OBT Forum

Ahab C

Securing a recently unknown Brian Cache on Circe in former Clan Mongoose territories, Snow Raven has found a relatively intact mothballed supply of Royal SLDF Aerospace fighters. Stripping the designs of outdated and inoperable systems is taking some time but in the end the Clan will be able to add many additional aerospace fighters to their touman.  One of the more numerous designs in the cache was the AHB-443b Ahab, the moose in molasses as it was referred to in heyday has not been improved in its main drawback of speed and maneuverability. The Snow Raven commanders felt the increase from the traditional 270 engine to the more massive and resource heavy 360 engine just was not worth the investment. Instead 270 XL engines from the new Incubus design coming from the Hell's Horses have been installed into the design freeing up additional tonnage.

Stripping out any and all weapons and equipment on the design for the more efficient Clan technologies, already known for being able to take out combatant dropships in groups designers pushed the envelope in its arsenal in an effort to improve upon this. Maintaining the LRM systems but instead downgrading from the old 20's with supplementing NARC systems to 15's with Artemis Fire Support.  Removing the single ER Large and accompanying medium lasers and instead adding four ER Mediums, 2 per wing and one for enemies that engage it from the rear. Dropping the SRM's with their crit finding ability on enemy fighters and instead utilizing the tonnage from the new XL engine for three LBX-10s located in the Nose with an impressive 20 shots per cannon. 


Mass: 90 tons

Power Plant: 270 XL
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph

Armament:
     3 LB 10-X AC
     2 LRM 15
     5 ER Medium Laser

Cost: 15,003,005 C-bills
Battle Value: 2,960

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        270 XL                7.5
Safe Thrust: 5
Max Thrust: 8
Structural Integrity:         9                       
Heat Sinks:                   14 [28]                 5
Fuel:                         400                   5.0
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          297                  15.5

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    89   
     Wings                 74/74   
     Aft                     60   

Weapons                           Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
3 LB 10-X ACs                        NOS       30.0     2     10   10    0    0 
LRM 15                               RWG       3.5      5      9    9    9    0 
Artemis IV FCS                       RWG       1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
2 ER Medium Lasers                   RWG       2.0      5      7    7    0    0 
LRM 15                               LWG       3.5      5      9    9    9    0 
Artemis IV FCS                       LWG       1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
2 ER Medium Lasers                   LWG       2.0      5      7    7    0    0 
ER Medium Laser                      AFT       1.0      5      7    7    0    0 
LRM 15 Artemis-capable Ammo (32)     FSLG      4.0      -      -    -    -    - 
LB 10-X Cluster Ammo (60)            FSLG      6.0      -      -    -    -    -

Talon Assault Craft

The Talon fits a need for hostile boarding actions. With the potential for engaging hostile warships and dropships in the coming future the Ravens have begun to bolster their marine forces for seizing potentially new isorla from forces in the Inner Sphere. With information not available on potential targets the design is built with the idea of overwhelming numbers as the ideal. Holding up to 140 marines the idea is that one or two Talons can overwhelm any defenders an allowing the securing of targets. Moderate weaponry is added to keep enemy fighters honest but in the end aerospace superiority should be acquired before the Talon is deployed.

Type: Military Spheriod
Mass: 200 tons

Introduced: 2996

Battle Value: 2,546
Cost: 18,785,200 C-bills

Fuel: 10 tons (800)

Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8

Heat Sinks: 25 (50)
Structural Integrity: 9

Armor
    Nose: 92
    Sides: 81/81
    Aft: 70

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Infantry (Foot) (25)    2 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (10.0 tons)       0 Doors   

Ammunition:
None

Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  2 enlisted/non-rated, 2 gunners, 125 bay personnel

Notes: Mounts 12 tons of ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons              Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
2 ER PPCs               Nose      12.0     15    15   15   15    0 
ER Medium Laser        Fwd R      1.0      5      7    7    0    0 
ER Medium Laser        Fwd L      1.0      5      7    7    0    0 
ER Medium Laser        Aft R      1.0      5      7    7    0    0 
ER Medium Laser        Aft L      1.0      5      7    7    0    0 
2 ER Medium Lasers      Aft       2.0      5      7    7    0    0

These are some really nice designs and concepts The Nizari of course never existed, much like how the Ravens would never ever reactivate their Bug Eye class ship...*coughs*

Or get around it by saying its a Watch bit of kit and then basically the other clans wouldn't care if they did find out about it.

