Vehicle Design and Reference Redux

First thread is here, we're doing the same thing again.



Class Name: Crone
Ship Classification: Support Craft
Description: A Post-Reaper War Interceptor capitalizing on the success of the Hag, the Crone is a laser-equipped interceptor that's already gained a reputation for success in anti-pirate duties. A Corel Heavy Industries APR Array, heavily based off of Reaper engines mounted on Occuli during the Reaper War, gives it acceleration and maneuverability that outstrip even its predecessor. Its pair of ultraviolet lasers, as well as titanic heat sinks and reaper-tech radiators that replaced the ammunition blocks of its predecessor, give it near-unparalleled striking power, giving it the ability to cut enemy support craft out of the sky almost trivially, as well as allowing it to make passes against larger vessels.

The Crone is primarily a Terminus design, though it's been getting a bit of use in the Tuchankan Defense Fleet. It uses more standardized parts than its predecessor making it easier for manufacturers to produce but has a prodigious cost, both up front and in maintenance times.
Role: Interceptor, Raider
Notes/Interesting Shit: First in the line of Post-Reaper War designs. And a hero-ship to start things off.

cool!

May I suggest to put these in to the wiki as well?

Class Name: Gas Miner, original class differs
Ship Classification: civillian freighter, heavily modified

Description:
These ships, originally civilian freighters have been jury-rigged to serve as gas mining vessels. The frame was reinforced to withstand the conditions within a gas giant and its interior is mostly holding tanks for He3 and Deuterium. These ships are equipped with on-board refining facilities to process the mined gas during operations, allowing the ship the continue collecting fuel for other ships while being mobile to deploy in any system with a gas giant.
Often each ship (and crew) is its independent operation, selling mined fuel for credits and supplies or being hired for deep space exploration.

History:
The gas miner is not a new invention, but only saw limited use since dedicated stations for mining and refining are more economic by sheer ammount of gas they can extract and process compared to the gas miner. After the Reaper War, these ships having a comeback as isolated clusters seek to develope perviously uncharted space that has been to far away from any relay to be viable targets. The frist major usage of a notable amount of these ships was by the NHA in an effort to ensure supply along the so-called Silk Road, a route through uncharted space that connects the Red Rift with Omega Nebular that allows ships traveling it to discharge and refuel in regular intervalls.
While these ships make compelling targets for pirates on a first glance, they can descent deeper into the gas giant it is siphoning off and just hide. Also, nobody wants to run low on fuel in the middle of nowhere.

(sorry for the text dump, pictures will be added as I find them)

Titan Ships


“We have heavy cruisers in-”
-Final transmission of pirate cruiser Taxicus during the invasion of New Nicaea

Class Name: Leviathan
Ship Classification: Heavy Cruiser
Description: Described alternately as “veritable monolith...more akin to a battlestation than a ship” in the 2184 annual report of High Shipwright Maltus of Imperial Arkia and a “stupidly huge gun with a shitton of armor” by Warlord Ravenor Thrak; the Stymphalian manufactured Leviathan is, at its heart, a well armed command and control node. Draped with multiple layers of ablative armor and bristling with three primary accelerators, dozens of heavy broadside cannons, plus banks of ultraviolet GARDIAN, Leviathans have been employed by Terminus states, warlords, and corporate interests alike. Typically finding service as either flagships or the hardened core of an assault fleet these cruisers are known for two things: their sluggish pace and the absolutely devastating amount of firepower they can bring to bear on their targets. While their deficiencies can be mitigated by Mass Effect Core upgrades (a fairly common tactic in the Abyss), the fundamental issue is an unavoidable byproduct of the lion’s share of the ship’s power supply being relegated to maintaining weapon’s performance as well as strategic and tactical efficiency.

As with all Stymphalian manufactured ships the Leviathan Class Heavy Cruiser is modular to a degree, with official aftermarket additions including an expanded CIC, extended troop holds and hangars, and the aforementioned upgraded eezo core.
Role: Long range engagement, command center and flagship
Notes/Interesting Shit: Nothing new here, just an update and revision of a design I had on the old boards.


“Surprise tactics are the best kind of tactics, and nothing surprises the enemy more than dropping an entire fucking army on his shrelling head.”
-General Riplid Sera Alvok Pelasala Lystheni Manaap, Pan-Helvost Consortium

Class Name: Behemoth
Ship Classification: Transport
Description: Adapted from a hastily drawn up design that was itself based on heavily modified freighters, the modern Behemoth is a collection of numerous ideas consolidated into a single set of schematics. The most influential of these ideas being, unsurprisingly, “we need a way to get our troops from Point A so that they can massacre all the poor bastards at Point B (and then maybe later we can hit up the bar at Point C)”. A massive, barge-like construct the size of a cruiser, the Behemoth is all ablative armor, thrusters, and cargo holds. Capable of moving several thousand infantry at one time, not including armour and gunships; Behemoths serve as transports for national militaries and the larger private armies, modified carriers, and, with surprisingly little alteration, colony ships. Troops can be ferried to the battlefield via shuttles, HALO insertion pods, disembark on foot (the Behemoth’s comparatively large eezo core allows the ship to land on worlds where the gravity approaches Earth norm), or, in a technique known as “skimming”, simply jump as the transport overflies the drop zone (assuming, of course, that they have been provided the appropriate equipment). The Behmoth has seen increased use in recent months as the realities of contemporary relay travel heavily restrict the availability of reinforcements and the movement of war materiel; any resources that are committed are best done in bulk.
Role: Carry all the things.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Another update of an oldie, and apparently, when you really think about it, ME ships are fucking enormous.


“If the Dominion was a person it would be a common soldier, unremarkable on its own, unshakeable when joined with its brethren.”
-Drasko Gavrilovic, First Military Adviser to Warlord Xalvano.

