Jaeger infiltration armor - elite light infantry

[Sydney_Freedberg]

EDIT: The stats in this thread are rough drafts; please use the final versions from the wiki under Glass Anvil armor and personal gear.

I decided to burn up a modified suit of Anvil armor based on this discussion in the Hussar thread.

First, let me excerpt the relevant posts where we thrashed out this concept:

@Countercheck

Have you considered an infantry equivalent to the Hussar? Elite armoured light infantry, like rangers or SAS? Perhaps call them the Jaegers, to follow the Hussar theme, and give them heavily modified anvil amour with similar observation benefits to the Hussar. I’m not sure if it should be a Lord Pilot thing, nor if it should require Corvus and Crucius, primarily because I don’t want to eclipse the Iron and Anvil armour that’s already available. But light, fast powered armour with infiltration and observation bonuses, and possibly a big railgun or laser sniper rifle might be very fun. Because no amount of vehicle based scouting is really comparable to a man on the ground. Especially if that man is in stealthy armour and has a silent anti-grav bike. Ooooh….

@Yagathai

Elite light infantry? Just add some tech traits to Iron. A bonus to stealth and even better sensors…

@abzu

Anvil are elite light infantry. They get the +1D to Observation and everything.

@Sydney_Freedberg

Yeah, Anvil plus good training, souped-up laser rifles, and some nice Devices (e.g. something to cancel out the -1 to Infiltration [sic for “Observation”]) would get pretty elite. I wouldn’t base “elite light infantry” off Iron because there’s nothing light about it; it’s not for sneaking around in, it’s for killing the hell out of people.

@Countercheck

I was reading Anvil as standard high quality infantry. I wouldn’t call them light infantry, because they aren’t optimized for infiltration and observation. While they get a bonus to observation in the contact phase, if they have a helmet on they also get a penalty. The book also states that “It is the de facto protection for the majority of soldiers in the Iron Empires.” on page 542. That doesn’t so much say elite to me as standard issue in well equiped armies. I’m thinking of something that is similar to iron, in that it’s high tech and specialized, but that goes in the other direction. It might have Iron’s Avatar, Foam Reservoir, Integral Targetter, Fusion Pack, Power Assist, Sheilded Com, and Targetter, but wouldn’t have Hardened and Sheilded, Massive, or Constrained View. It would only be AT 3 or even 2. Light, fast, stealthy armour designed for infiltration, observation, and elimination of select hostile targets.

@cmoeller

Mike, Iron can be customized in any number of ways, depending on the preference of the owner or fabricating guild. I’d say, design your recon version of Iron and come up with a guild that’s famous for constructing it. It would be “Tabriani Iron” or something like that. I think that’d be very cool and in the spirit of the IE.

@Sydney_Freedberg

The problem you’ll have with Iron is that it’s detectable by Sensors, like vehicles, whereas Anvil-armored infantry are not. Now, it’s still Profile 0, whereas the smallest vehicle is Profile 1 and most combat vehicles are Profile 2, so Iron’s a lot harder to detect than vehicles, but it’s also a lot slower – +1D to speed does not a cavalry arm make.

So the current rules would make “recon Iron” an unhappy compromise between light infantry, who are the same speed as Iron troops but don’t show up on Sensors at all, and vehicles, which are more visible on Sensors than Iron but are also a lot more mobile. If you want fast, heavily armored recon, go with the Hussar or something like it; if you want stealthy recon, go with Anvil armor with extra specialist tech.

[Sydney_Freedberg]

Now, the actual Jaeger infilatration armor:

First, start with all the standard Anvil traits from pg. 542:

EVA (vacuum and contaminated environments-capable, 8 points)
VISE (+1D Observation, 3 pts)
Comm (tactical internet, 8 pts)
Cumbersome (+1 Ob to all actions if not Anvil Trained, -2 pts)
Constrained View (+1 Ob to Perception, Observation, and Recon with helmet on, -2 pts)

Now, remove some traits to reflect a redesigned helmet emphasizing vision over protection and security over communicatons:

Get rid of “Constrained View” (upping the cost by +2 points already).
Downgrade the armor from AT 3 (8 pts) to AT 2 (4 pts) (cutting the cost -4 points).
Remove Comm: These guys aren’t continuously and automatically transmitting their position, mission status, and vital signs to anyone, even their superiors, thank you very much (cutting the cost -8 points).
Net total: -10 points.

