The Wolfhound Hovertank
The Wolfhound is the main battle tank of the Terran Protectorate, deployed by the Protectorate Colonial Marine Corps. It is a high-mobility, heavily armored, hard-hitting attack vehicle, designed to kill Arkhon tanks and robots at long range with little risk to itself.
This vehicle is designed to be a direct counter to the T-10 “Porcupine” deployed by the Arkhon. Even the number designation, HT-10, reflects this. The two vehicles have similar design philosophies, but the Protectorate obviously hopes the Wolfhound will be the Porcupine’s better. In the last war, in what land engagements there were, the Protectorate ground forces were no match for the tri-beam armed ground troops of the Arkhon. The Porcupine, Great Cyclops and Spectral Hunters inflicted severe damage. Fortunately, the Protectorate was able to gain space superiority and cut off supplies to occupation forces that had taken over several Protectorate colonies. But they knew that in any future conflicts, the Protectorate would have to find a way to hold ground in order to win a protracted engagement. Too many important assets, such as factories, refineries and population centers, are ground-based and can’t just be given over to the enemy.
The Wolfhound is heavily armored, relatively fast, and employs two powerful gauss cannons as main guns that are, essentially, Boom Guns that fire a variety of ammunition. It is also armed with an anti-personnel rail gun, short-range missiles, a cupola-mounted laser cannon and a pair of plasma flame throwers. It is fully environmentally sealed, and able to operate in environments with temperatures from -200 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and on worlds with gravity ranging from .3 earth standard to four times earth’s gravity.
Unless jammed, a Wolfhound tank platoon constantly shares battlefield data over a secure, heavily-encrypted frequency. They are able to coordinate attacks and fire with amazing accuracy. This means that all tanks in a Wolfhound platoon can share targeting data. So, if one tank has a better bead on a target (meaning that tank has the least negatives to hit), all the other tanks can fire using that tank’s targeting data. In game play, if an enemy target is obscured or under cover, and one tank has a position where it can fire without penalties, then all the tanks in that platoon can fire without penalty (or with any bonuses the tank may have). Tanks can be disconnected from the data net if their high-gain antenna is destroyed.
The Wolfhound holds up well in comparison to the Porcupine. The Porcupine has more weaponry, but the Wolfhound has more powerful main guns and its short-range missiles give it longer striking range. The Wolfhound is much more heavily armored, a necessity given the armor-devouring tri-beam cannons on the Porcupine and other Arkhon vehicles. However the Wolfhound is marginally slower than the Porcupine, the price it pays for the additional armor. On the field of battle, victory is likely to come from training and tactics when platoons of these two behemoths meet.
Note: A Protectorate tank platoon, generally consisting of 4 tanks, is commanded by a Lieutenant or Captain. A company consists of 13 tanks (three platoons, plus a command tank), three Normandy APCs and a handful of utility vehicles. Companies are generally commanded by a major.
Model: HT-10
Class: Main
Crew: 5; driver, communications specialist/gunner, commander and two gunners. The tank commander is generally a sergeant, or a lieutenant if platoon leader.
M.D.C. by Location
Main turret – 500
120mm gauss cannons (2) – 150 each
Cupola and dual laser cannons – 110
Short-range missile launcher – 170
Anti-personnel 10mm rail gun – 60
Plasma flamethrowers (2) – 80 each
High-gain antenna – 100
Forward hatch – 120
Rear hatch – 150
Armored Skirts (2) – 400 each
*Hoverjet lift system – 200
Armored pilot’s compartment – 400
**Main body – 850
*Depleting the M.D.C. of the hoverjet lift system will immobilize the vehicle. However, the armored skirts must be destroyed before the lift system can be damaged, unless the attack comes from directly underneath the tank, like from a mine or an enemy concealed in the ground.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body immobilizes the vehicle, destroys its environmental integrity, and causes loss of power to most systems. The cupola laser cannon and short-range missile launcher can still be fired, however.
Speed
Maximum ground speed: 160 mph.
Maximum altitude: 30 feet. Standard hovering altitude is 3-5 feet, depending on terrain. Can go as low as 6 inches on very flat ground.
Statistical Data
Height: 15 feet (with antenna raised)
Length: 31 feet
Width: 17.5 feet
Weight: 80 tons fully loaded
Cargo: A 5x4x4 footlocker containing five rifles, four additional clips for each, and survival gear for two weeks for the crew.
Power plant: One 0.25 oz.
Range: 2,000 miles
Cost: Not for sale.
Weapon Systems
1. 120mm Electromagnetic Cannons (2):
Similar to the famous Boom Guns on the old Chromium Guardsmen (AKA Glitterboys), these weapons fire a variety of ammunition in
a ferrous shell at numerous times the speed of sound. They have better range
and penetration than the old Boom Guns and can fire a variety of ammunition.
These weapons can fire in tandem at large targets, such as other tanks and
robot vehicles. They are usually fired separately, staggered, in order to keep
constant fire on the enemy, and to adapt quickly to changes in battle.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
Mega-Damage: Standard Armor Piercing Solid Tungsten Darts (APSTDs) do 3D6x10 M.D. with no area of effect damage. Anti-personnel rounds do 2D4x10 M.D. to a 40-foot radius. High-explosive rounds do 2D6x10 M.D. to a 15-foot radius.
Effective range: 3 miles (15,840 feet)
Rate of fire: Each cannon can fire three times per melee round
Payload: 50 rounds per cannon (100 total). Standard breakdown is 50 rounds of APSTD, and 25 rounds each of anti-personnel and high-explosive shells.
2. Short-range missile launcher: This standard box launcher gives the tank long-range, anti-aircraft and anti-missile punch.
Primary Purpose: Air defense
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type. Standard payload is plasma, for 2D6x10 M.D.
Rate of fire: Individually, or in volleys of 2, 3 or 6.
Payload: six in the launcher and a reload in the tank, for a total of 12. The missile launcher can be reloaded in five minutes by a trained crew.
3. 10mm Anti-personnel Rail Gun: This light rail gun fires bursts of tungsten slugs at high speed. It is used for short-range defense against infantry and lightly armored targets, like power armor.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D. for a 20-round burst.
Rate of fire: Equal to hand to hand attacks of the gunner.
Payload: 10,000 rounds, or 500 bursts.
4. Plasma flamethrower turrets (2): These two ball turrets ignite a special gel that turns into plasma when ejected and can burn for an extended period of time. While not especially effective against cerasteel on impact, the fact that it continues to burn for some time after impact can do a lot of cumulative damage, even to cerasteel.
Primary Purpose: Anti-personnel
Mega-Damage: 6D6 M.D. on impact, and 6D6 M.D. per melee for 2D4 melee rounds. The flames can only be put out by thorough smothering. Attempting to douse them with water can work, but will do an additional 2D6 M.D. to everyone within 10 feet as they flare out.
Rate of fire: four times per melee round
Payload: Each cannon has enough gel for 40 shots.
5. Cupola-mounted dual laser cannons: These are a pair of standard laser cannons mounted on the top of the turret and used by the tank commander. They are generally powered by the tank, but can be powered by e-clip as well. The cupola can rotate 360 degrees, and the guns can be elevated 60 degrees.
Primary Purpose: Anti-personnel
Mega-Damage: 4D6 M.D. for a dual blast, or 1D6x10+10 M.D. for double-barreled 3-shot burst.
Rate of fire: Equal to hand-to-hand attacks of the commander.
Payload: Effectively unlimited while hooked into the power supply. Can also run off of two energy clips which provide 30 dual blasts.
