Combat Enviroment Power Armor (New Coventry):


Originally, New Coventry operated the Kittani K-Universal power armor as their main light power armor. All ground marines, the main ground strike force of New Coventry, are outfitted with light power armors. Th K-Universal is light enough that it can operate almost anywhere where a normal soldier in body armor can operate in.


Several companies exist in the Three Galaxies which manufacture copies of the K-Universal. Several groups of Kittani have escaped the yoke of the Splugorth and have set up their own companies manufacturing their own designs with the K-Universal being one of the most popular. It was from these companies, not from the Splugorth that New Coventry purchased their armors.


New Conventry has been moving towards greater independence as far as their own military hardware. At the same time, Commander Terry Mayfair came up with a modification to the power armor which her ship’s marines operated. This became the basis for the new armor which New Coventry developed.


In most ways, the Combat Environment Power Armor, nicknamed by the troops "CEP", is just a modification of the K-Universal. There are quite a number of modified versions of the Kittani armor design within the Three Galaxies. It was a case where the engineers simply reverse engineered the K-Universal (Which is itself a reverse engineered version of the Triax T-21 Terrain Hopper.)


Manufacturing of the new armor has started although it will still be some time before all marines will have their armor replaced by the new armor. Of course the mass replacement of armor is creating a flood of K-Universal armors on the market. There does seem to be consideration towards manufacturing and marketing of the Combat Environment Power Armor to outside interests once all of the marine forces are refitted with the new armor.


The New Coventry armor is actually slightly smaller and lighter than the K-Universal. This makes the armor even more ideal for operating in tight spaces such as aboard starships. The new armor operates virtually identically to the armor which it replaces and requires virtually no retraining to operate.


There are some definite improvements with the New Coventry light power armor design as well. The armor is slightly improved but the ability to withstand damage is vastly improved with the additional of a Naruni force field. In addition, instead of a standard thruster, the Combat Environment Power Armor mounts a contra-grav propulsion system instead of a standard thruster.


Unlike the standard K-Universal Armor, the Combat Environment Power Armor has a number of integral weapon systems. This includes a pair of forearm particle beams fitted to the armor. These are surprisingly powerful although relatively short ranged. When fighting aboard ship, range is rarely much of an issue. In addition, a pair of micro-missile launchers are mounted on the chest of the armor as a last ditch weapon system. Each launcher has twenty-four micro missiles for a total of forty-eight missiles. Usually guided missiles are carried. Even with integral weapons, the power armor will usually carry a energy rifle or gravity rail gun.


The armor has two optional systems which it can be fitted with. Most New Coventry suits so far issued have been fitted with this system although there is some pressure to reduce the cost of the armor by deleting the systems form some suits. One system is a gravity wave system. This enables the armor to see through walls and often allows it to also detect invisible targets. The second is a stealth camouflage system which enables the armor to blend in with most terrain.


Model Type: CEPA-01
Class: Light Strategic Environmental Exo-Skeleton
Crew: One


M.D.C. by Location:

[1] Rear Contra-Grav Pack (1):75
[2] Chest Micro-Missile Launchers (2):50 each
[2] Chest Headlight (1):5
[2] Head:100
[3] Main Body:250
[4] N-50A Super heavy Naruni force field:160


Notes:
[1] Destroying the Contr-Grav Flight Pack will make power jumps and flight impossible.
[2] 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.
[3] Destroying the head/helmet has a 1-70% 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.
[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the armor down completely, making it useless. Note: Destroying the contra-grav pack will make Flight and power jumps/leaps impossible.
[5] The force field will stop energy attacks and fast moving objects. Slow moving objects can pass through. The force field regenerates one (1) M.D.C. per melee round unless overloaded and then cannot be activated for 12 hours if overloaded. The force field pulls its power off of the power plant.


