Vidar

Vidar Heavy Defense Tank
Production information
Manufacturer	Benson and Bjorn
Production Year	3085
Mission	Defense Vehicle, Garrison Duty
Type	Tracked
Technical specifications
Mass	75
Armor	Compound A2F Ferro-Fibrous w/ CASE
Engine	150-rated fuel cell
Speed	32 km/h
Communications System	Q2 Block 7
Targeting Tracking System	Build 2 JRD TTS w/Artemis V FCS
Heat Sinks	1 single
Armament	4 x large chemical laser 2 x LRM 15 with Artemis V FCS 2 x anti-missile system
BV (2.0)	1,396

Description

Somewhat of a poster child for tensions between the Clan Ghost Bear and Rasalhagian elements of the Ghost Bear Dominion, the Vidar Heavy Defense Tank was an armored combat vehicle first deployed in 3085.

Feeling threatened by the superiority of native Rasalhagian-designed Clan-tech combat vehicles and tanks developed in the latter half of the Jihad, the Clan touman solicited bids for a low-cost defensive tank to supplement the massive Mars and Huitzilopochtli. The loss of honor forced the Clan Ghost Bear Scientist Caste to respond, pulling strings to get the Vidar accepted and using their ties with the Merchant Caste to force an unwilling Benson and Bjorn to manufacture it. The resulting design would be regarded as being so bad that Benson & Bjorn would have an unsanctioned civilian Trial of Refusal pitting one of the company's Axel IIC tanks against the Vidar to prove its inferiority, defeating it within five minutes. This cemented its bad reputation among the mostly Rasalhagian crews forced to pilot it. The Vidar would finally prove its worth in battle against pirates attacking the Dominion world of Porthos.

Caught between the mandated low cost and the Bear Scientist Caste's desperation to show off its superior technical flair, the Vidar is technically advanced but no more armored or speedier than the heavier designs it was intended to escort. Using an inexpensive 150-rated fuel cell engine to cut costs, the Vidar is capable of just over 30 km/h. Hampered by the need to cover two turrets, the Vidar's hull is protected by a barely adequate ten and half tons of ferro-fibrous armor, with integrated CASE.

Weapons and Equipment

An attempt by the Ghost Bear scientists to increase its flexibility, the Vidar mounts two turrets. The forward turret mounts four Clan chemical lasers with six tons of reloads, while two 15-tube long-range missile launchers are mounted in the rear turret with advanced tech Artemis V FCS guidance. Four tons' worth of reloads are dedicated to keeping these launchers supplied.

To help ward off incoming missile fire, a pair of mounted "Goalkeeper" anti-missile systems mounted in front of the vehicle rounds out the tank's defensive weapon systems .

Variants

• Vidar Heavy Defense Tank 2 

  Introduced in 3090, this variant of the tank was introduced by Benson and Bjorn to address some of the shortcomings of the original vehicle. The Vidar 2's changes include the exchange of its large chemical lasers for ER large lasers with additional heat sinks. The vehicle's forward AMS was dropped in favor of increasing the Vidar's armor protection and changing the ferro-fibrous for hardened armor.

Design Quirks

The Vidar is subject to the following Design Quirks:

• Bad Reputation
• Trailer Hitch

Notes

• The technologies listed in this vehicle have been rerated according to the Jihad Technology Advancement Table found in TRO: Prototypes. Dual Turret (Vehicle) is list as Tournament Legal, while Chemical Lasers and Artemis V FCS brings the Vidar's tech level to the Advanced Tech rating.

Gallery

• 

  Vidar from TRO:Prototypes

Bibliography

• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: Prototypes
• Technical Readout: Prototypes