OBT Forum

Fluff is up on the Shiva.

MA

Excellent. Looks like Abele is working on fluff as am I. JPArbiter has requested that the Abraxas be bought in from the last contest and I have agreed so this what we have.

Yen Lo Wang (drakensis)
Abraxas (JPArbiter)
Janus (drakensis)
Shiva (masterarminas)
Uller (Abele)
Manitou II (Abele)
Loki (fitzgerald)
Grendel (drakensis)
Proioxis (Takiro/Irose)

Nine competitors and no Ultralights so far. I see that Abele is working on the Uller still and the Proioxis should be up tonight. As always all entries gotta be in by midnight Eastern time which is approximately 17 and half hours away. Good luck!

Very nice! Just under eight hours to get those last minute entries in. 

Well when I asked everyone to stand and deliver their best effort for the Clan Main Battle Tank I had no idea how good you were going to make it. Sure I was a little disappointed that no Ultralights were thrown into the pot but forget about that. We had nine exceptional competitors by six different designers, a high water mark for vehicle contests I believe. Three were Ice Hellion designs and six were Diamond Shark. Many entries were based on existing Clan ‘Mechs and man were they ever good. With more snow on the way let us get this review started.

9. Janus (drakensis)
This 90 ton Ice Hellion entry based on the Star League Alacorn was more of an assault tank. Its mass and 270XL Engine (3/5) are the two largest factors for its placement here. Really just lacks the movement to keep pace with the main Clan battle line. Keeping in mind I called for all sorts of Extra Light entries to take advantage of this unique Vehicle Trail it does have a place here. With 17 tons of ferro fibrous (326 factor) this assault tank has unmatched protection exceeding even BattleMechs. I generally do not like Omnis be they ‘Mechs, Fighters, or Vehicles that use a lot of fixed equipment. With a Streak SRM 6, LRM 20, and Anti Missile System all locked in this is an example. I hope you will consider a redesign for our next contest as massive entries like the Janus will be suited. Just remember no XL engine next time around.

8. Manitou II (Abele)
I really wanted to see this proof of concept design by the Coyotes which was likely put forward by the Diamond Sharks. The original 55 ton is still perhaps the most intriguing idea to me given it would tie three combat types (Mech, Fighter, and Tank) together for a Clan. Talk about easing logistics. The second version presented here by Abele is intriguing although the odd tonnage may hamper production by increasing design time. With such an irregular mass like 68 tons who knows what effect it could have. I do like the design however the 275XL Engine (4/6) does not provide enough power to keep pace with Clan front line troops. With 11.5 tons of ferro fibrous (220 armor) it has very good protection for a heavy vehicle. You utilize a 2.5 ton turret (25 ton capacity) and 30 tons of pod space for weapons and equipment very well. Like your Primary Configuration which can double up on any Clan level three tank weaponry (Gauss, Ultra AC/20, LB-X 20) for main guns. Great firepower and a nice design especially for the Coyotes who may favor such offense over speed. Unfortunately for the Clan Main Battle Tank I was looking for something a little faster. Nice job though.

7. Abraxas (JPArbiter)
This 65 ton Tracked Omni-Tank is taken directly from Contest #34 and is based on the Star League Marksman. I have no doubt that Blood Spirit and Fire Mandrill would be the driving force behind this 260 Fusion (4/6) powered entry. Their desire to see a standard engine when compared to the expense of an Extra Light version would in my estimation lead them to obtain the design from the Hell’s Horses and get it into this competition likely by way of Diamond Shark. The Spirits have established a special relationship with the Sharks during the Trails which could easily facilitate such an arrangement. The Horses would not object and they do get along with Kindraa Payne plus they could even try out their XL version here. So it is really a win win for all involved. Would not cost the Sharks much to enter it as the funding and equipment comes from other Clans. I would have liked it better if JP had said that himself however and updated the design for this contest. Ultimately I still feel that this 4/6 entry is a little too slow for the Clan Main Battle Tank which I had envisioned as at least a 5/8 design.

