Originally posted on rec.games.mecha December 5, 1998
This design has been tickling the back of my brain for a little while, so I figured I'd post it and see what y'all thought. Overview: The Regulator - TC came about as the result of two separate efforts. The first was an initiative by the Taurian Defense Forces to replace the excellent Gladius Medium Tank, new units of which were no longer available because of tensions between the Taurian Concordat and Marian Hegemony. The second was an attempt by Vandenburg Mechanized Industries to augment its vehicle line. VMI's primary competitor Pinard Protectorates Limited had produced a wide array of light, medium and heavy tanks, dominating domestic combat vehicle production for decades. After meeting with TDF oficials, VMI approached Aldis Industries, manufacturer of the vaunted Regulator hover tank on Betelgeuse in the Capellan Confederation. The last obstacle to the new design was removed when Capellan Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao, seeking to increase his goodwill among periphery nations, gave Aldis the go-ahead to license the design to VMI. Nine months later, the first Regulator - TC rolled off the assembly line on New Vandenburg. Capabilities: Though the vaunted Inokuma Gauss Rifle is the centerpiece of the Capellan Regulator, VMI engineers were uncertain as to their ability to manufacture it in quantities large enough to meet demand. The redesigned Regulator - TC mounts instead a massive VMI SuperCannon 20 with almost as much ammunition as the original's Gauss Rifle had. Mounting a weapon of this size on a platform this fast gives the TDF unprecedented tactical opportunities and promises to revitalize the Taurian armored corps. Variants: One variant of the Regulator - TC has aroused considerable interest. The massive AC-20 is removed and replaced with a paired PPC and LRM-15. The LRM-15's 3 tons of ammunition provide it with the ability to fire continuously for four minutes before running out. Type: Regulator - TC Tonnage: 45 Engine: 170 fusion 9 Cruise: 9 Flank: 14 Type: hover IS: 4.5 CC: 2.5 Lift Equipment: 4.5 HS: 10 Turret: 1.5 Armor: 108 (ff) 6 Front: 30-5 L/RS: 16-5 Rear: 16-5 Turret: 30-5 Weapons: AC-20 T 14 AC ammo 15 B 3 Cost: 2,142,250 BV: 647 Variant Weapons: PPC T 7 LRM-15 T 7 LRM ammo 24 B 3 Variant Cost: 2,398,750 BV: 917