Speed:
Running: 100 mph (160 kph) maximum or leap running at 200 mph (320 kph - described under power jumping). Note that the act of running does tire out its operator, but at a fatigue rare of 20% less than normal thanks to the robot exo-skeleton.
Leaping: The contra grav jet pack enables the power armor to leap a height of approximately 100 feet (30 m) high or 600 feet (183 m) long in a power jump.
Power Jumping and Travel: Getting a running start will enable the individual to leap up to 600 feet (91.5 m) up or lengthwise. The height of the leap is controlled by the pilot. By leaping, landing, continuing to run a few dozen yards/meters, and power leaping again, the operator can attain and maintain, an impressive ground speed of 200 mph (320 kph), even through light forest (speed should be reduced 40% through dense vegetation or hazardous terrain to avoid accidents). Directional control is nearly total, but engaging contra-grav pack to avoid a collision or bad lending may slow one's speed. Also the Flight capabilities enable the pilot to stop in mid-air if necessary.
Contra-Grav flight system: The contra-grav propulsion system enables the armor hover in a stationary at any altitude and fly at a maximum speed of 200 mph (320 kph). The contra-grav system makes the armor trans- atmospheric and armor can accelerate at up to 0.5 Gs of acceleration.
Underwater: The armor can travel up to a maximum speed of 40 mph (64 kmph) to a maximum depth of 1000 feet (310 m).
Range: The Armors range is virtually unlimited. Unlike the original thrusters, the Contra-Grav system does not overheat. The only limit is the pilots endurance.


Statistical Data:
Height: 7.5 feet (2.3 meters)
Width: 4.2 feet (1.3 meters)
Length: About 3 feet (0.9 meters)
Weight: 180 lbs (81.7 kilograms) with jet pack
Physical Strength: Equal to P.S. 30.
Cargo: very limited, has a special integral Equipment, Ammo, E-Clip carriers, and a holster on armors waist.
Power System: Nuclear; average life is 10 years.
Cost: 2.4 million credits, Camouflage system costs an additional 200,000 credits, and gravity wave sensor costs 1 million credits. The Standard New Coventry version has both systems (Cost 3.6 million credits.)


Weapon Systems:

  1. Forearm Particle Beams (4): Each arm has a two short range but powerful particle beam cannons mounted in the forearm. Superficially, these weapon systems are similar to the FIWS in Juicer Uprising. These weapons were fitted to give the trooper an integral backup weapon in case the combat rifle is lost although some troops prefer to use them in close quarters over heavier weapons. Both forearms can be fired together if the soldier has the skill of Paired Weapons: Energy Pistol.
    Maximum Effective Range: 1,200 feet (365 m) in an atmosphere. Range is eight times normal when used in space.
    Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 each and 2D4x10 for both (Usually both are fired together.) If the person has paired weapons, Energy Pistol, can do up to 4D4x10 per attack.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks (usually 4-6). Paired weapons energy pistol allows both to be used as a single attack.
    Payload: Effectively unlimited.
  2. Chest Micro-Missile Launchers (2): In each side of the chest are micro missile launchers. Similar in many to the Naruni "Claymore" weapon systems. Both smart guided and unguided micro-missiles are available and there are several special micro-missile warheads available. Smart guided missiles have +4 to strike and +4 to dodge. Each side carries a series of 4 cells wide by 6 cells up and down that each carry 24 micro-missiles for a total of 48 micro-missiles. These weapon systems are designed so that targeting the missiles does minimal damage to the armor.
    Maximum Effective Range: As per micro-missile type (1 mile [1.6 km] for unguided micro-missiles or 2 miles [3.2 km] for guided micro-missiles). Using modified rules, multiply ranges by 8 times in space.
    Mega Damage: 6D6 per micro-missile
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), twelve (12), twenty-four (24), or forty-eight (48 - all) missiles.
    Payload: 24 micro missiles per launcher for a total of 48 micro-missiles.
  3. 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. New Coventry standard issue is either HI-80 High Intensity Combat Laser Rifle or GR-15AR Gravity Assault Rifle for rifle and NE-4 Plasma Cartridge Pistol or GR-45HP Jackhammer Heavy Gravity Rail Gun Pistol for pistol.
  4. Camouflage System (Optional): The suit's skin is covered by a fiber-optic material that can change colors to match the general environment. Color change takes 1D4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds), in which the armor becomes the exact same color as the predominant one in the area. In the woods or in broken terrain, the suit will also create stripes and blotches of lighter and darker color like a camouflage pattern. In all cases, the wearer is difficult to spot: -20% for others to detect ambush and detect concealment, +5% to the wearers prowl skill, and even characters without prowl have a 40% chance of not being seen if they stay under cover and don't move.
    The system also masks infrared and thermal emissions, making the wearer’s heat invisible to infrared and thermal optics! There is only a 21% chance of the suit showing up on thermal systems and even then the reading/image will seem unusual. The camouflage system is disabled after the armor's main body takes 200 points of damage.


Sensor System of Note:
Has all the standard sensors of Three Galaxies power armors plus the following special systems.


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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


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