Class Name: Dominion
Ship Classification: Light Cruiser
Description: The Dominion is, in a word, average. Neither the fastest nor the slowest, neither the hardest hitting nor the weakest, neither the most expensive nor the cheapest, the Stymphalian made cruiser is the quintessential jack-of-all-trades master of none. Their basic frames are both easily manufactured by anyone with the most basic aerospace infrastructure and ridiculously modular. An ideal all around workhorse Dominions can, and are, frequently used to flesh out Terminus fleets; where their adaptability serves them well in defensive, offensive, and support roles

Popular upgrade packages include the MasterCommander, Iron Defender, Drone Nexus, Hell Battalion, and On Angel’s Wings*

*MasterCommander, Iron Defender, Drone Nexus, Hell Battalion, and On Angel’s Wings are trademarks of the Titan Corporation. All rights reserved.

Role: Wolfpack leader, standard combat unit
Notes/Interesting Shit: These essentially fill the role of "basic infantry" and are usually found doing most of the grunt work in battle.


Step One: Order the Archon wolfpack to engage the enemy
Step Two: Collect salvage.
Step Three: Repeat steps one through two until pirate problem no longer exists and/or you have collected a sufficient amount of salvage.
-Warships and General Tactics of the Terminus and Abyss, Saius Cara
26th Edition

Class Name: Archon
Ship Classification: Heavy Frigate
Description: Officially identified as destroyers under the Ad’Thoro ship ranking system, the Stymphalian made frigate is among the company’s newest product lines, made to answer the growing threat presented by raider and pirate incursions on the corporation’s shipping, bases, and colonies. Boasting enormous heatsinks, heavy armor, cutting edge anti-proton thrusters, an extensive sensor suite, high powered weapons systems, and a price tag to match it all, the Archons are hunter-killers, heavy raiders designed and built to run down fast moving, maneuverable ships, and crack open hardened positions such as fortified spacestations and subsurface bunkers. This destroyer is very much a “tip of the spear” type and functions best in either independently operating wolfpacks of their own or as the leading edges of assault fleets, executing precision strikes (although finding them guarding priority transports and or as part of a defense garrison is not unheard of).
Role: Careful application of superior firepower
Notes/Interesting Shit: Trying my hand at making a counter-raider and a sort of elite ship.


“There’s a fine line between actually appearing dignified and mere pretension and it takes care and attention to convey the impression of the former without succumbing to the latter. The Diadem says ‘Fuck that shit, let’s make you look badass’.’”
-Countessa Vasila Illast, Imperial Arkia

Class Name: Diadem Class
Ship Classification: Luxury Starship
Description:The brutal aesthetic of a Stymphalian warship, the elegance of a private starliner, plus the armor, shields and speed to give any would be attackers a resounding “Fuck you” (the fact that anyone capable of affording a Diadem is almost certainly capable of acquiring armed escorts notwithstanding). The Diadem was made to carry it’s passengers in both safety and style: grand staterooms, ample cargo space, every modern convenience at your fingertips, and a sensor suite to put some warships to shame; a favorite of megacorp executives, royalty, warlords, and other VIPs who frequently find themselves in danger of being shot.
Role: Caters to the demographic of those who like traveling in the lap of luxury but also enjoy not being gutted by raiders. Flying bunker.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Something for all those classy bad guys (or good guys too!) out there.


Dropping out of FTL.

“There is no feeling quite like the awkward realization that the pirates are using the exact same ships you are.”
- Captain Satya Alasaa, Malsolaris Complex Navy, 17th Defense Fleet

Class Name: Aeon
Ship Classification: Light Frigate
Description: Stymphalian’s Aeon frigate is the company’s purpose built patrol frigate, scout, light skirmisher, and “small scale strategic strike platform” (read raider). Nippy and fast, with enough firepower to manage most lower tier threats, the Aeon is one of the company’s earliest product lines and one that has seen significant revisions over the course of the past two years. The original cargo bay has been significantly downsized in favor of larger heatsinks and greater combat endurance although sockets and the ship’s overall design still allow for modular upgrades including an expanded hold. As it stands the Aeon can carry approximately two dozen soldiers including a piece of armour or gunship or shuttle with room to spare for supplies, salvage, and/or loot. Useful for quick fireteam insertions or small sorties (or raids) against military targets (plus colonies), the Aeon rarely sees full blown combat and when it does it is typically relegated to the fringes of the battle, harrying the enemy’s flanks in veritable swarms.

Upgraded thrusters, Javelin launchers, a more comprehensive GARDIAN, and modifications that increase the cargo area by nearly seventy five percent remain among the most popular aftermarket add ons optimized for the Aeon.
Role: A combat unit for low intensity space battles and patrol; raiding the shit out of colonies, raiding the shit out of your competitors
Notes/Interesting Shit: Just another update.


“Sigil, it’s whatever you need it to be.”
-Stymphalian Ad

Class Name: Sigil
Ship Classification: Corvette
Description: The Sigil Class Corvette is less of a ship in its own right and more of a frame on which to add modifications. Virtually every single system on the craft, from the engines to navigation, is wholly customizable with Stymphalian releasing dozens of military and civilian upgrade packages and individual modules. Mining. Cargo hauling. Construction work. Patrol. Heavy fighters. Intelligence gathering. Missile boats. Dropships. Auxiliary defenses. Assault craft. The basic ship structure is cheap and relatively easy to mass produce, being little more than an extremely energy efficient shell with average thrusters and minimal GARDIAN. Factor in the fact that a single frame can be specced and respecced multiple times over its effective lifespan with little difficulty, and it’s easy to understand how the Sigil has become one of Stymphalian’s most popular product lines.
Role: Everything provided there's a mod for it.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Something to flesh out Titan's spacebound forces.

Class Name: Seraph
Ship Classification: Corvette
Description: The Reaper War resulted in an enormous amount of ruined cities and space stations, necessitating huge search and rescue and salvage fleets to be created, either by repurposing old ships or by creating new, purpose built ones. The Seraph is loosely based off the now-venerable Angel design, but the military-grade lasers and heatsinks are traded for decidedly weaker, more compact and less numerous industrial models. The ship has both a small sickbay, for taking on rescued survivors, and omnigel converters and fabbers, for taking on and processing scrap.

