More news on DropShip crash - rebels claim success

The fate of the Neo-Colonial Commonwealth mission on Gordon's Gamble remains in doubt tonight following Sunday's DropShip crash at Olbuck Reach.

Despite earlier denials, the commander of Task Force JUNIPER today confirmed that a DropShip had crashed, but refused to comment further on whether this was due to enemy action and how many casualties were involved.  Whatever the true story, this incident has already led to renewed calls for NCC troops to withdraw from operations.

As more details surfaced during Sunday evening, it became clear that this is a major propaganda victory for the Rebel forces on Gordon's Gamble.

Questions are being raised about the decisions made by the commander on the ground, the implication being that his orders somehow resulted in this huge loss of life.  "Lt. Airey was just doing his job," commented one Marine who wishes to remain anonymous, "he was killed before the DropShip even arrived.  Yes, he called it in, but the Rebels hadn't taken the SAM site at that stage.  If that ship had landed OK then they'd be hailing him a hero for his dealing with the ambush, but even though it went down after he was dead, they're still trying to make him a scapegoat.  The whole thing stinks."

The events of Sunday afternoon started as a simple resupply mission for a small Marine missile station in the arid equatorial desert region of Gordon's Gamble.  Located on the regular approach descent path for vessels de-orbiting towards the spacefield at Bailey's Beacon, this post was the outermost of a chain of such sites.  A small garrison is based at the site but on this occasion it was severely under strength.  Replacement garrisons are usually brought in with an overlap to allow a clean handover or responsibility.  In this instance, the advance party of the new garrison came in and replaced the existing troops, but a delay meant that the rest of the garrison were a day late leaving Bailey's Beacon.  The replacement garrison's 2 Badger patrol vehicles were accompanying a civilian lorry full of supplies for the missile post.  Lt Airey rode at the head of the column in a scout car.

 

Rebel forces had been planning a strike for some time, carefully gathering their best fighters in the area.  Previous engagements with the Task Force marines had ended in failure, mainly due to the Rebel's lack of support weapons.  Armaments smuggled in since then included both shoulder-launched missiles and a few larger anti-tank missile pods, and the Rebels sent these along with their best troops to ambush the supply convoy.  They infiltrated the buildings to either side of the road and waited.

Back at the missile post, the 4 marines emerged to welcome their comrades.  Though there was no reason to expect trouble, their training meant that they were still scanning the surroundings for anything suspicious, and the marines spotted a group of rebels behind the building on which their missile post was mounted.  They dashed back inside the building and engaged the rebels, who were lucky enough to avoid any casualties.  Their return fire wiped out the entire marine unit.

The noise of small-arms fire was audible above the engines of the convoy, and they immediately prepared for combat.  The supply lorry braked to a halt and the Badgers moved up along either side.  As the Lieutenant's scout car accelerated down the road, the rebel unit hiding in the building to the north opened fire.  Their small arms riddled the scout car, bursting a couple of tyres and incapacitating both occupants.  A ball of flame and smoke rolled into the sky as the missile launcher took care of the nearby Badger.

Fortunately Airey had merely been stunned, though his driver was dead.  He clambered out of the Scout car and dashed to the cover of a nearby building.  The Badger just behind him was completely wrecked, and although the driver of that too was dead, all 8 troopers in the back had survived the blast, though 2 were severely wounded and another 2 lightly wounded.  The uninjured dragged the casualties to the cover of a small pick-up truck beside the building where Airey had taken cover.

Back at the missile post, the 4 marines thanked the incredible luck by which they had all been lightly stunned rather than seriously injured.  Dusting themselves off, they started trading fire with the rebels in the building opposite.

Gathering themselves, Airey and half of the first Badger squad managed to wipe out the rebels manning the missile launcher that had taken out their vehicles.  They swiftly occupied the building to ensure no more rebels were able to use the weapon.  The other half of the Badger squad moved out of sight behind the sandy hills framing the village entrance, keeping close to the lorry as it manoeuvred off the road.

On the other side of the road, the second Badger swerved down the side of a building to get off the killing ground of the open main street.  The rebels manning the second missile launcher were too slow reacting to the Badger's movement, the vehicle successfully slipping out of sight while they were still trying to bring the launcher to bear.

More rebels were appearing round the outskirts of the village now that the ambush had been sprung.  As the 4 marines at the missile post continued to trade fire with the ever increasing number of enemy surrounding them, an ancient wheeled APC trundled into view.  Though invulnerable to their small arms, the pintle machine gun on the vehicle was unable to cause casualties amongst the marines.

