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                 Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Starlight MBT
Designer:           iostaa
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Clan
Technology Rating:  F
Tonnage:            45
Role:               Brawler
Configuration:      Combat Vehicle
Era/Year:           Dark Age / 3087
Rules (Current):    Standard
Rules (Era):        Standard
Rules (Year):       Advanced
Total Cost:         5,325,125 C-Bills
Battle Value:       1,321

Movement Type:        Tracked
Power Plant:          IronStar 180 XL
Cruising Speed:       43.2 kph  
Maximum Speed:        64.8 kph  
Armor:                VoidPlate FF10 Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:             
    1 Shooting Star G20H Hyper-Assault Gauss 20
    1 Starburst L7M ER Medium Laser
    1 Nightsky L3A Laser Anti-Missile System
    1 Kessler M1L Light Machine Gun
Manufacturer:         Helena Collective Manufactory A1, Manufacturing Plant SFF-AL1, Starlit Conclave Arms
    Primary Factory:  Ingvolsand III (HCMA1), Alnabog (MPSFFAL), Apsalar II (SCA)
Communications:       Nebula Weave TX56 with ECM Suite
Targeting & Tracking: Northstar AP77 with Advanced Targeting Computer

================================================================================================
Overview:
    Design Quirks: Easy to Maintain, Narrow/Low Profile, Poor Targeting (Short)
    
    Clan Diamond Shark's first forays into the Chaine Cluster created a problem for the Clan,
    namely the uncooperative government of the Empire of the Stars. Instead of tying down
    expensive battlemech assets defending agianst the raids that the Empire conducted, they
    designed a tank that outmatched anything locally available. The Defense-MBT-LF1, later known
    as the Starlight MBT, was overengineered for its design role and saw very limited use. As it
    was pet project of Junior Technician Lyssa Kalasa, who wished to design a vehicle that could
    be used in any role, she faced severe ridicule over the failure and was relegated to
    maintaining the few surviving remains of her failure for the next decade.
    
    At the turn of the 32nd century, the recently renamed Clan Sea Fox started expanding its
    interests in the Chainelane Isles. A new coalition of planets in the Isles, called the
    Starlit Conclave of Apsalara, proved both amenable and wealthy enough to attract the Sea
    Foxes patronage. With the rich germanium deposits of Syrstart providing funds, several
    enclaves of clan refugees from the Wars of Reaving providing expertise, and the Sea Foxes
    providing the resources, the Conclave was able to upgrade the Helenist factories to clan
    specifications. In order to serve the ground combat needs of the rapidly growing Conclave
    Guard Forces, the decision was made to maximize economies of scale and focus on a single
    model of vehicle to serve in most roles. The Starlight MBT was selected for this role,
    vindicating the now Senior Technician Kalasa, who emigrated to Ingvolstand III to oversee
    production.

Capabilities:
    The Starlight MBT was designed to be a flexible platform to serve as the primary combat
    element in a theater. The design requirements; ease of transport, moderate cost, extreme
    flexibility, and high crew survivability; led to significant compromises. A 180XL engine
    powers the Starlight up to an acceptable 64.8 kph, while 9.5 tons of steeply sloped
    Ferro-Fibrous Armor grants adequate protection at relatively low cost. The armor is focused
    on the front of the tank, where the three crew operate, while leaving its unmanned turret
    relatively lightly protected. Its active defenses consist of a ECM suite and a Laser AMS,
    while its sensor systems include a Light TAG, Targeting Computer, and Light Active Probe.
    
    The Starlight is well-armed for its size, carrying a ER Medium Laser and HAG/20 in the
    turret, and a pintle-mounted light machine gun. A small extra crew compartment, capable of
    carrying a handful of people and some paramedic equipment, allows the Starlight to recover
    crews from knocked out allied vehicles. When not in use, this compartment makes the interior
    relatively spacious, and sometimes is used to carry extra rations and water for long
    deployments. It's turret has an intentionally flimsy attatchment to the hull, as to vent
    ammunition explosions away from the crew. The ease of turret removal afforded by this
    connection, combined with the spacious interior, make the vehicle remarkably easy to
    maintain at the cost of fairly limited gun depression capability.

