Vehicle Compilation Thread

[Kereminde]

Courtesy of "Dragonmack" and @Packrat on the old HBS forums, I bring to you (mostly unedited) the presentation by Dragonmack and analysis of variants by Packrat. Sadly, the threads are too large to simply copy and paste but . . . well here you go. If you catch an error in the data, it may be an original error, not a transcription error. Don't shoot the messenger. (We shoot back.)

Once more!

The vehicles are being discussed primarily based on knowledge of their tabletop statistics, and them being available in the vague time period. Some of these are not available except inside certain areas which are not the location known as "The Aurigan Reach", a lot of these are also naval ships, VTOLs (helicopters), or hovercraft which HBS had some trouble coding properly as a movement type. Even so, HBS has to build the models from scratch rather than get them from someone else. So the notation of "will be in the game" is currently accurate and more may be added at a later date. However there is little chances of it, save for hovercraft - only slightly greater, since they have to handle the weird movement behavior and profiles.

And as before, Packrat did an analysis of most of the variants listed as existing (some of which never even were put into production, and missing a couple due to simply forgetting or not being familiar enough).

I make no guarantees or promises about the upkeep of this list, though I shall try.

Vehicle Master List

5 tons
Savannah Master

20 tons
Packrat Long Range Patrol Vehicle
Skulker Wheeled Scout Tank
Warrior VTOL

25 tons
Harasser Missile Platform
J. Edgar (May be in game later)
Scorpion Light Tank (Will be in game)
Sea Skimmer (Naval Asset)

35 tons
Hunter Light Support Tank
Pegasus Scout Hovertank
Saladin Assault Hover Tank
Saracen
Scimitar Medium Hover Tank
Striker Light Tank (Will be in game)

40 tons
Hetzer

45 tons
Goblin Medium Tank

50 tons
Condor Heavy Hover Tank
Drillson
Maxim Hover Transport
Vedette Medium Tank

60 tons
Bulldog (Will be in game)
LRM\SRM Carrier (Will be in game)
Manticore Heavy Tank (Will be in game)
Pike Support Vehicle

65 tons
Patton Tank
Rommel Tank

75 tons
Monitor (Naval Asset)
Von Luckner Heavy Tank

80 tons
Demolisher Heavy Tank (Will be in game)
Partisan Heavy Tank
Schrek (Will be in game)

85 tons
SturmFeur Heavy Tank

95 tons
Ontos Heavy Tank

100 tons
Behemoth Heavy Tank
Neptune (Naval Asset)

The following units are not in this document, but have been confirmed to exist inside the game.

Wheeled APC
Vargyr APC
Swift Wind Scout Car
Galleon Light Tank
Mobile Headquarters

 

[Kereminde]

Savannah Master Hovercraft

Tonnage: 5 tons
Movement: 13\20
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: ML
Armor: 1.5 tons
Heatsinks: 10

Advantages: Speed, Speed and more Speed. Is among the fastest vehicles available. Easily maintained and repaired. Good front protection. Can take up to a PPC on the Front Armor. Large number in existence with almost 2000 models produced.
Disadvantages: Lightly armed and armored. Small size prevents mounting more than a medium laser. Armor on sides and back is very weak to compensate for front armor. Unable to build anymore currently. The Savannah Masters power comes from the 25 rated Omni Fusion Engine, which is not being produced anymore. The Savannah Masters current existence owes to the over 2000 engines that were discovered from salvage.
Tactics: Designed as lightning fast cavalry units to get in and cause damage with their ML while using their tremendous speed to avoid counterattacks. They are especially threatening in numbers and being a hovercraft allows them to function in a variety of terrains.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: The Savannah Master is basically a medium laser with a motive system attached -- a very fast motive system. It exists to provide firepower as cheaply as possible, and does very well in that regard. This is Exhibit A in how to maximize the potential of vehicles to make them effective against mechs: One of the primary weaknesses of combat vehicles is that any hit can crit them, so the Savannah Master just says, "I won't get hit then." Its speed means it poses a backstabbing threat to even the fastest mechs, and its low BV means you can field a ton of the things. Even a single Savannah Master can be surprisingly difficult to kill, so a swarm can be downright devastating.

 

[Kereminde]

Packrat Long Ranged Patrol Vehicle

Tonnage: 20 tons
Movement: 7\11
Movement Type: Wheeled
Armament: SRM-6, Flamer
Armor: 4 tons
Heatsinks: 10

Advantages: Good speed, equivalent to all but the fastest light mechs. Decent all around armor. Able to deal with paved and off road terrain. In abundant supply and availability throughout the Inner Sphere.
Disadvantages: Being wheeled, is still limited or unable to move in very rough or swamp terrain, or able to deal with rivers without a bridge or shallow fording spot to cross. While having a bite, still has only short range weaponry and armor will not stand up to more than a very limited engagement.
Tactics: With a fusion engine eliminating the need for refueling and 8 sturdy hard rubber wheels, the Packrat is able to traverse road and off road terrain equally well. Not intended to engage in front line combat, but it does pack a nice punch with the SRMs for use against other light vehicles or even a light mech and the flamer gives it some protection against infantry attacks. Is able to carry up to 10 passengers making it also able to bring along a small squad of infantry or other specialists needed on missions.
It's best use is as an independent long range scout and deep penetration missions where it can get behind the enemy lines and use its powerful communications to provide intel and artillery spotting.

- Packrat's Notes -
PKR-T5: If you take this vehicle into a standard BT game, you're doing something wrong. This vehicle needs campaign play to really shine, because it's not designed for combat, but rather as a transport. Ever hear of the Desert Rats from WWII? There's no doubt in my mind the Packrat was inspired by how they used their Jeeps. For those who don't know the details, the short version is that it's designed to swiftly-yet-covertly carry troops into a remote target area, unload them and assist in causing as much carnage as quickly as possible, and then get them the hell out of there before the enemy knows what hit 'em. Its speed, armor, and weapons loadout are all very well suited to this mission, but this dedication to its niche means it's rather substandard in other roles. Because it's primarily expected to only fight against infantry and light vehicles in its standard role, you can also use it as a pure combat unit against such forces in a pinch. Its speed means it can scout, and its combination of speed and an SRM-6 means it can serve as a cheap critseeker, but generally speaking there are units that can perform any of these other jobs more effectively.
PKR-T5 (ICE): This model is a pure downgrade, having to drop armor and its anti-infantry capacity to mount an engine that now burns fuel. In campaign play (where you ought to be using this thing, remember), it's cheaper to acquire and easier to maintain, but it has worse performance and costs more over time due to the need to keep it fueled.
PKR-T5 (ML): This variant simply swaps the flamers for medium lasers, losing its anti-infantry capability for extra anti-armor firepower. This makes it less effective within its niche, but more suitable as a general purpose combat vehicle. Seems like a good choice for units who have extras of these things and need the flexibility, but if you have the option, a vehicle designed for regular combat would probably be better than this particular variant. Still quite good, though, especially as a guardian paired alongside the base model.
PKR-T5 (SRM-2): This goes in the opposite direction of the ML variant, decreasing its raw firepower by downsizing the SRM rack to increase the size of its infantry bay. It is now far less effective as a fighting machine, but settles itself into its niche even further -- load one of its ammo bays with infernos to really cause some mayhem! I'm not sure I'd replace the base model entirely with this variant, but it would be an excellent vehicle to mix in as part of a formation of Packrats to increase the effectiveness of its mission while still retaining some fighting capability just in case things don't go quite as planned. Mix all 3 fusion engine variants together for maximum effectiveness.