Back at the other end of the road, the second Badger disgorged its complement of marines, who swiftly moved through the village hall next to their vehicle and through efficient use of fire cleared the rebels from the nearby building housing the enemy missile pod.

Airey took up station in the corner of the building where he had taken cover, using the excellent visibility to provide overwatch across the entire street.  Taking advantage of the sudden lull in firing, he called in a DropShip.  Fortunately there was one in the air already.  They were carrying a squad of marines plus two autocannon armed walking patrol robots.  Although the tempted to extract his forces, Airey decided that the reinforcements being carried could well turn the battle in their favour.  He ordered the DropShip to air-drop the reinforcements onto the roof of the building he was in.

The missile post marines decided to mount a counter-attack to try and clear the small building opposite their position.  Rebels on the roof fired at them as they moved out, as did 3 other enemy units.  Airey's overwatch fire killed some rebels, while the marines' return fire killed others.  Somehow, incredibly, none of the rebel fire hit the marines, but they had been unable to reach their target building and now found themselves stranded in the middle of the alley.

Rebels attempted to re-occupy the building containing the second missile pod, but the marines were able to wipe them out at the cost of one casualty of their own. 

Airey was firing once more on overwatch, having spotted more rebels moving in from the North East.  His fire caused casualties, but the rest of the rebels piled into a light armoured scout car which had also just arrived on the scene.  He changed his instructions to the DropShip, re-directing them to touch down close to the lorry behind the hills to the West.  It was time to take close command of the battle, and he decided to move out onto the roof of the building to get a better overview of the situation.

Rather than press their attack, the missile post unit decided to double back from their exposed position in the street.  They had obviously used up all their luck, as this time the enemy fire cut them down as they tried to climb the steps to the roof.  Seeing that the launcher was now undefended, rebels swiftly closed in.

Although the DropShip was still inbound, a two-man patrol in the hills nearby contacted the convoy marines.  Taking up sniper positions, they managed to kill several rebels who had climbed up alongside the SAM launcher.

Things now went from bad to worse for the marines.  Out on the roof, Lt Airey took a hit which killed him outright, despite the best efforts of his powered armour's medical systems.  Another rebel unit managed to clamber onto the roof of the SAM launcher building and were able to activate the system.  As the DropShip manoeuvred for landing, the combination of the SAM launcher, shoulder mounted missiles and small arms fire resulted in a huge explosion.

As flaming wreckage rained down on the surviving marines, the rebels melted back into the desert.  Though they hadn't managed to seize the supply truck, the destruction of the DropShip was more than they had ever hoped for.  Militarily the battle was probably a draw, but psychologically and in the view of the public, this was a clear victory for the rebels.

To be continued...

Disaster at Olbuck Reach

Reports are coming in of a major air disater on Gordon's Gamble, possibly involving a DropShip from Task Force JUNIPER.  Their official spokesman has refused to comment other than to acknowledge that they have forces operating in the general vicinity of Olbuck Reach, a small settlement in the equatorial desert area of Gordon's Gamble, though they maintain that this is merely part of their general patrol pattern in the area.

Rebel forces claim to have shot down a DropShip during an ambush, and have provided this picture as evidence.  Although the veracity of this cannot be confirmed at present, key task force personnel have been recalled from leave and all facilities are at a heightened level of alert, all of which lends credence to the Rebels' claims.

We will bring you more news on this breaking story as it comes in.

On patrol on Gordon's Gamble

Recent civil unrest on Gordon's Gamble means that the Marines from Task Force JUNIPER undertake regular patrols to assist the planetary security forces.  Here a couple of troopers move through undergrowth on the outskirts of a small settlement.

Occasional armoured sorties through the forest also serve to "show the flag", discouraging rebels from operating too close to major population centres or transport arteries.

A couple of pictures I've had knocking around for a while but I don't think I've posted them before.  Marines from GZG, grav armour from Old Crow.

SG15-IF05 - Islamic Federation Troops (helmets) kneeling & prone

My last few Islamic Federation figures - same colour scheme as the rest but with brown helmets to match their body armour/boots.  I decided on green visors, mainly because I hadn't given any of my other figures a green visor up to this point.

Here's a multi-angle shot giving a range of different views.  You can see that each trooper has a backpack and a number of little pouches.  The helmet has some sort of built in hood that covers the trooper's neck, perhaps to give protection from the sun?

