Unreviewed X45a “Scorpio" Siege Terror

[FN-999 (restored)]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To make a superheavy vehicle for the Caragachi Commonwealth based on an iconic design.
• Image Source: Halopedia - Deutoros-pattern Fortress Breaker
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Halopedia - Deutoros-pattern Fortress Breaker

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Rim Dynamics
• Affiliation: Caragachi Commonwealth
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: X45a “Scorpio” Siege Terror
• Modularity: No
• Production: Semi-Unique
• Material: Composite armor plating (titanium, quadranium, desh), tisyium frame

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Walker
• Role: Superheavy Siege Engine
• Size: Extremely Large
  • Length: 42.6m
  • Width: 42.1m
  • Height: 32.4m
• Weight: Extremely Heavy
• Armaments: Extreme
  • 1x HAZ-26 “Axstar” Beam Projector (front-mounted)
  • 1x heavy laser cannon turret (top-mounted)
  • 2x medium laser cannon turrets (1 on right flank, 1 on left flank)
• Defenses: Extreme
  • Heavy composite armor plating
  • Basic particle shield generator
  • Rim Dynamics SuperSmoke Generator type B (back-mounted)
• Maneuverability Rating: Average
• Speed Rating: Very Low [Max speed: 30 km/h]
• Propulsion: Armored legs (4x)
• Minimum Crew: 1 [1 driver]
• Optimal Crew: 7 [1 driver, 1 rangefinder, 4 gunners, 1 radio operator]
• Passenger Capacity: 0
• Cargo Capacity: None

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Deployment Hatch: On top of the Scorpio near the front of its frame is a hatch which provides the primary entry and exit point for its crew. Though elevated far above ground level when a Scorpio is deployed, the hatch can be accessed by crew when the Scorpio is in an idle state, its legs bending down to plant its body firmly on the ground.

STRENGTHS

• Siege Breaker: Equipped with a devastating Arstax beam projector, X45a Scorpios can singlehandedly level entire fortresses.
• Indomitable: Scorpios can shrug off all but the toughest of ground-based firepower.
• Rock Climber: A sharp “toe” on each leg allows for a Scorpio to dig into and climb sheer cliff faces while magnetic clamps on their “feet” enable the walkers to climb up metal walls.
• Walking Terror: The sheer presence of a Scorpio on the battlefield can drive an enemy to panic.

WEAKNESSES

• Behemoth: A hulking colossus, the X45a Scorpio is visible for tens of miles in any direction and an unmistakable target for any nearby tank, artillery unit, aircraft, or warships.
• Blind Spots: In order to use its main weapon, the Axstar projector, a Scorpio must be directly facing its target. Consequently, any attackers on the Scorpio’s flanks can only be targeted with its far weaker laser cannons, and even they cannot fire on targets directly above, below, or behind the walker.
• Weak Points: Though extremely resilient, the Scorpio is not invincible. Their armor is weakest on their leg joints and around their beam projector (when firing), both of which will cripple the walker if destroyed.

DESCRIPTION​

A towering behemoth of a walker, the X45a Scorpio is one of the few Caragachi war machines to bear the title of Terror. Protected by nigh-invulnerable armor plating and equipped with a formidable Axstar beam projector, a single Scorpio can lay waste to entire armies. Yet for all its immense capabilities, the design history of the Scorpio is wrought in controversy.

For decades, the official army doctrine of the Caragachi Commonwealth has been one of maneuver warfare centered on mobile main battle tanks. Recognizing its inability to defeat most factions in attrition warfare, the Caragachi Army has traditionally shunned heavy, slow, and fuel-intensive walkers. On paper, the Scorpio is the antithesis to everything the Army seeks out of its vehicles.

However, its supporters have offered a compelling argument. According to them, there are certain heavily fortified worlds and locations that standard tank companies cannot penetrate, yet require greater precision than can be provided by an orbital bombardment. The Scorpio, with its Axstar beam projector, provides the perfect solution: a vehicle more heavily armed than anything else in the Caragachi Army that can fire beams precise enough to target specific weak points while minimizing collateral damage.