CEarth Battle Armor - from PA(L) to Assault Armor

A thread dedicated to the discussion of potential CEarth Battle Armors. There should be discussion on everything Battle Armor related, from weapons and equipment to the different PA(L) and Battle Armor types.

Try to include pics when you suggest something to help everyone get a visual idea of what you are suggesting.

Here is some stuff that was originally suggested over in the Art Thread.

Discuss.

The Elemental power requirement sounds about right.

The thing is that battery life depdends heavily upon the type of Battle Armor that is being used. If it is a PA(L) then you could have a battery system that could last a soldier 24-36 hours or more. If we are talking about an Assault Class Battle Armor then we may only be looking at maybe 12 hours or so.

Now that all being said, I don't recall any passages saying how Battle Armor gets charged, it could need specialized power feeds or it could be something as simple as plugging it in to a portable generator or simply switching out a power cell. I do recall a number of instances where Clan Elementals and other BA armored troops were able to continue using their armor while out in the field for days on end without any real major sources of power nearby other than Mechs and other vehicles.

I think I recall somewhere that it might have been mentioned that a BA and a PA(L) can simply hook up to almost any fusion engine powered vehicle to get recharged. Can anyone verify that?

Well its not like we couldn't use them like a swat team. Have a unit in trouble put out a call for some kind of back up. Heavy power armored shock troops show up and hulk smash the strong point, then have PA(H) recalled for resupply of retasking.

Any Clan Omnimech can provide power to elementals who hitch a ride on it through universal hookups, same with any other mech although they have to be at rest to do so.

Ok, since Kerrus has already described the 'KnightHawk' armor as being very much like the Mjolnir Class armor from Halo mixed with a few elements of the NightHawk PA(L) I have this suggestion to make. Since producing such PA(L) might not be cost efficient or what have you for a decade or so, how about using a cut down version. I'm thinking something that is like a partial PA(L). Something like the ODST armor.









It would be more cost effective, easier to produce in larger quantities, and require less specialized training in order to use it. It would be something that could be issued in large numbers to a number of GDI infantry units in order to make them deadlier and up their survival rates. Without any weapons or jumpjets tied directly into it this armor would not run down the battery life so quickly, mainly using the power for the sensors and electronics in the helmet and for a limited amount of movement and strength enhancement.

For 12 hour field use I think superconductors rings are already used in Clan & IS power suits (so they calling batteries) to do more then this we are going to be look at a small fusion power plant or a good use for the anti-matter power plant idea.

Yeah, soldiers are already walking around carrying enough explosives as it is. They might be a little hard to convince to walk around with a backpack that could possibly destroy a few city blocks.

Oh and the whole anti-matter thing has basically been shelved as still being theoretical.

>.> <.<
*cough*
....the one on the right.

As what?

A Battle Armor? Then what size should it be? Should it be a PA(L) like the NightHawk and Tornado, a Light BA like the Kage and Grey Death Scout, a Medium BA like the Elemental Armor, a Heavy BA like the Gnome and Rogue Bear, or an Assault Armor like the Golem and the Kanazuchi?

What weapons would it use? Armor Integrated weaponry or simply Hand-held weaponry?

Don't just post a pic, explain your self and your suggestion a little. Give us some reasoning behind your pic and suggestion so that we can talk about it.

Knighthawk armour uses 'fusion cells', which are basically your standard bulky batteries, with a couple of differences.

1. You can charge them two ways- the first is the way you normally charge batteries, and can be done from any proper conenction.

2. You can 'jump charge' them, which typically requires a connection to a fusion reactor. This basically does a flash overcharge, dumping a massive amount of power into the battery over a very short period of type. Jump-charging degrades the battery, but can be used to basically instantly charge it- and theoretically you could do it in the field via convincing a storm to hit you with a lightning bolt.

The damaging effects of jump charging are reduced by running the battery- as the electricity cycles through the system it realigns the atom orientation of the battery, although not to the extent that charging it normally does.