The hull's significantly longer than the Angel class, a result of the modifications made to accomodate Search and Rescue and Scrap Processing gear.
Role: Search and Rescue, Scrap Processing
Notes/Interesting Shit: A dual role S R and Scrap Processing ship, because as half the scifi movies in existence will tell you, any salvage crew has to be ready to deal with random incredibly important survivors with various stages of injury in random unexplored wrecks.



Class Name: Deva
Ship Classification: Support Craft
Description: A post-war design meant to function in a galaxy without many surviving capital ships to carry it into battle, nor many capital shipyards to replenish their numbers. As a result, the Deva is both larger and far more self sufficient than other support craft. It carries a large enough eezo core to give it extended FTL flight, allowing it to make inter-system patrols or raids on its own. Its three titanic anti-proton rams, as well as a bevy of maneuvering rockets, give it accelerations unmatched by just about anything on the market, making full use of the increased inertial dampening its expanded eezo core gives it, while its expanded size allows it to carry enough heatsinks and radiators to give it combat endurance unmatched by other support craft.

The Deva's armament allows it to commit a type of warfare that simply hasn't been viable since the advent of the GARDIAN laser system. Twin UV Preta Laser Cannons, a dedicated anti-capital ship cousin to GARDIAN systems developed for the Deva, allow it to outrange standard Infrared GARDIAN lasers and meaningfully attack capital ships without being maimed or destroyed by laser fire. In addition, it's armed with four mass accelerators, two on each wing, to allow it to pound other fighters to dust.

The Deva's primary drawback, ignoring its taxing maintenance requirements, is its sheer size. The Deva has engines the size of lesser fighters, nevermind the rest of its bulk. It simply doesn't fit in frigate and cruiser hanger bays, requiring it to either operate independently or be outfitted with Limpet Clamps to dock with the outer hulls of other ships. In addition, it isn't quite the anti-support craft powerhouse more dedicated interceptors are, though it fares quite well against Tridents, Gunships or Sparths, it isn't quite able to compete with the powerhouses in the interceptor field, like refited Hags, Crones, are Dagger-8s, in anti-fighter interdiction.
Role: Raiding, Patrolling, Interceptor
Notes/Interesting Shit: Kinda based off the X-Wing, both in narrative and military role. Also, I got bored of yelling at Carrier Doctrine, so I'm working on fixing the problem.

Schematics for the Floodwall

"Toubkal is proud to unveil the pinnacle of long range battlefield superiority: the Floodwall Unmanned Mechanized Armour Unit. I have every confidence that this device will play a crucial part in turning the tide of the war, both in the Terminus and beyond."
-Guy Wilson, President of the Toubkal Group, fifteen days before The Sack of Bastarius by Cerberus forces.

Class Name: Floodwall
Vehicle Classification: Heavy Armour
Description: Designed by a Cerberus shell corporation and implemented during the Reaper War by the Illusive Man's rapidly expanding army as a highly mobile armored unit, the Floodwall is emblematic of Cerberus technology: bleeding edge tech, high powered weaponry, ironclad defenses, and a cost and complexity that made it utterly impractical for anyone other than a terrorist group with ludicrously deep pockets to field.

In the original design the drone's systems are operated by no less than seven Virtual Intelligence programs, each handling a specific cluster (sensor suite, navigation, primary weapons, secondary weapons etc), with one redundant VI monitoring the others, ready to assume control in the event of software failure. The tank is completely autonomous although orders can be issued from a Command and Control center or escorting forces, and information can be relayed from the Floodwall to the same. The localized nature of the programs, combined with constant monitoring and checking of the data streams by the VIs themselves, make the mech far more resistant to hacking attempts and electronic sabotage than simple LOKIs or YMIRs as well as infinitely more adaptable to changing situations on the battlefield; thus allowing it to employ it's extensive set of equipment to devastating effect.

Said equipment includes the obvious (namely the fuckhuge accelerator cannon), in addition to multiple heavy MA turrets, AA GARDIAN, mortars, and literal banks of missiles. Treads give the Floodwall an impressive landspeed while collapsible stabilizer legs provide a solid firing platform and allow the mech to traverse normally impassable terrain. And last, but certainly not least, armored plates and a massive hardened kinetic barrier, shelter both the mech itself and its escort from enemy fire.

Due to the resource intensive nature of the Floodwall (even for Cerberus), the mechs were relatively uncommon sights during the War; making appearances during a handful of commando strikes by Cerberus troopers against heavily fortified targets as well as some of their bloodiest battles, where defending units were torn apart by concentrated Floodwall fire.

In a touch of irony, the schematics were finally "acquired" by the technocratic Malsolaris Complex from a Cerberus factory on Sypon during Operation Green Seas; approximately ten weeks after Complex forces had been forcibly evicted from the planet by the aforementioned terrorist group. The design has been heavily modified since, altered into something far more practical for most militaries (both state and private) to deploy. The AA network has been stripped entirely, the turrets reduced in number and significantly downsized, leaving the unit to depend more on its escort rather than its own firepower. The number of VI's and associated processing power has also been downgraded from seven (exorbitant) to four (much more reasonable), cutting efficiency and on the fly adaptability by moderate but appreciable margins. That being said, the racks of missiles, mortar cannons, main gun, shield, and overall tactical flexibility remain fully intact.

The modern Floodwall, the one that has found its way into the hands of warlords and corporations allied with the Complex, is not the implacable engine of war that Cerberus created, but neither is it a foe to be taken lightly.
Role: Blasting things to itty, bitty charred pieces from a couple miles away or up close and personal.
Notes/Interesting Shit: I saw the picture and thought "Well, that's a Cerberus tank drone". Kinda grew from there.

Class Name: Naga Assault Ship
Ship Classification: Corvette
Description:

The Naga Assault Ship was a revolution in subversive offensives for Cerberus and a nasty surprise for their victims. Put into production 2 months before the Reaper War, the Naga was designed to rush into combat zones with low to moderate defenses and destroy them before the enemy had a chance to wonder where the hell all the new contacts had come from. Attached to the hull of a larger support ship such as a frigate or cruiser, the Naga would hitch a ride closer to the action, then detach and speed towards enemy defensive installations. Naga attach themselves to areas that exude the most heat and put themselves on low power to avoid arousing suspicion from enemy sensor sweeps, with LADAR scans deflected via low powered EMP fields. What may appear to be a small Cruiser can suddenly divide itself into multiple parts and reveal itself to be large Frigate with a wing of attached Nagas.