Deployment:
    While deployed to defend against the Empire of the Stars, the Starlight MBT rarely saw
    conflict. The garrison uses it did see, however, were enough to iron out the teething
    troubles any new vehicle sees, and the tank was ready for mass production by the time the
    Helena Collective modernized its industrial base. As the factories were new, retooling for a
    new vehicle was not an issue, and Starlight MBTs started rolling off the production line in
    3103.
    
    Overmatching anything available to their rival states in the Chainelane Isles, it didn't see
    any significant opposition until the Raven Alliance started muscling in on their territory.
    What started as a simple Batchall over the derelict Avatar-class SLS Pioneer in the Paran
    system escalated into a full fledged proxy war between the Fox-sponsored Starlit Conclave
    and the Raven-backed Empire of the Stars. The Pioneer War lasted lasted from 3108 to 3124,
    and saw the Conclave victorious. The Starlight MBT became the symbol of the hard-won unity
    of the Conclave, and was the tip of the spear when securing the first new Conclave colony on
    Apsalar II in 3131.

Variants:
    There are no known production variants as of 3145, although several non-standard field
    refits have been seen. Most commonly performed is the removal of the HAG for whatever is
    available, often mandating the reduction in armor or secondary armament.

Notable MechWarriors:
    The Starlit Witch, an early production Starlight MBT, was the first to ever be lost in
    action. In 3109, in a battle on the surface of Rondane II, the Witch's lance was caught out
    by a Raven Alliance star on loan to the Empire, and the Witch was disabled early. While the
    rest of the lance was able to disengage, a PPC hit overloaded the capacitors on the main gun
    and destroyed the turret. A later attack on an Empire FOB found the wreck of the Starlit
    Witch in their salvage yard. The vehicle was restored to service, but was irreparably
    damaged on Paran in 3116, its wreck was to the Paranese Museum of Martyrs, where it sits on
    display to this day.
    
    The Born in Fire IV was first commissioned in 3114, and assigned to Captain Josepha Marsana
    as the command tank of her company. The fourth vehicle she commanded, it proved to be the
    most successful, and the last.  It was destroyed in 3118 in an assault on the final defenses
    of Far Reach II, killing Captain Marsana and her crew. She was posthumously awarded the
    Heart of the Guard medal for her service. With an impressive 16 kills in its 4-year service,
    including a Warhammer IIC 2, it was the most decorated command tank to serve in the Pioneer
    War.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  4.50                     
Engine:                                       180 XL                   5.50                     
    Cruising MP:                                4                                               
    Flanking MP:                                6                                               
Heat Sinks (Single):                            10                     0.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     2.50                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        0.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                1.50                     
Armor Factor:                                  182                     9.50                     
    Type:                                 Ferro-Fibrous                                         

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      50                                              
    R/L Side:                                   35                                              
    Rear:                                       30                                              
    Turret:                                     32                                              

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Machine Gun                                             Front                0.25         
ER Medium Laser                                              Turret                1.00         
Hyper-Assault Gauss 20                                       Turret                10.00        
Laser Anti-Missile System                                    Turret                1.00         
Light TAG                                                    Turret                0.50         
Bay, Infantry (Foot) (3 troopers)                             Body                 0.50         
ECM Suite                                                     Body                 1.00         
Hyper-Assault Gauss 20 (Ammo 18)                              Body                 3.00         
Light Active Probe                                            Body                 0.50         
Light Machine Gun (Ammo 100)                                  Body                 0.50         
Paramedic Equipment                                           Body                 0.25         
Targeting Computer                                            Body                 3.00         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 33
TP: CV,  SZ: 2,  TMM: 1,  MV: 8"t
Damage: (S) 3 / (M) 3 / (L) 2
Armor (A): 6,  Structure (S): 3
Specials: AMS, CASE, ECM, FLK2/1/1, IT0.5, LPRB, LTAG, RCN, SRCH, TUR(3/3/2, AMS, FLK2/1/1, LTAG)
 
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Code Release 2.26.13 (2026-05-15T09:38:57-04:00)