Manual:Asylum/AWSC Mechanized Assets
From FSDB
ARMOR & OTHER GROUND VEHICLES
These are probably the most common ground vehicles fielded by the AWSC, though they are by no means the only ones. The further out in the colonies you get, the more variation due to older/customized/re-used Tri-Axis vehicles. I'll get all my notes on aircraft and infantry together and post those once they're also readable.
Also note most of these are made for killing stuff dead with centuries of vehicle combat in mind in their designs. Most don't have a whole lot of weaknesses beyond just their class, so I'm sure at least a couple are be deserving of being toned down for gameplay (if they're used).
M1a7 Crusader Main Battle Tank
Heavily armed futuristic Abrams-style tank. 120mm cannon, two-shot 80mm guided anti-armor/anti-air rocket pods. 8mm coaxial machinegun, roofmounted 12.7mm machinegun mini-turret, dual rear computer-controlled retractable anti-infantry auto shotguns. Crew of 4. Has extremely effective laser point defense atop turret next to rocket mount for defending itself and nearby allies from guided projectiles. Advanced computer-assisted targeting system assists in maximum firing rate and almost 100% effectiveness. It's also worth noting that Crusader is one of the few tanks in history that excels at urban warfare due to its weapons suite and design rather than being put at a disadvantage, which would be the norm. On the NBC front, the Crusader is well-sealed and the crew are completely protected from the outside environment. A modified special applications version also includes total sealing for operation in vacuum, "SuperTreads" which allow operation in microgravity, and a magnetic attraction generator to allow it to be used even in a zero G environment as long as its tracks are in contact with an attractable metallic surface. An interesting Interstellar War development which grew out of this enhanced capability is magnetic Crusader Tracks on large battleships and carriers, allowing ship-mounted Crusaders to move about to various parts of the craft to assist in repulsion of boarders even in the event of a loss of artificial gravity. Installation of Crusader Tracks on Coalition vessels near the end of the Interstellar War saw successful boarding incidents drop from rare to non-existent.
M5a2 Wolverine Light Hovertank
Crew of 2. 80mm main gun, 8mm coaxial machinegun. The Wolverine was the Coalition's answer during the ISW to the Auroran Empire's endless minefields and high-speed armored vehicles; it floats, and it can move extremely fast. A very simple design that is easily mass-produced for low cost, the Wolverine is no match for a main battle tank and does not have the armor to take a huge amount of punishment, but it excels at its job filling the the gap between the Goliath HUAV and the Crusader MBT, having much higher firepower than the former and a markedly higher top speed than the latter. The Wolverine's main strength is also its weakness, however. A hovertank cannot exactly stop on a dime, and making a tight turn when the Wolverine is operating near top speed results in excessive slide.
M80a3 _____
(As of yet unnamed) Ground Superiority Tank - 105mm main cannon. Computer-controlled retractable machineguns cover forward and sides. Functions as both a heavy tank and a short- and medium-range artillery piece. Rear mounted camera drone launcher for assistance in artillery mode. Quad tracks give it excellent agility even on very rough terrain that would be impassable to most other tanks, and also help to spread out its very high weight. Rarely gets stuck. Crew of 2. Excellent in urban environments and high relief terrain due to the ability to fire directly over high obstacles and nearby friendly vehicles thanks to the unique raised turret design. The GST's wide range of uses is facilitated by a large array of usable projectiles for many applications.
M55a1 Sledgehammer Siege Tank
Dual 150mm main cannons, quad track pods, low profile, extremely heavy armor, high survivability. Built for one purpose and one purpose alone: blasting through heavy defenses and opposing vehicle columns in an apocalyptic scenario when the luxuries of airstrikes and orbital bombardment aren't on the options list, and the good guys are heavily outgunned and outmanned. The Sledgehammer is very expensive to produce, a pain to maintain, and would consume such copious amounts of fuel that it's instead powered by a MicroFusion reactor. However, offsetting these factors is its record of never being destroyed even in the humongous armor battles on Eridanus at the closing of the Interstellar War, making this armored behemoth a frightening sight on any battlefield. Crew of 5.
M31a2 Phantom Stealth Hovertank
Crew of 3. Experimental anti-infantry and light vehicle urban warfare vehicle. Two anti-materiel 30mm railguns controllable by the driver, two smaller machineguns on either side usable by the powerplant operator. Main weapon, operated by the gunner, is a very high-heat solid state liquid laser used to slice apart vehicles, weak buildings, debris, and columns of infantry. Equipped with active visual spectrum camouflage which can render it mostly invisible under the right circumstances. The Phantom has the distinction of being one of the few ground vehicles ever to use a MicroFusion powerplant, which is capable of powering a small base when the Phantom is inactive. Due to prohibitive unit cost, there are less than 500 Phantoms in service throughout human space.
M104 Flame Tank
Dual reverse turbine-powered flame jets. Main purpose is torching fortifications and structures, but is also extremely useful for putting down infantry in large numbers. The extreme heat of the flames melts even the best protected infantry armor, and will roast the living hell out of anything it opens fire on.