6. Uller (Abele)
This 95 ton Ice Hellion entry really got my attention with its impressive speed. Using a 380 XL Engine (4/6) this massive OmniTank is part Executioner (Gladiator) even though it is based on the Star League Alacorn and Puma Tanks. Its speed and configurations are based closely on that premier Clan Assault Mech creating a terrifying battlefield opponent. With 14.5 tons of ferro fibrous (278 factor) armor it is very well protected and 32 tons of pod space allows for some devastating weaponry. D is probably my favorite configuration with a Large Pulse accompanying two Autocannons for some nice long range fire power. At the end of the day though this big guy is just a bit too big for this trail. Not gonna hold speed against you here because you max out maneuverability in this monster. I really hope to see this one again for our Assault Tank challenge just remember no XL engines next time around.

5. Loki (fitzgerald)
It was good to get fitzgerald back in the design ring once again with this 65 ton Diamond Shark Main Battle Tank. Turning the Hellbringer into a Tank and using its InnerSphere designation works on so many levels. Great name and concept. You had excellent fluff which accurately hit on the merchant Clan’s concerns, utilized existing components, and was not that crazy at all. Well at least to me. The 325XL Engine (5/8) provided excellent speed and 11.5 tons of ferro fibrous (220 factor) gave solid protection. A 1.5 ton turret (15 ton capacity) and 24 tons of pod space offered some awful nice configurations. Primary really harkens back to the Manticore upon which it was built. However other configurations were a little over board like C for crowd control which utilized a lot of unorthodox equipment such as Bulldozer blade, three Sprayers, and a liquid suction system. For a Main Battle Tank this was a bit much for me. I felt the same way about E which was also useful but on the Clan Main Battle Tank? Also basing the Loki on the Manticore was not a bad choice but the weight difference (+5 ton) prevented any straight conversions. This would require some additional design work and add time to manufacturing. Nice try fitz, one that I considered for the top spot.

4. Grendel (drakensis)
Another one I really considered for the top spot especially because of the light weight nature of the Clan Armored Force thus far was the 45 ton Grendel. This Diamond Shark entry turned their former OmniMech into a OmniTank much like fitzgerald did with the Loki. Using the Goblin Medium Tank as a basis was also a real solid idea given that it had been trotted out so many times before. The Consolidated 315XL Fusion Engine (7/11) provided unmatched speed during this contest. Using 7.5 tons of ferro fibrous (144 factor) it provided good protection for its 3 man crew. This is another selling point for the Sharks especially if revised single warrior commanded tank crews become a fact for the Clans. A 1 ton turret (10 ton capacity) and 13 tons of pod space allow the use of class two main guns (Ultra AC/10, LB-10X ACs) for Clan tanks which Primary and Alternate Configuration A both utilize. I also liked C but would have set up two of the Streak SRM 4s in the turret. It ably filled the 45 ton design gap that currently existed in Clan Vehicles but ultimately I decided it was more of a Medium Tank. Very tempting though drak!

3. Shiva (masterarminas)
This 65 ton Diamond Shark entry with help from the Hell’s Horses and Wolves is a masterpiece. Tied for the best fluff with Fitzgerald and with the second best name in the competition this Clan Main Battle Tank based on the Rommel/Patton Tanks was extremely well done. Loved the Falcon overreaction to the design followed by the even better Smoke Jaguar threat. Using the 325XL Engine (5/8) from the Hellbringer was inspired as were other components gleaned from various in stock sources. With 11.5 tons of ferro fibrous (220 factor) the design offered superior protection. Using a 2 ton turret (20 ton capacity) with only 16 tons of pod space was a little curious to me. Might have trimmed the turret slightly and altered the configurations according. Also I did not love the fixed LRM 15 with Artemis because it limits the Omni nature of the overall design. Some assertions in the fluff I just did not agree with like the Star Adders did not use Vehicles but those are mostly small potatoes. Great design overall, good enough for third place in my opinion.

