Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To upgrade the Howlrunner to more modern standards
- Image Source: here modified by yours truly
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Labs customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Howlrunner II-class Repulsor Tank
- Modularity: Weapons; munitions; MAST turret system
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Argentum-series Matrix Armor Plating, Beskar frame, ceraglass viewports, standard vehicle components
- Classification: Main Battle Tank
- Role: Attack Tank
- Size: Average
- Weight: Average
- Armaments: High
- 1 Main Turret Weapon (one of the following):
- 1 Secondary Turret Weapon (one of the following):
- 2 Main Turret-mounted LLT-7 General Purpose Launchers (each with one of the following):
- Defenses: Average
- Maneuverability Rating: Average (Low with turbo-booster engaged)
- Speed Rating: Very High (Extreme with turbo-booster engaged)
- Propulsion: Repulsorlifts / Ion Thrusters
- Minimum Crew: 1
- Optimal Crew: 5
- Passenger Capacity: 0
- Cargo Capacity: None
- Partially Automated: Howlrunner IIs contain a droid brain used to process sensor and targeting information, communicate with other Lucerne Labs military vehicles, and provide diagnostic information to the vehicle's crew.
- Turbo-booster: The Howlrunner II comes equipped with a basic turbo-booster package installed, allowing the craft to briefly accelerate faster than normal at the cost of maneuverability and power. This speed is exceptional for a vehicle its size, with only airspeeders, podracers, and similar high performance repulsorcraft being capable of outrunning this tank.
- Modular Weapons: Building off experience with the Katarn-class Main Battle Tank, the Howlrunner II design team endeavored to make their tank similarly modular. The main turret weapon can be a number of different types of cannon, while the smaller secondary turret on the front left of the hull can support a number of smaller weapons. Lastly, a general purpose warhead launcher on either side of the back of the turret can carry a wide variety of different ordinance types.
- StarSight Sensor Array with Omniprobe: A fast-moving craft, the Howlrunner II relies on a starfighter-grade sensor array to provide the necessary data to safely navigate at high speeds and to understand its environment, but the sensor array isn't highly tailored by itself for ground use. To that end, like the original Howlrunner, it also uses a less powerful version of the Omniprobe sensor array that was originally found on the Heavy Tracker. This allows it to better read the environment before it reaches it, and it also better prepares the tank use indirect fire to attack targets that not within direct line of sight.
- L2/4 Praecursator Tactical Probe Droid Docking Sockets: The Howlrunner II comes with a pair of tactical probe droids that dock on either side of the tank, but which can be deployed as reconaissance or fire control support or to help clear small enemies from around the tank that it has difficulty in eliminating.
- Environmentally Sealed: Howlrunner IIs have environmental sealing and full internal life-support for three days of continual operation, allowing the tanks to be deployed in hazardous environments such as vacuum or toxic atmospheres and to enable limited submersion in water.
- Fighter Tank: In many ways, the Howlrunner II is a classic fighter tank, possessing exceptional speed that allows it to very quickly transverse across the battlefield.
- Well-Armed: The Howlrunner II is fairly well-armed its size, possessing enough armament to threaten most armored vehicles including other tanks and heavy walkers.
- No Cargo Capacity: Designed for high speed, the designers trimmed as much weight from the design as they could, including any meaningful cargo space.
- Low Maneuverability (Boost Mode): When at its top speed, the Howlrunner II has poor maneuverability, which can be exceptionally dangerous to the crew if they don't have time to maneuver around an obstacle or to avoid enemy fire.
The Howlrunner was one of the company's first military vehicle designs, but as time passed, it became inevitably clear that it would need an update to stay current. Rather than a mere update though, Lucerne Labs engaged in a significant design overall that largely stayed true to the original design's intentions but with more modern, modular equipment. The largest driver of this change was intention to make the main weapon modular, which necessitated a change in the turret design, which in turn necessitated significant changes in the chassis. Consequently, while the Howlrunner II bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor and in many ways has a similar performance, there is little interchangeability in its actual parts.