Blackstone has asked me what I use for the bases.  I use builders' sand, sifted using a couple of old sieves of differing mesh sizes.  The figure's base is painted in slightly watered-down PVA, after which one or two larger bits from the sand (about 2-4mm) are positioned with a pair of tweezers.  I then sprinkle a few bits of the medium sand (about 1mm) and finish off with the finest sifting which is a mixture ranging from just under 1mm down to fine dust.  The spray undercoat helps stick the sand in place, and I usually give it a thinned coat of 50/50 PVA and dark brown paint to bind it all together.  A drybrush of light brown followed by green then grey finishes the base in a temperate  colour scheme.  The bases of my Islamic Federation troopers have been given almost the same treatment, but I've just used the finer sand.  The desert colour scheme is Inscribe acrylic flat desert sand.  When the figures received their shading wash, I applied it across the base too.  The base then received a quick drybrush of the base sand colour, then a final highlight of Vallejo bonewhite.  The edge of the base is painted Humbrol 29 matt dark earth.

SG15-IF06 - Islamic Federation in Keffiyeh, kneeling & prone

Today we have the matching pack to yesterday - more Islamic Federation in keffiyeh, but this time they're kneeling and prone.  I've gone with the same colour scheme.

With this pack you only get 2 poses, which is rather a shame.  If they are mixed in with the normal troops it won't be quite so noticeable, but it would have been nice to get a kneeling missile launcher and a prone SAW gunner to round things out.  I'm sure that it wouldn't be difficult to convert a couple of the prone figures into snipers using a pin vice and some thin brass rod, but that'll be a project for another day...

SG15-IF2 Islamic Federation Troopers in Keffiyeh

Some Islamic Federation troopers from GZG.

I've gone for a desert colour scheme of brown and sandy yellow.

A sepia wash gave some texture to the figures and they've got white keffiyeh to keep the sun off.

Weapons are black with a dark grey drybrush.

They are distinctly plump when compared to more recent GZG releases or CMG figures.  The Islamic Federation obviously feeds its troops very well.  Or maybe they just don't get enough exercise.

A nice range of poses - as an older GZG pack, it includes officer and support weapons as well as riflemen.

SG15-X14 Crusty Heavy Infantry

I recently finished painting some of GZG's new Crusty Heavy infantry.  I think these are my favourites out of all the power armoured figures that GZG produce.  You get 3 excellent poses, I especially like the "advancing into battle" pose on the right.

Colour scheme was arrived at following discussions with Jon at GZG, something inspired by but not copied from District 9.  A white spray undercoat was washed with Vallejo black ink, then carefully overpainted with Vallejo cold grey.  A very heavy drybrush of Vallejo stonewall grey was followed by a top drybrush of Vallejo dead white.  Detailing was added with Vallejo orange fire and Humbrol matt 33 black.  Black areas received a Humbrol 32 dark grey highlight.  Helmet lenses are Vallejo gloss black .  A few last dabs of GW chainmail and Mithril silver completed them.

Assault Cyborgs

I recently acquired a pack of Heavy Battle Androids (HAD001) from "The Scene".  I've had my eye on these figures for several months as I thought they'd be ideal for use as huge cyborg assault troops (inspiration from the full conversion 'borgs in my days playing Rifts).  They tower nicely over my standard NAC infantry.

In these days of cloned limb and organ replacements, cybernetics are rarely used for essential medical purposes except on low-tech worlds. Cloned tissue has many advantages over bionics, and bone reinforcement tends to be the only non-natural enhancement (and even in this case,  organic constructs are frequently used, blending with the body). Military applications on the other hand have been developed and refined over the decades, utilising super-tough materials with high damage  resistance to enhance the normal human.  The first true combat cyborgs tended to be mercenary troopers.  No government wanted to be seen to encourage the creation of such biomechanical hybrids, but independent operatives were determined to make the most of the enhancements available, increasing their survivability.  The financial cost can be high, and most effectively take on a "full body mortgage", with very high interest rates meaning that they will rarely manage to pay off the full cost.  Of course, this high interest rates mean that by the time a  cyborg is killed, they have more than paid off the initial cost of the surgery, leaving their lender well in profit.

