Developed in YE 41 by Nepleslian Arms and Munitions to equip the new NAM Terratech High Mobility Assault Armorsuit – “Slayer”, the WIND Equipment Packs are a trio of external equipment sets that increase the capabilities of the Slayer. Each WIND pack has a different focus and role: The Scirocco improves the Slayer's speed and space combat performance; the Mistral improves the Slayer's close combat performance; and the Ostro gives the Slayer mid range direct-fire support capability.

Each WIND Pack is incapable of independent operation, and must be manually fitted to the Slayer's back hardpoints. Fortunately, the WIND Packs are relatively easy to work with, and this attachment can be performed in the field with basic tools.

Every WIND Pack, no matter their function, includes a shield on its right side. When connected to the Slayer, this shield hangs over the right arm on a movable mount of its own. This mount is a pair of two metal rods, one longer than the other and connected by a rugged joint; the long end is connected by another joint to the backpack and the short to the shield. The flexible mount allows the shield to be positioned in a 180 degree arc that covers the right side of the armorsuit.

The shield is constructed of a boron-cermaic internal frame, atop which is layered nerimium and leptonium to provide good protection about physical and energy attacks. In addition to protecting the armorsuit from attacks, the shield acts as additional storage for ammunition, with ammunition storage slots on the underside of the shield for magazines and battery packs.

The shield is roughly an 8 sided polygon that grows thicker in the middle running down its spine; the upper quarter is wider and made up of five sides forming a rough near hexagon, while the remaining three quarters are made up of a long three sided shape that connects to the upper portion of the shield where the bottom side of the hexagon would be. The top portion of the shield features three spikes made of nerimium to both ward off melee strikes and to be used as a makeshift weapon if necessary.

If any one WIND Pack is considered the standard for the Slayer, it would be the Sirocco. Also the lightest armed of the packs, the Sirocco adds in a balanced armament while increasing the mobility of the Slayer.

The primary additional feature of the Scirocco is a combination of aerodynamic airfoils with a Dual-Stage Hyperspace Tap Drive, and a number of missiles.

The Scirocco pack, when attached to the Slayer, takes the form of a relatively small backpack attached to the armorsuit's upper back. The majority of the mass of the Scirocco pack comes in its relatively long airfoils, each a slightly backwards swept wing that ends with relatively good sized, vertical winglets. The trailing edge of each wing has numerous control surfaces, while the point where the winglets intersect the wing feature a pair of thrusters, one facing forward and a larger facing back to provide additional directional control ability in zero-G. Each wing has a pylon near the root but clear of the armor's arms, each with two missiles- they also feature the cells of the Extended Rack system integrated into the leading edge of each wing.

• Best mobility and speed out of the WIND Packs
• Best flexibility.

• Inferior firepower compared to the other WIND Packs
• Limited Missile Load

The Scirocco adds in a pair of airfoils that extend to the left and right sides of the Slayer, along with an additional NAM Dual-stage Hyperspace Tap Drive. The airfoils improve the Slayer's aerodynamics and aerial performance. The DHTD added by the Scirocco is the main addition to the armorsuit's mobility. The DHTD has two thrusters, both facing directly back. Each thruster is on a moveable mount that allows the thrust produced to be vectored in three dimensions.

• Flight
  • Atmospheric speed increase (for earth-like worlds): +1482 kph (921 mph), Mach 1.2 at sea level
  • Maximum space speed: + 0.010c

The Scirocco pack greatly increases the width and mass of the Slayer, while not greatly increasing its front to back length.

The Scirocco pack mounts a number of additional missile systems to improve the high speed dogfight capabilities of the Slayer. This leaves the Slayer reliant on the weapons it carries, as the missile systems are generally limited.

• (4) NAM 'Fang' Multipurpose Guided Missile MGM-01a, each mounted to a two-missile pylon under each airfoil.
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor, Anti-Vehicle
  • Secondary Purpose: Anti-Shield
  • Damage: Varies depending on Warhead
  • Range: 25km in atmosphere, 100,000m(controlled) in space

(1) extended_rack_system: The Scirocco incorporates an Extended Rack system, with three cells integrated into the front of each airfoil for a total of six. Each cell can carry 6 Darts, or 9 TRACERS, or 4 ARROWS, or 3 BOLTS.

• DART Minimissile
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Shields, Anti-Sensors
  • Secondary Purpose: Disabling small-grade electronics
  • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnel; Tier 5, Medium Anti-Armor to armor-class shields
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second.
• NAM TRACER Minimissiles
  • Primary Purpose: Missile Beacon
  • Secondary: Countermeasure, Distraction
  • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnell
  • Range: 10km
  • Rate of Fire: Variable
• ARROW Minimissile
  • Location: Torso
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Damage: Tier 4, Light Anti-Armor
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second
• BOLT Minimissile
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Damage: Tier 6 Heavy Anti-Armor
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second

While the Sirocco is lightly armed and increases the speed of the Slayer, the Mistral pack is different. It incorporates additional engines, yes, but the primary purpose of the Mistral is to improve the close combat capabilities of the Slayer. The Mistral adds a 30mm chaingun and missile pod to the Slayer's shoulders, while increasing its ground speed and agility; the key is the six shield drones it carries.

