Longbow Write-up (no stats)

[Pouncer]

Time for another journey down Fluff Lane.

LONGBOW DESTROID

SDR-04P-MK II
Longbow

With the introduction of project Pioneer during Earth’s rebuilding after the Zentradi uprisings entirely new mecha designs were obviously needed to carry out the needs of the Expeditionary Force. For the needs of the ground forces designers returned to the proven and well known destroids for their inspirations. Two separate projects were put into play competing for the new destroid designs, Project Neo Excalibur and Project Colossus. While the Colossus team sought to place as much firepower as possible into their designs Project Neo Excalibur worked along the same lines that were being worked with on the new veritech fighters, smaller more flexible designs better suited to storage and use on and from spacecraft.

The third of the Modular Battlefield Robot Weapon System (MBRWS) mecha to be visited by PNE was the Phalanx mobile artillery system. The massive weapon drums carrying long range missiles were perfect for rapid deployment of heavy firepower that might be needed on the Pioneer mission. However battlefield experience had the designers looking for ways to overcome some serious flaws in the mecha. While the original Phalanx mecha were designed as a purely “standoff” design the more mobile Zentradi mecha were often overrunning the Phalanxes and destroying them due to the Phalanx‘s low speed, light armor and lack of secondary weapons.

With the Excalibur and Gladiator slated as the Main Battle Robots the new mecha, named the Longbow Strategic Defense Robot, would still be a standoff design but with a better chance of survival. 30% smaller than the original with an improved drive system the mecha showed a reasonable increase in speed and maneuverability. Layered in the latest armor composites with a redesigned armor layout the Longbow showed a marked improvement in protection over the original as well.

When it came to the weapon systems the heavy missile drums were retained although the smaller size of the unit slightly reduced the payload of each launcher. For secondary weapons the design team added only a single system, a large number of mini-missile launch tubes waited behind a hinged launch cover. While lacking additional armament this single system could do severe damage to anything that got close to the unit. The changes in torso design and the placement of the mini-missile system on the lower part of the torso produced a very head-like appearance, the predatory look of which earned the mecha the nickname “the Shark.”

With the ability to downlink data from the Raidar X, another unit with long range sensors or a portable Target Acquisition/Designation System (TADS) the Longbow’s range can be extended out to over 800 km.

Like the original a stack of search lights are mounted atop the mecha, although there are six searchlights instead of three and instead of articulating the entire unit the individual lights have steerable lenses that allow the beams to be directed 30 degrees in any direction. Another pair of steerable searchlights are mounted on the sides of the torso like eyes, further enhancing the head-like appearance of the torso. It turns out this was actually intentional to improve the “intimidation factor” of the design. All of the searchlights can be used in either visible light or infrared mode.

Retaining the basic mission profile of the Phalanx, the Longbow is meant to stay off the front lines of combat, raining it’s missiles down on ground targets at long range or combining its resources with the Raidar X to deny hostile forces the use of the skies. The Longbow also excels at providing additional fire support to the UEEF’s capital ships. In case the enemy gets too close the Longbow possesses enough armor, speed and close range firepower to get out of the situation.

Longbows operate in dedicated fire-support squadrons of four units, sometimes called lances. Usually teamed with one or more Raidar X’s, and occasionally the rarer Gunslinger, for anti-air support and radar enhancement. Less often one of the rarer Catapults will be added to an FS lance to bring even larger numbers of LRMs to the battle. Often a lance of Gladiators, Bioroid Interceptors and/or Condors will be sent to protect the Longbows as close range. It’s also not unusual to see a pair of Koromons or even a Gojira working the artillery role with the Longbows as well. Few Longbow pilots don’t want to see Cyclone or Silverback equipped infantry supporting them, especially against the swarm tactics of the Invid.

[taalismn]

Fun indeed.

[Alpha 11]

Again, please pm stats.

[jaymz]

Yet another nice write-up/rewrite of the REF Spartan

Keep it up and I'll have to ask your permission to use these write-ups for my rewritten game stats

[Pouncer]

Fun indeed.

Nothing like a can of "Boom" when you need it.

-POUNCER

[Pouncer]

Again, please pm stats.

You got it.

-POUNCER

[Pouncer]

Yet another nice write-up/rewrite of the REF Spartan

Keep it up and I'll have to ask your permission to use these write-ups for my rewritten game stats

Thanks. It's a simple beast so it was an easy conversion. It was mostly a matter of filling in gaps and updating a few concepts.

You got it, just remember to give me a credit.

-POUNCER

[jaymz]

I'd imagine they'd be lrms like the phalanx

[Pouncer]

Neat, but I have to ask, what "class" of missile do the drums use?

Heh, since I put it in the Stats part I left them out of the write-up. They are LRM's of course.

-POUNCER