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Kodiak/Vagabond MBS-035 Hard Suit; Exiles/Zone Retrofitted Hard Suit
Topic Started: Feb 10 2017, 03:08 AM (124 Views)
Saeryn
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Vindicator Arsenal Retrofitted Hard Suit


With the advent of the mobile suit, and it becoming the premeir armored fighting vehicle of the battlefiends of tomorrow, the proverbial gold rush was on for various arms manufacturers as an entirely new specialist vehicle had emerged onto the scene. Mobile walkers, formerly used for construction and civilian tasks, were quickly becoming a foundation to the new military standard. Vanguard arsenal was one of these manufacturers located on the outer rim of the Celestial Empire, unable to compete in production of a full scale mobile suit, when trials began for the Celestial military to adopt some of their exquisite designs to become a new miltiary hard suit, the potential for more specialized suits utilizing the new technology. Powered armor suddenly became bigger, and hard suits filled the light armor role between armored fighting vehicle and mobile suit.

Taking a note from the armored divisions, VIndicator Arsenal began to apply acquire mobile suit technology to the idea of the MBS, or main battle suit. The concept was a battle suit that was mobile, well armored, and could carry a wide enough variety of weapon systems that would allow for the single model to be utilized for any task the Celestial Military would need when supporting the larger mobile suits. The Hardsuit would be small enough to be able to fit into buildings and areas where a mobile suit could not, as well as deal with vehicle and infantry threats allowing for the Mobile suits to keep focused on their task. They adapted their civilian engineering exosuits to military use. Dramatically upgrading the servo motors, electric fiber bundle muscles, as well as covering the suit in thick layers of composite and reactive armor. Weapon systems that were commonly found on light tanks were adapted for the Kodiak. As more and more additions were made to the suit, more and more of the original model was steadily replaced until the prototype suits barely resembled the civilian vehicles from which they were modified.

However the prototype that was submitted for military trials brought up several issues that would condemn the Kodiac to a poor choice for the Celestial military's hard suit. Being situated on the outer rim of the empire, and adapting their current production lines to the new technology. However Vindicator Arms's location meant that there was a disconnect with the Celestial military that caused issues when their suit went for military trials. The power plant, while able to easily provide power to the suit, would struggle with overheating issues if the suit was equipped with almost any of the newer, vehicle grade energy weapons as the primary armament. The suit also featured no flight capability in atmosphere, instead making use of it's zero g maneuverability pack as a jump jet system, allowing for extremely long "leaps" to aid in mobility over rough terrain. Additionally the Kodiac was equiped with magnetic grapnels to allow for it to hang onto Leo or other Mobile suits, allowing for them to hitch a ride on mobile suits for longer range opperations, or board enemy suits to tear at them with melee weapons or carry large scale demolition charges. However, hardsuit tactics did not take off as strongly as Vindicator arms had invisioned, and their rushed designs did have problems crop up. The Celestial military still saw them as a specialist role, and were currently undergoing their own tests of hardsuit designs. Supply line complications would also be an issue, as Vindicator Arms was planning on producing the suit in their primary facilities, far away from the heart of the Empire. It was a easy decision for the Celestial Military to almost universally pass on the Kodiac.

Vindicator Arms had made a dire misstep in their design. These issues were only compounded with the sheer number of prototypes they had produced, as well as a slew of parts they had preemptively prepared for orders. This caused them to quickly attempt to find contracts that the Kodiac would match up with. But what was designed as a front line suit struggled to compete in further trials. Being grounded planet side, and the rather heavy weight and limited head traverse were seen as flaws for if the suit were to take on a scouting or light armor role, as the suit couldn't even keep pace with the mobile suits it would be required to range ahead of. Ultimately most of the Kodiac's surplus would be bought up by the Celestial Military at an extreme discount to use as trainers for the more advanced hardsuits that would follow in it's wake, and to fill reservist hardsuit suit arsenals to suppliment the Leo's that became available to them. Ultimately, the Kodiac was considered a major misstep in the history of the company.

Vagabond MGS-035

The Kodiac would eventually find an identity as the Vagabond. As Kodiac collected dust among reservist arsenals. They would begin to find their way back to the outer rim as warrant officers began to sell them off to local militia forces and PMC groups who didn't have nearly enough of a budget to support full on Mobile Suits. The logicstical advantage of hardsuits versus mobile suits began to make them very appealing to smaller operations out in the rim and in the Zone. While not able to go toe to toe with mobile suits, the jump jets and magnetic grapnels would see partisan style tactics developed where the Kodiacs would carry demolition charges or other specialist gear to take on the larger suits in close assault tactics, jumping on the suits to cut into their armor and tearing at any systems they can get their hand son or ripping open crew hatches. Military storehouses would begin to find their Kodiac's in the hands of these groups and eventually spread out into the zone in the hands of smaller groups with some ties to the Celestial Empire.This ensured that the Kodiac would become a sleeper success, the production lines staying open to provide replacement parts and upgrade kits. While a far cry from the widespread and grandiose adoption imagined for the design, Kodiac parts continued to be produced today.

