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Vargr Boarding Missile

3.5dT? That works just fine. You can probably handwaive the extra equipment as part of the hull. (HG did that routinely for docking tackle anyway.) I also like your idea of this thing acting as a cargo lorie... makes things easier on our intrepid pups...

Heck... the typical vargr corsair might even be able to tote several of these things...
 
A very cool design. Vargr corsairs with the resources to build those would find them very useful indeed.

Thinking along these lines for a breaching pod sparked my memory and I found the write-up in the Best of the Journal #2 for the Lifeboat:

'The craft masses 19.6 metric tons and is capable of carrying three conscious passengers (including the pilot) and and additional twenty in five cold sleep berths...
'The model A-23 incorporates an ablative heat shield and a simple retrorocket for atmospheric entry in most conditions. In addition, fuel sufficient for a soft landing in all but the most extreme gravities....'

If an enterprising pirate with limited resources were to use that as a base...replace the heat shield with more military armor, remove the low berths in favor of conscious troops, this could be quite a handy little boarding vehicle. With an engine capable of landing in high-G environs one would expect it could have quite a bit of acceleration. Since you wouldn't need extra fuel and some of the survival gear it would also provide a good deal of cargo space.
 
Originally posted by N.I.C.E. Labs:
Well, as I said it's not perfect <G> The original idea was to have the marine stop, but that probably isn't feasible, however it might be possible for the breakaway thrust to slow him enough for separation and then his suit applies braking thrusters the rest of the way. He'd still get in fast, but wouldn't splat at the end...yes?
Uh, let us assume the rate of closure is minimal, say the equivilent of the speed after accelerating at 1 G for 1 turn. That is 12000 m/s, and by Traveller standards a trivial target for antimissile fire. The Vargr ejects 1 minute before impact and brakes at 10 G, for a delta V of 6000 m/s. So the Vagr kamakazi marine makes contact at 6 km/second. With a 70 kg Vargr in a 50 Kg suit that is equivalent to only 1/2 ton of TNT.

Not a splat. A KABOOM.
 
Here's a thought, I think it's what you were looking for initially . It is TNE/FF&S(1?) rules but it should fudge to most Traveller systems. I have been thinking along this line since you first posted, so I'm sorry for the delay in putting it together...

First have a look at http://www.downport.com/bard/bard/bardvera.html scrolling down to section 6500 - Satellites and clicking on the AMDADS Booster (VERA6502). Your enterprising Vargr Corsair Captain should be able to 'find' a few of these without much trouble.

In place of the standard mine loadout (3 @ 1.0m3 each) we convince 2 of the 'bravest' Vargr to don Battledress (a bit tougher for the Captain to find but we'll continue) and climb in the end real nice and cozy fetal 2-man bobsled style (each suited Vargr being about 1.0m3, but you want to give them a weapon bigger than the standard arm mounted laser and sidearm, a MMU, and a bit of wiggle room)

Now screw the lid on real tight and slip it into your loader. The Booster is controlled by the 'pilot' via his suits HUD much like his grav module.

The 'missile(s)' are launched, preferably with other genuine warheads to soften up the target and distract the defensive laser fire.

As the missile salvo nears it's terminal run point and the defensive laser fire, the 'pilot' initiates the tumble, a hard full burn to zero (nearly) the velocity, and punches the self-destruct to create the chaff field which will hide the Vargr and perhaps help the other missiles vs the anti-missile fire. The sudden stop and chaff should insure the Vargr inside are not fired on by the defensive laser (that 'threat' is gone) and the Battledress should be enough to protect the Vargr from the explosives being they are designed to blast outward without harming the normal payload of mines.

The missiles continue to the target and shortly after the Vargr coast in on their MMU's and go to work.

The Trader Captain thinks he's getting off lucky with just one light missile salvo and continues to delay the Vargr Captain (who is demanding his surrender but no longer firing at him), promising whatever if the Pirate insures his crew and passengers safety.

... Meanwhile the picked squad of Vargr in Battledress is forcing an airlock, or shutter on some stateroom viewport. The first inkling of trouble for the Trader Captain are the explosive decompression alarms...