The ability for the Howlrunner to use a much wider array of weapons is undoubtedly its greatest change. While the Capricorn Rail Cannon typically remains the weapon of choice because of its indirect fire capability, there are instances where more flexible ammunition choices of the Firestorm or more variety in damage scaling from the Sonus make these weapons the superior choice. Similarly, the small secondary turret on the left side of the tank typically houses a Vaapad-class Laser Cannon for point defense against infantry and small or fast vehicles, there are other opponents or situations where other weapons are simply better options. Adding more versatility than the old tanks repulsor balls, warhead launchers on the main turret's hull give more indirect fire options and a better ability for the tank to protect itself from enemy aircraft. Starcore IIs and Starbolts typically tend to be the warheads of choice for their simple versatility, but again, other munitions can be more effective in different situations. Similarly, the tank now also has a modular auxiliary systems turret, which gives the tank even more flexibility in active defense or in supporting roles. While there are dozens of potential combinations with these modular systems, a few configurations have become fairly popular:
Armor-Hunter
Weapons: Capricorn-class Rail Gun (Solid & explosive shells), Vaapad-class Laser Cannon, Starcore II-class Concussion Missiles
MAST: directional particle shield
Description: This configuration is common for Howlrunners taking on enemy armored vehicles. Its high-powered railgun can use a mixture of kinetic penetrators and explosive shells to wreck enemy armor units while its laser cannon typically acts as adjunct or point defense weapon. Concussion missiles are used to either protect it from air threats or to strike at fast-moving and maneuverable targets. The directional particle shield is used to prematurely shatter enemy rounds and ordance before they make contact with the tank itself.
Indirect Bombardment
Weapons: Capricorn-class Rail Gun (explosive & hollow container shells), Juyo-class Ripper Cannon, CrestCresh-class Seismic Charges
MAST: sensor jammer
Description: In this loadout, the Howlrunner II typically tries to stay away from the enemy, using its probe droids and omniprobe to find targets beyond direct line of sight. It's railgun can then lob over explosive shells or hollow shells containing very gases or liquids in saturation bombardment attacks that typically soften up targets before a direct assault. Its self-propelled seismic charges are usually quite good at flattening terrain and/or softening up large numbers of soft targets, while its Juyo Ripper Cannon typically acts as a point defense weapon, but it can also act as a sort of large sniper rifle to destroy light enemy vehicles from a distance with precision. Lastly, the sensor jammer helps hide the Howlrunner II from counterbattery fire.
Close Infantry Support
Weapons: Firestorm-class Plasma Turbolaser (Pure thermal & Explosive plasma options), Juyo-class Ripper Cannon, Starbolt-class Missiles
MAST: Directional Particle Shield
Description: This loadout is commonly used by Howlrunner IIs working in close conjunction with infantry to assault enemy positions. The Plasma Turbolaser is frequently employed against enemy fortifications while the Juyo deals with light threats. Starbolts can be spammed to home in and destroy many smaller threats, while the directional particle shields helps to intercept anti-armor warheads the tank might encoutner.
Capture
Weapons: Firestorm-class Plasma Turbolaser (electromagnetic & biohazard plasma options),
Twin Stormflash Ion Encumbrance System, Nyx-class Ion Torpedoes
MAST: Tactical Tractor Beam Projector
Description: This variant is used to capture enemy droids, vehicles, and facilities. Every single weapon in this variant can disable or disrupt electronics, while the Firestorm's second plasma choice can also potentially incapacitate a vehicle crew or building occupants. The tactical tractor beam can snag and hold droids and small vehicles for easier capture.
Elemental Whirlwind
Weapons: Sonus-class Sonic Cannon, Sunfire 1000 Flamethrower, Coldbolt-class Missiles
MAST: Enhanced Targeting Package
Description: This unusual mixture of weapons is designed to work against Bryn'adul holdouts that still terrorize the Outer Rim. With it, the Howlrunner can disintegrate enemies with sound waves, char them with searing flames, or freeze them solid. It tends to be highly effective against infantry, large creatures, and soft targets, who typically don't have any special protection from these sort of exotic attacks. But it does suffer somewhat against heavy armored vehicles, in which case the tank's enhanced targeting package is often used to guide on air strikes or artillery salvos to deal with such threats.
The sheer versatility of the Howlrunner II is probably its greatest selling point, just after its exceptionally high speed. Clearly designed as a more offensive weapon, the Howlrunner II is typically found in armored or repulsorlift regiments and other similar formations. Notable users include the Silver Jedi Concord, the Directorate, and several planetary defense forces.
