Your Nation's Main Battle Mech (No Tanks)

[Kusthet]

This is our standard mech...

(Image)
This is the concept art of the actual mech.

Which replaces around one hundred standard tanks (defining standard tank by one equivalent to an M1 Abrams)

The beast costs a high $3 000 000 000 ($3 Billion) to build and outfit with weaponry and is considered experimental, but can wreak havoc in combat and can effectively engage land, air and naval units.

It is heavily armed and armored and is living hell to eliminate, requiring perfect teamwork and resources to do so, and despite being large and bulky this spider can travel up to 70mph in short bursts and maintains an average of 40mph while walking and 22mph while climbing hills or traversing bumpy and difficult land.

Nuclear land-mines at strategic locations. Even if they don't actually kill it the blast wil probably throw it over onto its side or back...

Not even. Look at how exposed those upper leg joints are, just hammer them with direct-fire or guided weaponry to mobility kill it.

Also, the weapons are all facing forwards, and don't look to be able to rotate to view all facings, which means that once it's mobility killed, you can pretty much approach with impunity. Ancestor-class mechs, especially those with railguns or other anti-landship weapons could strap themselves to hovertank mobility units and run circles around it through the uncovered quadrants, infantry could likely get close enough to hammer the soft, juicy underbelly, or traditional armour units could slug away at external components.

Replacing 100 M1A1 Abrams, in a PMT/FT environment needed for these to be viable is also not much of a bragging point.

All of that said, the idea of one of these rolling ineffectually on it's back like a turtle is hilarious.

Anyway, here is one example of an ancestor-class mech;
(Image)
Featuring four autocannon (Two firing AP/I shells, and two firing a buckshot-like ammunition), a radar extender array, several secondary and tertiary optical sensors, a customised frontal plate, rear-mounted grenade launchers, remote-operated viewing drone, and digitgrade legs, Ancestor Devries started his service as a suppression gunner for the commonwealth fleet. A tragic mishap where Commonwealth marine forces landing ships were grounded by hostile fire saw him crushed from the waist down under billions of tonnes of durasteel and high-temperature ablative armour. He was selected for the Ancestor programme due to his well-known stubborness and refusal to back down. He terms his new role as 'vehicular, gunship, and power armour suppression', and believes that he excels at the role.

The basic arrangement of the Ancestor-class is visible here, as a majority of this class, especially those who work in tandem with infantry forces, choose to deploy in similar arrangements, the digitgrade legs providing balance and mobility, at the cost of a reduced final payload, and the pod-based armament containers currently holding 25mm autocannon are compatible with most infantry support weapons.

((No, the crucified image on the front of his mech is not because he believes he's the messiah. He's bigger than jesus, by at least 6 feet.))

[Senestrum]

I suggest that that if you go into any details then this should be a "battery" as in some sort of high-tech 'super-capacitor' or similar primarily Physics-based concept (maybe, just as an idea, with its description including technobable about room-temperature superconductors?) rather than an actual electrochemical cell like the ones for which we use the term 'battery' today, because [1] electrochemical batteries actually have lower energy-densities than the best chemical fuels and [2] something like a capacitor would be better than a chemical cell for producing the sudden bursts of increased power that you'd need both for the "jumps" and for firing directed-energy weapons.

All my infantry weapons are kinetic-based so the directed energy thing's not such a big deal. What's the best way to get most energy density by volume in a capacitor; one big one or lots of little ones?

Highest energy density capacitor? That's easy. Antimatter.

What? You asked.

[Ularn]

All my infantry weapons are kinetic-based so the directed energy thing's not such a big deal. What's the best way to get most energy density by volume in a capacitor; one big one or lots of little ones?

Highest energy density capacitor? That's easy. Antimatter.

What? You asked.

The battery is behind the pilot's head.

I am not putting an antimatter bomb behind my pilot's head.

I am not putting an antimatter bomb anywhere!

[Kusthet]

Highest energy density capacitor? That's easy. Antimatter.

What? You asked.

The battery is behind the pilot's head.

I am not putting an antimatter bomb behind my pilot's head.

I am not putting an antimatter bomb anywhere!

