safe Thrust value of 2, the Dixon receives an SI of 6. On her airship's record sheet, Christine blacks out all but 6 circles in the gray-shaded Structural Integrity area.

Add Control/Crew Systems

Scimitar

[Simon] - According to the Support Vehicle Crew Requirements Table, Simon's Simca—as a Small wheeled vehicle—has a Minimum Crew Requirement of 1. But because he plans this vehicle to serve as an ambulance, he adds 2 more crewmen to reflect stations for additional paramedics. All three crewmen receive seating at 75 kilograms per crewman, for a total of 225 kilograms spent (3 seats x 75 kg per seat = 225 kg). The Simca has 1,436 kilograms of unspent weight remaining (1,661 kg – 225 kg = 1,436 kg).

Swiftran

[Todd's] - Swiftran—a Medium VTOL Support Vehicle—has a Minimum Crew Requirement of 2. Because it is not a Small vehicle, additional weight need not be assigned for these crewmen (as they are considered intrinsic to the unit's chassis and control systems). However, as the Swiftran is a medivac unit, Todd adds 10 more seats for medics. For these crew alone, the seating will weigh 750 kilograms (10 seats x 75 kg per seat = 750 kg), or 0.75 tons. Todd decides to double this amount of seats to make room for passengers as well, bringing the total crew/passenger seat weight to 1,500 kilograms or 1.5 tons. This leaves the Swiftran with 4 tons available (5.5 tons – 1.5 tons = 4 tons).

Hesiod

[Aaron] - As a Medium wheeled Support Vehicle, Aaron's Hesiod has a Minimum Crew Requirement of 2, whose seating is considered intrinsic to the vehicle's chassis and controls. Aaron decides to add no more seating.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - Jetta oruna—a Medium Fixed-Wing Support Vehicle—has a Minimum Crew Requirement of 2 from the Support Vehicle Crew Requirements Table. As a Medium-sized vehicle, he need not assign seating to these crewmen. Still mulling passenger accommodations, Brian continues on without assigning any weight to seating.

Dixon

[Christine's] - Dixon, a Medium Support Vehicle, has a Minimum Crew Requirement of 4, plus one officer (because the Dixon, as an airship 5 tons or more in weight, requires at least one officer). Because the Dixon is Medium-sized, Christine need not allocate seating for these crewmen. However, as she intends to arm and equip the Airship later on with additional systems that will require additional crew, she makes a note that she has pre-allocated seating and space for 5 crew (4 crewmen + 1 officer = 5), and leaves the assignment of additional quarters and seating until she has determined what her expanded crew needs will be. She also notes that she plans to install a fire-control system, meaning that tonnage will be also be needed to accommodate any gunners.

Step 3: Add Heat Sinks

Heat Sinks

Simca

[Simon] - sees no reason whatsoever for his Simca ambulance to carry energy weapons, and so installs no heat sinks at this time.

Swiftran

[Todd] - Likewise, Todd sees no reason to arm his Swiftran with heavy energy weapons, and therefore sees no need for weighty heat sinks.

Hesiod

[Aaron's] - Hesiod has limited space as it is, and is certainly not intended for combat. Therefore, he decides to place no fixed heat sinks on the Support OmniVehicle at this time, leaving that an option for anyone creating a militarized Alternate configuration.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - Jetta Coruna is a civilian air-yacht, not a fighter. He plans it to mount no weapons, and he also decides it will waste no tonnage on heat sinks.

Dixon

[Christine] - anticipates the upcoming selection of weapons she has in mind for her Dixon, and so installs 6 heat sinks on the Airship to vent the combined heat of its future weaponry. These heat sinks cost her 6 tons, but occupy no item slots on the Support Vehicle's inventory. The Dixon now has 199.5 tons remaining (205.5 tons – 6 tons = 199.5 tons).

Step 4: Add Armor

Support Vehice Armor

Simca

[Simon] - decides his Simca ambulance does not require any armor, believing that any weight distributed to such reinforcements will detract from more important life-saving equipment and work space. Counting on the kindness of others not to shoot at unarmored rescue vehicles, he moves on to the next step.

