Posted on November 23, 2023
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3 min
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618 words
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DP9 Contributors
PD-04TR-S CUIRASSIER
Originally conceived as the Humanist Alliance’s answer to the Territorial Arms Black Mamba, the Cuirasseir began its life at the HAPF’s White Rock facility in the spring of TN1920. In the post-War of the Alliance rearmament period, several Black Mambas were procured by the Humanist Alliance after repeated reports of how well the unit performed. While the Black Mamba suffered from a number of design deficiencies, most notably the fatally weak armor on the back, Humanist preceptors found that the Black Mamba to be a solidly engineered Gear. The retro engineering of the Black Mamba was called the Xiphos project and was initiated as part of the secretive long term defense protocols.
Posted on November 16, 2023
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2 min
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352 words
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DP9 Contributors
OACS-01M/AQ WASSERJÄGER
Lake Esperance moderates the temperatures of the Esperance basin, making the climate in most of the Republic unusually pleasant. The lake also provides a wonderful spot for the Strategic Forces branch to hide a few nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Unfortunately, the lake is also a great security risk and must be patrolled regularly to prevent Northern agents or internal enemies from establishing secret bases deep in its waters.
Posted on November 9, 2023
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5 min
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995 words
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DP9 Contributors
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Please note this article was written before the current 3d Printed Bear miniature was released. The purchase links have been updated accordingly, but images still show the pewter miniatures.
HACS-01HG-FS Black Bear
Black BearA straightforward refit of the standard Bear introduced in very small numbers in the TN 1850s, the Black Bear was designed to generally increase the firepower wielded by the Bear. The T-12 mortar unit’s precision was exchanged for the raw firepower of GH-25 85mm back-mounted rocket tubes, while other weaponry remained the same. The Black Bear was used to form some heavy fire-support squadrons, especially in the forces of the Western Frontier Protectorate Army. The Black Bear was largely retired when the Bear began to be slowly decommissioned with the introduction of the Grizzly in the TN 1870s. By the time of the War of the Alliance, the Bear was used most widely in the Badlands and became one of the heaviest machines able to be fielded by the rovers and guerrillas who fought rear-guard actions against the Colonial Expeditionary Force occupiers from TN 1913 to 1916. When Paxton Arms entered the fray and put together its Peace River Army many of these rag-tag forces were refitted with cutting edge weaponry and a new Black Bear configuration was fielded as a heavy assault vehicle, replacing the M225 autocannons with a cutting-edge RFL-2 Soothsayer rapid-fire bazooka.
Posted on November 2, 2023
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2 min
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304 words
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DP9 Contributors
A common misconception among Terranovans is that Utopian armies are composed entirely of armigers and N-KIDUs. This is false because for most of Utopian history the APE suit was used for piloted combat walkers. The APE is more than power armor but does not use a traditional seated cockpit like modern walkers. Instead, the pilot is housed in the central body compartment and their arms and legs extend slightly into the APE. This design is a direct descendant of worker suits during the Concordat era and similar designs are seen on Eden. Despite their near ancient design, APEs are still a common sight among the forces sent from Utopia to Terra Nova.
Posted on October 26, 2023
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2 min
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417 words
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DP9 Contributors
OACS-05M/STL Green Mamba
Green Mamba
The aftermath of the War of the Alliance resulted in many new projects and initiatives in the AST. One major area of development was dedicated stealth gear, of which the south was lacking compared to the north. This produced the Chameleon and Snakeye Black Mamba which are both high end models. Demand for stealth units quickly outstripped production capacity and allotted funding as the many elite and special operations units of the AST wanted these new models to fill their ranks. Territorial Arms, seeing a potential niche in a new market, created the Green Mamba which saw its first major combat debut in the Interpolar War.
