Scandian 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.