Swiftran

[Todd] - Because his VTOL is planned as a medivac craft that might venture close to a war zone, Todd invested in the Armored chassis modifi cation, which enables him to install BAR 10 armor on the vehicle. Before mounting any armor, however, he first determines the maximum capacity for his 25-ton Swiftran and concludes that the vehicle may take on only 29 points of armor (4 base points + [1 point per ton x 25 tons] = 29 points). At the Tech Rating of D used for the Swiftran's chassis, Todd notes that BAR 10 armor—the equivalent of Combat Vehicle armor—weighs in at 63 kilograms per point. Todd chooses to provide his VTOL with the maximum protection of 29 points, resulting in a final armor weight of 2 tons (29 points x 63 kg per point = 1,827 kg = 1.83 tons, which rounds up to 2 tons). Because the Swiftran's rotor can only have 2 armor points, Todd allocates those first. The remaining 27 points he divides among the VTOL's other locations, placing 8 points in the front, 7 points each on the sides and 5 points in the rear. After adding up the numbers to verify that he has not wasted any points (8 [Front] + (7 + 7 [Left and Right sides] + 5 [Rear] + 2 [Rotor] = 29), Todd blacks out all the excess armor points from the Armor Diagram on his Swiftran's record sheet and notes on the appropriate line that the VTOL has a BAR of 10. The Swiftran now has 2 unspent tons remaining (4 tons – 2 tons = 2 tons).

Hesiod

[Aaron] - With his Hesiod Support OmniVehicle down to just 3.5 unspent tons in weight, Aaron also decides to make armor a low priority. This is hardly a problem, as the maximum armor the 7-ton wheeled Medium Support Vehicle can receive is 18 points (4 base points + [2 points per ton x 7 tons] = 18 points). Because his Hesiod is not intended for combat, Aaron chooses a BAR of 4. Unlike Todd, Aaron does not downgrade the Tech Rating of his armor relative to that of the Hesiod's chassis, and so he is mounting 18 points of BAR 4 armor with a Tech Rating of E. At 23 kilograms per point of armor, 18 points’ worth of protection will cost Aaron's Support Vehicle half a ton in weight, the minimum—and maximum—that he was willing to spend on such protection (18 points x 23 kg per point = 414 kg = 0.414 tons, rounded up to 0.5). Aaron chooses to allocate this armor mostly around the Hesiod's front and sides, at 5 points per location, with the last 3 points placed in the rear. Double-checking his figures, he adds up the armor points: (5 + 5 + 5 [Front, Left and Right sides]) + 3 [Rear] = 18 points). Aaron then blocks out all the excess armor circles in each location on his Hesiod's record sheet, being sure as well to black out all turret circles (as he has not opted to install one). He also makes sure to note the Hesiod's BAR of 4 in the appropriate location. The Hesiod now has 3 tons of unspent weight remaining (3.5 tons – 0.5 ton = 3 tons).

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - 35-ton Jetta Coruna may mount up to 39 points of armor (4 base points + [1 point per ton x 35 tons] = 39 points). While he's willing to install it, he knows the Coruna is not meant to see combat, and so he decides on BAR 2 armor, the lowest level possible. Using armor with a Technology Rating of D—on a par with so many other components in his plane—Brian finds that his Coruna will receive a point of armor for every 12 kilograms invested. Because he wants to place the full 39 points, this comes to 1 ton of armor (39 points x 12 kg per point = 507 kg = 0.507 tons, which rounds up to 1 ton). Brian distributes his armor points with a majority in the nose, where he places 15 points. Each wing receives 9 points, and the aft location gets 6 (15 [Nose] + 9 [Left Wing] + 9 [Right Wing] + 6 [Aft] = 39 points spent.) On his Fighter Record Sheet, Brian blacks out all the excess points in each location, leaving only the number of circles equal to the Coruna's assigned armor values, and notes that the aircraft has a BAR of 2. With 1 ton spent on armor, the Coruna now has 11.5 unspent tons remaining (12.5 – 1 = 11.5).

Dixon

[Christine] - Because it is an Airship and thus cannot receive the Armored chassis modification, the best BAR possible for Christine's Dixon at the Structural Tech Level D is BAR 7. After determining the Maximum Armor Factor for her Dixon to be 104 (4 base points + [0.334 points per ton x 300 tons] = 104.2 points, rounded down to 104), she decides to spend the maximum. At a BAR of 7 and Tech Rating D, armor for the Dixon weighs in at 45 kilograms per point. To achieve 104 armor points, Christine therefore must spend 5 tons on armor (104 points x 45 kg per point = 4,680 kg = 4.68 tons, rounded up to 5). The Dixon will have 194.5 tons remaining (199.5 – 5 = 194.5). With no turret or rotors on which to place armor, Christine assigns 29 points to the Dixon's nose and 25 points each to the Airship's left wing, right wing and aft. Summing up, she verifies the armor is fully assigned: 29 [Front] + (25 + 25 [Left and Right Wings]) + 25 [Aft] = 104 points. On the Dixon's record sheet, she blacks out all excess armor circles in each of the affected locations.