Posted on October 19, 2023
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4 min
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788 words
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DP9 Contributors
HACS-10HG-CR Northstar Kodiak
While the Kodiak Destroyer was designed to magnify the power of the Kodiak, the Northstar was designed to enhance its prestige. Even though the Northern Guard and Valeria have significantly fewer ceremonial events than the Southern Republican Army and Port Oasis, morale and special events remain important concerns and the Northstar exist because of these considerations. Using salvaged battlefield machines as a base, the Northstar was completely rebuilt with advanced targeting computers and experimental control systems provided by several corporations, including Hyperion Werks, making them very effective in combat but extremely expensive. The Northstars were armed with Sergon Optics laser rifles, custom made Northco Weapons heavy vibroblade halberds, and a variety of antipersonnel weapons. They usually carry large ceremonial shields emblazoned with the tripartite Confederated Northern City-States crest. This weapons layout was designed not only to be visually impressive on parade, but to be effective in the close urban quarters that the Northstar will be expected to fight when undertaking its primary duty of defending the heart of the CNCS.
Posted on October 12, 2023
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2 min
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313 words
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DP9 Contributors
Crusader Crossfire
The Crusader was introduced as an alternative to the polar Grizzly and Cobra early in the TN 1800s to very poor reviews and even worse sales. Over the next few decades, Paxton Arms reworked the Crusader until a more functional vehicle was created. The Crusader IV was much better than its predecessors and was even used by some desperate polar forces in the War of the Alliance.
Posted on October 5, 2023
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2 min
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271 words
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DP9 Contributors
Utopia is a world racked by war and nuclear radiation. The limited access to resources as well as high demand has fostered a ‘waste nothing’ attitude amongst some Utopians. When preparations were made for the invasion of Terra Nova, this would manifest in the Engineering Armiger and N-KIDU. The initial development of the armiger and N-KIDU concepts was fraught with intrigue and corporate espionage, all facilitated by the CEF who sought to create a stronger Utopian force. The result ended up with Kogland armigers and Steelgate N-KIDUs that often served the same role. Field testing of both design families showed that they operated best in conjunction with each other and soon the concept of armiger and N-KIDU teams was born. Initial focus was on the development of combat units and those are what would serve in the opening act of the CEF invasion of Terra Nova. Support units were in development but, due to limited timeframes, were not ready for the first wave of the invasion. Reinforcements from Utopia have included these new designs and foremost among them is the Engineering Armiger and N-KIDU. The Engineering Armiger is a simple armiger design that can repair and maintain forces in the field. The N-KIDU can do the same but is also outfitted to lay mines.
Posted on September 28, 2023
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2 min
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239 words
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DP9 Contributors
The Brahmin Project
The Brahmin Cobra project dates to 1916 but it was not until the 1930’s that workable designs were finalized. Originally designed as a heavy C3 gear, the Brahmin originally mounted a heavy snub cannon and significant communications gear. Prototyping was still in process during the Inter Polar War but the data provided allowed Territorial Arms to develop a more fearsome machine. The most direct results of this data were the splitting of the Brahmin C3 suite from the base weapons loadout. The Brahmin’s communications gear was adapted as an addon for existing Cobras. Issues around the back mounted rockets delayed its deployment but by the late 1940s the Brahmin upgrade was available in limited numbers. The original weapon loadout proved very popular in the field and requests came in for Brahmins that would go on to fill assault roles instead of command and control roles. Territorial Arms took the loadout and created the Pride-Killer Cobra, a direct challenge and insult to the CNCS and its seeming obsession with snub cannons.
Posted on September 21, 2023
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2 min
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279 words
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DP9 Contributors
The WFP is the poorest league in the northern hemisphere. Because of this, the Protectorate has needed to be economical with its purchases and acquisitions. This frugality has led to a number of highly rugged designs and Westerners hold as a point of pride the ingenuity needed to keep many of them in service far longer than then expected. One major area of cost is in main battle tanks. The WFP, like its northern neighbors uses the Norlight Aller tank and supplements with its own unique designs as needed. The cost of a full tank and the advanced weapons have always put a strain on the Protectorates limited resources. The WFP looked to Western Armories to produce a cheap tank/siege vehicle that could be used in place of Allers or in support of them. Western Armories started with the basic Aller hull and made an extensive set of changes which resulted in the Victor self-propelled gun. The Victor, named after Cristobal Victor, a historic clan head from the Cristobal clan, was the answer. The cost savings on forgoing the use of a turret and several other features makes this tank cheap while its reputation against much more advanced tanks makes it popular. Brok Enterprises has been somewhat quiet about the use of the chassis for this new design. The fact that Western Armories buys the chassis from Brok before modification has somewhat soothed any ruffled feathers.
