=============== OGRE/GEV list, Feb 22nd (Last: Feb 18th) =============== ===== Nihon Raiden - ichimas!!! From: RMeaden@aol.com ------------------------------ From: RMeaden@aol.com To: hcobb@io.com Subject: Nihon Raiden - ichimas!!! The Nihon Empire had a robust and diverse cybernetic program, with the Imperial Navy being the first to benefit with the introduction of the world's first totally cybership - the 'Musashi' class. The Heavenly Emperor's desire to rule the Pacific gave the Imperial Army plenty of opportunity to experiment and perfect new cybertank designs. Though the 'Mishima' cybertank was to eventually be the standard-issue cybertank of the Imperial Army, many smaller designs were field tested in the 2070's. Most notable was the 'Raiden' (thunder & lightning) and 'Tenzan' (heavenly mountain) class cybertanks. Both were eventually removed from frontline service in the late 70's, and none were sent on peacekeeping missions to the former Combine in the early 22nd century. However, both models were fairly popular as export items, with Nova Brasilia and the Argentinian Agricultural Union (AAU) being eager customers of used Raiden. Both classes never had 'Descartes package' upgrades, and like their later brethren, all Raiden and Tenzan were programmed with the ideals of Bushido. Both classes were typically ranked as a sho-sa. RAIDEN cybertank - Size 7, 90-100 points 1 Main Battery (4/6", D4) 5 Secondary Battery (3/4", D3) 3 Missiles (6/10" D3) 10 Antipersonnel (1/2" D1) 36 Treads (movement starts at 6") OOOOOO (Move drops to M5") etc. Some Raiden were upgraded to Raiden 'Kohei' ('Engineer'), though these were rare, and never to the level and complexity of the Vulcan. The Raiden Kohei served only during the heavy fighting in the Chinese heartland. Take this cybertank for a spin! - Richard ----- [EEEK! You put more weapons than a Mk-III on a smaller thread-base and produced the second most heavily loaded OGRE to date. (4.17 vs the Doppel's 4.20 on the defense * speed / total threads scale) Worse, you've got the Nihis making a better tank than the Combies for less cost at the same time using the same base technology. Instead, let's see some variation in tech between East and West, OK? How about: Size 7, 100 points Four Mini Missile Launchers (atk 3, range 8 inches, def 2) One Main Battery (atk 4, range 6 inches, def 4) Four Point Defense Batteries (atk 1, range 4 inches, def 2) Four Antipersonnel(atk 1, range 2 inches, def 1) 36 thread units, move six inches (six by six) The Mini Missile Launchers are "standard" missile tank batteries thinly adapted for mounting on an OGRE, (and so have a missile interception roll of 11+ each vs Cruise Missiles, and they are not doubled in overruns, except that they are doubled against Militia in overruns). The MMLs and threads on this unit are less well protected than Combine OGREs and so an early form of the advanced point defenses (as found on the Ninja) was adopted. Each Point Defense Battery (PDB) may fire once each turn in either defensive mode during an enemy turn or in standard offensive mode during the following friendly turn. In defensive mode, a single PDB may engage a single non-overrun enemy attack directed against the OGRE it is mounted on. The effect is to add one to the defense of the item attacked, for the purposes of that single attack. The attempt to intercept is announced after the attack is announced but before the die is rolled. The bonus is applied after all adjustments for terrain. (So if the OGRE is in Town, and a Heavy Tank fires at it's MML (normally a 1-1 attack, atk 4 vs def 2 times 2 equals 4), the attack becomes a 1-2 attack (atk 4 vs def 2 times 2 plus 1 equals 5)). A PDB may use it's defensive mode intercept against a thread attack, the result of which is to give the mounting OGRE "threads down" protection against that one attack. In defensive mode PDBs may also engage Cruise Missiles (as many as pass by, in addition to intercepting a single conventional attack), against Cruise Missiles the PDB has an intercept roll of 10+ and a range of 8 inches. PDBs may not combine to stop a single conventional attack. A PDB may fire in Offensive mode, provided it did not use Defensive mode fire during the previous enemy turn, and is a normal (if weak) OGRE weapon in this mode. (It can fire on Infantry, Armor or OGREs, it just has a smaller attack strength than most other weapons, but may combine fire with other weapons as normal) It may freely engage in overruns regardless of the mode it is in, and is doubled (or quadrupled vs Militia) as any other OGRE weapon. Export versions replaced the PDB with AP guns (on a 1-1 basis), the cost is reduced to 90 points in this version. Now, how's that for a nice Raider / Air Defense OGRE? It's better than the Mk III at hit & run, but vulnerable to overruns. -HJC] Henry J. Cobb hcobb@io.com http://www.io.com/~hcobb All OGRE-related items Copyright (c) 1996, by Steve Jackson Games.