Even so, Fusion Cells degrade, and each time you jump charge it, you cut years off its expected operational lifespan (which is some ludicrous number like eight hundred years)

Fusion Cells are a precursor to Lithium Fusion batteries. The Columbus expedition brought back several of these batteries, but in a 10 ton form designed for vehicle use.

First you all will have to make a judgment call to decide how much power a suit needs to function. Next, simply look at the existing, and soon to exist, energy storage and generation technologies. After that the calculations are easy.

So how much power does a suit need? Does the power only provide motive force, life support and electronics or are you including energy weapons needs. Speaking of energy weapons, I’ve read that Btech power armor energy weapons use stored energy form the suit. If that’s the case, and you declare earth energy tech inadequate to run everything, then why not simply use normal slug throwers and rockets until a good power source comes along? Do this in stages.

Early power armor energy systems would only power the suit systems with weapons being chemical slug/rocket types. With the advent of myomers boosting strength, I see no reason why the suit couldn’t be powered by today’s micro turbines fueled with kerosene or even the new ultra capacitors that are sure to get a tremendous boost within moments of cracking open the data cores. Later, you can switch to more advanced power.

The suit can pretty much stay the same throughout its service life only that it would be highly modular in design to allow swapping in more advanced energy system, better appliqué armor and improved electronics as they come along. This way at least the armor comes out into production fast and improves easily as the technology of the cores trickle down to it.

I'm thinking that at first we will see CEarth forces sporting PA(L), maybe even cut down versions. These would have no weapons attached and thus rely upon hand carried weaponry. However, they would have strength and movement enhancement abilities as well as sensor equipment beuilt into the helmet and also be armored to withstand almost anything short of an RPG round or a .50cal armor piercing bullet.

Now when I say cut down version I mean that it would be lacking a few things that the regular PA(L) would have. Stuff like the jump pack.

CEarth first generation PA(L) would be meant mainly for enhancing infantry to better deal with other infantry and to give them a bit more of an edge over regular infantry in confronting BattleMechs and armored vehicles.

I don't see CEarth starting to produce Battle Armor of Medium weight and higher for a few decades. Maybe the first prototypes of Medium BA seeing some action in 3039 at the earliest.

All 'basic' GDI infantry:

PA(L) -
in effect a UNISEX (you can't tell if the wearer is male or female outside of one is bulky or not, and it might just be a thin guy inside, or a 'chunky' female inside a bulky one) version of a Bubblegum Crisis Hardsuit. No integrated weaponry, but DOES have 4 latches on the back that can mount an extended lifespan battery and/or an added weapon (shoulder mini-turret mounted infantry (Blazer at best) laser rifle, or a disposable/expendable two shot, hands-free, LAW, or possibly a man-pack PPC that's hand carried but is powered by a backpack). Its primary weaponry would be hand-carried and either use clips of solid ammunition (solid shot or explosive) or energy cells - possibly if it is an energy weapon it could run off a power connector to the suit for LIMITED extra shots or it'd drain the suit too fast. Would likely be about as bulky/big as that 'Union Army Commando Squad Leader' image above. Has very low jump-jet characteristics, might be considered a jump of '1' in the game (which is still 30m...) and you only move as fast as unarmored infantry when walking/running, if with the exo-skeleton keeping you from fatiguing for a few minutes longer.

-=-=-=-=-
Everyone else/Specialty suits:

ASF/'Mech/'Tanker' PA(L) -
Effectively the same as above, but integrates either a cooling plugsuit, a g-suit/cooling plugsuit, or extra cushioning ('Tanker' version, to deal with the some of the nastier terrain without giving the crew quite as many bruises). No latches on the back for added backpacks, but does have an added life-support/power connection in the back that allows it to run directly off the vehicle/ASF/'Mech's reactor/engine without using any of its own onboard energy supplies. Using that same image, likely looks about the size of the Union Army Infantry suit. However in the case of the plugsuit/g-suit versions, most of the armor and light-exoskeleton can be removed for survival reasons in order to greatly extend the lifespan of the battery (no exo-skeleton to use up power = longer lasting battery supply) to power other survival tools such as a mini-sleeping/thermal bag, water purifier, and might also have a small deployable (fold-up) solar array that can be unfolded/folded up in a minute or two that can help power an emergency beacon.