Over armed and under protected for a ship of its size, the Naga relies on surprise and sudden, overwhelming attacks, lacking the staying power of a traditional ship even a third of its size. Numerous thrusters dot the hull, giving it excessive maneuverability. Though too small for Thanix cannons to be reliably equipped, the ship does have missile tubes capable of being modified to launch Thanix missiles.

After the firing of the Crucible and the reconstruction of the relays, Cord-Hislop has gone from being a Cerberus front to a strictly Alliance aerospace company. All schematics for the ship have been seized by Alliance officials, and rumor has it that it will be producing its own variant soon. In the meantime, isolated Nagas may remain in former Cerberus bases, waiting to be looted by enterprising Terminus scavengers.

Role: Destroying static defenses, scattering light defense lines.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Thanks to Mr_Sandman for the new name, and for help with designing the ship.

Class name: Al-Kindi
Ship classification: Carrier
Description: While an innovative concept, the Alliance’s pre-Reaper War carrier design and doctrine was widely considered by military experts to be ineffective as an capital ship design, with reasons ranging from lack of maneuverability due to its sheer size, the logistical issues of maintaining the ship’s massive eezo core, and with improving anti-ship weaponry including GARDIAN and Thanix cannons and missiles that made sending waves of fighters as an anti-ship tactic, impractical. The new Al-Kindi class carrier is meant to be an improvement on these past design flaws. With a smaller hull, and a more compact core, the Al-Kindi class’ design is meant to demonstrate the carrier’s modified role as a mobile attack craft, deploying fighters and mechs to conduct reconnaissance and harass enemy fleets, allowing the allied fleet to close in and engage. While it is still vulnerable to fire from heavier ships, the Al-Kindi is not defenseless and boasts the latest GARDIAN laser defense system along with a complement of Thanix anti-ship missiles. Presently, the Alliance has launched the class’ namesake and is set to be commissioned sometime next year following shakedown trials. An additional two more carriers under construction are nearing completion.

As a drawback, the Al-Kindi's smaller size renders her unable to transport and deploy large numbers of troops compared to its predecessor, the Zhang He class. As such, the Alliance intends to have the Al-Kindi fulfill an additional escort role for her sister class.

Role: Patrol and Support ship in fleet actions.

Notes/Interesting Shit: Special thanks to Havoc for explaining what the Alliance’s post-war carrier doctrine could be.



Class name: Harpoon
Ship classification: Fighter
Description: As part of a general reformation of the Alliance Navy’s defense doctrine, the F-64 Harpoon is seen as an attempt to improve upon past fighter designs and to render them viable as an effective anti-ship weapon against GARDIAN defenses. The Harpoon boasts ablative armor to soak up damage from GARDIAN lasers and carries a Thanix cannon designed specifically to be mounted on fighters, along with a complement of two Thanix missiles. As a consequence though, the Harpoon’s design sacrifices the maneuverability of the F-61 Trident which may pose problems when engaged in combat with other interceptors or unmanned mechs. Presently, the Harpoon has exited the prototype stage and is set to undergo its first performance trials. Depending on the success of these trials, the Alliance hopes to begin introducing the Harpoon into active service within the next five years.

Role: Multi-role interceptor and anti-ship fighter.

Notes/Interesting Shit: Again, my thanks to Havoc for the more technical details. And to Deku for the pic.

"The Athena has become, and will remain, a bastion of security in this harsh present of trying times and need for a sign of protection on the streets, and in the renaissance of humanity to come, as the Athena and her ilk leads the way to a better, safer tomorrow." -- Nia Obdwale, Head of Rolls-Royce PDV Department.

Class Name: Rolls-Royce "Athena" Patrol and Defence Vehicle

Classification: Athena PDV/Athena

Role: High-Risk Patrol Duties, Civil Protection, Military Reconnaissance, Low-Intensity Combat

Description: In the immediate aftermath of the Reaper War, some military strategists pointed out the remarkable lack of light combat vehicles used by non-military organisations that could nevertheless feasibly reinforce a garrison, particularly police forces and local private security organisations, who often found themselves lacking any organic armour component in both isolated and combined operations with the System Alliance ground forces and others, aside from the usually obsolete handed-down Grizzlies from the Alliance if they were fortunate.

The System Alliance military therefore contracted out a resurgent Rolls-Royce - who, some might argue, were desperate for any contracts to keep themselves afloat after having to work on promises for a large extent of the war - to come up with a lightly armoured, but fast and powerful armoured vehicle to defend against "light military incursions by opposing forces", but also be suited for police and security work, with emphasis on its manoeuvrability and ability to excel in urban combat. The original proposal of a far larger, six-wheeled vehicle - codenamed "Zeus" - that could also act as an APC floundered after the Alliance felt the project was far too expensive to merit the cost. However, after interest was shown from both C-Sec and Hierarchy departments in other theorised proposals, Rolls-Royce proceeded to move onto the current design, with a few added touches over the original specification thanks to the extra subsidies, and the Athena first rolled off the prototype training grounds and onto the city streets three months ago.

The Athena features all-round 130mm coverage of reinforced and ablative-shelled composite armour, tested to be practically impervious to current small-arms technology, with it's unusual shape and slopes as a method of adding potential ricochet chance against heavier projectiles that could penetrate the plating. The refurbished Mako engine plant, renamed "Typhoon" by RR, was streamlined to decrease weight and increase efficiency without sacrificing internal protection. The Athena takes two crew, one driver and one main gunner, who controls the main armament of a lengthened 155mm main cannon based off of the main armament of the M35 Mako. The Athena's gun, however, has been fitted with recently developed improved eezo firing chambers and a longer barrel to add the punch requested by Alliance authorities, with excellent results seen so far in testing against Mako-equivalents. It also has two standard issue machine-guns, one in the cannon mantlet and one 180-degree arc fixed position installed directly above the driver's window. Its true advantages, however, are in its speed and cornering. The renovated Typhoon plant, combined with a generally lighter frame and weight than the Mako in total, allow for roughly 30km higher speeds on good ground, with about 15km extra achievable on rough surfaces. Whilst notably lacking the manoeuvre-jets of the Mako, it compensates with a specialised chassis and suspension allowing for effective cornering at far higher speeds and angles, with negligible effect on the ride quality for the two crew. It also has multiple reinforced plates under the armour to allow effective use in roadblock and police chase scenarios.