 

[Kereminde]

Skulker Wheeled Scout Tank

Tonnage: 20 tons
Movement: 7\11
Movement Type: Wheeled
Armament: ML
Armor: 4.5 tons
Heatsinks: 3

Advantages: Plentiful, especially to the Combine, as it is in active production on Alshain. Roomy interior. Only needs 2 people to operate but has accommodations for 4, making it easier on crews doing extended operations. Armor is higher than most vehicles and even most mechs at this tonnage.
Disadvantages: ICE engine means it needs to refuel , limiting operational field time. Speed, while very respectable, is not enough to avoid several standard light mechs.
Tactics: Traditional scout duties and rear area harassing and raiding against lightly or undefended targets. Lacks the Packrat's ability to put troops on the ground, but its ML is adequate for destroying soft targets such as fuel and ammo dumps.

- Packrat's Notes -
(Note: Minor edit in the notes due to reasons. -Editor)
Standard: Like the Packrat, this is a vehicle that thrives in campaign play. The Skulker is going to be doing one thing, and one thing only: scouting the enemy. You'd think this would be fairly straightforward, but the limited mobility of wheeled vehicles and the Skulker's speed of only 7/11 means it's highly vulnerable to enemy fire. "Only 7/11?" Yes, only. That speed is great for scout mechs in 3025, but wheeled vehicles have to go around many obstacles mechs can just go over, which makes its movement predictable and slows it down. Those are two things you don't want to happen to your scout. In fact, there are enemies the Skulker can't outrun or outfight. So what good is it? Well, it's pretty damn cheap, so you can buy a ton of the things and use them to form a picket line, or just park them near bottlenecks in the terrain that the enemy is likely to pass through. This kind of "passive scouting" is where the Skulker excels. As soon as it makes contact with the enemy, it can use its speed to hightail it out of there. This makes it more survivable than the infantry that usually occupies this niche.
MG: Instead of a scout vehicle, this variant seeks to become an APC. It accomplishes this by dropping the medium laser and its heat sinks and replacing them with machine guns and an infantry bay. Its speed means it can deploy rapidly, and its machine guns can clear the area of hostile infantry. It can't do jack against enemy armor, though, so unless you're facing strictly soft targets, it's best to get the Skulker out of dodge once it's disgorged its cargo, and wait in a safe place until they need to be retrieved.
SRM: This variant replaces the medium laser and heat sinks with an SRM-4 and two tons of ammo. One ton of ammo for an SRM-4 is 25 shots, which is more than enough for the limited fighting this vehicle will see. Therefore, it's likely best to load one of the ammo bins with infernos. This allows it to set fires to cover its escape once it has made contact with the enemy. Whether you take this or the base variant is up to personal preference, but overall I'd say the base variant is probably better. First, no ammo reloads means it's cheaper over the course of its life, and low cost is one of the Skulker's primary assets. Second, no ammo means it's less likely to blow up should it be caught by hostile fire, a key consideration for vehicles because they can suffer a crit from any hit.

 

[Kereminde]

Warrior VTOL

Tonnage: 21 tons
Movement: 9\14
Movement Type: VTOL
Armament: AC\2, SRM-4
Armor: 1.5 tons
Heatsinks: 0

Advantages: Fast moving, faster than almost all Battlemechs in this time period. Can sting at long range and avoid return fire from mechs with only short or med range weaponry. Can strafe at short range with the missile launcher.
Disadvantages: Very light armor. Is probably going down if it gets hit by anything.
Tactics: Best use is to stay at long range and keep contact with an enemy group allowing reinforcements to be guided to the enemy. In numbers the Autocannon can become a dangerous weapon against light mechs as the range allows the Warriors to do damage beyond most light mechs weapons range. But its fragility means it has to avoid coming into direct fire range of the enemy as its armor is bare bones at best. Anything more than a MG or Sm L is probably going to down it.

- Packrat's Notes -
H-7: Its speed and ability to fly may make you think this would make a good scout. You would be mistaken. The job of the Warrior is to stay as far away from the enemy as possible and plink away, using the combination of its range, high movement mods, and nonthreatening reputation to make the enemy want to shoot at something else. The instant the enemy can start getting even remotely reliable shots at it, it's dead. The H-7 sticks the hardest to this niche, using the longest ranged weapon available to maintain the greatest distance possible from the enemy.
H-7A: Dropping the SRM-4 allows this variant to mount a larger AC/5, though its only backup is a single machine gun. This is something of a mixed bag. On one hand, the Warrior's mission profile means it doesn't need much in the way of short ranged weapons, so the loss of the SRM-4 isn't such a big deal. On the other, the AC/5 has a shorter range than the AC/2, leaving it more vulnerable. This is a superior variant if it still manages to outrange its opposition, but it's dangerous to use it against opponents armed with small autocannons, PPCs, or LRMs.
H-7C: This is pretty much everyone's favorite Warrior variant, and for good reason. By replacing the AC/2 with an LRM-10, the H-7C puts out, on average, 3 times the damage of the H-7 with only a marginal decrease in range, and it still keeps the SRM-4. It has a longer range and a greater punch at both long and short range than the H-7A. It can't outrange enemies quite as easily as the H-7, but the majority of opponents will only be able to match its range, not exceed it, and it still has those great movement mods to protect it. The shorter range is a liability, but the H-7C makes a strong argument that it's worth the risk.

