Gilamar Skirata
The most important step is always the next one
- Intent: To create an interesting piece of lore and tech for various Mandalorian factions
- Image Source: "Horizon: Zero Dawn - Thunderjaw" by Miguel Martinez, Other Art is owned by Guerrilla Games
- Canon Link: Basilisk War Droid
- Primary Source:
Catra'diamtr - Tbarsr-Class Besu'liik War Droid
- Basilisk War Droid
- Mandalorian Resource Wars
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
- Manufacturer: Mandalorian Empire, Te Veman, Mandokarla
- Affiliation: Closed Market
- Model: Orar-Class Bes'uliik
- Modularity: Very Limited
Production: Limited {Alors, extremely high ranking military}
- Material:
Beskar - Mandalorian Steel
- Micronized Beskar
- Durasteel
- Gabona Memory Crystal
- Transparisteel
- Droid parts
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification:: Bes'uliik War Droid
- Role: Assault Gunship-Walker Hybrid
- Size: Large
5 Meters Tall - 6 Meters Long
[*]Weight: Very Heavy
[*]Minimum Crew: 1
[*]Optimal Crew: 1
[*]Propulsion: Repulsorlift, Bipedal, Quadrupedal, and ion engine
[*]Speed: Fast
[*]Maneuverability: Very Low
[*]Armaments: Very High
- Shockwave Generator Rods
- Rapidfire Blaster Cannons
- Shatter Missile Launchers
- Pulse Wave Cannons
[*]Defenses: Very High
- Beskar Armor Plating
- Rider Shield
[*]Squadron Count: Very Low: 4
[*]Passenger Capacity: 1
[*]Cargo Capacity: Very Small
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Heuristic Processor
- Animal-Like Loyalty to Riders
- Complex Droid Brain
- Beskar'gam Uplink
- Magnetic Feet/Claws
- Advanced Sensor Arrrays
- Tank: Armored in beskar, the plates of the bes'uliik were incredibly difficult to penetrate, which made the bes'uliik difficult to harm in frontal assaults
- Weapons Platform: Like the smaller Mk. III and Mk. II Bes'uliik, the Orar-class was a massive weapons platform, capable of outputting massive amounts of heavy fire.
- Straight Line Speed: When in flight, the Orar-class had the ability to fly at great speeds, but only in straight lines.
- Exposed Underbelly: While difficult to get under without being crushed, being so low to the ground made Orar-class extremely vulnerable to mines when walking
- Ion Weapons/Anti-Droid Weapons: The droid, like most droids and starships, was extremely vulnerable to ion weapons. While the droid's memory core was protected from ion weapons, the critical weapons systems, propulsion, and navigation were all vulnerable.
- Turn Radius: While in flight and on the ground the Orar-class Bes'uliik had a large and slow turning radius which made it hard to dodge most attacks.
Designed by Mandalorian Bes'uliik riders, the Orar-class was one of the largest classes of bes'uliik utilized by the Mandalorians throughout the raiding years of the Gulag Plague. The beasts were largely handcrafted by beast-smiths, a role that had largely vanished after the Mandalorian Resource Wars, and were often the bes'uliik class of choice for long assaults and sieges due to their powerful weapon load outs and imposing appearance. The beasts were often the priced possession and lifetime partner of their riders, with some being passed down from generation to generation of alors and military commanders.
From a design standpoint, it differed from the standard Bes'uliik greatly. Larger, bulkier, and longer, the Orar-class substituted its wings for two large missile launchers, which limited its ability to fly. Without wings the jets and repulsors had to be micromanaged by the pilot which made it notoriously difficult and uncomfortable to ride. The saddle-cockpit hybrid sat right behind a large sensor array hub on the beast's back and was fed images from the various sensors, photoreceptors, and cameras throughout the droid's body. It was protected by a shielded transparisteel dome which could be collapsed if the rider wished to fire their own weapons from the saddle.
Unable to make turns at all without slowing to a near halt put a lot of stress on the pilot's body. The war droid also couldn't get too high in the air, limited to about the same height as a human wearing a repulsor pack or a jet pack. Instead of having to large front claws and a pile of sensor nodes, the Orar-class instead opted for two large hind legs that supported the weight of the beast through the use of a similar micronization technique that was used in Mandalorian crushguants. This was seen as large bundles of what looked like metalic muscle underneath the beskar plates. These areas were extremely vulnerable to direct heat and extreme cold, which made them difficult to use on extreme temperature worlds such as Krownest and Tattoine. Within its large torso, the beast also had two smaller arms that it could use to steady itself on all fours for extended missile barrages. Its sensor array was also instead of clustered like on a standard bes'uliik, was spread across its body, with the main sensor hub manifesting as four large, hair like antennae on its back. The tail was also filled with sensors and cameras.
The Orar-class's role in combat was also very different from the standard bes'uliik. While a standard Bes'uliik was a multi-role war machine and starfighter, the Orar-class was limited to in atmosphere flight and often had to be dropped from inside a planet's atmosphere due to their size and mass. Essentially planet locked, the Orar-class also had fewer weapons than the standard bes'uliik, however made up for it in output as the weapons equipped were much more powerful. With its size and weapons in mind, it was also not typically used in duels or jousts like other bes'uliiks. Mounted combat was nearly impossible with these great beasts, however they did typically have several magnetic weapon holders for riders and or a single passanger to store a variety of blasters and weapons. What was more common that flashy flying or inspiring mounted battles was to see one or two of these massive beasts charge through an enemy line while a passenger and the beast itself laid out wide arcs of blaster fire and destruction.
The Orar-class' design was rumored to be based off of the massive Catra'diamtr, a large reptilian predator native to the Mandalorian moon of Tra'shebs. As such they were seen as legendary beasts in their own right. Their number was reduced severely over the years of the Mandalorian Resource Wars and many were locked away in large clan vaults. Those that remained were often seen in the possesion of powerful Mandalorian warlords, alors of old clans, or important military generals and staff.