Marine PA -
The one the Marines are all equipped with (unless they're a pilot). Likely a combo of the UNSC ODST suit (as seen above in the life-action images) and the Union Army Commando Heavy Weapons suits. This is what 90% of the Marines that are on the ground and not in the plugsuit/g-suit/tanker suit wears. As the phrase goes 'Every Marine is a rifleman", they all have a combo ER micro laser and an accurate assault rifle (just barely powerful enough to be considered a LMG at the 'Mech scale). Move is about twice as good as unarmored infantry or the GDI PA(L)s (so a move of '2' using game rules, if we're really keeping game rules except as guidelines), and keeps the minimal jump of the PA(L).

Heavy PA -
Aka, what the other 10% of the Marines use and/or the heavier units in use by the army. Take the Terran Marine (StarCraft I/II), Heinlein's Powersuit, and the Union Army Heavy Armor image above, and roll it into one. This is what gets used when knowingly having to go up against 'Mechs, super-heavy (80+ ton) vehicles, or for when collateral damage is not a major concern. Rangers, Berets, and likely one person in each squad of any unit (marines or army) down to squad size will have one of these around. Likely directly on par with a Clan Elemental suit but gives up a little on armor in order to have both boosted movement and a better jump range around 50-60m instead of 30m (so a move of 2, and a jump of 2).

Assault PA -
Not something regularly issued, but if they are, they're found in one unit with nothing smaller. Looks like a up-armored version of the Slavesuit from Ghost In the Shell or more recognizable as a variant off the Landmate idea from Appleseed. The control arms are completely sealed so the wearer's hands are NOT exposed (likely with a mini 'buckler' as well over them) and just as armored as a standard PA's. The slave-arms, completely robotic are big enough to carry weapons up to Medium Laser and overall it can likely can carry double what a standard Clan Elemental mounts (if not quite as heavily armed as a Kanazuchi Assault PA or the Fenrir). Gives up jumping (back to '1' Jump) in exchange for even better ground move ('3' ground move).

After that, or at least in my opinion (which I know differs from a lot of you), you jump to the CSN Protomechs....once they get developed....eventually....and then up to the light battlemechs.

Uh, Barricade? You do realize that there is a difference between PA(L) and Battle Armors, right?

The canon BT breakdown of types:

- Power Armor or PA(L) - like the NightHawk and Tornado
- Light Battle Armor - the Kage and Grey Death Scout
- Medium Battle Armor - Elemental Armor
- Heavy Battle Armor - the Gnome and Rogue Bear armors
- Assault Battle Armor - the Kanazuchi and Golem types

Even PA(L) would still be too bulky to be utilized in the tight confines of a Tank. Unless it is a cut down version that removes the jump pack and only uses the hand carried weapons.

Actually there are PA(L)s even lighter then the Nighthawk and Tornado.

A -LOT- lighter.

The SmoothDavid, SmoothGoliath are both 200kg suits and are barely larger then their wearer, and I do mean barely. ODST armor as seen above is actually MORE bulky then these. There's also the Krise/Resgate 'SAR' suits (IS & Clan respectively) that are just about as body conforming. Thing is, is that all four types can only really take a single MG gun hit (one full 'burst' that is) before they're all but scrapped, and the wearer had either better bail, or run for cover DAMN fast. Still, that's a hell of an improvement over what standard 'grunt' infantry in the Inner Sphere normally have protecting them, as normally a single MG burst can wipe out half a platoon.

Ok. I was just making the point that you may have made too many specializations regarding PA and that some of them as you describe them sound more like BA instead of PA.

Ah. I misunderstood. I was combining both the PAs and the BAs into one overall list.