 

[Kereminde]

Harasser Missile Platform

Tonnage: 25 tons
Movement: 10\15
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: 2 SRM-6
Armor: 1.5 tons
Heatsinks: 0

Advantages: Very fast with a big punch in almost all the variants.
Disadvantages: Paper thin armor can be penetrated by anything bigger than a Med Laser, and a ML will strip all the armor from where it hits. Only prevalent in the Free Worlds League, very uncommon elsewhere.
Tactics: Get in fast, deliver your missiles, get out faster. Other variants have the option to hang back at range instead of getting up close like the primary variant, but the main concept is still the same, move fast, keep units spread as one hit will likely disable you.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Ironically, the Harasser makes a poor harassment platform because it just can't afford to take a hit. What it is, is a closer. You keep it out of the fight until the enemy has some holes in their armor, then dart in and attempt to finish them off. On the next turn, you use its speed to disengage before the hopefully-now-dead enemy's teammates can get a good shot in. This is the only tactic I can think of for the Harasser that doesn't amount to suicide.
Flamer: This variant replaces the SRM-6s with eight (8!) flamers. This thing can turn a platoon of infantry to ash in a single turn, but you'd better hope they don't have anything besides small arms because if they do, the need to get into extremely short range to bring its flamers to bear means it might be the Harasser that goes up in smoke.
LRM: See, now this is a harassment platform. Replacing the SRM-6s with an LRM-10 means it can keep its distance from the enemy, using its speed and range to make itself almost (and sometimes literally) impossible to hit, and its additional ammo stores mean it can continue firing all game long, even able to afford taking risky shots. This is by far the best Harasser variant, able to actually live up to its name without getting itself killed.
Mini-Peggy: This variant downsizes the SRM-6s to SRM-4s and uses the mass freed up to mount a remote sensor dispenser and an additional ton of armor. The Mini-Peggy variant thrives in campaign play, being both more durable and able to serve as a capable scout. I still wouldn't put this thing in the thick of battle, though, because it's still quite fragile.

(The MUL has a listing for a Harasser Laser Platform, and Sarna mentions a couple of variants with lasers, but I don't know their stats, so can't comment.)

 

[Kereminde]

J. Edgar Light Hover Tank

Tonnage: 25 tons
Movement: 11\17
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: ML, 2 SRM-2
Armor: 6.5 tons
Heatsinks: 10

Advantages: Very high speed, over 110kmh normal or over 180kmh at full throttle. Well armored. Has nearly 2 tons of armor just on the front of the mech alone and a ton and a half on the turret, giving it excellent protection. Can even absorb a PPC shot to the rear before penetrating the armor.
Disadvantages: Weaponry is all short ranged, requiring it to get close to its target. If fusion engine is damaged, ICE replacements drop its top and cruising speed by over 33%.
Tactics: Mostly designed as a cheap, fast and effective fighter against infantry and other light tank vehicles, its weaponry is usually outmatched by Battlemechs its size or larger. But it does have the armor to come in for some strikes and the speed to get out quickly, provided its on favorable terrain. Variants add flamers and\or MGs in place of the missile racks for better infantry fighting support.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: With high speed, good armor, and firepower on par with mechs the same size, the J. Edgar acquits itself well as a front line combat machine and scout. It doesn't have the hitting power to pose much threat large units, but against enemies in the light and medium weight classes, it can deftly use its speed to attack weak points while making return fire a difficult proposition. You need to pick your targets carefully, though, because the J. Edgar is vulnerable to enemies that outrange it. When facing such opponents, it's best to provide a distraction so the J. Edgar can slip around and hit the enemy in the rear, then skedaddle on out of there.
Flamer: Swapping the SRM-2s for flamers, this variant is ideal when facing APCs, able to use the flamers to quickly take out both the APCs and the infantry while retaining the laser for defense from units that may be accompanying them. It no longer has the firepower to take on any other kind of hard target, but is quite effective within its niche.
ICE: Like all fusion-to-ICE swaps, this is a pure downgrade. The engine rating had to be reduced, dropping its speed to 8/12, and it also loses one ton of armor. It can still do the same jobs as the base model, but much less effectively and with a far reduced chance of survival.
MG: This is very similar to the flamer variant, only it exchanges the SRM-2s for machine guns instead. It fills the same niche, but instead of the utility of flamers, it has a higher chance of hitting with an anti-infantry attack due to having a total of 4 machine guns. This allows you to use the maximum range of the MGs to make yourself harder to hit, basically doing spray-and-pray passes against enemy infantry. Because the flamers of the other variant can destroy vehicles as well as infantry, the MG variant is much less effective, with its anti-armor firepower taking the form of the medium laser and trying to score crits with the MGs, which isn't nearly as desirable as what happens when you set a vehicle on fire.

 

[Kereminde]

Scorpion Light Tank

Tonnage: 25 tons
Movement: 4\6
Movement Type: Tracked
Armament: AC\5, MG
Armor: 4 tons
Heatsinks: 0

Advantages: AC\5 gives it long range capability, MG gives it some anti-infantry capability. Very common, in good supply. replacements and spare parts readily available. Cheap. Tracks allow it to traverse rougher terrain than wheeled counterparts.
Disadvantages: Very slow for a light vehicle. Armor is average at best. Known for poor quality control from manufacturer, so has a host of minor problems that can crop up. Lacks secondary firepower beyond the Autocannon in main version.
Tactics: They are cheap and best used in numbers. The AC|5 provides only a small amount of damage, but in numbers those small amounts add up. It's protection is not likely to survive more than a couple solid hits and its lack of speed means it can't run away from most of its opposition. Not something that has a high life expectancy on the battlefield, but is very affordable to those who don't have deep pockets.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Slow and not exactly well-arrmored, the Scorpion makes itself valuable by providing long range firepower at a rock bottom price. No one is afraid of a single Scorpion, but being able to put a dozen 5-point shots into a target from 18 hexes out is enough to make even assault mechs nervous. You simply get yourself a ton of the things, park them in a nice defensive position with good sightlines, and dare your opponent to weather the volley of fire if they want to take them out.
LRM: Doubling down on the Scorpion's fire support role, this variant exchanges all of the base model's weapons for an LRM-10, LRM-5, and an extra ton of armor. Because the Scorpion is only really good for fire support, this increased emphasis on that role makes this the superior variant. It's only marginally more expensive, but has increased range and averages almost twice the damage per turn of the AC/5. That damage is spread out, making them exceptionally deadly to units that are already damaged, meaning this Scorpion variant can serve as an excellent last line of defense guarding an objective.
ML: This variant drops the autocannon in order to mount a pair of medium lasers and a cargo bay. If you need to move goods around on the cheap while giving them some measure of protection, this'll do it, but that's all it can really do, and it's not even all that great at it. It's probably not worth using outside of campaign play.
SRM: Making the usual first step of losing the autocannon, this variant mounts a pair of SRM-6s in its place. Only effective as an ambush vehicle due to its short range and slow speed, you still need to field these things in large numbers because if you don't take out the enemy fast, they'll rip through the Scorpions' thin armor in no time. There isn't a whole lot to recommend this vehicle over the bog standard SRM Carrier, but it can do in a pinch.

