Scandian Land Vahicles

SLCM-Ground employs an impressive variety of ground vehicles.

Mechanized Cavalry

The Mechanized Cavalry are Scande’s mechanized infantry units, and the largest branch of the military. They often act in close concert with the tanks to provide the necessary infantry support. The Mech Cav are adept at using darkness and smoke to cover for light armor.

• Julian III Infantry Carrier

The usual trend for upgrades in the post-Leviathan War Esper Union was to increase vehicular armament, and in Scande that was true in several instances as well. The Julian III is interesting, however, because the Scandians actually reduced the armament from a 50 mm cannon on a small turret to a 30 mm cannon, although they kept the machine gun. (the turret is gone; the gunner is now exposed to fire, but the design change was believed to be worth it) This design change allowed a reduction in the Julian III’s profile. In fact, most design changes focused on improving signature. This included thermal baffles to combat the heat-seeking technology prevalent in the capitalist web (especially Kuat missiles), giving the Julian III a smaller silhouette to present to enemy fire, and is extremely quiet (it makes much less noise than most civilian cars, much less most treaded APCs). They also stretched the design, allowing for more interior space while at the same time making it lower. This allowed for the infantry section to store some additional gear on the Infantry Carrier. Despite their reputation as mecha innovators, the Scandians still put a lot of attention onto tracks, and used band track (rubber over steel core) to decrease weight while increasing speed. They also created an upgrade package to make the Julian III amphibious, allowing the APC to “swim”. The Julian III carries a section of ten people, with a crew of three (driver, gunner, commander). These developments make the Julian III an excellent ‘battle taxi’.

• Grizzly Infantry Support Vehicle (ISV)

The Scandians realized that decreasing the firepower of their infantry carrier presented a problem, especially since a lesson of the Leviathan War was the need for embryonic firepower to keep the infantry moving forward. In most militaries a heavy battlesuit such as the Kuat Ursus provides the needed base of fire. However, Scande has lagged behind in battlesuit technology and choose instead to create a vehicle specifically devoted to infantry support instead. The Grizzly is built on the Julian III chasis, and includes two variants: Standard, and Katyusha; the difference is in the turret. Three Grizzlies back up any platoon, usually two standard and one Katyusha.

The Standard variant has two automatic electromag grenade launchers, with airburst option. This combination allows the Grizzly to lay down a wall of fire and metal to suppress enemy positions and cover the infantry advance. The turret also includes two .50-caliber machine guns, and two other machine guns are on independent mounts. A crew of five mans these guns.

The Katyusha variant has a boxlike missile battery turret (augmented by the standard machine gun). The Grizzly Katyusha’s main weapon is wire-guided missiles, and it has both high explosives (for bunker busting) and anti-tank missiles. It has a crew of four.

Since both Grizzlies are built on the Julian chassis, they share its speed, stealthiness, and light armor.

Tanks

Despite their deserved reputation for mecha, the Scandian League still maintains a large tank force. However, the focus is not on medium or main battle tanks but light tanks built for speed. This allows a Scandian commander to rapidly deploy his armor to the enemy’s weak spot, and, after breakout, make large gains. However, lacking artillery and air superiority for most of the Leviathan War, the Scandians often had difficulty creating a weak spot through firepower alone; the most successful communist commander of the war relied on feints and trickery to create an opening for the tanks. New innovations, however, suggest that success might be attained with a more standard level of skill.

• Platinum II Light Tank

The principle tank of the Scandian League Combined Military, the Platinum II, like the Julian, received a signature-reduction upgrade after the Leviathan War to make it stealthier and harder to hit with missiles. The main armament, a 75 mm electromag cannon, remained unchanged. However, the targeting system was upgraded from an already excellent sensor network to the microwave-based system now used on many heavy Scandian direct fire weapons. This makes the Platinum tank extremely accurate, and, with a superb autoloader, it has a good rate of fire for a tank weapon. This is just one component of the tank’s excellent sensor system, which includes superior night combat gear. The upgrade was so extensive that an extra crew position was needed, leading to the tank’s five-man crew (Sensor, Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver); since this is a light tank, the interior is rather cramped. The Scandians also have advanced stabilization technology, allowing the gun to fire while the tank is on the move. The tank has an amphibious upgrade that allows it to “swim” on the top of water. Like many Scandian vehicles, the Platinum II is lightly armored, but Scandian crews do their best to use the agility of their vehicles, darkness, and smoke to compensate (the Platinum II mounts a smoke grenade launcher). In addition, the Platinum II can accept add-on armor which increases protection while decreasing speed, essentially making it a medium tank. The add-on armor can be jettisoned quickly with explosive bolts. New doctrine envisions attacking with the add-on armor on and then dropping it after the initial breakthrough to get the most speed. Platinum IIs “exported” to Scande’s allies usually have add-on armor already equipped.

• Zapper tank

Built on the same hull as the Platinum II, the Zapper has four powerful interlinked Supervolt coils. It has a much shorter range than the main gun of the Platinum, but its powerful coil can melt or disable most vehicles in its range. The recharge cycle on the tank is several seconds. Often used in support of the Platinums; the Zapper is similiarly fast and lightly armoured, but does not have the capacity for add-on armor.