The Mistral is a chunky, long backpack that attaches to the Slayer's upper back. It has a single thruster for its engine, and rather than expand out into wings or additional structures, the top of the pack is split into two pods that protrude over the shoulder without blocking line of sight for the pilot. The left pod contains missile cells, while the right mounts a three barreled chaingun.

The sides of the Mistral Pack are studded with six circular indentations, one per side, which are docking points for its shield drones.

• Best close range firepower.
• Flexible defensive capabilities from the Shield Drones.
• Improved ground performance

• Inferior aerial and space mobility compared to the Scirocco
• Inferior long and direct fire armament to the Ostro
• Reliant on ammo.

The Mistral Pack adds in an additional NAM Dual-stage Hyperspace Tap Drive to the Slayer, this one oriented towards increasing its mobility on the ground. The DHTD has a single thruster pointing downward from the bottom of the backpack that makes up the Mistral Pack. When in use, these thrusters increase the hovering speed of the Slayer, and allow it to make longer jumps.

• Ground Speed
  • Hovering Speed Increase: 70 kilometers per hour

The Mistral pack increases the mass of the Slayer mostly, while also increasing its length.

The Mistral pack carries 6 Vila Shield and Sensor Drones. These drones are used to provide additional sensor information, as well as generate barrier shields to protect the Slayer.

The Mistral pack adds a ground focused armament to the Slayer, complimenting the armorsuit's fixed arms with a chaingun and an additional minimissile pod.

• (1) 12.7mm Medium Chain Gun, mounted on a turret over the right shoulder with a 120 degree field of fire.
  • Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Secondary Purpose: Anti-swarm
  • Damage: Varies, depending on ammuniton
  • Range: 2 KM in Atmosphere, Nearly Unlimited in Space
  • Rate of Fire: 750 rpm
  • Payload: 800 round drum

(1) rapid_launcher_system: The Mistral pack adds a third Rapid Launcher System to the Slayer, this one in a pod that fits over the left shoulder with four cells. Each cell can carry 6 Darts, or 9 TRACERS, or 4 ARROWS, or 3 BOLTS.

The VOID integrates a pair of Rapid Launcher Systems, one on each calf. Each Launcher has four cells, for a total of 8.

• DART Minimissile
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Shields, Anti-Sensors
  • Secondary Purpose: Disabling small-grade electronics
  • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnel; Tier 5, Medium Anti-Armor to armor-class shields
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second.
• NAM TRACER Minimissiles
  • Primary Purpose: Missile Beacon
  • Secondary: Countermeasure, Distraction
  • Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnell
  • Range: 10km
  • Rate of Fire: Variable
• ARROW Minimissile
  • Location: Torso
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Damage: Tier 4, Light Anti-Armor
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second
• BOLT Minimissile
  • Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Damage: Tier 6 Heavy Anti-Armor
  • Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
  • Rate of Fire: 24 per second

The Ostro is the third and final WIND Pack- like the Sirocco and the Mistral, it has its own focus. Where the Sirocco is more for general purpose, and the Mistral intended for close combat, the Ostro is intended for long range combat. The Ostro simply adds heavy firepower to the Slayer: two plasma cannons, and two mass drivers.

The Ostro Pack is composed of a backpack that attaches to the Slayer's upperback. This pack is mostly composed of ammo stores and additional support equipment for the weapons- said weapons swing up and over the Slayer's shoulders for the dual Terriers, and down and under the arms for the dual VSPRs.

• Best medium ranged firepower out of all the Packs
• Energy weapon armament

• Worst mobility out of all the Packs
• No added missile armament

The Ostro pack is the heaviest of all of the WIND Packs.

The Ostro adds four weapons to the Slayer, each intended for relatively long to mid range fire support and target destruction: Two small mass drivers over the shoulders, and 2 variable speed plasma cannons underneath each arm.

• (2) NAM "Terrier" Light Mass Driver LMD-01a, each mounted on a shoulder turret with a 120 degree field of fire.
  • Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Secondary Purpose: Sniping
  • Damage: Varies, depending on ammunition
  • Range: 3,000 meters in atmosphere, 5,000 meters in space.
  • Rate of Fire: 30 Rounds per Minute
  • Payload: 20 rounds in a helical magazine
• (2) NAM Variable Speed Plasma Rifle VSPR-01a, each on a movable mount that brings it up under the left and right arm.
  • Purpose: Anti-Armor
  • Secondary Purpose: Anti-Vehicle
  • Damage(Lance): Tier 5, Medium Anti-Armor
  • Damage(Burst): Tier 8, Medium Anti-Mecha
  • Range(Lance): 3km in Atmosphere, 2500km in Space
  • Range(Burst): 1.5km in atmosphere, 100km in space
  • Rate of Fire: 60 lances per minute or 6 bursts per minute
  • Payload: Unlimited

Firebrand created this article on 2019/09/20 07:24.

Approved by Charmaylarg here on 11/11/2019