Ironmonger Forges “Warhawk” Space Combat Exoskeleton:

Located on the fringe world of Thyssen, Ironmonger Forges specializes mostly on various power armor designs. The company itself has something of an infamous reputation. Their designs are of reasonably decent quality but the company appears to be willing to sell their designs to anyone who is interested. It appears as if their only criteria is if the client can afford their designs. In that, they are very different than Naruni Industries. Still, Ironmonger Forges designs are extremely popular with dealers all around the Three Galaxies including a major market on Center.

While the Warhawk is not based on the Silverhawk, the name appears designed to invoke the advanced Consortium exoskeleton. Instead the Ironmonger Forges design appears to have more in common with the Mercenary design known as the “Warhammer.” In fact, the design share quite a number of components with the “Super Warhammer” which the company produces.

With regard to performance, the “Warhawk” can be considered an effective space armor but most consider it markedly inferior to the Silverhawk. The advanced systems, such as the force field disruptor and stealth systems, which the Silverhawk is known for are not available on the “Warhawk.” Still, the Ironmonger Forges design is quite popular due to its price.

The concept behind the “Warhawk” appears to have been to reduce the mass of the armor in order to increase space performance. There are other power armors such as the “Tomahawk” which were similarly based on the Warhammer but were modified to increase performance mainly through the reduction of mass. The “Warhawk” however takes the mass reduction to a greater level.

In order to reduce the mass of the “Warhawk,” both weaponry and armor had to be reduced. Even so, the space acceleration of the “Warhawk” is still twenty percent less than the Silverhawk. It does however have forty percent better performance than the Warhammer and twenty-five percent greater performance than the “Super Warhammer” manufactured by Ironmonger Forges. Unlike the Warhammer or even the “Super Warhammer,” the “Warhawk” at least has equal acceleration to most larger starships. Atmospheric performance is also increased slightly on the “Warhawk” with a maximum speed of mach 1.4.

The same contra-grav flight system as is mounted on the “Super Warhammer” is retained on the “Warhawk” along with the fusion plant from the same armor. This gives the “Warhawk” eight years between needing to be refueled compared to only about five years on the original Warhammer armor. As the chassis are extremely similar, the reactor can be easily changed out if it requires maintenance or needs to be refueled.

With regards to armor, more advanced composites and alloys are use on Ironmonger design than was used in the original Warhammer allows the “Warhawk” to have greater armor than might otherwise be possible. Even so, the armor is considerably reduce compared to original mercenary design. A number of operators add Naruni force fields for additional protection although limited to the non-robot models.

The “Super Warhammer” mounts a total of fifty-two mini-missiles. In comparison, the “Warhawk” only carries a total of twenty-four mini-missiles. It retains a pair of shoulder mounted mini-missile launchers but reduced from twelve mini-missiles each to eight each. In addition, the “Warhawk” has a pair of stub wings which each has the ability to carry four mini-missiles. With regards to mini-missiles, the “Warhawk” does carry fifty percent more mini-missiles than the Silverhawk.

Finally, the “Triple Fire” rifle is retained on the Warhawk. The rifle combines a 10 cm electromagnetic rail gun, an extended range 5 cm pulse support laser rifle, and an electromagnetic grenade launcher. While the laser rifle draws power directly from the fusion for an effectively unlimited payload, the rail gun carries eight hundred rounds instead of a thousand rounds. In addition, grenade payload is reduced from forty to thirty rounds.

This power armor design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.

Model Type: IM-WHK-5-SN.

Class: Space Combat Exoskeleton.

Crew: One.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Stub Wings (2):	50 each.
	[1] Wing Mini-Missile Launchers (8 total):	8 each.
	[1] Shoulder Mini-Missile Box Launchers (2):	60 each.
	[1] “Triple Fire” Rifle:	140.
	[1] Ammo Drum (1; rear):	40.
	Upper Arms (2):	65 each.
	Lower Arms (2):	50 each.
	[1] Hands (2):	35 each.
	Legs (2):	120 each.
	[2] Head:	120.
	[3] Main Body:	350.
	[4] Contra-Grav Propulsion System (l, in back):	180.

Notes:

[1] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a “called shot;” but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.

[2] Destroying the head/helmet has a 01-60% chance of knocking the pilot unconscious. If conscious, the pilot has two problems: one, no power armor combat bonuses to strike, parry and dodge, and two, the human head is now vulnerable to attack. Note: The head is a small and difficult target to hit. Thus, it can only be hit when a character makes a “called shot” and even then the attacker is -3 to strike.

[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the armor down completely, making it useless.