A full conversion is generally seen as an extreme "no return" option; due to the mentality of those involved it is presumed that the cyborg will be killed in action before reaching an age where it might want to revert to a normal human body.  The moral ambiguity of paying to convert someone into such a single-purpose killing machine is politically problematical, so several governments still refuse to develop their own cybernetic assault units, relying upon powered armour instead.  Of course, they are generally happy to employ "enhanced contractors" if the circumstances require it, a one-off mission payment is easier to justify than continuous employment.  Some militaries do have retained mercenaries operating on long-term contracts, but these tend to be stationed off-world and out of sight of the general public.  Given the lengths to which they have adapted themselves  for a pure combat role, most cyborgs are unwilling to be tied down to one employer; their urge to fight means they move frequently to ensure they always have the opportunity to exercise their fighting prowess.

Cyborgs have a number of advantages over pure robotic units.  Their bipedal nature gives outstanding performance in tough terrain, especially with the ability to use hands to assist with climbing  obstacles.  Grav or hover robots have greater mobility, but lack the ability that a ground-bound cyborg has to take cover or camouflage itself.  The greatest advantage for a cyborg is its human brain.  Making  split-second decisions in previously unexpected situations, identifying and prioritising threats, dealing with non-combat or off-mission
circumstances, all of these can be dealt with quickly and easily by a  cyborg.  A computer can be programmed to respond to many types of situation more quickly than a human brain, but there is always the
possibility of something arising which the programmers had not anticipated.  A Cyborg also has flexibility; can a tracked robotic gun mount assist in humanitarian operations such as food distribution or casualty recovery from collapsed buildings?

Assault cyborgs generally incorporate a heavily armoured exoskeleton. Within this, some have entirely robotic limbs, while others retain a limited amount of biological material, albeit with enhanced musculature  and reinforced bone structure.  The most extreme cyborgs have lost all but their brain, with the functions of other internal organs being replicated by synthetic replacements.  Most cyborgs stop short of this,  retaining their torso at the very least - but with internal strengthening to protect the fragile organic contents.  Cyborgs tend to be fairly uniform in appearance.  Though they varied considerably when they first appeared on the battlefield, years of combat experience mean that certain body forms and equipment load-outs have become the norm.  Built-in weaponry tend to be confined to close combat equipment such as retractable blades.  Ranged weaponry usually takes the form of oversized rifle-type systems.  These can be plugged into interface ports on the cyborg to relay targeting information as required and most cyborgs have lockable grips than ensure they won't drop their primary weapon.  They have the advantage that when the fighting is over, damaged weapons can be discarded and replaced immediately, it also gives the cyborg two manipulative hands with which to carry out everyday tasks like opening doors, moving crates etc.

Some cyborgs like to polish their body shells to emphasize their armoured appearance, but most will adopt suitable camouflage schemes for the environment in which they will be operating.  Some military contracts include the requirement for the cyborgs to be finished in an approved colour scheme to match regular combat units.  Experience has shown that this helps reduce so-called "friendly fire" incidents and can avoid confusion over identification where the physical appearance of a unit might not match its IFF transponder.  On the modern battlefield, even a fraction of a second could be the difference between the success or failure of a mission.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

At first glance these may seem too tough, but they're not much different to power armoured troopers - it's just that most of the special attributes I've given the Cyborgs come as standard with powered armour.

Confidence: High

Supply Quality Level: Normal to High (varies depending upon mission)

Overall Tech Level: 2

On Grid? Yes

Body Armour: Tech Level 2 Integral hard body shell (2D) (3D with skeletal augmentation - see below)

Troop Quality/Morale: D10/D10

Weapons:

Medium advanced ballistic support weapon: TL2 ABW, Med, AP:3 (stats already include +1D firepower for advanced ballistic weapon.  Will also add +1 to die roll when rolling on vehicle damage table)

Unit Attributes:

Advanced Sensors (+1 Die shift when trying to spot enemy units, double optimum range for spotting (becomes 20"), night vision system)

Hard to Kill (Roll D6 when unit takes casualty; 4+ they are uninjured, do not count as a casualty for morale. 1-3 treated as a normal casualty.  Survival roll cannot be made against any weapon with unmodified firepower of 3D+)

Old School (WIll not become pinned or lose confidence if the grid goes down)

Physical Augmentation: Active Trauma Treatment Nanites (allows advanced first aid check even if no-one present to administer aid)

Physical Augmentation: Skeletal Augmentation (+1D armour)

Otional extras:

In some situations, an Assault Cyborg may be Despised (-1 die roll modifier when interacting with local poulation ie. dispersing mobs etc.).  This will usually occur when they are operating on "civilised" worlds.  Backwater colonies are more understanding of cybernetic enhancements etc.