However as they began to find more widespread use as a paramilitary solution to mobile suit warfare. The lack of large scale mobile suit warfare made the use of hard suits a much more appealing option then the front lines imagined by the Celestial military. But the model quickly began to show it's age. Many Kodiacs would be upgraded with newer technology, often retrofitted from suits of the ERU or Celestial Empire models destined for the scrapyard. These began to overcome some of the design flaws that saw the Kodiac rejected by the military. Some of them being able to maneuver more effectively in zero g environments, others having the energy capacity to be able to support energy based weaponry. Due to the hardsuit becoming the best solution most pirates have to the few mobile suits that appear in The Zone with their close assault tactics. Vagabonds are defined by electronics scrambling suites, thermal dampening, and other measures meant to make their attempts to sneak up on their larger cousins more successful. Extending their life cycle, these retrofitted would begin to be known as Vagabonds, as they quickly became the face of mobile suit piracy. These suits now vary widely in build and banners, every mercenary group tending to have their own favored configuration.

Vehicle Stats

  • Role: Paramilitary Hard Suit
  • Weight: 7.5 Tons
  • Height: 7 meters
  • Length: 3.6 meters
  • Width: 3.5 meter
  • Maximum Speed: 70 miles per hour


Weapons

  • Mauler 90mm Chaingun1 : The 40mm Mauler Chaingun is the most common weapon seen in the hands of Kodiac's and Vagabonds, as it was the weapon the suit was designed for and vice versa. Originally it was adapted from a vehicular BOFORS autocannon fitted with a grip similar to an oversize support weapon. The Mauler was also fitted with box style magazine, turning the 40mm autocannon into a automatic chaingun. Additional ammunition can be stowed on the Suit itself, and loaded manually with it's fully articulate hands. A heavy weapon compared to many hardsuits, it features a much slower rate of fire to models sporting mini guns, or oversize assault rifle style weapons, making it closer to an armored vehicle weaponry wise. While the Mauler has a much slower rate of fire then typical hard suit rifles, the larger weapon is loaded with a variety of shells to suit several roles, from high explosive fragmentation to deal with infantry, to heat and squashead rounds to give the weapon a punch against vehicles. Nonetheless, the cannon excels in an anti light armor and anti infantry role. Anti suit and anti tank warfare is often regulated to the shoulder mounted missiles.
  • x2 Shoulder mounted 150mm wire guided anti tank missile; These heavy ATGM launchers are how the Kodiak/Vagabond deal with larger main battle tanks, or attempt to cripple a mobile suit at a range should they manage to hit an exposed joint. These two launchers are meant to be used against heavy armor, shoulder mounted in a swinging weapons pod these allow for the Vagabond to make use of cover while attempting to strike back against the larger threats they may face. However, these launchers must be loaded externally, and stowage of extra rounds leaves the munitions exposed to enemy fire. Thus the ideal tactic is for the Kodiak/Vagabond to fire it's two missiles and attempt cripple the suit to make it easier to jump onto, if the suit fails then the user is recommended to retreat and reload from a safe position.
  • Anti Mobile Suit Demolition Charge: These come in many makes and models, but are universally carried bombs that are sized for the Vagabond. From high tech military grade plasma charges to glorified IED's. These are always a product of their owner's supply, their contacts, and level of desperation. Demolition charges are meant to be placed onto a large target, such as a structure or a mobile suit. Often these will have some method of attaching themselves to the target while the hard suit retreats to a safe range. Be it complicated magnetic systems, geckotape, or simply shoved into an exposed vent.
  • Grapnel System: A product of the Kodiac's original intent of riding larger suits into battle, the grapnel system has seen multiple uses, from boarding enemy hardsuits, maneuvering in an urban environment, to hauling large cargo loads. The grapnel system composes of the hands of the Kodiac, laced with a strong electromagnet and supplemented with a geckotape system for composite or treated surfaces. These are supplemented by a pair of electronically fired, harpoons that have a similar design to the suit's hands with the launcher located in the arms. These are meant to supplement the jumpjets and the grapnels on the suit's hands to help it anchor it to it's target, or to help steal enterprising loot.
  • Ripper Heat Chainsaw: While not a standard feature on the Kodiac, many Vagabonds have adapted industrial heat chainblades into arm mounted melee weapons for use in breaching, and when attempting to rip into a grappled mobile suit. These chainblades are normally used for heavy duty salvage work and thus can cause damage when they are tearing into exposed joints or thinner mobile suit plates. Pirates tend to favor them due to their ability to slice through metalic armor and make short work of bulkheads, as well as assisting with the salvage opperations after the kill. Exiles Vagabonds tend to have a high number of these weapons on their suits, folded away until they deploy in a shower of white hot sparks and embers, and with a deafing roar or shredding steel.
  • Heat Machete
  • Defensive Smoke Launchers
  • Scanner equipment, communications suite, jamming and thermal camouflage
  • Jumpjet system
  • Optional Zero G maneuvering suite


Notable Variants

  • Spriggan: Kath Scarlett's personal Vagabond

    • Features the cream of the crop of salvaged parts from celestial and ERU mobile suits wrecks that have fallen into Exile's hands, allowing for a higher top speed and optimal power output compared to standard Vagabond or Kodiacs as well as moderation meant to help mask the heat signature from active scanning. Also features a more full featured communication, command and control suite. Giving the suit advanced ECM capabilities.

Edited by Saeryn, Feb 11 2017, 03:22 AM.
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Kagezuchi
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Your Equipment or Mech has been Approved
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