 

[Kereminde]

Sea Skimmer Hydrofoil

Tonnage: 25 tons
Movement: 12/18
Movement Type: Naval
Armament: SRM 4, 3 MG
Armor: 2 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Can operate in deep rivers, lakes, harbors and coastal areas that are too deep for battlemechs to move in or tracked or hover vehicles. Can provide assault from an unexpected quarter if not expecting to deal with naval forces Has excellent speed in its environment.
Disadvantages: Can only be effective in terrains with rivers, lakes, harbors or coastal areas with adjacent adjectives or forces. Only produced (and pretty much only used) in the Skye and periphery regions of Lyran Commonwealth space. Very thin armor. All close range weaponry forces it to be within a quarter kilometer of its targets.
Tactics: Obviously tactics are dictated by the terrain it can operate in. Which is rivers, lakes, harbors, or as support for coastal facilities. However in these environments it can provide a nasty option as it speeds in to deliver a strike and speeds out again to avoid return fire to its mostly inadequate armor. Obvious targets it can be effective striking at are dams, warehouse and storage facilities located in harbor or coastline areas, docks, bridges,etc.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Like all water-based units, the Sea Skimmer will really only see use in scenarios, the RPG, and as the OPFOR in campaign play. It's a faster, less heavily armed, water-only version of the Harasser. The base model of the Harasser isn't all that great to begin with, and the Sea Skimmer is almost completely inferior to it. I could see it being useful in an RPG where you're playing as the Lyran Coast Guard or something, because it does have sufficient firepower to be a threat to anything masquerading as a civilian vessel, but in standard BT play its lack of versatility, armor, and range makes it useless in most situations and very vulnerable in the few where it's actually able to contribute something.
SRM-2: This variant replaces all of the weapons with 4 SRM-2s. This is an inferior version of an already poor vehicle. At any given time, you can still only put 4 SRMs into a target, and because the SRM-4 of the base variant was turret-mounted, the SRM-2s being mounted on multiple facings doesn't actually increase your potential field of fire. If the Sea Skimmer is ever surrounded enough that it would have to fire on multiple targets, it's dead anyway. So, all told, you lose your anti-infantry ability for no gain.
SRM-6: Dropping the machine guns on the side facings allows this variant to upsize the SRM-4 to an SRM-6. This makes it more effective as a hit-and-run (or rather hit-and-swim-really-fast) vehicle, which is the Sea Skimmer's only real job in standard BT play, making it more effective in that environment, but the loss of the machine guns can mean this variant is worse off in RPG scenarios, which is where the Sea Skimmer is best at.

 

[Kereminde]

Hunter Light Support Tank

Tonnage: 35
Movement: 5\8
Movement Type: Tracked
Armament: LRM 20 , Flamer (r)
Armor: 6 tons
Heat Sinks: 10

Advantages: LRM 20 gives it both good range and good damage potential. Fusion engine means less need to refuel giving greater stamina and range in the field. Armor is fairly substantial, especially in the front where 2 tons of armor are situated. Tracks allow it to function in terrain wheeled vehicles can't. Common among most militaries, especially planetary garrisons and second line forces.
Disadvantages: Is all or nothing with the LRMs as only has a rear facing flamer otherwise. Flamer is not really situated to do more than create smoke screens to confuse enemy forces. Speed is not enough to get away from light and medium mechs that can get under its minimum range.
Tactics: Its a mobile LRM 20 launcher and its tactics are defined by that. It should set up somewhere in decent cover and provide direct or indirect fire support dependent on terrain. It wants to stay at a distance as it lacks close in defense or the speed to run away from light and medium mechs. It's armor allows it to stand up to counter fire for a time and its two tons of reloads give it enough missiles to last most battles.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: At first glance, this vehicle seems very similar to the LRM Carrier, but actually fills a different niche that enables it to find a place in any army. Whereas the LRM Carrier is intended to act as a redeployable turret, the Hunter is supposed to actively maneuver around the battlefield to bring its firepower where it's needed. Its LRM-20 gives even a lone Hunter sufficient firepower that any opponent has to take heed, and like all light vehicles, it is able to be fielded in sufficient numbers to provide a withering volley of fire. It lacks a turret and its armor is concentrated on its front facing, so treat it like a Claymore mine and make sure FRONT TOWARD ENEMY. Having no forward-facing weapons other than the LRM-20 and moving at a modest 5/8, the Hunter requires proper screening to survive.
Ammo: Removing the rear-facing flamer for an extra ton of ammo, this variant is a more effective fire support vehicle, but the drivers sadly lack the ability to pretend they're driving the Batmobile.
LRM-10: To allow the Hunter to defend itself, this variant features a pair of forward-firing medium lasers and side-facing machine guns, which necessitated downsizing the LRM-20 to an LRM-10. This armament is only threatening to lightly armored opponents and infantry, but the Hunter is fast enough to run away from most enemies with enough armor to withstand the medium lasers, so that's not such a problem. The bigger issue is the fact that its fire support capacity -- the entire reason for fielding the thing in the first place -- has been cut in half. It's more capable of operating unsupported, but fire support units really shouldn't be operating unsupported, so I don't think it's a trade-off worth making.
LRM-15: A compromise between the standard and LRM-10 variants, this one lacks the LRM-10 variant's medium lasers, but, as its designation says, mounts an LRM-15. If you're looking for a Hunter that can support itself, I'd say this is the way to go. The machine guns allow it destroy infantry attempting to get the drop on it, meaning you only really need to screen it from enemy armor. This allows you to specialize your fire support-support, making it more effective. Though firing more missiles is always better then firing fewer missiles, the LRM-15 is still a damn fine weapon, and you'll probably be fielding Hunters in numbers anyway. It's a matter of personal preference whether to take this variant or one of the LRM-20 models, but this is definitely a trade-off worth considering.

 

[Kereminde]

Pegasus Scout Hover Tank

Tonnage: 35
Movement: 8\12
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: 2 SRM-6, ML
Armor: 6.5 tons
Heat Sinks: 3