If used in circumstances such as riot suppression against civilians, Assault Cyrborgs can be considered Intimidating.

Some Cyborgs have retractable blades or other weapons built in to their bodies, these will count as Natural Weapons, giving a bonus die in close combat.

Robot week - day 7 V15-60A UAV Hoverdrones

For fast reconnaisance work capable of covering a wide area, nothing beats an aerial drone.  They are also capable or responding quickly to sudden changes on the battlefield, closing rapidly to stop an enemy breakthrough or exploit a gap in the enemy’s lines.

These drones used by my NAC forces are multi-role units.  They can perform reconnaisance operations but are also well armed to support ground forces.  A large ducted fan provides lift with 3 rear-mounted engines giving forward momentum.  Stub wings aid stability, and can give additional lift as speed increases.  Hardpoints mounted in the wing roots provide fitting points for either 2 tri-barrel gun mounts or 4 anti-tank missile pods.  A range of sensors are mounted on the front of the drone, some in a “look-down” position.  These models are also fitted with a pair of searchlights.  Though the drone itself has night-vision capabilities, the searchlights provide a useful means of illuminating targets for allied forces, and have proven useful in both military and civilian search-and-rescue operations.  They can also be used to provide a direction indicator to ground troops in the same way as tracer fire.

Aerial drones do have some disadvantages.  While their altitude helps them spot more targets, it also makes them a far more visible target, especially if they are using their searchlights.  Unlike ground units, they cannot lie silently in ambush as the hum of their fans will give them away, as will the movement of vegetation from the fan backwash.  With the range of robots that my NAC troops have available, they are able to make the most of each robot’s advantages whilst minimising their disadvantages.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

"Dumb 'Bots"
Tech Level 2
Troop Quality D8

Twin Tribarrel cannon:TL2, Hvy, EWS, AP:5/AT:2 (L) (This includes the +1 firepower bonus for EWS and +1 firepower bonus for the second tribarrel.  Ignore 1 die of target's cover/armour.  -1 to reaction tests).

Missile pods: TL2 ATGM, 4D (negates ERA, performs deck attack)

Robot week - day 6 V15-22B MAWP(T)

Although tracked gunbots are an effective anti-personnel weapon, larger vehicles can present more of a challenge.  The Mobile Autonomous Weapons Platform (Tracked) is a means of delivering heavier firepower to the front line without the expense of a manned armoured vehicle.

 

Carrying a light plasma cannon, it is capable of taking on light and medium armoured vehicles and is highly effective against infantry and powered armour.  The large track unit gives a low centre of gravity and makes for a good fire platform.

The MAWP(T) is capable of carrying a range of alternative weapons mounts.  While anti-armour missile pods and tribarrel guns are the usual options, other systems can also be substituted.

Air defence missiles are not usually fired on the move, but using the track unit from a MAWP(T) makes it much easier to position them without the need for a larger transport vehicle.

A Heavy autocannon is more usually seen on a fixed groundmount, but this can also benefit from the ability to change firing positions quickly and easily during a battle.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

I will be treating this as a light vehicle under AI control rather than an infantry unit type robot.

Name: MAWP(T)
Tech Level: 2
Class: L
Type: T
Firepower*: Plasma gun - TL2, Med EWS, AP:4 / AT:3 (L), ignore up to 2 dice of target's cover/armour, slow firing (-1 to reaction tests after the first each turn)
Front armour: (TL2) 3D8
Side armour: (TL2) 2D8
Rear armour: (TL2) 2D6
Deck armour: (TL2) 2D6
Crew: AI (see below)
Attributes/Notes:
Artificial Intelligence (Troop Quality 8, Morale D12, follows same basic rules as a Smart 'Bot)
Advanced sensors (+1 die shift to spot enemy units, double optimum range for spotting, has night vision)
Hardened (+1 die defence against mines, artillery & IEDs)
Countermeasures (+1 die defence against ATGM attacks)

*This is for the standard Plasma-gun equipped version.  Because they are more commonly found as fixed groundmount units, the missile or autocannon weapons carriers have the "Fire-or-move" attribute.  Missiles make the battlefield a Medium air-defence environment.  The autocannon has the following stats: Light autocannon (TL2 AP:4 / AT:2(L).  Because of its non-standard fitting, the autocannon is mounted in a "slow turret" (-1 to all reaction tests after the first in a turn).