Perhaps in its history its the craft that dropped the first Diamond sharks into the seas for them to prey on the Sea Fox.

Updated Nizari fluff

Nizari

With Intelser being formed in 2980 by order of the Grand Council as a means of gathering intelligence on the state of the Inner Sphere, Snow Raven leadership immediately began brainstorming on how they would focus their Clan’s resources in the endeavor.

Debuting in 2982 the Nizari began to be produced in moderate numbers by the Clan. Slowly being spread amongst Clan holdings and commands. Conceptualized as a means to seek and discover Bandit Caste locations as well as scout for leading elements of any forces returning to the Inner Sphere. The design harkens back to a SLDF design when Military Intelligence was more an integral part of strategic command. Melding the ancient Raven of Ancient Terra lore into the design that held the Raven to be the keeper of secrets and assisted with exposing truths behind secrets, the Nizari fulfills this role for the Clan. Designed as a noncombatant the Nizari is not piloted often by Snow Raven warriors but instead by those of the Technician Caste.

Utilizing the best of technologies available to the Clan the Nizari is able to transport a small group of up to a platoon size (28), most models are outfitted for smaller sizes with comforts included for extended flights in systems. ECM and advanced sensors are available on all models. With the ability to deploy small drones for the purposes of creating sensor nets for stations and ship deployments. At least one of each design is located on all Snow Raven warships for senior level transport and scouting purposes. The single Bug-eye under control of the Ravens is paired with two of the design as a monitoring system for the Lum system.

Seen by some as a less than honorable design by a few of the more staunchly conservative Clans, the Ravens have defended in several trials the honor of the design most recently vs Clan Burrock. Who lost quite easily to the smaller but better trained Snow Raven binary component of the 11th Raven Battle Cluster. The first notable action of a Nizari was in 2984 in the infamous Liam Howell / Clan Sea Fox fiasco. Piloted by Khan Howell himself the Nizari ship Fidai delivered the first Diamond Shark into the waters of Strana Mechty.

Space for hundreds of kilometres around the CSJ Obsidian was lit with fire, streaks of laser light, the bright flares of fighter exhausts and explosions. The aerospace fighters of Clan Mongoose and Clan Smoke Jaguar were but gnats between the duelling behemoths as nearly forty WarShips from small corvettes to 1.6 million ton monsters like the Obsidian tore into each other.

The Obsidian was streaming debris from several holes in her hull, one of her great turrets was a mangled wreck but the ship was still firing, her massive Naval PPC’s bellowing in silent rage in the cold dark of space. In the distance a Mongoose cruiser, a Kimagure class, easily identifiable thanks to their unique hull shape slowly exploded and came apart, the long, elegant bow literally cut from the hull.
Another ship thundered into view, explosions dancing across her hull as Jaguar fighters swept in, weapons blazing. The CMS Quicksilver Mongoose was damaged, but she was faring better than the larger Obsidian as small turrets tracked and engaged darting fighters, cutting down several with rapid pulses of fire as the Mongoose’s flagship charged the flagship of Clan Smoke Jaguar.

The damaged Jaguar battleship was starting to come about, rolling to try and present as much undamaged hull plating to the Quicksilver Mongoose but the damaged Jaguar ship was slow to answer the helm and the guns of the Quicksilver Mongoose spoke.

