OBT Forum

There's no rules for it but I just had the thought what if Elementals could carry antimissile systems couldn't you then have a screening force surrounding your mechs then with the ability to shoot down massive waves of incoming missiles. Would be an huge advantage against the IS whose main weapons for long range especially in the beginning was just LRMs

Ganesha Amphibious Troop Transport
 
 
The Ganesha was developed out of the requirement and need to transport Elementals, and whilst the Svantovit was an adequate APC its fragility made it unsuitable for front line deployment outside of small-scale battles and skirmishes and the horribly cramped interior made it unable to support Elementals in the field.  Newer designs like the Yama IFV and Polemos APC were more capable and survivable but each was still only a troop carrier and was unable to survive in built up terrain.  Fighting on Tokasha and the Niles factory complex had shaped the Hells Horses and they wanted a vehicle that could fight and survive in built up areas whilst being able to travese the worst terrain.
Using the heaviest available tracked chassis, Clan Hells Horses settled on a 100-ton design that was also designed to be amphibious but armouring the vehicle enough whilst making it actually amphibious was a massive task.  Unlike smaller amphibious vehicles the design wasn’t ever meant to float but would instead go along the floor of a lake or river before emerging on the other side. 
The testbed chassis proved that this could be done, but real world testing soon encountered a wide range of problems, most with the tank bogging down or getting stuck.  The other issue was that that, whilst the tanks great weight made getting into the water easy but, climbing out of unprepared river banks or encountering high walls made getting out of the water a challenge. 

But the layout and buoyancy aids did have other benefits, it was found during testing that the vehicles hull shape shielded its tracks and the guards over the tracks that were designed to stop them being fouled by underwater objects, offered significant defensive advantages.
Whilst the system that was designed to make the new heavy APC amphibious was removed the hull and track plating and guards remained in place and were both augmented and up-armoured.  Shock and thermal armour plating replaced buoyancy tanks and harjel dispensers and live fire testing found that the armour scheme, whilst heavy, made the tank very difficult to lame by damaging its tracks or road wheels.

The tanks armament was originally going to be an LB pattern autocannon and missiles but the cannons weight and the initial amphibious requirements saw this replaced with a large pulse laser that would both take advantage of the ability to fire underwater.  Supporting this was a pair of missile launchers, initially SRM-6’s but with the removal of the amphibious requirement these were updated to Streak SRM-6s which increased battlefield endurance and made the tank far more accurate. 
A trio of flamers were installed but unlike those found on tanks, these were powered by a pair of tanks containing the propellant for the flamer and propelled by compressed air to give it range.  Two were mounted in the bow and one covered the rear. 
The tanks self defence capabilities were also extensive with a pair of AMS mounted, one in the front and one on the back whilst an ECM fouled hostile targeting and communications systems. The electronics were further augmented by an Active probe and a TAG laser designator.  Finally, a bulldozer blade on the front let the tank shut aside any objects in its path as well as protecting the front of the tracks from incoming fire.

Powered by a 300 rated XL engine that was normally found on similar weight assault Mech’s the Ganesha wasn’t fast but with over 19 tons of Ferro-Fibrous armour it was heavily armoured and with the armoured motive system this was all to protect the tank’s true armament of 15 Elementals.
The Ganesha’s massive Infantry compartment was usually sub-devided up into three sections and there was enough room onboard to allow the Elementals to exit their suits and carry out small repairs and re-arm.  These three bays could be reconfigured depending on what the Ganesha was carrying into battle and it could easily carry a point of the bulky Hades Assault battlesuits as well as a supporting point of Elementals or Bellona light Battlesuits. 

Only issued to front line Galaxies the Ganesha was a deeply unpleasant surprise to Ghost Bear forces when they first encountered it.  The ability to carry up to three Points of Battle Armour whilst supporting them with heavy firepower saw the Bear’s loose several assault Mechs that had closed to engage the ‘poorly armed’ Horses tank only to be swarmed by Elementals, their pilots killed and Mech’s taken as salvage. 
The Horses remained the main user of the Ganesha and those that appeared in other Clans ones taken as Isorla.  But, serving as the Wolves reserve Clan during REVIVAL the Horses brought significant forces forwards with them and these and the Horses typically un Clan like love of Tanks and infantry forces was found to be a deeply unpleasant experience for forces raiding their worlds.

Ganesha Assault Tank
Base Tech Level: Experimental (Clan)
Level          Era
-------------------
Experimental    - 
Advanced      3145+
Standard        - 
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-E

Weight: 100 tons
BV: 2,046
Cost: 21,896,000 C-bills

Movement: 3/5 (Tracked)
Engine: 300 XL

Internal: 50
Armor: 374 (Ferro-Fibrous)
        Internal  Armor   
---------------------------
Front         10     88   
Right         10     74   
Left          10     74   
Rear          10     64   
Turret        10     74   

Weapons              Loc  Heat 
--------------------------------
Large Pulse Laser     TU   10   
Streak SRM 6          TU    4   
Streak SRM 6          TU    4   
Anti-Missile System   FR    1   
Anti-Missile System   RR    1   
Flamer (Vehicle)      FR    3   
Flamer (Vehicle)      FR    3   
TAG (Clan)            TU    0   
Flamer (Vehicle)      RR    3   

Ammo                             Loc  Shots 
---------------------------------------------
Streak SRM 6 Ammo                 TU     15 
Streak SRM 6 Ammo                 TU     15 
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]   FR     24 
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]   RR     24 
Vehicle Flamer Ammo               FR     20 

Equipment              Loc 
----------------------------
Armored Motive System   BD 
Active Probe [Clan]     TU 
Bulldozer               FR 
ECM Suite [Clan]        BD 

Carrying Capacity
-----------------
Troops - 15.0 tons



I kept the same basic design but couldn't square heavily armoured and amphibious in my head so I turned it into an armoured motive system instead.

you inspired it mate   And yeah I could see the Horses adopting a Trinary formation that's a Binary of vehicles and a Star of Mechs.

Also, after looking at TRO:3075 where you get to see the Hells Horses heavy infantry (older Elementals in armour with jump packs) I wonder if it would be possible to put them in PA(L) or would that be too cheesy as I've NO idea how useful or survivable an infantry squad is compared to if you put them in PA(L)

I sort of imagine the blade to be like that just with two instead of three prongs for battering inspiring the image of tusks