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                 Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Mole II
Designer:           Thunder
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Clan
Technology Rating:  F
Tonnage:            100
Configuration:      Combat Vehicle
Era/Year:           Dark Age / 3150
Rules (Current):    Advanced
Rules (Era):        Advanced
Rules (Year):       Advanced
Total Cost:         11,779,167 C-Bills
Battle Value:       2,022

Movement Type:        Tracked
Power Plant:          100 XL
Cruising Speed:       10.8 kph  
Maximum Speed:        21.6 kph  
Jump Jets:            Vehicular
    Jump Capacity:    30 meters
Armor:                Reactive
Armament:             
    20 ER Small Lasers
Manufacturer:         Unknown
    Primary Factory:  Unknown
Communications:       Unknown
Targeting & Tracking: Unknown

================================================================================================
Overview:
    Once upon a time, there was a mad genius named Chip.  And while I can't think of any of his
    Ideas that weren't mad, he was at least creative.  The three things I remember the most
    about his ideas, are an inertia-less drive based on a bad understanding of physics.  The use
    of a Gauss rifle to deliver rounds filled with live hornets.  And the Mole tank.  And while
    I can't remember the exact stats, I do remember how it was supposed to work.  I can also
    make a better version of it.

Capabilities:
    The core idea of the mole tank is to exploit the terrain destruction rules to dig a trench
    through the map.  This requires a lot of time and firepower, but the upside of such a trench
    is that the tank is completely covered from being shot at from 5 directions at once.  Of
    course you do need to do 400 damage to convince a hex to be 1 level lower, and that's not
    happening.  But 100 damage from a bunch of clan ER small lasers is within the realm of
    possibility.
    
    The original Mole tank went that route, using sponson turrets with a bunch of small lasers,
    possibly micro pulse lasers even.  That is the key feature I remember it having.  The design
    was widely derided, and even spawned the "Chips-a-hoy" artillery sub armed with 8 arrow IV's
    as a counter to it.  Many years later, I can appreciate the novelty of the idea more,  and I
    have tools to counter some of it's weaknesses.
    
    The first change is the inclusion of a single vehicular jumpjet, and the armored motive
    system.  Between these systems, and the ability to avoid most fire coming for undesirable
    directions it becomes nearly impossible to actually get a full mobility kill on the upgraded
    tank.  The Next major upgrade is the use of reactive armor.  Anything slow always attracts
    artillery fire.  Reactive armor shrugs off 60% of artillery damage.  Plus if you're in a
    depth 1 trench, you're immune to anything but a direct hit 83% of the time.  And that
    remaining percentage is not a sure thing, only a near miss can hurt you.  The final feature
    added was environmental sealing.  Because I found the idea of digging a canal to provide
    even more defensive cover to be funny.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                 10.00                     
Engine:                                       100 XL                   2.50                     
    Cruising MP:                                1                                               
    Flanking MP:                                2                                               
    Jumping MP:                                 1                                               
Heat Sinks (Single):                            40                    30.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     5.00                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        0.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                1.00                     
Armor Factor:                                  312                    19.50                     
    Type:                                    Reactive                                           

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      65                                              
    R/L Side:                                   65                                              
    Rear:                                       65                                              
    Turret:                                     52                                              

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 ER Small Lasers                                           Turret                10.00        
Armored Motive System                                          --                  10.00        
Environmental (Vacuum) Sealing                                 --                  10.00        
Vehicular Jump Jet                                            Body                 2.00         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 43
TP: CV,  SZ: 4,  TMM: 0,  MV: 2"t/2"j
Damage: (S) 10 / (M) 10 / (L) 0
Armor (A): 10,  Structure (S): 5
Specials: ARS, ENE, RCA, SEAL, SOA, SRCH, TUR(10/10/-)
 
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Code Release 2.26.7 (2026-03-17T10:54:35-04:00)