So, let's look at our options.
Tech
[ ] Heavy Ordinance Fabricator (2 pts)
Fabrication system capable of building most conventional military ordinance
Matter 4 construction of complex machinery up to roughly Tomahawk ALCM size
Useful when you really need several tons of fuel-air explosives
Well, the utility of this depends on how many firefights we are going to get into. Also, fuel air explosives would make an excellent present to leave behind at the extraction point.
[ ] Iteration X Cyberdog (1 pt)
Progenitor Smart Animal enhanced with Iteration X cybernetics
Cybernetic enhancements provide protection against most small arms (+4B/4L soak), enhanced strength, speed, agility
Much Armaments (Sharpened primium-edged teeth, ocular laser projectors)
Very Primium (+2 CM)
Wow (Time 3 wired reflexes)
Eh, not really feeling wowed. Maybe if we also had some Cyber Space Wolves to pair them off with.
[ ] Drone Swarms (2 pts/swarm)
Iteration X hivemind attack drones
Remote controllable by any DEI/ADEI equipped Iterator
Standard light infantry weapons make for effective distractions
Individual drones can self-destruct to destroy heavier targets (combat constructs, vehicles)
Internal nanotech allows for self-replication to original numbers with sufficient feedstock
Vulnerable to being hacked by Autopolitans. Pass.
[ ] Combat Synthetics (1 pt for 2, 2 pts for five-robot fireteam)
Post-Reckoning HITMark Replacement
Optimized for lower intensity warfare and security
~25% Stronger, faster than normal humans, resistant to small arms
Intelligence roughly equivalent to V1-Series Victor Units
We already have White Tower units, which are probably just as good if not better in combat and significantly less stupid.
[ ] Iteration X HITMark V (1 point each)
Standard Iteration X synthetic combatant
Standard armaments: IX-22 chaingun, primium edge close-in weapons systems
Superhuman strength and speed, survivable against HMG fire
Primium endoskeleton provides +2 countermagic
[ ] Compact Combat Drone (CCD) (1 point each)
HITMark V equivalent combat drone
No synthflesh disguise
Folds into suitcase-sized storage mode
IX-22 replaced with compact 40mm micromissile launcher due to space limitations. Reduced magazine size, increased power
Can be thrown by enhanciles or soldiers in heavy powered armor to act as reconaissance and decoy
[ ] MFR-12 Kappa Unmanned Combat Aerospace Vehicle (3 points each)
Advanced unmanned superfighter
Remote piloting or AI control
Dedicated AI has hyperaccelerated cognition (Time 3 Accelerate Time) and predictive tactical programming (Time 2/Entropy 1 precognition)
Armament is 8 microfusion missiles, twin 30mm revolver cannon, and high-power free-electron laser.
May be docked externally
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[ ] Iteration X HITMark VI (8 pts)
HITMark VI Strategic Combat Platform
Use With Caution
Designed for Theological Suppression Duties, majority assigned to Ragnarok Command
Standard Weapons include LONGINUS Close-In Weapons System and DEVASTRA Anti-Warship Plasma Lance
Strength-Weight Ratio Exceeds 150:1
Operation Expenses Extreme
Pros: Cyborg ninja, much firepower
Cons: Battleships are cheaper, putting all your eggs in one basket
[ ] Life Support Modifications (1 pt)
Modification to QUEST design to allow for carrying more than 1 crewmember
May require hypermathematical space-saving techniques (Correspondence 4)
Without additional help, can support ~20 additional crew members in relative discomfort, 10 normally, or 5 in comfort
Removes conventional missile launch systems and halves HVM fabrication capability
Custom modification turns QUEST into a fast VIP transport instead of a dedicated fast attack vessel
[ ] External Crew Module (1 pt)
Self-contained crew module for the QUEST design
Reduces QUEST maneuverability when not jettisoned
Light armor provides only protection against light vehicle weapons and near-misses from naval weaponry
Supports up to 20 crew members
Both of these compromise the QUEST's performance or crew safety. On the other hand, they are absolutely vital unless we get another ship.
Armor
[ ] Light Powered Hardsuits (1 pt for 5)
Alanson-derivative Sleeper usable hardsuit, environmentally sealed
MCFC power source, myomer musculature, titanium/ceramic composite armor
+2 Strength, +6B/6L soak, 6 armor HLs, improved movement and agility (+2 Athletics)
Basic nightvision and infrared imaging capabilities
No hypertech weapons, use various Sleeper medium arms
These look fairly okay and pretty cheap. Might want to augment with some better units as well though.
