Tomahawk Space Combat Strike Exoskeleton:

The Tomahawk might be considered to be derived from the Warhammer space combat strike exoskeleton. It is different than most versions in that it is actually a slimmed down and lighter version of the common space armor. In addition to being more streamlined and far less blocky looking, the Tomahawk uses more advanced technology and is considered to be a much higher performance design.

Now, there are quite a number of variants of the Warhammer power armor operated around the Three Galaxies. If you include armors later upgraded, there are an even greater number of different Warhammer designs operated in the Three Galaxies. Most variants of the Warhammer are relatively minor modifications with a number adding additional weapon systems.

Even though the Tomahawk is a more advanced armor design than the Warhammer, the developers attempted as much as possible to keep the design relatively simple. In addition, it uses a fair amount of civilian components. As such, the Tomahawk it is still surprisingly easy to maintain. Even so, the Tomahawk is considerably more expensive design than the original Warhammer.

One of the biggest issues with the Warhammer is its comparatively low space acceleration. Not only is it slower than most advanced space power armors, it is actually slower than most starships. Even though the Tomahawk masses less than the Warhammer, it still required a more powerful contra-grav propulsion in order to increase the performance of the armor. The results is a space armor with fifty percent greater acceleration. Even so, the Tomahawk still has one third less acceleration than the Consortium Silverhawk space armor.

In an atmosphere, the Tomahawk armor has a top speed of mach 1.25. As with the Warhammer, the contra-grav flight system enables the power armor to be trans-atmospheric. The servo system of the Tomahawk is essentially the same as the Warhammer but due to the lighter mass, the running speed of the armor is somewhat improved with a running speed of around one hundred kilometers per hour.

With respect to the fusion reactor, the Tomahawk mounts a slightly more advanced model which can go eight years between refueling. The fusion reactor still is a low maintenance design and designed for easy maintenance in the field. As with the Warhammer, it is designed to easily change out the reactor in the field. In fact, in many ways it is actually easier to change out the reactor that to attempt to refuel it still in the power armor.

In order to still give good protection, more advanced armor alloys and composites were required. Even so, the actual protection of the Tomahawk is somewhat reduced compared to the larger armor. As with the Warhammer, many operators add the Naruni force field generator to increase protection. Like the Warhammer, it is limited to the lighter “non-robot” models of the force field generator.

With a total capacity of forty-eight mini-missiles, the Warhammer’s biggest selling point is the immense payload of mini-missiles carried on the space armor. In order to reduce the mass of the Tomahawk, this needed to be somewhat reduced although the lighter armor can still carry a total of forty mini-missiles. Each of the shoulder launchers mounts eight mini-missiles and each forearm launcher has a total of six mini-missiles, reduced from twelve and eight respectively. As partial compensation, each wing can carry six mini-missiles instead of the four on the Warhammer. As with the Warhammer, in most cases smart mini-missiles will be carried.

In common with the Warhammer, the Tomahawk only carries a single weapon system beyond its huge payload of mini-missiles. The standard weapon is a ten millimeter electromagnetic rail gun which is a lightweight version of the rail gun carried on the Warhammer. Shielding on the rail gun uses lighter weight composites but is still less shielded than the one carried on the Warhammer. In order to further reduce weight, payload is reduced from one thousand to eight hundred rounds. It does however retain the ability to fire ten round bursts in addition to twenty round bursts in order to reduce ammo expenditure.

In addition to the ten electromagnetic rail gun, the manufacturer offers an 8 mm gravity rail gun. The effective damage of the gravity rail gun is slightly less but has similar range. In addition, the gravity rail gun has far greater payload with four thousand rounds massing around the same as the eight hundred ten millimeter rounds. Standard burst is forty rounds but the gravity rail gun has the ability to five twenty round burst as well to conserve ammunition. As with the Warhammer, operators often mount a light laser in order to have a weapon which does use ammunition.

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: TCS-6-MM.

Class: Space Combat Strike Exoskeleton.

Crew: One.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Wings (2):	65 each.
	[1] Wing Mini-Missile Launchers (12 total):	8 each.
	[1] Shoulder Mini-Missile Box Launchers (2):	80 each.
	[1] Forearms with Missile Launchers (2):	80 each
	[1] EMRG-10-LW Electromagnetic Rail Gun Rifle (Standard):	80.
	[1] GRSR-8-LW Gravity Rail Gun Rifle (Optional):	70.
	[1] Ammo Drum (1; rear):	40.
	Upper Arms (2):	70 each.
	[1] Hands (2):	35 each.
	Legs (2):	140 each.
	[2] Head:	110.
	[3] Main Body:	380.
	[4] Contra-Grav Propulsion System (l, in back):	200.

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 0.9 percent of light per melee.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum cruise speed is Mach 1.25 (951.6 mph / 1,531.4 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: 9.35 feet (2.85 meters).

Width: Wings down, 4.76 feet (1.45 meters), and with wings extended, 12.80 feet (3.90 meters).

Length: 5.41 feet (1.65 meters) including Contra-Grav flight pack.

Mass/Weight: 1,322.8 pounds (600 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 2.5 million credits. The gravity rail gun costs an additional 200,000 credits.

Weapon Systems:

One (1) Handheld Rifle: The Tomahawk has the mounting for a single rifle, either an electromagnetic or gravity rail gun. This is the only weapon system carried standard other than the mini-missile launchers. In each case, an ammunition drum feeds into the rail gun. The electromagnetic rail gun is standard while the gravity rail gun is option and is less commonly carried. Some pilots however prefer it due to having a greater payload.
1. EMRG-10-LW 10 mm Lightweight Electromagnetic Rail Gun Rifle: Has reduced shielding compared to the rail gun carried on the Warhammer. 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.
  
  Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) in an atmosphere and 150 miles (240 km) in space.
  
  Mega-Damage: Ten Round Burst: 1D4x10+10. Twenty Round Burst: 2D4x10+10. Single Round: 2D6+2.
  
  Rare of Fire: Equal to the combined number of hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4-6).
  
  Payload: 800 Rounds (40 bursts of twenty rounds / 80 burst of ten rounds).
2. GRSR-8-LW Gravity Rail Gun Rifle (Optional): The gravity rail gun is less commonly carried than the electromagnetic rail gun due to lower firepower but does have a much greater payload. The rail gun 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.
  
  Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) in an atmosphere and 150 miles (240 km) in space.
  
  Mega-Damage: Twenty Round Burst: 5D6+6. Forty Round Burst: 1D6x10+10. Can only fire bursts.
  
  Rare of Fire: Equal to the combined number of hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4-6).
  
  Payload: 4,000 Rounds (100 bursts of forty rounds / 200 burst of twenty rounds).
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.
Two (2) Forearm Mini-Missile Launchers: Wrapped around the forearm of the power armor are six mini-missile tubes for a total of twelve 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. 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: Twelve (12) mini-missiles total, six (6) mini-missiles per launcher.
Twelve (12) Wing Mini-Missiles: Each wing of the exoskeleton mounts six 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), six (6), or twelve (12) mini-missiles.

Payload: Twelve (12) mini-missiles total, six (6) 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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