Razorback Variants Assault Enemy Positions
HACS-04HG-HC Iron Tusk Razorback
Iron Tusk Razorback
While the Peacemaker Razorback variant was designed to make up for the weaknesses of the standard Razorback design, the Iron Tusk Razorback was built upon its established strengths. The Iron Tusk was designed to remain a frightening heavy assault vehicle, but its targets of choice changed from heavy armor to massed medium armor and infantry. The Paxton snub cannon, a devastating short-range and direct-fire weapon perfect for leveling tanks, was replaced by a two-handed Riley RG-624 grenade rifle for taking medium and heavy Gears apart. The indirect-fire and automatic fire capabilities of the RG-624 made it a devastating weapon against Gear formations. The standard Forge 71mm rocket pod was replaced by twin Forge 55mm pods which, although featuring lighter warheads, featured a greater rate of fire and ammunition loads permitting the Iron Tusk to deal torrential showers of light rockets to smaller opponents. The anti-personnel capabilities of the standard Razorback, already considered excellent, were further improved by the addition of a 50mm Northco Weapons MR-3 anti-infantry mortar unit. All told, the Iron Tusk was well suited for smashing apart the rapid-deployment enemy formations that threatened the border regions of the North in the TN 1800s.
The Iron Tusk Razorback proved itself to be both a resounding success and great failure during the War of the Alliance. It’s lack of any heavy anti-armor weaponry, such as the Paxton snub cannon or heavier rockets wielded by its cousins, made the Iron Tusk less than effective against the hovertanks that led the initial CEF assault. Once the CEF had been bogged down, however, their were few Gears better suited for wadding through formations of GREL supersoldiers than the Iron Tusk Razorback. Although the Razorback chassis has been out of production for decades, the Iron Tusk has not yielded an inch of ferocity to the more sophisticated modern Gears and no new model as taken over its particular niche of operations. Consequently, the Iron Tusk remains in widest distribution of all the Razorbacks and is particularly conspicuous in Northern Guard forces assigned to patrol the regions near Port Arthur and Jan Mayen.
HACS-04HG-AA Flak Razorback
Flak Razorback
The Flak Razorback is an uncommon variant of the that is primarily used to engage enemy aircraft. First appearing in the late 18th century, the “Flakback” as its colloquially known served as one of the primary air defense tools in the northern arsenal. It wasn’t until the Grizzly, nearly 100 cycles later, that a superior dedicated AA platform was available and even then, the Flak Razorback has never disappeared. Flak Razorbacks are still seen most often in the WFP and Northern Guard where its lower cost and readily available spare parts are desirable. In the War of Terra Nova, Flak Razorbacks have been called in against Utopian forces and their Commando N-KIDUs. Trideo footage of a pair of Flak Razorbacks fighting off airborne Utopian automatons during the fall of Fort James was plastered over the airwaves and the design found new favor. As attrition has taken its toll, Northern armies have pulled more and more vehicles from their stockpiles and boneyards. A significant portion of the Razorbacks being brought back into service have been converted to Flak Razorbacks.
Razorback Variants in Heavy Gear Blitz!
The Iron Tusk and Flak Razorback are Razorback variants added to the North model list in Heavy Gear Blitz! These additional profiles are Extended Content.
| Model | TV | Roles | MR | Arm | H/S | A | GU | PI | EW | React Weapons | Mounted Weapons | Traits | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Tusk Razorback | 11 | SK, FS | W/G:6 | 8 | 4/2 | 1 | 4+ | 4+ | 6+ | MGL, LSG | LRP (Link), HIM, LMG, LAPGL | Hands | Gear | 1.5" |
| Flak Razorback | 11 | SK, FS | W/G:6 | 8 | 4/2 | 1 | 4+ | 4+ | 6+ | HRC (AA), LSMG, LSG | MRP, LMG, LAPGL | Hands | Gear | 1.5" |
| Artillery Upgrade* | +1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -MRP, +MAR | - | - | - |
Note: The Artillery Upgrade may be applied to any Razorback variant with a MRP.
Making your own Razorback Variants
The easier of the two variants to assemble is the Flak Razorback. This variant is built using parts in the kit, except for the HRC (AA). You use the arms as you would for a Peacemaker, with the MRP from the stock (unless using the Artillery Upgrade), and simply use the HRC (AA) part.
To make the Iron Tusk I selected the round LRP packs, which are easier to make clear the shoulders when attaching the arms. I cut their support posts at an angle to match the angle of the Razorback torso and attached similar to the stock MRP. I used a standard MGL part, but I bent the hand of the supporting arm around the fore grip of the grenade launcher to match the description in the lore. The Iron Tusk was then finished off with a light mortar on the back.