Step 5: Add Weapons, Ammunition and other Equipment

Weapons, Ammunition and Equipment

Simca

[Simon] - With 1,346 kilograms remaining for his Simca and only 5 item slots, Simon decides to install 1,000 kilograms' worth of paramedic equipment, which will occupy 4 item slots (each slot of paramedic equipment weighs 0.25 tons or 250 kilograms; 250 kg x 4 = 1,000 kg). For another 300 kilograms, he adds 4 seats to represent passenger stretchers (75 kg per seat x 4 seats = 300 kg; seats occupy no item slots). Finally, Simon assigns the last 136 kilograms to cargo, taking up the last item slot in the bargain. As none of these items requires a firing arc, he places all of them in the Simca's Body location. As a final touch, Simon adds a rear bay door at no weight or slot cost, to reflect the large doors used to quickly load and unload the ambulance's precious cargo.

Swiftran

[Todd's] - Swiftran has only 2 tons of unspent weight remaining, with 7 item slots. As his vehicle is a medivac, Todd also decides to devote much of this to paramedic equipment, investing a total of 1.5 tons to 6 slots' worth of such gear (each slot of paramedic equipment weighs 0.25 tons x 6 = 1.50 tons). The remaining half-ton is diverted to a cargo bay that takes up the Swiftran's final item slot. Like Simon, Todd allocates all of these items to the VTOL's Body location, and installs a 0-ton, 0-slot door in the rear to designate where passengers are loaded and unloaded.

Hesiod

[Aaron] - has 3 tons and 5 slots remaining for his Hesiod Utility Vehicle. Rather than designating any of it to "fixed" equipment, he decides to complete the base chassis of this Support OmniVehicle by noting all 3 tons and 5 item slots as pod space. To present at least one completed configuration, he designates the Primary configuration—which he calls Hesiod Configuration 1—as the cargo loadout, where all 3 tons are assigned to a 3-ton, 1-slot cargo bay in the Body location, complete with a zero-ton, zero-slot door in the rear.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian] - For his Jetta Coruna 4X, Brian has 11.5 tons of unspent weight and 8 unspent item slots. Because he sees the Coruna as the ultimate in air travel for the wealthy elite, he installs luxurious first-class passenger quarters on the aircraft. These quarters weigh 10 tons and occupy 1 slot in the Support Vehicle's design. Brian allocates them to the unit's Body location, noting that such quarters are spacious enough for the VIP passenger to entertain a few guests in flight. He allocates the remaining 1.5 tons to a cargo bay in the Body location, which also takes up only 1 item slot. A door is added to the rear for the loading and unloading of cargo while landed.