*clears throat, enters technobabble mode*

The main power cell is based around a stabilised lattice of microscopic black holes surrounding a capacitor of anti-matter developing a high initial burst flow of energy, at the cost of sustained battery life. These capacitors are nominally charged through standard means, a specialised and carefully-monitored inverted current, the energy of which can be stored indefinately, but will wear down over about 6 hours of normal high-intensity combat. The black hole lattice protects the pilot of the heinlein from the radiative effects of Anti-matter, and will absorb a vast majority of the energy expelled in case of a short circuit, sudden discharge, or containment failure. While the positioning of the power cell is an issue, situated high and behind the pilot, several containment walls and specialised venting panels are used to make this method of power supply as safe as possible for the operator.

*exits technobabble mode*

Can you work with that? Too soft sci-fi? The idea of a 'stabilised lattice of black-holes' is stolen wholesale from 'The Collapsium', a pretty good read, actually. Although in that book it's utilised somewhat differently. I figure if you could have the tech base to develop antimatter capacitors, you'd have the tech base to create such a thing.

if not, your best bet is some kind of 'supercapacitor'. Though if you go that route, you have a whole suite of problems to look at, like the chance of sparking on a short circuit, and working around a relatively low power output. Problems that can be worked around and likely would have solutions found, but still...

[Ularn]

If I'm edgy about the idea of putting antimatter in my tech then I'm positively terrified of using black holes. Bear in mind this is a piece of combat equipment designed to bounce around a battlefield and black holes and antimatter are notoriously uncomfortable with the idea of being jostled. I'll stick with some sort of FT supercapacitor.

[Bajireyn]

Not sure what this counts as but I'm going to post it here because everyone seems to rage when its posted in the MBT thread...



So anyways here it is the, MBT/X-Mk.20-1144A CRAAB prototype , a bunch of letters and numbers that mean absolutely nothing!
Also its a prototype that will probably never see combat in any form whatsoever.

Lastly does anyone have any Idea on what the stats for this would be?

[Raw Nation]

Since Raw Nation has been transformed into dinosaurs we use the M1A1 "Brontosaurus" heavy combat flame mechasaur -

[Senestrum]

Not sure what this counts as but I'm going to post it here because everyone seems to rage when its posted in the MBT thread...

(Image)

So anyways here it is the, MBT/X-Mk.20-1144A CRAAB prototype , a bunch of letters and numbers that mean absolutely nothing!
Also its a prototype that will probably never see combat in any form whatsoever.

Lastly does anyone have any Idea on what the stats for this would be?

OMG SOMEBODY POSTED THIS PICTURE IN THE RIGHT THREAD

I LOVE YOU

[Bajireyn]

Not sure what this counts as but I'm going to post it here because everyone seems to rage when its posted in the MBT thread...

(Image)

So anyways here it is the, MBT/X-Mk.20-1144A CRAAB prototype , a bunch of letters and numbers that mean absolutely nothing!
Also its a prototype that will probably never see combat in any form whatsoever.

Lastly does anyone have any Idea on what the stats for this would be?

OMG SOMEBODY POSTED THIS PICTURE IN THE RIGHT THREAD

I LOVE YOU

Yay

[The Anglo-Saxon Empire]

OMG SOMEBODY POSTED THIS PICTURE IN THE RIGHT THREAD

I LOVE YOU

Yay

Hip hip hooray

[Kel-Morian Alliance]

The Kel-Morian Alliance's primary battle mech is the THOR.

[Kusthet]

Ancestor Devries says hello. IN COLOUR!

So basically, the Ancestor cockpit/Life support system works much like the psuedo-tech in robocop, or the Emperor's golden throne. It basically shunts enough power to ensure that the heart will continue beating, and the brain continues thinking, hardwired as it is into the control systems of the mech as a whole. It's powered seperately to the rest of the mech, due to certain problems about integrating living tissue into the Ancestor's bluebox control system, namely that you can't replace an ancestor pilot, each ancestor unit is purpiose-built around the remains of the pilot inside, and each life support system is different, to suit the one occupying the cell.

Now, the issue here is, should I also go the supercapacitor route for powering the life support system, use a self-perpetuating ogranic matter fuel cell (such as algae or similar), or just handwavium to power this mostly handwavium system?