Add new traits:

Recon Lenses (existing tech from p. 397) (Skill Advantage: +1D to Recon, +3 pts)
Smart Camo (Skill Advantage x2: +1D to Infiltration vs. Observation, +1D to Infiltration vs. Security, +6 pts)
Sensors & Signals Rig (Tools for two skills, +6 pts)
Bug-Eyed: Anyone who sees you (e.g. makes a successful Observation test) is going to know from the shape of your helmet that you’re a specialized scout/sniper, not just a regular Anvil trooper, and that you’re likely to call down artillery on them or just put a sniper round/beam through their brains, so they’d better kill you first. (Categorical Limitation: -1 pt)
Net total: +14 points.

Grand total: +4 points – i.e. buy the standard Anvil armor for 1 rp in Character Burning, then pay 1 rp (assuming you’re Low Index) to customize it with the additional tech.

I don’t think we need any new lifepaths for this. I’d presume the generic NPC wearing it would be at least a five-lifepath character:

1. Born Free
2. [Kid/Student]
3. Soldier
4. Scout
5. Anvil Elite.
   Noncommissioned officers and specialists would have a sixth lifepath for Sergeant, Stormtrooper, Signals Tech, or Medic.

Commissioned officers would come from the nobility:

1. Born to Rule
2. Coeptir [or Court Coeptir]
3. Armiger [or Court Armiger]
4. Lord-Pilot Anvil
5. Anvil Elite
   Or, alternatively, to emphasize the recon aspects:
6. Lord-Pilot Hussar
7. Scout
   More senior officers would have a sixth lifepath for Stormtrooper or Lieutenant; very senior officers would have a seventh lifepath for Anvil Engineer (superstructural-scale sabotage specialist), Anvil Captain, or Anvil Lord.

I also realize, looking over the book, that we need an “artillery” lifepath to represent Anvil artillerymen, since that’s where forward observers would come from, but that’s a separate thing.

Does this meet “peer review” from the various posters and, most importantly, get the rules-ok from Luke and the setting-ok from Chris? I’ll only post to the Wiki once I’ve incorporated corrections and comments.

[Countercheck]

I like! That’s pretty much exactly what I was thinking of. Ad some colour with thermally opaque cloaks, and such, and they’re golden. I probably wouldn’t remove comm altogether, as they still need to call in fire and communicate with each other.

I also kinda like the idea of deploying Jaegers and Hussars in tandem, possibly giving attaching a pair of Jaegers to every Hussar. The hussar, with its powerful commo suite, could act as a network hub so all the jaegers would need to carry is a small, low powered communicator. I also see Jaegers deploying landlines to remote communications devices… if someone finds you with ELINT, all they find is your transmitter. You cut your wires and relocate. Alternatively, if you really want to go with the ‘steed’ concept for the hussars, you could make the Hussars open topped grav-bike type things, and have them actually wear Jaeger armour. They find something that needs close investigation, they power down, dismount, unlimber their rifles and go check it out on foot. Or the Jaegers could have small grav bikes for speedy infiltration and coolness.

Just brainstorming =)

[Sydney_Freedberg]

Hey, Mike, this is indeed pretty much my attempt to whip up a troop type to your order. Glad you like my cooking (burning?).

Clarification: They lose the “comm” tech trait, which is basically the a high tech version of US military “Blue Force Tracking,” but they don’t lose the ability to communicate, because they gain Signals tools (combined with Sensors tools) – no automation or bonus, but enough to operate.

The landline transmitter is a neat gadget; we should try to burn it up - or maybe it would just count as a bonus against being detected by Signals.

I’m less keen on the grav bike concept, though, or any unarmored or open-topped armored vehicle. You get into the problem Humvees have in Iraq: you’re so much bigger than a man on foot that you’re relatively easy to detect and are limited in the terrain you can cross, but you’re so much smaller than a proper armored fighting vehicle that you can’t take a hit.