So far, the Athena has proved remarkably popular with Alliance Military Police stations on Earth and re-connected colonies, where it has excelled at civil defence and in limited pacification operations against pirate raids on outer colonies. Whilst it has yet to be tested in a true "invasion" situation, the System Alliance has been highly complimentary of the new vehicle, and the Sheffield plant has already begun to export the Athena in small numbers to C-Sec heavy response details, with RR's first off-Earth factory plant being formally laid down on New Alaris. Hierarchy interest in the vehicle at this time remains unclear with it's current usage by the Systems Alliance military, but Rolls-Royce personnel have since gone on record stating that selling the Athena to the Hierarchy was "not impossible in the short or long term if certain guarantees were met."

Notes/Misc.: A former Rolls-Royce employee was arrested after attempting to steal one of the very early model Athena's and lead a ram-raid on Rolls-Royce's corporate headquarters as revenge for perceived transgressions. The fact that he was only stopped with the Athena protoype being totally destroyed by intervening Systems Alliance close-air-support fighters was later used by RR as a sales pitch. Rumours of the Athena being used as a core chassis for variant models dependent on specialised configurations have so far been denied by the Rolls-Royce PDV Department.

[[Also, props to ConceptTanks blogspot for the image, and Alex Jaeger in particular. And please feel free to use them if you have a good reason to do so, just buzz me on IRC or as Serpentis on the old CDN so I can preen at finally doing something good for this site ;)]]

Greenback bulldozer and trailer combination on Mars

Name:'GREENBACK' UATV 474

Classification: Utility All Terrain Vehicle

Description: Designed in 2154 and manufactured thereafter at the venerable Uralvagonzavod production complex in Russia, Eurasian Union, the UATV 474 nicknamed Greenback due to its usual paint scheme has spread across the known galaxy through legitimate sales, licensed productions and pirate copies thanks to its affordable and sturdy characteristics.

Originally intended for Martian operating conditions, the Greenback's design has been revisited and amended accordingly as new worlds and markets opened for exploitation. The most recent revision that was being made shortly before the outbreak of Reaper Wars was mark 6.

The Greenback is modular in nature, and can operate either alone or in caterpillar mode, dragging one or more motorized trailers on missions. All models have overpressurized cabins to keep the dust or other contaminants out, and vacuum models includes a small airlock between the hatch and rest of the cabin to prevent complete evacuation of air. Greenback's mode of transportation are rubber tracks driven by roadwheels, and it is capable of amphibious operations as well. The basic model does not have an eezo core, making the vehicle quite affordable, if not clumsy by modern standards. The eezo core models are much lighter and faster. Other optional models such as the bulldozer kit here include search-and-rescue, cargo mover, hazardous exploration and much more.

Class Name: Rainier
Ship Classification: Dreadnought
Description: The Rainier class dreadnought is a Systems Alliance post-war design currently under consideration as the Alliance Navy's next generation dreadnought. Lessons were learned during the Reaper war, one of the many lessons was how inviable dreadnought class craft are as a rule at close range. In knife fight battles Frigate and Cruiser class ships could easily outmaneuver a dreadnought and by weight of numbers slowly deliver death by a thousand cuts.

The Rainier class aims to rectify that. Fitted with thrusters on the port and starboard sides of the hull as well as aft, the Rainier is designed for making quick turns with a far tighter radius than any other craft in its classification. The result is a far more maneuverable dreadnought, this combined with UV GARDIAN batteries and batteries of broadside mass accelerators make the Rainier capable of going toe to toe with craft at ranges of a mere few thousand kilometers. The disadvantage is a sacrifice of several hundred meters of length, limiting the size of the Rainier's main gun, as well as the necessity of making both the eezo core and the power plants proportionately larger. While nothing can be done about the increase in the size of both the core and the power plants, Alliance engineers hope to compensate for the shorter spinal cannon by making the Rainier the first Alliance dreadnought to be armed with Thanix weaponry. Hopes are high for this class and the Navy hopes to begin testing the class leader by 2193.

An Apostle on an exercise in the Devouring Sands Proving Grounds.

"Fear is but a lesson, and the Apostles are capable teachers."
-Archdidact Alexander Anturon, Holy Conclave XII of the year 2187

Class Name: Apostle
Vehicle Classification: Mechanized Exoskeleton
Description: The Apostle project was the result of a joint venture between two rather unlikely partners: the theocratic Va'liat and the mercenary interests of the Titan Corporation. Loose allies during the War corporate auxiliaries, including several battalions and a small flotilla from the MSS, were critical in securing a number of core systems against assaults by indoctrinated forces. When the relay network was disabled after the Crucible event, the Conclave opened their doors to the stranded men and women. Personal bonds and lines of formal communication were formed between Titan commanders and members of the Church's administrative structure; thus when the Omega primary relay was reconnected and contact reestablished with Titan headquarters, the lucky, and somewhat confused, executives found themselves with no few friends in some rather high places.

The Apostle is one of the products of such a friendship: scavenged Cerberus technology claimed by the corporation, company researchers and Church didacts, coupled with the not inconsiderable manufacturing capabilities of the Va'liat. At heart, the Apostle is a mechanized combat exoskeleton optimized for rapid deployment and battlefield mobility. Sporting twin primary thrusters on the back as well as jump jets in the suit's leg apparatus, Apostles can traverse even some of the roughest terrain with impressive speed and relative ease.

