WYVERN ASSAULT HOVERCYCLE

Thomas MCCANN of Terra rebuilt an ASC-Era Hovercycle with dual Regult PBC¡¯s and used Dragon against the Invid as a resistance fighter. It is true that MCCANN focused his hatred against Human collabs; He in fact collected bounties and stole extensively, but such things were considered acceptable because they were collaborators after all- Freedom Fighters would have given him collab women to rape if he¡¯d wanted them. Or, if he¡¯d have preferred, collab men.
However, MCCANN never expressed such ¡®interests¡¯, and the reason became clear later on- After the Invid left Terra, MCCANN disappeared. He returned with the Invid, this time demanding even MORE money for his services, and the money was always paid in advance- Often with a pretty hefty tip. MCCANN was a good producer. (He once killed over 100 collabs with one bomb- By tricking the slugs into ¡°picking their own scabs.¡±)
When MCCANN disappeared, he took his hovercycle with him.
Try as they had, the REF was unable to replicate MCCANN¡¯S accomplishment; Some believe that MCCANN may have exaggerated his machine¡¯s capabilities or possibly that he did another set of modifications to make it work; Every REF experiment in the field resulted in either a machine that could not fly at it¡¯s proper height (MCCANN claimed he could fly at 100 feet, and there were witnesses that agreed, some of them collabs), could not fire the guns, or was way too slow for practical combat purposes.
Wyvern corrects the issues of the various ur-Dragons with some fairly novel concepts;
01. Reflex Engines: A slightly bigger version of the Cyclone¡¯s Protoculture-fueled Reflex Furnaces provide a lot more power than 1,¨ª¨ª¨ª©øcc Hydro-Cell Turbine. However, it still isn¡¯t enough to allow the Wyvern to fight and fly at the same time for extended periods of time.
02. WHEELS: The Wyvern typically uses wheels, rather than hoverjets, to reduce the total load on the engines, and thus reduce stress on them.
03. Light Weapons: Rather than the electricity-greedy Regult PBC¡¯s, heavy lasers cannons were installed. They are shorter range and slightly less power-to-target than PBC¡¯s, but are less power-hungry and therefore the only workable option.
04. Grav Pods: Grav Pods use about ¨÷ that used by the old hoverjets used on the Hovercycle. This also gives it much higher flight capabilities.
05. Optional Wings: Clip-on wings can be used to increase the flight capabilities by 25% greter flight time, but make it harder to turn (-15% pilot skill for combat maneuvering and loss of bonus to dodge and strike).
The Wyvern is quite similar to a commercial motorcycle and hovercycle, though it is a bit blockier and heavier-built. It is equipped with the same sensory equipment as a Cyclone and armed, but is otherwise the same in all respects.
Wyvern are typically inserted into combat using a larger delivery platform, such as a Landship, then run on the surface (using wheels) until reaching the battlefield itself, where they engage gravpods (saving the powerplant from spiking for too long).
The Wyvern has been field tested extensively, and entered full-fledged service with the REF Marine, usually with Heavy Cavalry and Dragoon units. The various RDF Armies have requested them as well, but not in nearly the numbers- A surprising twist, since RDF¡¯s would be better suited to support them and have greater use for them, since Marines traditionally train around light-unit action.
Class: Heavy Assault Hovercycle.
Crew: One. One or two passengers may ride beside the pilot on the outriggers but will have to be ejected if the Hovercycle engages in combat.
M.D.C. by Location:
Headlights (three; 1 on front, two on rear hubs)-
Tires (2; 2)-
Grav Pods (2)-
Rear Hover Thruster (1)-
Rear Rocket Thruster Pack (2)-		2 each

40 each
40
40
100

Windshield-
Main Body (3)-
Rear Wheel Hub-
GU-18, GU-19, or GU-21 gun pod-
N-4 Net Canister-

20
300
75 each
80
20

Notes:
01. Due to the protection of the hubs, the rear tire or hover thrusters are at an additional -5 from a called shot to hit. When the hubs are gone, they may be hit normally.
02. When Main Body M.D.C. is depleted, the unit shuts completely down.
03. Whenever any major flight, propusion, or other movent sytem is lost, that movement capability is lost with it; For example, if one of the tires is shreaded, the Wyvern can not move along the ground, and must be flown.