The rest of a mech's components are powered by addon power units that range from photovoltaic generators to hydrogen cells to batteries stolen from inspired by the heinlein project.

[Hetland 2]

Hetlander Titan.
Data censored by the Daemon-Doctor Vesuvius Hetlan.

All data from the Hetlander Titan corps is inconsistant and can not be made into a feasible report. What we have here is at best shoddy guesswork.
-Daemon-Doctor Vesuvius Hetlan
Average height: Anywhere from 60 to 100 feet tall. Or something like that.
Average weight: I dunno a hundred tonnes or so?
Average cost:
Average armament: ... How'm I supposed to average out things that aren't numbers???
Impracticality: Max.
Fear factor: Max
Bonus features: It can step on people really easily!

[Bajireyn]

(Image)

Ancestor Devries says hello. IN COLOUR!

So basically, the Ancestor cockpit/Life support system works much like the psuedo-tech in robocop, or the Emperor's golden throne. It basically shunts enough power to ensure that the heart will continue beating, and the brain continues thinking, hardwired as it is into the control systems of the mech as a whole. It's powered seperately to the rest of the mech, due to certain problems about integrating living tissue into the Ancestor's bluebox control system, namely that you can't replace an ancestor pilot, each ancestor unit is purpiose-built around the remains of the pilot inside, and each life support system is different, to suit the one occupying the cell.

Now, the issue here is, should I also go the supercapacitor route for powering the life support system, use a self-perpetuating ogranic matter fuel cell (such as algae or similar), or just handwavium to power this mostly handwavium system?

The rest of a mech's components are powered by addon power units that range from photovoltaic generators to hydrogen cells to batteries stolen from inspired by the heinlein project.

That thing inside the cockpit looks like some sort of horrible zombie....

Seriously,who would volunteer to join your mech corps?...Or do you just kidnap people,cut them to pieces and put them in mechs?...or do they function something like 40K's dreadnoughts and serve as mobile sarcophagi for horribly injured troops?

[Kusthet]

(Image)

Ancestor Devries says hello. IN COLOUR!

So basically, the Ancestor cockpit/Life support system works much like the psuedo-tech in robocop, or the Emperor's golden throne. It basically shunts enough power to ensure that the heart will continue beating, and the brain continues thinking, hardwired as it is into the control systems of the mech as a whole. It's powered seperately to the rest of the mech, due to certain problems about integrating living tissue into the Ancestor's bluebox control system, namely that you can't replace an ancestor pilot, each ancestor unit is purpiose-built around the remains of the pilot inside, and each life support system is different, to suit the one occupying the cell.

Now, the issue here is, should I also go the supercapacitor route for powering the life support system, use a self-perpetuating ogranic matter fuel cell (such as algae or similar), or just handwavium to power this mostly handwavium system?

The rest of a mech's components are powered by addon power units that range from photovoltaic generators to hydrogen cells to batteries stolen from inspired by the heinlein project.

That thing inside the cockpit looks like some sort of horrible zombie....

Seriously,who would volunteer to join your mech corps?...Or do you just kidnap people,cut them to pieces and put them in mechs?...or do they function something like 40K's dreadnoughts and serve as mobile sarcophagi for horribly injured troops?

The latter. Entirely the latter. as I have said before.


A bit of a template for making your very own ancestor mechs. The weapons to fill those weaponpods have not yet been drawn, unfortunately, and it's stock-standard components only, but it's enough to see how it all fits together.

[The Germania Alliance]

I don't really use mechs, but if I had to RP some....

The Wolverine is a small, lightly armored mech. It is infamous for being a deadly anti-personnel platform, with its dual 25mm GAU-12/U miniguns, and is capable of speeds up to 30mph (48kph). As the armor boasts little protection against heavy ordinance (such as 25mm cannons), it is commonly used to support infantry and light-utility vehicles during combat/peacekeeping operations. It is a favorite of airborne divisions, as it is light enough to be equipped with parachutes.

It should be noted that the Wolverine does not replace the Humvee currently fielded by the Germanian military. It is often viewed as the 'heavy infantry' of the infantry, but is not considered to be 'power armor.'

[The Germania Alliance]

(Image)

Okay, that's sexy. Gruesome, but sexy.