Heh, it may not work for a hundred RL reasons but depending how real science vs space opera your game is it could be valid IYTU. It sounds very evil to me, but I like it


Lets see how it shakes out here and maybe I'll have to use it in my next campaign muhahaha...

I just hope my current GM doesn't see this and use it on us :eek:

I think RabidVargr might even like this version, maybe I'm out of the doghouse in his books now ;)

In some circumstances the Vargr might not even need to self destruct the Booster, instead just popping the nose cone once they match vectors and one of the 'crew' could climb out while the other stays 'aboard' to pilot the Booster back to the ship.

If it's as slick as presented I can even see some special ops forces using it. Merc's or Marines might find it useful in certain circumstances.

Anyway, comments? (like... Are you as mad as that RabidVargr?)
 
I think we need to play this out using Book 2 or Mayday rules. If you can consistantly get the missile to rendezvous in the same hex (or within 1/2 inch for book 2) with identical vectors I'll believe the marines can reach the target without making a blue-white flash.

I don't think you can do it with a maneuvering target.

Relative motion of even 1 hex per turn is the same as strapping two tons of TNT to each marine.
 
I expect you're right Uncle Bob. It would only be viable in certain tightly controlled circumstances. Like where your target has a near zero initial velocity (approaching a world or gg, or just prior to or after jump) and a small manuever rating (1g, like most Traders).

I'll have to find the time to run a few vectored encounters and see how it works. I'm sure the Imperial Prison is full of Vagr Pirates who would would be willing to participate in some field trials ;)
 
i am very glad i have stayed out of this one!!!
i have been a very good boy!!! rabidvargr is going to froth at the mouth and his fur is going to turn BLUE!!! dont yell at me this time captain vargr!! im innocent!!! when his blue fur falls out in patches he will then get really pissed!!!!
boy are you guys gonna get it!!!! you all better go hide now!!!!
:cool: :rolleyes:
 
:D ;)
:cool: :rolleyes: hey i just discovered a new way to leave a lot more smileys for the same post - just repeat it over and over!!! aint these little guys neat??
 
:D ;)
:cool: :rolleyes: hey i just thought of something else---this is a new record of smileys for one post!!!!! will wonders ever cease??? how bout that!!!!!
 
This post, reading through, has actually got me thinking (and blood boiling ;) ). If the post was semi-serious, my thoughts:

The missile thing - I seriously doubt it. The decel required for the marines would render them uncon at the least. The alternative would be to keep the missiles slow, which makes them sitting ducks.

The boarding craft - Now this has evolved to a gooooood idea, especially for those fat merchants without many weapons. Quick easy access for the boarding crew, and that can be critical especially if it's a target with a good amount of marines. There's no choke point at the airlock, rather, it's in a totally unexpected area, allowing the party to secure the exits to the area. Only problem is survivability. I think I will definatly do some tinkering when I get a hold of the T20 Construction rules. Vargr corsairs would love this. Low risk to the command craft, and they don't have to risk a extreamly expensive 50t shuttle to get a boarding party over or the command ship itself.

Good ideas all! Those who thought it'd be funny to use Vargr as the test dummies have been noted and your ship registry and roster have been logged. ;)

RV
 
Originally posted by RabidVargr:
Those who thought it'd be funny to use Vargr as the test dummies have been noted and your ship registry and roster have been logged. ;) RV
CRAP!!! The new commo officer forgot to rotate the transponder settings again! Deck officer... see to it that a reprimand goes in this officer's file!
 
Originally posted by trader jim:
i warned you about those newfangled transponders!!! didnt i!!!
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know... but the Scouts said I had to have it to get the mail contract! Just like the government to make all sorts of regs... not worrying about when some poor trader captain on the bottom of the heap might get his tail shot off by some vargr corsair!
 
Oh MAN! Would you PLEASE stop shooting those thinigs at me! Do you have any idea what mashed vargr does to hull paint? I'm on a budget here!
 
the best reply was when all the vargr go SPLAT - now thats funny!!! just listen to this - this is music to my years - remember now these are vargr -
SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT, SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT, SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT,SPLAT!!!! then there is the more quite ones - splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat, splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat,splat!!!!! we wont go into the KAABOOOMSPLAT, KAABOOOMSPLAT, (way to much noise)!!!!!
:D ;)
:cool: :rolleyes:
 
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