Speed and Statistical Data:
Speed:
Rolling: 150 mph max; Range: Technically unlimited.
Flying: 250 mph max with a maximum height of 200; Range: See Powerplant.
Turbo Boost: Allows Garland 5 or 6 to make jumps of up to 40 feet across or 20 feet high; or increases speed of Garland, 6, or 7 by 100 mph for up to two melees. Pilot must make roll for each melee at -30% (cumulative with other penalties).
Height: Motorcycle Mode: 5 feet.
Width: 2 feet 4 inches.
Length: 10 feet.
Weight: 3200 lb.
Cargo: Minimal storage space on hovercycle for rifle or pistol, a few clips, and some rations.
Power Plant: A single JhM-14 Reflex Furnace; Output: 221 MW; Lifespan: One year. However, the powerplant can only fly and fight for a few melees at the same time; It can do either or for up to an hour at a time.

Weapons Systems:
1. Twin Forward Heavy Lasers: Dragon used twin PBC¡¯s; These hogged electricity far faster than anything the REF could come up with. It¡¯s believed MCANN may have installed additional batteries and/or capacitors into Dragon somehow, in a way not easily detected by others- Even friendlies.
However, for Wyvern the REF installed less power-hungry lasers, with significantly shorter range- 200 feet is more than adequate for average infantry-scale engagement. The power-to-target is also reduced versus some vehicle mounted weaps, but still more than adequate for the mission.
Purpose: Assault.
MD: 1D4¡¿10 MD.
Rate of fire: Semi-automatic; equal to the pilot's combined hand-to-hand attacks.
Range: 200 ft.
Payload: 12 rounds per magazine. Magazine clips fit into the back of the gun; inserting a spare clip requires two melee actions (one to remove the old clip; the next to replace it).		2. Magnetic Tow Cables: The Garlands and Harguns were equipped with two magnetic tow cables, one in each shoulder. Each has a range of 200 feet, and may be fired forward or backward in Motorcycle mode. The cables are fired from the shoulders in motorcycle mode; from the rear wheel hubs in motorcycle mode. May be used as weapons, but do minimal damage. Cables may be broken by inflicting 5 M.D.C. to them, either by tearing them or by shooting them.
Purpose: Rescue, Recovery, and Capture.
Range: 200 feet.
Mega-Damage: 1D4 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Once per each arm, per melee.


Features
  • Radar: Combat grade radar. Range: 200 miles, can track up to 250 individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles).
  • FLIR/SLIR: Forward and Side Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.
  • ESM: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated.
  • AJP: Active Jamming Pod. Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
  • Full Range Sensory Suite: Infrared, ultra violet, Magnification, night sight, color filters, thermal imager. Range is about 2,000 miles for MOST sensors.
  • Motion Detector: Activates a loud wailing when an object is coming at the user fast, and a soft ringing if it¡¯s coming slowly. Activation ranges must be specified by the pilot.
  • Anti-Jamming System: Reduces Electronics Countermeasure by ¨ú (decrease skill level appropriately).
  • Electronic Counter Measures (ECM): These systems disrupt enemy radar and tracking systems, making it difficult for them to lock onto the ship with weapons. The countermeasures give the Mecha a +3 to dodge, +2 to strike and +1 on initiative in combat.
  • Grav Clamps: The same grav pods that allow the Wyvern to fly also allows it to attach to the hulls of warships and the exteriors of SOME buildings.
  • MRA 6 Radios: Allows real time, continuous radio link up with friendly forces in the area via satellite relay over laser radio signals, preventing jamming, and automatically encrypts/decrypts same to prevent eavesdropping.
  • Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 10 mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies).

Combat Bonuses From Wyvern Combat Elite:
  • 2 hand-to-hand attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
  • One additional hand-to-hand attack at level five and ten.
  • +1 to initiative.
  • +5 to parry and strike.
  • +4 leap dodge.
  • +5 to dodge.
  • +3 roll with punch.
  • One additional hand-to-hand attack at level five and ten.

    • Special thanks to Dave DEITRICH (deitrich@mcs.net).