[Saurisisia]

-Snip-

Heh, gotta love Wolverines. Now there's a badass-looking walker.

[The Germania Alliance]

-Snip-

Heh, gotta love Wolverines. Now there's a badass-looking walker.

Yeah, it's always been one of my favorite CnC units.

[Ularn]

Heh, gotta love Wolverines. Now there's a badass-looking walker.

Yeah, it's always been one of my favorite CnC units.

I don't see why you wouldn't want to call it power armour though. Stuff like the Wolverine or my Heinlien Armour are close enough to the power armour/mini mech cutoff that you can probably call them either.

[The Germania Alliance]

Yeah, it's always been one of my favorite CnC units.

I don't see why you wouldn't want to call it power armour though. Stuff like the Wolverine or my Heinlien Armour are close enough to the power armour/mini mech cutoff that you can probably call them either.

I mean, it's piloted, and the Wolverine doesn't conform to the pilot's body. In CnC, there are power armored units (such as the Zone Trooper), whereas the Wolverine was always considered an AFV/mech. That's just how I look at it though, I see your point in that it could be called either.

[Ularn]

I don't see why you wouldn't want to call it power armour though. Stuff like the Wolverine or my Heinlien Armour are close enough to the power armour/mini mech cutoff that you can probably call them either.

I mean, it's piloted, and the Wolverine doesn't conform to the pilot's body. In CnC, there are power armored units (such as the Zone Trooper), whereas the Wolverine was always considered an AFV/mech. That's just how I look at it though, I see your point in that it could be called either.

As you say, it could be called either. My Heinlein suit (basically a Wolverine but with more guns, more armour and a jump pack) gets called Power Armour because the Heinlein Project was intended to create a superheavy infantry unit rather than an actual vehicle, even though it has a pilot rather than a wearer and my troops also already have light power armour as standard.

[The Germania Alliance]

As you say, it could be called either. My Heinlein suit (basically a Wolverine but with more guns, more armour and a jump pack) gets called Power Armour because the Heinlein Project was intended to create a superheavy infantry unit rather than an actual vehicle, even though it has a pilot rather than a wearer and my troops also already have light power armour as standard.

In the Command and Conquer universe, the Wolverine was supposed to complement the Titan, which was basically the same thing, just bigger and armed with a 120mm cannon. I'm basing the 'mech' title wholly off of the game.

[Strykla]

Huzzah! Mandatory trashcan.

Anyway, if I had to use a mech, I would certainly choose from Battletech as they are the only ones that make it at least feasible. The Mangonel and/or Bushwhacker are both good choices because they have sloped armor. I really the the Mad Cat but it's cockpit is terribly exposed; it makes up for that in power. But in the end, I choose Warhammer IIC.

[Minroz]

When the widespread climatic changes severely altered the Iclamia's landscape due to millennia of nuclear warfare, the Minrozian military developed an assault vehicle to handle these new diverse conditions by employing a more versatile anthropoid structure. Later duplicated by the Omaskan forces in the form of the L5 Gigante, the Minrozian T-39 Baghatur Battlewalker changed the face of Iclamian warfare forever. The T-39 Baghatur is the most recent adaptation, shielded with full-coated, high-impact armor and an embedded Advance Defense System (Advanced countermeasures in the form of force-field) and supplied with an assortment of attack options, counting radar-guided, high-damage impulse rockets and a pair of heavy-duty auto-cannons. Like most Minrozian-designed vehicles, mass-producable and reliable.

The Baghatur is arguably more powerful in terms of weaponry than the Gigante, with its high powered plasma auto-cannons. However, the rate of fire of the Gigante gatling guns make up for the loss of brute force.

Specifications

Weaponry

• Two Heavy Duty Plasma Auto-Cannons (100mm shells)
• Two Radar Guided Impulse Rocket Racks (with 80 rockets)
• One Top Mounted AA/Support High Caliber MG
• Two Thermal Guided EMP AA Missile Tubes Armour
• Full Coated- High Impact Composite Armour Defences
• ADS

Capacity

• One Pilot
• One Gunner

Propulsion

• One High Powered Drive Engine
• Two Pistol Hydraulic Armoured Traversal Legs