Typical armaments encompass the vast majority of heavy and vehicle mounted weaponry in addition to military grade omni-tools and fabricators built into the Apostle's forearms. Omniblades, collapsible electric batons contained on the outside edge of the suit's arms, combat apps, and raw servo enhanced strength make even an "unarmed" Apostle a formidable opponent.

These benefits, of course, are not without cost. Firstly and most importantly, the average fresh off the assembly line model with associated pilot training and maintenance is an order of magnitude more expensive than a simple infantry man. Secondly, the Apostle, being a very new model, has yet to achieve the widespread saturation of the Ascetic, its predecessor. Thus, there are far fewer modifications, upgrades, and patches available for the Apostle despite the newer model being pound for pound significantly deadlier.

Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, recent months have seen the older, bulkier, and more unwieldy Ascetics gradually being phased out for the Apostle line. Although more expensive to produce and field than the average soldier Apostles are far, far cheaper than mechanized units such as the Cerberus Atlas and more tactically flexible than a YMIR or most other pieces of heavy armour.
Role: Dropping from orbit and crushing the enemy underfoot, tip of the spear shock troop, generally fucking up your day
Notes/Interesting Shit: All the components (jet packs, powered armor, fabricators, and what have you) exist in ME. Thought it would be interesting to put them together in a package that's basically a more practical Atlas.

Class Name: Zheng He
Ship Classification: Carrier
Description: The newer class of pre-Reaper War Alliance carriers in service, the Zheng He took what the Alliance learnt with the older, FCW-era Einstein class and ran with it. As a result the class is more efficient than its predecessor, with increased barrier strength and better space usage, allowing for massive numbers of support craft and troops.

The carrier serves a twofold purpose: serving as a mothership to fighters, interceptors and other craft and also to deploy large units of Marines, as the class is optimized to carry large amounts of people and material. A Zheng He class can carry several wings of fighters and large units of Marines. While close to useless in ship-to-ship combat-its lack of weaponry beyond defensive GARDIAN lasers and the vulnerability of its flight decks mean it must avoid sustained fire from other ships-the carrier's size allows it to fulfil an important role in Alliance planetary assault doctrine

However the Zheng He has the ever-present issue of many capital ships-a lack of maneuverability, which when combined with its necessary flaw of having two holes in its armour (flight decks) and a lack of weaponry beyond defensive GARDIAN batteries can leave it vulnerable if its retreat is not handled carefully.

Role: Troop transport/small spacecraft deployment
Notes/Interesting Shit: It's a fuckload of people. The zheng he serves a different role to al-Kindi-one of the few way the Alliance has to move its troops in bulk. Named after this guy: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_He (thanks sandy!). And the Benjamin Davis was one of these.

Class: Scorpion
Classification: Light IFV
Role: Reconnaissance, Rapid Response, Ambush, Light Infantry Support

Description: Over the years the Alliance has received many reviews of the M35 Mako. Many of them leveled complains of various kinds. The poor handling. The atrocious suspension. The Scorpion IFV is a post war IFV designed to take over some but not all of the Mako's responsibilities.

Armed with a pair of turreted 80mm high velocity autocannons the Scorpion's main armament is somewhat smaller than the Mako's. It makes up for this with a much higher rate of fire, nearly three hundred rounds per minute, and an extremely high muzzle velocity, nearly double that of the Mako's 155mm gun. It is more lightly armored, however the Scorpion's higher speed, precision handling and low profile are expected to compensate for this weakness. In addition a next generation power plant provides enough energy for both the ridiculous muzzle velocity of the twin autocannons as well as generating a far more powerful barrier than normal for vehicle of its class. In addition to its main armament the Scorpion possesses a pair of side mounted missile pods which can be loaded with armor piercing, incendiary, warp, and cluster munitions in order to adapt to various roles on the battlefield.

The first Scorpions are already in service and the Alliance hopes to begin phasing them into their regular arsenal by the turn of the century.

IS-2 Irrandu Attack Platform
Classification: Wing in Ground Effect (WiGE) attack vehicle
Role: Rapid strike, harasser
Manufacturer: Kathil Vehicle Production

An entirely different take on combat vehicles, the Irrandu uses the Wing in Ground Effect to move at incredible speed over any terrain; by acting as a combination fixed-wing aircraft and hovercraft, it can divert more of its engine thrust to forward movement. The effect was a fast-strike vehicle that could go anywhere.

Weapon-wise, the Irrandu doesn't disappoint; a pair of EST-2 light mass accelerators give it ranged bite, and a four-tube missile launcher lets it hit tougher targets with tandem-charge ammo.


Flanker Heavy Infantry WiGE
Classification: Infantry fighting WiGE
Role: Infantry insertion, assault support
Manufacturer: Starshield Armor Production

Built around the concept of both supporting infantry assaults and acting as armor support, the Flanker carries a whole platoon of soldiers into battle. To punch its way into the target zone, it carries a FTS-2 Heavy Cannon, mounted to distribute the recoil evenly, while a pair of seven-tube missile launchers let it soften up targets who don't need the full brunt of the cannon. A pair of machineguns let it defend itself against infantry attack.


Aeris II Gunship - 'The Flying Tank'
Classification: Assault Gunship
Role: tank killer
Manufacturer: Kest Tankworks

The Aeris is an unusual gunship, produced by a company that had never dealt in gunships before. When Kest Tankworks found they were unable to source anti-tank missile launchers, they decided to use something they had a lot of: tank cannons. The Aeris II was built around a mainline SRV-2 'Bushwack' heavy rifle, a weapon that normally would be mounted on a medium tank. Despite the heavy nature of its weapon, the gunship is both survivable and maneuverable; its XL-200 engine gives it a great deal of thrust, while a heavy shield core and hardened armor let it survive attacks most similar vehicles would be mission-killed by.


PVL-2 Pulverizer
Classification: Main Battle Tank
Role: General Ops
Manufacturer: Kest Tankworks

After building the Aeris, Kest Tankworks got another request: build a tank that could perform multiple roles at once effectively. Building around the proven MSR-3 Heavy Rifle, the tank was given a pair of SVS-2 'Twinshot' direct-fire missile launchers and five indirect-fire missile tubes, letting it lay down a barrage of missile attacks that could level the vast majority of foes. For power, an FST-3L fusion engine gives it a high top speed for such a tank, while heavy armor and barriers prevent it from being easily killed.

