ENT-2 BAXTER

OACS-O1M/HRRV HEAVY SHOOTER DARTJÄGER

OACS-03M/COM ELINT SILVERSCALE

The Basilisk proved its worth to the armies of the South by becoming the basis for a variety of technically advanced variants which belie the chassis’ humble beginnings. The rugged and reliable frame came to house valuable electronics carried into the battlefield for various specialized roles. The Elint Silverscale — part of the Silverscale family of Basilisk variants — was just one such model, a very effective electronic intelligence platform. The Gear was designed to travel quickly over contested ground and monitor enemy frequencies, jamming them if need be, but, more importantly, gathering valuable tactical information from intra- and inter-unit communications. The Elint was heavily modified for its task, having many of its composite steel alloy armor plates replaced by lighter ballistic cloth in order to reduce overall weight and increase speed. In addition to the target designator/sensor mast used by the Silverscale, the Elint was also equipped with secondary sensor pods on each shoulder and with a large listening dish. Together this package consisted of some of the most sophisticated electronic signal gathering equipment on the battlefield at that time. Offensive firepower was very limited, however, with the Elint shedding its Vogel rocket pod and PR-25 autocannon. A simple DP76 20 mm pack gun was provided for defensive purposes. All in all, the Gear was not designed for combat, with few weapons, light armor and very vulnerable systems.

OACS-03M/AB NASH BASILISK

The Nash Basilisk was one of the earliest southern gears to be equipped with a radar absorbent material coating which resulted in an early stealth gear. The modifications were originally made by technicians from the MILICIA’s 11th Gear Regiment, the Rapiers, in the TN 1860s. The Rapiers treated more favorably than most MILICIA units. Consequently, it was the Rapiers who found that, in open ground, the gear remained difficult to conceal even after the coating was applied. However, when used in combination with natural cover, the gear’s new skin permitted the vehicle to approach targets while very likely remaining undetected. Should the gear remain immobile in cover, stealth performance goes from good to excellent. The Rapiers immediately began using the new model as an ambush specialist, equipping it with heavy weaponry such as bazookas.

T-XM1500/2 GOLD MAMBA

The core units of the City Militia Defense Forces are the Gear cadres which field either older Gears or newer cheaper Asps. These units perform the role of a stop-gap measure until assistance from a regular military unit arrives. Most of the pilots in these Gears are retired veterans or members of the Youth Guard training to be ready for duty in the SRA or MILICIA.

Using Specialist Combat Groups in Heavy Gear Blitz!

Constructing a Specialist Combat Group is a bit different than a normal Blitz! combat group. Instead of picking the role and secondary role for the unit and filling it how you please, you must instead adhere to strict rules for composition, which may even include only running specific variants or upgrades. In exchange for adhering to this rigid formation, you may be able to run some models in a Role they may not normally fit in, or gain access to some unique options.

These groups may not be given secondary roles, and are only able to be used in armies from the force they come from, unless noted otherwise. They may however have any upgrades permitted by army and sublist rules, so long as the composition requirements are still met. Restrictions on the number of a specific variant apply as normal, for example, if a Specialist Combat Group is taken in the SK role, then model variants without SK+ may only be taken twice.

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The Rock mamba is a pretty interesting variant of the traditional Black Mamba. The design for spike guns for climbing has changed since the original art in the Southern Vehicle Compendium, so we’re going to modernize it’s look a bit. Furthermore, while the artwork shows spikes on the knees, it’s pretty hard to add fiddly little spikes to those tiny knee covers, but we’ll take that inspiration to the shoulders instead, keeping a very pokey aesthetic.

T-XM1500 ROCK MAMBA

The Southern Republic is currently interested in expanding its ability to dominate the mountainous areas of Terra Nova in general and of especially in the Badlands -an airborne insertion in many of these areas is not always possible and a specialized strike team is often required. Also, while this is somewhat unavowed, the Rock Mamba’s abilities would prove invaluable in dislodging Northern forces from their defensive locations in the mountains should a North-South conflict occur. For that very reason, a special emphasis has been placed on the Rock Mamba’s ability to travel the rough terrain native to the mountainous areas. The Black Mamba, as one of the best Gears of the South, seemed the perfect subject to modify.