Advantages: Good speed equal to the fastest light mechs. Decent all around armor protection. Where most tanks concentrate armor on the front at the expense of the rear and\or sides, the armor protection is uniform for the Pegasus, giving solid protection from all sides. Good short range firepower.
Disadvantages: Lacks firepower past short range. Speed , while still significant, is a lot slower than most light hovercraft.
Tactics: Called a 'Harasser on steroids' it can be used in much the same way, though the Pegasus does have much better protection than the faster Harasser. Also the ML gives it some protection even after the missiles are exhausted. All around armor protection means it can have its back to the enemy as it retreats following a battle pass and not be at a serious handicap. But it still has to get in close to deliver its payload.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Fitting its name, the Pegasus is fast and deadly. Able to keep pace with all but the fastest mechs, the Pegasus is both a highly competent scout in suitable terrain and a dangerous backstabbing and critseeking threat with its SRM-6s. It also has a medium laser to provide some armor stripping ability, more reliably hit the 20 damage PSR threshold, and defend itself when its limited supply of ammunition is expended, but that's not why you bring it. You field the Pegasus to zip in, unleash a hail of missiles, and then dart out before the enemy knows what hit 'em. 12 SRMs is enough to pose a threat to any opponent, especially if it has an armor breach, but even if it doesn't, that many individual hits poses a serious chance of a TAC or headshot. Because it only has a single ton of ammunition to feed its pair of launchers, you have to pick your shots carefully to make the most of them. One possibility is to skirt around the edge of the battle, staying just out of range until an opportunity presents itself, then zoom in for the shot and back out to wait for another chance. Alternatively, you can speed around in the midst of the fight, making your opponent constantly account for the threat posed by the Pegasus's weapons. This is a much riskier tactic, but keeping your opponent second-guessing and accounting for potential attacks that may not even come can be highly valuable.
Missile: Dropping the medium laser and requisite equipment to make it work on an ICE-powered vehicle, this variant uses the freed tonnage to mount a 3rd SRM-6 and additional ton of ammo. It does lose the utility of the medium laser, but the sheer power of all those SRMs and the extra ammunition more than make up for it, which makes this the best variant IMO. You have 10 turns of fire, which is tight but workable. Overall tactics remain the same as the base model.
Sensors: Intended to enhance the Pegasus's scouting role, this variant downsizes the SRM launchers to SRM-4s so that it can field a remote sensor dispenser. The Pegasus's speed allows a single one to deploy a sensor net very quickly, and a team of them can cover even huge maps in no time. Once the sensor grid is up, the Pegasus can switch to a rapid response role, using its speed and firepower to quickly bring the fight to the enemy once they're detected. This ability to gain knowledge about the enemy's position without being spotted yourself and then swiftly mount a coordinated attack makes this variant an excellent choice for double-blind play, especially on maps featuring lots of water where you can launch a surprise attack from an unexpected direction.
Unarmed: This variant has no weapons, instead carrying a 12 ton cargo bay. In standard BT play, it's only really useful for deploying infantry, which it is quite adept at doing with its combination of high speed and good armor for its size, though its lack of any weaponry means it has to hightail it out of there once the infantry is deployed. In scenario and campaign play, it can also make a good objective vehicle (Make your players know the value of fielding light mechs!) and transport, able to swiftly carry cargo through hostile territory.

 

[Kereminde]

Saladin Assault Hover Tank

Tonnage: 35
Movement: 8\12
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: AC\20
Armor: 2 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Overwhelming close range firepower for its size. 3 tons of ammo lets it take some lower probability shots. Armor is heavily weighted on the front (which should be towards the enemy). Has very good speed, equal to the fastest light mechs of the period.
Disadvantages: Paper thin armor on the sides and back. Anything above a ML is going through the armor. No back up weaponry.
Tactics: It's basically a hover tank built around an AC\20. It provides a fast way to get heavy short range firepower into a battle, where one shot can destroy anything its weight or lighter and cripple anything up to half again its weight with one shot. And given its paltry side and rear armor, one shot may be all it gets if it doesn't use its high speed to get out of dodge quickly. its best use is to make high speed flanking battle passes, take the best shot it can with its AC\20 and then get out of range to try and set up another pass.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: It's a sentient AC/20. And it hates you. The short range of its weapon and weak armor on the sides and rear make using it tricky, because the enemy is going to be gunning for this thing and it can't take a hit. You need to find a way to approach close enough to fire the AC/20 while making sure all opponents are squarely in front of it, then hightail it out of there on the next turn. There are a couple of way sto play the Saladin. The first is a very conservative style, keeping the opponent's to-hit mods on it as high as possible, even if it means making your own shots harder, relying on its high ammo count and the fact you don't actually need to hit all that many times to make it effective. The other way is to play aggressively, making the enemy choose between leaving itself vulnerable to the Saladin or the entire rest of your unit. Most players will probably start out conservative and then switch to aggressive as the situation warrants. A possible trick to use is to "accidentally" leave a Saladin open to fire in such a way that attacking it will create an exploitable vulnerability, banking on the "JACKPOT!" sound effects playing in your opponent's head being too loud for them to realize that it's bait.
Armor: This variant simply trades 1 ton of ammo for 1 ton of armor. The conservative tactic becomes harder to play because you need to manage your own to-hit numbers more carefully, but if you're skilled enough to do so, this is definitely the better variant, practically a straight upgrade considering its higher effectiveness in the aggressive role.

 

[Kereminde]

Scimitar Medium Hover Tank

Tonnage: 35 tons
Movement: 8\12
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: AC\5. 2 SRM-2
Armor: 6 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Weaponry for long and short range. Decent all around armor coverage for its size. Good speed, equal to the fastest light mechs. Shares a lot of parts with its sister tank the Saracen, making repair and maintenance easier.
Disadvantages: Lacks significant firepower in either the short or the long range brackets.
Tactics: Kind of an in between tank compared to its sisters the Saracen and the Saladin. Has some direct punch with the AC, but not nearly on the scope as the Saladin. Has some short range missile fire to use against mechs and vehicles, but not as much as the Saracen or as much armor as the Saracen. Was designed to be paired with the Saracen in that its AC\5 could punch holes that the LRMs of the Saracen could exploit, and then both could close in to fire off the SRMs. Not as feared as the Saladin or as focused as the Saracen, it still carves out a place as a cheap, reliable and versatile hover tank, especially when paired with the other models.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Filling the middle ground between the Saracen and Saladin, the Scimitar is not as effective as either of those vehicles. Notably, its firepower is worse than the Saracen at both long and short range. You might think it makes up for this with more concentrated damage, because that's the usual thinking when comparing ACs to LRMs, but LRMs can hit in 5-point clusters, the same amount of damage to a single location as the Scimitar's AC/5, and the Saracen's LRM-10 will, on average, hit with 6 missiles, so that's a 5-point cluster plus an extra point of damage just for good measure, and it does this at a longer range. I really can't think of anything to recommend the Scimitar over the Saracen. If you're stuck using it, though, it plays very much like an inferior Saracen, because that's exactly what it is.
Missile: Ah, now we're talking. This variant replaces the AC/5 with an LRM-15 and additional ammo. This is basically a Saracen that has removed one of its SRM-2s to upsize its LRM launcher. This is far superior to the base model Scimitar, and I'd say it's even better than the Saracen. Again, the tactics are identical to playing a Saracen, though its superior long range firepower means it doesn't have to rely on hitting that 6-hex butter zone to effectively damage its targets, nor rely on crits for taking out vehicles.