So I’d envision “Jaegers and Hussars in tandem,” but in a much looser way. Hussars do the high-speed reconnaissance in force, relying on firepower, armor, and speed to get them out of trouble as fast as they get into it. Jaegers may be dropped into an area by a stealthy aircraft, but after that they do slow, stealthy infiltration on foot, relying on their skills and the terrain to keep them from getting into trouble in the first place.

[Sydney_Freedberg]

@Countercheck

thermally opaque cloaks…

This idea of Mike’s has been growing in my brain for a while, and combining with other things, so I’ve redesigned the Jaeger by breaking up what was one big ball of tech traits into multiple items of equipment:

Glass Anvil

More formally known as “Improved Visibility” armor, a Glass Anvil suit replaces the standard helmet with a transparent visor that is impact-resistant but hardly bulletproof. (On most models, the visor covers 270 degrees, with opaque armor only over the back of the head). Enhanced optics are also standard.
Glass Anvil is only available on Low Index and High Index worlds; unlike standard Anvil, it is not available on Sub Index worlds. Characters who have the “Anvil Trained” trait and at least one scout or pilot lifepath in a military setting (Lord-Pilot Hammer, Lord-Pilot Hussar, Anvil Scout, Anvil Pilot, Sodalis Pilot, Vaylen Ansaka, Kerrn Solzjah Tuug or Vayaret) can purchase it in character burning for 1 rp instead of regular Anvil armor (they may not purchase both!). It is considered “advanced/illegal/restricted” (available for 2 rps and only at GM discretion) for all other characters.

Glass Anvil Traits:

EVA (8 points), Comm (8 points), Cumbersome (-2)
These three traits are identical to regular Anvil armor (see p. 542).

VISE-II (5 points)
Glass Anvil has improved vision enhancement technology granting +2D to Observation rolls for detecting Infiltration and making Contact with enemy forces.
(+2 points compared to standard Anvil’s VISE)

Unconstrained View (0 points)
Glass Anvil’s transparent visor does not impede visibility, even when the helmet is fully sealed against vacuum or toxic environments.
(+2 points compared to standard Anvil’s Constrained View)

Armor Tolerance 2 only
Glass Anvil gets its bitter nickname not just from the transparency of the visor but its tendency to shatter when hit by enemy fire.
(-4 points compared to standard Anvil’s AT 3).

Stealth Cloak
4 pts

A stealth cloak is a flowing garment made of a flowing “smart fabric” that changes color to match the environment, masks the wearer’s body heat, and obscures his (or her) shape, helping the wearer blend into cover. When properly worn, only the eyes and, perhaps, the barrel of a weapon are not covered. It provides +1D to Infiltration vs. Observation or Security only.
While less effective against security systems than a form-fitting HEAT suit (p. 397), the cloak is favored by Jaegers and other military scout forces because it is loose enough to be worn over ballistic armor or Anvil, and also to conceal an assault weapon. It cannot be worn over Iron, and if the wearer carries a Squad Support weapon or similar large item of equipment, its bonuses are lost.
Technology Traits: +1D Skill Advantage x 2 (+6 pts), Categorical Limitations (-2 pt)

NOTE: I’m a bit confused at the costing of the HEAT suit on p. 397 – it seems to have two unspecified Categorical Limitations – so I may have worked the points out wrong. Luke?

Scanner Rig
4 points

The scanner rig is a rifle-sized device that acts as Tools for both Signals and Sensors. It is awkward and delicate, requiring both hands to carry properly: A person can carry both a scanner rig and a weapon, but one has to be put down or slung across the back when the other is in use. Switching from one to another imposes a +2 Obstacle on any rolls by that character for the rest of the exchange (i.e. three volleys).
Technology Traits: Tools (Signals tools, +4 pts; Sensors as second skill at at half price, +2 pts), +2 Obstacle Limitation (-3 pts) mitigated by Obscure Conditions (+1 pt)

[Sydney_Freedberg]

Now on the Wiki:

Glass Anvil armor

Scanner Rig

Stealth Cloak – although I still would welcome some wise person making sure I costed out the Obstacle Limitations right.

[Sydney_Freedberg]

And for anyone else who was confused, Luke has officially said that wearing armor does not impede Infiltration.

