Good research, but in your reading of TNE/Striker II, did it not become clear to you that the Marines are using the Imperial Heavy Grav Tank, just like the Marines in JTAS 12?
It was called the Imperial Heavy Grav Tank. We could call the Challenger the British Heavy Tracked Tank. But couldn't we also call the Crusader the British Heavy Tracked Tank? And these tanks are from completely different eras. If there were more then one Imperial heavy grav tank during the same era, then why the generic title that could be used for either of them? - Because they weren't giving it a name at the time, just a description. It began as a generic title, since that was the norm in CT. When a title was finally used for an Imperial Heavy Grav Tank, note that Intrepid/Trepida were the first titles used. I know this argument can be used both ways, I'm just pointing out a different interpretation that also makes sense, and that may have been used in canon (see below).
The writer's of TNE could have just as easily interpreted the JTAS IHGT as the Trepida. One source seems to have done so, one later excellent and detailed source did not. The same writer was involved in both RCEG, which came first, then RVG, which came next. It seems he changed his mind? (see below) Why didn't he at least mention the IHGT as something different then the Trepida in his first guide? He called the Trepida the Imperial heavy grav tank of Imperial armed forces, which of course would include Marines.
As to your 'finding' re TL14 Marine small arms and armour - no inconsistency here - the CT Marines in JTAS 12 use FGMP-14s and Battle Dress
Then please don't use the argument that all Marine equipment is TL 15 in order to say the TL 14 Trepida was not used by them.
I accept Your Mileage Varies, but I see no specific indication in canon of any Imperial Marine unit using Trepida...........I think Trepida is a common tank for TL14 Imperial and Colonial Army units......
GDW Megatraveller: "The Trepida became the standard issue Imperial grav tank..."
Rebellion sourcebook, a GDW product. Just says "standard" Imperial grav tank, not Army, not Colonial, not Marines. No other Imperial tanks are described in the same source and the word, "standard" is used, so the assumption can be it is used by both.
GDW TNE: The Intrepid "was the standard heavy grav tank of the pre-Collapse armed forces of the Last Imperium".
RC Equipment Guide. Armed forces, not Army, not Colonial, just armed forces, which would include the very armed Marines. TNE later contradicted itself with the
Regency Vehicle Guide which came out a year later.
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My point is that the generic title in CT was just that, a generic title. When an Imperial heavy grav tank was finaly named in canon, the Trepida came along. In fact, the only other Imperial heavy grav tank in canon that was actually named is the Norris of TNE, which is aka Trepida III. I concede that the intention of early canon could have been exactly as you argued, but there is also evidence to the contrary, and why wasn't this pointed out in all the canon sources which speak of grav tanks between CT and TNE's second guide? Only the MT and CT writers themselves could answer if the Trepida tank was intended to be the Imperial Heavy Grav Tank of JTAS (and it was....an Imperial Heavy Grav Tank). TNE may have seen it one way first, then settled on another interpretation second.
I truly don't think they thought about it as much as we have. :rofl: Thanks for the debate, I know much more then I used to about the vehicles of the Imperium, but my wallet is a little more empty due to picking up PDF's of Striker II and TNE REG.