Model Name: XM-60 "Tiger
Role: Main Battle Tank
Description: While the Scorpion IFV was designed with the problems of the Mako in mind, The XM-60 Tiger was designed with a completely different problem all together. As SAMC officers were complaining over the lack of Armor Support, specifically the SAMC's lack of an actual Main Battle Tank. As such, the XM-60 Tiger was designed, with its 155mm main gun as well as a coaxial MG, to provide armored support on the field. While not as mobile as the Mako or Scorpion IFV, The Tiger can be stored and airdropped from various aircraft.

Class Name: Reconnaisance and Survellaince Atmospheric Drone (RSAD), 'Rook'
Ship Classification: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Description: While robotic warfare is limited by the constraints of VIs, the expense of training and equipping human soldiers and the morale loss, PR damage and costs of losing such individuals convinced a young Alliance to look into drones for auxuliary purposes.

The 'Rook' is one such drone. Used by the SAMC and SAN to conduct recon and survellaince missions while mitigating the constraints of shipboard imaging for some purposes and the risk of sending human personnel, the RSAD is used to enter buildings, monitor enemy movements from a low altitude, locate precision targets for orbital strikes and generally be a nuisance.

The Rook's onboard systems are almost exclusively dedicated to imaging (thermal, em, nightvision) and tactical sensors, with its only armanent a defensive shock. As such the Rook is never used in a fire support role but occasionally as a 'spotter' for larger drones such as the FSAD and Alliance units, uploading data to them and acting as eyes.
Role: Reconnaisance and low altitude survellaince.
Notes/Interesting Shit: 'They make up for lack of numbers with sophisticated technical support (V.I.s, drones, artillery, electronic warfare) and emphasis on mobility and individual initiative.' Since this from the codex has never been elaborated on, here's some Alliance drones.


Class Name: Fire Support Atmospheric Drone (FSAD), 'Albatross'
Ship Classification: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Description: Significantly larger and with a bigger bite, the FSAD is used in a fire support role in combat. After the Reaper War, the use of drones by the Alliance increased, as the large casualties sustained by their forces compounded manpower issues. While not as versatile as a Marine due to being limited to VI programming, the advantage of the Albatross is its comparative cheapness and, similiar to the Rook, disposability.

The Albatross is armed with four mass accelerator guns, allowing it to provide significant fire support. While its imaging tech is not as sophisticated as the Rook, it may interface with the Rook and recieve targeting data from it. As the Rook is smaller, the Albatross may carry and operate in conjunction with a RSAD.
Role: Fire Support

A Gryphon, assault variant, ready for deployment.

"Fuck Gryphons."
-Rako Helasess, Day 18 of the Greenspire War, Day 3 of rebel forces engaging MSS armoured units.

Class Name: Gryphon
Vehicle Classification: Armour
Description: The Gryphon was Hydra Armaments's second attempt at breaking into the market for military vehicles. The first, the Sphinx, was, by all accounts, an overdeveloped, overcomplicated, overgunned piece of junk that nearly sank the entire department right out of the starting gate and it was only through decent sales throughout the rest of Hydra that the subsidiary as a whole didn't follow.

The whole ordeal taught the company a number of necessary (and painful) lessons. Namely, just because you have the prettiest tank, doesn't mean that it's going to be able to compete in the marketplace. A concept that was taken to heart with the design and eventual launch of the Gryphon eighteen months later.

An imposing yet decidedly unlovely vehicle the Gryphon takes inspiration from a rather unlikely source: Stymphalian Aerospace, the aviation wing of the Titan Corporation. In short, the Gryphon is durable, efficient, and highly modular. A "naked" model has little more than a front mounted heavy MA cannon in terms of armaments. The assault package adds a very large primary cannon with 360 degrees of rotation and another rear mounted heavy MA turret, useful for targeting incoming gunships and shuttles. Transport adds a rear carriage with an extra set of treads that expand the existing troop hold plus a trio of antipersonnel autocannons. Artillery adds banks of missiles and mortars. Multiple Hydra approved sets of upgrades exist that retrofit the Gryphon into, among other things, a mobile command center, a communications and sensor hub, and a laboratory.

A small, on-board, eezo core allows the Gryphon to traverse rough or unstable terrain at a reasonable speed without becoming immediately bogged down by its own weight.
Role: All of the everything.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Often kind of difficult to find things that fit the ME aesthetic, picture was too good to let go to waste. :P


A Karkinos lying in wait.

"So we're coming in low right, giving the boys on the ground some CAS, burning the fuckers out of their holes. Next thing you know we've lost the right thruster, KB's are folding, and the entire bird is spiraling out of control. You see they waited, they waited, until we were nice and committed before turning those fucking things on us. They were everywhere, stuck to the buildings like ticks or some shit.

After they brought down the gunships the suits sent them into the streets. You could hear the screaming from the wreck."
-Lt. Jeremiah Duncan 9th Battalion, Nelson Security Forces; survivor of the assault on Port Crown


Class Name: Karkinos
Vehicle Classification: Mobile Unmanned Weapons Platform
Description: There are some who would call the Karkinos nothing more than a turret with legs. That, of course, is patently false; the Karkinos also has an onboard primary thruster, eezo core, and maneuvering jets to allow it to rapidly cover ground (legs can only go so fast after all).

One of Hydra's newer product lines, launched only several short months before R-Day, the Karkinos is a highly mobile, highly modular mechanized unit. Capable of traversing terrain in, occasionally literal, leaps and bounds the mech is protected by a lightweight yet durable casing, hardened KBs, and a defensive antipersonnel electrical matrix. The primary armament is customizable and ranges from heavy accelerator cannons to mortars to anti-materiel guns to bona fide artillery and anti air armaments.