[ ] Project NOBLE NOVEMBER Suits (2 pts for 1, 3 pts for 2)
5th generation powered combat armor
+5 [3] Strength, +2 Dexterity
Piezoelectric Impact Armor provides +6B/6L soak and 6 armor HLs by default
Lensing Field System provides multispectral stealth against most sensors systems (Forces 3, Mind 2) when active
Overcharge Feature allows for temporary boosting of strength and mobility (Forces 2), armor (Forces 2/Matter 2), or reaction speed (Time 3) at Prime Energy cost
1 PE/round per feature, 30 PE battery
Multispectral Visor w/weakspot detection (Corr 1, Forces 1, Matter 1, Life 1)
Primium skeletal structure provides +2 Countermagic
Integral Nanorepair System (Matter 4, Life 4) regenerates 1 user HL or 1 armor HL per round
Allows for resurrection of deceased user as long as suit integrity and user remains are largely intact (Life 4, Mind 5)
Integrated Combat AI provides integral support to wetware component
Cognitive Optimization (Mind 3)
Combat Optimization (Mind 1/Entropy 1)
Emotion Dampening (Mind 1)
Electronic Warfare (Forces 2/Correspondence 2)
Tactical Precognition (Entropy 1/Time 2)
Operator Emergency Mindstate Backup (Mind 5)
Nanosuit. Do want.
[ ] Minotaur Slave Unit (3 pts each, 4pts with primium layering)
In-between powered armor and an assault walker, ~3.5m tall
Normally uses Master-Slave motion capture to function, although pilots with multitasking capability (i.e. Mind 1) may use both sets of arms independently
Unit has Strength 12 [6] in slaved arms, pilot Strength +3 in master arms
Forces 1, Correspondence 1 sensors system
Entropy 1, Time 2 combat computer
Heavy Composite Armor provides 16B/16L soak, 24 vehicle HLs
Optional Primium Armoring adds +2B/2L soak, +3 Countermagic
Reactive Armor Applique provides additional +6B/6L soak until depleted
Can be detonated by any attack that deals more than 7 HLs of pre-soak damage
Comes with vehicle-scale weapons
Back-mounted ATGM pods
30mm "assault rifle" firing APDS ammunition
Antigravitic Flight Unit allows for limited flight
Matter 3 Limited Self-Repair (nearest 50% of HLs)
More dakka, more armour, self repair, many arms. On the other hand, kind of big, so it might be hard to fit onto the ship. Also, probably anti-subtle.
[ ] Basic Spacesuits (-1 pts, replaces advanced spacesuits)
Conventional Spacesuits
+5B/4L soak with -4 mobility penalty, 4 armor HLs
-2 Dexterity penalty for fine manipulation
Nope lol I don't want the extraction team to die because they fell down and couldn't get up again.
[ ] Augmented Infantry Heavy Weapons (1 pt for sufficient numbers)
Man-portable autocannons, railguns, 20mm HV sniper rifles, other heavy ordinance
Usable by heavily enhanced individuals only
Kessler and Elsa are cyborgs. Railguns are good. And I'm assuming that power armoured individuals should also be able to handle the weapons as well.
[ ] Enhanced Weapons Systems (2 pts)
CAD/CAM Construction greatly improves capabilities of base Union weapons (Correspondence 4, Matter 4)
Sizable arsenal sufficient to arm entire team
Examples: machine gun firing 20x108mm rounds, MJOLNIR-series sidearms, THOMAS-series SMGs, Rocket Propelled Grenades with firepower of vehicle-mounted ATGMs
Not particularly resistant to disablement
That "not particularly resistant to disablement" comment makes me wary.
[ ] Technocracy Conventional Armaments (free)
Advanced firearms, roughly 1-2 generations beyond conventional
Caseless, high-velocity weapons with lightweight materials and high-end ammunition
M1941 Pulse Rifles, IX-27 high-velocity assault rifles, fire-and-forget smart missiles, smart 40mm grenades with gyrojet maneuvering thrusters and laser guidance, etc.
[ ] Basic Firearms (-1 pts, replaces Technocracy conventional armaments)
Basic Sleeper Weapons
Can be Tacticooled (not that it helps)
May require extensive use of rocket launchers to deal with relatively minor threats
Dual-wielding SAWs in the Umbra is, however, very stylish
Well...
Augmentations seem like they'd be permanent, which might be helpful. On the other hand, we already have at least two cyborgs on the team, I'm not cyborg zombies are worth it, some of the Expendables may also be augmented already, and as for Harlan...