Bright blue particle cannon bolts hammered into the upper hull of the Jaguar battleship, followed a heartbeat by searing crimson beams as Naval lasers fired, melting and cutting into the upper hull of the CSJ Obsidian. It seemed the larger vessel had survived the brutal damage, but then something erupted in the hull. Blast pattern analysis indicated that it was ammunition for the ultra-heavy autocannons detonating. There was a brief but violent blast of flame followed by a shower of fragments of hull plating, some as big as a 100-ton aerospace fighter were torn out of the upper hull by the blast. The damage was bad, but what followed was far worse as the structural damage deep in the hull was obviously quite significant, and the ship was still rolling. The huge dorsal fin that towered over a hundred meters above the ship’s spine swayed as the Obsidian’s retro-thrusters fired to stop her roll. Swayed, and then started tearing free, ripping a huge chunk of the upper hull with it, air, debris and more than a few bodies hurtled from the growing wound on the dying battleships upper hull as she started tearing herself apart.

The holo-display flicked off as the Obsidian’s running lights flickered and died and Khan Ewan McCorkell turned his seat back to the other personnel in the crowded briefing chamber aboard the CSR James McKenna.

“As we know, the Mongoose’s destruction of the Obsidian did not save them, and that Clan has fallen and is now Absorbed into Clan Smoke Jaguar, the battle over Circe is the largest naval engagement ever seen in the Homeworlds. Because the Jaguars were desperate to get their damaged ships repaired, I was able to ensure that the data recorders of the ships in the battle were traded to us, we have hours of flight recorders, bridge footage, sensor data and now, damage reports which will be made available to you all following this briefing. But..from what you have seen and what you know, I would like to hear your thoughts.

Ewan McCorkell’s voice was clipped and firm as he spoke, as only the second Khan of his Clan, he stood in the shadow of his illustrious predecessor, Stephen McKenna as leader of his Clan, and keeper of its secrets.

Star Admiral Anna Cooper spoke up first, young for her rank, she’d earned her position in battle and in the equally dangerous inter-Bloodhouse politics that played out within the Snow Ravens. “It was a bloody disaster for both sides. There was little organisation, no clear tactics, just two fleets hammering into one another. A few Mongoose Captains did try their Guerre de Course tactics that favoured their cruiser heavy fleet but it was still a case of every ship for themselves.”

There was nods from around the chamber and murmurs of ‘Aff’ in agreement and Khan McCorkell smiled slightly “Aff, now..let us address how we would do in such an engagement. When was the last time that, as a Clan we trained as formations? Sixteen years ago. We have focused on single ship engagements and deployments, despite our overwhelming naval strength. Com-chatter indicates that the Jaguar Captains were even challenging individual Mongoose WarShips to fight them, as if they were nothing more than huge Mechs. Would we have done any different?”

Silence fell upon the briefing room, they all knew the answer to those questions and all eyes fell on the Khan as he moved round to stand before a picture of a dying warship, a Sovetskii Soyuz that was slowly coming apart under the hammering guns of an unseen opponent.

“This will not happen to our Clan. We are better than this, we are better than any other Clan when it comes to naval operations. Where we, Kerensky forbid, forced into a similar position as either Clan, we will not disgrace ourselves in such a clumsy fashion.” McCorkell’s voice rose as he spoke, he knew he was playing for an audience and he had to get his Galaxy Commanders and Star Admirals ‘on side’ so to speak. With the Jaguar’s ascendant they were sure to throw their weight around and he wasn’t about to let the Snow Raven’s be bullied by the brutal Jaguars.

He smiled as he stopped talking “End of speech. Now..let us begin planning for the future, I will have some coffee brought, this will be a long day.”

A good justification for the Snow Raven motivation in your setting.

I could argue the Pentagon Civil War may have seen more warships in combat than the Mongoose Absorption and lets not forget about the Annihilation of the Not-Named Clan with the Switchback Directive or the Widowmaker Absorption. All four naval engagements could provide powerful insights into tactics and strategy during early Clan history.

I could also see very naval commanders bidding in a similar fashion (giant Mechs is a good way to think of it) as what you describe in your story, very Clan like. Just a general comment even towards the Snow Ravens is that the Clans link their naval forces so closely to their ground forces as auxiliaries, almost afterthoughts.

Planning something very different myself.