Koenrad Neistov
König der Gewürze
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To supply the Galaxy with superior artillery, at a fair price.
- Image Source: Nick Foreman - No Fly Zone
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Vorderseite Manufacturing
- Model: E-t.K. I (Elektrothermisch Kanone I)
- Affiliation: Vorderseite Manufacturing, Closed Market
- Modularity: No
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Depleted-Uranium and Titanium Carbide Plating, Durasteel Machinery
- Classification: Artillery
- Role: Heavy Artillery / Bunker Buster
- Size: Very Large, 34.5 metres long; 14.5 metres tall
- Weight: Very Heavy, 52 Tonnes, approx. 52,000 kgs
- Minimum Crew: 3
- Optimal Crew: 5
- Propulsion: Quadrupedal, Underbelly Continual Track
- Speed: Slow, Maximum 35 kmph
- Maneuverability: Very Low
- Armament: High
Mass-Driver Cannon:
An Electrothermal Plasma-propelled projectile cannon. Fires 50 cm shells, with explosive, armour piercing, and anti-infantry shrapnel variants. Made from Durasteel. The Armour-Piercing Shells are coated with depleted-uranium, and the High-Exlosive shells are tungsten coated. Shrapnel shells are steel.
Top-Mounted Heavy Blaster-Cannon:
A solar cell-battery powered Heavy Blaster-Cannon, capable of dealing with infantry from all angles, but not powerful enough to punch through armour or vehicle shields.
- Defenses: High
Titanium Carbide Alloy Plating:
Extraordinarily strong and remarkably light, Titanium Carbide plating comprises the majority of the armour plating on the E-t.K. I. Resistances to corrosion and heat damage, as well as longevity make this the optimal armour choice.
Depleted Uranium Inner Plating:
Much heavier and denser than the outer Titanium Carbide plating, this Uranium shell contains the Cabin where the operators reside. It also lines the shell storage, but is used sparingly.
Ion Surge Shield:
The ISS is resistant to Ion Disruption, and functions as a foil, preventing them from rendering the entire gun useless. It is located within the Operator’s Cabin, and has a secondary backup generator. A large enough barrage of Ion Disruptions or a sizeable EMP could theoretically down the shield.
- Squadron Count: None
- Passenger Capacity: 0
- Cargo Capacity: Large
- Because the cannon is Electrothermal in design, the shells are fired with pure electrical energy. They require no chemical reaction or fuel cell, and pack the punch of a physical slug, capable of passing through Ray Shielding unhindered. Unfortunately, EMPs can almost entirely disable the gun, and the Ion Surge Shields present onboard are just as susceptible.
- The batteries upon which the gun are dependant are solar powered and stored above the shell compartment, just behind the barrel.
- While Quadrupedal in design - and while it uses its legs to stabilise while firing - the E-t.K. 1 has an Underbelly Continual Track, upon which it can rest. Drawing its legs off the ground and resting upon this track, the gun can move at speeds of up to 35 kmph. These treads can be prone to breakage, and are susceptible to anti tank mines, much more so than the noticeably slower legs.
Strengths:
- Energy Scaling - Because the gun uses direct energy input, the round can be “dialled” to any velocity desired - based on the energy reserves - allowing the projectile to reach speeds at which it would “outrun” the burn rate of conventional mass projectiles. The rounds can usually max out at 2.5-3 km/s.
- Self-Sustaining - Designed to be stationed on front lines and left in position for extended periods of time, ammunition notwithstanding, the gun is entirely self sufficient. The top mounted Heavy Blaster-Cannon and main firing batteries are both solar powered, as is the ISS.
- Heavily Armoured - The E-t.K. I was designed with defensive offence in mind, to be placed near enough the enemy to bruise but also heavy enough to withstand a bruising of its own.
Weaknesses:
- Unshielded - The gun is not protected against blaster fire by any sort of shield, opting for the physical protection of its nonconductive titanium plating.
- Electrically Based - While the batteries are self-sufficient, an EMP or Ion Blast could theoretically put the E-t.K. I out of service for a substantial amount of time. One of the five preferred or three essential operators for this machine would be an electrical engineer, simply for the upkeep required.
- Slow - While certainly not immobile, the E-t.K. I is no speed demon, and moving from encampment to encampment will drain her battery just as efficiently, if not more so, than a full day of firing. She is designed to sit and barrage, not to be an oversized tank.
Description:
Huge and menacing, the E-t.K. I is a single purpose weapon - that purpose being to shell the enemy from afar. In this regard it excels, capable of bringing ships and buildings down, or breaking the enemy lines and reducing them to pockmarked land and crumbling rubble. With the addition of limited movement, the E-t.K. is no immobilised behemoth, and can move - albeit marginally - to meet the enemy of whoever commands it. Capable of dealing heavy damage from a distance and of keeping itself lightly defended from up-close, it is not armed to the teeth, but it is armoured that way. Heavily plated and with special precaution for the crew and cargo, the E-t.K. can take several of it’s own armour-piercing or high-explosive rounds before succumbing to the devastation it wreaks on others. All of this being said, it falls prey to two major weaknesses, that being its vulnerability to ambush due to its slow movement - especially when its treads are broken - and the chink in its metaphorical armour: EMPs and Ion Cannons. These weapons, although precautioned against, are the major counterstrategies to the E-t.K. I. It also requires a trained team of operators, but beyond that is an artillery that is optimised for use almost everywhere.