 

[Kereminde]

Striker Light Tank

Tonnage: 35 tons
Movement: 5\8
Movement Type: Wheeled
Armament: LRM-10, SRM-6
Armor: 6.5 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Can deliver decent firepower at both long and short ranges. Good all around armor protection.
Disadvantages: Slower than hovercraft with similar armaments. Wheeled design limits the terrain it can be deployed on.
Tactics: Best works in an urban setting where it can use its LRMs for indirect fire and SRMs for short range ambushes. Doesn't have the speed to outrun the vast majority of mechs that would be deployed as vehicle hunters and its armor, though excellent for its size, still wont take a sustained pounding. Used mainly in AFFS space, but they have had some success with it, leading other successor states to also purchase it.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: The Striker is a cheap but otherwise lackluster little vehicle. It can attack at both long and short range, but its damage at either range isn't spectacular. Its speed and armor also aren't anything particularly special, merely average for a wheeled vehicle of its size. What makes it worth taking, as mentioned, is its low price tag. You can field a ton of these things, using sheer weight of numbers to make up for a single Striker's lack of efficacy. It that sense, it's quite a good garrison tank, its weapons loadout allowing teams of Strikers to take out enemies at any range. It's particularly good defending an objective, where your heaps of Strikers can whittle away the enemy's armor with their LRMs, then finish off anything that closes in with their SRMs. Even in more mobile battles, it's best to use this long-then-short tactic to mask the Striker's mediocre speed and armor.
LRM: This variant drops all of the weapons and replaces them with an LRM-15 and 4 tons of ammunition. This is just overkill in the ammunition department. I can't imagine a Striker surviving 32 rounds of contact with the enemy. If you want an LRM-15, there are plenty of other, better options. Should you find yourself stuck using it, though, it works as a mobile turret, just sitting and lobbing missiles at the enemy from as long a range as possible, backing up should anything attempt to close. With that much ammo, shoot at anything you have even the slightest chance of hitting.
SRM: Removing 1 ton of SRM ammo allows this variant to trade the SRM-6 for a quartet of SRM-2s. As I said, a Striker can't survive 30+ rounds of combat, so trading ammunition for firepower makes this pretty much a straight upgrade over the base model. The tactics remain the same, only now you have the potential to deal more damage at close range and all those SRM-2s mean you have a higher chance of hitting with at least a few missiles.

 

[Kereminde]

Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

Tonnage: 40 tons
Movement: 4\6
Movement Type: Wheeled
Armament: AC\20
Armor: 6 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Excellent short range firepower. Plentiful ammunition for its gun. Fairly thick front armor while still having decent side and rear protection. For those in the Periphery especially, comes in an affordable price.
Disadvantages: No med or long range weaponry. Much slower than mechs its size and most vehicles. Armor is decent, but not enough to take sustained fire. Wheels limit its terrain it can operate in.
Tactics: Used mostly in the Periphery and Liao space, it makes for a powerful and cheap garrison vehicle, and city ambusher. Its basically an AC\20 strapped to four wheels and an engine. Its gun commands respect, but also commands a lot of attention and it isn't fast enough to avoid any but the slowest mechs or vehicles, most of whom have long range firepower.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: The Hetzer is basically a vehicular Hunchback: it has an AC/20 and a buttload of variants. The base model is used much like a Claymore mine: You set it up in an area you want to defend or that the enemy is likely to pass through, wait for them to get in front of it, and then demolish them. It also works quite well as an urban combatant where it is difficult for enemies to outrange or flank it. The Hetzer's lack of range, armor, and speed make any other use of it not recommended. One advantage the Hetzer has over many other AC/20 carriers is that it actually has plenty of ammo -- 20 shots -- so once you've sprung one ambush, it's possible to reposition for another without having to bring the Hetzer in for reloading.
AC/10: This variant downsizes the AC/20 to an AC/10, and fills up the free mass with an additional ton each of ammunition and armor. I normally prefer the AC/10 over the AC/20, but I just can't get behind this variant. Raw firepower at a low price is the only reason to use a Hetzer, and this cuts its damage in half. You do get increased range and armor (and extra ammo, but 50 shots is super-overkill), which would seem to make the Hetzer a good generalist vehicle, but its slow speed, lack of a turret, and low armor for its speed profile mean it can't really fill that role. Ambushes remain the Hetzer's bread and butter, and this variant just isn't as good at it.
Laser: Dropping the AC/20 for a quartet of medium lasers and an extra ton of armor, this variant seeks to increase the Hetzer's longevity. Again, this variant just isn't as good as the base model. 20 shots for an AC/20 is plenty of longevity, so the very basis for this variant isn't warranted, and again the Hetzer's only real use in ambushing enemies has been compromised because it can no longer put all of its damage into a single location. It's better than the AC/10 variant, but doesn't really have much to recommend it over the base model.
LRM: Ah, here we see the first Hetzer variant besides the base model actually worth using. Instead of the AC/20, this variant features a pair of LRM-15s. It lacks any close defense weapons, but vehicles are cheap enough you can generally afford to bring dedicated bodyguard units. Like the base model, this variant makes an excellent defensive vehicle, pairing well with it by softening up the opponent at range, with the base model then springing the trap once the weakened enemies close in. They also make fantastic fire support platforms as long as you keep them properly screened.
Scout: Cutting the Hetzer's armor in order to add a remote sensor dispenser, this variant allows standard Hetzers to perform their job better by seeding approaches to whatever they're defending with sensors that warn of the enemy's approach. You can thus use fewer units to guard a larger area because you can position them after sensor contact to mount an ambush along the path you know the enemy is taking rather than having to cover all possible approaches, although given the Hetzer's slow speed, you'll have to place the sensor net far enough out to give the Hetzers enough time to respond. Despite its name, it's not a "real" scout, so don't go sending this thing off into hostile territory.
SRM: Another outstanding Hetzer variant, this one mounts a trio of SRM-6s with 3 tons of ammunition instead of the autocannon. This variant is the perfect complement to the base model, obliterating the enemy's internals once standard Hetzers have punched holes in their armor. That many SRMs also make this a terror to vehicles, able to easily score crit kills without even breaching the armor.