[4] Destroying the contra-grav propulsion system reduces all the special bonuses given below and prevents the armor from flying. A normal jet propulsion system or jet backpack can replace the contra-grav propulsion system, but it won't have any of the special flight bonuses and its speed will be a fraction of normal (that of the replacement system).

Speed:

Running: 62.1 mph (100 kph) maximum. Note that the act of running does tire out the operator, but at 5% normal fatigue rate. If the contra-grav flight system is not engaged or damage, increase fatigue rate to 10% of normal.

Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the power armor to travel up to 20 percent of the speed of light. Armor can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 1.0 percent of light per melee.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum cruise speed is Mach 1.4 (1,141.9 mph / 1,837.6 kph), can enter and leave an atmosphere because flight system is by contra grav.

Range: Effectively Unlimited. The contra-grav propulsion system on the space exoskeleton does not overheat. The only limit is the pilot’s endurance.

Statistical Data:

Height: 9.68 feet (2.95 meters).

Width: Wings down, 4.92 feet (1.50 meters), and with stub wings extended, 11.98 feet (3.65 meters).

Length: 6.07 feet (1.85 meters) including Contra-Grav flight pack.

Mass/Weight: 1,201.5 pounds (545 kg).

Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 40.

Power System: Advanced Fusion; average energy life of 8 years.

Cargo: Effectively None.

Market Cost: Costs an average of around 2.0 million credits.

Weapon Systems:

One (1) “Triple Fire” Rifle: Other than mini-missiles, the strike exoskeleton only carries this rifle. It combines the original EMRG-10-MB 10 mm Electromagnetic Rail Gun with a 5 mm support pulse laser and an electromagnetic grenade launcher. While most rail guns in the Three Galaxies are gravity based models, the version carried on the power armor is a conventional electromagnetic model. The rail gun still fires projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth. When used in space, projectiles are fired from rail gun at a significant fraction of the speed of light. When used in an atmosphere, projectile velocities are slower to prevent them from burning up but still are at hypersonic speeds. The pulse laser is connected to the power supply of the strike exoskeleton for an effectively unlimited payload. The grenade launcher has a magazine with a total of thirty rounds reduced from forty.

Maximum Effective Range: Electromagnetic Rail Gun: 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) in an atmosphere and 150 miles (240 km) in space. Pulse Laser: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) in an atmosphere and 75 miles (120 km) in space. Electromagnetic Grenade Launcher: 1,600 feet (488 meters) in an atmosphere and 12,800 feet (3,901 meters) in space.

Mega-Damage: Electromagnetic Rail Gun: Ten Round Burst: 1D4x10+10. Twenty Round Burst: 2D4x10+10. Single Round: 2D6+2. Pulse Laser: 4D6 per single shot, 1D6x10+10 for a rapid fire three shot burst, or use machine gun burst rules for higher burst setting. Electromagnetic Grenade Launcher: Varies by Grenade Type (K-Hex Fragmentation: 4D6 to a 30 feet [9.1 m], K-Hex High Explosive: 6D6 to a 12 ft [3.6 m] Area, and K-Hex Armor Piercing: 1D6x10 to a 3 ft [0.9 m] area. Smoke, knock out gas, and other grenades are also available.)

Rare of Fire: Equal to the combined number of hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4-6).

Payload: Electromagnetic Rail Gun: 800 Rounds (40 bursts of twenty rounds / 80 burst of ten rounds). Pulse Laser: Effectively Unlimited. Electromagnetic Grenade Launcher: thirty (30) grenades.
Two (2) Shoulder Mini-Missile Launchers: Mounted in the shoulders of the power armor are a pair of mini-missile launchers with each having eight missiles for a total of sixteen missiles. Missiles have a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and have an acceleration of 2% of light per turn in space. This is slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration. Mini-Missiles in the Phase World / Three Galaxies setting are normally smart missiles with the most common warheads being armor piercing types.

Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.

Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)

Rate of Fire: Can fire mini-missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) mini-missiles.

Payload: Sixteen (16) mini-missiles total, eight (8) mini-missiles per launcher.
Eight (8) Stub Wing Mini-Missiles: Each stub wing of the exoskeleton mounts four mini-missiles. Missiles have a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and have an acceleration of 2% of light per turn in space. This is slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time. Mini-Missiles in the Phase World / Three Galaxies setting are normally smart missiles.

Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.

Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)

Rate of Fire: Can fire mini-missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or eight (8) mini-missiles.

Payload: Eight (8) mini-missiles total, four (4) mini-missiles on each wing.
Energy Rifles or Light Rail Gun and other hand-held weapons can be substituted in an emergency or used as a back-up weapon. Space limitations and the bulk of the armor limit additional rifle weapons to one rifle and one pistol.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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