Robot week - day 5 V15-68A GunBots (tracked)

For heavier combat situations, my NAC Marines can deploy these tracked gun-drones.  Armed with twin gauss machine-guns, they can lay down heavy fire.  The tracked chassis gives reasonable mobility over most terrain.  They're very similar to the spider drones, but the lower centre of gravity on these tracked robots means that they're less likely to be knocked over by the concussion from near-miss weapon strikes.  Spider drones are more flexible in an urban environment with lots of hard-edged landscaping and steps, but for general combat duties the tracked drones work just fine.

I love these robots!  The only disappointing thing is that the mould must have been slightly mis-aligned.  The gauss guns are so small that if you tried to clean the mould lines off completely, you'd end up with weapon barrels so thin that they'd droop under their own weight.  Luckily it isn't too noticeable when they're painted and I'm very pleased with the end result.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

"Dumb 'Bot"
Tech Level 2
Troop Quality D8

Gauss machine guns: TL2, GWS, AP:3/AT:1 (L) (As a TL2 Gauss support weapon, stats include firepower bonus for gauss weapon system.  Will also ignore 1 die of target cover or armour).

Robot week - day 4, SG15-V13 Work Bots

GZG’s workbots can provide a useful set of helping hands for colonists and civilians wherever they may be.

These “R2” styled droids are best suited to work indoors and in urban areas.  One of these is a military surplus unit as shown by its dull green colour scheme.  The other is in a more normal cilvilian colour scheme.  They are mainly used in techical work.

Tracked work-bots can perform all sorts of tasks, and their motive type makes them one of the best suited for outdoor work as they can cover a wide area over rough terrain at good speed.  They’re also very durable.  As you can see here, one of these droids is very old, rusty & battered but is still going strong.

I believe the smaller robot is quite good with plants (for those who haven't seen it, take a look at the film "Silent Running").  It's a bit clumsy at times and walks with a bit of a waddle, but it's a hard worker.

An excellent little group of robots from GZG, you get 2 of each type in the pack.  I haven't shown the other 2 duplicates here as they're still part way through painting.

 The other figures are GZG technicians/crew for scale, from pack SG15-V04.

Robot week - day 3 V15-46B Recon/Patrol Walker Drone

These walking gun-drones are one of several types of robot used by my NAC Marines.

The drones come equipped with a light autocannon suitable for anti-personnel work and also engaging softskin and light armoured vehicles. Their four widely spaced legs give good cross-country performance and, combined with the low-slung body, provide a fire platform that is second-to-none. The legs enable it to self-level regardless of the terrain over which it travels, and for ambush work it can lower itself to the ground to provide a very small target. As with the wheeled drones used by my OUDF forces, these walkers provide general purpose fire-support to infantry squads as well as recon/sentry/ambush duty.  Their method of locomotion makes them especially well suited to providing integral fire support to infantry squads.

My Tommorrow's War stats:

"Dumb 'Bot"
Tech Level 2
Troop Quality D8

Light Autocannon: TL2, AP:4 / AT:2 (L)
Note that walker chassis will give greater mobility than wheeled/tracked (comparable to infantry).

Robot week - day 2 V15-84A Spider Drones

 

The Gordon’s Gamble colonial security forces are generally more than capable of dealing with any civil disturbances they might encounter. Unfortunately there is always the possibility of something out of the ordinary happening, so it’s good to have strong back up when you need it. The Spider Drones are kept locked in their bunker until needed, and the decision to use them is not taken lightly. Although the security forces have the ability to activate the Spider Drones, this would not be done without release authority being granted by the Colonial Governor.

Their 6 legs enable them to move at high speed over very rough terrain, and their sinister appearance is often enough to quell unrest without the need for shots to be fired.
 

If the worst does happen, their twin-cannon rapid-fire railgun armament is more than capable of suppressing angry armed mobs or destroying light vehicles. Their most likely use is to engage the offworld bandits or pirates who sometimes strike isolated colony worlds like Gordon’s Gamble. Anything larger than the Spider Drones can handle will need full military action, and at that point it ceases to be something for the security forces to worry about.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

"Dumb 'Bots"
Tech Level 2
Troop Quality D8

Gauss machine guns - TL2, GWS, AP:3/AT:1 (L) (As a TL2 Gauss support weapon, stats include firepower bonus for gauss weapon system.  Will also ignore 1 die of target cover or armour).

Note that as a paired wepon system, the additional gun mount will add a further die to firepower.