The set of arthropod like legs at the base of the unit fill several crucial roles. Firstly, they enable the mech to cross rough and unstable terrain such as rubble, mud, and mountains. Secondly they provide a stable firing platform for the mech's primary armament in order to ensure accuracy and mitigate the effects of recoil. Thirdly, and perhaps most impressively, in conjunction with the Karkinos's element zero core the legs can anchor the turret to vertical surfaces as well as the exteriors of gunships and larger vehicles.
Role: 360 degree fire of whatever floats your boat.
Notes/Interesting Shit: Just a bit of fluff to flesh out one of Titan's subsidiaries.

Name: Lampropeltis Defense Drone
Role: Anti-support escort
Armament: GARDIAN lasers

Upon seeing a Lampropeltis for the first time, most observers comment that it looks like someone covered a Kodiak shuttle with a few too many banks of GARDIAN lasers. This description is somewhat crude, but not entirely inaccurate. Molurus Aerospace's engineers designed the defense drone by replacing life support and crew space with a stronger power plant, additional capacitors, and larger internal heat sinks. Four banks of GARDIAN lasers have been attached to the outer hull, allowing it to fire in any direction. Since the Lampropeltis can be brought inside a standard shuttle bay for maintenance, the GARDIANS use long range ultraviolet frequencies.

The drones use the same mass effect field propulsion as their Kodaik progenitors, though their increased mass gives them reduced acceleration. The Lampropeltis is capable of masking its heat emissions while not in active combat mode, allowing a network of drones to make devastating first strike on enemy fighters that still believe they're out of GARDIAN range. Once their stealth capabilities are blown, they can deploy moderate strength kinetic barriers to protect against mass accelerator rounds from frigates and fighters.

Lampropeltis drones are usually deployed into a "web" around 30-40 km away from the parent ship, doubling or tripling the range of its anti-fighter defenses; more well equipped forces can use multiple layers to increase range or increase drone density to improve increase drone density. Standard doctrine is for the drones to lie in wait until all enemy strike crafts are within GARDIAN range and attempt to incapacitate the entire wing at once.

Advantages: Powerful GARDIAN lasers, Can mask heat emissions when not engaged in combat, Weak FTL capability.
Disadvantages: Poor maneuverability, High computational requirement on the parent ship's targeting systems, Large number of drones required to provide effective coverage.

Amerigo landing on Skardai.

"They're like seeds in a way: one of these ships can build an outpost from scratch, outpost grows into a settlement, settlement develops into a city, and the city builds even more ships."
-Vesric Hevantus, Velactatum Industries Aerospace Engineer

Class Name: Amerigo
Ship Classification: Industrial
Description: The world of the vast transtellar corps scattered throughout the galaxy is one of constantly shifting alliances and social networks; given the proper set of circumstances even somewhat friendly enemies can find themselves in bed together.

For the Titan Corporation and Velactatum Industries the dire economic forecast in the immediate aftermath of the Reaper War was more than enough to convince the two organizations to collaborate on a number of projects to help ensure mutual stability. The Amerigo Project was a short term solution to the dearth of raw materials and resources available to both parties and, in the long term, a tool that would enable the corporations in question to expand, consolidate, and industrialize at a previously unprecedented pace.

Titan provided the work crews, engineers, and dry docks; Velactatum the schematics and raw materials. The result is a spaceborne factory the size of a decently large cruiser. What the Amerigo lacks in defenses and weaponry (that is to say, nearly everything aside from substandard KB's) it compensates for with titanic heatsinks, cutting edge fusion plants and efficient power systems, plus some of the most advanced fabrication systems available on any market. Capable of landing directly on a planet via a proportionately large eezo core a single Amerigo with enough raw materials (which they almost always have in abundance) can erect mining operations, manufacture prefabbed housing, drone swarms, basic factories and industrial centers in addition to more specialized buildings provided that the operators hold the proper schematics.

Prime, juicy targets for pirates, raiders, and privateers an Amerigo is a significant investment of resources that is typically guarded appropriately.
Role: Construction, re-construction, expansion
Notes/Interesting Shit: Actually concept art from Prometheus, apparently not everything from that movie was utterly ridiculous :P.

An Iskal in the badlands of New Ethiopia.


"For every fifty designs that the Libraries and Universities produce that are deemed 'impractical' or 'useless' sometimes you get one that suddenly makes sifting through all those blueprints and specifications so worth it."
-Rear Admiral Iliana D'Sano, Malsolaris Complex Navy, 12th Defense Flotilla

Class Name: Iskal
Vehicle Classification: Super Heavy Support Platform
Description: The first draft of the Iskal was a supertank the size of a cruiser with the power to blast ships from orbit. After being informed by Malsolaris High Command that such a vehicle would be a. obscenely expensive and b. utterly useless when it got sniped from halfway across the system by an actual cruiser, the engineers in question scrapped the design, somewhat miffed that nobody told them beforehand that it wouldn't work.

Rescued from deletion by a junior assistant who spent his nights and weekends tinkering with the design (more as a hobby than anything else) the new, revamped Iskal was submitted for consideration before the Committee and, to the surprise of almost everyone, (especially the lab tech) received an almost overwhelmingly positive response. The Iskal was no longer the incredibly complex white elephant it once was. Able to be constructed out of multiple, smaller, easily fabbed sections the Super Heavy Support Platform is essentially a base on wheels, allowing a proportionately small occupying force to project power across widely dispersed settlements and substantially larger populations. Carrying with it a full battalion, armour, with a platform and refueling stations for a gunships at the rear, the Iskal has all the necessary tech for a full command center.

Fusion reaction plants, eezo cores, banks of heavy MA cannon, missiles, ablative armor and hardened KB's, Iskals are highly mobile fortresses; capable of traversing all but some of the roughest terrain at a top cruising speed of 80 kph. Cheaper than filling every population center with garrisons and able to go toe to toe with virtually every piece of armour that an enemy might field they still lose out to space bound forces.

But frankly if you lose orbital superiority you're already pretty much boned.
Role: Oppression on the Go
Notes/Interesting Shit: Bit of an exercise in making something large and set piece like that would actually work in ME.