Scylla MkI Heavy Tank

DESCRIPTION

Designed to meet the needs of the Riesenjager Mercenary Company, and conceived by Risenjager founding members Shurik Arano and Charlie Burke, the Scylla was one of a pair of tanks brought about by necessity, circumstance, and no small bit of luck. Having experimented with both Bulldog and Manticore heavy tanks as lance companions to the massive Behemoth assault tank through the Aurigan Civil War and numerous Risenjager contracts, it was determined that the Bulldog lacked the armor necessary for high-intensity engagements and suffered from having to close with its targets to bring its full firepower to bear. The Manticore, while an ideal vehicle for the role, was too slow to allow for the sort of rapid repositioning that the Bulldog allowed, and proved to be nearly impossible for the mercenary company to acquire due to the massive demand from the various, larger powers around the Aurigan Reach. To this end it was determined that a new vehicle would need to be developed, and negotiations were entered into with Defiance Industries, Naumkeag Motor Works (a subsidiary of Aurigan Defense Industries), and Aspero-Dinton Mining to produce the vehicle. These talks would bear fruit in the mid-3030s, with several production lines being created in NMW's Andover plant over the next decade and the first production models completing field trials in 3045.

Using the Patton as its base, the Scylla is designed as the hammer in a combat lance to the much larger Charybdis' anvil. In tactics similar to the much smaller Vedette, a lance of Scyllas are meant to work together to tear apart Battlemechs in concentrated volleys of LRM and laser fire, though the vehicles' heavy armor and firepower allow them to see off most lighter-weight threats without assistance.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

Much like its inspiration, the Scylla is equipped with a variety of weapons for all range brackets. The tank's primary armament is a turret-mounted Delta Dart LRM-20 and three tons of ammunition, supported in its range bracket by the ever-reliable Sunglow Type 2 Large Laser. For closer range work, a Diverse Optics Type 2 Medium Laser and Sperry Browning Machine Gun are mounted in semi-traversible turrets in the forward hull. Eleven and a half tons of armor provide ample protection for a vehicle of its mass, and a CASE-equipped ammunition bay gives its crew a fighting chance at surviving even the worst-case scenarios.

VARIATIONS

Due to its standardized design and generous turret space, a wide variety of Scylla Heavy Tanks are produced as standard variations by Naumkeag Motor Works.
MkI-B
The MkI-B was developed as a bodyguard unit for the missile-oriented Scylla variants, acting as a deterrent to any light or medium 'Mech who might think to get beneath the LRM barrages and run down its lancemates. The turret armament has been swapped out entirely for two additional Medium Lasers, flanking a single massive AC/20 with three tons of ammunition to provide ample endurance for most engagements. BV: 1,002
MkI-M
A later development than the MkI or MkI-B , the MkI-M variant was an attempt to provide even more indirect firepower to vehicle lances while not sacrificing the armor, speed, or combat endurance that an LRM Carrier in the same role might have. A pair of LRM-15s with five tons of ammunition comprised the entire turret armament, which caused delays in production when the Charybdis production lines were given priority for what LRM-15s could be imported from the Taurian Concordat. This proved to be something of a blessing in disguise; combat records (especially when compared to the newer Scylla MkIIs and even the standard MkI) were decidedly lackluster, with numerous complaints from vehicle crews and lance commanders alike that the twin LRM-15s were inaccurate and prone to jams. They were quickly relegated to second-line and PDF use, and would later find a new lease on life as tactical minelayers with the proliferation of specialty munitions in the mid 3060s. BV: 1,047
MkII
The Scylla MkII began development in the 3050s, with direct input from those vehicle crews that returned from the Battle of Tukkayid and the explosion of technology that occured throughout the Inner Sphere around the same time. The first production models rolled off the assembly line in 3056, at which point the MkI variants were almost universally relegated to parts support. The 11.5 tons of armor were upgraded to Ferro-Fibrous, allowing for a significant increase in overall protection. The tank's weapons complement was likewise reworked; while the LRM-20 was retained, an Artemis IV FCS was added alongside an additional ton of ammunition. Two ER Medium Lasers replaced the the Large Laser in the turret, while the hull-mounted Medium Laser and Machine Gun were replaced with an ER Small Laser. An Anti-Missile System was also added to the turret. BV: 1,200
MkII-B
The MkII-B retains the same ER Small Laser and Anti-Missile System as the MkII, but exchanges the turret weaponry for an additional ER Small Laser and an LB 20-X Autocannon. Two tons each of standard and cluster munitions keep the main gun well-stocked for any occassion. BV: 1,158
MkII-RG and MkII-BRG
Exclusively deployed by Renegade Company of the RJMC in 3068, the -RG variants of the MkII Scylla patterns are field refits utilizing some of the Clan-tech salvage recovered by the company during their operations into Clan Space.
The MkII-RG strips out the ARTEMIS IV system from its LRM-20 to allow for the use of specialist munitions, while its Medium Lasers have been upgraded to Clan-spec ER variants. A shift to Clan Ferro-Fibrous also increases the protection for the same weight of the original, Inner Sphere version. BV: 1,313
The MkII-BRG is a significant upgrade over the original variant. The weaponry has been stripped out in its entireity to make room for two Clan-spec ER Medium Lasers and a salvaged Clan LB 20-X in the turret. Four tons of ammunition keep the massive weapon well-stocked, while the weight savings and a shift to the same Clan Ferro-Fibrous allows for a significant increase in armor protection on the front and turret. BV: 1,454

Power Generation

Magna 260 Fusion Engine

Propulsion

Tracked

Weapons & Armament

x1 LRM-20
x1 Large Laser
x1 Medium Laser
x1 Machine Gun

Armor and defense

11.5 tons ArcShield Maxi I standard armor with CASE

Communication Tools & Systems

TharHes Muse 54-58K

Sensors

NMW Oracle I

Manufacturer

Naumkeag Motor Works

Creation Date

3045

Owning Organization

Riesenjager Mercenary Company

Price

2,936,675 C-Bills, base model

Rarity

BV: 1,065

Width

5m

Length

11m

Height

3m

Weight

65 tons

Speed

65kph

Complement / Crew

4