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).

Mobile Missile System

"We've all been there. You need mobile close air defence, but there's no room in the DropShip for a light tank based launcher unit, and the groundmount system is unmanoeuverable and just too tactically limited. Until now, you've just had to hunker down and hope the enemy fighters don't make an attack run until your backup arrives..."

"Introducing the new mobile missile system for all your medium surface-to-surface and surface-to-air combat needs! The marriage of a tried and tested 4-round medium missile battery with the drive unit from a Mobile Autonomous Weapons System give you the flexibility that you need on the modern battlefield. The tracked chassis gives a stable fire platform for the launcher system coupled with good mobility over rough terrain."

Following a conversation with Jon at GZG, this little project came about, and Jon kindly let me add a MAWP to my order, which already included some missile launchers. The inspiration came from the old Action Force "Z-Force Dart" mobile missile system, and uses parts from V15-25D Medium Missile Battery on groundmount and V15-22B MAWP(T) with Plasma Gun.

The missile launcher section has been assembled in the normal fashion, as has the base unit for the MAWP. As Jon uses the same diameter rod for all the small turret mountings, so all I needed to do was drill the mounting hole on the MAWP slightly deeper and the conversion was done - nice and easy! Now to see how the Plasma Gun from the MAWP looks on a groundmount...