PAs would be:
GDI 'standard', Plugsuit/g-suit/tanker-suit, and the Marine PA (which is right on the border between a PA(L) and a Light BA). None of them have weapons that are even worth mentioning when pitted against anything larger then 20 tons. You'd need whole platoons firing in order to even equal a Medium Laser's impact. These guys are designed to kill infantry, unarmored support vehicles/buildings, and deal with other PA/BAs.

BAs would be:
Heavy & Assault. Assault is quite obviously just that, an Assault grade BA. Heavy is what everyone else likely considers a 'heavy' Medium, in that it gives up armor to mount better light-armor weaponry. Only the Assault suit should really be used against Mechs, but the Heavy is the first one that's designed to actually SURVIVE in combat against them. Anything smaller, if it sees a 'Mech coming, or anything large enough to mount a LL or PPC, should run for cover and damn well stay there. A Heavy can at least survive one or two hits and at least 'scrape the paint' of a 'Mech, before they run off. Assaults on the other hand are the proverbial 'piranha/zerg swarm' to a 'Mech or Vehicle, and will simply bury it in numbers.

Here's a bare bones ultra light PAL write up I did some time back. It has no gimmicks other than basic stealth which, by the Btech source books, Earth already can do. The stealth isn't as good as a DEST suits but it does have two points of armor and has basic IR suppression and Earths version of low radar cross section materials and design engineering. I gave it a speed two as due to its strength, when loaded down with the normal infantry gear, such as, a ruck sack, weapons, ammo and most importantly heavy support weapons, it can still move twice as fast as normal infantry.

As for electronics, I figure it will have advanced, lightweight Earth microelectronics providing advanced sensors (short range probe), ECM (localized fire team level), and C3 like capabilities.
If I were using the old Btech infantry sheet, this suit would count as an L2 (not L2E due to myomers), basic stealth armored, infantry unit with a probe and ECM chit.

In games I’ve played, squads equipped with this suit have proven dirt cheap, easy to maintain and when armed with simple range 2 semi portable support machine guns, able to obliterate three to six times their number in normal IS rifle, laser, and MG ground infantry. SRM inferno platoons can be a bit rough though. Thank goodness they’re not that common.

You can even load them down with heavier anti mech missiles for decent ambushes although expect a few losses.

Code:

Name: Experimental Battle Armor
Model: X

Chassis: Bipedal Exoskeleton (225Kg)
Tech Base: Inner Sphere

Ground Speed: 21.6 Km/H
Movment: 2

Armor:
  Type: Basic Stealth
  Points: 2

Equipment: 
  Right Arm:
    Armored Glove
  Left Arm:
    Armored Glove

Cost: 63500 C-Bills
Estimated Battle Value: 44

By the way, I used speed two to keep the price and weight down. I see no reason why three wouldn't be possible as we've already been testing walk/run augmentation gear allowing very high speeds.

I was thinking maybe fulfill the same mission profile as the light Grey Death armor, not heavy enough to mount its own weaponry, but light enough to use infantry-scale weapons or heavier infantry weapons.

Or maybe a suit employed in boarding actions, allowing a ship with a small compliment to take over, say, a jumpship. Not that I am saying that would be a common occurrence at all.

Personally, I'd rather see them as mass produced things, something easier to field than the equivalent of an Elemental or whatnot, but I doubt that would be feasible, considering CSN is just getting into this business.

Edit: Unfortunately, in all the campaigns of CBT I've ever played, I never used BA, so I'm not exactly sure what BA was used for other than ripping up infantry and vehicles. I exclude Elementals from this since I do remember them ripping apart mechs when swarming. Me, I just equipped A-pods on my mechs, brought along some armor, and called it a day.

I see power armor likely to be a boon to civilian fire rescue crews.

Yes.

I see several varieties of PA(L) being developed for civilian usage.

-firefighters
-law enforcement
-construction work
-mining
-underwater construction and work
-work in any hazardous environment

The applications are endless as many jobs always seem to need just a little more muscle, a little more protection, and sometimes a little more intimidation.