Unreviewed Republic Vanguard Armor Regiment

[Dacian Quee-Paddox]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To provide a standardized armor unit for the High Republic
• Image Credit: Original artwork by Abram Hadnot which has now been removed from ArtStation, edited with Grok
• Role: The soldiers of the act like the traditional Imperial Army Armor Regiment, comprised mainly of an repulsorlift tanks and a small number of support vehicles
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: The High Republic

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Republic Vanguard Armor Regiment
• Affiliation: The High Republic (sponsored by Lucerne Labs, Lucerne Personal Defense, and Lucerne Biological Systems - Unit bought from company, and decided to sponsor them afterwards)
• Classification: Armor Regiment
• Description: Tanks are commonplace in many armies, and the army of the High Republic is no exception to that general rule. Several worlds banded together to form the Vanguard Armor Project to update and standardize a number of planetary defense force armor regiments. The resulting project has blended the adaptive firepower of fast, modular tanks along with the dashing bravado of some the High Republic's more driven officers. This highly mobile force is capable of covering hundreds of kilometers in mere minutes, and can theoretically bring a wide variety of exotic, powerful weapons on the battlefield, from relatively sundry concussion missiles and turbolasers to exotic particle beam and sonic cannons. Coupled with a grueling training regimen known as the "Crucible" which is known for stretching soldiers to their limits, Vanguard Armor Regiments live up to their name, often spearheading assaults and fighting fierce, mobile rearguard actions when called upon. While derided by some of their detractors as glory hounds, few doubt that the Vanguard Armor Regiments bring a deadly combination of speed and firepower to the High Republic's armies.

COMBAT INFORMATION:

• Unit Size: Large
• Unit Availability: Common
• Unit Experience: Trained
• Equipment:
  • 80 Charhound-class Close Support Tanks
  • 210 Howlrunner II-class Repulsor Tanks
  • 120 Veermok-class Heavy Repulsor Tanks
  • 12 Terbeast-class Command Speeders
  • 20 Thrinx-class Utility Speeders
  • All troops: Fenwolf-series Reinforced Uniform with mechanical interface visor and Ysalamir Mental Resistance Collar, 1 LPD-33 Dartfire Variable Charge Blaster Pistol, 1 LPD-34 Cracken Combat Knife
• Combat Function: RVARs serve as fast-moving armor units within the High Republic's armies. With good speed and mobility from repulsorlift-based vehicles, RVARs have a tendency to operate independently of most other units, often at the very front of offensive maneuvers. This role has drawn many more glory-driven officers to it compared to other units, which has formed a self-reinforcing loop of RVAR soldiers moving into a tip of the spear position, in part because of the unit's role, and in part because of the personalities that make up its cadre. At a strategic level, this often shows in the unit being one of the very first to engage the enemy force. At more operational and immediate tactical levels, this hotheadnesses is cooled somewhat by the more level-headed frontline soldiers who have to actually suffer the consequences of these frequently aggressive decisions. Vanguard Armor tactics vary tremendously, in part because many officers are looking to make a name for themselves by innovation, and in part because the tanks themselves are highly modular and are typically outfitted to face specific foes or better operate in certain conditions. Typically, Charhound-class Close Support Tanks act as screening and reconnaissance elements for a main force of slightly slower Howlrunner IIs, who do most of the actual fighting. Depending on how they are outfitted, Veermoks often act as long-range firepower to support the rest of the formation or as the heavy, brawling force that breaks though enemy formations and strongpoints. A small number of command and logistical staff typically follow behind in much more lightly armed and armored vehicles, providing logistical support and planning abilities. RVARs tend to focus on using the terrain to advantage in their maneuvers, using it conceal their movements whenever possible and spending minimum time in the open thanks to the high speed of their vehicles. Consequently, RVARs like to appear and strike suddenly with great decisive force before leaving as quickly as they came. If forced into a static defensive engagement, Veermoks typically form the front battle lines to fix enemies in place, while Howlrunners and Charhounds form a mobile defense, moving quickly to shore up weaker points in the lines or surging into gaps of enemy formations to turn it into a counteroffensive.
• Force Abilities (Force User Units Only): N/A

Strengths:

• Adaptive Force: The tanks used by RVARs were in part chosen for their good firepower, but also because they are highly modular in their armaments. This allows RVARs to very easily adapt to different situations or opponents - a facet of their organization that both military high command and the budgetary analysts appreciate.
• Cyber Augmented: Seeking to get a series of marginal, minor edge gains over their opponents, RVARs have adopted a number of minor cybernetic devices. This includes mechanical interface visors to shorten reaction times for vehicle crewmen as well as mental resistance collars, allowing them to offset telepathic attacks by some alien species and force users.
• Iron Will: RVAR crewmen are put through grueling training regimens known as "crucible training" designed to push their physical and mental limits through intense conditioning, long distance driving, and realistic, worse-case combat scenarios. This conditioning makes RVAR soldiers surprisingly tough and resilient in combat situations where other units may have faltered in skill or spirit.
• Mechanics: As part of their induction in the unit, RVAR soldiers undergo extensive training in maintaining and repairing their vehicles. Due to the modular nature of many of their weapon systems on most of the vehicles, the crews themselves are usually capable of swapping out the weapons with some limited support from actual dedicated mechanics and field workshops. It is not uncommon for crews to jury-rig repairs in the middle of a battle to keep their vehicles at least somewhat functional in fight, even after they suffer terrible damage.

Weaknesses:

• Physically Weak (Soldiers): VRAR soldiers focus extensively on operating and maintaining their vehicles, and they are thus are usually only marginally more physically fit than the average galactic citizen despite their initial crucible training sessions.
• Overly Sanguine: While their "crucible" experiences have made the RVAR soldiers mentally tough, RVAR soldiers are sometimes overly confident and optimistic in their abilities, leading to some situations where they very clearly should have cut their losses in a fight, but instead continue to fight on.
• Easily Detected: Repulsorlift vehicles are usually fairly easy to detect from a distance due to their characteristic engine whines and energy signatures, meaning that in most instances, their opponents will know that they are coming before they can be seen.
• Weak Weapons (Personal): There is only limited space within the confines of a vehicle, meaning that the crewmen only carry pistols and knives as self-defense weapons, which are relatively weak and short-ranged weapons compared to those used by most battlefield combatants.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Tanks have been a common sight in warfare for thousands of years, though their form and abilities have evolved as technology itself has changed. Seeking to update their vehicles to changes in the galaxy, a number of worlds within the High Republic banded together to study current trends and update their armor forces in the Vanguard Armor Project (VAP). Seeking to embrace modularity whenever possible do to budgetary constraints and to provide tactical flexibility, VAP recommended adopting a number of Lucerne Labs designs which met their criteria, including the Veermok-class Heavy Repulsor Tank which was specifically designed to meet these criteria. The resulting organizational force theoretically was very fast and adaptable with good firepower. But equipment was only half the story. Once the base vehicles were chosen, VAP focused on designing training programs which would maximize a crewman's abilities with these vehicles. More sanguine individuals within VAP took the lead in designing these programs, which were designed to mentally and physically toughen crewmen beyond the limits of most training programs with the hope that they could produce more elite soldiers. The resulting units have become known as Republic Vanguard Armor Regiments, with the confident and optimistic soldiers living up to their name by frequently forming the offensive spearhead in many battles. While their experience has been limited so far, the units' officers and men believe they can help turn the tide of many battles to come.