Dixon

[Christine] - With 194.5 tons left to go and 35 item slots open, Christine plans to arm and equip her Dixon Law Enforcement Airship. Starting with weapons, she decides on 4 standard vehicular-scale machine guns, each of which weighs 0.5 tons and occupies 1 item slot. Three of these weapons she places in the Dixon's nose, while the remaining 1 is mounted in the Aft location. Deciding to provide these weapons with ample ammunition reserves, she installs a 5-ton (1-slot) bin for a total of 1,000 shots between the weapons (200 shots per ton x 5 tons = 1,000 shots). Christine then adds 2 vehicular-scale medium lasers (which each occupy 1 ton and 1 item slot), and mounts one laser in each of the Airship's Wing locations. Having already provided the heat sinks for these weapons, and equipped with a Fusion engine, Christine need not add power amplifiers to make these weapons functional. As a final, non-lethal weapon system—also useful in fire control as well as anti-riot work—she adds 4 sprayers to the Dixon, each of which weighs 15 kilograms (0.015 tons) and occupies 1 item slot. Two each of these are mounted in the Dixon's Nose and Aft sections. For ammunition, she devotes 10 tons (and 1 item slot) to the sprayers' capacity in the form of liquid cargo in the airship's Body location. This provides the sprayers with a maximum of 9 tons of "ammo," as liquid cargo bays (see Transport Bays) have a capacity equal to their weight, divided by 1.1 (10 tons ÷ 1.1 = 9.09, rounded down to 9 tons). For all of these weapons, Christine opts to install a Basic Fire Control system to improve their accuracy. As Basic Fire Control weighs only 5 percent of the weight of any associated Heavy or Medium weapons, she finds that the Dixon's fire-control system will weigh 0.5 tons (5 percent of all weapons' weight = 0.05 x [2 tons (Machine Guns) + 2 tons (Medium Lasers)] = 0.2 tons, round up to 0.5). The Basic Fire Control system occupies no item slots on the Dixon's design. (Note that the Sprayers, though they may be used as weapons, may not benefit from Fire Control Systems, in accordance with their rules). With all its armament, the Dixon has so far invested 19.56 tons and 12 slots into weapons and fire control. Because there is more yet to assign, Christine does not yet round the odd tonnage she has received (for the use of sprayers) up to the nearest half ton. She also holds off assigning additional crew for now. Christine next decides to add 3 light vehicle bays to the design's body, each of which can be used to carry vehicles weighing up to 50 tons apiece, with 1 door provided for each (at 0 tons and 0 slots) in the Nose, Left Wing and Right Wing locations. These bays each weigh 50 tons and occupy 1 slot. She intends these bays for the deployment of riot-control ground vehicles when landed, and also for launching and landing small police aircraft while airborne, and so Christine decides to add a lift/arresting hoist to the vehicle as well (at a cost of 3 tons and 1 item slot). Because she also sees the Dixon as a command center for police activity, she adds 6 tons' worth of communications equipment to the Dixon's Body location at an additional cost of 1 item slot. She even adds two mounted searchlights to the Support Vehicle, placing 1 each of these half-ton, 1-slot lights in the Dixon's Nose and Aft locations. Reviewing her Airship's crew needs, Christine notes that she has already accounted for the basic crew of 4. The heavy weapons mounted by the Dixon—4 machine guns and 2 medium lasers—require 1 crewman per every 3 tons of weapon weight (each), rounded up. This means that the Dixon's heavy weapons—each of which weighs 1 ton or less—will require 1 gunner apiece. Furthermore, the 6-ton communications equipment requires 1 crewman per ton, for an added 6 crewmen. These added crewmen raise the Dixon's minimum crew to 16. Because the Dixon is a Support Vehicle over 5 tons in weight, Christine must also add officers. According to the officer requirements shown on the Support Vehicle Minimum Crew Table, she will need 4 officers (16 crew ÷ 5 = 3.2, round up to 4), who in turn raise the Dixon's minimum crew needs to 20 (16 crew +4 officers = 20). Because these minimum crew needs are met by the Dixon's design automatically, Christine need not install any added seating to her Airship. However, for the benefit of any additional personnel who may be required as light security or to support the vehicles and equipment that may be carried in the Dixon's bays, Christine takes the simple approach of adding 2 foot infantry compartments—at 3 tons and 1 item slot apiece—to the Dixon's Body location. Noting that each compartment provides basic seating (and little else) for 28 men, Christine reasons that these compartments will represent a minimalist amount of "cot space" for off-duty police and Airship crewmen to catch a few winks between shifts. Added to the weight and space allocated to weapons, Christine finds that the vehicle bays, arresting hoist, communications gear, searchlights and infantry compartments combine to bring the weight of all items to 185.56 tons, with 21 slots spent. Christine allocates the remaining 8.94 tons of her Dixon's weight to general cargo in the Body location, at a cost of 1 more slot.

Step 6: Complete the Record Sheet

Record Sheets

Simca

[Simon] - verifies that all of the valid data blocks are completed for his Simca, including noting the vehicle's full name, "Simca Ambulance," on the Vehicle Type line, checking off that it uses an Inner Sphere Tech Base, noting its Cruising MP as 7 and its Flank MP as 11, and noting what engine type it uses. As the vehicle lacks weapons, he chooses to list the vehicle's critical items—the fuel range, paramedic equipment, stretchers and cargo—in the block labeled "Notes", leaving the Weapons Inventory empty. He then makes sure all the appropriate armor and internal structure circles have been blacked out and that the vehicle's BAR is noted, before going on to compute its Battle Value and Cost.

Swiftran

[Todd] - performs the same steps as Simon for his Swiftran.

Hesiod

[Aaron] - Because Aaron built his Hesiod as a Support OmniVehicle, he completes his record sheet first for his uncompleted base chassis design, noting only the number of tons and slots of pod space available in the Notes block. He then makes a copy of that record sheet to use for completing the Primary (Hesiod-1) configuration. Once that configuration is completed, he is ready to compute its Battle Value and Cost and bring it to play.

Jetta Coruna

[Brian's] - Jetta Coruna and Christine's Dixon Airship both follow the same process as the others in completing their record sheets, assuring that the appropriate values are entered for Safe Thrust and Max Thrust, noting any special features in the Notes block (such as the Jetta's Enviro-Sealing and the Dixon's basic fire-control system.

Dixon

[Christine] - even manages to place items on her Weapons Inventory to provide data on her Dixon's machine guns, medium lasers and sprayers. Because the Dixon is an aerospace unit (like Brian's Coruna), she draws the statistics from the Aerospace Equipment Tables, noting aerospace damage values at each range bracket instead of ranges in hexes, but disregarding heat data because Support Vehicles do not track heat as aerospace fighters do.