M234 Reaper Combat Walker
Crew of 0. Stands ~13 feet at rest. Much more simplistic design than the Orion, albeit with heavier armor. The Reaper is a fully autonomous heavy fire support unit fielding a nitrogen-cooled underslung 20mm repeating railgun with up to 1120 rounds of ammunition stored internally. These are common out on the Rim and independent systems despite their being obsolete. The Reaper, while it could take heavy punishment, never quite lived up to its role as well as the Core militaries would have liked. It could dish out punishment, but it wasn't nearly as agile as the defense contractor that made it claimed it would be, and its highly complex electronic brain was susceptible to repeated EMP bursts despite heavy EM shielding, which caused heavy losses in battles with the EPR (Eridanusian Planetary Republic) where entire lines of Reapers fielded by the AWSC-friendly ISE (Independent States of Eridanus) forces were rendered inoperative. Despite this weakness, the Reaper's reliability and extremely low maintenance requirements make it a favorite with corporations, independents, and more recently pirate raiders out on the Rim.
M
550 Orion Combat Walker
Crew of 1. Stands ~18 feet at rest. Named for the mythical hunter, and in its main combat support role it more than lives up to it. The Orion comes in several flavors, with the most common being the M550 and M552 Orion Combat Walkers, and the M554 Orion Portable Air Defense System. The M550 is the original design, but its modularity and a desire among the AWSC forces during the ISW to cut down on the number of different weapons systems being fielded led to several versions being made for roles other than direct infantry support. The Orion was constructed as a replacement for the M234 Reaper, featuring a human pilot in place of a computer, much heavier armaments, and the kind of high agility the Reaper was originally supposed to have. While less efficient than a combat computer, a human brain is not susceptible to EMP bursts, something greatly desirable on Core Systems battlefields. The M550 is a favorite sight among infantry due to its ability to follow them over extremely rough terrain, or pretty much anywhere a bi-ped can go, yet still provide invaluable vehicle-borne heavy firepower.
M550 Orion CW
(Heavy Infantry Support) The M550 features dual arm-mounted, independently-targetable 8mm anti-personnel gatling cannons capable of an extremely high rate of fire with 6000 rounds of ammunition stored internally. A unique loading and storage system allows both of the Orion's 8mm cannons to share the same ammunition source, meaning the total ammo stores can still be used in the event an arm is knocked out of commission. The Orion also carries a retrofitted version of the underslung 20mm anti-materiel repeating railgun originally featured on the Reaper with 200 rounds of ammunition stored internally. Due to the lack of a cooling system, it is not capable of the same high rate of fire as the Reaper. NOTE: M551s fielded by Coalition forces have been retrofitted to include a pair anti-armor missile tubes mounted on the rear of the cockpit, with a payload of two missiles per pod. M551s are not normally seen outside of the Core and Major Colonies, and were designed to help lessen the Orion's vulnerability to enemy armor.
M552 Orion CW
(Anti-Armor) The M552 shares the same basic design as the M550, however, in place of the 8mm gatling cannons it utilizes a pair of arm-mounted nitrogen-cooled 25mm repeating coilguns with 850 rounds stored internally. Due to its anti-armor role, the M552 has noticeably heavier armor on its legs and cockpit at the cost of some speed. To save weight, the 20mm underslung cannon was removed and its ammunition storage area used for the cooling system.
M554 Orion PADS (Air Defense)
Unlike its front-line cousins, the Orion Portable Air Defense System is meant to be kept behind the lines and keep enemy aircraft out of its immediate AO. Featuring dual missile pods in place of arms with 12 short-range SAMs mounted in each, the Orion PADS' main intended targets are fast, low-flying VTOL support aircraft and enemy UAVs. Its weapons are neither fast enough nor powerful enough to take down trans-atmospheric fighter bombers, which are best left to stationary emplacements. Due to its use of airburst flechette munitions, the OPADS has been known to be used against soft ground targets like infantry and unarmored vehicles in a pinch...
M190 Cougar All-Terrain Recon/Attack Vehicle (ATRAV)
Super-agile high horsepower dune buggy meant for scouting and light skirmishing with the ability to traverse extremely rough terrain quickly. Most versions carry either the M35 Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Personnel Gatling Gun or the mighty 20mm M1 Anti-Materiel repeating railgun, capable of ripping holes through anything but a main battle tank. Several other configurations are also in use, though those are the most common. Space for 3 (1 driver, 1 gunner, 1 passenger). A favorite with Spec Ops units due to its excellent firepower, extreme mobility, and portability due to its comparatively light weight.
M770 Goliath Heavy Urban Assault Vehicle (HUAV)
Centrally-located roof turret utilizes a dual purpose 20mm HEAP coilgun with built-in 11.4mm coaxial machinegun for taking down both vehicles and infantry. Space for 4 (1 driver, 1 gunner, 2 passengers). Unlike the ATRAV and HMMV with their plethora of variants, the HUAV comes only in one configuration. Being exceptionally well armored, the HUAV is not the fastest four-wheeled vehicle in the AWSC's arsenal, but it can stand up to urban combat and then some, and that's exactly what it's built for. IEDs and RPG fire would be a no-factor versus a HUAV unless they hit a weak spot just right.
M1020 Humvee High-Mobility Multipurpose Vehicle (HMMV)
Used extensively by Coalition ground forces and based on a tried and true platform re-used frequently by their forces over the centuries. Like the ATRAV, the HMMV platform accepts a number of armaments and comes in innumerable modifications for almost every imaginable purpose. Crew space depends on variant, as few as two or as many as 8. The most common variants carry 5, with either a roof-mounted minigun, guided missile launcher, or solid-state laser cannon as the main armament.
