Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub a vehicle.
Image Source: Here.
Canon Link: N/A.
Permissions: ARGH tech available for Firemane per this thread. Permission for subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. CD-X Cryptologic Key available for Firemane per this thread.
Primary Source: N/A.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries.
Affiliation: Firemane Industries, approved buyers.
Market Status: Closed-Market
Model: FM-SPA 2a
Modularity: Limited. Auxiliary Weapons can be exchanged; Vehicle Upgrade Kits; Primary Weapons can fire a variety of ordnance, as detailed below and in the corresponding submission.
Production: Limited
Material: Durasteel, Alusteel, Vehicle Components, Electronics.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Self-Propelled Artillery
Role: Artillery
Size: Large
Weight: Heavy
Armaments: Extreme
- Inferno MetaCannon (1)
- Gun-Shielded Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon (1; Skate Mounted). Can be replaced with equivalent secondary weapon.
- ACS-404 Active Protection System
- ACS-401 Tank Enhancement Kit (TEK)
- Abregado Combat Shield
- Antimissile Octet
- AE-CML1 Dampening Chaff
- ECM Module
- Smokescreen Launchers
- Cap Drains and De-Ionizer Suite
- ACS-402 Vehicle Shield Generator
Speed Rating: Average
Propulsion: Tracks
Minimum Crew: 1
Optimal Crew: 5 (Driver, Gunner, Spotter, Commander, Engineer)
Passenger Capacity: N/A
Cargo Capacity: Low. Carries ammunition, maintenance equipment, personal weapons and gear etc. Can dispense probe droids for reconnaissance, spotting, target acquisition etc.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- ACS-405 Enhanced Vehicle Sensor Suite
- ACS-406 Remote Operated Weapon System (Skate Mounts).
- Compact Fusion Drives (2)
- Class-4T3 Power Generator (Featuring Gk7 Cryocooler)
- Damage Control Systems
- On-Board Fire Control/Targeting Systems
- IFF Circuitry
- CD-X Cryptologic Key. Targeting link has this powerful encryption to prevent slicing.
- Main cannon can be synced to laser designators to enhance accuracy. If available, orbital ships, satellites, drones or spotters can provide updated topography information.
- The SPA is amphibious, allowing it to fully submerge in water and still operate for up to two hours, based on the air supply within the vehicle.
- Armed with the Inferno MetaCannon, which can load variable ammunition shells into its breach and fire them without a barrel change. Examples for ordnance would be particle particle beams, charric maser beams, anti-armour laser blasts, ion surges, plasma charges, solar ionization pulses for shielded targets, proton shells, solid slugs and old-fashioned shell projectiles such as the Rapier Artillery Round. These can all be loaded into the weapon among a handful of others.
- Boom. Its main weapon is a MetaCannon. It is good at causing carnage. And its range is very good, too. Being a MetaCannon, it can be used as an anti-orbital weapon, being most effective against small capital ships.
- Benefits from strong encryption and a sophisticated sensor suite. This enhances precision, target acquisition etc. The Rapier is a particularly accurate projectile.
- Heavily armoured. With strong shielding, countermeasures and armour plating, it is rather resistant to damage.
- Big cannon requires big vehicle. As a result, the SPA is heavy and sluggish and thus easy to spot.
- It is also not very manoeuvrable and bad at dodging when people, for some inexplicable reason, take offence at being bombarded and decide to go out and shoot at it instead of politely dying. How rude of them.
- The point of artillery is to bombard targets from very far away. Its main weapon is meant to do just that. Close-up it only has a rotary cannon or equivalent weapon.
- Earthbound. Though it is good at covering terrain, the vehicle relies on tracks. This imposes certain restrictions on terrain it can traverse. In addition, the use of tracked propulsion makes the SPA susceptible to mines and other ground based obstacles.
Lady Kerrigan might be in coma, but her ever-loyal followers have kept the business running in her absence. Assuredly she will be well-pleased with their efforts when she wakes up.
Moreover, while its most common use is against ground targets, it can also be effective as an anti-orbital weapon, as it can fire into near space. With the right ordnance, a battery of these SPAs can be a threat to small capital ships and inflict damage upon them. Of course, it takes some time for a round to achieve such high altitudes, though they travel very fast. It is not effective against small or especially fast craft. Loading the right ordnance is also key.
While its cannon can load variable types of ammunition into its breach and fire them without a barrel change, the loading process obviously takes time and switching in the middle of combat is not particularly practical. Moreover, certain special rounds may only be available to a limited degree and be more or less effective at certain tasks. The vehicle has sophisticated sensors and target acquisition systems and can further enhance its accuracy by receiving topographical data from spotters on the ground, drones, orbiting ships and satellites. Its cannon can be synced to laser designators.
The Arbitrator is heavily armoured for a vehicle of its type. Nonetheless, it is best for it to redeploy rather than endure concentrated counterbombardment from enemy artillery or aerial units. Its speed is decent enough for that, though its weight and bulk negatively impacts its manoeuvrability. For this reason, it should not be deployed in a vacuum, but be protected by escorts. This is particularly pertinent since it only has a limited ability to protect itself against enemies close-up.
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