Imperial Vehicles: Eradicator-class Mobile Howitzer

ST/HP: 125

Hand/SR: +1/4

HT: 11x

Move: 3/60 (+8)

LWt.: 18

Load: 4

SM: +4

Occ.: 2S

DR: 500/200*

Range: 90,000*

Cost: $18M

Loc.: Tt

*The Eradicator Mobile Artillery has a DR 500 frontal armor; the rest of the armor is DR 200. All armor is composite and EMA (triple DR vs plasma weapons and shaped charge attacks)

Notes

Standard Imperial Ground Vehicle Electronics:

• Medium Ultra-Scanner: 30-mile scan, 3-mile imaging/bioscan; 360°;
  
  
• Targeting Computer: +5 to hit target with a scan-lock.
  
  
• Night Vision Sensors: +9 nightvision, ×8 magnification (up to +3 to aimed attacks, if the vehicle aims for three turns).
  
  
• Tactical ESM: +1 to dodge missiles.
  
  
• Inertial Compass: +3 to Navigation
  
  
• Medium Holographic Radio: 1,000 mile range (orbital); “palm sized” holographic console.
  
  
• Hyperium Fusion Reactor: With sufficient fuel for 1 month of operations.
  
  
• Life Support: Sealed, with NBC filters and environmental control, and one hour of air.
  
  
• Security: Simple Electronic Locks.
  
  

The Eradicator has a crew of two people, a driver and a gunner, both located in the front of the vehicle. The driver generally handles navigation and driving, while the gunner handles communications, sensors and both weapons, though the controls are computerized, so either crewman can easily take over the tasks of the other.

The Eradicator is armed with a 160mm heavy howitzer in its main turret, which is stabilized and has a universal mount, allowing it to be elevated for over-the-horizon fire, or fired like a tank cannon. It is, however, too heavy to fire on the move. This is generally equipped with plasma shells, but might be armed with Biochecmial Aerosol (spec. (15 yards), 1000 doses) or EMP (spec. (32 yard) + 8d cr ex) rounds. The tank contains up to 50 more shells in its body, which is autoloaded into the artillery. A smaller, independent turret is mounted with an anti-personnel blaster autocannon which can double as an anti-air weapon if strictly necessary.

Weapon	Dmg	Acc	Range	Ewt	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl
Heavy Howitzer	6d×20 burn ex	6+3	8 mi/24 mi	5t	1/4	50	250M	-15	4
Blaster Auto-Cannon	6d×2 (5) burn	9	400/1200	70	8	300/Ep	21M	-10	2

Look and Feel

The Eradicator, while streamlined, has a squat and boxy appearance. It is the largest of the “heavy” imperial ground vehicles, approaching the size of a real world main battle tank, and its mass is dominated by its turret, barely smaller than the body beneath, and its long cannon. The Eradicator is little more than a well-armored carrying platform for its heavy howitzer. The ominous and powerful hum of the repulsorlift drive train is only interrupted by the thunderous report of its main cannon firing, which has sufficient power to send the vehicle floating slowly backwards, requiring some computerized adjustments to return it to its firing position (which usually occurs during the mechanical whine and clunk of the previous shell being ejected and a new shell loaded into its place).

The two crewmen sit in two distinct, side-by-side control spaces which resemble cockpits. The body of the vehicle needed to be large enough to stabilize the turret atop it, so both crewmen have room to spare in their cockpits, making them the roomiest and most comfortable of the imperial vehicles to control. Paired with their typical distance from the front-lines, most imperial crewmen see an Eradicator as a cushy assignment.

The Eradicator doesn’t see much use in the Valorian Empire. While the Empire absolutely engages in bombardment tactics, it prefers to do so with orbital platforms, such as its dreadnoughts, or via bombers, such as the Peltast-class Strike Fighter. The primary purpose of the Eradicator is to provide fire-support for lengthy, ground-based campaigns, typically those mounted against extremely well-defended words that use planetary shields. The Empire will drop platoons of Eradicators, along with Vanquishers and Vanguards, beyond the immediate range of planetary shields and retaliation, and the Eradicators will take up position behind the main battle lines, providing over-the-horizon support to the Vanguards, Vanquishers and infantry forces. The vehicle can defend itself from infantry assaults, but a concentrated vehicular or aerial attack is generally enough to defeat it, so it needs excellent support.