Assault Engineers

Combat engineering tasks include the construction and demolition of field fortifications, bridging rivers, clearing forests, laying and clearing minefields, building roads, and other tasks. Scande has two whole regiments of engineers, and is unique among nations in according these tasks such high importance. It has used its engineers in civil construction programs, most notably the construction of Scande’s subway system. Assault Engineers consider themselves to be elite troops. The Assault Engineers are also known as the Sappers.

• Moleform Engineering Vehicle

This is a small mecha resembling a Gramorian. It has large claws which make it ideal for digging entrenchments quickly. It is also used to construct tunnels, often under enemy bases to bypass defenses. Moleforms have an add-on pod that allows them to transport six soldiers very uncomfortably underground; this is used for the insertion of teams for special operations. A shoulder cannon either lays down liquid plastic explosive for demolition or fire Rattler missiles to law down mines. A specialty of the Assault Engineers is "foamcrete", super-qquick drying concrete used to lay fortifications rapidly. The Moleform has several other utility attachments like a winch.

Light Horse

The Light Horse, or Biker Scouts, serve as the SLCM’s light infantry. Jetbike mounted, they serve as scouts and skirmishers. They often operate independently or in small teams. (This is in contrast to the Jetbike units of Guardia, which are used in the assault role.) They take a lead role fighting insurgents in the OZ. Light Horse regiments often spot for artillery bombardment.

• Biker Scout Gear (BSG), with “Ghillie Suit”

This is the light armor and helmet worn by Biker Scouts. It includes the ICU4000 goggles, but also has built-in communications capability and ultrasound sensors. Not really a battlesuit (it has no power source) but a specialized uniform. Includes survival equipment. The most interesting part of BSG is the “Ghillie Suit”, a lightweight kit that allows the Biker Scout to make his own camouflage by sticking bits of the surrounding terrain on his uniform. Although this is time consuming, it is much more effective than standard camouflage patterns. It allows a Biker Scout to remain undetected, where he can observe, snipe, or call in artilleryfire.

• Elsek Jetbike

This is Scande’s knockoff of Guardia’s jetbike. It is believed that Scande actually based this design on Guardia’s civilian, rather than military model, which accounts for some of the poor performance features. It has a lower flight ceiling that its Guardian counterpart, uses a petroleum engine, but is still fast and is somewhat quieter. The forward mounted machine gun provides much less firepower than the GDF model’s twin Wonderflare cannons, and the Elsek is overall much less robust. Although the GDF’s jetbikes are regularly the first wave of an assault, a force trying to do that with Elseks would be torn to pieces. All Biker Scouts use these, that’s why they’re Biker Scouts.

Dracoforms Service

The elite units of the Scandian League Combined Military are the Dracoforms units, which use the large and powerful mecha known as Dracoforms. Most Dracoforms are built to look like Dragons. In sharp contrast to the rest of the force, the Dracoforms Service unabashedly eschews speed in favor of firepower and armor. Dracoform pilot training is extremely rigorous, and fell-fledged pilots are allowed to where a cloak with their uniform to show their elite status (green for most, red for aces). The first deployment of Dracoforms at First Hosluftgrad ushered in an era of mecha combat into the Web. The verdict is still out as to whether they will become the dominant arms. The great attention many nations (with the marked exception of Tasnica) now pay to their mecha forces may be a harbringer. The SLCM’s changes to the Dracoforms Service mainly focused on a future of mech to mech combat; in the Leviathan War the mecha had the luxury of going up against infantry and LCVs. Although when initially deployed they seemed to be a wonder weapon (some predicted the Scandians would conquer the EU within a few months) additional deployments and action revealed difficulties. It was vulnerable to close attack by helicopters, and the Esperians modified their Shoat airlift helicopter with rockets to exploit this weakness. As mecha became more prevalent, it became clear that the main-line Zog was vulnerable in hand-to-hand combat. It had no melee weapons, and did not even have articulated hands to defend itself. Scande’s solution was to manufacture a purpose-built close-combat mecha. Evolving doctrine in Scande is focused on how to win the mecha-on-mecha clash. A few military theorists believe that the next war between Esper and Scande will be decided over who wins the mecha battle in the streets of Hosluftgrad. It should be noted that the Dracoforms are a logistical nightmare, and deploying a regiment of the beasts is an expensive and time-consuming operation.