2. Proioxis (Takiro/Irose)
This 70 ton Ice Hellion entry was a special homage to my very first vehicle design contest for BattleTech Shattered Dawn. The Coblitz Main Battle Tank by Irose was the winner of that challenge and you can still find it in Fanbook 1 – Field Manual Terran Republic 2785. With a vehicle hole at this weight class for the Clans I contacted Irose and he was gracious enough to advice on the Clan redesign. While I did the refluff the original design was his as is the name. We agreed upon the Ice Hellions and with this Tank using the Redline 350XL (5/8) Engine which they had used twice successfully during Quicksilver it was a natural fit. The 12.5 tons of ferro-fibrous (240 factor) was among the components culled from the Ishtar which was currently in production by the Hellions. Based on the Magi which I feel would exist in sufficient numbers with the Clans it carried 23 tons of pod space for weapons and equipment. With a 1.5 ton turret (15 ton capacity) it was well suited to deploy Clan level three main guns (Gauss Rifle, Ultra AC/20, and LB-20X AC) as I have called them. I really liked the name which Irose came up with but others were more sexy. Fluff is definitely a little rushed with a bunch of grammatical errors and I forgot to post the original kitbash by Siden Pryde. Still a top notch entry but it may have been edged out.

1. Yen Lo Wang (drakensis)
The 75 ton lead off design by the Diamond Sharks was a home run by drakensis. It was going to be hard to overcome one of my favorite BattleTech tanks, the Von Luckner. With this as a basis and the best name (which the Jade Falcons would lovingly despise) in the contest the entry is just too good to pass up. The availability of the 375XL Engine (5/8) from the Mad Cat is not in doubt and gives the design superior mobility especially when compared to its predecessor. While 9.5 tons of ferro-fibrous (182 factor) is not the greatest protection offered it is solid. With 22.5 tons of pod space (nearly a third of its mass reserved for weapons and equipment) and a 2 ton turret (20 ton capacity) this design packs a good punch. The configurations were acceptable even though I prefer a 1.5 ton turret capacity for a more optimized approach. Not the best fluff but you had a solid straight forward presentation. I would love to use pieces from other entries and talk about the 5 person crew more. Great job drakensis!

Wow such an excellent contest! It was not an easy decision at all for me. The top five could have all won this competition and still may appear in some form with the Clans in years to come. Really such a fantastic effort by everyone involved. Thank you all so much for bringing you’re a game to the Clan Main Battle Tank competition. Was a good one, probably the best yet. So take a bow and I will see you soon for our final Quicksilver competition.

Thanks MA

And fixed equipment can sometimes give an Omni-vehicle a bit of flavour it might otherwise lack - although I may have gone a bit overboard, admittedly.

1.  The fixed LRM masses 4.5 tons (including Artemis IV) which is added to the pod-space and mounted in the turret.  Sorry you didn't like the fixed LRM-15, but it makes sense in giving the design a long-ranged missile weapon in every configuration with good endurance (24 missile salvoes).  Sure, I could have left it out and went with 23.5 tons of pod-space, but with the no-heat, low-mass nature of the missile system, it was really the best bang for the buck.

You could swap the LRM 15 with Artemis for a Streak SRM or two depending upon configuration for certain scenarios. I like an Omni to have as many possibilities as possible. 

2.  "Does not really use vehicles" refers to Clan Goliath Scorpion and not Clan Star Adder.

Ah, that makes more sense then but my complaints with this design were small potatoes. I think you will see the Shiva in one form or another in my BT universe here eventually.

As a bonus, here's the original 55-ton Manitou

Interesting, more of an IFV than a tank. I you strip out the infantry bay and the machine guns a nasty 23 tons of pod space could have made for a very formidable challenger.

my illness recently prevented me from even thinking about this contest, so apologies for not getting it in line with expectations.