 

[Kereminde]

Goblin Medium Tank

Tonnage: 45 tons
Movement: 4\6
Movement Type: Tracked
Armament: LL, MG
Armor: 8 tons
Heat Sinks: 8

Advantages: Has a built in infantry bay that can carry jump troops, half a squad of infantry or a support weapons team in relative comfort. Decent amount of armor with even the rear able to take an AC\20 and the turret and front armor 50% more than that. LL is on a turret, giving it ability to fire in all facings. Main variants use of LL frees it from ammo resupply concerns in extended battles.
Disadvantages: Speed is comparable to slower mediums and most heavy mechs, meaning its not going to outrun most things that outgun and outweigh it. ICE engine means even though its weapon doesn't need reloading, the tank will need to be refueled regularly, limiting range.
Tactics: Designed for urban combat, and used extensively by the Federated Suns, its infantry bay lends itself well to combined arms tactics as it can transport support weapon crews for mobile infantry, or bring along half a squad of infantry to scout or hold buildings such as warehouses and factories ( that may contain valuable spare parts) or scouting small villages.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: For the most part, the Goblin is a decent but unremarkable vehicle. It has a turret-mounted main weapon and a front-mounted machine gun, a typical tank loadout. Its speed is pretty standard for tanks, and its armor is decent if slightly on the light side for its movement profile. What sets the Goblin apart is its integral infantry support. It can carry a squad of infantry and deploy them within a zone it wants to control, then fight alongside them. The Goblin therefore excels fighting near rough terrain or in tight confines like canyons and cities, where enemy movement is slowed or predictable, making them vulnerable to the Goblin's infantry and easy targets for its large laser. The Goblin itself should try to avoid entering rough terrain when fighting, though, because although its armor can shrug off a few good shots, it's not heavy enough to withstand a sustained pounding.
LRM: Instead of the large laser, this variant carries a pair of LRM-10s with 3 tons of ammunition. This variant just doesn't seem as good as the base model. The Goblin simply doesn't carry enough infantry to deter an enemy from closing in, and it lacks effective backup weapons. The infantry isn't even needed to protect the Goblin from enemy infantry, because this variant still carries the machine gun. By making its infantry largely superfluous, this variant negates the entire reason for using a Goblin. Should you find yourself using one, though, it's still a capable LRM platform, just not as good as most other such vehicles.
MG: This variant removes the large laser and replaces it with an SRM-6 and 5 machine guns, and also expands the infantry bay, turning the Goblin into more of an IFV than a tank. If you're facing large quantities of infantry, this variant can shred them, allowing it to deploy its own infantry safely. It's ineffective against enemy armor, though, so stick to using it against soft, lightly armored, and heavily damaged targets.
SRM: Removing the large laser allows this Goblin to carry a trio of SRM-6s and 4 tons of ammo. It has enough ammunition capacity to carry both alternate munitions and enough standard ammo to remain effective through the entire fight, making it very flexible. It does have a weakness, though, in that its lack of speed and range means it needs to stick to tight terrain, but that's where the Goblin excels anyway. This variant pairs very well with the base model, exploiting breaches in the enemy armor made by the large laser with its SRMs and contributing its own infantry to the fight.

 

[Kereminde]

Condor Heavy Hover Tank

Tonnage: 50 tons
Movement: 8\12
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: AC\5, 2 ML, MG
Armor: 6 tons
Heat Sinks: 6

Advantages: Great speed for a tank at this size. Front and turret are heavily protected. Can provide fire at long and at short range as well as defend against infantry.
Disadvantages: Sides and rear are woefully protected for a tank this size, meaning it needs to keep its front to its enemy as much as possible. Lacks significant firepower outside of 90-270 meters range bracket, and its full effective firepower is in the 90-180m range.
Tactics: Can provide some firepower at range with a group of them firing the AC\5 but generally the most effective use is to get their decent short range firepower into play with high speed battle passes behind their prominent front armor. However this does tend to expose their much less impressive rear and side armor when they withdraw to come around for another pass.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: The Condor is a tank that looks unimpressive on paper, and is also unimpressive in practice. It's fast for its size, but that's the only real advantage it has. Most of its weapons are short-ranged, exposing the tank to hostile fire in its weak side and rear armor if you attempt to actually use them, and what's more its firepower isn't even all that great. Its armor concentration on the front and turret is good for vehicles made to be used from mostly stationary positions, but the Condor's primary asset is its speed, making its armor distribution a liability. Normally, combat vehicles make up for lackluster individual performance by being able to be fielded in large numbers, but the Condor is actually relatively expensive for what it provides, meaning you can't bring the sheer mass of AC/5 fire that you could with, say, a team of Scorpion tanks. You should probably keep the Condor at 7-9 hexes from the enemy, skirting the edges of the fight rather than diving in. This allows you to use all of your weapons besides the machine gun, with your AC/5 at medium range and medium lasers at long range. Using weapons in their long range bracket is normally not recommended, but because the Condor is an ICE-powered vehicle, there are no heat concerns, making each firing of the medium lasers "free". Further, keeping yourself at long range for the standard 9-hex weapons means you make yourself very difficult to hit when paired with the high movement mods you'll be generating, and with the Condor's weak side and rear armor, that's what you need.
Davion: By removing the medium lasers, this variant mounts a pair of autocannons (how Davion!). Its raw firepower is decreased and it's entirely dependent on ammo, but its new armament allows the Condor to maintain a longer range from the enemy, which is exactly what you want to do. This modification turns the Condor into an effective mobile fire support platform, but it's still very expensive for what it does, and fire support units don't generally need the extreme mobility the Condor provides. It's a good bug hunter, but mediocre at pretty much everything else.
Fission: Powered by a fission engine rather than an ICE, this variant carries 3 medium lasers in its turret, plus some machine guns and vehicle flamers mounted along its sides in sponson turrets. It also carries an additional 2.5 tons of armor. This variant starts really dialing into the strength of hover tanks: It's extremely fast, so instead of heavy long range weapons, it instead carries lighter short range weapons and enough armor to withstand some hits while it makes its hit-and-run passes. Its primary weapons offer the same firepower as the base model, but without ammo concerns or a minimum range, meaning you can get right up close and bring its machine guns and flamers into play, too. Speaking of which, all those secondary weapons allow this thing to annihilate infantry platoons. Effective against both armor and infantry while playing to the strength of its hover platform and carrying significantly more armor, the fission variant is far superior to the base model. Unfortunately, it never saw production.
Flamer: Basically an ICE-version of the above-praised fission variant, the flamer variant carries a similar weapons loadout, but lacks the extra armor. It carries a trio of medium lasers and pair of machine guns in its turret, with a vehicle flamer mounted on its fore and aft facing. Without the extra armor carried by the fission variant, getting into close enough range to make use of its armament is practically suicide, but the same hit-and-run passes are the only way to really deal damage with it, meaning it's even worse than the base model.
Liao: Dropping the autocannon allows this variant to feature 4 medium lasers in its turret and extra armor. By far the best Condor variant, the CCAF's model plays very similarly to the fission model (which is also a Capellan design, as it happens), though it trades that variant's anti-infantry capabilities for additional anti-armor firepower. Hovercraft don't make the best anti-infantry platforms anyway due to their susceptibility to crits, so this change in focus makes the Condor far better at the job it's already best suited to. Make high speed passes on your targets, darting in and out like a fighter making strafing runs, and this Condor variant basically becomes a vehicular Jenner-F. It's tough to think of higher praise for a hover tank than that.