• Zog Heavy Assault Dracoform

It is hard to believe that this design was originally conceived almost a decade ago yet remains one of the dominant mecha of the Web battlefield. At forty feet and 80 tons, the Zog is a gargantuan beast. Its Draconic appearance includes wings and a tail (which help balance the machine against its heavy weapons). The main armament of the Zog is on its arms, which end not in hands but Demolishers. A Demolisher is six 75 mm electromag cannon formed into what amounts to a gatling tank gun. The Zog’s two Demolishers can rapidly puncture most vehicles and quickly take down other mecha. Linked to an advanced microwave targeting system, they are extremely accurate. Ancillary firepower comes from four antipode vulcans in the chest and shoulder missile racks. The shoulder missile racks used to be armed with “Gecko” wire-guided missiles, but have since upgraded largely to “Snake” radar guided missiles, both are usually armor-piercing warheads (most of the time, infantry pose very little threat to a Dracoform). Zogs can also be equipped with “Rattlers”, missiles designed to deploy a spread of 24 mines. The ability to create instant minefields is important for controlling large areas. The Zog Dracoform is also heavily armoured, capable of sustaining multiple hits. The Zog, however, is incredibly slow and cumbersome. Unlike many vehicles which received signature improvements, the Dracoform is a most un-stealthy vehicle. Zogs comprise the majority of the Dracoform force; a standard Dracoform unit is three Zogs with one Ryu. A Zog was the winner of Diamond’s first Robotics Tournament, piloted by Scandian commander Sheila Sporr.

• Ryu Close Combat Dracoform

Melee combat soon emerged as a major feature of mecha warfare, and the Scandians quickly realized that the Zog was vulnerable in this respect. Rather than tamper with an extremely successful design the Scandians introduced a new kind of Dracoform, one optimized for close combat. At 60 tons, the Ryu is classified by the Scandians as a medium Dracoform, but it is a heavy unit by most standards. It has hands; the left arm has a shield and the right arm has a supervolt whip. The ‘lightning bolt on a leash’ is the main melee weapon of the Ryu. The Ryu also has antipode vulcans. The Ryu is not as well armoured as the Zog, but is still tough. It is substantially more agile than the Zog, however, an important feature in melee combat.

• Onyx Drake Heavy Assault Dracoform

The personal Dracoform of Scandian Ace Jendon Fel, and the most powerful mecha ever built by Scande. Only one exists. It is over 120 tons and nearly seventy feet tall. It has twice the Demolishers of the Zog, and many more missile tubes distributed throughout the body. It has 4 antipode vulcans. It also has two massive 205 mm electromag cannon, one on each shoulder. These gigantic cannon make a huge sonic boom when fired. The dark mecha has spikes running up and down its back; these are omnidirectional supervolt coils that fry things at close range. At Second Hosluftgrad the Onyx Drake destroyed several LCV regiments. It is as much a symbol of Scandian military might as a practical weapon; it was embarrassingly defeated in the robotics tournament by a KN Civil Defense type.

• Ahzam Long Range Attack Dracoform

The Ahzam is a new design, slightly smaller than the Zog but substantially larger than the Ryu. It is conceived as a sort of sniper, with three powerful, long range Luminaire cannon. Each arm ends in one, and there is one in the chest in between the four standard antipodes. An Ahzam’s volley can destroy most mecha at several miles out. (It is not properly classified as an artillery mecha because the Luminaire cannon are direct fire weapons). However, the cannon has a slow rate of fire which makes it ineffective at close range. Dracoform companies (of 28 machines) have include one “Long Rifle” section of 3 Ahzams with one Ryu for protection in addition to the seven standard Zog/Ryu combos. It is believed that the Ahzam was on Scande’s drawing board for some time but without access to magilyte they lacked the resources to build it. Now, however, with Mysidian Commonwealth’s rise and the access to Silveran magilyte, production of this machine can begin.

Universal

These vehicles are found in SLCM regiments regardless of type:

• Whirlwind Anti-Air Vehicle

Built on a Julian III chassis, the Whirlwind is deployed not only in the Mech Cav but also with tanks and Dracoforms. Most regiments usually have an air defense battalion; those facing off against the EUS in OZ have an entire brigade of these vehicles. The Whirlwind is mainly a counter to low-flying craft (like the helicopters used extensively by the EUS); the turret is 8 Antipode Vulcans in an octagonal fashion for large coverage. They can also wipe out large numbers of infantry. The job of the Whirlwind is to keep the SLCM’s excellent ground forces from being owned by a superior air force. (The SLCM’s own air capabilities fall substantially behind those of the other big powers).

• Roach General Purpose Vehicle

A 5-seat enclosed utility vehicle, similar to the Kuat Badger, except blockier, uglier, and treaded. SLCM-Ground chose treads over wheels for this role because of advantages in off-road performance, weight distribution (which allows several add-ons for the Roach), traction, and obstacle crossing. Most other nations think the Scandians are being a little bit silly using treads on such a small vehicle. The treads allow the Roach to swim. The Roach comes with a machine gun, but can also have a wire-guided missile launcher and a flail for clearing mines.

• Thumper Self-Propelled Mortar

The Thumper is a lightly armoured vehicle with wide, low treads spread out underneath it. Above the treads on either side are 155 mm electromag mortars. This vehicle was introduced to augment indirect fire support for the League. The mortars can fire together for a devastating effect on a single target, or alternate fire to increase the rate of fire. The Mechanized Cavalry received first priority for Thumper units, but artillery support units are also often assigned to Dracoforms, Tanks, and Light Horse.