[Sydney_Freedberg]

This seems like a good thread to pop a bunch more handy infantry technologies into – some obvious but nice-to-have on hand so you don’t have to stat them up in the middle of the game, some a little more interesting:

Grav Pod
Resources Obstacle: 4 pts
Low Index or higher

Instead of a tripod with physical legs touching the ground, the grav pod is a miniaturized grav/pressor plate that attaches to the underside of a heavy weapon to reduce weight and recoil. It gives the user +2D to Power for the purposes of overcoming the attached weapon’s Heavy limitation only.

Unfortunately, the grav pod reduces weight, not mass, so the weapon retains its full inertia and tends not to stop moving when the wielder does. Apply +1 Ob to any individual shot opportunities in Direct Fire or Suppressive Fire, or to any Weapons Fire individual action in Close Combat, if the wielder’s unit performed an Advance, Flank, or Withdraw action earlier in the same exchange.

+2D to Power (Stat Advantage, +6 pts)
Categorical Limitation: only for wielding attached weapon (-1 pt)

Unwieldy: +1 Ob to individual Shot Opportunities/Weapons Fire (-2 pts)
Advantageous Categorical Limitation: only after moving (+1 pt)

Heavy PAc upgrade
Resources Obstacle: 4 pts
Low Index or higher

An upgrade to the standard Particle Accelerator (p. 517), designed for troops in Iron.

Increase Ammo Supply to Power Pack (+6 pts)

Increase weight from Heavy (4) to Heavy (6) (-2 points?)

I’m not entirely sure this is the way Heavy works, but requiring a higher Power exponent must be some kind of disadvantage…

Field Dressing Kit (or Field Repair Kit)
Resources Obstacle: 4 pts
Low Index or higher

Tools for Field Dressing (or Repair) (+2 pts)
+1D to skill (+3 pts)

Categorical Limitation: limited supplies (-1 pt)
If a roll using the Kit comes up with no successes (i.e. total failure), the kit’s +1D skill advantage is lost until it is restocked. Restocking requires a successful Logistics roll against an Obstacle of 2 during a building scene.

Sniper Scope
Resources Obstacle: 3 pts
Zero Index or higher

+1D to either Assault Weapons or Squad Support Weapons (+3 pts)

[Sydney_Freedberg]

A few more:

Mule Bot
Resources Obstacle: 8 pts
Low Index or higher

A Mule bot is a simple robot consisting of a flat body housing its power source and four or six mechanical legs. It has Power 8 and is typically used to carry supplies, casualties, or a heavy weapon, operating as a self-propelled tripod for heavy lasers and the like.

A Mule moves with Speed 3 on the human scale but may not advance any Speed-related skills. It is an extremely stupid robot nicknamed “headless horseman” by the troops who have to use them in combat. A Mule on the move requires constant supervision to keep it from going the wrong way, into ditches, and so on: It may not operate more than a few meters away from a human being. Even with such babysitting, a Mule imposes a +2 Obstacle to any Advance, Flank, Withdraw, or Close Combat unit action attempted by the fireteam it is accompanying.

Technological traits:

Technological Stat: Power 8 (8 pts)
Technological Stat: Human Speed, first die, 4 pts ; 2 additional dice , 4 pts. (8 pts)
Categorical Limitation: May not advance speed-rooted skills (-1 pt)
Categorical Limitation: Requires constant supervision (-1 pt)
Device: Obstacle, base -1 pt; applies to three extra skills/circumstances, -3 pts; imposes Ob 2, -2 pts. (-6 pts)

Multiple MPIML upgrade
Resources Obstacle:
Low Index or higher

An upgraded version of the standard MPIML (p. 517) that uses an electromagnetic coilgun to launch its missiles, which have the same warhead as a standard MPIML but require a much smaller rocket motor. This makes for a much more expensive launcher but makes the ammunition smaller, cheaper, and easier to carry.

The Multiple MPIML also has more sophisticated automation: Instead of the base skill of 4 listed under the “Intelligent” trait (p. 520), it has a Squad Support Weapons skill of 5. It can fire itself using this skill, help its user (providing two helping dice), or be helped.

Technological Traits:

Upgrade Ammo Capacity from Single Shot to Magazine (+3 pts)
Increase Automation from 4 to 5 (+1 pt)