 

[Kereminde]

Drillson Heavy Hover Tank

Tonnage: 50 tons
Movement: 9\14
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: LL, 2 SRM-2, LRM-10, 2 MG
Armor: 6.5 tons
Heat Sinks: 10

Advantages: Speed, is faster than almost any mech and faster than most other vehicles its size. Fusion engine, gives it better endurance and range without the need for refueling. Has a weapon to cover any engagement range and opponent including infantry and battlemechs. Is very versatile in what it can do.
Disadvantages: Armor is light for a vehicle this size. LRM's are not mounted on turret, so unable to fire to rear when retreating. Being versatile and having weaponry for all ranges means it lacks ability to deliver significant concentrated damage at any particular range other than the very small 210-270m bracket where all its weapons can be used together. Is a very new design and only available in the Federated Suns and in more limited quantities to the Lyran Commonwealth.
Tactics: Can provide fast cavalry support, provide long range indirect fire, use the LL to engage the enemy to provide holes in the armor and SRMs to add to the close range damage. While not dominant in any particular field or engagement range, conversely it never really finds itself in a position where it can't be effective to some degree.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: The Drillson is a general purpose tank that plays to the strength of being a hovercraft. It specializes in high speed to the point where it's not even worth bringing if you're not planning on making extensive use of that capability. Its armor is decent but light for its size, and its weapons allow you to maintain a long range for much of the fight, enhancing its longevity nicely when paired with its high movement mods. The Drillson can put out damage at any range, but lacks a knockout punch. It's best suited to long range combat, which keeps it better protected, but still has enough short range firepower to close in and finish off an opponent as the fight draws to a close. The standard hovercraft tactics of strafing runs or keeping to the edge of a battle work well depending on which set of weapons you're using. It excels as a scout mech hunter, having superior stats in every category, but also works as a general combat vehicle, though not as effectively. Its high price means you can't field it in large numbers, but a handful of large lasers and LRM-10s moving at 9/14 should be enough to ruin anyone's day.

 

[Kereminde]

Maxim Hover Transport

Tonnage: 50
Movement: 8\12
Movement Type: Hover
Armament: SRM-6, 3 LRM-5, 2 SRM-2, 3 MG
Armor: 5.5 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Can transport an entire infantry platoon per tank. Has firepower in all directions. Has great speed (like all hovercraft). Has long range and short range firepower. Can provide good close range firepower to support its infantry. Used throughout the Inner Sphere.
Disadvantages: Only the SRM-6 and the MGs are in the turret. the rest of the missiles have fixed facings, limiting the overall firepower that can be brought to any one direction. Armor is very thin for a tank this size, especially to sides and rear.
Tactics: The standard in infantry fighting vehicles in the inner sphere, the Maxim is a fast tank that can bring some decent support firepower from long range to soften up a target on approach, unload its platoon of infantry, then provide decent short range firepower to support them as well. Should not be used against Mechs unless no other options as its armor can't take more than a few small hits.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Though designed for war, the Maxim is of only limited utility actually fighting. What it's made to do is quickly deliver an infantry platoon to wherever it needs to be. It has the armor and firepower to tackle enemy infantry and light vehicles that might impede its progress or pose a threat to its wards, but it can't fight well against anything more than that in anything more than a strictly fire support role, and even then you need to be very careful if the enemy has long range weapons of their own. Its weaponry, though highly effective against soft and lightly armored targets, simply lacks the raw hitting power to pose much threat to heavily armored opponents, nor does it have the armor to stand up to repeated hits. As with all hovercraft, keep it moving as much as possible.
SRM-2: This variant simply moves the SRM-2s from their side mounts into the turret, making it almost a straight upgrade.
SRM-4: Another simple variant, this one replaces the LRM-5s with SRM-4s, trading its long range firepower for additional punch up close. Whether to take this variant or the base model depends on the terrain you'll be facing, with this one being superior when there are short sightlines or lots of cover, and the base model being better in more open environments. Hovercraft in general do better with open terrain, making the base model more generally useful, but this variant does have its niche.

 

[Kereminde]

Vedette Medium Tank

Tonnage: 50
Movement: 5\8
Movement Type: Tracked
Armament: AC\5, MG
Armor: 6 tons
Heat Sinks: 0

Advantages: Reliability and availability. This tank is everywhere, making repairs, replacements and spare parts very easy for even small merc companies. Excellent speed for a tracked vehicle this size. Able to fire at medium and long ranges. Tracked design allows it to operate in a wide variety of terrain.
Disadvantages: It pays heavily for that speed with an engine that takes up half its weight leaving little room for firepower and armor. Has low individual damage with only the AC\5 as a primary weapon. Armor is only adequate at best for a tank this size.
Tactics: It's cheap, its proven , it can go almost anywhere, and when fielded in numbers, the AC\5 main gun can provide good firepower at med and long range. In the tradeoff of Speed, Armor and Firepower, the Vedette chose to emphasize speed. While not as fast as hovertanks, it does have the speed to match most medium mechs and the ability to operate in terrain that the hovertanks can't. Individually its not a match for another mech or a vehicle in its weight range, but the Vedette is not designed to operate alone.

- Packrat's Notes -
Standard: Essentially a bigger, faster Scorpion, the Vedette is about as simple as a tank can get. Its armament is weak and its armor is barely adequate. The only things it has going for it are its relatively high speed (for its tonnage and motive type) and low cost. The thing is, the only tactic the Vedette excels in is massed AC/5 fire, something the Scorpion can do even better. The Vedette simply invests too much tonnage into its engine, making all of its other attributes substandard. Should you find yourself using this vehicle, it's best to use it as a mobile fire support platform, relying on range and movement mods to keep it alive as long as possible. Vedettes are only powerful in numbers, so by keeping the team intact as long as you can, you maintain their overall effectiveness.
AC/2: This variant downsizes the AC/5 to an AC/2 in order to add an SRM-2. This is basically the Shadow Hawk of tanks, trying to do everything and winding up able to perform well at nothing. Despite the extreme range of the AC/2, you actually want to get closer than with the base model. At 3-6 hexes from your target, you can effectively fire both the AC/2 and SRM-2. The ammo bins for these weapons are deep enough that can use the full 9-hex range of the SRM-2 without fear of running dry, but its weaponry is so anemic that you really need to hit as often as you can if you want it to have an impact on the fight.
Liao: Dropping the AC/5, this variant instead carries a pair of medium lasers (and an extra ton of MG ammo for some reason). Although it doubles the firepower of the Vedette's main battery, it doesn't have any additional armor to compensate for the shorter range it's forced to fight at. This makes for a decent hit-and-run vehicle in urban or otherwise confined terrain where it can't be fired upon from outside the range of its weapons, but like all Vedettes you still have to field it large numbers, and there are vehicles that do the job better.